- Length of the S1 glacier trail loop, 1 to 1.5 hours, rated easy
- 4.1 km
- Height gained along the S1 trail
- 80 m
- Year the Skaftafell and Svínafell glaciers still closed in around Hafrafell
- 1940
What it is and whether it is worth your time
Skaftafellsjökull is an outlet glacier of the Vatnajökull ice cap, on the east side of the Skaftafellsheiði heath. It is the easiest glacier to reach on foot from Skaftafell, because the marked trail starts at the visitor centre and needs no booking or guide.
It is worth doing if you have finished Svartifoss and have an hour or so of daylight left. You walk through land the ice left behind, with glacier gardens, kettle holes (hollows left by buried ice) and plants at different stages of growth. It suits people who like to see how a landscape changes more than those who want a dramatic ice wall.
The walk
The park calls it the S1 glacier trail, also known as the visitor trail, and its trail page has the details:
- Length and time: a 4.1 km loop, 1 to 1.5 hours, rated easy, with 80 m of height gain.
- Start: next to the Skaftafell visitor centre, and well signed.
- Surface: paved for about half the route and fairly comfortable gravel for the rest.
- Markers: numbered posts, 1 to 16, link to online information about the landscape.
- Shortcut: about 300 m before the end, turning left at a crossroads gives a shorter way back to the visitor centre.
The trail ends near the glacier. The park says those who want to go closer should follow the instructions on the warning sign at the end.
The retreating ice
The park’s pages put numbers on the change. Hafrafell, the mountain that now divides Skaftafellsjökull from the Svínafell glacier, was enclosed by the two glaciers in 1940. The southern outlets of Vatnajökull are retreating and thinning at unprecedented rates, the park says, and they reached their largest size of the last 10,000 years only about 130 years ago.
The whole ice cap has lost more than 15% of its volume over the last century. The park adds that Iceland’s outlet glaciers have retreated exceptionally fast since 2000. The S1 trail is part of the park’s Melting Glaciers project, which aims to raise awareness of climate change and glaciers.
Practical details
The visitor centre is open all year, but the park’s page gives no daily hours, so check before a winter visit. Conditions outside the summer months can change quickly, the park warns. There are flush toilets, and privately run restaurants and seasonal services.
The park charges a regional fee at the Skaftafell car park, payable through the Parka app or online. On its price list, checked October 2026, it was ISK 1,110 (about €8, at the 14 October rate of about ISK 136 to the euro) for a car with up to five seats, valid until midnight on the day you pay. You get 50% off if you paid the full fee at another fee-based area, such as Jökulsárlón, the same day.
Getting there
Skaftafell is on Route 1. The park gives Kirkjubæjarklaustur as 70 km to the west and Höfn as 130 km to the east. Our getting there page covers the approach from Reykjavík.
One practical tip: stop where the trail stops
The trail ends close to the ice. If you go further, follow the warning sign and keep off the ice itself. SafeTravel says Icelandic glaciers are constantly moving and that crevasses can appear with little warning. If you want to stand on ice, go with a guide. Our glacier hikes page covers the options, and the tours page lists them through GetYourGuide, where we earn a commission on bookings.
How it fits with a Svartifoss day
The park rates the Svartifoss, Sjónarsker and Sel loop at 5.8 km and about 2 hours. Add the glacier trail and you have roughly 10 km and 3 to 3.5 hours of walking, before breaks. Our Svartifoss hike page has the main route and the main guide has the planning overview.
For a different look at glacier ice, Svínafellsjökull is a short viewpoint stop, and the iceberg lagoons at Jökulsárlón are a longer drive east.
