Vatnajokull with Kids: Minimum Ages, Boot Sizes and the Days That Work

Is it worth it with children?

For children from about eight who can walk for two hours, yes. A glacier is the rare sight that looks as strange up close as it does in photographs, and the guide turns it into a lesson: why the ice is blue, why the cracks open. Sridhar_P saw grandparents and children together on an Arctic Adventures hike and found it easy going. The hard part is not the walk. It is picking a tour your youngest is old enough for.

Minimum ages, tour by tour

The Original Ice Cave from the lagoon takes children from 10 and allows no prams. The IMG cave hike from Skaftafell lets each adult bring one young person at most, so two parents can take two children. The FAQs answer the age questions one by one.

Boots and crampons: the rule that stops children

Crampons strap onto a stiff boot with ankle support. Arctic Adventures’ crampons fit EU 35 to 50 only, so a child with smaller feet cannot join, whatever their age. Other operators publish no range, so ask. Boots can be rented at the Skaftafell bases, 1,500 ISK at Arctic Adventures, but child sizes are not promised.

The shape of the boot matters too. On the five-hour Tröll hike, Melissa_F was told the crampons would not fit a rounded heel and toe. Bring a classic hiking boot with a firm sole, and the crampons are far more likely to fit.

What children love most

• Crampons. Walking up an ice slope with spikes on is the part children talk about afterwards.
• Crevasses. Looking down into a blue crack, clipped to a safety line.
• Ice caves. Giovanna spent a day on the glacier with two daughters on the ice cave tour from the lagoon.
• Reindeer. Herds winter on the plain by the lagoon, and Heather’s guide stopped for them.
• Climbing. On the Tröll ice climb, Lisa_H found the children loved the climb.

What to prepare for

The day is long before the ice starts. The bases are 4.5 to 5 hours from Reykjavík, so sleep nearby. The walk to the ice can be steep: on the Arctic Adventures cave hike, Janie_J climbed for about 20 minutes before crampons went on. Food is not sold on the ice, so pack snacks and water, as Scott_Y advises for the Tröll hike.

Dress children in layers they can peel off, with a waterproof shell, gloves and a hat. They warm up fast on the climb and chill fast at stops. The month-by-month weather shows how cold and wet each month runs.

The best tours for families

With an eight- or nine-year-old, Arctic Adventures is the operator that takes children that young onto the ice. Its hike with a natural ice cave runs in the cold months from $159, rated easy at about 3 km. Its blue ice hike runs all year from $104.

From ten, Blue Ice Discovery drives you to the foot of the ice, so small legs spend their energy on the glacier. From twelve, the Tröll ice climb includes boots, with six people at most. For teenagers, Vinay_S rode the snowmobile with children of 12 and 14. A licence is needed to drive, so a parent drives and a child rides behind, within 180 kg per machine.

A family day, hour by hour

If you have two days, give the ice one morning and the lagoon the other. You pay the parking fee each day, but children cope far better with one big thing a day.

If the weather turns

Wind, not rain, is what stops a glacier day. If the operator cancels, you are offered another date or a full refund, so build a spare morning into your plan if the ice is the reason for the trip. With children, a wet day at the lagoon shore is still a good day. Keep dry clothes in the car, and let them change before the drive.

Older relatives on the same trip

Grandparents come too. Sridhar_P saw them on an Arctic Adventures hike, and Nan_X took elderly parents on a three-hour cave tour from the lagoon and found the walking easy. If someone in your party would rather not walk on ice, the lagoon shore and the S1 trail give them the view while you hike.

Practical tips for parents

• Book the first departure of the day, before tired legs and full car parks.
• Arrive 20 minutes early: gear fitting takes longer with children.
• Bring a spare pair of gloves each; wet gloves end a child’s interest.
• The snowmobile is not recommended in pregnancy.
• With a baby, the lagoon day from Reykjavík has infant seats.

Questions parents ask

Is it safe? With a certified guide, crampons and a rope where needed, yes. The guide sets the pace and the route, and nobody steps off it.

Will my child be bored? Rarely. There is something new every few minutes: a crack, a stream, a blue wall. Guides answer every question, and children ask plenty.

Can a teenager go without me? Check first. Blue Ice Discovery wants an adult with every child, and the IMG cave hike allows one young person per adult. Ask the operator before you book.

What to combine it with

Pair a morning on the ice with an afternoon at the lagoon, and you pay half at the second car park. At Skaftafell the short trail to Svartifoss suits young walkers. With two days, where to stay lists the farms near the bases, and things to do covers the free walks. The safety page sets out the rules the guides will explain to your children on the ice.

Family-friendly ways onto the ice

Skaftafell: Blue Ice Cave & Glacier Hike on Vatnajökull

Four hours from the Arctic Adventures hut: a 4x4 bus to the ice, about 3 km on foot and a natural ice cave, with crampons and harness; from age 8.

From $159 per person

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Snowmobile tour on Vatnajökull

Three hours from the base east of the lagoon: a vehicle up the mountain road, overalls, helmet and gloves, and about an hour riding on the ice cap.

From $262 per person

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Skaftafell: Blue Ice Glacier Hike on Vatnajökull

Four hours from the Arctic Adventures hut by the visitor centre: a 4x4 bus to the ice, crampons, ice pick and harness, up to 15 people; from age 8.

From $104 per person

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