From Sólheimajökull

Kayaking by the Glacier

Enjoy Sólheimajökull’s Glacier Lagoon on our kayaking tour. Bask in the beautiful nature around you as your expert guide leads you around this famous outlet glacier.

Tour code: AG105

Kayaking by the Glacier
Price from: 18.999  ISK

Exciting Kayaking Tour On Sólheimajökull Glacier Lagoon

Leave the crowds behind and immerse in the beauty of a majestic outlet glacier while on a kayak. The tour starts with meeting your expert kayaking guide in the Sólheimjökull glacier parking lot. You will be equipped with a dry suit and shown the basic technique needed to maneuver the kayak. The sit-on-top kayaks that we use are easy to steer and no previous kayaking experience is needed. As you push away from the shore, you will enter a world of iceberg filled lagoon. The spellbinding glacial landscape and calm waters will make you feel like you have been transported into another world. Your guide will lead you around the glacier and in between icebergs to admire these natural wonders from a perspective that can only be seen while on the water. After a period of gliding along the still surface of the lagoon, you’ll head back to shore with a lifetime of memories.

Note: The guide will find out the best solution to divide the kayaks among guests, single or double use.

Tour Overview

  • Meeting point

    Sólheimajökull Base Camp

  • Group size

    2 - 8 per guide

  • Active

    1 - 1.5 hrs

  • Language

    English

  • Difficulty

    Wind strength might affect the tour difficulty in the lagoon

  • Availability

    May - Oct

  • Duration

    2.5 hours

  • 14

    Minimum age:

    14 yrs

Book this tour

Customer Reviews

Kayaking around Glaciers with a fantastic guide - Tamas!

This was the first formal activity we did upon our arrival in Iceland and it was the best start to the trip! Tamas was an entertaining, jovial, well-educated guide that provided us with a lot of really interesting information while keeping us laughing. As a former teacher, he is well-qualified to share information about the landscape in an easily digestible format.

Kayaking through this lake observing glaciers up close was an incredible way to start the day. I'd fully recommend this activity to anyone that wants a relaxing kayaking trip through the ice. I had some limitations at the time (due to pregnancy) and Tamas was incredibly careful to ensure that I didn't feel too much strain and had the opportunity for plenty of breaks.
Emily B, USA — 2021-06-01

Kayaking by the Sólheimajökull Glacier was spectaculars. Henrik was really helpfull with all equipment and amazing guide over all. We learned lots of interesting things about glaciers and the area. We had awesome time with Icelandic Mountain Guides. Definitely recommend it! :)
Denise, Iceland — 2018-06-27

Being able to kayak by Glaciers was a great experience. I love kayaking and this just added to my list of places I've paddled. My guide, Lukasz, was great. Very professional and knowledgeable of the area. I hope to be back and kayak there again.
sdavidowitz, USA — 2018-07-11

We saw an ad in a local paper - and searched the web for the company. They are operating at different sites, so you have to look at their website. We wanted to do ‘Kayaking by the glacier’ - and had to drive to Sólheimajökull (2,5hrs from Reykjavik). We arrived early so no other customers and not even the guides were there yet - but at 9am sharp they welcomed us, we were introduced to our guide for the day and got a quick briefing about what was awaiting us that morning.
Then we walked down to the glacier lagoon, hopped into the kayaks and off we went - just the two of us and guide which was great. He explained a lot to us about the glacier and Iceland in general and we went all around the lagoon for two hours - at first we thought it might be a bit small to do that for two hours but way not! The lagoon is quite big and you can get really close to the glacier and icebergs! This was such great experience! We will be back!
Sarah, Germany — 2018-07-04

Tour Highlights

Kayaking

All Equipment on Site

Kayaking among the Icebergs

Sólheimajökull Glacier Lagoon

Included

  • Experienced and qualified guide
  • Kayak (single or double)
  • Paddle and dry suit
  • Tea, coffee, water and access to restrooms at Sólheimajökull

Not Included

  • Warm clothing
  • Dry socks after tour (see equipment list)

Tour Map and Itinerary

Click map for detailed itinerary

Kayaking by the Glacier

MAP & ITINERARY

Day Tour

Easy Kayaking Tour On The Calm Sólheimajökull Glacier Lagoon

Before setting off to glide along the smooth waters of Sólheimajökull glacier lagoon, you will meet your professional kayaking guide near the edge of the glacier at our Sólheimajökull Base Camp.  

There, you will be provided with a short safety briefing and be fitted with a dry suit and paddle.

The guide will find out the best solution to divide the kayaks among guests, single or double use.

There is maximum of boats that each guide can take out for each tour, some times guests might expect to pair up.

At the end of your fun and easy kayaking tour, you will head back to the original meeting point.

Directions

Sólheimajökull - Where to meet us

Driving time
From Reykjavík: 2.5 hrs
From Vík: 45 min

GPS point for Sólheimajökull
N 63.532833
W 19.369675

From the West (Reykjavík)
6 km (3.7 mi) after Skógar you turn left (just after the bridge) onto road 221 and then follow road 221 for about 5 km (3 mi) to the Sólheimajökull parking area. (Expected 20 - 30 min for this part).

From the East (Vík)
3 km (1.9 mi) after you pass road 222, you turn right (just before the bridge) onto road 221 (gravel road) and then follow road 221 for about 5 km to the Sólheimajökull parking area. (Expected 20 - 30 min. for this part).
  • Day Tour
  • Directions
Click to activate the map

Practical Information

Study this FAQ in details before contacting us with your questions.

Icelandic Mountain Guides have taken out extra fee for single use of kayak. There is a maximum to how many kayaks can be on each tour per guide. The guide will for each tour find out the best solution according to the ability and interest of the group.

We recommend a long sleeve clothing in order to separate your skin from the dry suit. Avoid bulky clothing they might restrain your ability to put on the dry suit. Usually worrying about temperature is unnecessary since this is a summer tour and also guests need to walk to the lagoon and paddle during the tour. Extra socks might come in handy if your feet get wet. Also for more information you can have a look at our equipment list.

We always recommend to book as soon as you are ready especially if you have a strict travel schedule or a large group. It is easy to change or cancel 24 hours before departure by emailing us ([email protected]). Tours can also be purchased the day of as long as there are spaces available.

There are no official addresses on our meeting points but you can see directions and GPS points if you click the map above.

Before we head to the glacier for the tour we need to get everyone fitted with the equipment, crampons and harnesses. The crampons need to be adjusted to each persons shoe size so it is important that people arrive 20 minutes before so everyone is ready at the departure time.

Please read this text below in order to know better what to expect when you arrive to our sales office at Sólheimajökull.

Best is to wear long sleeve clothing and not to bulky. Basically just comfortable clothing. The long sleeve clothing separate the skin from the suite and provide nicer and warmer feeling. We recommend leaving watches and keys behind if possible. This makes it easier to put on the dry suite and less change of puncturing it. Even though dry suits should keep you dry, it is best to expect to get wet feet. We do recommend to have extra spare socks to change after the tour.

You will leave your shoes in our sales office. We provide you with special shoes in order to protect the dry suit. If you own a water proof bag for your phone/camera, this is moment to use it.

Guests are provided with dry suit. Wearing this suite usually keeps guests warm enough, with the clothing mentioned before. It takes about 10 min to walk from our sales office to the starting point of the tour and guest usually warm up during this walk. In order to protect the suite special light shoes are provided that go over the suite.

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