What a Solheimajokull ice climbing tour costs once you add boots and lunch
The two guided ice climbs on Sólheimajökull sit close together on price. Arctic Adventures starts at ~$203 per person and Tröll Expeditions at ~$229. The gap grows or shrinks once you add boots and the drive. Below are both fares in one table, then everything the price leaves out.
Both fares in one table
The table shows each tour's regular "from" price per person on GetYourGuide. Viator lists both a few dollars higher, and the figure for your date can move a little, so check the booking page before you fix a budget.
| Tour | From | Length | Group | Min age | Meeting point | Included | On top |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arctic Adventures, glacier hike and ice climbing intro (our pick) | ~$203 | 5.5 h at the glacier, 13 h from Reykjavík | Up to 8 (up to 19 on some options) | 14 | Yellow Arctic Adventures bus, Sólheimajökull car park | Certified guide, crampons, ice axe, helmet, harness, ropes | Food and drinks; boot rental if you have none |
| Tröll Expeditions, ice climb and glacier hike | ~$229 | 4 h | Up to 6 | 12 | Tröll Expeditions' base at the glacier | Certified guide, climbing boots, full glacier gear (coffee and chocolates too) | Food, transport to the glacier |
Neither operator charges for cancelling a day or more ahead, and on GetYourGuide you can hold either seat now and settle the bill later. On a glacier where wind can close the day, that flexibility counts for more than the few dollars between the fares.
What Arctic Adventures' fare covers
Our pick, Arctic Adventures' glacier hike with an ice climbing intro from ~$203, is also the cheaper of the two. The "from" price is the half-day option, where you meet the guide at the glacier car park and spend about 5.5 hours with the group.
The fare pays for a certified glacier guide and the technical kit (crampons, ice axe, helmet, harness, ropes). After a safety briefing you hike through a mossy valley and come onto the ice from above, looking down over the glacier and its lagoon.
Pay for the full day instead and a coach carries you from Reykjavík and back, pausing at two waterfalls on the way. That option costs more than the "from" price, so check the listing for your date, and see our page on taking the bus or driving yourself before you decide.
Food and drinks are not part of the price. Pack lunch and water for the whole day, since the listing says plainly that neither is included and the walk to the ice burns more than you expect.
The longer day for the lower fare
Arctic Adventures' half day on Sólheimajökull, with a valley hike to the ice and an optional climbing intro on a natural wall. Gear and a certified guide are in the price.
Boots, the extra most people forget
The crampons strap onto your footwear, so Arctic Adventures insists on sturdy boots that cover the ankle. Renting a pair costs a small fee that the listing does not print, so ask when you book or bring your own.
Trail runners and sneakers will not hold a crampon, and the not-allowed list names high heels and open-toed shoes. Our guide to dressing for the ice covers the rest of the kit, from gloves to waterproof pants.
Tröll Expeditions puts climbing boots in its price. If you would otherwise rent boots for the Arctic Adventures day, the real gap between the two fares narrows a little.
What Tröll Expeditions' fare covers
Tröll Expeditions' ice climb and glacier hike, from ~$229, is the dearer fare for the shorter day. Four hours buys a certified glacier guide and the full set of glacier gear including climbing boots. Coffee and chocolates come with it too.
The day starts at Tröll's own base by the car park, about 30 minutes on foot from the ice. After a safety briefing of about half an hour you spend roughly an hour on the glacier, where the guide rigs a rope system and you climb the walls in turn.
Tröll runs no transport from Reykjavík, so without a car the fare is only part of the bill. A hire car or a lift to the glacier comes on top. Our page on Arctic Adventures or Tröll Expeditions sets the two days side by side.
Costs the fares leave out
- Boot rental on Arctic Adventures if you own no hiking boots with ankle support
- Lunch and snacks, plus water (Tröll's coffee and chocolates are the only food included)
- Car hire and fuel if you drive, about 160 km (100 miles) each way from Reykjavík
- Parking at the Sólheimajökull car park, which may carry a charge, so check on arrival
- A tip for your guide, if you want to leave one
Car hire and fuel are the big variables. Shared between four people, a hire car can cost less per head than a seat on the bus, but in winter you also take on Route 1 in short daylight and strong wind.
The drive takes roughly 2 to 2.5 hours each way in good conditions. Our driving guide to the glacier car park covers the route, and it helps to know the road before you compare a bus seat with a rental.
Price per hour, roughly
Spread over the day, Arctic Adventures' half day works out cheaper per hour than Tröll's four hours. Part of that extra time goes on the valley hike and the views, though, so not every hour is spent on the ice itself.
Tröll packs its climbing into a short block and keeps the group to six. Arctic's small-group option caps at eight, while some of its options run a standard group of up to 19, and more people at one wall usually means more waiting.
Neither listing gives a count of climbs or minutes on the rope, and the guide picks the spot on the day. Our page on how hard the climb is explains what a session on the wall involves, which helps you judge what the hours buy.
Which fare buys more
With a car and your own boots, Arctic Adventures at ~$203 gives the longest day for the lowest fare, and the most reviews back it (4.8 from 400+ on GetYourGuide). Without a car, its Reykjavík option is the only one of the two that brings you to the glacier.
With a 12 or 13 year old in the group, Tröll is the only choice, since Arctic's minimum age is 14. It also suits anyone who wants boots included and a group of six, for a fare a little higher.
Whichever you pick, book early in your trip so a cancelled day can move. The best time to climb page covers the seasons, and our weather guide explains what happens when a tour is called off.