Glacier Walk on Sólheimajökull Glacier in the South of Iceland. We can pick you up in Reykjavik, or you can meet us at the parking lot by the glacier. Sólheimajökull is an outlet glacier from the magnificent Mýrdalsjökull. During this easy glacier exploration, you will find blue ice, crevasses, and incredible ice formations that will leave you in awe. This glacier tour could be a great add-on to your day of South Coast sightseeing in Iceland!
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On this tour, you'll take a short walk up to the glacier when you spend about 1-1.5 hours exploring the surreal terrain and the thrilling features of the glacier. First, you get an introduction to using the provided equipment (ice crampons, ice ax) and how to walk safely on the ice.
You'll see a rugged, raw, and ever-changing terrain full of blue ridges, mesmerizing labyrinths, giant sinkholes called "moulins," and little waterfalls and streams during the hike. The glacier walk does not require any special skills and therefore the tour can be enjoyed by people of all levels in good health.
Solheimajokull glacier is located about 28 km west of Vík and 6 km east of Skógar. From Reykjavík, it is about 160 km and the driving time is about 2 hours. You drive 4,5 km on road 221 to the guiding base from the main road, the Ring Road.
The glacier is approximately 11 km long, and it advances from the Myrdalsjokull glacier down a one to two km wide valley. The glacier falls from a height of 1,300 m down to 100 m, and because of the location and shape of the glacier, it is extremely sensitive to climate change.
The climate is warm and humid in the lowlands, with average temperatures above 5 °C and precipitation of 1,810 mm per year. However, rainfall on the Myrdalsjokull glacier is much higher, or up to 7,000 mm per year, and the average temperature is much lower.
From 1930 to 1969, the glacier retreated in total around 977 m. Then the weather cooled, and the glacier advanced about 495 m until 1995 and thickened by up to 100 m.
After that, the glacier started to retreat again, and in 2010 it was almost one kilometer further up the valley than in 1930 and was 120 to 150 m thinner than in 1960.
If the climate continues to warm, there is a possibility that the glaciers will have virtually disappeared in 100 to 200 years.
If you select a tour option with a pickup from Reykjavik, our tour guide will meet you at your chosen pickup location in the capital city. After pickup, we'll drive in an easterly direction along the South Coast to the glacier. On our way to and back from the glacier, we stop at a few of the most famous natural attractions in Iceland: Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss.
Seljalandsfoss is a waterfall with its origin in the famous trouble maker Eyjafjallajokull volcano glacier. Seljalandsfoss is about 60 m high and can be inspected from many angles. When it's not frozen, you can even walk behind it, freshen up your face from the glacier drizzle while enjoying it from another perspective!
30 km further up the south coast, another majestic waterfall, Skogafoss. It's a phenomenon that won't disappoint you for sure! Skogafoss is one of the most impressive waterfalls in Iceland, and on a sunny day, you can be sure of catching a rainbow. It is possible to hike up to the top and view it from above.
If you select the Classic tour From Solheimajokull, please show up at our glacier base (see the map) at the advertised departure time (see in the booking widget).
Our glacier base is by the Sólheimajökull glacier parking lot, about 28 km west of Vik and about 6 km east of Skógar. From Reykjavík, it's about 160 km, and the driving time is about 2,5 hours. From the main road is a 4.5 km drive by road 221 to the base.
Note that weather and road conditions can affect the driving duration, so please allow extra time in winter.
GPS: 63.530431, -19.370416 (See map for directions)
Practical information
Please note
Shoe Size: Please note that if your shoe size is smaller than 35 EU, our guides will not be able to fit crampons into your shoes for glacier activities.
Children aged 14 and above must be accompanied by an adult throughout both the transfer and the tour. Safety and supervision are essential when planning the tour for young participants.
Iceland is known for unforeseeable weather. It is likely that you can see all 4 seasons in one day.
Dressing for that kind of weather can always be demanding, so we suggest dressing in layers. 3 or 4 upper layers are highly recommended, for example, a light t-shirt (preferably wool) next to the skin, then a fleece or heavy wool garment topped off with a waterproof windbreaker.
Jeans are not recommended for our trips as they are not suitable for the weather conditions, they become very heavy, cold and uncomfortable to wear when they get wet.
Lightweight hiking pants, track pants or long cotton pants are convenient and wear wind/waterproof pants over them. There is high UV and sunlight reflecting off on the glacier so we highly recommend using sunglasses and sunscreen even if it is cloudy.
You will need sturdy hiking boots that fit crampons for the glacier hiking tours. If you do not own a pair then we rent out suitable hiking boots as well as a waterproof raincoat and trousers.
It is good to bring your own backpack on our full-day or half-day tours. It’s the best carry-on for a small lunch, extra clothes, and other necessary items.
The scenery on the tour is full of stunning, breathtaking views that you’ll almost definitely want to capture forever, so you should definitely bring your camera along. Your tour guide will also be happy to take your photo.
This is surely a personal choice, we do not deny pregnant women on our glacier trips but we highly recommend you to take a closer look at our trip description and difficulty ratings, they will hopefully give you a better idea. We also recommend you to contact your physician, as pregnant women’s health can be quite different. If you have any further questions or concerns then feel free to contact us.
Lunch is not provided on any of our trips, therefore we recommend you bring your own lunch, snacks, and a bottle of water (you can refill it on the trip). It is especially important to make sure you bring lunch on our longer trips.
Crampons enable you to walk on the glacier ice without slipping. They are metal spikes that we attach to the soles of your hiking shoes.
Yes, we have specially trained and certified glacier guides on every glacier tour that we offer. And for our 3rd party tours we only partner with operators that meet our quality and safety standards.
Yes, we provide you with all the necessary glacier gear for our glacier hiking tours. Ice axes, crampons, harnesses, and helmets are provided. This will help you to complete the tour safely. The minimum shoe size to attach crampons is EU 35.
Iceland is known to have a lot of snow and when the snow stays long enough in one place than it turns to ice. Over long periods of time, the ice layers up becoming huge blocks called glaciers. It forms to create ginormous glaciers that sweep across huge masses of land. Iceland is home of the largest glacier in Europe that is called Vatnajökull. The Glacier Guides can tell you more about and everything you need to know about the Glaciers.
Rain is common in Iceland but we never let the rain be in our way to go forward with our tours.
That’s why we highly recommend appropriate clothing so you can stay warm and dry.
Nature is out of our control and therefore we need to adapt to the weather. Your safety is our priority so if your safety is compromised by going on the tour then we will cancel it and you will get full reimbursement.
The guide on your glacier hiking tour will provide you with all the information you might need when preparing for a glacier hike.
Crampons are metal spikes that fasten to the soles of your hiking boots to provide a reliable grip on icy surfaces and help prevent slipping. For our glacier tours involving walking on ice, specialized glacier crampons are provided. These are stronger and more durable than standard ice spikes, designed specifically for challenging glacier conditions. Your guide will assist you in putting them on before you step onto the glacier, and they will be collected at the end of the tour.
