Sólheimajökull Glacier Hike and Ice Climb

Step onto the ice and discover a landscape shaped by freezing temperatures, flowing meltwater, and the slow movement of a glacier. This glacier hiking and ice climbing tour combines time to explore remarkable ice formations with the challenge of climbing an ice wall.

Led by a certified glacier guide, you will learn how to move across the ice, use specialist equipment, and take a closer look at Iceland’s frozen wilderness.

Your Adventure Begins

Meet your glacier guide and prepare for your time on the ice.

Your guide will introduce the equipment, explain glacier safety, and show you how to use crampons and ice axes. You will also learn the basics of ice climbing before setting out.

All necessary glacier equipment is provided, including crampons, a helmet, a harness, and ice axes.

First Steps onto the Glacier

As you approach the glacier tongue, take in the surrounding mountain views and the scale of the ice ahead.

Your guide will share insights into the glacier’s formation, history, and movement. Once on the ice, put your new skills into practice as you follow your guide through this changing landscape.

A Landscape of Ice and Ash

Discover the textures and colours that make every stretch of the glacier different. Dark volcanic ash contrasts with the ice, while ridges, channels, and sculpted formations reveal the effects of water and weather.

Along the route, your guide may point out moulins—deep shafts formed by meltwater flowing into the glacier—and explain how these features develop.

Look for shades of blue within the ice and pause to appreciate details that are easy to miss from a distance.

Take on an Ice Climbing Challenge

With your guide’s instruction, try climbing a glacier ice wall using your crampons and ice axes.

Learn where to place your feet, how to position your tools, and how to move upwards with support from the climbing equipment. Each step offers a new way to experience the glacier, adding a physical challenge to your time exploring it.

Pause and Take It In

Between hiking and climbing, enjoy moments to look around and appreciate your surroundings.

From ash-streaked ice to mountain views, the glacier offers a striking setting for photographs and a memorable place to experience Iceland’s natural forces up close.

Discover the Glacier from a New Perspective

Bring together exploration, learning, and adventure on a guided journey across the ice.

Choose your date and take your first steps towards a glacier hiking and ice climbing experience.