Nature reserve · Vatnajökull & Jökulsárlón

Skaftafell

The part of Vatnajökull National Park where most glacier hikes and ice cave tours meet. Paid parking, visitor centre, marked trails.

prices and departures checked 24 Oct 2026

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The short version

  • 41 tours in our catalogue stop at Skaftafell — 23 of them day tours from a single base, 18 as part of a longer package.
  • A seat on a day tour here typically costs €320, from €131 at the cheapest. Private tours are priced per vehicle and sit outside that figure.
  • 10 different operators run here, so a cancellation rarely means the day is lost.
  • Departures in our next 360 days fall in October, November, December, January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September.
  • Seasonal here: Midnight sun (May–July), Lupine in bloom (June–July).

The facts

Type
Nature reserve
Region
Vatnajökull & Jökulsárlón
Tours that stop here
4123 day tours · 18 multi-day
Day tour, cheapest
€131
Day tour, typical
€320median of 19 per-person fares
Operators
10
From Reykjavík
245 km (150 mi)straight line — the road is longer
Coordinates
64.0085, -16.9395

Daylight through the year

Iceland's daylight swings further than almost anywhere people holiday, and it decides what a tour can actually show you. Times are for the 15th of each month at this spot.

MonthSunriseSunsetDaylight
January10:3615:575 h 22 min
March07:3019:0411 h 34 min
June02:4123:3420 h 53 min
September06:2819:3913 h 11 min
December10:5315:134 h 20 min

What is seasonal here

None of these have fixed dates, so each one says what its real dates depend on.

Midnight sun

May–July

True midnight sun only above the Arctic Circle — Grímsey. The mainland gets civil twilight all night, which looks much the same.

Lupine in bloom

June–July

Introduced, controversial and impossible to miss when it flowers. Peaks a fortnight later in the north than the south.

What people do here

Getting here without a car

The 23 tours we sell that stop at Skaftafell leave from Skaftafell, Landmannalaugar and Reykjavík, with a handful from one other town. Skaftafell, where most of them start, is about 4 h 46 min from Reykjavík by road.

6 of the 23 collect you from your accommodation or a designated stop, so the tour is the transport — there is nothing else to arrange and no timetable to read.

A seat on a day tour here starts at €131 and typically runs €320, per person, private charters excluded because those are priced per vehicle and would flatter the figure. There is no scheduled bus we can sell you to Skaftafell, so a guided day is the practical way in without a car.

The days themselves run from about 15 min to 24 h door to door, so check the length as carefully as the price — the cheapest seat is often the longest coach day. 9 different operators run here, which matters more without a car than with one: if the weather cancels your day, there is usually another departure rather than a lost trip.

Being driven is the easy answer here: enough operators run it that a cancellation rarely loses you the day, and you get to look out of the window instead of at the road.

Cheapest way in without a car: a guided day tour from Skaftafell, from €131 per person.

We have done the sums on this properly: why we tell people to skip the rental car in winter.

Tours that stop at Skaftafell

Taken from each operator's own itinerary, not from marketing copy — these are tours whose agenda names Skaftafell as a stop.

Try Iceland Tours

South Coast & Glacier Lagoon

from €320 per person4.8· 25 Google reviews of the operator

56% above the €205 typical for lagoon & spa visits

pickup included · works in rain

15 h · from Reykjavík

  • Family friendly

The perfect combo for an immersive trip on the outstanding South part of Iceland with diverse landscapes of farmlands, waterfalls, black sand beaches, canyons, oasis of greenery and the spectacular Glacier Lagoon…

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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

Landmannalaugar & Highland Wonders Airplane Tour from Skaftafell

from €428 per person4.90· 444 Google reviews of the operator

about the usual price for helicopter & flightseeing tours

meet at the start point

1 h 15 · from Landmannalaugar

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

A flight into the highlands, featuring colorful mountains and remote volcanic landscapes.

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Arctic Adventures

Fjallsarlon Zodiac Boat Tour & Glacier Hike

from €170 per person4.60· 5,195 Google reviews of the operator

21% below the €216 typical for glacier hikes

from age 8 · meet at the start point

5 h 30 · from Skaftafell

  • Age 8+
  • Gear included
  • Admission included

Embark on the ultimate glacier adventure - trek across icy landscapes and ride a zodiac boat at Fjallsarlon for a day packed with thrills and breathtaking views.

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Arctic Adventures

Glacier Hike & Fjallsarlon Zodiac Boat Tour

from €170 per person4.60· 5,195 Google reviews of the operator

21% below the €216 typical for glacier hikes

from age 8 · meet at the start point

5 h 30 · from Skaftafell

  • Age 8+
  • Gear included
  • Admission included

Embark on the ultimate glacier adventure - trek across icy landscapes and ride a zodiac boat at Fjallsarlon for a day packed with thrills and breathtaking views.

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Arctic Adventures

Glacier Hike & Jökulsárlón Zodiac Boat

from €195 per person4.60· 5,195 Google reviews of the operator

about the usual price for glacier hikes

from age 8 · meet at the start point

7 h · from Skaftafell

  • Age 8+
  • Family friendly
  • Free cancellation 24 h

Combine an easy glacier hike and a refreshing zodiac boat ride at jökulsárlón for the ultimate ice experience.

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Arctic Adventures

Glacier Beyond: Remote Two-Glacier Hike from Skaftafell

from €195 per person4.60· 5,195 Google reviews of the operator

about the usual price for glacier hikes

Challenging · from age 14

5 h 30 · from Skaftafell

  • Age 14+
  • Challenging
  • Gear included

New tour. Cross Falljökull and continue to the epic, secluded Virkisjökull. This is a small-group glacier hike from Skaftafell that takes guests off the main route for a quieter, wilder adventure.

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Arctic Adventures

Jökulsárlón Zodiac Boat & Glacier Hike

from €198 per person4.60· 5,195 Google reviews of the operator

about the usual price for glacier hikes

from age 8 · meet at the start point

7 h · from Skaftafell

  • Age 8+
  • Gear included
  • Family friendly

Combine an easy glacier hike and a refreshing zodiac boat ride at jökulsárlón for the ultimate ice experience.

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Showing 12 of 41. Browse everything or build a day around it.

Who runs them

10 operators, all of whom we hold a contract with. We do not list every company in Iceland, on purpose.

Arctic Adventures · Atlantsflug · Cool Holidays Travel ehf · David The Guide · Icarus Rising ehf · Icefall Tours · North Ice · Ride Iceland · Snaeland Travel · Try Iceland Tours

Skaftafell: questions people ask

How many tours go to Skaftafell?

We list 41 — 23 day tours and 18 multi-day packages, from 10 operators. That is what we currently have contracts for, not everything that exists in Iceland.

How much does it cost to visit Skaftafell?

The place itself is usually free to enter; what you pay for is getting there. A day tour seat runs from €131, with a typical price of €320. Some sites charge separately for parking or admission — check the individual tour.

When can you visit Skaftafell?

Looking at the next 360 days of live availability, departures fall in October, November, December, January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September. That is a rolling window rather than the full year, so a month missing here is not necessarily a month with nothing running.

How much daylight is there at Skaftafell?

January: 5 h 22 min · March: 11 h 34 min · June: 20 h 53 min · September: 13 h 11 min · December: 4 h 20 min. Iceland stays on UTC all year, so there is no clock change to allow for.

Do you need a tour, or can you drive to Skaftafell yourself?

Both work. Driving gives you the stops you want and the time you want them; a tour removes the winter road decisions and lets everyone look out of the window. We sell the tours and say so — if self-driving suits you better, it suits you better.

Can you get to Skaftafell without a car?

Yes — 23 guided day tours in our catalogue stop here. 6 of the tours pick you up from your accommodation, so no onward transport is needed.

How far is Skaftafell from Reykjavík?

The tours that go here mostly start in Skaftafell, about 4 h 46 min from Reykjavík on roads that stay open all year. That is driving time in normal conditions and not an estimate of your day — a tour that reaches Skaftafell and comes back is a good deal longer than twice that.

What is the cheapest way to get to Skaftafell?

A guided day tour from Skaftafell, from €131 per person, with €320 the more typical fare. Private tours cost more because they are priced per vehicle rather than per seat.

Hotels

Where to stay near 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 →

Put it in a day

Skaftafell is rarely a whole day on its own. The planner knows how long each tour takes and how far apart the start points are, so it can build the rest of the day around it.

Plan a day around Skaftafell