Snaefellsjokull Glacier

About Snaefellsjokull Glacier

Snæfellsjökull is the ice cap on top of a 1,446-metre stratovolcano at the western tip of the Snæfellsnes peninsula in West Iceland, and the centrepiece of Snæfellsjökull National Park. The volcano last erupted around 1,800 years ago. Jules Verne made it world-famous as the entrance to the underworld in Journey to the Centre of the Earth.

Most visitors see the glacier from the coastal road that circles the peninsula, stopping at sights inside the national park such as Djúpalónssandur beach, the Lóndrangar rock pillars and the Vatnshellir lava cave. Cloud can cover the summit, so pick a clear day if seeing the glacier itself matters to you.

The closest you can drive is the mountain road F570, a steep gravel road that is open only to four-wheel-drive vehicles in summer and often opens late, sometimes not until July, because of lingering snow. You can walk near the base on your own, but going onto the ice requires a certified guide because of crevasses and fast-changing weather.

Guided summit hikes run from Snæfellsbær. On a typical summit tour, the walk from the glacier car park to the edge of the ice takes 40 to 60 minutes, followed by three to four hours up to the top and about three hours back down, with crampons, harness, ice axe and rope provided; the minimum age is 14. Groups usually stop at 1,418 metres, as the final section is a steep rock and ice peak. Summer, roughly June to August, is the main season for glacier hikes and for driving F570; check road conditions before setting out.