Skaftafell tours compared: glacier hikes, ice caves and the lagoon

Tour types at a glance

The table gives typical lengths and the lowest “from” prices we saw on GetYourGuide in October 2026. Prices change with the date and group size, and the minimum ages come from the operators’ own pages.

Tour type	Typical length	Lowest price seen	Effort	Season	Who it suits
Easy glacier walk	3 to 4 hours	About €92	Easy	All year	First-timers; minimum age 8 to 10
Advanced glacier hike	5 hours	About €142	Medium	All year	Fit walkers; minimum age 12 or more
Glacier hike plus ice cave (Skaftafell)	4 hours	About €139 to €140	Easy to medium	October to April	One tour for both; minimum age 8 or 10
Ice cave tour (Jökulsárlón)	3 hours	About €150 to €157	Easy to moderate	October to April	Cave-first trips; minimum age 7 to 10
Long ice cave and glacier day	5.5 to 6 hours	About €246 to €249	Medium to demanding	October to April	Fit adults; minimum age 13 to 16
Lagoon boat	30 to 75 minutes	Sold at the lagoon	Easy	May to October or November	Everyone
Lagoon kayaking	1.5 hours	About €138	Basic swimming needed	May to September	Age 14 and over
Day trip from Reykjavik	14 to 15 hours	About €182 to €250	Easy, but long	Check each listing	One-day visitors without a car

Choosing in a minute

• Short on time, or with children: the easy glacier walk.
• Fit, and want a full day on the ice: the advanced hike.
• Visiting between October and April and want a cave and a glacier hike: the Skaftafell combination.
• Winter, with less walking: the three-hour cave tour from Jökulsárlón, though check the walking distance with the operator.
• Visiting between May and September: a glacier hike plus a lagoon boat or kayak. The natural caves are closed.
• One day, no car: a day trip from Reykjavik, accepting that it is a lagoon trip and not a glacier trip.

If you are unsure about fitness, pick the shorter option. Icelandic Mountain Guides grades its tours from easy to extremely strenuous, and its easy grade assumes good health and about three hours on rough ground.

When each tour runs

The park closes natural ice caves from May to September, so the cave rows end in April. If you are travelling in summer, plan around the glacier hike and the lagoon instead.

Easy glacier walks

On an easy walk a guide fits you with crampons, a helmet and a harness at the operator’s base, takes you a short distance by 4x4 or bus, and walks you onto Falljökull. Total time is about three hours, of which one to two hours are on the ice. Icelandic Mountain Guides’ easy grade assumes good health and about three hours on rough ground. You do not need experience.

The minimum age is 8 at Troll Expeditions and 10 at Icelandic Mountain Guides. The glacier hikes guide has what to wear, what is provided and how the weather affects the day.

Advanced glacier hikes

“Advanced” does not mean technical climbing. It means more time and more distance. Troll Expeditions’ five-hour hike spends three and a half to four hours on Falljökull, higher up and in more remote terrain, and sets a minimum age of 12. Icelandic Mountain Guides’ 4.5-hour Glacier Adventure puts you on the ice for about 3.5 hours, with a minimum age of 14 and no more than eight people per guide, May to September. Arctic Adventures’ Glacier Explorer runs 5.5 hours with around three hours on the ice.

Expect to be walking uphill and downhill on uneven ground for most of that time. Troll says you need to manage about an hour of this, and that longer tours test endurance more.

Glacier hike plus ice cave from Skaftafell

This is the best-value way to see both, and it runs only in the cave season. Troll’s version takes about four hours, with roughly two hours on the glacier and a visit inside a natural cave. Arctic Adventures’ version covers about 3 km with 200 to 250 metres of climbing, starting with a steep section, and spends 1.5 to 2 hours on the hike and cave together. Both set a minimum age of 8.

The cave is chosen on the day by condition and safety, so you may see a different one from the photos. Icelandic Mountain Guides runs a three-hour version with two hours on the ice and a minimum age of 10, and lists it as October to May. For the cave side of the trip, read the ice caves guide.

Ice cave tours from Jökulsárlón

These meet at the glacier lagoon and use a modified 4x4 or super jeep to reach the edge of Breiðamerkurjökull, a drive of 25 to 40 minutes depending on the operator. The walk on foot varies from a few hundred metres to a couple of kilometres. Ice Explorers describes 500 to 1,000 metres for its three-hour tour, but the distance changes with the cave in use, so ask the operator before you book. Minimum ages run from 7 at Ice Explorers to 10 at Local Guide.

The longer versions add a glacier hike and more distance. Ice Explorers’ five-to-six-hour tour covers 4 to 6 km with up to eight people per guide and a minimum age of 13. Local Guide’s longer tour takes 5 to 7 hours, caps groups at eight and sets a minimum age of 16. They suit fit adults who want a quieter route, but check the distance and age limit on the listing first.

Ice caves: what to expect

Ice caves are a winter activity and a natural one. They form from meltwater, change every year and are not guaranteed. The park defines the season strictly, with caves closed from May to September, and operators assess them daily. Early in the season the caves can be muddy and less blue, and the ice caves guide has the latest operator report we checked. Operators may swap the cave, shorten the walk or cancel if conditions are unsafe, and the popular caves can be shared with other groups.

The park lists 30 companies with contracts for glacier walks and ice cave trips until 30 September 2027, and the Grapevine’s report says each guide may lead only 8 to 16 guests. Check the operator named on any listing against the park’s contracts page before you pay.

Lagoon boats and kayaks

The glacier lagoon at Jökulsárlón runs its own boat tours. Amphibian boats take 30 to 40 minutes and, the operator says, suit all ages. The zodiac takes about 1 hour 15 minutes and requires a height of at least 130 cm. The operator sells tickets on its own website, where the 2026 adult prices we saw in October were 7,100 ISK for the amphibian boat and 16,600 ISK for the zodiac. Compare before you book elsewhere.

Kayaking on the lagoon lasts 1.5 hours, runs from May to September and has a minimum age of 14, with basic swimming skills required. It is out of season in winter.

Day trips from Reykjavik

Skaftafell is about 330 km and 4.5 to 5 hours from Reykjavik, and the lagoon is about 370 km east, according to Troll Expeditions and the lagoon operator. The day trips below run 14 hours or more and centre on the lagoon and Diamond Beach, with one adding a canyon. They do not replace a glacier hike or an ice cave visit.

Day trips suit travellers with one free day and no car. Most people do better to stay near Skaftafell for a night or two, which also gives you a weather day if a tour is cancelled. Boat rides on these trips only run while the lagoon boats do, so check that the date you choose falls in season.

Weather, cancellations and booking

Operators do not cancel for ordinary rain. Troll says it operates in wind and rain and cancels only for extreme weather or road conditions, then reschedules or refunds. Icelandic Mountain Guides says tours can be cancelled at short notice for weather or safety, and it offers an alternative if conditions allow. Customer cancellations are usually free up to 24 hours before departure. Local Guide’s longer ice cave tour asks for 72 hours, and the exact terms differ by operator and by where you book, so read them on the booking page.

Pair a tour with the Svartifoss walk on a spare morning. See where to stay for bases near Skaftafell and getting there for the drive. The tour cards are GetYourGuide listings, and we earn a commission if you book through them.