FAQs About Our Iceland Adventure Activities

You can find the meeting point for each trip on its specific trip page. If you are not sure, you can contact us or send an email to info@ice-guardians.com. Please provide your trip booking number in order so we can get back to you with an answer as quickly as possible.

Many variables can affect the difficulty of a trip. For example, a windy day would be more difficult than a calm one. Therefore you might find some trip difficulty levels cross more than one of the levels below.

We base our trip difficulty ratings on a comfort level rather than a minimum level. We’re all here to enjoy and experience nature and adventure rather than just surviving it. If there is an activity you would like to do, but you are not sure about your ability to match the requirements, then get in touch and we can arrange a customised option for your group.

Easy (1 to 2/5)
Able to hike with ease for 5km on uneven ground, in low rolling hill terrain.

Able to spend 5 hours outdoors with frequent breaks carrying a small backpack.

For canyoning, able to swim for 25m.

Moderate (3 to 4/5)
Able to hike with ease 15+ km on uneven ground in hilly terrain.

Able to spend a long day (10+ hours) outdoors, able to move freely and confidently through technical terrain such as rocky fields.

Physically fit enough to have sustained energy bursts, and able to recover quickly; for example, climbing up steep hills and vertical ice walls etc.

Can personally manage being at heights and with some exposure.

For canyoning, able to swim with ease for 25m.

Difficult (5/5)
Will require increased physical fitness above moderate levels.

More challenging surfaces and routes will possibly be taken than on moderate trips.

Our pre-trip safety and gear briefings are ‘built-in’, so the time on your booking confirmation is the time you should arrive at the meeting location.

Our safety equipment will fit a wide range of people and body sizes. However, it is simply not possible for us to cover all possible shapes and sizes. Below you will find information on the sizes available.

Glacier Trips
Crampons – US (5.5 to 14), EU (36 to 48), UK (3.5 to 13), MONDOPOINT (22.2 to 32)
Harnesses – waist circumference (max. 120cm/47in), leg circumference (max. 85cm/33in)
Helmets – head circumference (48 to 61cm)
Rental Mountain Boots – US (5.5 to 14), EU (36 to 48), UK (3.5 to 13), MONDOPOINT (22.2 to 32)

Canyoning Trips
Learn more about our wetsuit and neoprene boots sizing.
Harnesses – waist circumference (max. 120cm/47in), leg circumference (max. 85cm/33in)
Helmets – head circumference (48 to 61cm)

Both experiences are guided through the same canyon with two guides. The differences in the offerings are listed below.

Canyoning under Vatnajökull

• Group trip open to 8 participants
• Minimum 2 participants

Private Canyoning Adventure

• Private trip with two guides (no other guests)
• Bonus canyon features
• Small BBQ on return

If the answer you were looking for is not here, or you require more than eight spaces on a trip, please get in touch or send an email to info@ice-guardians.com.

Our Iceland adventure activities require you to use your body physically and mentally. We strongly recommend that you drive no more than 2.5 hours after the trip to your accommodation, unless you have a second driver to rotate with.

Long hikes, thrilling ice climbs, and having a blast canyoning in cold water will cause a surge of adrenaline. But when the buzz wears off and fatigue kicks in, you may feel drowsy at the wheel when driving. It’s important to stay hydrated and well-fed.

This ultimately is a choice for you to make unless you’re in or beyond your second trimester. However, there are inherent risks and requirements involved with our adventure trips and we’d like to inform you as much as possible. Many of our trips involve wearing a harness for safety purposes, and these are not recommended for those pregnant.

Contacting us is the best way to ask us any questions you may have, to provide any pertinent medical information, and for us to fully inform you of everything you need to know. You can also email us at info@ice-guardians.com.

Our adventures are all guided in English. You do not need to be fluent in English — our safety practices mean we can get around most language barriers. The nature surrounding us does most of the talking.

We supply wetsuits and all necessary safety gear.

Here’s what you need to bring:

• Underwear (two sets, one for the trip and one for after the trip to change into)
• Towel (to dry yourself after the trip)
• Synthetic sports shirt/swimsuit/rash vest for use under the provided wetsuit

If you are unsure whether your clothing is suitable, please send some photos to info@ice-guardians.com (ideally with the brand and model name) before your trip so we can let you know.

We provide all necessary safety equipment for all trips.

Here’s what you need to bring:

• Ankle-supporting boots with good grip, stiff soles, and preferably waterproof. Bring boots you have used prior to your trip as blisters will dampen the experience. For ice climbing trips, climbing boots are available upon prior request.
• Good fitting hiking socks, minimal seams, synthetic or merino.
• Breathable base layers (merino or synthetic)
• Softshell hiking trousers
• Waterproof shell jacket and pants
• Insulation layer (light- to medium-weight synthetic puffy jacket). If you are sensitive to the cold, bring a synthetic sweater (such as fleece).
• A beanie/buff are useful on those chilly days
• Sunglasses are good at protecting your eyes against the bright white ice.
• Gloves (two pairs are usually ideal) to protect your hands against the cold/wind and the sharp ice.

If you are unsure whether your clothing or footwear is suitable, please send some photos to info@ice-guardians.com (ideally with the brand and model name) before your trip so we can let you know.

On our trips, you will experience adventure, fun, and otherworldly landscapes in and around Vatnajökull National Park. We understand you will want to take some photos/footage and we wholly endorse that. So we’ll break down below what we can accommodate and any local regulations.

Camera/Mobile Phone/GoPro etc.

• We recommend bringing a handheld device to take some photos or footage as there will be plenty of opportunities to capture stunning memories on all of our trips. However, we aim to strike a balance, especially on group trips. If you want to see photogenic places and have hours photographing them, please contact us regarding custom Vatnajökull tours, where we can focus on your individual needs.
• We also highly recommend bringing a waterproof case for your camera/phone as it frequently rains on the south coast of Iceland and they are certain to get wet when canyoning. If you forget, we sell waterproof cases for mobile phones.

Tripod

• We allow tripods on glacier hiking and ice climbing trips, but not on canyoning trips. We will often be on the move on the glacier, especially when hiking, so if you want to bring a tripod, please understand you may not be able to use it as frequently or for as long as you had hoped. For photography trips, please contact us at info@ice-guardians.com for customising an experience.

Drone

• We allow drones on our glacier hikes and climbs, but not on our canyoning trips. If you wish to use a drone on our glacier trips in the national park, you must request a Vatnajökull National Park Drone Permit.
• To guarantee your permit in time for your trip, applications must be submitted to the park with a minimum of 10 days’ notice.

We at Ice Guardians operate to the highest standards of safety and often go beyond what is considered industry best practice. These standards are put into practice by our highly experienced guides, all of whom have experienced many different conditions and environments. We operate under a Safety Management Plan which limits us to certain equipment usage and thorough inspections.

Simply put, if we can accept your equipment, then we will allow you to use it. That being said, if we are not 100% sure about it, or if we are not familiar with the equipment, you will have to use our equipment.

If you would like to ask us or show us the equipment you have, please send photos or relevant website links to us at info@ice-guardians.com.

At a minimum, we ask you to bring 2x 500ml or a 1L bottle (preferably reusable), which you can fill with water at our meeting location.

We also recommend that you bring some food. Some of our suggestions include Snickers chocolate bars, muesli bars, fruit, pre-made sandwiches, carrots and hummus, tortilla wraps with fillings, and flapjacks.

Foods with high calories and some sugar are ideal to keep your energy levels up through the trip. We would advise against energy drinks and the like, which have high sugar without fibre, resulting in sugar crashes.

As per our cancellation policy:

• Less than 48 hours notice, no refund.
• More than 48 hours notice, 90% refund (10% covers administration fees).

With more than 48 hours’ notice, we will try our best to work with you and reschedule your booking. This will be at no extra cost to you.

If a refund has been requested and approved, please note that it can take up to seven working days to appear in your bank account.

Simply contact us or send an email to info@ice-guardians.com with your booking information.

As you might be aware, the weather in Iceland is highly variable and at times dangerous. At Ice Guardians, we will always put guests’ safety first. If bad weather forces us to cancel a trip, we will work with you to reschedule it. If rescheduling is not possible then we will issue a 100% full refund with zero administration fees.

Bad weather, in this instance, means bad for your safety as our guest. It frequently rains, snows, sleets, hails, and gusts in Iceland, and we go out more often than not in these conditions. Therefore, it is imperative that you follow our recommendations on clothing as closely as you can.

As Icelandic actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, Baltasar Kormákur said –“In Iceland, the weather is the biggest character you deal with every day. There’s nothing more relevant in your life than what kind of weather it is.”

Whilst we are a team of highly trained and internationally experienced guides, we do operate in environments that are not entirely risk-free.

There is a chance an accident could occur that may even require medical attention. We strongly recommend that all guests on our trips have their own valid travel and health insurance.

Ice Guardians Iceland also holds no personal liability for damages to personal belongings during a guided trip.

Icelandic roads can be hazardous if not taken seriously. You can find almost all kinds of weather happening somewhere in Iceland year-round due to its position in the sub-Arctic and North Atlantic.

The best place to check road conditions for your journey to us is to check Safetravel.is. This is a website in many languages with information gathered from the Icelandic Met Office and the Road Administration.

They also have a very useful feature, whereby you can submit your travel plans if you want added security for your journey.

All photos on the website are not necessarily current. Due to the nature of the annual and seasonal changes, the glacier’s features are constantly in flux. We have often taken photos of a feature on our remote full-day glacier hikes, only for us to return days, weeks, or months later to find it gone. If you do want any up-to-date photos of a tour, please contact us or follow our Instagram.