Iceland glacier hike tour reviews
We’ve pulled the most-booked glacier and ice-cave tours on the south coast, read through thousands of traveller ratings, and written an honest review of each one — what the day is actually like, who it suits, and where it falls short. Every tour here is run by a licensed Iceland operator and rated 4.4 or higher. The classic Skaftafell Blue Ice hike is our top pick for a first real glacier walk.
The tours we review
Skaftafell: Blue Ice Glacier Hike on Vatnajökull
The benchmark glacier hike — real crampon time on blue ice for the lowest price.
from $92Read the full review ›Reykjavik: Glacier Hike, Waterfalls & Black Sand Beach
A glacier walk plus the south coast’s greatest hits, all from Reykjavík in one day.
from $165Read the full review ›Reykjavik: South Coast Waterfalls, Black Sand & Glacier
Iceland’s best-selling day tour — a short glacier stop bundled with the famous sights.
from $107Read the full review ›From Vik: Katla Ice Cave & Super Jeep Tour
Year-round ice cave reached by super jeep from Vík — the reliable cave option.
from $166Read the full review ›Jökulsárlón: The Original Ice Cave Tour
Winter-only crystal-blue ice caves under Vatnajökull, from the glacier lagoon.
from $141Read the full review ›How we score each tour
Every review uses the same scorecard so you can compare like for like. The headline score is the operator’s live GetYourGuide rating, rounded to one decimal and shown with its total review count — we don’t invent our own numbers. Underneath, we rate the things that actually shape your day: how much real time you spend on the ice, how hard the walk is, how long the round trip takes, and whether the price is fair next to comparable tours. Where a tour has a genuine weak spot — a long coach transfer, a short glacier section, a weather-dependent cave — we say so in plain terms.
If you only do one thing on the ice, make it a proper hike rather than a photo-stop “glacier walk.” The reviews below flag which tours give you real crampon time and which are mostly sightseeing with a short stroll.
Compare every glacier tour side by side
Want the numbers in one place before you read the long reviews? Our all glacier hike tours page lines up price, departure point, time on the ice and duration for the whole set, and best glacier hike in Iceland explains how we’d choose between them.
Frequently asked questions
Are these glacier tour reviews independent?
Yes. We’re an independent guide, not a tour operator. We book through GetYourGuide as affiliates, so we earn a small commission if you book via our links, but that doesn’t change the ratings — those are the operators’ live GetYourGuide scores and review counts.
Which glacier tour is the best reviewed?
By raw rating, the Reykjavik Glacier Hike, Waterfalls & Black Sand tour and the South Coast day tour both sit at 4.8. For an actual hands-on glacier hike at the lowest price, the Skaftafell Blue Ice Glacier Hike (4.7, 1,200+ reviews) is our overall pick.
Do I need experience to book any of these?
No. Every tour reviewed here is beginner-friendly and includes the technical gear — crampons, ice axe and helmet — plus a certified glacier guide. You just need to be in reasonable health and able to walk on uneven ground. See our how hard is it guide for detail.
Can I book these glacier tours last minute?
Often yes, but the small-group and ice-cave tours sell out fastest in winter. Each review has a live availability calendar — if your date shows space, you can usually book up to a day or two ahead, and most tours offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before.