This glacier tour is operated by our friends at North Tides.

This tour gives you a taste of packrafting at a secluded and remote glacier lagoon, with solitude guaranteed.

We visit the same location as our full-day glacier hike and kayak tour; this trip is perfect for those that want something a little shorter.

Packrafts are lightweight inflatable kayaks that have opened many possibilities in paddling remote bodies of water. Weighing around 4kg, we can strap them to our backpack and hike out to our chosen lake. This tour gives a taster of this new and fast-growing activity whilst paddling at a beautiful glacier lake. During the tour, we will even land the boats next to the ice and have the chance to step on to Europe’s largest glacier, Vatnajökull.

The meeting point for this tour is Smyrlabjörg Hotel. We begin the trip with a short briefing on the weather conditions and what to expect, before departing in our 4×4 vehicle towards the glacier. The journey will take approximately 20 minutes, driving mainly on a gravel road. Upon arriving at the destination, we will get our gear ready and start the 30-minute hike towards the glacier. We hike along a green mossy trail, past the cascading Bolstaðafoss waterfall and to the lakes edge.

At the lake, we will inflate the boats and put on our drysuits. After some paddling instruction and safety briefing, we will paddle across the lake taking time to admire the mountains and ice surrounding us. We will then land the boats on a skerry which is still emerging from under the melting glacier, and hike 10 – 15 minutes to get a great view across the lake, up close to the impressive and intimidating glacier. Safety permitting, we will briefly walk onto the ice so that we can say we have stepped foot on the largest glacier in Europe!

NORTH TIDE MEETING POINT is located at Hotel Smyrlabjörg. We recommend being there at least 20 minutes before departure time.

Click here for directions

Hotel Smyrlabjörg is located on Route 1, approximately midway between Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and Höfn.

After turning off Route 1, the parking area will be on your right just before you reach the hotel.

This tour is operated by our local friends at North Tide. If you need to contact them:
+354 762 0296 – [email protected] – www.northtides.is

Cancellation and refund policies will be clearly outlined at the time of booking, as well as below. Please review these policies carefully before finalizing your booking, as cancellations may incur fees or restrictions as specified in your booking confirmation. The cancellation terms may vary depending on the payment method chosen.

Day tours (client cancellation):

• For cancellations more than 48 hours prior to departure: 95% refund.

• For cancellations less than 48 hours prior to departure: 0% refund.

Day tours (North Tides cancellation):

• North Tides reserves the right to cancel tours due to safety concerns or external factors e.g. poor weather conditions. In this case, a full refund will be provided.

• North Tides reserves the right to refuse participation of guests where safety concerns are present. This may include, but is not limited to, lack of the correct equipment or clothing, exceeding the weight limit for kayaks or PFDs, inability to follow instructions etc. This is at the discretion of the guide, whose decision is final.

• Alcohol and drug use is prohibited for the duration of the tours and guests under the influence can expect to be refused participation without refund.