Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, a two-day tour, is an excellent option if you want to escape the city, explore the entire south coast of Iceland and hike on a glacier in the UNESCO-protected Vatnajökull National Park. The southeastern corner of the country is one of our favorite areas with some of the most stunning sights, including Iceland’s largest glacier and highest mountains.
The tour departs at 8:30 AM from Reykjavik.
We head straight for the impressive and unique Seljalandsfoss Waterfall; you can walk around this waterfall behind its wall of water!
After a short drive, there will be time to admire the massive Skógafoss Waterfall. On sunny days, expect a rainbow in the mist of the waterfall. This is one of Iceland’s most picturesque attractions.
Next up, we head to Reynisfjara to see the fantastic rock formations at this spectacular black sand beach. You might spot cute puffins nesting in the overhead cliffs in summer. While admiring the beauty of this beach, you can lose track of time here.
Please, be careful at Reynisfjara; the waves are sometimes inconspicuous and always dangerous.
The Black Beach Restaurant is the ideal lunch spot to taste locally produced food.
After lunch, we continue east, passing through the seaside village of Vík with its iconic church up on the hill, and on to explore Fjaðrárgljúfur, where you can see the impressive forces of nature that have eroded this spectacular gorge.
Driving further east, we pass the mighty Vatnajökull icecap and the Skaftafell National Park, where we will be dwarfed by Iceland’s highest mountains and most impressive glaciers.
We spend the night at the new and comfortable Lilja Guesthouse in their deluxe rooms with private bathrooms. Dinner at the guesthouse is always delicious and full of fresh, local Icelandic food. With favorable conditions in the months when the nights are dark, the magical northern lights can be seen from the guesthouse.
Our second day starts with the buffet breakfast (included) from Lilja Guesthouse.
Then we go to one of our all-time favorite locations in Iceland, the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon. We are always mesmerized by the giant icebergs floating around this incredible lagoon, and the ice blocks glisten like crystals down at Diamond Beach. Get ready to take many great photos here; this place is awe-inspiring!
We head back to Skaftafell, grabbing snacks to sustain us for the trip’s real action: a hike on the glacier situated within the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Vatnajökull National Park. You will get close to the astonishingly beautiful blue ice formations during our hike on the Falljökull glacier. This is always a highlight of any trip to Iceland. We explore the glacier in detail on this hike, taking about four hours to get some fantastic views of the ice fall.
Please note that the glacier hike is NOT a mandatory part of the tour. The views of the glacier and lagoon from the front are a great alternative. If you are unsure if you would like to join this part of the tour, please reach out to us ahead of booking.
This glacier hike is considered of moderate difficulty, with average fitness required. You can expect to walk about six kilometers over uneven and ascending terrain. You will be wearing crampons (spikes) on your feet, and full mobility of your ankles and knees is necessary. If the weather makes accessing Falljökull unsafe, we have many other incredible outlet glaciers to explore instead.
On our way back to Reykjavik, we will stop to explore the moss-covered lava fields from the devastating Laki eruption in 1782, where your guide will shed light on the history of Iceland’s tumultuous past. Stops will be made for dinner, before arriving back in Reykjavik around 9 PM.
Cancelation policy
We will charge a cancellation fee of 100% if the booking is canceled 2 days or less before the event. We will charge a cancellation fee of 50% if the booking is canceled 7 days or less before the event. We will charge a cancellation fee of 10% if the booking is canceled 499 days or less before the event.
2-Day Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon Tour + Glacier Hike is an exceptional, complete, intense, small-group tour through the most beautiful region of the island. The perfect choice for adventurous glacier lovers!
