This tour takes you through man made tunnels into the heart of Langokull glacier, Iceland’s second largest glacier.

After an early wake up, we loaded up our rental car and headed toward west Iceland. We booked an afternoon tour and elected to meet at Husafell rather than to get there earlier and take a shuttle. We did this so that we could stop and see Kirkjufell in the morning. After spending time at Kirkjufell we headed toward our meeting point. We met our tour guide and were loaded into big MAN trucks for our trek up the glacier. We learned that these MAN trucks were used in World War II and are made for the questionable terrain of the glacier. The drivers are experienced and need to be very cautious to avoid driving over any huge crevasses.

Once we arrived at the entrance of the opening inside the glacier, we were broken into smaller groups. Since we were in the second group to enter, we spent time playing in the snow and just enjoying the fact that we were standing on a giant glacier. We were fortunate that the weather was perfect. It was sunny and not insanely cold. Our guide told us that we were lucky because the day before there was practically a blizzard on the glacier! Yikes! It was actually warm in the sun since we were bundled for inside the glacier and there was something really neat about being higher than the clouds.

When it was finally our turn to go into the glacier we were really excited! You enter through a black flap over a doorway and are in a blue ice room, there are benches where you can sit and put on your clampers to help prevent slipping inside the glacier. You then move down the hall to the first room, there is a background set up for photo ops and also more benches, this room was unique in that it had a domed ice ceiling.

Our guide explained how glaciers are formed and talked about the depths of the crevasses. Elise asked how they measured the depth and our guide laughed when we asked if they had some kind of big measuring stick. But seriously?! How do they measure those? He showed us an area where they carved out a “chapel” and informed us about how the acoustics were similar to those within a church. We of course had to try this. Our guide was such a jokester and enjoyed teasing us on this trip. So much so, that when the “lights” went out inside of the glacier we thought that it was a joke. Nope, it wasn’t. That really happened, and of course it happened to us! Luckily, I am always prepared for everything and I entered the glacier with a mini flashlight.

After safely exiting the glacier, we hopped back into the MAN trucks and headed back to base where our car was waiting to take on onto more adventures!

Tips:

• Pay attention to the daily weather. The weather in Iceland can change within the course of s day and from one area to another. We were fortunate to have good weather, but the day before us there was a blizzard. This may limit visibility and may lead to road closures. Be sure you have a 4×4 vehicle. Our guide told us this this tour has never been cancelled. Just know what you may be getting into to get there and allow for extra time if needed.
• Book the afternoon tour so that you can make a morning stop at Kirkjufell!
• Follow the instructions provided on your receipt after you book the tour ahead of time. They give recommendations for travel and for what to wear.