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Meet the Team

As certified, top level glacier guides with over 7 years of experience our mission is to provide the best glacier trips imaginable. We offer customisable private trips that allow you to see the best of what the ice has to offer, without the industrial tourism of larger companies. Book with us for a truly unique and personalized glacier experience.

Glacier Encounter
Co-Founder

Jökull Veigarsson

My passion for the glaciers in Iceland runs deep, and it may be in my blood. My name is the Icelandic word for a glacier. After a few too many dark winters all of my jokes are getting increasingly bad, in a good way. I can’t wait to share my passion with you on a tour.

Glacier Encounter
Co-founder & Lead Guide

Lucas Scarpati

Since I first stepped on glacier ice I felt a strong connection. Nowadays after this many years learning from them, there is so much I want to share. I love that glaciers change constantly, and every trip is different. Let’s go and explore! I bet you we will find something cool.

Glacier Guide & Sales Manager

Heather Burson

The first time I set foot on ice, I was enchanted. Glacier guiding accidentally became a new passion, and I moved to Iceland permanently. Excited to go for an adventure and share this incredible landscape, with maybe a few snowball fights and history lessons on the way!

Contact Us

Steinar 2, 861 Hvolsvollur

+354 888 5058 or
+354 776 5697 or
+354 835 6054

Frequently Asked Questions

We offer only private tours so you can be guaranteed to have the time of your life, that you will never forget. With a smaller group we can better guide your every step, and support your every need. This is our way of making sure you get the most out of your experience with us.

All of our tours start at the Sólheimajökull glacier parking lot.

You can meet us at the car park, we are not in the main building. Look for a guide with an orange jacket with the Glacier Encounter Logo. Look for the two sheepskins benches with fur at the back of the guide’s vehicle.

 

This is the address below:

 

Sólheimajökulsvegur, 871, Iceland

The check-in time for your trip is 15 minutes before the time you booked your trip for. For example, if you booked a 9:30 Glacier Hike tour, you will have to meet us and be ready to start at 9:15.

You will need to wear your own pair of ankle protecting hiking boots, as well as waterproof jackets, pants, gloves and beanies. 

The clothing choice will depend on the weather. Remember that Icelandic weather is known for being changeable and it can get cold or rain pretty quickly. It is a good idea to bring a small backpack with extra layers just in case.


We will provide the technical gear like helmets, harnesses, crampons and ice axes or walking poles.

We strongly recommend our guests to bring hiking boots with heel protection.

We do have a small stock of hiking or ice climbing boots that we offer to guests when necessary.


For Ice Climbing and Extreme Encounter tours, boots will be provided to our guests if necessary. Make sure you answer the questions in the booking steps about your boots’ sizes.

We cannot guarantee enough boots for everyone.

For the Glacier Hikes:

It is a good idea to bring some snacks and a small bottle of water although it is not strictly necessary. If it is warm and there is running glacier water on the ice, this is drinkable.

 

For the Ice Climbing or Extreme Encounter:

These are longer trips that can last 5 hours or a bit more. You should definitely bring some snacks and water. Depending on your departure time you might want to bring some lunch. Sometimes the guide takes some minutes to set up the ropes and this is the perfect time to have some lunch. Sometimes we even make a break just to have some lunch on the ice.

From the parking lot we have to walk to access the glacier. It usually takes 20-25 minutes walking depending on the group’s pace and amount of stops. Just before stepping on the glacier ice we need to put crampons on, this takes around 10 minutes.

The temperature on the ice is typically 4 to 6 degrees Celsius cooler than at the parking lot. With wind chill factored in, it can feel even colder. Alpine environments can be very changeable, we recommend being prepared for a range of conditions.


  • In summer temperatures can vary from 4 to 14 degrees Celsius.
  • In winter temperatures can vary from -8 to 2 degrees Celsius.


In winter, please come prepared with at least 3 insulating layers. We ask guests not to wear jeans on the ice as these absorb water quickly, making you colder faster.

Due to the nature of the glacier we do have some restrictions on the participation of children. These restrictions are in place to ensure the on-going safety of all our guests and team members.

There are minimum age restrictions and they differ depending on the trip.

 

  • Private Glacier Hike: 5 years old
  • Private Ice Cave Tour: 11 years old
  • Ice Climbing: 11 years old
  • Extreme Encounter: 11 years old

 

Due to glacier and weather conditions these guidelines may change. Participation in the hike is ultimately the decision of the lead guide on the day. All children under the age of 18 years old must be accompanied by a paying parent or guardian for the duration of the trip from check in until return to base after the hike. If a child under 7 years of age is joining a trip a body harness and a leash can be used for him/her.

 

If you have any concerns or queries about a child’s participation on one of our tours please get in touch with us.

In the event of cancellation of a trip due to weather, we offer the following options:

  • Reschedule for the next available date/time

  • Refund (dependent on the Terms and Conditions of your booking agent)

 

Read more about cancellations and refunds in our Terms & Conditions, section 4, Cancellations & Refunds.

Read more about cancellations and refunds in our Terms & Conditions, section 4, Cancellations & Refunds.

The Ice Climbing Tour is focus on the climbing itself. You will be able to learn how to climb on ice, being able to do several climbs with varying difficulty. On this tour we cover less terrain on the glacier because we spend more time in the climbing areas.
 
The Extreme Encounter is all about Exploring the hidden gems the glacier has to offer. This tour includes everything, including ice cave if there is one and ice climbing and more. We use the rope to travel through more challenging terrain to make all of this possible. This is the ultimate tour.