Falljokull Glacier Easy Hike Skaftafell

Falljökull, the 'falling glacier'

Falljökull takes its name from the steep icefall where the glacier drops from the high plateau of Öræfajökull towards the lowlands, broken into towers and blocks of ice. Lower down, where you hike, the surface flattens into a gentler tongue of grey-white and blue ice, cut by narrow crevasses and streams of meltwater. Next to it lies its twin, Virkisjökull, and the two once flowed together into a single glacier front.

An easy hike stays on this lower, safer section, so you get the feel of real glacier travel without technical climbing. Your guide reads the ice each day, chooses the route, cuts steps where needed and explains why the glacier has retreated so quickly in recent decades. Expect around an hour and a half on the ice, walking slowly with regular stops.

Öræfajökull and Hvannadalshnúkur

Rising above Falljökull is Öræfajökull, the largest active volcano in Iceland, hidden under a thick cap of ice. Its eruption in 1362 buried the farming district that stood here, and the area was later renamed Öræfi, meaning 'the wasteland'. A second eruption followed in 1727. On the rim of its crater stands Hvannadalshnúkur, at about 2,110 metres the highest peak in Iceland.

On a clear day the summit ridge is visible from the glacier, and your guide will point out the routes mountaineers use in spring. Learning how a volcano and a glacier share the same mountain is one of the best parts of the hike, and it explains the dark ash bands you will see frozen into the ice under your crampons.

Skaftafell in Vatnajökull National Park

Skaftafell is the most visited part of Vatnajökull National Park in the south, a green oasis of birch woods and trails between outlet glaciers. The park as a whole was listed by UNESCO in 2019 and protects Vatnajökull, the largest ice cap in Europe by volume. From the visitor centre, easy paths lead to Svartifoss, a waterfall falling over dark basalt columns, and to the lagoon at the foot of Skaftafellsjökull.

Is Skaftafell worth visiting for more than a glacier hike? Yes: plan at least half a day extra if you can, and combine this hike with Svartifoss or a drive to the Jökulsárlón lagoon further east. Skaftafell is roughly four to five hours by car from Reykjavík, so most travellers stay overnight nearby.

Hof and the Öræfi district

The glacier base where you meet sits in Hof, a small hamlet in Öræfi, a short drive east of Skaftafell along the Ring Road. Hof's tiny turf church, completed in 1884, was the last church in Iceland built in the old turf style, and its grass roof makes a lovely photo before or after your hike. The base has free parking, toilets and a warm room for gear fitting.

If you are wondering how to get to the start of this hike, drive the Ring Road (Route 1) to Hof; no public bus is timed for the departures, so a rental car is best. Arrive early, rent boots or waterproof clothing if you need them, and the guide will take care of the rest.