Frequently Asked Questions

Feeling cold is a very subjective sensation, as it depends on what climate you live in and how used you are to being outside, as well as on the season and other weather conditions like the wind. However it’s a common misconception that Iceland is extremely cold. Even in winter the temperatures on the sea level are on average around freezing point, not much below it. Very cold days can of course happen, but they are rare. Glaciers which we hike on are located on or slightly above the sea level, therefore usually you should expect the temperature othere to feel similar or slightly lower than at the departure point. Strong wind can be a big factor though which can make you feel much colder. We recommend that you always prepare for colder and wet weather just in case. You can monitor the weather forecast on www.vedur.is . Please feel free to contact us a day or 2 before your trip if you’re having difficulties reading the forecast properly. We have a lot of local knowledge and experience with the weather, so we can give you a specific advise for the day of your trip once we know the forecast.

For the summit tours which take you high above the sea level you should expect the temperature to be much colder than on the sea level. Even in the middle of the summer you should prepare for temperature well below freezing. We will always be in touch with you before the tour regarding the weather forecast. 

We expect you to be in an overall good health and reasonably fit. However, do not worry, you do not need to be an athlete. If you can walk about 2 kilometers on flat terrain and climb up and down a flight of stairs, you should be able to join an easy glacier hike. Please let us know in advance about any health issues that might affect your performance or safety while with us.

For longer or more technical hikes a higher level of fitness is requires. You can find more detailed information about it in the description of each of our tours. In case of doubts please contact us directly.

If your level of ability is low, for example you can walk but do it very slowly, however you would still like to visit a glacier then this might be possible on a private tour. In such case the guide can adjust the pace to you and assist you more personally, as well as extend the duration of the tour to allow for a slower pace. Such arrangements need to be discussed in details. Please contact us to inquire about a private tour like and once we know more about you we can advise you personally whether it is possible for you to go on a tour.

The maximum size of a group depends on the type of a tour. Shorter glacier hikes and ice cave tours have a maximum size of 12 participants per guide, while longer adventure driven tours usually have a maximum size of 8.

Although extreme rain might force us to cancel the tour in Iceland we have around 200 rainy days per year, so we’ve learned to live with it. The good news is that the glacier usually looks more blue in the rain. Always remember to have your rain gear with you and if you indeed use it during the tour – well, you’re having a real Icelandic experience! 

We are constantly monitoring the weather forecast and if we see that the weather is so bad that running the tour might not be possible, we contact you to let you know about it. As long as our availability allow we try to change the departure time or offer you another date to join. In such case it is of course entirely your decision to accept such change or not. If no change is possible and the tour can’t go ahead then it’s cancelled and you receive a full refund.

During the early stages of pregnancy, there shouldn’t be any problem to join a glacier hike, especially a shorter and easier one, though we always recommend consulting your doctor beforehand. Please remember that on every glacier tour you always have to wear a climbing harness which has to fit on your hips quite tightly. This doesn’t apply to shorter ice cave tours, where harnesses are usually not used. We reserve a right for our guide to take the final decision on the spot with your health always being the highest priority.

Naturally formed ice caves can usually be visited between October and April, though it all depends on the season. Biggest and most beautiful ice caves have usually been found in the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier, which is close to Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, as well as in Skeiðarárjökull glacier in the area of Skaftafell. Our regular ice cave tours depart from Jökulsárlón, so please check them out if you’re interested in visiting an ice cave. 

Due to its remote setting Skeiðarárjökull glacier and its ice caves can only be accessed with a helicopter. We offer private helicopter ice cave tours from Skaftafell Airport in winter months.

Some smaller ice caves sometimes have also been found in Sólheimajökull or Falljökull glaciers. We usually treat them as a nice addition to our winter tours rather than advertising them as main attraction, because  they can’t be guaranteed. However if a bigger ice cave is found there we might open regular ice cave tours there. Please stay tuned when the winter season starts.

We promise that you will learn about it on the glacier tour!