Heinabergslón Kayak and Hike on Iceland

Tour Description

This tour takes you kayaking and hiking at Heinabergslón, an iceberg-filled lake which shares a valley with its namesake glacier, Heinabergsjökull. After paddling around majestic icebergs and crossing the lake, we will land the boats at its southern end and hike to a spectacular viewpoint on the nearby mountain, Hafrafell.

Hafrafell is cut off from any road access by a river, two lakes and a glacier, meaning that the only access to this mountain is by kayak or by crossing the glacier. As a result, this special place is completely free from human influence; a place where nature has been allowed to roam freely. Witness first-hand the rocky, barren land which emerges from under a melting glacier and see how this develops into mossy pastures where reindeer feed.

The meeting point for this tour is Smyrlabjörg Hotel. 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 land at its southern end at the foot of the island mountain. Here, we will take off the drysuits, put on our hiking boots and 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. After hiking for 1-2 hours, at a leisurely pace, we return to our boats and paddle back to the car.

Please note

This trip consists of 1.5 - 2 hours of kayaking, followed by 1.5 - 2 hours of hiking. You will be expected to carry your boat and paddle from the car to the shore of the lake (approx. 200m). There is no maintained hiking trail; you should be confident hiking over rocky/uneven ground with short sections uphill.

Kayaking experience is not required: instruction will be given on site.

This trip is aimed at active people who have some experience hiking outdoors. It is not suitable for very unfit/overweight people.

What do I need to bring?

• Hiking boots
• Warm clothes to wear whilst hiking and kayaking. Bulky jackets such as ski jackets are not suitable as they do not fit comfortably under the drysuit.
• Warm socks
• Hat and gloves
• Sunglasses
• Phone or camera*

*Any electronics are brought at the owner's risk. We recommend bringing a drybag or waterproof case if you phone/camera is not waterproof.

Cancellation policy

• We will charge a cancellation fee of 100% if booking is cancelled 2 days or less before event
• We will charge a cancellation fee of 5% if booking is cancelled 180 days or less before event