FULL DAY

GLACIER HIKE AND KAYAK ADVENTURE

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Price: 32.900 ISK

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Trip Length: 7h

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Max Group Size: 6

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Difficulty: Moderate - Challenging

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Time Kayaking: ~1 - 1,5 h

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Time Hiking: ~3 - 4 h

Paddle across a glacial lake to access a spectacular glacier: solitude guaranteed on this full day adventure.

This glacier hike takes place on one of southeasts Iceland’s most impressive outlet glaciers: Fláajökull. We reach the glacier by hiking through a seldom visited landscape of green moss and tall waterfalls, before paddling across a secluded lake. This tour takes you far off the beaten path and away from the crowds, allowing you to enjoy this spectacle of nature just as it should be. 

This activity takes place at the same location as our shorter Intro to Glacier Packrafting tour.

Don’t have time to commit a full-day of your travels? Maybe this shorter adventure could be for you!

Two people kayaking on icy water near a glacier.

The meeting point for this tour is Hotel Smyrlabjörg. We begin the trip with a short briefing on the weather conditions and what to expect, before departing in our 4x4 vehicle towards the glacier. The journey will take 20 - 30 minutes, driving mainly on a gravel road. 

The hike to the glacier takes 30 minutes and passes the beautiful waterfall Bólstaðafoss, a triple-drop waterfall cascading 100m down the mountainside. When we reach the lake, we inflate our kayaks and begin paddling across the lake, just metres from the huge wall of glacier ice. Around 30 minutes paddling takes us across the lake and to the starting point of our glacier hike at the glacier terminus of Fláajökull.  

We will strap on crampons and explore the glacier visiting huge crevasses, moulins and enjoying the amazing icescape. Fláajökull is a hidden gem, and we are the only tour company operating on this glacier.  

After spending around 3 hours on the glacier, including a stop for lunch, we will return to our boats, paddle back across the lake and hike back to our car and the starting point.   

WHAT’S INCLUDED?

  • Professional glacier and kayak guide

  • Transportation in a 4x4 vehicle to the trailhead

  • Kayaking equipment: boat, drysuit, PFD, paddle, water shoes

  • Glacier equipment: crampons, harness, helmet and ice axe.

WHAT SHOULD I BRING?

  • Warm clothes to wear whilst hiking and kayaking, including warm socks! Make sure to bring a jacket to wear whilst on the glacier

  • Hiking boots

  • Hat and gloves

  • Bottle of water/snacks

  • Sunglasses (optimists only!)

  • Phone or camera


  • A person wearing an orange beanie, black jacket, and black pants with a red life jacket, preparing for outdoor activity near icy water and glacier.
  • Two men kayaking on a cold body of water with ice and glaciers in the background, wearing red life jackets and warm clothing.
  • A man kayaking on a calm body of water with ice and glacier in the background.
  • A person in a blue kayak paddles on icy water near a glacier with large ice chunks and snow.
  • A person in outdoor gear hiking across a glacier with ice formations and snow in a mountain landscape.
  • A person wearing a red helmet, blue jacket, and black pants climbing icy terrain with crampons in a glacier landscape, carrying a green backpack.

How difficult is the trip? 

This trip is a full-day, human-powered adventure. When hiking, we will carry our boats, drysuits and paddles (approx. 7kg), in addition to personal gear such as clothing, food and water. We hike over rocky, uneven terrain including some uphill sections: this tour is designed for people who are physically active and are used to hiking and being outdoors.  

The kayaking section of this tour is suitable for people with no experience; instruction will be given by your guide.  

About the boats

We use MRS Nomad packrafts as our watercraft. These are the lightweight (~4kg), inflatable kayaks which make this trip possible: the older generation of heavy inflatable kayaks make hiking long distances impractical, and therefore it is only relatively recently that journeys like this become accessible. They are designed for maximum performance on flatwater, perfect for our use on the numerous glacier lakes of south-eastern Iceland

WHERE WILL YOU MEET US?

 

The meeting point for this tour is at Hotel Smyrlabjörg.

Click here for directions

Hotel Smyrlabjörg is located on route 1 approximately midway between Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and Höfn.

We will meet in the lower car park of the hotel: after turning off route 1, the parking area will be on your right just before you reach the hotel.

FAQ

  • Yes. We paddle on flatwater; the boats are very stable and therefore this trip is suitable for first time kayakers. Paddling instruction will be given by your guide. 

  • Yes. Our boats have a maximum capacity of 110kg and we have drysuits up to size XXL. Due to the water temperature, drysuits are essential for safety and if you cannot fit comfortably inside the drysuit then you will not be able to participate in the tour. Get in touch with us via email or phone if you need any clarification regarding this

  • Yes. This is a full day tour, so we will definitely find a nice place to stop to eat. The length of time we stop for will depend on the weather and the energy of the group.  

  • The difficulty of this tour is rated moderate/challenging. This is a full day tour where it is expected to spend 7 hours outdoors, hiking and kayaking. Therefore, it is recommended to have a good basic level of fitness to take part in this tour. For example, if you have experience doing day-hikes of >10km with a backpack then this tour will not be too difficult.

  • If weather conditions make the proposed route unsafe, then we may have to cancel the trip- in which case a full refund will be provided. We will always do our best to offer an alternative option wherever possible. 

  • Short answer: Yes! However whilst kayaking there is always a risk of electronics getting wet due to splashes from the paddle.  

    With this in mind: if you have a waterproof phone, then only bringing this is the simplest option for most people. There is a pocket on the PFD to store it, which allows easy access whilst paddling. If your phone is not waterproof, or you would like to bring a camera, we would advise bringing a dedicated drybag or waterproof phone case. 

  • Ideally we want clothes suitable for hiking, which will also fit comfortably under the drysuit when we are paddling. This usually means two layers top and bottom (including thermal underwear), with an extra wind/waterproof jacket for hiking. Large/bulky clothing such as ski jackets should not be worn underneath as it will restrict movement. If in doubt, it is best to bring extra clothes to the meeting point and your guide will go over what is/isn’t required.