Iceland Travel GuideLOCAL TRAVEL AGENCY IN ICELAND
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Iceland Travel GuideLOCAL TRAVEL AGENCY IN ICELAND
My trip
Talk to a local
Sólheimajökull is an outlet glacier of Mýrdalsjökull on the south coast, about 174 km (around 2 hours 40 minutes) from Reykjavík. It is free to visit, with paid parking, open all year, and the walk to the viewpoint takes 15–20 minutes each way; glacier hikes on the ice itself run several hours and require a guide.
Sólheimajökull flows down from Mýrdalsjökull, Iceland's fourth-largest ice cap, which sits directly on top of the volcano Katla. A short, mostly flat gravel path from the car park leads to a black, meltwater lagoon at the glacier's edge, where you can see the ice up close without a guide, though you should not step onto it unroped.
The glacier's surface is streaked black and grey with volcanic ash from past eruptions, giving it a strikingly different look from the whiter ice of glaciers further inland. Crevasses, ice caves and meltwater channels form and shift constantly, which is why walking on the glacier itself is only done with a certified guide and the right equipment.
Sólheimajökull is retreating quickly, and the lagoon at its front has grown noticeably over the last couple of decades as the ice melts back. It is one of the more visible places in Iceland to see glacier change happening in real time.
The name is usually explained as the glacier of the 'home of the sun', after the Sólheimar farms below it. The tongue is about 8 km long and 1 to 2 km wide. Its meltwater leaves the lagoon as the river Jökulsá, which crosses the black Sólheimasandur plain to the sea.
A few years ago Sólheimajökull was little known outside Iceland. Today it is one of the busiest glacier stops in the country, because it is so close to the Ring Road. Locals sometimes call it the shrinking glacier. Each year the ice front sits a little further up the valley, and the walk from the car park gets a little longer with it.
That is also why the place needs care. Take all your rubbish away with you, stay on the path, and leave the ice and the lagoon as you found them.
Never walk onto the glacier itself without a guide. Hidden crevasses and unstable ice near the edges have caused serious accidents, even close to the viewing area.
The easy access is what makes Sólheimajökull one of the most popular places in Iceland to get onto a glacier. You can keep it short or make a day of it.
Book a guide even if you have glacier experience elsewhere. The ice here changes from week to week, and the local guides know the current safe routes.
The weather here changes fast, as it does all along the south coast. Sunshine can turn to rain within minutes. In summer, expect about 5 to 15 °C at the car park. In winter it is usually around or below freezing, and the wind coming off the ice makes it feel much colder.
Bring a warm layer, a waterproof jacket and trousers, a hat, gloves and sturdy boots. In winter the path to the viewpoint can be icy, so ice cleats for your boots are useful. Glacier tours supply crampons, helmets and ice axes.
There are toilets near the car park. A small café has operated by the car park, but do not count on it being open. The nearest reliable food and fuel are in Skógar or Vík.
Skógar and Vík both have hotels and guesthouses within a short drive and make convenient bases for a glacier hike here. In summer, book your room well ahead, as this stretch of the south coast fills up.
No. Crevasses are often hidden and the ice changes constantly, so glacier hikes require a certified guide and proper equipment.
Yes, walking to the viewpoint is free; you only pay for parking, or for a guided hike if you want to go onto the ice.
About 15–20 minutes each way on a mostly flat gravel path. Allow a little longer if you go on to the edge of the lagoon, and note that the walk gets slightly longer every year as the ice retreats.
No. Mýrdalsjökull is the large ice cap; Sólheimajökull is one of the outlet glaciers that flows down from it.
Yes, hikes run year-round, weather permitting, alongside seasonal ice cave tours in the area.
About 174 km from Reykjavík, around 2 hours 40 minutes without stops. The car park is about 13 km from Skógar and about 30 km from Vík.
It is usually translated as the glacier of the 'home of the sun', after the Sólheimar farms below it.
Tours and trips that include Sólheimajökull, booked directly with a local travel agency in Iceland.
DAY TOURSolheimajokull Glacier HikeFrom 14,635 ISK per person
DAY TOURIce Climbing & Glacier HikeFrom 30,488 ISK per person
DAY TOURSólheimajökull Glacier Lagoon KayakingFrom 19,999 ISK per person
DAY TOURSólheimajökull Ice Cave & Glacier HikeFrom 22,999 ISK per person
PRIVATEPrivate Sólheimajökull Glacier HikeFrom 139,600 ISK per group
DAY TOURSouth Coast of IcelandFrom 17,990 ISK per person
