4-Day Iceland Trek from Skaftafell with Skeiðarárjökull Crossing

The journey

Trip highlights

• 01 Cross one of Iceland's largest glaciers
• 02 Scale mountains and cross rivers
• 03 Hike through beautiful remote canyons
• 04 Behold massive waterfalls
• 05 Rest in geothermal pools

Embark on an epic journey from Skaftafell to Núpsstaðarskógar on an awe-inspiring 50 km trek through rugged landscapes and untamed wilderness. Cross one of Iceland's largest glaciers, behold incredible waterfalls, and enjoy almost limitless daylight as you navigate challenging terrain and take in breathtaking vistas. This small-group adventure is led by entertaining, knowledgeable, certified guides and offers a raw, unforgettable experience of Iceland's wild beauty.

Embark on an epic journey from Skaftafell to Núpsstaðarskógar on an awe-inspiring 50 km trek through rugged landscapes and untamed wilderness.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 4 Days

Tour type Shared

Activity level Strenuous

Accommodation Not included

Transport Included

Wheelchair access No

City Skaftafell

Languages English, French, Icelandic, Spanish

Day by day

The itinerary

1

Day 01

Skaftafell to Skeiðarárjökull Plateau

• Our mission starts at the car park in Skaftafell.
• From here, you will be driven for 30 minutes on the highway, and then we will drive off-road for another good half hour before stopping at the beginning of our walk.
• The hike starts with a bang as we travel next to a stunning meandering river, which leads us to a small protected climb in the cliffs. The climb is most definitely worth it when you see the view from the top. We will then continue up the breathtaking Núpsstaðaskógar valley until we are high on the plateau above Skeiðarárjökull.
• We will camp here for the night.

2

Day 02

Crossing the Mighty Skeiðarárjökull

• Today, we will cross the mighty Skeiðarárjökull, one of Iceland's largest outlet glaciers. On the glacier, you will navigate large crevasses and watch as water pours into moulins (big holes) that bore deep inside this sleeping giant.
• The hike can be long, but in the end, we will reach arguably Iceland's finest camping spot. This is an amazing place to spend the night.

3

Day 03

Ascend the Skaftafell Range

• As if things couldn't get any better - well, they do. Today, we ascend the Skaftafell range, surrounded by an incredible rainbow of colours created by the rhyolite in the rock, with knife-edge ridges and calving glaciers far below us.
• We will summit the highest mountain around, which offers fine panoramic views. A few hundred metres below the summit, we can camp in a cosy little area next to a small waterfall.

4

Day 04

Descend Through Birch Forest to Skaftafell

• Today, we descend into one of the oldest birch forests in Iceland.
• Once down, we will take a more relaxed walk back into Skaftafell's civilisation. Here, we will say our goodbyes.

The route

Where you'll travel

The fine print

Trip details

What's Included

• A qualified guide
• Transport to the start of the hike from our base and back to our base at the end
• Tents, stoves, and fuel
• Plenty of quality food
• All technical, glacier, and travel gear
• All scrambling/climbing gear

What's Not Included

• Sleeping bag
• Sleeping bag liner
• Backpack (recommended 50 litres)
• All personal clothing and gear
• All items on the gear list
• Lunches

What to bring

• Daypack, preferably 50 litres or more
• Sleeping bag and mat (you can rent these from us)
• Water bottle of at least one litre
• Good boots (B1 hiking boots are fine)
• Gore-Tex (or similar) jacket and trousers, 2 wool or synthetic base-layer tops, 1 fleece or similar mid-layer, and 1 warm, preferably Primaloft or down jacket
• At least two pairs of thick hiking socks
• Underwear
• Gloves
• Warm hat
• Buff (optional)
• Headlamp (not needed in June/July)
• Sunglasses
• Walking poles
• Personal hygiene kit
• Including a blister kit (blister plasters or tape)
• Sunblock
• Mosquito repellent and bite cream
• Personal medication (inhalers, insulin, painkillers, etc.)
• A pair of Crocs or light trainers (optional) for walking around camp and possibly river crossing
• Mobile phone/camera
• Towel (optional)
• Sleeping bag liner
• Pillowcase

Know before you go

• You must have a reasonable level of fitness. You must have good mountain fitness, which means you can wear a backpack weighing around 10-15 kilos (20-30 lbs) and hike for 6-8 hours a day. We don't need to sprint; we just need to be slow and steady with regular breaks. If you want to prepare, you could go for some hikes of around that length and try bringing along your backpack with some weight in it. Any general exercise will also help.

Logistics

Meeting & route

Meeting point

Pict expeditions - Feimna rjúpan, Öræfi, Iceland

Tour start

785 Skaftafell, Iceland

Tour ends at the same location as the start point.