Sólheimajökull Glacier Hike - Small Group Blue Ice Adventure

Its was definitely a challenge getting on and off the glacier. The path is narrow and steep. I would rate the outing as moderate plus. Guide did a great job.

Daniel was a great, knowledgeable, and friendly guide and truly knew what he was doing. We were able to get plenty of time on the glacier & the whole experience was awesome. There was maybe 10-15 people in our small group.

This was an incredible hike on a glacier with amazing scenery. It is definitely a moderate hike, but certainly not a problem for anyone on the hike. Our tour guide Pietre was fantastic with an incredible amount of knowledge about glaciers and great stories about hiking glaciers. This was one of our favorite activities on our trip.

This is a fun experience and moderately strenuous. I am 58 and exercise, so it wasn't too bad. My 27 year old son had no problems. The guide Daniel was great very funny but knowledgeable. Lots of time on the ice. Views were amazing. Highly recommended.

We took this trip on Thursday October 15th 2026. A morning with temperatures on the glacier below the freezing point, clear skys and fresh snow providing for fantastic views of the glacier! Daniel was our amazing guide. He provided excellent instructions, told us stories about the glacier and helped participants along the way and made the hike safe. He’s was also a great photographer… Much appreciated, Daniel! The tour has been extended to 4 hours during the summer of 2026 as the former route onto the glacier was no longer safe. The hike is now 6 km in total out of which approx. 2 km each way is a walk to the glacier. First a short walk on asphalt and then through rater rough tarrain where you need to walk on gravel, stepping stones in mud and water and pass rocks. At the same time the path is quite steep in various areas. This does not disqualify this hike. It was a great experience! But a word of advise: I would not consider this trip easy / moderate - rather moderate and for some even stenuous. I here compare to classification of tours I have joined, mostly in Canada and in the US. But still very recommendable!

This was our dream excursion! It did not disappoint. Francesco was our guide and absolutely fantastic with his knowledge, preparedness, and directions. He expertly guided us & was extremely intentional in our safety, so we felt extremely safe. Also, I would like to add we also enjoyed his humor. Plus he is a great photographer and took some of our favorite pics on this excursion (thank you!). My husband and I felt like he prepared us well for the hike and we took breaks, which helped. The hike was beautiful, but the glacier, there are no words. Absolutely beautiful and otherworldly. The hike is moderate endurance and includes going up the path made and down as well. Francesco though always checked in with the group and helped those who needed it. I would highly recommend this tour with Francesco! We will never forget it!

This was our dream excursion! It did not disappoint. Francesco was our guide and absolutely fantastic with his knowledge, preparedness, and directions. He expertly guided us & was extremely intentional in our safety, so we felt extremely safe. Also, I would like to add we also enjoyed his humor. Plus he is a great photographer and took some of our favorite pics on this excursion (thank you!). My husband and I felt like he prepared us well for the hike and we took breaks, which helped. The hike was beautiful, but the glacier, there are no words. Absolutely beautiful and otherworldly. The hike is moderate endurance and includes going up the path made and down as well. Francesco though always checked in with the group and helped those who needed it. I would highly recommend this tour with Francesco! We will never forget it!

This was an incredible experience, and I am so glad my husband and I did it despite the weather. Walking on a glacier and learning its history was an amazing experience we will treasure, but it's not an easy activity. You should be comfortable hiking moderate climbs with extra equipment. On a very wet, windy day, we hiked up the glacier. Monique led the hike, and we learned about the glacier, its ash color, and the changes it undergoes during the seasons. Because of the rain and the wind, the hike was a bit rough as we climbed uphill in muddy, wet conditions. The hike is about 8 km, so it can be challenging if you are not used to hiking, especially with the extra equipment (Ice pick, crampons, and a safety harness) that you have to carry. If you've never used crampons, it is a new experience that can be challenging, as it was for me. I ended up falling because we had to put the crampons on before getting on the ice, and I was not used to walking on it. That said, once I was on the glacier I felt very secure in the crampons and walking around.

It is a highly challenging, adrenaline-filled experience. I didn't think I’d make it, but it is a wonderful hike with beautiful scenery. I recommend wearing ankle-high boots; otherwise, you can rent them for an extra fee for greater comfort and safety.

Really great hike with stellar views. It is not for the weak. We had a few people tap out half way. I think they would have been fine had they hung in there, but it is a very long hike. My advice would be do a lot of walking before you visit and you will be fine. The hikes probably a little over 10 miles total. Our guide was Lucas and he was great. He kept a nice slow pace so everyone could keep up and was very knowlegable about the glacier. I can't wait to come back again.

Was a really good experience the hike was. Enjoyed and feel really safe with the hiking Instructor….

We really enjoyed our hike on the glacier. This felt like a once in a lifetime experience and I’m so glad we got to do it. Finley, our guide was great. What fun to do the viking push up and drink the glacier water.

Awesome hike and amazing guide- Franco was great! As a first time hiker on a glacier, it was a great experience. The group included a diverse group of people which was great as well. We also lucked out with a beautiful sunny day.

There's an hour long moderate hike out to the glacier with some steep descents and climbs ... but hiking the glacier made it worthwhile. Our guide, Daniel, was fantastic; he was engaging, kept us safe, helped if needed, and was very informative. Thanks again Daniel!!

Fantastic experience! Very valuable for the price. Our tour guide, Daniel, was great. He was very knowledgeable, entertaining, and attentive to safety. Some things to note. The tour has recently been extended to 4 hours, which has been caused due to a recent hiking path change. Although Arctic Adventures advertised it as easy, I would consider the hike to be moderate to challenging. For reference, I am a fit 25 yo male. Be prepared to either bring above-the-ankle hiking boots or rent theirs for a small fee. Pack a backpack with water, snacks, and additional layers, if necessary. Overall, I would highly recommend!

This is an amazing experience but the hike is no joke. I was booked on this tour through the tour company I booked my Iceland tour with, so none in our group was aware of how strenuous this tour would be until we arrived at the site. I felt that the guide walked a bit fast on our hour-long hike to get to the glacier; he walks this route twice/day, he knows the terrain. I, on the other hand, do not, and have to be careful where I'm stepping and watch where I'm walking. I will admit, however, that he was very helpful once we arrived to the glacier and on the glacier itself. On our way back to the meeting area we merged with another group and everyone took off. I was the last person to arrive back, partly because I was tired but also because my feet were hurting due to having to rent their hiking boots (make sure you have high top hiking boots; I wear low cut hiking shoes and therefore had to rent boots, which was another thing we did not know until we arrived at the excursion). Being that there were 2 groups that morphed into one I would have assumed at least one guide would have stayed back to insure all guests returned to the starting area. For all anyone knew I fell, hit my head, and was unconscious somewhere along the trail. When I say there was no one around, there was NO ONE. Two individuals from the group I was traveling with eventually saw me and walked the remainder of the trail with me. My other concern was that a few individuals in the second group had their ice axes and crampons slung over their shoulders while they were walking. All it would take was for them to turn fast and someone would've had a pretty good laceration on their face from running into such a sharp object. These individuals were walking with a guide, who didn't say anything to them about safety or that it was probably not a good idea to walk with such sharp/dangerous objects slung over their shoulders.

Our guide Steven was absolutely incredible, so knowledgeable and passionate about what he does. He went out of his way to show us things about the glacier the other guides weren't doing. Very open to sharing his experiences and all the questions we had. Highly recommend this tour with Steven and you'll fall in love with the glacier and mountains too.

Maybe the most fun hike I have ever done. The guide Francesco was fantastic and took us to one of the highest points we could get to on the glacier. Incredible views and a hike that really felt like an "only in Iceland" experience.

Dont use this company. Our booking was "small group guaranteed". When we showed up they had 44 people there and one guide doing the safety demo. We complained and they gave us a number to call for a refund. The refund was denied after the fact. These people will steal from you. You are better off booking from a competitor.

It was the kayak trip. Fantastic experience and very good guide- he was knowledgeable and relaxed while being concerned about our safety. 1st class equipment and smooth check in process.

The hike and views were absolutely phenomenal! It was about 4 hours of hiking, with about two of them fully on the glacier. Our tour guide was absolutely amazing and pointed out tons of ice formations on the glacier and how they formed. There was a large group of people at the meeting point and orientation, but they had multiple guides and we broke off into groups of roughly 15 people at most. This tour would be good for anybody from solo travelers to large family or friend groups. And the admission cost felt very reasonable for the experience we got. I'd have no problem doing this tour again and recommending it to friends!

My son and I did the glacier hike this week and it was wonderful. Our guide was amazing and the views on the hike were breathtaking - such a wonderful experience.

Our guide, Daniel Soares, was amazing. He led us on quite the adventure- explained much of the history of the glacier and led us to some amazing sights for photos. We had a great time and have so far found it the most amazing part of an absolutely fantastic family vacation. Truly one of a kind experience. While this was something we have never done before, we felt safe the entire time with Daniel's excellent leadership and calm demeanor. I knew we were all well taken care of and I was able to just enjoy the time with my kids knowing we were in good hands.

Bring waterproof pants if you have them!! Its not an easy or beginner hike. We went in August and it was great!

Arctic Adventures with Monica and the other gentleman from Italy (I forgot your name - I'm sorry!) was excellent. I've had limited experience with glacier exploration and I've never ice climbed before but I am a very experienced hiker. Our guides made it so fun and educational and I felt supported and safe throughout the whole experience. I highly recommended this group and this particular adventure to anyone who wants to get up close and personal - exploring a living glacier in Iceland - and to challenge themselves to try something new. I felt really surprised and proud that I could do ice climbing and would definitely do this again!

Be prepared for Icelandic weather. We had rain on and off for four hours. Waterproof clothes were important to have. It was a GREAT experience. It wasn’t an easy hike but it was very doable. Pietro was our guide and he was wonderful. He modulated the pace for some people in our group who needed a little more time. Being on the glacier was interesting and a bit otherworldly. Bring layers and enjoy a memorable experience!

I wasn't sure what to expect but we had an amazing time. We went in August and really only needed a tshirt with rain gear. Our tour involved about a 4 mile hike, sometimes very steep. I noticed in our group and others that older people and kids struggled quite a bit, I would not really recommend those people join this tour unless they are in great shape as you will hold your group back. We were often stopping to wait for the families with kids to catch up and eventually our guide sent them back because they could not keep up or handle the terrain. I feel our tour was cut short from this, although the guide did her absolute best in handling it. On the glacier is incredible and breathtaking. You don't want to miss this tour, and I wish we could've done an even longer one. Be sure to stop at the Soup Company in Vik afterwards for a warm and comforting lunch if you love soup.

The trip lasted longer than expected (4.5 hours) and was NOT an easy hike. My group also had ~15 people which i would not consider a small group. I would likely have not signed up for a 4.5 hour moderate difficulty hike. However, the experience was otherwise as advertised.

Because of the changing of the Glacier, routes may be changed. Understand this is a moderate hike. The excellent guides will lead you safely through every step, but know your limitations before you start for everyone's safety.

Best tour guide Casper helped us to have fun and safe. Highly recommend this tour.

Absolutely epic adventure! Our family of five did this hike with Franco as our tour guide and it was the highlight of our Icelandic trip. To hike through a glacier was unreal. Franco was knowledgeable as well as cared about our safety while still allowing us to explore. 10 out of 10.

We did the 3-4 hour Sólheimajökull glacier hike with Arctic Adventures and it was an amazing experience. We met them on location at base camp - in the pouring rain! - and staff couldn’t have been more helpful kitting us out for the hike. Our guide was great (so sorry I can’t remember his name!) - and overall u really recommend. Our 9-year-old managed it as well but not going to lie, it does test your endurance! I think obviously weather conditions are a factor, but that’s out of everyone’s control! But the scenery and experience are out of this world. Also the safety checks etc done by the company before we set off made us feel we were in good hands.

Wow! An epic experience to hike on a glacier! The views and pictures were amazing. Although this activity is moderately strenuous with a 6 km total hike (with hills.) My boys (age 12 and 13) loved the experience, but were very tired after. Steven was our guide and was fun, knowledgeable and focused on safety. I would highly recommend this to any family with teens!

Overall, I enjoyed the hike, but I wish I’d known a few things beforehand. Our 3-hour hike became about 4 hours because glacier melt has changed the route. That’s completely understandable and not something I fault the company for. The biggest surprise was that it took about 45 minutes before we actually started hiking. Around 60 people met together to get fitted with gear before being split into groups of about 15. So the hike is a small group, but the check-in process is not. This is a moderate to moderately strenuous hike, not an easy walk. We traversed the side of a mountain before climbing the glacier. If you lack cardiovascular fitness or struggle with steep, uneven terrain, this may not be the hike for you. Our guide did a great job keeping everyone safe around the glacier’s crevasses, but everyone needs to follow the safety instructions. I had a great time, but I wish I’d been better prepared for the physical demands.

Fraser was a great tour guide! He ensured our safety and made sure we were adequately prepared for the hike. He was informative and knowledgeable. The hike was 4 hours and took us through a glacier. In total, we hiked approximately 5 miles. I would recommend this tour!

The pre-trip communications were timely and informative, the on-site operations were well orchestrated, and the glacier hike itself was breathtaking and informative. Their customer service was excellent from beginning to end. We hiked with our 11 year old and two 14 year old boys, and they were able to complete the moderate glacier hike with some motivation from parents. It was the highlight of our trip.

With the water being higher you have to hike a round and up and down the mountain to reach the glacier. It was very hard. Took 4 hours to ground trip. Steven helped everyone to make the hike. He helped everyone deal with the difficult trail and the steepness of the trail. We would never been able to do it without out Steven.

Phenomenal hiking and views. Helpful and encouraging guides. Hike was harder than we expected and we enjoyed it more for that reason. We rented boots——-they were sturdy and comfortable. Highly recommend!

We found out day before that route up to glacier had changed and would be longer because of flooding but the walk up was stunning and our guide Vero was so encouraging all the way. Her instructions were always clear and she expertly taught us how to walk with crampons. Hike on the glacier was other-worldly and Vero was super knowledgeable about history and formation of the glacier and crevasses. Highly recommend but wrap up warm for glacier as we were on the ice for over an hour and a half.

Veronica was an AMAZING guide, she was very knowledgeable, personable and full of energy and enthusiasm. She made the hike very fun. We got to see some very cool glacier features and spent a good amount of time on the glacier. Definitely a great excursion and we appreciate the company finding a new way to make it happen with the sudden glacier changes. Five stars for sure!!!

Very simple adventure. Small children should be separated from teenager's. For boys 16 years old was shot and very easy walk.

Our two families of mine including our children ranging from 15 to 23 thoroughly enjoyed this experience. It was cool to have the experience of hiking on a glacier safely and learning about glaciers, their effect on Iceland and the impact of the climate on the glaciers. Our guide made us feel comfortable, safe and made it fun along the way. We highly recommend this activity to those visiting the southern peninsula.

Amazing experience! Our guide, Guigui, was awesome!!

Walking on the glacier is an amazing experience. We learned so much and got lots of great pictures. Our guide Anya was perfect. She was funny and inclusive of all ability levels. She was a great teacher and made everyone feel safe and capable. The experience was one of the highlights of our 10 day trip to Iceland.

Hiking on the glacier was an awesome experience! Finley was a great guide and took care to make sure the paths we took were safe and easy for us to navigate. Since we had to leave time for getting the gear and navigating to and from the glacier, we were only on the top of the glacier for around an hour. The main reason I gave four stars is because the tour description says it is easy, but we felt it was more moderate difficulty as two 40 year olds.

Overall great experience. Good amount of time (~1 hr to 1.5 hrs) on the glacier itself. Clear directions on where to meet and what to bring. Our guide Jamie was great -- showed us some unique formations in the glacier. We had a group of 9 though one of the other groups had 11 people in it. The glacier itself was amazing to be on. Definitely requires a moderate level of physical fitness as the climb is not easy. Recommend dressing in layers so you can remove layers as you get warm. Staff could be slightly better organized - there was definitely some confusion at check-in. The path up to and down from the glacier itself was fairly crowded though.

This glacier hike was fabulous! Our tour guide, was very well-informed and personable. The hike was not difficult, and the scenery was spectacular. The tour operators made sure that everyone was safe and informed. Highly recommend this hike with Arctic Adventures!

Review: Arctic Adventures — Ice Cave Tour, Iceland We are experienced travelers, and this trip to Iceland had been on our list for a long time. It was, in many ways, a bucket list adventure for my mother, and we were thrilled to be fulfilling that dream together as a family. We had our itinerary planned out, but this particular tour came recommended to us by our hotel concierge; the kind of "you only live once" suggestion that felt in the spirit of the trip. In hindsight, I didn't ask all the right questions before booking. We did what we thought was due diligence: we checked the tour on the company's website, spoke directly with the hotel concierge, and discussed it as a family before committing. At no point in any of those conversations were we advised that the tour was not suitable for elderly travelers. We understood we'd be out enjoying dramatic glacier views. What we were not informed of was the true physical nature of the experience; we assumed there would be reasonable amenities and convenience along the way, including access to bathrooms. Instead, this turned out to be a full physical, action-based excursion involving crampons, helmets, and a signed liability waiver, requirements that were never made clear to us in advance. For two members of our party in their eighties, with existing health conditions, this was simply not appropriate, and by the time that became apparent, we were already at a remote glacier site with no way to turn back. That realization created genuine stress, worry, and concern, not just for the two family members directly affected, but for all of us watching it unfold. Understandably, we tried to raise this with the hotel right away. Our concierge, however, was not available for us to speak with for the remainder of our stay. She had separately advised us, regarding another booking, that a cancellation within 24 hours would result in a full refund; that assurance did not hold, and we ultimately lost the entire amount paid. We then raised the matter formally with Arctic Adventures. What followed was a drawn-out process spanning close to two months, met with delay after delay. Responsibility was repeatedly redirected to the hotel rather than addressed directly by the company that designed, classified, and operated the tour. At no point did Arctic Adventures take direct ownership of the situation, and no refund was ever issued by Arctic Adventures itself. I want to be fair here: the people on the ground, the guides, the drivers, the staff we actually met during our time in Iceland, were wonderful. That's not in question. In fact, it was some of those very guides who, seeing what had happened, encouraged us to take action and demand a refund. But our experience with the administration behind the scenes was a different story entirely. It felt like a team that is in it for the money, not for customer satisfaction; polite in tone, but unwilling to take responsibility, unwilling to engage directly with what we raised, and unwilling to make things right. To be clear: this tour is not inherently wrong, and it may well be a wonderful experience for the right traveler. But that isn't really what this review is about. It's about the lack of responsibility taken by the company, the lack of a fair refund, and the lack of basic courtesy shown to a family who raised legitimate, well-documented concerns in good faith. If you're booking with Arctic Adventures, ask direct, specific questions about physical requirements and age suitability before you go, and don't assume a hotel recommendation or a general "Easy" rating tells you everything you need to know.

The glacier hike was a highlight of our trip. It was a unique experience. Daniel was a wonderful and charming guide!