Vatnajökull

From the Ring Road in South Iceland, Vatnajökull doesn't look like one thing. It looks like a dozen different glaciers spilling down between the mountains, grey and blue and cracked, each with its own name. They're all the same ice. Up top, out of sight, is a single ice cap so big it covers about 8% of Iceland.

Vatnajökull (Vatnajokull without the accents) is Europe's largest glacier by volume and the heart of Vatnajökull National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2019. It isn't just ice. Several active volcanoes sit underneath it, including Grímsvötn, which last erupted in 2011, and Bárðarbunga, whose 2014–2015 eruption poured out lava at Holuhraun north of the ice. The highest peak in Iceland, Hvannadalshnúkur, is on its southern edge.

Tours that visit Vatnajökull

Exclusive Glacier Experience on Vatnajökull

8 hours · From Höfn

From 250.000 ISK

Crystal Ice Cave Tour

2 hours and 30 minutes · From Hornafjörður

3.9(143)

From 21.890 ISK

Crevasse Labyrinth - A Glacier Maze in Skaftafell

4 hours and 10 minutes · From Skaftafell

4.3(30)

From 17.090 ISK

Glacier Beyond: Remote Two-Glacier Hike from Skaftafell

5 hours and 30 minutes · From Skaftafell

From 26.990 ISK

Highland Explorer — PRIVATE TOUR

3 hours and 30 minutes · From Reykjavík

4.9(103)

From 959.000 ISK

Glacier Ice Climbing

4 hours · From Skaftafell

From 31.900 ISK

How to visit Vatnajökull

You don't go up onto the ice cap itself unless you're on a serious expedition or a specialised tour. Most visitors meet Vatnajökull through its outlet glaciers, the tongues of ice that reach down towards the Ring Road. Svínafellsjökull and Falljökull near Skaftafell are the classic glacier hiking spots: you strap on crampons, take an ice axe and follow a guide across ridges, crevasses and meltwater channels. Breiðamerkurjökull feeds Jökulsárlón, and further east there are more outlets towards Höfn.

Don't walk onto any glacier on your own. Crevasses hide under snow, the ice changes week to week, and glacier fronts calve. Every glacier hike and ice cave visit here is guided, and that's for good reason.

Vatnajökull ice caves: when they're open

The natural blue ice caves are a winter thing. They form in the outlet glaciers when meltwater carves channels through the ice, and they're only safe to enter when it's cold enough, roughly November to March. Every year the caves are different; last year's famous cave might be gone. Some operators run summer "ice cave" tours too, but these are into more stable caves or the edge of the glacier, not the same crystal-blue winter caves. Check the tour description.

Pro tip: pick your glacier tour by base, not by name. Operators use a lot of similar names (Explorer, Discovery, Wonders, Xtreme), and the real differences are where you meet, how long you're on the ice and how physical it is. If you're driving, meeting at Skaftafell or Jökulsárlón saves you a long bus ride. If you're not, a longer day tour from Reykjavík is the easier option.

How far is Vatnajökull from Reykjavík?

Skaftafell, the main starting point on the south side, is roughly 330 km from Reykjavík, about four to four and a half hours' drive. Jökulsárlón is close to another hour further east. That's why most people spend at least one night in the area rather than doing it as a day trip. Driving in winter here means checking road.is and safetravel.is every morning: wind, ice and road closures are normal on this stretch.

What's nearby

Skaftafell for the Svartifoss hike and glacier walks, Jökulsárlón and Diamond Beach for the icebergs, Fjallsárlón for a quieter lagoon. On a dark, clear winter night, the whole area is good for northern lights, far from any city glow.

Most of the tours on this page are glacier hikes and ice cave tours on Vatnajökull's outlet glaciers, starting from Skaftafell or Jökulsárlón, plus a few longer trips from Reykjavík. Tours on Vatnajökull are below.