Eyjafjallajökull Snowmobiling: Glacier Ride & South Iceland Views

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Duration3h

GroupUp to 15

LanguagesEN

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Riding Eyjafjallajökull: What It Feels Like to Stand at 1,666 Meters

You ride a snowmobile to the top of Eyjafjallajökull glacier with a local guide, reaching 1,666 meters and seeing the Westman Islands, south coast, and highlands in one sweep. The tour includes all safety gear, starts near Seljalandsfoss, and runs at 10am or 2pm. Bring warm outdoor clothes and hiking boots; the guide handles the machine and the route.

Step-by-step itinerary

Snowmobiling on Eyjafjallajökull glacier

Start tour at Brúbasecamp base
Travel from base to glacier
Explore Eyjafjallajökull glacier
View Westman Islands and south coast
Visit Goðasteinn highest point
Observe 2010 eruption effects
Wear warm outdoor clothing
Bring waterproof jacket and trousers
Use warm headwear and gloves
Wear hiking boots or shoes
Bring snacks for the tour

The Experience

The snowmobile won't start on the first try. Our guide, Jón, doesn't seem bothered — he's done this a hundred times — and after a minute or two of tinkering, the engine catches and we're rolling out from Brúbasecamp, just three kilometers from Seljalandsfoss Waterfall. The base sits right on Road 249, so there's no long transfer, no fussing around. We're on the glacier within minutes, and that's when the scale of it hits you. Eyjafjallajökull rises in front of you like something from another planet, white and massive, and you're about to ride a snowmobile across the top of it.

The ride itself is steadier than you'd think. Jón handles the pace — it's not a race, it's a climb — and the snowmobile on Eyjafjallajökull feels like the only sensible way to move through this landscape. We stop at Goðasteinn, the highest point at 1,666 meters, and the view opens up in all directions. The Westman Islands sit out in the ocean to the south, the whole coastline stretches east, and on a clear day you can see all the way to Ingólfsfjall and into the highlands. The wind is real up there, and the cold finds every gap in the gear, but you're standing on top of a volcano that erupted in 2010, and the evidence is everywhere — the scarred slopes, the ash fields, the way the landscape still looks raw.

The tour runs either 10am or 2pm, and it's built for first-time riders. That means the pace is forgiving, the stops are long enough to actually look around, and Jón keeps an eye on how you're handling the machine. You bring your own waterproof jacket and trousers, warm hat, gloves and hiking boots — the essentials for unpredictable Icelandic weather — but the tour provides the insulated cover-all, helmet, and balaclava face mask, so you're not buying anything special. The whole thing takes three to four hours, and by the end you've crossed a glacier, stood at the summit, and seen the south coast from a vantage point most people never reach.

What’s included

Your day includes pickup from Brúbasecamp (or arrival by your own transport), a local guide for the full duration, insulated cover-all, safety helmet, and balaclava face mask.
The tour takes you to Eyjafjallajökull Glacier, Goðasteinn at 1,666 meters, and viewpoints over the Westman Islands and south Iceland coast.
You'll need to bring waterproof jacket and trousers, warm hat, gloves, and appropriate hiking boots or shoes.
Snacks are recommended.
Tours depart at 10am or 2pm and last three to four hours.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats available

Operated by Southcoast Adventure

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to ride a glacier without a long journey from your hotel and see the south Iceland coast from high altitude in one morning or afternoon. The fixed departure times and included gear mean you show up ready to go.