Into the Glacier & Northern Lights Tour from Reykjavík

An Into the Glacier and Northern Lights tour from Reykjavík: you ride an 8-wheeled glacier truck into a man-made ice tunnel inside Langjökull, then stay out near the glacier to look for the Northern Lights.

• Ride an 8-wheeled glacier truck onto Langjökull, Iceland's second-largest glacier
• Walk through a man-made tunnel carved inside the ice
• Stay out near the glacier afterwards to look for the Northern Lights
• Pick-up and drop-off in Reykjavík
• No glacier or hiking experience needed

Your day, stop by stop

2Drive to HúsafellDrive out through West Iceland toward the glacier base.

A scenic drive of a couple of hours through West Iceland out to the glacier base camp near Húsafell, a resort area on the edge of the Borgarfjörður highlands. Pick-up in Reykjavík starts at 8:00 or 8:30, depending on your pick-up location.

Read our Húsafell guide →

3Glacier truck onto LangjökullAn 8-wheeled modified truck drives you onto the glacier.

A specially modified 8-wheeled glacier truck takes you from the base camp up onto Langjökull, Iceland's second-largest glacier. There is almost no walking, as you stay seated in the vehicle for the climb onto the ice cap.

Walking · minimal; mostly seated in the vehicle

Read our Langjökull guide →

4Ice tunnelA man-made tunnel carved inside the glacier.

You walk through a man-made tunnel dug into the glacier, seeing the blue layers and formations of the ice from the inside, something a normal glacier walk does not show you. You spend about an hour here, and warm boots and gloves make it more comfortable.

Time here · about an hourTip · warm boots and gloves make the tunnel more comfortable

5Northern Lights viewingYour guide looks for a clear, dark spot near the glacier.

The evening is used to watch for the aurora. Your guide looks for a clear, dark spot near the glacier, and sightings depend on weather and solar activity, so they are never guaranteed. Dress in warm layers for the wait outside.

Tip · dress in warm layers for the wait outside

About the Into the Glacier Northern Lights tour

This tour combines two of Iceland's best-known winter experiences in one day. You are driven from Reykjavík out to Húsafell, then board a specially modified 8-wheeled glacier truck that takes you up onto Langjökull, Iceland's second-largest glacier. Inside the ice, a man-made tunnel lets you see the glacier's blue layers and ice formations from the inside, something a normal glacier walk does not show you.

After the ice tunnel, the tour uses the same evening to look for the Northern Lights, with your guide choosing a good vantage point near the glacier away from Reykjavík's light pollution. As with any Northern Lights outing, seeing them depends on clear skies and solar activity, so it is never guaranteed on a single night, though the dark, open landscape near the glacier is a good place to try.

The day runs long, at around 9 hours in total, mostly because of the driving distance from Reykjavík. Dress warmly: the ice tunnel and the wait for the lights are both cold, and winter daylight is short so much of the return leg is in the dark.

• Packed lunch

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