Quick Details
Styggevatnet (1,200m above sea level) is covered by snow from winter until early to mid-July. It is then the adventure begins as we kayak over the lake and hike atop the Austdalsbreen glacier! We start trips on Styggevatnet, Jostedal, in early July (hopefully 11 July), and run them until the end of September.
Once the lake has defrosted, we begin the kayaking tours. It is about one and a half hours paddling over to Austdalsbreen (glacier) with its 30m-high front that calves towers of ice into the lake. On the way, we look for icebergs that have calved off the glacier in the days before. We stop for some lunch once we get to the glacier, enjoying the view across the front of the calving glacier.
We start the glacier hike on the blue ice at the glacier front, walking around huge crevasses toward the centre of the glacier for a commanding view over the lake and the Jostedalsbreen National Park. We spend about one and a half to two hours on the glacier, exploring and explaining various features of this natural marvel. After the glacier tour, we walk back to the kayaks for our return to civilisation…All good things must come to an end.
For young families, we would recommend our purpose-designed Motorboat & Glacier Tour, where you go to the same places as the kayak and glacier tour, but use a motorboat instead, meaning a shorter, easier trip that is more in line with children. If you are worried about your child on the glacier, you shouldn’t be, it’s usually the parents we are waiting for!
Book your Norwegian glacier hike and kayak trip today!
Warm hat and gloves, warm clothing including a rain jacket, camera, drink bottle, sunglasses, food/a snack, good shoes (running shoes are possible, but not so comfortable on the glacier).
Woolen under layers, waterproof trousers, sun hat, good walking shoes/boots (but don’t buy especially for this tour).
All boating and glacier equipment, and glacier information.
The Breheimsenter, Jostedal, on road 604.
Jostedal Hotel: [email protected] or call +47 5768 3119
Jostedal Camping: [email protected] or call +47 9775 6789
If you are on public transport (bus) we can wait for the Glacier Bus to arrive, but recommend you stay in Jostedal after the tour, so we don’t rush for the bus that leaves Jostedal in the evening! You need to tell us you are on a bus if you want us to wait.