Iceland · NATIONAL PARKS
Good national park trips fill up weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 13 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Spend three hours with Troll Expeditions on Falljökull, an outlet glacier of Vatnajökull. An English-speaking guide leads you across crevasses, moulins, and blue ice for about 60 to 90 minutes. Crampons and safety gear are included, while hiking boots can be rented on site.
“Guide is very helpful. The program is well prepared. Excellent view.”
Spend five hours with a small group of up to 10 people hiking Falljökull, a dramatic outlet of Vatnajökull. Certified English-speaking guides such as Anna, Filip, Paula, and Marc lead you across crevasses, moulins, ice tunnels, and steep ice, with safety gear supplied.
“Coolest experience I’ve ever had! Our guide took us higher than she had taken any group before, and not only was the weather and experience amazing, but the views were gorgeous!”
Meet at Jökulsárlón and ride a modified 4x4 toward Vatnajökull, Europe’s largest glacier. You’ll receive safety gear and guide-led instruction before walking to a changing natural ice cave. Guides such as Axel, Fannar, David, and Robert are praised for clear explanations and good photos, but cave size, color, crowds, and access vary by day.
“A wonderful tour! Peter was a great guide, mindful of time for pictures and making sure our group had a spot in each part of the cave. Highly recommend.”
Spend about 12 hours touring Iceland’s Snæfellsnes Peninsula from Reykjavik, with stops at Ytri Tunga, Hellnar, Arnarstapi, Djúpalónssandur, Snæfellsjökull, and Kirkjufell. Small groups of up to 15, hotel pickup, and guides such as Dori, Dylan, and Inga make this a personal, scenery-packed day.
“The views were amazing well worth the drive to get there. The tour guide Dori was excellent and very informative. I must do while in Iceland.”
Spend about 11 hours exploring Iceland’s Snæfellsnes Peninsula in a vehicle limited to 19 people. Visit Ytri Tunga, Búðakirkja, Arnarstapi, Djúpalónssandur, and Kirkjufell, with hotel pickup, local folklore, and no need to drive.
“The tour with our guide, Siggi, was wonderful. We had plenty of time at each stop without feeling rushed. Siggi was informative and interesting. The sights did take time to get to, but that was expected. Kirkjufell was lovely at sunset, and the beach with the seals was surprisingly peaceful and beautiful. The landscape had recently been dusted with snow, so everything looked magical. We also were able to see the glacier and it was amazing!”
Spend about 10 hours touring Snæfellsnes National Park from Reykjavik by air-conditioned coach or minibus. See seals at Ytri Tunga, the cliffs of Arnarstapi, Djúpalónssandur beach, Kirkjufell, Saxhóll Crater, and Snæfellsjökull. Guides such as Jakob, Einar, and Lorenzo bring Icelandic history and folklore to the drive.
“Well worth going on. The weather was bad but the tour and our guide made it very memorable. Would definitely recommend”
Spend four hours hiking Falljökull Glacier with a guide such as Maria, Aosta, or Florence. A 4x4 cuts 20 minutes of walking, then you use crampons and an ice axe to explore crevices, icefalls, and high glacier views in a group of no more than eight.
“Amazing. Highly recommend. Do this 3 hour hike, not the 2 hour one! But you need to be fit. We went high up onto the glacier. Excellent guide and only six in our group.”
Spend four hours in Skaftafell National Park, hiking Falljökull and climbing an ice wall with a certified English-speaking guide. Troll Expeditions supplies boots, crampons, helmet, harness, rope, and ice axe. The group is limited to six, with about three hours on the glacier.
“Fantastic Experience ! Vincenzo (our guide) was impressively skilled and informative on both the activity and the landscape ... truly a not-to-be-missed experience while you are in Iceland.”
Spend 11 hours exploring Snæfellsnes with a small group of 4 to 17 people, an English-speaking driver-guide, and stops at Gerðuberg, Ytri Tunga, Arnarstapi, Djúpalónssandur, Kirkjufell, and Selvallafoss. Guides such as Jonas, Gummi, and Ian are praised for storytelling and personal care.
“Very nice, very excellent, guide/driver Jonas was famous. Perfect servis, commentary, care. Thank you very very much.”
Meet your English-speaking pilot at Skaftafell Terminal for a 15-minute flight over Skeiðarársandur, glacial riverbeds, Vatnajökull’s outlet glaciers, and Hvannadalshnjúkur. The plane carries up to five people, giving you broad views with little waiting.
Travel privately from Reykjavik to Þingvellir National Park with a driver-guide such as Anna, Villi, or Karl. Expect a comfortable vehicle, bottled water, WiFi, included admission, and time for views, Icelandic history, geology, and local stories.
“Wow! From the very start of the tour and meeting guide Villi at our hotel, this was an incredible way to spend the day seeing some of the sights of Iceland. Villi was so knowledgeable and went out of his way to drive the more scenic routes and to take the “road less traveled” making for a unique experience seeing Iceland through the eyes of a local. The benefit of a private tour is that your guide gets to know you and your interests, so you learn about the things that matter to you. For us, that was all about Icelandic history but also about the geothermal technology (amazing!) and…”
Spend about 10 hours traveling Iceland’s South Coast toward Vatnajökull National Park. A private guide-led trip visits Fjallsárjökull, Skaftafell, and Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, with pickup offered and names such as Ingvar and Skulli praised for their guiding.
“We booked a private ice cave tour with this fabulous company. Planning emails were returned very promptly with warm messages. We were lucky to have Skulli as our guide for the day which ended up stretching into the evening. Skulli providRead more”
Spend 8 to 10 hours with your private group exploring Snæfellsnes from Reykjavik. Your driver-guide, Walter, can share Icelandic history and folklore as you visit Stykkishólmur, Kirkjufell, Ólafsvík, Djúpalónssandur, Hellnar, and a mineral spring.
“Wonderful driving tour of Iceland with Walter. Blue lagoon, Snaefellsnes and South Coast. A great guy, friendly and knowledgeable. Reliable on time and dependable. Speaks excellent English and German.”
Pick an ice cap, a coastline or a hot pool.
