Starting point

Tours from Vatnajökull (Skaftafell, Höfn)

Everything in our catalogue that picks up or meets here, plus how long it actually takes to drive to everywhere else — so you can tell what is a day trip and what is a relocation.

prices and departures checked 7 Sept 2026

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The short version

  • 117 tours leave from Vatnajökull (Skaftafell, Höfn) — 113 day tours and 4 multi-day, across 32 operators.
  • 3 of our other start points are within three hours' drive, which is roughly the ceiling for a there-and-back day in winter.
  • Drive times below are measured from Skaftafell on roads open all year — no F-roads, no mountain passes, no ferries.
  • 4 multi-day tours start here too, which is usually the better answer if you are not renting a car.

The facts

Tours starting here
117113 day tours · 4 multi-day
Operators
32
Cheapest day tour
€22
Distances measured from
Skaftafell
Within 3 hours’ drive
3 other start points

How far is everything from Skaftafell?

Driving time on roads open all year, no stops. Routed with OSRM over OpenStreetMap, which tends to run 10–20% slower than Google Maps on the same distance — treat these as a cautious estimate rather than a target.

PlaceDriveDistanceNotes
Kirkjubæjarklaustur1 h70 km (43 mi)Day trip
Höfn í Hornafirði1 h 47 min120 km (76 mi)Day trip
Vík í Mýrdal2 h140 km (87 mi)Day trip
Djúpivogur3 h 8 min220 km (135 mi)
Hella & Hvolsvöllur3 h 14 min225 km (140 mi)
Selfoss3 h 53 min270 km (170 mi)
Flúðir · Secret Lagoon4 h 7 min285 km (180 mi)
Þingvellir4 h 42 min320 km (200 mi)
Reykjavík4 h 46 min325 km (205 mi)
Grindavík · Blue Lagoon5 h 6 min355 km (220 mi)
Egilsstaðir5 h 10 min360 km (225 mi)4 h 19 min in summer via the highland route
Keflavík Airport5 h 18 min365 km (225 mi)
Seyðisfjörður5 h 33 min385 km (240 mi)4 h 42 min in summer via the highland route
Borgarfjörður6 h 4 min410 km (255 mi)
Borgarfjörður Eystri6 h 15 min430 km (265 mi)5 h 24 min in summer via the highland route
Mývatn · Reykjahlíð6 h 37 min465 km (290 mi)
Snæfellsnes7 h 2 min480 km (300 mi)
Akureyri7 h 53 min550 km (340 mi)
Hólmavík7 h 54 min545 km (335 mi)
Húsavík8 h 17 min580 km (360 mi)7 h 26 min in summer via the highland route
Dalvík8 h 33 min590 km (365 mi)
Sauðárkrókur8 h 42 min600 km (375 mi)
Siglufjörður9 h 12 min625 km (390 mi)
Patreksfjörður10 h 1 min695 km (435 mi)
Ísafjörður10 h 32 min725 km (450 mi)

113 day tours from here

More filters
Priceper person; priced-on-request tours drop out while a range is set
Length
Starts
Effortthe operator's own rating

Marina Travel

Blue Ice Cave Exploration from Jökulsárlón (Small Group Tour)

from €168 per person4.60· 115 Google reviews of the operator

34% below the €254 typical for ice cave tours

from age 6 · meet at the start point

3 h · from Skaftafell

  • Gear included
  • Admission included
  • Free cancellation 24 h

Go on a hike onto the largest glacier in Europe in search of the Ice Cave which forms naturally every winter.

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Melrakki Adventures

Skaftafell 3 Hour Glacier Walk

from €131 per person5.00· 480 Google reviews of the operator

39% below the €216 typical for glacier hikes

Anyone who has never stood on a glacier and wants a proper…

3 h · from Skaftafell

  • Age 8+
  • Admission included
  • Family friendly

3 Hour Glacier Hike

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Melrakki Adventures

Skaftafell Glacier Adventure

from €172 per person5.00· 480 Google reviews of the operator

21% below the €216 typical for glacier hikes

Reasonably fit walkers who want real crevasse terrain and…

4 h 30 · from Skaftafell

  • Age 12+
  • Gear included
  • Admission included

Hike far through the ice world. on this longer tour our experienced guide will lead you through other wordly landscape that will take your breath away.

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Local Guide of Vatnajökull

Glacier Encounter

from €124 per person4.90· 518 Google reviews of the operator

43% below the €216 typical for glacier hikes

from age 10 · meet at the start point

3 h · from Skaftafell

  • Age 10+
  • Gear included
  • Free cancellation 24 h

A short glacier hike on Falljökull glacier with Local Guide of Vatnajökull, which is a local family company. Our meeting point is close to Skaftafell nature reserve. From there it is only a short drive in our super jeeps for our small group experience.

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Local Guide of Vatnajökull

Glacier Discovery

from €161 per person4.90· 518 Google reviews of the operator

26% below the €216 typical for glacier hikes

Moderate · from age 14

4 h · from Skaftafell

  • Age 14+
  • Gear included
  • Free cancellation 24 h

Half a day glacier hike on Falljökull glacier with Local Guide of Vatnajökull, a small local family company. From our meeting point close to Skaftafell, it is only a short drive in our super jeep to reach this glacier famous for its majestic ice fall.

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Atlantsflug

Scenic Airplane Tour from Skaftafell

from €168 per person4.90· 444 Google reviews of the operator

59% below the €409 typical for helicopter & flightseeing tours

Anyone stopping at Skaftafell who wants the aerial view but…

15 min · from Skaftafell

  • Family friendly
  • Free cancellation 24 h
  • Book the night before

A short scenic flight over glaciers, black sand plains, and Iceland’s highest peak.

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Atlantsflug

Glacier Edge Airplane Tour from Skaftafell

from €201 per person4.90· 444 Google reviews of the operator

51% below the €409 typical for helicopter & flightseeing tours

Photographers and anyone who has already walked on a…

30 min · from Skaftafell

  • Family friendly
  • Free cancellation 24 h
  • Book the night before

A glacier flight over icefalls, crevasses, and dramatic glacier fronts.

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Glacier and Volcano Expeditions

Glacier Kayaking Iceland

from €128 per person5.00· 105 Google reviews of the operator

16% below the €153 typical for boat tours

Anyone driving the southeast who wants an iceberg lagoon…

1 h 30 · from Skaftafell

  • Age 10+
  • Free cancellation 24 h
  • Meet at Viewpoint of Fjallsjökull

Kayak on Iceland’s most spectacular glacier lake with Glacier and Volcano Expeditions. You will experience the freedom of floating amongst icebergs on the beautiful glacier lagoon in Vatnajökull National Park.

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Sleipnir Tours

Ice Cave and Glacier Tour in Glacier Monster Truck from Gullfoss

from €183 per person4.90· 198 Google reviews of the operator

28% below the €254 typical for ice cave tours

Anyone self-driving the Golden Circle who wants a glacier…

4 h · from Skaftafell

  • Gear included
  • Family friendly
  • Free cancellation 24 h

01 NOVEMBER - 15 April ❄️ Visit the natural ice cave called "Neptune ice cave" due to its deep blue colour.

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Ice Explorers

Ice Exploration Tour

from €131 per person4.80· 600 Google reviews of the operator

39% below the €216 typical for glacier hikes

Moderate · from age 10

4 h 30 · from Höfn í Hornafirði

  • Age 10+
  • Gear included
  • Family friendly

Explore the highlights of Iceland’s glaciers. Let your guide lead you through breathtaking glacial landscapes. Equipped with crampons, a helmet and a harness you will explore the Breidamerkurjokull glacier with the team at Ice Explorers.

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All 113 day tours from Vatnajökull, A–Z

4 multi-day tours from here

Glacier Trips

3-Day South East Photography Tour With Sindri: Local's Touch and Dinner at My Home

from €1,283 per person

from age 18 · meet at the start point

3 days · from Höfn í Hornafirði

  • Age 18+
  • Gear included
  • Admission included

Join Sindri on a 3-day photography adventure on Iceland's stunning southeast coast. Capture Jökulsárlón, Diamond Beach, glaciers, and hidden waterfalls. Small group, expert guide, and a home-cooked dinner with a local family in Höfn.

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Vatnajökull (Skaftafell, Höfn): questions people ask

How much do tours from Vatnajökull cost?

From €22 to €1418 a person, with a typical price of €196. That is the median of 80 per-person day-tour fares we currently sell. Multi-day packages and private charters are priced differently and sit outside those figures.

What is the cheapest of the tours from Vatnajökull?

Glaciers of Höfn - Where ice shapes life with Heppa Veitingar 4411220630, at €22 a person. Read what it actually is before booking on price alone — the cheapest line is sometimes an admission ticket rather than a guided trip, and a large coach costs less per seat than a small-group minibus because it gives you less time at each stop.

Why do some tours from Vatnajökull not show a price?

2 of the 117 are priced on request rather than published, which almost always means a private charter where the cost depends on group size and pickup point. Ask us and we will get a quote from the operator.

How many tours from Vatnajökull do you sell, and who runs them?

117 of them, from 32 operators: Marina Travel, Melrakki Adventures, Local Guide of Vatnajökull, Atlantsflug, Ice Guardians Iceland, Glacier and Volcano Expeditions and 26 more. Every one is a company we hold a contract with — we do not list everything in Iceland, on purpose.

How long do tours from Vatnajökull take?

Day tours run from 1 hour to 14 hours, most commonly about 4 hours. Pickup and drop-off are usually inside that figure, so a three-hour tour from Reykjavík can mean closer to four door to door.

Are there cheaper options than a full tours from Vatnajökull tour?

6 of these are admissions or tickets rather than guided tours — Scenic Airplane Tour from Skaftafell from €168, for instance. Worth knowing if you are driving yourself and only need entry.

Are there multi-day options among the tours from Vatnajökull?

Yes — 4 of the 117 run over two days or more. Those include accommodation and usually breakfast; check the individual itinerary.

Do tours from Vatnajökull include hotel pickup?

26 of 117 (22%) offer pickup. The rest ask you to meet on location. Pickup is the single most common cause of a missed tour in Iceland: it runs to a window rather than a time, and the bus will not wait long.

Can I book a private version of the tours from Vatnajökull?

14 of the 117 are private, the other 103 are shared departures. Private costs more in total but is priced per vehicle, so for four or more people it often works out close per head — and you set the pace.

When can I do the tours from Vatnajökull?

Across the next 360 days of live availability we hold departures in October, November, December, January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September. That is a rolling window rather than the whole year, so a month missing from that list is not necessarily a month with nothing running.

Are the tours from Vatnajökull seasonal?

45 of 117 run only part of the year; the other 72 run all year round. In Iceland that is usually about daylight or ice rather than demand.

How late can I book tours from Vatnajökull?

Cutoffs run from 1 to 12 hours before departure, and 64 of them accept bookings inside 24 hours — so booking the night before is often possible. Popular winter tours sell out days ahead regardless of the cutoff.

Can I cancel a tours from Vatnajökull booking?

72 of 117 (62%) allow free cancellation at least 24 hours before departure. The exact window is on each tour page and comes from the operator's own policy, not ours. If the operator cancels for weather you are refunded in full.

How fit do I need to be for tours from Vatnajökull?

Operators rate them: 54 easy, 51 moderate, 8 challenging, 4 very easy. Iceland's ratings assume weather — an easy walk in still air is a different proposition in 15 m/s of wind.

Is there a minimum age for tours from Vatnajökull?

88 of the 117 set one, ranging from 3 to 18 years. The rest have no stated minimum, which usually means infants are allowed but not that the tour suits them.

Are tours from Vatnajökull suitable for children?

63 of 117 are marked family-friendly by the operator. That is their judgement rather than ours, and it usually means the walking is short and the vehicle has a toilet.

Are any tours from Vatnajökull accessible?

Operators have flagged accessibility on some: 2 for prams and strollers. Ring us before booking rather than relying on the flag alone — Icelandic sites vary enormously and a flag does not describe the terrain at the stop.

What is included in tours from Vatnajökull?

Varies by operator. Across these: national park entrance fee on 11, admission fees on 10, parking fees on 6, goods and services tax on 5, food and drink on 4. Anything not listed as included is not included — Icelandic operators are literal about this.

Are tours from Vatnajökull guided, and in what language?

95 of 117 are guided in person, with guiding offered in Chinese, Croatian, English, French, German, Hungarian and 4 more. English is standard on every shared departure in Iceland; other languages usually mean a private guide.

Where do tours from Vatnajökull start from?

All of them start from Vatnajökull (Skaftafell, Höfn). Where a tour starts matters more in Iceland than how long it lasts: the same tour from Reykjavík and from Vík are different days entirely.

What happens to tours from Vatnajökull in bad weather?

The operator cancels and refunds you in full — Icelandic operators cancel readily, and that is a good sign rather than a bad one. What they will not do is refund you for a tour that ran and simply had poor visibility. Wind cancels more tours here than rain or cold.

Hotels

Where to stay in Skaftafell

From the cheapest to the top end of what is near Skaftafell, from our hotel partners. Rooms are booked on our hotels site.

All hotels in Vatnajökull & Jökulsárlón →

Other starting points