Solheimajokull Ice Climbing Tours

Sólheimajökull is the glacier tongue on Iceland's south coast that you can reach in about two hours from Reykjavík, and it is where most first-timers try ice climbing. We read the listings on GetYourGuide and Viator and kept only two tours that put a rope and an ice axe in your hands. Both come with a certified guide and all the glacier gear in a small group. Each one also comes with its own catch, and we name it.

  • Tours run through the yearThe ice is there in every season; the weather on the day decides whether the guides take you onto it
  • No experience neededBoth tours teach you on the spot; Arctic Adventures takes climbers from 14, Tröll Expeditions from 12

In a hurry? Our top pick is Arctic Adventures' glacier hike with an ice climbing intro: ~$203 a person for about five and a half hours at the glacier, or a full day with pickup in Reykjavík and two waterfall stops. Book it here.

Book on GetYourGuide Book on Viator

Compare both tours

If you only have a minute

Which Solheimajokull ice climbing tour should you book?

Say a friend about to drive the Ring Road asked us which glacier climb to book. Over a coffee in Reykjavík, this is what we would tell them.

For most people the tour to book is Arctic Adventures' Sólheimajökull glacier hike and ice climbing intro, from ~$203. It has by far the most reviews and works with or without a car. The climbing is optional, so a friend who only wants to walk on the ice can come along on the same booking.

Want more time on the rope in a smaller group? Tröll Expeditions' ice climb costs ~$229, takes no more than six people and includes climbing boots. It also accepts climbers from 12, two years younger than Arctic, but you need your own way to the glacier.

Neither guide can promise the weather. Check what the day costs once boots and lunch are added and how hard the climbing feels for a beginner, see how each tour fills its hours, then read the small print we pulled out before you pay.

Our pick

The glacier climb we would book: Arctic Adventures

It combines a proper glacier hike with a first go on a natural ice wall, and you can join it at the car park or from Reykjavík. It also carries far more reviews than any other climbing tour on Sólheimajökull.

A smiling climber in a helmet swinging an ice axe into a white ice wall, a red rope beside her Our pick

Sólheimajökull Glacier Hike & Ice Climbing Intro, Arctic Adventures

★★★★★ 4.8 from 400+ reviews on GetYourGuide · free cancellation up to 24 hours before

You meet at Arctic Adventures' yellow bus parked at the glacier, or board it in Reykjavík on the full-day option. The guide gives a safety briefing and hands out the kit (crampons, ice axe, helmet, harness).

Instead of walking straight up to the snout, the group hikes through a moss-covered valley and steps onto the glacier from above. From there you look down over the whole ice tongue and the meltwater lagoon at its foot.

On the ice the guide leads you past ridges and moulins to patches of blue ice, then finds a natural wall for the climbing intro. You learn how to use the axe and your crampon points to go up it. Anyone who prefers to watch can simply stay on the hike.

Duration
About 5.5 hours at the glacier, about 13 hours from Reykjavík
On the ice
A glacier hike plus an ice climbing intro
Group
Up to 8 on the small-group option
Meeting point
The yellow Arctic Adventures bus, Sólheimajökull car park
From Reykjavík
Round trip with stops at Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss
Gear
Crampons, ice axe, helmet, harness, ropes (all included)
Limits
Age 14 and up; shoe size EU 35 or larger
Cancellation
Free up to 24 hours; reserve now, pay later
Price per person from ~$203 Glacier hike · ice climbing intro
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How the half day runs, step by step

This is the order the listing describes. The guide chooses the route and the climbing spot on the day, because the ice changes from week to week.

At the car park

  • Meet at the yellow Arctic Adventures bus
  • Safety briefing and gear fitting
  • Hike through a mossy valley to reach the ice from above

On the glacier

  • Crampon walk past ridges and moulins to blue ice
  • Ice climbing intro on a natural ice wall, optional
  • Back down to the car park and the bus

What the price covers

The fare pays for the guide and the safety gear. Your feet, your lunch and, on the half day, your drive are your own business.

Included
  • A certified glacier guide
  • Crampons, ice axe, helmet, harness, ropes
  • The ice climbing intro (optional)
  • Transport and the two waterfall stops, on the Reykjavík option only
Not included
  • Food and drinks
  • Hiking boots (rent them for a small fee)
  • Transport on the meet-at-the-glacier option
  • A promise of dry weather

Between us, before you go

Sturdy hiking boots with ankle support are mandatory, and the listing turns away high heels and open-toed shoes. If you do not own proper boots, rent a pair rather than risk trainers on wet ice.

Pack a warm waterproof jacket and waterproof trousers plus a snack, since no food is provided. Our guide to dressing for the ice covers gloves and hats as well as layers.

Why it beats the Tröll climb for most people

It is the only one of the two you can book from Reykjavík without a car, and its 400+ reviews on GetYourGuide give a much clearer picture than Tröll's 69. The optional climb also lets mixed groups book one tour. Arctic Adventures or Tröll sets the two side by side.

What you give up is rope time. Tröll's group is smaller and its tour is built around the climbing, while here the climb shares the day with a longer hike.

Who we would not send on it

Children under 14 will be turned away, and the listing rules out pregnant travelers or anyone with limited mobility. Climbers who want the most rope time should look at Tröll Expeditions' small group. And anyone with a tight budget should add the boots and lunch first, as our price guide does.

Book it if

You want your first taste of ice climbing as part of a full glacier walk, with views over the whole tongue. It suits couples and friends of mixed nerve, and travelers who would rather leave the driving to someone else.

Skip it if

Ready to strap on crampons?

The tour is on GetYourGuide (4.8 from 400+ reviews) and on Viator (4.8 from 100+). Both let you cancel for free up to 24 hours before, so you can watch the forecast before you commit.

GetYourGuide Viator

The day itself

How a Solheimajokull ice climbing tour works

Both tours on this page start at the same glacier car park and end on the same ice. What differs is how you get there and how much of the day goes on the rope.

Style · meet at the glacier

Drive yourself, climb for half a day

Arctic Adventures, Tröll Expeditions

4–5.5 hgear, a walk to the ice, then a hike with a climb

You drive about two hours each way from Reykjavík on the Ring Road, so the day is free around the tour. Pair it with the waterfalls or a night in Vík. The catch is winter driving. Wind and ice on the road can matter more than the glacier.

Style · a full day by bus

From Reykjavík with two waterfalls

Arctic Adventures' Reykjavík option

About 13 hround trip, Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss, then the glacier

Nobody in your group has to drive, and you see two of the south coast's best-known waterfalls on the way. The price is a long day with much of it on the bus, and the listing shows larger groups on some options.

South coast weather and daylight across all twelve months

  • Rough daylight hours near Vík
  1. Jan2°C high36 °F

    Hard blue ice, short days, check the roads

  2. Feb2°C high36 °F

    Days lengthen fast, storms still common

  3. Mar3°C high37 °F

    Winter ice with more daylight to enjoy it

  4. Apr6°C high43 °F

    Quieter car park, mixed weather

  5. May9°C high48 °F

    Long light days before the summer crowds

  6. Jun11°C high52 °F

    Near-endless daylight, softer surface ice

  7. Jul13°C high55 °F

    The warmest weeks and the busiest tours

  8. Aug13°C high55 °F

    Ash ridges at their darkest, still busy

  9. Sep10°C high50 °F

    Fewer people, the ice firming up again

  10. Oct7°C high45 °F

    Autumn storms begin, blue ice returns

  11. Nov4°C high39 °F

    Short days, keep a spare one in the plan

  12. Dec2°C high36 °F

    The shortest light, the tour fills most of it

Temperatures are rough daytime highs near Vík; on the ice and in the wind it feels colder. The bars show roughly how many hours of daylight you get, capped at 18 for the bright summer weeks. Highlighted months are the ones we would pick for light and ice in good balance, with room on the glacier. The seasons in detail.

How each tour is spent

  • Getting there plus gear and walking
  • On the ice
  • May run longer

Total hours come from the listings; the split between walking and time on the ice is our rough estimate from the itineraries, and the guide sets the pace on the day. Traffic and weather can stretch the Reykjavík day.

  1. Pick your rideYour own car and a half day at the glacier, or Arctic's bus from Reykjavík with two waterfalls. Bus or car.
  2. Check the age limitsArctic Adventures takes climbers from 14, Tröll Expeditions from 12. How hard the climbing is.
  3. Leave a spare dayWind and storms can stop a glacier tour, so book early in your trip. When the weather calls it off.
  4. Sort your bootsAnkle-high hiking boots for Arctic (or rent them there); Tröll lends climbing boots. What to wear.

Driving yourself? Our route guide covers the turn off the Ring Road, and the south coast day plan fits the climb between Skógafoss and Vík.

How to choose

How to pick the right ice climbing tour

The glacier is the same for both. What differs is the size of the group and the age limit, plus whether the climb is the main event or part of a hike.

Rope time

Tröll's tour is built around the climb. Arctic gives you a longer hike with the climbing as an optional intro. Climb or hike.

Age

Tröll takes climbers from twelve. Arctic starts at fourteen and needs shoes of EU 35 or bigger. Who can climb.

Group size

Six people at most with Tröll. Arctic caps its small groups at eight, with larger groups of up to 19 on certain options. The two compared.

No car?

Only Arctic Adventures offers a pickup in Reykjavík, as a full day of about 13 hours. Tröll starts at its own base by the glacier. From Reykjavík.

Budget

From ~$203 with Arctic, plus boots if you need to rent them, and from ~$229 with Tröll, boots included. Every cost in one table.

Season

Both tours run through the year. Winter brings harder blue ice and short days. Summer brings long light and softer ice. The best time to climb.

Everything else to do around Vík and the south coast

The 2 tours

Two ways onto the ice, side by side

We read every ice climbing listing for Sólheimajökull on both booking sites and kept the two with the strongest record. Each card gives the price and the length as well as the tour company. It also names the catch, with a button for each site that sells it.

A group in climbing helmets standing above the glacier lagoon at the foot of Sólheimajökull Our pick

Sólheimajökull Glacier Hike & Ice Climbing Intro, Arctic Adventures

The one we would book for a first day on the ice.

About five and a half hours from the glacier car park, or about 13 hours with the bus from Reykjavík and stops at Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss. A hike up a mossy valley brings you onto the ice from above, and a natural wall gives you a first go at climbing.

  • Rating4.8 from 400+ reviews on GetYourGuide
  • DurationAbout 5.5 hours, or 13 from Reykjavík
  • Tour companyArctic Adventures
  • Free cancellationUp to 24 hours before, pay later
  • StrengthsPickup option; views over the whole tongue; the most reviews
  • Ideal forCouples and mixed groups on a first climb

Good to know: Age 14 and up, minimum shoe size EU 35. Ankle-high hiking boots are mandatory (rental for a small fee), and no food is included. What to wear on the ice.

~$203per person
GetYourGuide Viator
A climber in an orange helmet halfway up a glacier ice wall while a guide holds the rope below Six climbers

Sólheimajökull Ice Climb and Glacier Hike, Tröll Expeditions

More rope time in a group of six.

Four hours from Tröll Expeditions' base by the glacier car park. After a half-hour walk and a half-hour safety briefing, the guide rigs a rope system above an ice wall and coaches you up it. The price covers climbing boots and all the glacier gear (coffee and chocolates too).

  • Rating4.9 from 100+ reviews on Viator
  • DurationAbout 4 hours
  • Tour companyTröll Expeditions
  • Free cancellationUp to 24 hours before, pay later
  • StrengthsSix people at most; boots included; from age 12
  • Ideal forSelf-drivers who came to climb

Good to know: No transport from Reykjavík, so you need a car or another way to the glacier. Bring gloves, which the listing calls necessary, plus rain gear. Driving to the glacier.

~$229per person
Viator GetYourGuide

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Before you go

Eight things about glacier climbs that no listing puts in big letters

None of these sits at the top of a booking page. Each one can decide whether you spend the day on the ice or in the car park.

What you should know

  1. Your boots can keep you off the ice. Arctic Adventures makes ankle-high hiking boots mandatory. Bring your own or rent a pair on the day for a small fee; Tröll lends climbing boots as part of the price. What to wear.
  2. The age limits are firm. Arctic takes nobody under 14 and Tröll nobody under 12. Arctic also asks for a shoe size of at least EU 35, because smaller crampons will not fit.
  3. Food is on you. Neither listing includes lunch, though Tröll hands out coffee and chocolates on the ice. Eat before you arrive and pack a snack and water. The full costs.
  4. The climb is optional on Arctic's tour. Anyone nervous can hike and watch. That makes it the easy choice for a group where only some people want to climb. Climb or hike.
  5. The drive is longer than the map suggests. Sólheimajökull is about 160 km (100 miles) from Reykjavík. In wind and rain or in the winter dark, the Ring Road takes longer, so leave a margin before the meeting time. The route.
  6. Group size depends on the option. Arctic's small group takes up to eight, while a few of its departures run as standard groups as large as 19. Tröll never takes more than six.
  7. Wet hands get cold fast. Gloves are on Tröll's must-bring list for good reason, since the ice is wet. A spare pair in your pocket costs nothing.
  8. The weather has the last word. Storms and strong wind can stop a glacier tour, and the guides decide on the day. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before lets you watch the forecast. If the tour is called off.

Everything in one table

Two ice climbing tours, catch included

Both tours side by side. Each row sets the strength of a tour against its catch.

Swipe the table sideways to see all columns →

Tour Ideal for Price Length Starts from Tour company and rating Strength and catch Book
Arctic Adventures, hike and ice climbing intro (our pick) A first day on the ice ~$203per person About 5.5 h, or 13 h from Reykjavík Glacier car park or Reykjavík Arctic Adventures
4.8 on GetYourGuide		 Pickup option, optional climb, most reviews. Age 14+, boots to bring or rent, no food.
GetYourGuideViator
Tröll Expeditions, ice climb and glacier hike Climbers with a car ~$229per person About 4 h Tröll's base at the car park Tröll Expeditions
4.9 on Viator		 Six people, boots included, from age 12. No transport, fewer reviews on GetYourGuide.
ViatorGetYourGuide

Prices are regular "from" rates per person in US dollars and can change; Arctic's Reykjavík option costs more than its "from" price. The booking page always has the final word.

Who went

Reviews from travelers who climbed the ice

Fourteen travelers, some who climbed in dry sunshine and some who got rained on, on what won them over and what they would do differently.

★★★★★Arctic Adventures, hike + climb

We drove down from Reykjavík and found the yellow Arctic Adventures bus in the car park without any trouble. After the briefing and the gear fitting we walked up a green and mossy valley, then came onto the ice from above, with the whole tongue of the glacier and the lagoon below us. The climbing part came after an hour or so of walking. Our guide picked a short wall, showed us how to swing the axe and kick the crampons in, and lowered each of us gently when we were done.

HBHannah B. · Leeds, UKDry and calm
★★★★★Arctic Adventures, hike + climb

Two climbs each and sore forearms. The blue ice was bluer than any photo.

TKTakumi K. · Osaka, JapanDry and calm
★★★★☆Arctic Adventures, hike + climb

We took the full day from Reykjavík. Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss were lovely stops, but it is a long time on the bus, and with a bigger group the climbing turns came round slowly. The guide was patient with everyone. Next time I would hire a car and do the half day instead.

CRClaudia R. · Munich, GermanyWind and rain
★★★★★Arctic Adventures, hike + climb

I have a fear of heights and nearly sat the climb out, since the listing says it is optional. The guide talked me up the wall one kick at a time. I only made it two thirds of the way, and it was still the best hour of our trip.

MOMarcus O. · Atlanta, USADry and calm
★★★★★Arctic Adventures, hike + climb

Rented the boots on the spot for a small fee. Glad we did, our trainers would have been soaked.

APAisha P. · Toronto, CanadaWind and rain
★★★★★Arctic Adventures, hike + climb

It rained sideways for the first half hour and the guide still had us laughing. By the time we reached the moulins the rain had stopped and the ice was shining. My partner only hiked while I climbed, and we were on the same tour all day.

LFLucas F. · Lyon, FranceWind and rain
★★★★★Arctic Adventures, hike + climb

Our daughter had just turned fourteen (the minimum age) and she outclimbed both of us. The group stayed small, eight people with one guide, so nobody waited long for a turn on the rope. We packed sandwiches because food is not included, and ate them sitting on the moraine with the glacier in front of us. Bring warm gloves; the ice is wet and cold through thin ones.

SNSofia N. · Stockholm, SwedenDry and calm
★★★★☆Arctic Adventures, hike + climb

Good guide and a fun climb. Budget for lunch and boot rental on top of the price, though.

DJDaniel J. · Sydney, AustraliaDry and calm
★★★★★Tröll Expeditions, max 6

Tröll kept it to six of us, and it showed. Every one of us climbed three times.

EMElif M. · Istanbul, TurkeyDry and calm
★★★★★Tröll Expeditions, max 6

We started at the Tröll hut by the car park. There we got our climbing boots and harnesses, then walked about half an hour to the edge of the ice. The guide spent a proper half hour on safety before anyone touched an axe. Then he fixed the ropes above a wall of grey and blue ice and took us through it slowly with the footwork first, then the arms. Afterwards we had coffee and chocolate on the glacier, which felt like a reward.

RHRyan H. · Dublin, IrelandWind and rain
★★★★★Tröll Expeditions, max 6

Climbing boots were included, which meant no rental fee and no wet feet. Small group, calm guide, one very happy beginner.

PVPriya V. · Bengaluru, IndiaDry and calm
★★★★☆Tröll Expeditions, max 6

The climbing was excellent and the guide knew the glacier inside out. We had to make our own way from Reykjavík and the drive took longer than planned in the wind, so leave plenty of time and check the road before you set off.

GWGreta W. · Zurich, SwitzerlandWind and rain
★★★★★Tröll Expeditions, max 6

Our son is twelve, too young for some tours, and Tröll took him. He talked about it all week.

JSJonas S. · Copenhagen, DenmarkDry and calm
★★★★★Tröll Expeditions, max 6

I booked this one on Viator after reading the reviews there, and it matched them. The guide explained how the ash layers got into the ice and pointed out where the glacier front used to be, which made the walk more than a walk. On the wall I fell off twice and the rope simply held me while I found my feet again. Four hours went by fast, and we still had time to drive on to Vík for dinner.

MCMia C. · Auckland, New ZealandDry and calm

Been already?

Tell the next climber how it went

Share your day on Sólheimajökull, whether you topped out on every wall or stopped halfway up the first one. We read every review before it goes up, and we publish the critical ones too.

Your rating
The weather on the day

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Helmet on

Book Arctic Adventures for your day on the ice

If you want one well-run day on Sólheimajökull with a first go at ice climbing, we would book Arctic Adventures. The hike brings you onto the glacier from above and the climb is there for anyone who wants it. You can join at the car park or ride down from Reykjavík.

You can hold a place now and pay nearer the day. Cancelling is free until 24 hours before, which leaves room to watch the weather. Bring boots with ankle support.

~$203

per person · about 5.5 hours · at the glacier

GetYourGuide Viator
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
  • ✓ Reserve now, pay later
  • ✓ Helmet, harness, crampons, ice axe included
  • ✓ Optional pickup in Reykjavík

Good to know

Why Sólheimajökull looks the way it does, and what you are climbing

Five minutes of reading makes the black stripes in the ice, the holes you walk past and the lake at the bottom much easier to follow.

Sólheimajökull, often typed Solheimajokull, is an outlet glacier that flows south from Mýrdalsjökull, one of Iceland's larger ice caps. Its tongue ends a short walk from a car park off the Ring Road, between Skógafoss and Vík, which makes it one of the easiest glaciers in the country to reach.

01A tongue of a bigger ice cap

The ice you climb started as snow high on Mýrdalsjökull and slowly moved downhill. Where it squeezes through the valley it cracks into ridges and crevasses. That broken surface is why nobody should walk onto it without a guide.

02Ash in the ice

The dark stripes and grey ridges are layers of volcanic ash from past eruptions. Mýrdalsjökull sits on top of the Katla volcano, so the glacier carries a record of the ash it has caught. What you see on a hike.

03A glacier in retreat

Sólheimajökull has pulled back a long way in recent decades, and a meltwater lagoon now fills the ground it left behind. Tröll's listing points out that the glacier appears in the documentary Chasing Ice, which filmed glaciers shrinking around the world.

The moment most people remember is the first kick that holds, when the crampon points bite and you realize you can stand on a wall of ice.

04Moulins and blue ice

Moulins are shafts that meltwater drills down into the glacier. Their walls and the edges of crevasses give guides the steep faces they use for climbing. Blue ice shows where the ice is dense and old, often brightest in winter.

05How the climbing works

You wear a harness clipped to a rope that the guide has fixed and controls. You kick the front points of your crampons into the ice, swing an axe above you and stand up on your legs. If you slip, the rope holds you. How hard it feels.

06Manners on the ice

Stay behind the guide and step where they step. Keep your crampons clear of other people's legs and ropes, and carry your rubbish back down. What to wear on the glacier covers the gloves and layers that make the day pleasant.

160 kmRoughly the drive from Reykjavík

4 hThe shorter tour, with Tröll

12+ / 14+Minimum ages, Tröll and Arctic

6The most climbers in a Tröll group

Making a day of the south coast? Our south coast day plan shows how the climb fits between the waterfalls and Vík.

Questions and answers

Frequently asked questions about ice climbing on Solheimajokull

Fourteen questions we hear again and again, with the full answer.

What does a Sólheimajökull ice climbing tour cost?

Arctic Adventures' glacier hike with an ice climbing intro starts at ~$203 per person, and Tröll Expeditions' ice climb at ~$229. Arctic's Reykjavík option costs more, and you may need to rent boots there. Every price and extra is in our cost guide.

Which ice climbing tour should I pick?

For most visitors, Arctic Adventures. It has the most reviews and a Reykjavík option, and the climb is optional. If you have a car and want more rope time in a group of six, pick Tröll Expeditions. Tröll also takes 12 and 13 year olds.

Do I need climbing experience?

No. Both listings say beginners are welcome. The guide fits your gear, teaches you how to use the crampons and the ice axe, and keeps you on a rope the whole time you climb. How hard it feels.

What is the minimum age?

Fourteen on Arctic Adventures' tour, which also needs a shoe size of at least EU 35, and twelve on Tröll Expeditions'. Both are firm limits set by the operators.

How long does a tour take?

About four hours with Tröll and about five and a half with Arctic if you meet at the glacier. Arctic's day from Reykjavík takes about 13 hours with stops at Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss.

Can I go from Reykjavík without a car?

Yes, with Arctic Adventures, whose full-day option includes the round trip from Reykjavík. Tröll Expeditions has no transport and meets at its base by the glacier car park. Bus or car.

What should I wear?

Warm layers under a waterproof jacket and waterproof trousers, gloves, a hat that fits under a helmet and sunglasses. On Arctic's tour, hiking boots with ankle support are mandatory; Tröll provides climbing boots. What to wear on the ice.

Is the gear included?

Yes. Both tours include all the glacier kit, from the helmet down to the crampons. Tröll also includes climbing boots, while Arctic expects your own hiking boots or rents them for a small fee.

When is the best time to go?

Tours run through the year. Winter has harder, bluer ice but short days and tougher driving. Summer has long daylight and softer ice. Our favorite months are March and May, plus September. The seasons compared.

Is ice climbing physically hard?

It is tiring but short. Your legs do most of the work if you stand on your crampons, while gripping the axes tires the forearms quickly. You need to walk a few hours on uneven ground, and the listing for Arctic's tour rules out people with limited mobility.

What happens if the weather is bad?

Light rain does not stop a tour. Storms and strong wind can, and the guides decide on the day. If the operator cancels, you are usually offered a new date or a refund. When the weather calls it off.

Is food included?

No lunch on either tour. Tröll serves coffee and chocolates on the glacier, and Arctic includes no food or drinks. Eat before you start and bring a snack and water.

I am scared of heights. Can I still go?

Yes. The walls are short, you are on a rope, and you can ask to be lowered at any point. On Arctic's tour the climb is optional, so you can join the hike and decide on the ice.

Can I cancel for free?

Yes. Both tours can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours before on GetYourGuide, and both let you reserve now and pay later.

Read before you travel

Guides to climbing Iceland's south coast glacier

Ten questions that keep coming up, each with the long answer instead of the short one.