Glacier Hike - Hvitarvatn
Trip difficulty 2 out of 5 possible. Rated: Easy
The TOP 10 TOUR is a day tour out of Reykjavik that includes ten of the most important places and activities in Iceland.
It includes the famous Golden Circle (Thingvellir, Gullfoss, Geysir geothermal field) + the highland + rough road driving on Kjolur mountain road + boat tour on Hvitarvatn glacier lake + hiking on Langjokull glacier = all-in-one, all of Iceland in 11 hours!
Tour code: DTA-49
Glacier Hike - Hvitarvatn
The TOP 10 TOUR is a day tour out of Reykjavik that includes ten of the most important places and activities in Iceland.
It includes the famous Golden Circle (Thingvellir, Gullfoss, Geysir geothermal field) + the highland + rough road driving on Kjolur mountain road + boat tour on Hvitarvatn glacier lake + hiking on Langjokull glacier = all-in-one, all of Iceland in 11 hours!
Thingvellir, the heart of Iceland, was declared a national park in 1930. A law was passed designating Þingvellir as “a protected national shrine for all Icelanders, the perpetual property of the Icelandic nation under the preservation of parliament, never to be sold or mortgaged.” Thingvellir were nominated to the World Heritage List on July 2, 2004. The nomination states that the site is of outstanding universal value and should be preserved as a cultural site and for its natural environment. More information about Thingvellir National Park here.
Geysir geothermal field has hundreds of hot springs of all types, most of them with boiling water – and a few of them are geysers. The best known hot springs in the area are Great Geysir, Stokkur, Blesi, Konungshver, Seidir, Litli-Geysir, Oþerrishola, Thykkvuhverir, Smidur and Sodi. Stokkur is erupting every 5 minutes and leading the attention in the area at the moment. More information about Geysir geothermal field here.
Gullfoss (the golden waterfall) is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Iceland. The waterfall is in the white river Hvita that comes from the glacier lake Hvitarvatn and gets most of it‘s water from Langjokull glaicer which is the second biggest glacier in Iceland. The waterfall is 32 meter high but plunges in two stages (11 m and 21 m). The crevice, about 20 m wide, and 2.5 km in length, is at right angles to the flow of the river. The average amount of water running through the waterfall is about 140 cubic meters per second during summers and about 80 cubic meters per second during the winters.
Kjolur is a highland road (F-35) that connects the south and north of Iceland. The highest part of the Kjolur road, Blafellshals, reaches 550 meters over sea level and from there is a fantastic view to all directions. North of Blafellshals lies the 8th biggest lake in Iceland,
Hvitarvatn glacier lake, which is 29,6 square kilometers, 84 meters deep and 421 meters over sea level. From the lake there is for example a fantastic view up to the glaciers Sudurjokull and Nordurjokull but they are outlet glaciers from Langjokull glacier.
On our comfortable boat it takes about a half an hour to cross the highland lake and we land the boat straight in front of Nordurjokull glacier that rises up in the sky in front of us. We can see the melting water from the glaicer and this spot is one of the most amazing spots in Iceland. This is where the river Hvita which forms Gullfoss originates. On crampons those who want can hike with our glacier-guide on the glacier for about an hour.
After the hike we take the campons off and put the life-vest on. We go on board the boat again visiting some fantastic view points on the lake on our way. Karlsdráttur is a beautiful place and a real nature reserve. Protected by the glacier and the lake it is really difficult to acess unless from a boat. Due to preservations reason we only explore this beautiful place from the boat. The Green lagoon is made by a landslide the fell into the lake.We will be back in Reykjavik at around 20:30 in the evening after a unique experience.
Tour code: DTA-49
Glacier Hike - Hvitarvatn
Guaranteed departures from Reykjavík: Wednesdays and Sundays from the 15th of June 2012 to the 31st of August 2012.
Duration: About 11 hours.
Pickup: Reykjavik hotel pickup between 09:00 - 09:30.
Included in price: Guide, transport, hotel pickup, boat ride and crampons for glacier hike.
Bring with you: Warm clothes and good hiking shoes.
Tour code: DTA-49
Glacier Hike - Hvitarvatn
Guaranteed departures from Reykjavík: Wednesdays and Sundays from the 15th of June 2012 to the 31st of August 2012.
Duration: About 11 hours.
Price: EUR 193 per person.
Pickup: Reykjavik hotel pickup between 09:00 - 09:30.
Included in price: Guide, transport, hotel pickup, boat ride and crampons for glacier hike.
Bring with you: Warm clothes and good hiking shoes.
Tour code: DTA-49