Iceland private glacier tours

Exploring an Icelandic glacier is a unique experience and we are proud to offer you the opportunity to make a private reservation in order for your tour to be customised and catered to your specific style of adventure.

Experience Iceland’s glacial landscape your way with Glacier and Volcano’s private tours — individually designed for those who want a more personal, flexible and in-depth connection to the Vatnajökull National Park. Whether you are kayaking through the serene ice-filled waters of Fjallsárlón, hiking across the vast blue ice of Vatnajökull, or climbing frozen glacier walls, our private tours are tailored to your interests, pace and schedule.

The highest possible
standard of experience

As company owners and guides, we set very high standards for ourselves as we believe that we achieve fulfilment and success when we provide incredible experiences to our guests.

In order to explain how we maintain consistency in providing the highest possible standard of experience on all of our tours, the following is a list of core fundamental values and attributes that we hold as our benchmark standards and our highest priorities in all aspects of our operations.

Safety

Glacier and Volcano Expeditions place safety as the highest priority at all times. Regardless of the situation, a prudent approach to the prevention of incidents is placed at the forefront of all operations on a constant basis. As a customer on a tour you will be provided with qualified guides that have been guiding since 2014 who are active members of the Icelandic search and rescue team and are part of an ongoing training programme. You will be provided with quality equipment that is necessary for the tour activities and you will be shown how to correctly use it. The weather and natural conditions will be monitored before and during the tour and all known hazards will be considered and mitigated in order to ensure a safe, comfortable and happy experience.

Comfort

We prioritize the physical and mental well-being of our guests, ensuring their comfort is never compromised. We commence our wilderness tours only when both guides and guests are fully prepared for the conditions and activities. Throughout the tour in Iceland's often challenging wilderness, our guides continuously monitor all participants to maintain the highest levels of comfort. This commitment significantly reduces the risk of incidents, providing guests with an exceptional standard of guiding service.

Having fun!

Smiles, laughter and memorable experiences are all part of holiday adventures which is why we always strive to keep everyone happy on their visit with us into Vatnajökull National Park! Aside from fulfilling our obligations to the other core values listed here, we believe that it is important that we enjoy ourselves and ensure our guests are enjoying themselves. As we are a small company with a simple structure we have the knowledge, experience and ability to fulfil a wide variety of expectations and enjoy ourselves in the wilderness.

Environmental sustainability

Glacier and Volcano Expeditions is owned and operated by passionate outdoor and environmental enthusiasts who have a deep connection to the natural world that surrounds them. The operations that Glacier and Volcano Expeditions undertake have been intentionally constructed to pose an absolute minimal effect to the natural environment . You can read more about this in our environmental policy.

Customer satisfaction and information

Customer satisfaction and clear communication are fundamental to our operations. From initial consultation to the end of your tour, we ensure guests are well-informed and prepared for every aspect of their adventure.

Quality

We pride ourselves on providing tours of the highest standard. Our experienced guides, flexible decision-making, and careful monitoring of conditions ensure a top-quality experience in the most suitable locations.

Personalised experiences

Glacier and Volcano Expeditions is a small family run company, owned and operated by the very guides that will lead you into the wilderness when you join them here in Iceland. The safety and quality control of the tours is directly in the hands of the company owners and you are guaranteed a personalised experience when you join a tour in Vatnajökull National Park.

Glacier and Volcano Expeditions provides personalised guiding services by limiting the client to guide ratio down to a maximum of 8:1 on all tours which allows us to cater to our guests personal style of adventure and provide them with a guiding service to suit them individually.

Stable boats for a comfortable glacier lagoon kayaking experience

The safest and most comfortable position when kayaking is sitting in your boat. Glacier and Volcano Expeditions have chosen to use packrafts for their glacier kayaking tours due to the incredible stability due to the specific design of these boats. The design characteristics provide unmatched stability which means that there is an extremely low chance that a tour participant will tip out of their boat and fall into the lake which makes our tours very comfortable and beginner friendly.

Our inflatable boats are very easy to manoeuvre through the small icebergs that are often scattered across the glacier lake and they are also comfortable to sit in. Despite the fact that it is very unlikely that you will tip out of your boat we still ensure that everyones drysuit and life jacket is correctly fastened for a safe adventure.

 General details of glacier lagoon
kayaking in Iceland

• How close do we get to the icebergs? In some places you can paddle right up to the icebergs! You will be able to touch the smaller icebergs and the larger ones will need to avoided due to safety reasons.

• Are two person kayaks also available? Yes, we have double boats available for those who like to paddle together.

• Do I need kayaking experience to paddle on a glacier lake in Iceland? No! Complete beginners are more than welcome to join the Glacier and Volcano Expeditions kayaking tours and everyone will be given a lesson, tips and instructions on how to use the equipment.

• Is it easy to paddle on the lake? All of the Glacier and Volcano Expeditions tours are adventure-style experiences that do involve physical effort. These tours are designed for people who are good physical health and who hike/ exercise regularly.

• How cold is the tour going to be? Paddling on the lake can be cold so you must make sure you are dressed warm. If you wear plenty of layers beneath your drysuit you will be comfortable.

• Can children join the tour? Yes children can participate, however we do require families to make a private reservation. Glacier and Volcano Expeditions are limited to the drysuit sizes that are available and also prefer to guide family tours with an elevated level of safety and detail. Please contact us for more information regarding family kayaking tours.

• Should I bring food or drink on the kayaking tour? We recommend that our guests only bring food and drink for the tours that last longer than 4 hours, so it is not necessary to bring food or drink on the 1 1/2 hour Glacier Kayaking Iceland tour

If you require further information, please do not hesitate to contact Glacier and Volcano Expeditions

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