Family Rafting Day Trip from Hafgrímsstaðir: Grade 2 White Water Rafting on the West Glacial River
5.0
283 Ratings
Varmahlíð
The West Glacial River, with its mild whitewater, breathtaking landscapes, and geothermal hot springs along its banks, provides an exceptional venue for paddling enthusiasts of every age group! Traverse the magnificent glacial gorges by floating and discover the unexplored parts of Iceland, inaccessible by motorized vehicles or on foot.
Duration:
3 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Viking Rafting - This afternoon family-friendly adventure delivers an unforgettable, hands-on journey into the untamed beauty of northern Iceland’s river wilderness.
Make your way to the rafting base in Hafgrímsstaðir where your adventure starts. Begin by meeting your international team of guides at the river base, where you will get prepared and dressed in drysuits for your trip. From there, the rafting bus will take you on the short road to the put-in point for the raft at the West Glacial River. After a full explanation, demonstration, and training with your guides, push off from the river bank for a 90-minute, 10km descent of gentle rapids, spectacular scenery, and riverside hot springs. Conditions permitting, boost your excitement with a friendly cliff jump and a swim in the bubbling glacial waters of northern Iceland.
Along the way, enjoy a steaming cup of hot cocoa made directly with natural hot water from a riverside hot spring!
What's Included
- Experienced rafting guides and safety kayakers
- Riverside hot refreshments
- Transport to and from the river
- Complete rafting gear provided
What's Not Included
- Food and drinks, unless specified
- Transportation to rafting base from Akureyri/Reykjavik
- Gratuities
Additional Information
- Minimum age: 6
- Recommended items to bring with you: Thermal underwear/base layers, warm fleece top/wool sweater, fleece pants/extra long johns, thick wool socks/hiking socks (at least 1 pair), change of clothes for after the river, any necessary medications (asthma inhalers, etc.), waterproof camera (optional)
Location
Viking Rafting
Hafgrímsstaðir
We are located 15km south of Varmahlíð on Road #752. We are on your LEFT just after crossing a little bridge over a river.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(283 Ratings)
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Susan
Sep 17, 2023
Must do in Iceland - From the moment you arrive, top notch facilities, staff and location. Maude is an excellent guide. Best day on the Ring Road.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Y3314accynthiac
Sep 8, 2023
They take their fun seriously! - The best organized excursion I’ve ever been on. The logistics, instructions, and personnel are top notch. We had so much fun with Benji our guide and Hunter our spotter (and Gabriel our driver!). It was educational, exhilarating and 100% safe. We had so much fun - the paddling, floating in the river, hot chocolate from a hot spring and cliff jumping are beyond words. It was the best part of our 10 day Iceland trip. Benji and the crew are hysterical. Definitely worth it. I wish we could do it again today!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Navigator14483859247
Sep 6, 2023
Fun family adventure! - I would have liked to do the Class 4 river (but kids under 18 are not allowed) so I booked the family-friendly trip instead down a Class 2+ section of the Glacier River for my family, including my 80+ year old parents and my adolescent boys, and was not disappointed! It was a blast - the whole team very friendly, humorous, professional, qualified, and super understanding and helpful with my parents. We all got outfitted with dry suits, were given a safety briefing, told the commands and how to sit/behave on the raft, and were treated to not only stunning scenery and a fun river ride, but some nice surprises as well - hot chocolate out of a natural warm hot spring riverside and jumping off a cliff into the ice cold water, which my two sons eagerly did! Dreaming of coming back again in a few years to do the other arm of the Glacier River!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
R7000ltankeh
Sep 5, 2023
Big smile on our faces! - It was such an amazing tour for us and our kids! Benji was a great captain, and we had a lot of fun! We would do it again! Big smile on our faces😊
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L1881gkmattd
Sep 4, 2023
Gentle rapids make for a great day - A great day on the river with professional and friendly guides. Would love to come back another time for the grade 4 for a bit of an adrenaline rush. If you want to get wet, ask to sit at the front of the boat (or take up the option of going for a river swim).
Review provided by Tripadvisor
572adairs
Sep 3, 2023
Great way to experience Iceland’s nature! - Had an amazing trip rafting though a beautiful canyon! We really liked the stop for hot chocolate from a geothermal spring. We went as a couple because we wanted a shorter, less intense experience and really enjoyed it. The food was also very good and I would highly recommend getting lunch or dinner from them when you get off the river. I was expecting soup and bread but it ended up being a full meal with local ingredients that tasted better than some of the restaurants we went to in Iceland. Highly recommend this rafting trip!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Heatherg258
Sep 1, 2023
Rafting on a glacier river - Iceland at its finest - Benjamin was our guide, and the second boat was guided by Maude. Roshan took some awesome photos, too. The whole team was a group of fun-loving people that I was lucky to spend a few hours with. Our boat was adventure-seeking, and we unanimously requested to add a few bonus activities to our rafting - I highly recommend this for anyone debating between the higher-intensity rafting trip and this one. We ended up in the water 3 separate times (on purpose), and also got to jump in from a 3-4 m cliff. The guides taught us all we needed to know for safety and confidence while we were out on the water. They also provided a dry suit and neoprene shoes, gloves, and hats. Based on the weather each day they also give recommendations for how many layers to wear underneath. During a brief stop along the water we made hot chocolate with fresh steaming-warm water that was running alongside the river. I would absolutely recommend this experience to anyone, and I hope they are able to keep the rivers open and clear for future adventurers without industry taking them over.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Hylkjeb2021
Aug 23, 2023
Lovely people, amazing views - We loved the experience! It was my friends and mine first time rafting, and our guide Amy was amazing 🥰. Beautiful landscape and fun surprises along the trip. We also had our photos taken on the river by their photographer Benji, and we love them ✨. Also the drive to and from the river was smooth thanks to the driver Gabriel 🫶
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Loves2cplaces
Aug 20, 2023
Fun River Rafting Trip for most anyone! - Fun afternoon on an active level 2 river. Dillion was an excellent guide - the best we’ve ever been out with. All of the team were friendly and knew what they were doing. We were grateful for the dry suits that provided wind protection as well as kept us dry during the 1.5 hours on the river. I recommend giving this a try while in Northern Iceland. It was fun and there are two surprise experiences along the way.
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Roving38086313455
Aug 18, 2023
An incredible experience! - We enjoyed it so much, we came back the next day to raft the East side. Amy did a great job leading our expedition. She gave clear, specific directions to ensure everyone had a safe and fun time. Pablo was our boat captain and we had a pleasant trip down the river as he pointed out different interesting facts about the river and canyon. We're so glad we signed up for the photos as Dylan did a great job capturing some special moments. And we are grateful to Gabriel for safely transporting us to and from the base. This is a great experience for families and a professional and friendly operation.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
