The 12 Best Ice Climbing Tours in Iceland

1.Sólheimajökull Glacier Hike & Ice Climbing Intro

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 380 reviews · 4.5 - 11 hours · from $203Our pick

Walk across Sólheimajökull with a certified guide, using crampons, an ice axe, ropes, and a helmet. You can try beginner ice climbing, with patient guides such as Monica, Daniel, Steve, and Francesco. Choose Reykjavík pickup with waterfall stops or meet at the glacier parking lot.

“Definitely book this experience & hope you get Francesco as your guide he was wonderful! He was very attentive to our group and made you feel safe at all times. The hike was amazing and to see the landscaping from that view was incredible. Great experience. Thank you Francesco!”

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2.Sólheimajökull Glacier Hike & Ice Climbing Intro – Small Group

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 151 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $211

Walk across Sólheimajökull, learn basic ice climbing, and explore crevasses, caves, and blue ice with a certified English-speaking guide. Groups are capped at eight per guide. Reykjavík pickup options add Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss, while glacier-only guests meet in Vik.

“Gaia was an excellent guide! We were taught us the basics of ice climbing and put our new found skills to the test! Such an exciting and fun experience!”

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3.Sólheimajökull Ice Climbing and Glacier Walk

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 132 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $246Top rated

Meet a certified Troll Expeditions guide at Sólheimajökull, collect crampons, boots, harness, helmet, and axes, then hike onto the glacier for ice-climbing instruction, glacier features, and striking views in a group capped at six.

“We had so much fun on our glacier hike and climb! Maria was an amazing guide. She was extremely knowledgeable about the glacier and taught us a lot. The climb was super fun too, challenging but manageable! There was very little time standing around or waiting for others. Highly recommend!”

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4.Skaftafell Ice Climbing & Glacier Hike

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 128 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $266

Meet Troll Expeditions in Skaftafell for a four-hour outing on Svínafellsjökull. A certified guide leads your small group across changing blue ice, into crevices and moulins, then teaches you to climb an ice wall with crampons and axes. Guides such as Biscuit, Sam, Misha, and Vega have earned warm praise.

“If you’re booking this trip, you’ve probably never been on a glacier and it’s an experience you will never forget!”

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5.Sólheimajökull Ice Climbing Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 49 reviews · 4 hours · from $294

Meet guide Bergur at Sólheimajökull’s parking lot for a four-hour beginner ice-climbing session. After a 15-minute walk, you’ll learn to use crampons, an ice axe, and a harness, then climb two or three glacier routes and possibly an ice hole. Groups are limited to five.

“I have had an awesome first time ice climbing experience. Customized to my level. Safe and professional. Amazing location, very informative.”

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6.Glacier Hike & Ice Climbing Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 28 reviews · from $233

Spend 6.5 hours on Vatnajökull with an English-speaking guide, hiking rugged ice and climbing changing glacier walls. Guides such as Eric, Yaya, and Marten provide safety coaching and crampon tips. Groups are limited to six, with glacier gear included.

“Amazing! We had our tour with Yaya who was fantastic. He was so considerate of everyone, checking in and making sure we were all happy with how it was going. It was a long tour but definitely worth the money for how awesome the activity was. It was interesting to see how Yaya picked the walls we were climbing as they are constantly changing so the guides find new ones they spot. We also came across the first cave of the season and had a quick explore which was so lucky. Overall amazing experience and would do it again!Read more”

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7.Glacier Xtreme: Vatnajökull Ice Climbing + Hike from Skaftafell

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 25 reviews · 5 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $250

Meet your guide at Skaftafell, gear up, and ride a 4x4 bus to Falljökull. Hike about 8 km across Vatnajökull, drink glacier meltwater, and learn to climb ice walls or descend into crevasses. Guides such as Darragh and Pawl focus on safety and adapt climbs to your ability.

“Really great experience, the guide was great, knowledgeable and knew exactly what he was doing, demonstrated what to do and answered any questions, we got to climb a lot of sections away from other groups and the views were amazing with the setting sun Well worth doing”

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8.Small-Group Ice Climbing and Glacier Hiking in Solheimajokull

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 21 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $258

Meet North Ice at Sólheimajökull for a guided glacier hike and ice-climbing session. You will learn basic climbing skills, use crampons, an ice axe, helmet, and harness, then climb in up to three glacier locations. Guides such as Bergur and Saga are praised for patient instruction.

“Great guide, interesting facts, fun activity, I felt very safe during the whole experience. The time went by way too quickly”

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9.Micro group – Ice climbing at Sólheimajökull

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $260

Meet at Sólheimajökull near Vik for a four-hour ice-climbing session with a guide and no more than four people. Walk 15 minutes to the glacier, learn crampon and ice-axe technique, then climb changing ice formations. Gear is supplied, but you need your own boots and warm clothing.

“Fantastic experience! Great guide, super knowledgeable and very accommodating, would 100% recommend to anyone looking to do some climbing on the glacier!”

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10.Glacier Hike and Ice Climbing Guided Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · 4.5 hours · from $240

Meet your certified English-speaking guide at Skaftafell, fit your crampons and safety gear, then hike Falljökull to a blue ice wall for a supervised climbing session. Groups are limited to six, and you can request Udi, a guide praised for adapting the outing to each climber.

“My wife and I absolutely loved hiking and claiming the Skaftafell glacier. Our guide, Udi (sp?) from Spain was fantastic. He completely customized our experience to meet our needs. The views were breathtaking, the challenge was fun and the experience was memorable. Fully recommend. Request, Udi if available.”

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11.Exclusive Ice Climbing Experience on Sólheimajökull

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 5 hours · from $432

Spend about three hours on Sólheimajökull learning ice-climbing techniques with a private English or Icelandic-speaking guide. Safety equipment is included, while sturdy hiking boots are not. The five-hour outing also includes Dyrhóley Peninsula and Skógafoss.

“Fantastic experience, guide was knowledgeable and friendly. Views are gorgeous. Highly recommend if you like more unusual activities to do on a glacier.”

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12.Private Ice Climbing on Sólheimajökull

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · from $429

Meet your private guide at Sólheimajökull’s parking lot near Vik for a five-hour glacier outing. Learn to use crampons and an ice axe, cross crevassed ice, and practice beginner-friendly climbing routes with time tailored to your group.

“We are two relatively experienced mountaineers who have never climbed vertical ice before. We decided to book a private ice climbing tour with South Coast Adventure.”

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