Vatnajökull, Langjökull, Sólheimajökull and the rest: where to see them, glacier hikes and ice caves, how to stay safe and the ice that ends up on Diamond Beach
Stand on the black sand of Diamond Beach while a stranded iceberg glows blue in the low sun, and you are looking at the end of a journey that began centuries ago as snow falling high on Vatnajökull. That ice broke off Breiðamerkurjökull, one of the great glacier tongues that earn Iceland its nickname, the "Land of Fire and Ice". Glaciers cover roughly a tenth of the country, bury active volcanoes, feed every major river and made the lagoon and the beach that bring travellers to the southeast. This guide covers how they form, the major ice caps, what you can do on the ice, how to stay safe and why to see them soon.
If you are based in Reykjavík and want to walk on a glacier without driving, check live dates and prices for the glacier hike, waterfall and black sand beach day from Reykjavík (4.8★ from 1,771 reviews on GetYourGuide), which adds a guided glacier walk to the South Coast waterfalls and black sand beach:
Glaciers cover about 10–11% of Iceland. In 2019 their total area was approximately 10,400 km², down from about 11,100 km² (11% of the country) up to around 2008, and more than 2,200 km² smaller than at the end of the 19th century. Iceland has around 269 named glaciers, from vast ice caps to small cirque and valley glaciers, with about 14 major ice caps and more than 100 outlet glaciers among them.
Despite the country's name, today's glaciers are not left over from the last Ice Age. The Pleistocene ice sheet melted almost entirely around 7,000 years ago. The present ice caps formed again over the last few thousand years, reached their greatest size during the Little Ice Age (roughly 1450–1900) and began to retreat around 1890.
The Icelandic word for glacier is jökull (said roughly "yur-kuhtl"), and it ends nearly every glacier name: Vatnajökull, Langjökull, Snæfellsjökull. Once you know it, you can read the map, because any place name ending in -jökull is ice.
The glaciers hold a huge store of fresh water: if they melted entirely, global sea level would rise by roughly 1 cm. They are also the source of every major river in Iceland, and glacial meltwater makes up around a third of the water flowing from Iceland into the ocean each year.
A glacier starts where more snow falls each year than melts. Fresh snow is full of air, which is why it looks white. As new layers pile on, the snow underneath is compressed, the air is pushed out and the snow recrystallises into a dense, granular stage called firn. Over years to centuries of pressure, firn turns into solid glacial ice. Once the ice is about 40–50 m thick, it starts to deform and flow under its own weight, and that movement is what makes it a glacier. When Okjökull could no longer move under its own weight, it lost its status as a glacier altogether.
Why glacier ice is blue: in dense, old glacier ice the air bubbles have been squeezed out, leaving large, clear crystals. Ice absorbs the longer red wavelengths of light and lets the shorter blue wavelengths pass through and scatter back to your eye. The thicker and denser the ice, and the fewer bubbles it holds, the deeper the blue. Fresh, bubbly ice looks white, while old compressed ice, like the walls of a crevasse or an iceberg on Diamond Beach, glows blue.
Types of glaciers in Iceland:
Almost all Icelandic glaciers are temperate: the ice stays close to 0°C all the way through, so there is always liquid water at the base. That water lets the ice slide and flow relatively quickly.
The features guides will show you: as glaciers flow they crack open into crevasses, deep fissures that are often hidden under snow bridges. Moulins are vertical shafts where meltwater plunges into the glacier. Moraines are ridges of rock and debris pushed up and left behind by the ice, and glacial rivers carry silty meltwater to the sea. Because many Icelandic glaciers sit on volcanoes, layers of dark volcanic ash are frozen into the ice as black stripes, easy to see on Sólheimajökull and in the Katla ice cave.
Jökulhlaups: one uniquely Icelandic event is the jökulhlaup, a glacial outburst flood. When a volcano erupts under the ice or geothermal heat melts it, meltwater collects in a lake beneath the glacier until it bursts out in a sudden flood. The word (jökull plus hlaup, "glacier run") is now used by scientists worldwide. In 1996 the Gjálp eruption under Vatnajökull sent a jökulhlaup across the Skeiðarársandur plain with a peak flow of around 50,000 cubic metres per second. For a short time it was one of the largest rivers on Earth, and it destroyed bridges on the Ring Road.
Most glacier trips combine the ice with something else: a Sólheimajökull glacier hike on a South Coast day with Skógafoss and Reynisfjara, a Skaftafell hike on Vatnajökull, a winter ice cave tour from Jökulsárlón, a boat tour among the icebergs, or snowmobiling on Langjökull with the Golden Circle. The tours below are pulled live from GetYourGuide and update automatically.
Vatnajökull covers roughly 7,700–8,100 km², about 8% of Iceland, and is the largest ice cap in Europe by volume, holding around 3,000 cubic kilometres of ice. It averages about 400–500 m thick and reaches around 1,000 m at its deepest. It lies in southeast Iceland at the centre of Vatnajökull National Park, established in 2008, which covers about 14% of the country and was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019 as "Vatnajökull National Park – Dynamic Nature of Fire and Ice".
Under the ice are some of Iceland's most active volcanoes, including Grímsvötn (the most active), Bárðarbunga (the largest) and Öræfajökull. On the rim of Öræfajökull stands Hvannadalshnúkur, at 2,110 m Iceland's highest peak.
Vatnajökull has around 30 outlet glaciers. These are the ones travellers see most:
In winter, natural blue ice caves form under Breiðamerkurjökull and other Vatnajökull outlets. They change every season and are sold under names like "Crystal Cave"; the Original Ice Cave Tour from Jökulsárlón (4.6★ from 1,207 reviews on GetYourGuide, from $161) is one of the most booked. See our ice caves guide for the season and the rules.
Langjökull ("long glacier") is Iceland's second-largest ice cap, in the western highlands. Travel sources often give its area as around 900–950 km², but the most recent scientific inventory measured about 835 km² in 2019, a sign of continuing retreat. It is the closest large ice cap to Reykjavík, about 130–150 km away, so it is the centre for snowmobiling and home to Into the Glacier, the world's largest man-made ice tunnel, cut about 500 m into the ice and open year-round. The Into the Glacier tour from Húsafell (4.6★ from 875 reviews on GetYourGuide) starts on the west side of the glacier. Because Langjökull lies just north of the Golden Circle, it is easy to combine with Þingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss, which is fed by its meltwater; see our Golden Circle guide.
Hofsjökull ("temple glacier") is Iceland's third-largest ice cap at around 810–925 km², in the central highlands between Langjökull and Vatnajökull. Under it lies the largest active central volcano in the country, also called Hofsjökull, and it is the source of Iceland's longest river, the Þjórsá. It can only be reached on highland F-roads in summer, so it is one of the least-visited glaciers.
Mýrdalsjökull, in South Iceland near Vík, covers the powerful Katla volcano. Its best-known outlet is Sólheimajökull, one of the most accessible glaciers in the country and a favourite for first glacier hikes, about 2 to 2.5 hours from Reykjavík. The Sólheimajökull blue ice glacier hike (4.7★ from 1,502 reviews on GetYourGuide) meets at the glacier car park. Another outlet, Kötlujökull, holds the Katla ice cave, one of the few ice caves you can visit year-round, streaked with black volcanic ash. The Katla ice cave tour from Vík (4.4★ from 1,407 reviews on GetYourGuide) goes there by super jeep.
Eyjafjallajökull is a smaller ice cap in South Iceland, visible from the Ring Road, on top of the volcano whose 2010 eruption grounded European air travel. When magma met the ice in April 2010 it set off explosive ash plumes and jökulhlaups. The ash cloud closed airspace across much of Europe, and Eurocontrol estimated that about 100,000 flights were cancelled. No one was killed by the eruption itself.
At the tip of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula in West Iceland, Snæfellsjökull is a glacier-capped stratovolcano and the centrepiece of Snæfellsjökull National Park, established in 2001. Its cone, visible from Reykjavík across Faxaflói Bay on clear days, inspired Jules Verne's 1864 novel Journey to the Center of the Earth, in which the crater is the way into the underground world. The glacier is small, around 10 km², and thinning. Guided summer glacier hikes run from roughly June to September; to see it without hiking, the Snæfellsnes Peninsula day tour (4.7★ from 3,917 reviews on GetYourGuide) circles the peninsula from Reykjavík.
Drangajökull is the only glacier in the Westfjords and the northernmost in Iceland, covering around 140–160 km². It lies entirely below 1,000 m, yet thanks to its position and heavy snowfall it has held up better than most, at times even growing slightly while others shrank. There are no roads to it, so it is only for well-prepared hikers.
Iceland has many smaller ice caps and glaciers, among them Eiríksjökull (Iceland's largest flat-topped "tuya" glacier, near Langjökull), Þórisjökull, Tungnafellsjökull, Tindfjallajökull and Þrándarjökull, southeast of Vatnajökull.
This is the classic glacier experience. Guided groups put on crampons, carry an ice axe and wear a helmet to walk across the ice, past crevasses, moulins and blue-ice ridges. The most popular starting points are Sólheimajökull, the easiest to reach from Reykjavík, and the Skaftafell outlets Falljökull and Skaftafellsjökull. Tours range from easy 2.5-hour walks for beginners and families (minimum age typically 8) to demanding half-day routes. Expect to pay roughly €100–200 (about ISK 15,000–22,000) for a 3–4 hour guided walk. Glacier hikes run year-round.
Near Diamond Beach, the small-group Skaftafell glacier hike meets at the Skaftafell visitor centre. On the South Coast, the 3-hour guided Sólheimajökull hike from the glacier car park (4.7★ from 257 reviews on GetYourGuide) suits drivers, and the glacier hike, waterfall and black sand beach day from Reykjavík includes the transport.
Ice climbing is often added to a glacier hike: you climb a vertical ice wall with two ice axes and crampons, on a safety rope. No experience is needed, as guides give instruction and provide the gear. The minimum age is usually higher, often 14. GetYourGuide has no ice climbing listing for Sólheimajökull at the moment; on Viator, the Sólheimajökull glacier hike and ice climbing intro (4.8★ from 188 reviews on Viator, from $208) combines both.
Natural blue ice caves form inside Vatnajökull's outlet glaciers and are visited only in the colder months: roughly October to April, with November to March the core season. The caves near Jökulsárlón are the best known; the Falljökull ice cave and glacier hike from Skaftafell (4.5★ from 2,011 reviews on GetYourGuide, from $160) pairs a cave with a walk on the ice. Two exceptions run year-round: the Katla ice cave under Mýrdalsjökull, which the Katla ice cave day from Reykjavík (4.7★ from 794 reviews on GetYourGuide) reaches without a car, and the man-made Into the Glacier tunnel in Langjökull. Every ice cave visit must be with a certified guide.
The big open ice caps, Langjökull, Mýrdalsjökull and Vatnajökull's Skálafellsjökull, are ideal for snowmobiling. You need a valid driving licence to drive your own machine, and passengers can ride along. Langjökull is the most popular, easily paired with the Golden Circle: the Golden Circle and glacier snowmobiling day from Reykjavík (4.7★ from 1,508 reviews on GetYourGuide) does both, and the Langjökull snowmobiling tour with transfer (4.9★ from 167 reviews) is shorter. The Langjökull snowmobile tour with ice cave (4.6★ from 154 reviews) adds the Into the Glacier tunnel.
For a way to get close to the ice without hiking, take a boat among the icebergs on Jökulsárlón. The amphibian boats run from May to November and the faster Zodiacs from May to the end of October, weather and ice permitting. Without a car, the glacier lagoon boat ride and Diamond Beach day from Reykjavík (4.7★ from 321 reviews on GetYourGuide, from $257) includes the amphibian boat. In the warmer months you can also paddle among the icebergs on the Jökulsárlón kayak tour (4.7★ from 530 reviews on GetYourGuide). The quieter Fjallsárlón lagoon nearby has its own boats: the Fjallsárlón iceberg boat tour and glacier hike (4.8★ from 75 reviews on GetYourGuide, a smaller review base, so read the recent ones). See our Jökulsárlón guide for prices and seasons.
Modified super jeeps and snowcats carry visitors onto the ice caps for cave and viewpoint tours. Experienced skiers and splitboarders tour on the ice caps, and the hardest challenge is the guided summit climb of Hvannadalshnúkur (2,110 m): a physically demanding 12–15 hour day from Skaftafell, run mainly from April to June. GetYourGuide has no listing for the climb.
You do not have to set foot on the ice to enjoy it. Roadside viewpoints along the Ring Road, the trails from the Skaftafell visitor centre, the Jökulsárlón and Fjallsárlón lagoons and the short walk from the Sólheimajökull car park all give superb views with no special gear.
Never walk on a glacier without a certified guide. Glaciers move constantly and are full of hidden crevasses, moulins, thin snow bridges and unstable ice, and Icelandic weather can turn dangerous within minutes. A route that was safe yesterday may not be safe today. Certified guides check conditions daily, carry rope and rescue equipment and know how to avoid the hazards. Reputable operators hold the permits required inside Vatnajökull National Park and provide crampons, ice axes, helmets and harnesses.
The risks are real. On 25 August 2024, ice collapsed during a guided summer tour of an ice cave on Breiðamerkurjökull. A 30-year-old American man was killed and his pregnant wife was seriously injured. Experts had long warned that summer melt thins the walls and roofs of ice caves; a 2017 risk assessment for the park had concluded that the whole summer is high-risk and that tours should not run then. After the accident, natural ice caving inside Vatnajökull National Park was stopped in summer, and operators now work under daily risk assessments. The season for natural caves runs roughly from October to April, and every visit is guided.
Before any independent hike near a glacier, check SafeTravel.is and the Icelandic Met Office forecast, leave a travel plan and download the 112 Iceland emergency app. Never climb onto icebergs in a lagoon or walk out onto lagoon ice: the bergs can roll without warning and the water is near freezing. Our Diamond Beach safety tips cover the beach itself.
Iceland's glaciers are among the fastest-shrinking on Earth. Their total area has fallen by more than 2,200 km² since the end of the 19th century, about an 18% loss, and roughly 750 km² of that has gone since 2000, an average of about 40 km² a year, according to a 2020 study in the journal Jökull. Since around 2000, about 60–70 small named glaciers have disappeared entirely.
The best-known symbol is Okjökull (Ok), a small glacier on a shield volcano in West Iceland. It once covered around 15 km². In 2014 the glaciologist Oddur Sigurðsson declared it dead, because its ice was too thin to move under its own weight. In August 2019 a memorial plaque titled "A letter to the future", written by the author Andri Snær Magnason, was put up at the site, the world's first monument to a glacier lost to climate change. It warns that all of Iceland's glaciers are expected to follow the same path within the next 200 years, and it is dated "August 2019" and marked "415ppm CO2".
Scientists estimate that Iceland's main ice caps could lose 25–35% of their present volume within about 50 years, and that only small remnants on the highest peaks may survive after roughly 150–200 years. If current trends continue, Iceland could be largely free of ice within two centuries.
For visitors, the change is easy to see. The glaciers you can hike and photograph today look different from a decade ago, and some outlet glaciers have retreated hundreds of metres in that time. Sólheimajökull has become a textbook example, pulling back quickly and leaving a growing lagoon at its snout. The retreat also made the scenery of the southeast: as Breiðamerkurjökull pulled back, by around 200–300 m a year in recent years, it opened the basin that filled to become Jökulsárlón. The lagoon is now Iceland's deepest lake, about 248 m deep according to the Natural Science Institute of Iceland, and it is still growing as the ice recedes. Diamond Beach exists because the glacier is melting, and the scenery will keep changing as it does.
If you are planning the whole trip around one month, our best time to visit Iceland guide and best time to visit Diamond Beach go month by month.
For organised trips from the capital, see our day trips from Reykjavík; for fitting the southeast into a longer route, our Ring Road and South Coast itinerary.
Booking: book glacier hikes, ice caves and snowmobiling ahead, especially in winter and in peak summer, as popular tours sell out. Established operators include Icelandic Mountain Guides, Glacier Guides, Arctic Adventures, Local Guide and Troll Expeditions.
What to wear and bring: dress in layers, with thermal base layers, a warm mid-layer and a waterproof, windproof jacket and trousers. Sturdy hiking boots with ankle support and stiff soles are essential for attaching crampons, and many operators rent boots for around ISK 1,000–1,500. Add a warm hat that fits under a helmet, gloves, sunglasses (the glare on the ice is intense), sunscreen and a small backpack with water and snacks. The operator always provides the technical gear: crampons, ice axe, helmet and harness.
Difficulty, fitness and age: easy glacier walks suit most people in fair health and typically need a minimum age of 8 and a minimum shoe size of around EU 34–35, so the crampons fit. Ice climbing usually requires age 14 or over. Harder hikes need moderate fitness and full knee and ankle mobility, and summit climbs are for fit, experienced hikers only.
Meeting points and self-driving: most tours meet on location at a booking centre or car park (the Skaftafell visitor centre, the Sólheimajökull car park, or Húsafell and Klaki for Langjökull), with optional pickups from Reykjavík. Many roadside viewpoints and lagoons can be reached in a standard rental car; highland glaciers need a 4x4 and often a guided super-jeep transfer. Popular sites charge for parking: at Skaftafell, Vatnajökull National Park's daily fee is 1,110 ISK for a car with up to five seats, and the Sólheimajökull car park charges 750 ISK, both payable in the Parka app.
Around 269 named glaciers, including about 14 major ice caps and more than 100 outlet glaciers, plus around 150 small cirque and valley glaciers.
Vatnajökull, in the southeast, covering roughly 7,700–8,100 km² (about 8% of Iceland). It is the largest ice cap in Europe by volume and up to about 1,000 m thick.
Breiðamerkurjökull, an outlet glacier of Vatnajökull. It calves icebergs into the Jökulsárlón lagoon; they drift out to sea and wash back onto Diamond Beach.
Yes, with a certified guide. Guided glacier hikes on Sólheimajökull, Falljökull and Skaftafellsjökull run year-round, from easy beginner walks to demanding treks, and the operator provides crampons, an ice axe and a helmet.
Only with a certified guide. Glaciers have hidden crevasses, moulins and unstable ice, and conditions change from day to day, so never go alone. The fatal ice cave collapse on Breiðamerkurjökull in August 2024 is why natural ice caves are now visited only in the colder months and only with a guide. Check SafeTravel.is before you go.
Dense, old glacier ice has had its air bubbles squeezed out. The ice absorbs the longer red wavelengths of light and lets the shorter blue ones through and back to your eye, so thick, clean ice looks blue.
Yes, quickly. Iceland's glacier area has shrunk by about 18% since the late 1800s, with roughly 750 km² lost since 2000. Scientists project that the main ice caps could lose 25–35% of their volume within 50 years and largely disappear within 150–200 years.
The best all-round area is the southeast: Skaftafell for glacier hikes and Jökulsárlón and Diamond Beach for icebergs. For an easy day from Reykjavík, Sólheimajökull is the most accessible glacier hike; Langjökull is best for snowmobiling and the ice tunnel; Snæfellsjökull is the glacier-capped cone of West Iceland.
Natural blue ice caves in Vatnajökull are visited in the colder months: roughly October to April, with November to March the core season. The Katla ice cave under Mýrdalsjökull and the man-made Into the Glacier tunnel in Langjökull are open year-round.
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