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Zodiac Boat Tour on Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon Iceland

Long before Iceland became a top destination on most people’s travel wish list and incredible pictures began circulating, many of us probably pictured it as a land of glaciers and floating icebergs. Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon epitomizes that postcard image. It almost looks unreal but so incredibly beautiful.

Visitors can go on the boat tours around the lagoon but we decided to go on the super fast Zodiac inflatable boat that got us quite close to the glacier. See our adventure and why this was an unforgettable experience during our trip to Iceland last summer.

Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon with ice chunks

Jökulsárlón, or Glacier’s River Lagoon is one of Iceland’s most popular attractions. It is located in the southern portion and about 4-5 hours away from its capital city of Reykjavik.

The major attraction to use as a marker to know that you’re getting close is Skaftafell National Park. It is located right off the Ring Road or Route 1 which is Iceland’s main national road.

Jokulsarlon is adjacent to Europe’s largest glacier – Vatnajökull. The lagoon is made from the Breiðamerkurjökull (an outlet of Vatnajökull) glacier’s melted water. So, its size continues to increase as the glacier’s size decreases. The lagoon hasn’t always been here and first appeared around the mid-1930s.

This is an ever changing landscape as the different icebergs float through the lagoon. We pulled over to the first turn before the bridge for a preview of the glacier lagoon and came upon this stunning scenery.

Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon lookout

There were a lot of people here and some tour buses. Though, most people were going on the Amphibian boat tour. This was how they looked which was a 30 minute ride around the lagoon with about 25 passengers onboard.

Boat tours have been going on at this lagoon since 1985. Visitors can also choose to just stay on shore, walk a couple of short trails and marvel at the scenery for free all year.

Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon Amphibian tour

Everyone had to put on flotation suits that made us look like we were going on an Arctic exploration. They had some kid sizes luckily. Those suits kept us very warm during the windy ride. We also had to wear life vests at all times. It was a short walk to the lagoon to board our Zodiac boat.

Jokulsarlon Zodiac Tour with kids

The Zodiac Boat Tour

There were about 10 passengers in each Zodiac inflatable boat plus our driver/guide. My kids were the only minors on both groups. We took off from that dock fast alongside the other Zodiac boat running over the small ice chunks.

My biggest fear was my kids or me falling off into the icy lagoon despite having a life vest and flotation suit. Thankfully, that didn’t happen.

It didn’t take long to go past the Amphibian boat tour route. We were further out and started to slowly cruise past the huge, floating glacial ice or what I like to call glacial sculptures.

Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon iceberg

We called this particular one glacier sponge or glacier coral.

Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon iceberg

Some of the icebergs were so blue it almost looked unreal. We were told the blue color is because these particular glacial ice is older and more dense and absorbs every other color of the spectrum except for blue.

Jokulsarlon blue ice

This group of ice chunks seemed to defy gravity and ready to crack soon.

Jokulsarlon ice tower

We loved being so close to these massive structures. Some of them have really unique textures. We loved that our guide slowed down to allow us to take some photos and a closer look at the icebergs.

Jokulsarlon Glacier lagoon blue ice

This almost felt like an otherworldly location and a prehistoric Ice Age feel to the whole area. It’s no wonder this is a popular place for filming locations including a couple of James Bond movies.

The massive glacier was like the lagoon’s wall and provided such a stunning backdrop. We stopped at this particular area to see the darkened portion.

The dark material is a combination of dirt coming down from the depths of the glacier but mostly ash from the volcanic eruption in the area several years ago. Can you imagine how this place must have looked covered in ash?

Jokulsarlon Glacier with black ash

We got really lucky with the weather with sun shining brightly during our tour. Many of the photos I’ve seen here have been foggy and overcast.

This was the major portion of the glacier that just seemed to indefinitely go on inland. Our guide told us that the glacier is reduced by 100 meters each year due to global warming.

Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon Iceland

We heard parts of it calving or when an ice chunk falls off from the glacier. We’ve seen glacier calving during our Alaska cruises but have never been this close to the glacier. Luckily, we got to witness a couple of glacier calving but were too slow to capture it on film.

Throughout our tour, our guide was on the lookout for seals around the lagoon. Wildlife spotting is a popular wish list on these tours. We had some wrong guesses and letdowns when we thought it was a seal on an ice but was actually just big black patch.

But, our patience paid off and we finally saw this adorable seal sunbathing. That seal looked up momentarily at all the tourists taking its picture and ignored us the rest of the time. Unfortunately, that was the only seal we saw during that tour.

Seal at Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon

Considering we were surrounded by thousands of ice chunks, our tour guide picked out a decent size from the lagoon. You can tell from that smile my son was really happy to be the chosen one to hold that transparent ice.

Our guide then proceeded to break little pieces from it and handed to each of us to suck on. It was definitely a memorable experience and very refreshing to taste a thousand year old ice.

Jokulsarlon Glacier lagoon with kids ice break

This was how we looked on our Zodiac boat cruising around the lagoon. The other group went in the other direction so we were glad we had many areas to ourselves during this tour.

The Zodiac’s small size really allowed us to get up close to the glacier and the large icebergs as we safely could. We were also able to cover a larger area of the lagoon compared to the other boat tour for the same thirty minute duration.

Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon Zodiac tour

The shoreline, road and bridge from our boat gives an idea of what is on the other side of this glacier lagoon.

Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon shore

Walk the shore after the tour to see the chunks floating and some breaking off as they crashed to each other. This is sort of their holding area before they float to the ocean across the road. There were also plenty of birds here, like the Arctic terns, that were fascinating to watch.

Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon with kids

We highly recommend crossing the road to the beach area. It is a black sand beach and quite expansive for a stroll. It’s called Diamond Beach since some of the ice on the shore looks like diamonds glistening under the sun.

This was a great place to see the icebergs wash up on the beach or float to the ocean as the tide pulls them. There were no icebergs at the shore during our visit.

Diamond Beach Iceland

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon offered an incredible scenery and an unforgettable experience. Every visit here will never be the same since the icebergs are constantly moving and glacier ice is always breaking off.

Visiting the lagoon and doing the Zodiac Boat tour was one of the highlights of our Iceland trip. If you are planning a trip in the southeast Iceland area, this is a must see attraction and it’s easily accessible.

Jokulsarlon Glacier lagoon

Tips for Visiting Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon and doing the Zodiac Tour

  • Reserve as early as possible on their website. Space is very limited on the Zodiac tours and they’re on a fixed schedule. No advance reservations are needed for the amphibian boat tours unless your group has over 12 people or you want a specific time slot.
  • The Zodiac tours operate between June and September. Check-in is 30 minutes before departure to allow enough time to put on the flotation suits. The amphibian boat tours operate between April and October.
  • Zodiac Tour Prices (as of March 2017) – Adults 13+ 9500 ISK ($86 US); Children (10-12 years old) 5000 ISK ($45 US)
  • Amphibian Boat Tour Prices – Adults 13+ 5500 ISK ($50 US); Children (6-12 years old) 2000 ISK ($18 US); Children under 6 years old are free.
  • Children must be 10 years old or over 130 cm (4’3″) in height to go on the Zodiac tour.
  • Layer up. It was still quite cold during our trip in late June.
  • Bring and wear gloves and something to cover your head but nothing that will fly away. Beanie hats were ideal.
  • Use the restrooms before putting on the flotation suits. They’re located inside the cafe.
  • There is a souvenir shop and cafe on site with good soup and it is open all year.
  • Some day tours from Reykjavik are offered. It makes for a very long road trip. I really don’t recommend a day trip here from the city unless you have no choice. There’s so much to the area it requires a road trip for a few days in your own rental car.

Have you visited Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon?


Where to Stay in Reykjavik

Click on hotel links for the latest prices

  • Hotel Berg in Keflavik – We stayed at this small, family-owned hotel during our first visit and loved it. It’s close to the airport (2 miles), by the marina and offers free Wi-fi and airport transfer. We had a split-level suite which fit our family comfortably.
  • Hilton Reykjavik Nordica – This hotel is located in the city and within walking distance of the center but shuttle buses are also provided. If you want the comforts of a modern hotel, this has it with buffet breakfast and Executive Lounge for Hilton Honors Gold and Diamond members. A couple of friends have stayed here and recommend it.
  • Hlemmur Apartments– We loved this spacious, two bedroom apartment located within walking distance to Reykjavik’s city center. It looked like an IKEA showroom, It was clean, well-equipped and furnished well with all the amenities we needed for our stay. It had free WI-fi and the owners were friendly. 

Check out these other South Iceland tours!

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JOKULSARLON GLACIER LAGOON Iceland

21 thoughts on “Zodiac Boat Tour on Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon Iceland”

  1. Absolutely AMAZING! Pinned! I’m constantly dreaming of Iceland and every time I read something from you, my Iceland to-do list gets longer! #wkendtravelinspiration

  2. What can I say? This is an incredible place! I would chose to explore using the Zodiac too. Seems like you will be able to get closer to the ice chunks (what a bad way to describe those). I am going to Iceland on May but only for three days (two and a half really). It is going to be a short layover and I do not think we will be able to make it to this lagoon. For this particular trip, we’ll do the capital, the Golden Circle and the waterfalls in the south. #TPThursday

    1. How neat that you’ll finally get to Iceland even for a short time. The Golden Circle and the city are still worth the trip as well as the waterfalls. You’re going to have so much fun.

  3. These pictures are incredible. What an amazing trip. How long did the tour take? I haven’t been to Iceland so this is pinned for future visit, it looks awesome. I’m going to have a browse on your blog for Iceland itinerary. #Wkendtravelinspiration

  4. It’s true. Once upon a time a visit to Iceland would seem unachievable but now it’s getting close to mainstream. I think it will always have an allure for me. I’m not sure if we’ll ever get there but I hope so. I love the blue ice and would love to walk the shore after the boat ride.

  5. Glaciers are fascinating, aren’t they? I’ve stepped on one for the first time in my life one year ago and I’ll never forget the experience. It seems that your Zodiac tour was even better. I’d love to try that too.

  6. I so want to go to Iceland and when I go this is definitely on my list. I really want to see a glacier close up. I pinned for future reference. Thanks for sharing on #TheWeeklyPostcard.

  7. We loved our road trip around Iceland so much that we’re already thinking of a return trip. We took the amphibious tour and enjoyed it, even though we didn’t get too far from the beach. The zodiac looked like the better way to go for sure.Thanks for the inspiration; see you next week! #wkendtravelinspiration

  8. We’re headed to Iceland soon, so I’m devouring anything inspiring Iceland we can find! Thank you for sharing photography from an inspiring trip. Cheers!

  9. a glacier lagoon sounds cold. and this looks cold! It really is beautiful but i bet you were happy to have all that gear on!

  10. This zodiac tour is definitely on my list for when we eventually go to Iceland. I like that they get you so close to the glaciers. Your photos are fantastic. I could almost feel the cold ice just looking at them. (Good tip about using the bathroom before getting all suited up. I’ll have to remember that.)

  11. What beautiful photos! And great subtitles to give so much context as well. Thanks so much! I’ve been trying to work out if we should take the cheaper amphibian boat or the Zodiac… I think this post has decided it for us – Zodiac, it is! May I ask what type of camera you took out with you? I have a good DSLR but is the trip a bit too wet to take that with you?

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