Iceland Glacier Days with Kids: Minimum Ages, Boot Sizes and What Works

Is a glacier worth it with children?

For children from eight, it is often the day they remember. Rachel_L’s ten-year-old had the guide holding a hand the whole way on a three-hour hike near Skaftafell. Jennifer_W took a ten-year-old son on the South Coast day and found the bus legs never longer than two and a half hours. Ricky_B hiked Sólheimajökull with children of 8 and 11, and Dianne_B’s twelve-year-old did everything the adults did.

Under eight, you cannot go on the ice with a guide, but you can still see a glacier. The S1 trail at Skaftafell walks to the foot of one in about an hour, and the lagoon amphibian boat day takes children from six. The visitor guide lists the free trails.

So start with your youngest child’s age, then your route, then your budget. If you get the age right, you will find a glacier day that works for your whole family, and your children will talk about it long after you are home.

Minimum ages, tour by tour

Each age is set by the operator for safety on the ice. If you are travelling with a seven-year-old and a ten-year-old, plan around the seven-year-old.

What children love most

• The ice axe. Jennifer_W’s son spent the hike swinging and chopping at the ice, safely.
• Climbing. On the ice-climbing hike, Lisa_H’s kids enjoyed the climb and exploring the cracks.
• Snowmobiles. Darren rode snowmobiles with the kids on Langjökull and called it an awesome day.
• Three sights in one day. Waterfalls, a black beach and a glacier kept Christina_B’s teen and tween boys interested, with Wi-Fi on the bus helping.

What to prepare for

Feet and boots

Crampons strap to a stiff boot with ankle support, and small feet are the most common problem. Arctic Adventures’ crampons fit EU 35 to 50 only, so a child in a smaller shoe cannot join those tours. Most bases rent boots for 1,750 ISK; ask about children’s sizes when you book.

The walk before the ice

Children tire on the approach, not on the glacier. On the three-hour hike near Skaftafell, Taana_V’s family, with two teenagers, walked about 20 minutes from the parking round a lagoon before the ice began.

Long days

A day from Reykjavík to the South Coast runs 10 to 12 hours. With young children, a base near Skaftafell and a three-hour hike is often easier than a coach day. Where to stay sets out the bases.

Teenagers

From fourteen, every tour opens up, including the longer hikes and the lagoon kayak. Kara_O took four teenagers on a four-hour hike with a local guide and found it kept them engaged throughout. The five-hour Explorer is a different matter: Awilda_C found it long and tiring even for teenagers, with a walk back to the bus at the end. Match the length to your least keen walker.

Grandparents

Age limits run only one way on most hikes. Cathie_R, in their seventies, did the South Coast day with its glacier hike and came away grateful, and Sarah, one of two fit friends over sixty, loved the snowmobile. Steady feet matter more than age.

What to pack for each child

• Boots that fit over thick socks, stiff enough for crampons, or a rental pair booked in advance.
• Two warm layers and a waterproof jacket, so a child can shed one when the walking warms them up.
• Gloves, a hat and a buff, because the wind comes straight off the ice.
• Water and snacks, since there is no café on the glacier and the long days have no set lunch stop.
• Sunglasses, because snow and ice reflect a lot of light even on a grey day.

What a family pays

Every fare is sold per person, and some tours price children and youths in their own band, so check the price for each age when you book. On the snowmobile, the fare assumes two riders per machine, which suits a parent and child. The rentals add up too: boots, a jacket and waterproof trousers cost 1,750 ISK each at most bases, so bring your own if you can. Parking at Skaftafell or the lagoon is 1,110 ISK per car for the whole day, not per person.

Which glacier day suits which age

• Under 8: the free S1 trail to the foot of a glacier at Skaftafell, the lagoon amphibian boat from six, and the snowmobile on Langjökull from five.
• 8 to 11: the three-hour hike near Skaftafell, the four-hour hike on Sólheimajökull, the South Coast day from Reykjavík and, in the cold months, the easiest ice cave, rated easy at about 3 km.
• 12 and 13: all of the above, plus ice climbing from the Tröll base.
• 14 and over: every tour, including the long hikes, the lagoon kayak and boat combos and the ice cave reached from the lagoon.

Safety on the ice with children

A guided hike is built around safety. Every child wears a harness and a helmet and walks in crampons, and the guide chooses a route that suits the youngest in the group. The national park asks every visitor to go on the ice only with a guide who has experience of glacier walks, because crevasses can be hidden under snow. Keep children close to the guide, follow the line the guide walks, and never let a child step off it to explore on their own. The visitor guide explains the gear in detail.

The best tours for families

For children from eight with a car, the three-hour hike near Skaftafell is the gentlest start on Vatnajökull at $112, and the four-hour Sólheimajökull hike takes twelve at most for $121. Without a car, the South Coast day collects you in Reykjavík. With children from five, the snowmobile day rides Langjökull with one child per adult.

Practical tips for families

• Check the age before the price. It rules tours in or out before anything else.
• Bring a driving licence if a parent wants to drive a snowmobile.
• Dress children in layers they can take off; hiking warms everyone quickly.
• Cancel a day ahead if a child is unwell: every tour we list refunds in full up to 24 hours before the start.

What to combine it with

Pair a Skaftafell hike with the S2 trail to Svartifoss, a two-hour loop on a marked path. Pair the lagoon with Diamond Beach across the road, where icebergs wash up on black sand. The things-to-do page lists both, and the lagoon page covers the boats. For the full picture of the ages and the gear, the FAQs answer the rest.

Family-friendly ways onto the ice

Solheimajokull Glacier 4-Hour Small-Group Hike

Four hours from the glacier car park with a certified guide and crampons, helmet, harness and ice axe, twelve at most; from age 8.

From $121 per person

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Skaftafell: Blue Ice Cave & Glacier Hike on Vatnajökull

Four hours from the national park car park: a 4x4 bus to the ice, about 3 km on foot and a natural ice cave in the cold months; from age 8.

From $159 per person

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From Reykjavik: Golden Circle and Glacier Snowmobiling

Ten hours from the BSÍ terminal around the Golden Circle, with an hour on a snowmobile on the ice cap, two riders to a machine; from age 5.

From $337 per person

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