Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon Boat ToursFjallsárlón Ice Floating: Float Among the Icebergs in a Suit
Fjallsárlón ice floating is not a boat ride, and that is the first thing to understand. You walk into the water of Fjallsárlón in a flotation and immersion suit and float among the icebergs while a professional instructor supervises. The whole thing runs 90 minutes for groups of up to 8, adults aged 15 to 75, and it costs $125.88 per person, the lowest price in the catalog of Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon boat tours. A hot chocolate or coffee at the Frost restaurant afterwards is included. Bad weather cancels it, so build a backup plan. This page explains what the price covers, who the experience rules out and how it compares with the boat and kayak options nearby on both glacier lagoons. See all Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon boat tours side by side.
About This Tour
Fjallsarlon Iceberg Boat Tours runs what it calls the first ice floating experience in Iceland. There is no boat. You put on an immersion suit at Fjallsárlón in Vatnajökull National Park, enter the water and float among the icebergs under the eye of a professional instructor.
The session lasts 90 minutes and ends with a hot coffee or hot chocolate at the Frost restaurant, which is included. You get to the tour reception behind Frost yourself, because there is no hotel pickup. The listing suits all fitness levels but is not recommended for pregnant travellers or people with poor cardiovascular health.
$125.88 per person, the lowest priced option in the catalog
1.5 hours, listed as 90 minutes at the lagoon
Tour reception behind FROST Restaurant at Fjallsárlón. No hotel pickup, you travel there yourself
Up to 8 participants with a professional instructor. The booking language is English
None. You float in an immersion suit, no boat is used at any point
Lunch is not included. A hot drink at Frost is included, and no paid extras are listed
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund. The tour is cancelled in bad weather
Check Dates and Availability
Ice floating depends on calm water and safe conditions, so spaces are limited to 8 per session and bad weather cancels the day. Check live dates and times before you plan the rest of your route.
You'll confirm the exact date and time on the secure booking page.
Quick answer Fjallsárlón ice floating in short
Fjallsárlón ice floating costs $125.88 per person for a 90-minute float in an immersion suit with groups of up to 8, adults aged 15 to 75.
Key takeaways
- There is no boat. You enter the water in a flotation suit with an instructor, then get a coffee or hot chocolate at Frost. See what the price covers.
- The listing does not recommend it for pregnant travellers or people with poor cardiovascular health. See who it rules out.
- Want to stay dry on the same lagoon? Look at the Fjallsárlón Boat Tour and Glacier Hike instead.
- It is the cheapest listing in the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon Boat Tours.
What the Price Actually Covers
The ticket is a narrow one and that keeps it cheap. The listing includes the flotation suit, all necessary safety equipment and a hot drink at Frost restaurant afterwards, either coffee or hot chocolate.
What Is In and What Is Not
There is no boat, no transport and no meal in this ticket. The listing lists no exclusions and no mandatory extras, which means there is nothing to add at checkout, but also nothing extra to expect. You travel to Fjallsárlón yourself.
Because no boat is used, the boat question that applies to the day trips does not apply here. For context, the standalone boat tour on Fjallsárlón itself costs 11,300 ISK (about $93) at about 122 ISK to the US dollar.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Flotation suit | Yes | All necessary safety equipment included |
| Professional instructor | Yes | Supervises the float, groups of up to 8 |
| Hot drink at Frost | Yes | Coffee or hot chocolate after the float |
| Boat ride | No | No boat is used, you float in the suit |
| Transport or pickup | No | No hotel pickup, you reach the reception yourself |
| Lunch | No | Not included, Frost serves food you buy on site |
| Parking | No | Not stated in the listing |
Sources: Vatnajökull National Park, prices, Jökulsárlón
Icebergs drift in Fjallsárlón in front of the glacier. Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What the Day Is Really Like
The listing keeps the itinerary simple. Everything happens at Fjallsárlón, at the tour base behind Frost restaurant, and no departure clock time is stated so you arrange the session time at booking.
Arrival and Meeting
Find your guide at the tour reception behind FROST Restaurant at Fjallsárlón. The listing gives no set departure time, so arrive for the session you booked and allow time to park and walk in. Frost is open 10:00 to 16:00, which frames the practical window for a visit built around the base.
Suiting Up and the Briefing
A professional instructor fits you into the flotation and immersion suit and covers the safety equipment. The listing marks the activity as suitable for all physical fitness levels, so the demand is not athletic, but you do walk into cold water and you must be able to float in a suit for the session.
The Float
The 90 minutes at the lagoon cover the briefing, the float among the icebergs and getting out. Fjallsárlón sits below Fjallsjökull, a steep glacier tongue of Vatnajökull. Groups cap at 8, which keeps the water quiet.
Hot Drink at Frost
The tour ends at the cozy Frost restaurant with a coffee or hot chocolate included. Frost seats up to 90 guests and serves a self service buffet of hot meals, soups, sandwiches and cakes if you want to eat more afterwards at your own cost.
Who This Tour Rules Out
The $125.88 price is the lowest in the catalog. Read the eligibility list before you book rather than after.
Health and Age Limits
Booking is for adults aged 15 to 75. The listing is not recommended for pregnant travellers or for travellers with poor cardiovascular health. You go into cold water in a suit, so being comfortable in water matters.
The listing does not print an explicit swim requirement. If the water is a concern, a dry option like the Fjallsárlón Boat Tour and Glacier Hike is the safer pick.
Access and Weather
No wheelchair access is stated. Service animals are allowed. The tour is cancelled in bad weather, which is a real risk on this coast, and no hotel pickup exists, so you need your own transport to Fjallsárlón.
The listing states no season, and boat tours here run May to November, so check live dates before planning a winter trip. If you cannot meet these limits, the amphibian day trip from Reykjavík needs no water entry at all.
Icebergs in Fjallsárlón with Fjallsjökull and the mountains behind. Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Getting There and What to Add
The tour starts at the lagoon, so the drive is on you. Fjallsárlón sits about 10 kilometres west of Jökulsárlón, reached from Route 1 in South East Iceland.
The Drive
Fjallsárlón is reached from Route 1, which is 1,309 kilometres long around the country. From Reykjavík the drive to Jökulsárlón is about 370 kilometres and 4.5 hours direct. Skaftafell is 327 kilometres from Reykjavík and about 45 minutes west of the lagoon, Vík is 187 kilometres and 2.5 hours, and Höfn sits 80 kilometres east of Diamond Beach.
Fuel on the Kirkjubæjarklaustur to Höfn stretch is limited to Freysnes and Fagurholsmýri, so fill up before you pass them. Check conditions on umferdin.is, because weather changes fast.
Parking, Café and Toilets
Where Vatnajökull National Park charges for parking, a car with 5 seats or fewer pays 1,110 ISK (about $9) and a 6 to 9 seat car pays 1,440 ISK (about $12). The listing does not say whether a fee applies at the Fjallsárlón base. Pay at the machines in the lots or online through the Parka system, and the ticket is valid until midnight with unlimited exit and re-entry that day.
Frost restaurant at the tour base is open 10:00 to 16:00 and doubles as the café and warming spot.
What to Add Before or After
Diamond Beach is the obvious pair with a lagoon visit. Keep 30 metres from the waterline and never turn your back on the ocean. The standalone boat tour on Fjallsárlón runs 75 minutes and costs 11,300 ISK (about $93).
The closest guesthouses are 10 to 20 minutes away, which beats a 4.5 hour drive back. The Fjallsárlón glacier lagoon guide and the page on hotels near Jökulsárlón cover both in detail.
Itinerary
The listing states no departure clock time, so the steps below run as phases of the 90-minute session at the tour reception behind Frost.
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Start
Meet at the reception
Find your guide at the tour reception behind FROST Restaurant at Fjallsárlón. Check in for your booked session and confirm the weather is holding, since bad weather cancels the tour.
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Before the float
Suit up and safety briefing
A professional instructor fits your flotation and immersion suit and walks the group of up to 8 through the safety equipment and procedure.
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Main part
Enter the water and float
You walk into Fjallsárlón in the suit and float among the icebergs below Fjallsjökull in Vatnajökull National Park. No boat is used at any point.
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After the float
Out of the water
Get out, shed the suit and warm up. The float portion is done inside the 90 minutes at the lagoon.
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At the end
Hot drink at Frost
The session closes at Frost restaurant with the included coffee or hot chocolate. The restaurant serves food from a self service buffet if you want more, paid on site.
Pros and Cons
An honest weighing of the listing against the other ways to get on the water here.
What we genuinely like
- The lowest price in the catalog at $125.88 per person
- A rating of 5.0 from 23 reviews across Viator and Tripadvisor
- Groups cap at 8, with only the small-group kayak trip listing a smaller cap, at 6
- Flotation suit, safety gear and a hot drink at Frost are all included
- It runs on Fjallsárlón, often a quieter alternative to Jökulsárlón
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure
The honest downsides
- It is not a boat ride, and travellers expecting a vessel will be disappointed
- Cancelled in bad weather, which is a real possibility on this coast
- Ages 15 to 75 only, and not recommended for pregnant travellers or poor cardiovascular health
- No hotel pickup and no transport, so you must drive to Fjallsárlón yourself
- No departure time is stated, so the schedule depends on the operator
- Only 90 minutes in total
Who it's NOT for: Not for anyone who wants to stay dry, needs hotel pickup, is outside the 15 to 75 age range or cannot enter cold water, since those travellers should book the Fjallsárlón boat and hike combo or an amphibian day trip instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Fjallsárlón ice floating a boat tour?
No. You float in an immersion suit among the icebergs with a professional instructor, and no boat is used. If you want a vessel on the same lagoon, the Fjallsárlón Boat Tour and Glacier Hike uses a Zodiac.
How much does the ice floating cost?
It costs $125.88 per person for 90 minutes, the lowest price in the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon Boat Tours.
Who cannot take part?
Booking covers adults aged 15 to 75, and the listing is not recommended for pregnant travellers or people with poor cardiovascular health. The full who it rules out section lists the limits, and the kayak tour on Jökulsárlón has its own swim requirement if you compare options.
Where do I meet the guide?
At the tour reception behind FROST Restaurant at Fjallsárlón, with no hotel pickup offered. How to get there and what to add covers the drive on Route 1.
What happens in bad weather?
The listing marks the tour as cancelled in bad weather, so wind or rough water can stop the day. Check the Jökulsárlón weather guide before you commit, and cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before departure if the forecast turns.
When does ice floating run?
The listing states no season, but water activities here run in the warmer months, since boat tours are not available in winter and the lagoon season runs May to November. The season and what runs when guide has the detail, and Frost is open 10:00 to 16:00 for your included drink.
Is the hot drink at Frost really included?
Yes, coffee or hot chocolate at Frost restaurant after the float is part of the inclusions along with the flotation suit and safety equipment. See the full what the price covers breakdown.
Prices, availability and terms are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
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