Are There Glaciers in Iceland in August? What You Can and Cannot Do
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Yes, the glaciers are there in August, and the guided hikes on them are running. What shuts in summer is the part that fills the photographs: the natural blue caves under Vatnajökull. This page sorts August into what is open, what is closed, and what I would book in place of a cave.
How the seasons change Iceland
August is peak glacier hiking season, Sólheimajökull, Skaftafell, and Langjökull are all fully open. Natural ice caves in Vatnajökull are closed in August, they collapsed during spring melt and have not yet reformed.
Across seasons from 2019 to 2024 I kept returning to the Vatnajökull region, and the gap between months shapes everything below. In February I have stood inside a cave with my breath freezing onto the lens hood and my shutter finger going numb. In July I walked the same tongue in shirtsleeves, crampons biting wet blue ice while meltwater ran in bright channels around my boots.
Ice cave tours in Vatnajökull National Park were banned during summer 2025. How long the caves stay off-limits each year is argued over, and the closure window debate is 5 vs 6 months. Before paying for anything with "cave" or "Crystal Cave" in its title for a summer date, read the current access and safety information from Vatnajökull National Park.
Perlan's 100-metre indoor artificial ice cave in Reykjavík is open year-round as a substitute for the natural caves. My Iceland seasons guide lays out the whole year, and the winter side lives in the ice caves guide.
Sólheimajökull Glacier Hike - Small Group Blue Ice Adventure: Peak Season
Sólheimajökull is where I'd send a first-timer in August. This hike is sold as small-group and beginner-friendly, and it puts you on the ice near Vík, which is the core of what August does well.
Comparing it with New Zealand ice sharpened my sense of what Iceland offers. I found the New Zealand glacier ice whiter and denser, with the guides cutting steps into it as we climbed. Icelandic ice had more volcanic ash layers and looked bluer to me, over far more varied terrain. Those New Zealand hikes felt structured, while the Icelandic ones felt like exploring.
On a clear August day the ice throws UV back up at you, so put sunscreen on your chin and under your nose. More on the glacier itself is in my Sólheimajökull guide.
Sólheimajökull Glacier Hike - Small Group Blue Ice Adventure
From $94.20 · Price checked: Aug 2026
Best for: Beginners wanting a small-group blue ice hike on Solheimajokull near Vik
Not for: Experienced hikers seeking ice climbing or a longer, harder glacier route
Experience Iceland’s icy wilderness on this small-group, beginner-friendly glacier hike on Sólheimajökull.
Check availabilityExternal booking on Viator · pricing and cancellations handled by Viator
When to plan a visit to Iceland
August taught me to stop waiting out bad weather at the ice. Long daylight leaves room for a second attempt, and fog on the coast can give you better photographs than a clear sky.
August gives nearly 17 hours of daylight, sunset glacier tours are common in late August. For the daily picture, read the Icelandic Meteorological Office forecast the night before, and check road and travel conditions on Guide to Iceland before any long drive.
The fog lesson came at Diamond Beach in August 2022. I drove from Höfn before dawn expecting sunrise photos and hit a fog bank several kilometres out, with visibility down to a few car lengths. At the beach, iceberg shapes emerged from the fog like slow moving ships. Every few minutes the fog thinned long enough to reveal a new arrangement of ice. I shot a couple of hundred frames, and the fog photos turned out stronger than my clear day shots.
Diamond Beach is most photogenic at low tide when icebergs are freshly deposited. Ice on the sand is still not a given, because wind direction decides whether icebergs wash ashore. Up at the lagoon, keep well back from the edge: icebergs can roll without warning and push a wave up the shore, so a waterproof phone case or dry bag belongs in your pocket. Photographers shooting from the bank should pack a polarising filter to cut the glare off the water.
Jökulsárlón boat tours run through October but August is the busiest, book 3-5 days ahead.
Glacier Hike, South Coast Waterfalls & Black Sand Beach: lower-season fit
This is the Reykjavík-based way onto a glacier: a day trip that pairs a guided glacier hike with South Coast waterfalls and a black sand beach. In August it suits travellers staying in the city who want the ice and the coast in one outing.
If you drive yourself instead, leave Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss for the afternoon return leg, when the light suits photos.
Glacier Hike, South Coast Waterfalls & Black Sand Beach
From $185 · Price checked: Sep 2026
Best for: Reykjavik-based travelers wanting a glacier hike plus South Coast waterfalls and black sand beach
Not for: Travelers who dislike long bus days or want more hours on the ice
Experience the magic of Iceland’s South Coast on this memorable day trip from Reykjavik.
Check availabilityExternal booking on Viator · pricing and cancellations handled by Viator
Packing for the season
Pack for wet ice, not polar cold. An August glacier walk means meltwater underfoot, sun bouncing off the surface, and gloves that soak through once you handle the ice.
Fabric comes first. Wool keeps some warmth when it gets wet; cotton does not, and wet cotton is dangerous in glacier conditions. Leave jeans at the hotel too, since they freeze stiff when wet and chafe badly.
Boots are the second decision. Crampons need a boot with solid ankle support and a stiff sole, and a brand-new pair is a poor bet for a day of crampon walking. If you rent, go slightly roomy on fit, because crampon straps tighten everything. During the crampon briefing, give the guide your full attention; the opening minutes on the ice are where footing goes wrong.
Eyes and skin come next. Wear glacier sunglasses even under cloud, because glare off ice causes snow blindness faster than you'd think, and carry a second pair of gloves, since one will get wet from handling ice. A thermos of hot chocolate earns its space: the café at the Jökulsárlón car park is expensive and sometimes closed, and I'd stop at the Hali Country Hotel to the east instead.
If you won't commit to proper boots, skip the hiking tours altogether. The Langjökull monster truck further down is the straightforward option for anyone who wants to be on a glacier without walking it, and my month-by-month glacier hike guide covers how the kit list shifts outside summer.
What to Check Before Booking
Before you pay, confirm that the ice experience you want exists in August, that you can reach the meeting point, that you have a spare day for weather, and which glacier the tour uses.
Start with the kind of ice you are buying. The man-made ice tunnel at Langjökull is open year-round, which makes it a fallback and not the real thing.
The meeting point is the next thing to check. Some Skaftafell meeting points sit a long way from the nearest accommodation, with no taxi or public transport to close the gap, so check whether pickup is included. The extra-small-group Skaftafell hike uses AIMG-certified guides and drives you all the way to the glacier, though you should still confirm where the day begins.
Glacier Hike from Skaftafell - Extra Small Group
From $156 · Price checked: Sep 2026
Best for: Hikers wanting a Skaftafell glacier hike with AIMG-certified guides and eight people max
Not for: Travelers after ice caves or climbing rather than a straight glacier walk
• Certified guides Our guides have certification from AIMG (Association of Icelandic Mountain Guides). • Small groups The group size for our trips never exceeds 8 people. • 4x4 drive We will drive you all the way to the glacier.
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For Langjökull, the monster truck from the Gullfoss area is the ride-up option.
Red Glacier Monster Truck on Langjokull Glacier from Gulfoss
From $162.35 · Price checked: Sep 2026
Best for: Travelers who would rather ride than hike onto Langjokull in a monster truck
Not for: Hikers who want to cover the glacier on foot rather than by truck
Embark on a rare adventure aboard our Monster Sleipnir Trucks, ensuring comfort and safety as we journey to the striking Langjökull, Iceland's second-largest glacier.
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Weather is the variable no booking controls, so leave slack. My clearest lesson on this came at Franz Josef in New Zealand in August 2021. I booked a heli-hike three months ahead, then took the call early in the morning telling me the cloud ceiling was too low for any flights. I rebooked for the next morning and the same thing happened. On the third day the skies were clear and the flight was perfect. The guide told me August cancellations run to nearly half of all bookings. Iceland has its own weather, but the rule carries over: never put a weather-dependent glacier tour on your final day.
If you are driving yourself to Jökulsárlón, fill up at Vík, the last reliable fuel stop before Höfn.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Are there glaciers in Iceland in August?
Yes. Iceland's glaciers do not disappear in summer; what changes in August is which activities on them are on sale.
Can I see a natural ice cave in Iceland in August?
No natural Vatnajökull cave is open to visit in August.
Do August glacier hikes need previous experience?
The small-group Sólheimajökull hike is sold as beginner-friendly, so novices are its intended audience. Check each listing for which equipment is supplied and whether boots can be hired before you pack.
Is fog a reason to skip Diamond Beach?
No, because fog moves the iceberg shapes in and out of view, which suits photographers who work slowly.
Should I book a Jökulsárlón boat tour before I arrive?
Yes, because turning up in peak month and hoping for a seat is a gamble.
Written from Iceland and New Zealand.