Vatnajokull Glacier

About Vatnajokull Glacier

Vatnajökull is Iceland's largest ice cap and the largest in Europe outside the Arctic islands. It covers about 7,700 square kilometres of southeast Iceland, roughly 8% of the country, with ice that averages about 380 metres thick and reaches around 950 metres at its deepest. The glacier has been shrinking steadily for more than a century, and its area has fallen noticeably in recent decades.

The ice sits on top of several active volcanoes, including Grímsvötn and Bárðarbunga, and eruptions beneath it can melt the ice and release sudden glacial floods known as jökulhlaup. On its southern edge rises Hvannadalshnúkur, Iceland's highest peak at about 2,110 metres. The ice cap and the land around it form Vatnajökull National Park, which covers about 14% of Iceland and was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019 for its interplay of fire and ice.

Most visitors experience Vatnajökull through its outlet glaciers, the tongues of ice that flow down towards the Ring Road. Skaftafell is the main base for guided glacier hikes and ice climbing on Falljökull and Svínafellsjökull, while Jökulsárlón and Fjallsárlón are lagoons where icebergs break off Breiðamerkurjökull. From about November to March, guided tours visit natural blue ice caves inside the glacier.

Never walk onto the glacier without a certified guide; crevasses, moulins and thin snow bridges make it dangerous, and conditions change daily. Glacier hikes run all year, but ice caves are winter-only and depend on cold weather. Skaftafell is about 330 km, or four hours' drive, from Reykjavík, and Jökulsárlón a further hour east. The park visitor centre at Skaftafell has trail information, and parking there is charged. For a view of the ice cap itself, scenic flights and helicopter tours leave from Skaftafell in good weather.