Breidamerkurjökull Glacier Hike: Crampons, Crevasses & Ice Caves

Natural blue ice caves exist inside the glacier, and your guide takes you to them.

A 3-hour guided hike on Breidamerkurjökull Glacier starting from Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, where you strap on crampons and climb the ice with a certified English-speaking guide. All equipment (helmet, harness, crampons and ice axe) is provided. The hike includes exploration of crevasses, moulins and the glacier's ice formations, with a chance to enter a natural blue ice tunnel if conditions allow.

Step-by-step itinerary

Glacier hike and exploration

• Meet guide at Jökulsárlón Lagoon
• Receive glacier equipment
• Super jeep ride to glacier
• Strap on crampons
• Hike up Breidamerkurjökull Glacier
• Explore ice formations and crevasses
• Look into natural blue ice cave

The Experience

You meet your certified glacier guide at Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, where icebergs drift across blue water and the Breidamerkurjökull Glacier rises behind them. Before stepping onto the ice, you receive your full kit: helmet, harness, crampons and ice axe. A super jeep carries you up to the glacier's base, cutting the approach time so the hike itself stays focused on the ice.

Once you strap on the crampons, the glacier becomes walkable. Your guide leads you across the ice, pointing out the features as you move: crevasses that fracture the surface, moulins where meltwater disappears into the glacier's depths, and the pale blue of compressed ice that forms where the snow has been buried and squeezed for years. If the conditions and the season align, you'll have the chance to look into a natural blue ice cave, a hollow carved by meltwater inside the glacier itself. The guide stays with you the whole time, describing what you're walking across and watching for the shifts in the ice.

The 3-hour window covers the hike itself. The jeep ride and gear setup happen before you start climbing. Bring layers and waterproof outer clothes. The wind on the glacier is direct, and the ice reflects the cold. Your guide speaks English and knows the glacier's current state, which changes with the season and the weather.

What’s included

• Certified English-speaking glacier guide.
• helmet, crampons, harness and ice axe.
• super jeep transport to the glacier base.
• instruction on crampons and safety before the hike begins.

Good to know

Easy physical levelNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditions

Operated by Troll Expeditions

Is this one for you?The hike is steady climbing on ice with crampons, not a stroll, so it suits travelers who are comfortable with effort and want to stand on the glacier itself rather than view it from a distance. The 3-hour span is tight enough to fit into an afternoon, but long enough to reach the glacier's interior and hunt for ice caves.

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Top questions

What do I actually carry and wear while hiking on the glacier?

Crampons strap to your boots to grip the ice, a helmet protects your head, a harness clips you to a safety line, and an ice axe gives you a tool to steady yourself on steep sections. The guide provides all of it. You bring waterproof layers and sturdy boots with ankle support.

What is a moulin, and will I see one on this hike?

A moulin is a vertical shaft where meltwater drains down through the glacier into the ice below, and they are common features on Breidamerkurjökull. Your guide will point them out and explain how they form as the glacier moves and melts.

How do I get from Jökulsárlón to the glacier itself?

A super jeep drives you from the glacier lagoon up to the base of Breidamerkurjökull, so you start the hike from the glacier's edge rather than walking across flat ground to reach it.

What happens if the weather turns bad or the ice is unsafe?

Your guide assesses conditions before you start and can adjust the route or the depth of exploration based on what is safe that day. The 3-hour window is built around the hike itself, and the guide's call on ice safety is final.

Can I really enter a blue ice cave, or is that rare?

Natural blue ice caves do form inside the glacier, and your guide will take you to one if it exists and is safe to enter on the day of your hike. They are not guaranteed (ice caves shift and collapse), but the guide knows where to look and will seize the chance if conditions allow.