Glacier kayaking tours

Glacier and Volcano Expeditions proudly offer three kayaking tours that are all based around Iceland’s most spectacular glacier lake, Fjallsárlón, which is located at the foot of Öræfajökull, Iceland’s tallest volcano.

Glacier Kayaking Iceland

The Glacier Kayaking Iceland tour is designed for those who wish to experience the freedom of floating amongst icebergs with a truly outstanding glacier backdrop that is unparalleled to anywhere else in Iceland.

Glacier Hike and Kayaking Combination

For those who wish to explore deeper and further, the Glacier Hike and Kayaking Combination offers a unique opportunity to combine the experience of a glacier kayaking with a glacier hiking adventure onto Icelands most dramatic glacier.

Kayak, Glacier Hike and Ice Climbing

If you're seeking an unforgettable experience, our Kayak, Glacier Hike, and Ice Climbing tour is the ultimate adventure package. This thrilling excursion combines the tranquility of kayaking with the adrenaline rush of ice climbing, offering a unique and exhilarating way to discover the dramatic beauty of Iceland's majestic glacial environment.

Tips and Tour Information on
Glacier Kayaking in Iceland

The glacier lakes of Vatnajökull National Park are incredible and the best way to experience the world-famous icebergs that float on these lakes is by gliding amongst them in a kayak.

Glacier and Volcano Expeditions offer incredible glacier lake tours and we have produced this Best Glacier Kayaking Guide to Iceland to help answer any questions that you may have.

The guide aims to answer the frequently asked questions and provide all of the information that you need to know before your glacier kayaking tour in Vatnajökull National Park.

  Page Contents

• Glacier kayaking tours

• How challenging are the glacier kayaking tours?

• What clothing is best to wear on a glacier lagoon kayak tour in Iceland?

• What type of weather is suitable for glacier kayaking in Iceland?

• What is a Packraft?

• Terms and conditions

 Drysuit and life jacket information
for glacier kayaking

Glacier and Volcano Expeditions require all participants to wear a drysuit whilst kayaking on the glacier lake and we have a limited size range available. We can accommodate for people with a height range between 140cm (4’6 ft) and 198cm tall (6’6 ft). Also, the total weight limit on the boats is 100Kg.

The XL and XXL drysuits are only designed for tall people so please reconsider making a reservation if you or anyone in your group has a big waist diameter.

Drysuit sizes available: S, M, L, XL and XXL - please check the size chart in the gallery to ensure that you fit into a drysuit. You can fit a drysuit that is a little too big, but you cannot fit a drysuit that is a little too small for your body!

We also have children’s drysuit sizes available, however we kindly ask families to please contact us prior to making a reservation in order to ensure that the children will fit into the drysuit.

You will be required to wear a drysuit and a life jacket that we will provide. The drysuit will keep you warm, dry and comfortable throughout the kayaking part of the tour. The lifejacket will keep you afloat if you do somehow fall into the glacier lagoon.

Glacier and Volcano Expeditions meeting location

Please arrive early for your tour at Our meeting location which is at the Viewpoint of Fjallsjökull / Útsýni Yfir Fjallsjökull parking lot.

The link to the meeting location is: https://goo.gl/maps/LVCa2GUPfAv1FLpm9

To get there you will need to drive down a gravel road that has no sign off the side of the ring road Route 1. It will be easiest to navigate there with google maps. Look for the white Ford Transit van with the chimney. Please note that this road is rocky and has potholes. Small cars are usually fine to drive on this road if driven carefully.

Please note that there are no bathroom facilities at the parking lot or at any point during this tour as it is a wilderness experience. Please use the bathroom before the tour begins. You can pee in the wild during the tour however we strongly discourage littering toilet paper so please come prepared with a bag for paper disposal if necessary.

Map of our meeting location

How challenging are the glacier kayaking tours?

This is not the easiest of questions to answer because everyone has their own comfort and fitness levels. What is physically challenging to an average person will differ to an Olympic athlete for example.

The kayaking is easy for fit people and very challenging for overweight people. This is a physical tour designed for those who hike/ exercise regularly.

If you play sports or you are generally an active person you will be more than capable of participating comfortably and you will find these tours enjoyable.

Conversely, if you do not exercise and you are out of shape it is likely that you will not enjoy the tour. People with a large body size cannot participate in this activity as they are not able to fit into the drysuit or inside the boat.

At the beginning of the tour you will be issued with your drysuit, packraft, paddle and PFD and then you will be shown how to use this equipment. Paddling across a glacier lake with icebergs is a wonderful experience and it is not difficult when there is no wind. However when the weather conditions are windy it can be very physically challenging.

To discuss the nature of the tour in further detail please do not hesitate to contact us.

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 What clothing is best to wear on
the glacier kayaking tour?

It is important to wear the correct clothing and footwear whenever you venture into the wilderness in Iceland as the weather here can be harsh and unforgiving.

Glacier and Volcano Expeditions highly recommends that you have the following for either the Glacier Kayaking Iceland tour or the Glacier Hike and Kayaking Combination tour:

• Warm base layers made of synthetic or wool fibres (not cotton)

• Warm mid layers made of synthetic or wool fibres, lightweight down jacket, soft-shell, wool jumper, etc

• Warm woolly hat

• Sunglasses

We advise people to avoid cotton clothing as cotton soaks up moisture and provides very little warmth once it becomes wet. Synthetic hiking trousers, wool socks, polyester or wool thermal base layers and a down jacket are recommended.

The drysuit will keep you dry when you are paddling, but it is still cold when you are on the glacier lake. You will be thankful for bringing the extra layers and wearing them all beneath your drysuit.

Taking sunglasses is always a good idea even when it is raining at the beginning of the tour as it likely that it will become sunny at some point and the glare on the water and ice can make it hard to keep your eyes open.

For more information on what is best to wear on the Glacier and Volcano Expeditions glacier hikes, please visit this web page here.

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 What type of weather is suitable
for glacier kayaking in Iceland?

Throughout the summer months (May to September) Glacier and Volcano Expeditions operate the kayaking tours on calm days or days with only a slight breeze. The boats perform best when the wind speed is low and therefore when there are strong winds on the glacier lake we will unfortunately be forced to reschedule or cancel the tours.

During rainy conditions we usually still operate the tours as this does not affect the performance of the boats. If the weather is cold and rainy we highly recommend that you wear waterproof outer layers and dress warmly for your kayaking experience.

For more information on weather and cancellations please visit our Terms and Conditions Page.

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Glacier lagoon kayaking

Join us on a proper adventure!

Glacier and Volcano Expeditions lead unique tours on the glaciers, lakes and rivers of Skaftafell, Vatnajökull National Park. We take pride in guiding incredible landscapes to the highest possible standard and we would love for you to join us. By joining us on a Glacier Kayaking Iceland or a Glacier Hike and Kayaking Combination you will enjoy the following features:

• Environmentally friendly - all of our products are completely environmentally friendly. No environmental harm is created during the tours. As the kayaking tours are human powered, no pollution is created and none of the environment is altered.

• Adventurous - you will experience landscapes that are constantly changing. The icebergs, glaciers and rivers change all the time therefore you will be exploring terrain that people have not seen before.

• Rewarding - you are required to carry your kayaking equipment to the lake and the reward for this is the opportunity to paddle back down the glacier river to the car afterwards!

• Challenging - the glacier kayaking adventures are suitable for people that are fit and in good physical condition.

• Packrafting is fun - hiking with your boat, paddling across the lake and then down the river afterwards is made possible with our portable packraft boats which are a new and upcoming sport in the world.

• Glacier hike and kayaking combination - add glacier hiking to the plan and you will have a truly unique experience! The boats will take us across the lake to a glacier that can only be accessed by crossing the water. For more information please visit this link.

• Unsuitable weather alternatives available - if it is too windy to go kayaking, we offer a glacier hike as an alternative or a full refund if that option is unsuitable.

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Positives of Glacier Kayaking

Glacier and Volcano Expeditions are strongly in favour of using only human-powered adventures to minimise the use of motorised transport for tourism excursions in and around Vatnajökull National Park so the entire kayak (packraft) concept fits in well with our adventure style, environmentally-friendly company.

We believe that there are virtually no negative impacts involved with Glacier and Volcano Expeditions glacier kayaking operations. Some of the positives are:

• Experience the icebergs up close

• Enjoy the freedom of having your own boat to paddle

• Leave no trace - Our boats are carried to the lake, assembled at the lake edge and carried away afterwards.

• Enjoy the peace and quiet, noise pollution from engines is not created with kayaking

• Environmentally friendly tours. There is no risk of chemical or oil pollution as no engines are involved.

• Carbon friendly tours, no greenhouse gases are created.

• Leave the environment unharmed and as it is. We do not adapt the landscape of leave any gear in the wilderness between tours.

• Safety on the water. The boat that you will use is far safer than any other type of kayak as the person sits in between two pontoons which provide unparalleled stability and buoyancy.

• Kayaking is fun! You will have the opportunity to experience incredible landscapes and locations in Iceland whilst doing something unique and exciting!