Published on Nov, 2024
My husband and I went on the "demanding" glacier hike and ice cave tour (also called "Only the Brave" on Icelandia's site) near the end of October, and it was definitively the highlight of our 10-day ring road trip. Our guide, Mark, was incredibly knowledgeable, kind, and helpful. He works for search and rescue as well, so I felt very safe with him around. Agust also drove us there and talked with us beforehand, and he was also really nice and helpful! There were only 2 other couples on the tour, and the small group size was a real benefit. We could see many of the shorter trips elsewhere on the glacier at the beginning, and the large group sizes did not look appealing at all. We moved quickly across the glacier, but the hike shouldn't be too strenuous if you are relatively fit/active. Mark was really kind to stop and help us get photographs, and he was frequently taking photographs and expressing how cool it was right alongside us. He pointed out lots of interesting features and explained their significance too. The weather was perfect that day, so we were able to go into the cave, which was a perfect middle point. I'd recommend you bring some snacks or even a small lunch for that point. We had some granola bars in our backpack, but wish we had brought slightly more snacks. The whole hike was amazing, and Mark was a fantastic guide. I can't recommend it enough.
