Reykjavik Golden Circle glacier tours add Langjökull to the loop: a one-hour snowmobile ride on the ice, or a superjeep drive into the highlands towards it. You still see Þingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss, in a day of eight to ten hours.
From BSÍ at 9:00 the coach stops at the park and the geysers, then heads to Langjökull for an hour on a snowmobile, two to a machine, and on to the falls. One licensed driver per pair; nobody under 6.
From $361 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Eight hours in a superjeep on 40-inch wheels, ten guests at most, with the park fees in the fare and a drive into the highlands towards Langjökull. A snowmobile ride is not included.
From $340 per person (minimum 2)
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
An hour on Langjökull, two to a machine, with overalls, helmet and gloves supplied, plus the park, the geysers and the falls. Pick your date before you pay.
Check availabilityA classic day with the glacier added. Langjökull is the glacier these days reach. The snowmobile day leaves the BSÍ terminal at 9:00 on a coach, stops at the park and the geysers, spends about three hours at the glacier with a one-hour ride, then stops at the falls. The superjeep day collects you at 8:30 in a modified 4x4 on 40-inch wheels and drives into the highlands towards the glacier area, with the Faxi waterfall on the way.
The two are not the same product. On the snowmobile day you ride on the ice. On the superjeep day the fare excludes the snowmobile, and nothing in it promises time on the ice.
Both tours start in Reykjavík and bring you back the same evening. You do not need a car, a second night or a separate trip.
One hour on a machine, two people to each, with a safety briefing and warm gear supplied. One traveller was glad not to have to bring any cold-weather gear at all. One licensed driver is needed for every two people booked.
Ten guests at most, leather seats and a modified 4x4. One traveller called the jeep ride onto the glacier what set the day apart from the bus tours.
You still see the three sights. The snowmobile day gives the park and the falls 30 minutes each and the geysers an hour.
A glacier day costs about four times a basic coach and takes longer. Here is what the extra buys.
| Glacier day | Classic day | |
|---|---|---|
| What you add | Langjökull: a ride, or a drive towards it | Often the crater |
| Fares | $340 to $361 | $81 to $135 |
| Length | 8 to 10 hours | 6 to 10 hours |
| Time at the three sights | 30 to 60 minutes each | 30 to 90 minutes each |
| Weather risk | The ice leg can be cut or cancelled | The sights are open all year |
| Youngest | 6 on the snowmobile day | From 2 |
One snowmobile traveller felt rushed at the stops and wished the ride had been a separate trip. If the sights are the point, see the Golden Circle classic tour Reykjavik options.
On the snowmobile day you get the coach, a guide, the one-hour ride and the gear: helmet, buff, gloves, overalls and overshoes. On the superjeep day you get hotel pickup, the park fees and the 4x4 with Wi-Fi and GPS.
You do not get lunch on either. On the snowmobile day, riding alone costs extra at the glacier; one traveller was charged almost 100 USD. On the superjeep day you do not get a snowmobile ride at all. And on both, the weather decides how far onto the ice you go.
| What to expect | |
|---|---|
| Fares | $340 to $361 per person |
| Length | 8 hours by superjeep; 10 by coach and snowmobile |
| Start | BSÍ at 9:00, or hotel pickup at 8:30 |
| Group | Ten at most in the superjeep; 50 on the coach |
| Youngest | 6 on the snowmobile day |
| Cancellation | Free up to 24 hours ahead |
Book the glacier early in your trip and keep a spare day. The snowmobile ride may be cancelled after departure if the glacier weather turns. In heavy snow one April, a traveller found the drive to the ice took almost three hours after the truck got stuck; in January, another superjeep group could not go as far as planned. The Golden Circle in winter guide covers the dark months, and the safety page the cold.
Ten guests at most, 40-inch wheels, the park fees in the fare and a drive into the highlands. Pick your date before you pay.
Check availabilityNext: Read the Golden Circle in winter, or price the day in what each fare buys. Every fare sits side by side on Reykjavik Golden Circle Tours.