Iceland Glacier lagoon boat tours take you among the icebergs that calve off Vatnajökull, by amphibian boat, by iceberg boat or in a kayak. Only the amphibian boat needs no fitness at all; the other two add a hike on the ice.
Hotel pickup for a fourteen-hour day to the lagoon: a 30-minute ride among the icebergs by amphibian boat and about 30 minutes on the black beach. Nobody walks on the ice. From age 6.
From $286 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Your boat weaves through the icebergs of the smaller lagoon, then you hike the glacier behind it, in about four hours. Life vest, flotation jacket, crampons, harness, helmet and axe are included; boots rent on site.
From $244 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Paddle among the icebergs of the big lagoon with a kayak guide, in a drysuit and life vest, then hike on the ice with a glacier guide. Six hours in all; bring water and snacks. From age 14.
From $232 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
The lagoon trips start at $232, and every one refunds in full up to 24 hours ahead. Pick your date and see the meeting point before you pay.
Check availabilityA trip onto one of the lakes in front of the ice cap’s outlet glaciers. Jökulsárlón is the largest glacial lake in Iceland, at the mouth of a trough 200 to 300 metres deep, with the calving front of Breiðamerkurjökull behind it. Fjallsárlón is the smaller lagoon, 10 km away, in front of its own glacier.
The trips are not alike. The amphibian boat is a 30-minute ride on a fourteen-hour coach day from Reykjavík. The iceberg boat at the smaller lagoon comes with a hike on the glacier. The kayak paddles among the icebergs at the big lagoon, then hikes.
From the shore you look across the water. On the water you are among the ice. One traveller on the coach day urged others to be sure to include the boat ride.
The amphibian boat is the only lagoon trip from Reykjavík, with no walking, and it takes children from 6. It is the gentlest glacier day in the field.
The kayak and the iceberg boat each add a guided hike on the ice, so you see the glacier from the water and from on top in one booking. One kayaker stayed warm, dry and comfortable in the gear supplied.
The shore is free once you have paid the parking fee. Here is what the boat adds.
| A lagoon boat tour | Walking the shore | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $232 to $286 | The park’s regional fee, 1,110 ISK a car |
| Among the icebergs | Yes | No: you look across the water |
| A hike on the ice | On the kayak and iceberg-boat trips | No |
| Youngest | 6 on the amphibian boat, 14 on the others | Any age |
| Time needed | 4 to 14 hours | An hour or two |
If you are driving the ring road and short of money, the shore walk is excellent: trail B1 climbs to a viewpoint in about fifteen minutes, and across the road the icebergs wash up on Diamond Beach. Our lagoon guide covers both. If you want to be on the water, book the boat.
You get the boat ride, and on the trips you join at the lagoons, the safety kit: a life vest and drysuit on the kayak, a life vest and warm flotation jacket on the iceberg boat. The kayak and iceberg-boat trips add a glacier guide and crampons, harness, helmet and axe for the hike.
You do not get food. The kayak trip excludes water and snacks, and the iceberg boat excludes boots and waterproofs, which rent on site. The coach day includes hotel pickup and the boat ticket, and its meal stops are at your own cost. Park fees are on the visitor guide.
| What to expect | |
|---|---|
| Fares | $232 to $286 per person |
| Length | About 4 hours at the smaller lagoon, 6 at the big one, 14 from Reykjavík |
| Youngest | 6 on the amphibian boat, 14 on the kayak and iceberg boat |
| Season | Ask the operator for winter |
| Cancellation | Free up to 24 hours ahead |
Every dated account of the lagoon trips falls between June and October. For a winter date, ask the operator before you build a day round it; the calendar by activity has the pattern.
Weather is what cancels a lagoon trip. One kayak booking lost the kayak half to the weather and moved the hike to the next day, so keep slack after it. The long coach day can also feel rushed at the stops; one traveller said so.
A boat among the icebergs of the smaller lagoon and a hike on the glacier behind it, in about four hours. Pick your date before you pay.
Check availabilityNext: Plan the lagoon into a day in the one-day itinerary, or weigh the coach against driving in tour or self-drive. Every fare sits side by side on Iceland Glacier Tours.