Last December I  had the opportunity to take a childfree weekend with my friends to embark on an adventure that’s been on my bucket list for a while—hiking on Vatnajökull Glacier with the tour company, Local Guide. The whole weekend was marvelous but the hike was the absolute highlight. Glacier tours aren’t childfree per say – but there is always an age limit on the glacier itself and it varies from company to company. About 11 years old is normal.

We stayed at a summerhouse for the weekend in Kirkjubaerklaustur, about two thirds of the way to the glacier, so perfect stopover point. 

The day came and even though it was December in Iceland, the weather was surprisingly clear, and we couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day.

The day began early, it was still dark when we left our summerhouse – there is only about 4-5hours of daylight here in early December, and there was a sharp chill in the air that only added to the excitement of the adventure ahead. 

Vatnajökull is Europe’s largest glacier, and just the thought of stepping onto its icy surface was enough to get my heart racing, but after meeting up with the guides from Local Guide, I knew I was in good hands. They were knowledgeable, friendly, and made sure we were all equipped with the right gear—crampons, ice axes, and helmets.

The trip started with a ride in a huge superjeep to the foot of the glacier, before a short walk on the gravel before we attached our spikes and the glacier hike started for real. 

The first thing that struck me about the glacier was the sheer scale of it. Vatnajökull stretches out as far as the eye can see to the north, a vast expanse of ice that feels like another world, with the mountains on either side hemming it in.

The clear skies allowed the sun to cast a bright orange light over the landscape as it rose, contrasting against the blue of the ice.

As we made our way across the glacier, our guide led us to a breathtaking feature—a deep crevasse in the ice. The ice here was an otherworldly shade of blue, a color that I had only seen in pictures before. Standing in this crevasse, peering up at the glasslike wal;s of the glacier around us, was both humbling and awe-inspiring. The guide explained how the ice becomes more compressed and dense as it gets older, which is why it takes on such a vibrant blue hue. It was like looking into the heart of the glacier, a moment of pure wonder that I’ll never forget.

Another highlight of the hike was the visit to an ice cave, a natural formation carved out of the glacier by melting water. From the outside, the cave entrance looked rather unassuming, but stepping inside was like entering another realm. The walls of the cave were smooth, but not flat, more rippled than anything, and translucent, with the same striking blue color that we had seen in the crevasse. Light filtered through the ice, creating an ethereal glow that made the whole cave feel like a hidden gem.

Walking through the ice cave, I wanted to feel a deep sense of peace and connection with the natural world…and I did to an extent, but knowing there was thousands of tonnes of ice over your head is a bit disconcerting!

 The quiet inside the cave was profound, broken only by the occasional drip of melting ice. It was a reminder of the glacier’s constant, slow movement—a living, breathing entity shaped by time and nature. As we left larger tour groups from other companies came in, all chattering away – I was so glad we chose a small company that worked its timings to avoid big groups, to give us that moment of peace in the cave. 

This childfree day hiking on Vatnajökull Glacier was everything I needed—a blend of adventure, tranquility, and awe-inspiring natural beauty with my two best friends. The experience with Local Guide was top-notch, and I left with a deeper appreciation for the raw, untouched wilderness that Iceland has to offer.

If you ever find yourself in Iceland and have a day to spare, I can’t recommend this glacier hike enough. It’s a chance to step away from the everyday, to connect with nature in its purest form, and to create memories that will last a lifetime. I’ll be thinking about the blue ice and the clear December sky for a long time to come.