This tour combines kayaking and hiking in an off-the-beaten-path adventure. We use packrafts (lightweight inflatable kayaks) which gives us ultimate flexibility in designing amazing expeditions on land and water, without the constraints of heavy, plastic kayaks. Paddle around ancient icebergs and hike across untouched land in this carefully crafted showcase of the best Vatnajökull National Park has to offer.
The meeting point for this tour is Hotel Smyrlabjörg. We begin the trip with a short briefing on the weather conditions and what to expect, before departing in our 4x4 vehicle towards the glacier. The journey will take approximately 20 minutes, driving mainly on a gravel road, before a short walk brings us to the edge of the lake. We then inflate the boats and off we go!
We will kayak for ~1,5 hours, exploring the glacier lake and finding a path between the icebergs. We paddle at a relaxed pace so as to fully appreciate the magnificent surroundings.
After exploring the lake, we will cross to the far side and land the boats at the foot of a mountain. After taking off the drysuits and putting on our hiking boots, we will walk the mountain trail to a beautiful viewpoint overlooking an outlet glacier which descends from the Vatnajökull ice cap. Our hiking route takes us close to the glacier, through land which was under the ice less than 20 years ago.
The land here is cut off from the road by two lakes, a river and a glacier, and therefore we are guaranteed complete solitude: this is a chance to hike across a newly formed post-glacial landscape which few people have the privilege to visit.
The hiking portion of this trip will take 1.5 - 2 hours, including a stop for lunch. We will then continue paddling across the lake, where we will land the boats and hike to our starting point.
