The boat tours around the icebergs of Iceland’s Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon are well worth doing – but it’s a long way on a day tour from Reykjavik.
What is Jökulsárlón in Iceland?
Jökulsárlón is a glacier-fed lagoon on the south coast of Iceland. It is famous for its icebergs, that break off the glacier and drift through the lagoon.
As the glacier gradually retreats, the lake grows about 100 metres per year. The ice breaking off the glacier is 600 years old, however.
The best way to see Jökulsárlón
The best way to see Jökulsárlón is on a cruise through this Icelandic glacier lagoon. Both Zodiac and amphibian boat tours are available on the lagoon, with the Zodiacs able to get closer to the icebergs.
The boat skippers on Jökulsárlón try to position their vessels so visitors can watch chunks breaking off the glacier. They also try to get good views of toppling icebergs. When the iceberg topples, the extraordinary blue ice beneath the water is pushed up to the surface, looking like a freeze-framed chunk of ocean.
Can you get from Reykjavik to Jökulsárlón in a day?
It is possible to do day trips to Jökulsárlón from Reykjavik – there are several tour operators to choose from here.
Be warned, however, that these glacier lagoon day tours from Reykjavik include a lot of driving time. The tours can be 14-and-a-half hours long, although they make stops along the way while covering the 380km distance to Jökulsárlón.
Self driving to Iceland’s glacier lake
If you’re self-driving to Jökulsárlón, it is far better to do so as a longer south coast road trip, stopping overnight somewhere along the way. The town of Vik, near the Vikurfjara black sand beach, has several hotel options, and is the logical place to break the journey.
Is it worth driving all the way to Jökulsárlón?
The Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon is one of Iceland’s top attractions for a reason. Watching the icebergs break and tumble into the water is mesmerising, and it’s something you’ll not get to see in many other places.
These Iceland glacier lagoon cruises are well worth doing, but hard to fit into a two or three day short break.
Should I do a glacier lagoon day tour from Reykjavik?
Personally, I wouldn’t do a Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon day tour from Reykjavik. It’s going to be an exhausting day, with a lot of time spent on a coach. However, the lagoon cruises are unquestionably worth doing, and there are plenty of waterfalls and volcanic landscapes to see along the way.
I can see, therefore, why some visitors are willing to suck up the long journey to do the Reykjavik to Jökulsárlón day trip.
More Iceland travel ideas
Other great Iceland travel experiences include Northern Lights tours, Reykjavik food walks and whale-watching cruises.
Elsewhere on Planet Whitley, Iceland travel articles include:
- Snorkelling in the Silfra Fissure of Thingvellir National Park.
- Going inside the Langjokull glacier.
- A trip inside Vidgelmir, Iceland’s giant lava cave.
- How many bottles of wine can travellers take into Iceland?
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