Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon Boat Tour

If you’re visiting Iceland, Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon is a must-visit destination. The lagoon is the deepest lake in Iceland and a boat tour is a great way to make the most of your time at the lagoon.

What is Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon

Jökulsárlón Glacier in Iceland is a truly captivating place and draws thousands of visitors all year round. People come to see the icebergs, take boat rides on the lagoon, and even spot seals. This lagoon reaches a depth of about 814 feet (248 meters), which makes it the deepest lake in Iceland.

Learning the history of the glacier lagoon makes this place even more interesting. Back in 1934, a glacier called Breidamerkurjokull began to shrink, and as it moved back, it created this lagoon. As the years go on, the lagoon continues to grow in size and it almost four times larger now than it was in the 1970s. Due to the constantly changing quality of the glacier, it is a good spot to revisit because it will look a little bit different each time.

Where is Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and How Do You Get There

Jökulsárlón Glacier is located in Vatnajokull National park and is on the southeastern coast of Iceland. It is about 236 miles from Reykjavík, and the most common way to reach this destination is through the Ring Road. Since it about a 4 to 5 hour drive from the city, it is recommended that you either spend multiple days (stopping at other sights along the way of course) or booking a guided tour. A guided tour will give you a stress-free experience they will often include, transportation, guides, and accommodation (depending on the length of the tour).

Should You Take a Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon Boat Tour

To see Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, you don’t need to be part of a boat tour. There are multiple viewing areas all around the lagoon. There is a main parking lot from which you can get walk close to the water and see the icebergs from shore. So in order to see the lagoon, you technically don’t need a boat tour.

That being said, a boat tour, depending on which one you select, can definitely enhance your experience. For my family, while the icebergs themselves were cool to see, we had such a fun time on the boat tour, and the information our guide gave us about the glacier made us appreciate the glacier even more. Also, because we took the Zodiac boat tour, we were able to see the glacier (that the icebergs broke off of) up close. This boat tour was one of the highlights of our entire trip, and if we were to do it all over again, we would.

What Boat Tours Are Available

There are 2 types of boat tours available at Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon: Amphibian Boat Tours and Zodiac Boat Tours. You can book the boat tours here.

Amphibian Boat Tours

During the Amphibian Boat Tour, you will be on a big boat (imagine an open top bus on water). You will get to explore the lagoon while sitting comfortably atop the boat. This option is ideal if you want to do a boat tour with young children. This tour can also fill up fast, so I suggest booking in advance online. However, I did see some people buying tickets on sight, so if you want to decide once you get to the lagoon, you can do that as well.

What to expect: For this tour, you will start in the parking lot and be given a lifejacket. Similar to a duck tour in America, you will hop onto a boat with wheels, and this is what you will be in for the entirety of the tour. The vehicle will drive to the lagoon, and then it will become a boat, and you will experience the lagoon on the same vehicle. Once the tour is done, they will drive you back to the parking lot, where you can remove your life jacket.

Photo credit: https://adventures.is/ 

Zodiac Boat Tours

During the Zodiac Boat Tour, you will be on a smaller boat with a smaller group of course! This type of boat tour is the more adventurous option because there are no proper seats, and you hold on to the side of the boat as the guide drives through the lagoon (there is a chance you can fall off!). If you are looking to see the glacier as well as enjoy a little thrill, this is the option to chose. For this boat tour, you will be given a full warm suit, and a flotation device because there is a chance you might fall into the water if you are not being careful. This type of boat tour is more popular, and you will need to book in advance to ensure you have a spot.

What to expect: For this tour, you will start in the parking lot, and put on the necessary gear that they provide: warm suit (full body) and floatation device. Then you will hop on a bus and take a 5 minute ride to another part of the lagoon where you will dock on the zodiac boat. Your guide will take you through the lagoon and once the tour is over, you will return to the same dock. The bus will take you back to the main parking lot, and you can finish the tour by removing the gear. The whole tour is about 2 hours long with 1 hour on the water.

Photo credit: https://adventures.is/ 

What Can You See During the Boat Tours

You should pick which boat tour you want to go on depending on what you want to see and get our of the experience. You will not get to see the same things on both boat tours, so make sure you chose wisely.

Amphibian Boat Tours

During the Amphibian boat tour, your guide will give explain the history of the lagoon as you drive around the different icebergs in the lagoon. You will get to see these icebergs from a safe distance, but much closer than you would be able to from shore. Additionally, you can also see seals swimming in the water (depending on the time of year), which is always fun. While you will get to see a lot more than you would from shore, you will be close to shore the entire trip as you zig zag through the icebergs.

Zodiac Boat Tours

During the Zodiac boat tour, you will get to see everything you would on the Amphibian boat tour and so much more. During the Zodiac tour, you start by going towards the glacier. From shore, the glacier looks very close, but it is actually kilometers away from shore. You will see the glacier up close and be able to take pictures. After seeing the glacier, you will drive around the rest of the lagoon, and make you way back to where the Amphibian boats are near the icebergs. During this part of the tour, you get to see the icebergs up close. Throughout the entire process you guide will be teaching you about the history of the lagoon like the Amphibian boat tour.

Personally, this is the option my family and I chose, and we had such a fun time on the boat! We felt that we got to see so much more than we would if had taken the other tour, and we enjoyed the added fun of being on a small boat. If you have the means to do so, I would recommend taking the Zodiac tour if you decide you want to explore the lagoon by boat.

What Should I Bring For the Boat Tour

For both boat tours, you do not need to bring much. Dress for the cold, and make sure you the clothing you are wearing will keep you warm for the temperature is it that day. For the amphibian tour, you will be close to shore, so the temperature will be the same. For the Zodiac tour, it gets colder as you go the glacier, but they provide a full suit, so you do not need to worry about extra protection. Some helpful things to bring/make sure include:

• hat or something to cover your ears (a hood will not stay on with the wind)
• gloves
• sunglasses (to help your eyes when wind is blowing in your face from the speed)
• camera
• shoes with grip

FAQs

Can you swim in Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon?

Swimming isn’t recommended due to the extreme low temperature of the water, making it unsafe for un professionals.

How old are the glaciers in Iceland?

The ice that makes up the icebergs are over 1,000 years old. The glacier started forming in 1934 and its steady retreating is what caused the lagoon to form.