Kayaking in Jokulsarlon

Imagine a beautiful lake with blue icebergs floating peacefully on it and snow-covered mountains on the back. Sounds like a made up place, right? Well, this place actually exists in Iceland and it is called Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon. Just by visiting and admiring this lake, it will easily become one of the highlights of your trip to Iceland. But why not make it a bit more special? Kayaking in Jokulsarlon will allow you to go on a small adventure, while simultaneously experiencing the beauty of this place from up close.

Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon

Jökulsárlón is part of the Vatnajökull National Park and it is Iceland’s most famous glacier lagoon.

This beautiful lake only appeared in approximately 1935 when due to the rising temperatures, the glacier Breydamerkurjökull started to retreat leaving the place for a lagoon at its feet. This lagoon is filled with icebergs that break from the glacier tongue and that drift peacefully towards the ocean. These icebergs are notorious for their blue color.

General Facts about Jökulsárlón

Icebergs from Jokulsarlon are made of ice that is more than 1000 years old.
The lagoon is connected to the sea, so it is filled with both salt water and melted water from the glacier. This gives it its characteristic blue color.
In the future, as the glacier continues to retreat and the lagoon gets bigger, it will become a fjord.
Seals are very often swimming in the lagoon and resting on the icebergs.
Many movies have been filmed at this lagoon. For example, Interstellar or the James Bond film Die another day.

Getting to Jokulsarlon

Jokulsarlon is in the southeast of Iceland, very close to the Ring Road (Route 1) and approximately 380 km from Reykjavik (5 hours of driving). It is only 80 km (1-hour drive) from the small eastern town of Höfn.

The best way to reach Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon is to rent a car and drive there yourself. This will allow you to plan your own schedule and you might even decide to make it a road trip with some other stops along the way!

If driving is not your thing and you prefer the comfort of having someone organize everything for you, there are also some organized day trips from Reykjavik.

Jokulsarlon Day Trip

Accommodation near Jokulsarlon

The area around Jokulsarlon is not very populated and you will certainly need to drive a little bit to reach it. Here are some of the best places to stay near Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon:

We spent one night at Litla-Hof Guesthouse and another night at Hofn Inn Guesthouse and we were very happy with both.

Our experience Kayaking in Jokulsarlon

Book your activity & General information

There are a couple of companies that offer the possibility of kayaking in Jokulsarlon. We chose to book it with Arctic Adventures and we could not have been happier with our choice.

This activity is only offered between May and September. If you are planning to visit Iceland during the high season months of July and August, I recommend you book it in advance to ensure you get your spot. When booking your activity you will be able to choose between two-person or single kayaks.

Equipment needed

You don’t need any specific equipment for this activity as they will provide you with everything you will need like a dry suit, water shoes, life jacket, etc. Of course, the kayak and the paddle are included in the activity too!

Nevertheless, it is recommended that you bring warm clothes and a waterproof jacket. A warm hat and gloves are also a good idea.

Getting ready

On the day of the activity, we had to be at the meeting point approximately 20 min beforehand. The reason for this was that they needed to check our reservations and get us ready with the dry suit and water boots. We also got some life jackets and a paddle each.

Once everyone was ready, we had to walk for around 10 minutes until we reached the shore of the lagoon with all the kayaks ready.

Before getting on the kayaks, we got some brief notions on how to row and turn in the most efficient way. We also got some safety notions just in case the kayak flipped. Although according to the guide, this had not happened in over a year.

And then, it was time to get on the kayaks and off into the water. I have to admit, I was a little scared in the beginning. The water looked really cold and even though I knew if we fell, we would be safe, I wasn’t feeling like swimming in cold water. Fortunately, after a few minutes, I realized the kayak was really stable and was able to relax and enjoy this fantastic experience.

Kayaking among Icebergs

Kayaking in Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon was amazing. We were a small group of 5 kayaks and the guide. It was so calm, there was nobody else in the water but us. The guide led the way and brought us to the icebergs where he would inform us about the lagoon and the glacier. He was very relaxed with the route we took, letting us explore and row freely and at our own pace. He only requested that we didn’t get too close to the icebergs for our safety. Sometimes, they can unexpectedly flip and fall over you.

The view of the Icebergs from up close was impressive. They were huge and of a super intense blue. We were in the water for approximately an hour and got to see so many icebergs and seals! Some of them even came swimming really close to our kayak!

Kayaking in the Glacier Lagoon was one of the highlights of my trip to Iceland and I will always remember it.

Other activities near Jokulsarlon

Once you’re done kayaking, here are other things you can do nearby.

Admire the Glacier Lagoon from the shore. The beauty of this place will make you want to spend hours just contemplating the different icebergs.
Go to the nearby “Diamont Beach“. Once the icebergs are through the lagoon, some drift off into the ocean and others float towards the nearby shore. All the icebergs, sparkling in the sun, have given this beach the name Diamond Beach.
Visit the eastern town of Hofn and eat in one of the best restaurants in Iceland, Otto Mature & Drykkur. They don’t take reservations, so make sure to arrive early or be prepared to wait to get a table. It’ll be worth it!
Admire Vestrahorn & Stokkness Beach. A beautiful mountain which a black sand beach in front of it and water reflections… This place is a paradise for photography lovers.

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