I booked this trip as a last minute replacement to another tour that was cancelled last minute due to weather conditions.
Logistics:
I booked this trip with a departure and drop off point inside Reykjavik. The pickup and drop off is with a modified van (See photo), which is good if you’re traveling in winter on difficult conditions (wind, snow, ice, etc) since you will have to cross the volcano range to the east of Reykjavik to reach Vik, where the tour actually commences. The roads on this crossing can get very bad with wind blown snow and ice, winds are also very high here. Most tours manage the Reykjavik to Vik transfer with a Mercedes Benz Sprinter bus that has regular snow tires. If conditions are bad, then most companies will cancel tours for those staying in Reykjavik but still operate tours for those already in Vik.
The Good:
Our tour guide was James, he was very knowledgeable about the glacier and the region in general. Very safety conscious but still gives you enough room to make it an adventure. You can tell he is very enthusiastic about nature and the Icelandic outdoors. He was very patient with the group and generous with the time he gave us at each stop. It was more of a “go at your own pace” rather than a “15 minutes in and out” type of tour. We got to see everything we wanted.
Regarding the glacier walk, tours are timed so that each group arrives at the glacier around the time the group before is leaving, so you essentially have the area to yourself (your tour group) for the time you’re there. This was in the low season in Feb/Mar, so I’m not sure about other times of the year.
The region around Vik is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen and I would definitely recommend anyone staying in Iceland to find a guide to show you the area.
The Bad: absolutely none!
