Vatnajokull Glacier Cross-Country Ski Crossing

A day before your departure, you will attend a meeting with your guide and group to inspect your gear and get orientated on the upcoming expedition. If you need to stock up on any gear, you’ll have time to rent something before starting the journey tomorrow.

Accommodation for tonight is not included but can be added for a fee.

Time to start the epic journey! You’ll be picked up from your accommodation in Reykjavík and transported in an all-terrain vehicle to plow through the snow line up to the trailhead.

In the early afternoon, you’ll start cross-country skiing into the unbelievable landscapes that comprise this area of Iceland. Prepare to see jaw-dropping views for the next nine days! Set up camp in a secluded spot, gather for dinner, then settle into your tent for the night.

Wake up surrounded by snow-covered plains and prepare for a challenging ascent. Over the next two days, the guide will lead you across the icecaps extending across Vatnajökull National Park to the summit of the Grímsvötn Volcano.

On the first night of this mini-expedition, you’ll camp in the rugged outdoors.

Your hard work yesterday and this morning will be rewarded with incredible views from the top of the volcano. Enjoy the uniquely beautiful winter scene all around you, a treat few people ever enjoy.

Tonight, you’ll enjoy stretching out in a bunk bed in the Grímsvötn mountain hut.

Not ready to leave the area yet? Great! You don’t have to. Today, you’ll have all the hours of sunlight to explore the phenomenal volcanic area of Grímsvötn. It’s a highly active area, both volcanic and geothermal, so take care as you travel the area, stumbling upon infinite craters and a sub-glacial lake.

After your exploring, rest for another night in the mountain hut.

Indulge in a hearty breakfast at the hut, then set out southwards across immense icecaps. To start, you’ll follow along a glacier ridge and across vast open lands, drawing closer to Iceland’s highest peak and its mountain siblings.

Spend the night camping in a wild location with the end of the glacier in sight.

Continue south along the glacier ridge in the direction of Öræfajökull, aiming towards Hermannaskarð Pass. As you travel further south, Iceland’s highest peak, Hvannadalshnúkur, and the surrounding mountains become increasingly prominent on the horizon.

After another full day crossing the vast ice cap, set up camp and spend the night in tents on the glacier.

After breaking camp in the morning, the group will traverse more unreal snow meadows and icecaps. Your cross-country skiing efforts will be rewarded today with an easygoing downhill segment towards the Esjufjöll Mountains.

With a less demanding ski day behind you, you’ll have the energy to spend time storytelling and laughing with the group in the mountain hut accommodation.

Rise and shine for your last full day of cross-country skiing in Iceland! Have a leisurely breakfast, then clip into your skis and head out.

Your eyes will feast on mountain views, crevassed fields, and glacial moraines—truly a cross-country ski paradise! For the final night of the tour, you’ll stay in a guesthouse in Skaftafell.

Well, that’s that! After a good night’s rest and breakfast, you’ll be driven back to Reykjavík, where the tour ends. The expedition is complete-and it’s certainly one for the books!