The trip to Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, in East Iceland is approximately an 800km round trip from Reykjavik. It’s so worth it! Up to now, nothing has amazing me as much as the Atlas Moutains of Morocco, but I can now safely say that Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon has topped my list, and is the most beautiful travel destination that I have visited to date.
How to get to Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
Most people who visit Iceland stay in Reykjavik and focus on visiting the Blue Lagoon and doing teh Golden Circle tour. While both of these are spectacular (I love the Geyser!) I would really encourage you to travel along the South Coast of Iceland to Vik and then onwards to Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon. It’s your chance to see a glacier, natural ice cave and the wildlife that comes with this kind of terrain, including seals in their natural habitat!
It is not so easy to get to Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon, as you would imagine. You will need to hire a car or go on an official tour. Decide what you want out of a tour before booking. Some just go to the shore, so include a boat trip and some allow you to enter the ice cave under the strict supervision of ice cave experts. The entry to the ice-cave is dependent on time of year, and if you want to see this, it’s best to visit in the winter when the cave is the most stable and the ice is at it’s best!
What to pack for visiting Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
So, I bet you’re wondering what to pack for Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon? Well, is it cold? Yes it is! In the summer, it’s not as cold as you might think on the shore of the glacier. In the winter and going into the ice cave, you will need to pack even warmer clothes. Guides will tell you if there is anything particular that you should wear of pack, but usually they have specialist equipment if it’s needed such as ice picks and crampons. Here’s my advice on what to pack for your Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon trip….
- A good camera (I have a Canon Powershot as it’s easier to carry than my DSLR) and video equipment such as a GoPro Hero 11 (photography and videography opportunities are phenomenal!)
- A refillable water bottle such as SIGG – Iceland is famous for it’s pure glacial water and there are plenty of spots to refill your water bottle.
- Warm thick walking socks (heaviest weighting in winter or medium weight are ok in summer)
- Good walking boots – my Karrimor walking boots were perfect. I’d recommend that you ensure that they are waterproof!
- Base layer such as Long Johns or leggings with a thermal top.
- Walking trousers and fleece layer (a three quarter zip fleece is ideal for keeping your body warm).
- Waterproof Gortex jacket – I recommend brands such as Regatta, Berghaus and Peter Storm.
- Guide book such as Lonely Planet Iceland – great to read when you are travelling or have internet outages in remote areas.
Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon with Gray Line Iceland
I was lucky enough to visit Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon with Gray Line Iceland. The first part of our day consisted of exploring the waterfalls of the South Coast of Iceland. Your first stop is usually the black sand beach at Vik, and then you continue to the glacier lagoon through several dried lava fields.
There are many beautiful Icelandic waterfalls on the way to the lagoon, some of them you can actually walk right up to and even underneath (such as Seljalandsfoss). Then the scenery began to drastically change from green, to yellow and finally to blue on the approach to Vatnajökull National Park.
Approaching Vatnajökull National Park
The view as soon as we arrived at the glacier, the view of Jökulsárlón lagoon greeted us with bright blue icebergs floating across the lagoon towards the Atlantic ocean.
From the car park near Jökulsárlón, we turned right and walked around the shoreline to get a better view of the glacier and lagoon.
The Breiðamerkurjökull glacier is constantly retreating, depositing ice into the lagoon. As the glacier retreats, the lagoon is expanding. This is the largest Glacier in Europe.
Our guide Regar told us that when she first visited the lagoon in 2001, it was approximately 13km wide. Today, in 2016, it is 25km wide. This expansion of the lagoon will continue until it becomes a fjord. Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon is the deepest water in Iceland, with a depth of 300m.
The most amazing thing about being at the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon is that you can actually hear the ice crumbling away from the glacier like an avalanche. At first I thought it was thunder, before realising what it was!
It’s easy to see why Jökulsárlón was the film set of Die Another Day, Tomb Raider and Batman Begins.
Wildlife of Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
Despite the cold conditions (temperatures can drop below zero in the winter) the lagoon is abundant with wildlife, especially bird life, because the tides bring with them shoals of herring.
I spotted several seals swimming between the icebergs. One little guys head popped up just as I took this shot…!
The boats were not running and it was difficult to get a close up shot from the shore, but I managed to catch a glimpse of my new little friend. I was also lucky enough to get this shot of 3 harlequin ducks swimming across the lagoon. If you’re interested in the boat trips, they run from May through to September (you can book a boat tour of Jokulsarlon from Reykjavik here).
The trip to Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon was absolutely amazing, one of the best travel experiences of my life. I highly recommend this trip for anyone visiting Iceland.
Top Travel Tips – Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
- Research current weather conditions before you go, to maximise your trip.
- If you want to go on a tour of the South Coast of Iceland to Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon from Reykjavik, you can book here.
- Gray Line Iceland tour buses – They do Diamond beach and Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon tours – book on GetYourGuide.
- Wrap up warm – a thermal base layer, fleece, Gortex Jacket, waterproof over trousers and waterproof walking boots are recommended. See What to Pack for Iceland.
- Make sure that your camera is fully charged and that you have spare memory cards!
- Boat trips go across the Lagoon from May to September. However, if you are visiting Iceland at a different time of year, I still recommend a trip – I took my photos from the shore.
If you enjoyed this blog, you might like to also read about the Relaxing in the Blue Lagoon, Iceland, South Coast of Iceland and the Game of Thrones Tour of Iceland.
*Many thanks go to my Icelandic sponsons ODDSSON ho(s)tel who provided me with complimentary accommodation during my time in Iceland, and Gray Line Iceland for giving me a 50% discount on the South Coast and Jökulsárlón Lagoon trip.