Rafting near Akureyri

6 min read Updated October 2026 Compare all tours

There is no rafting trip from Akureyri itself. The trips on this page start from bases in Skagafjörður, the large valley west of the town, and none of them includes a pickup in Akureyri. Varmahlíð, the village under which the Viking Rafting trips are listed, is about 95 km from the town centre, or roughly 1 hour 25 minutes by car without stops. Add time for parking and changing, and a half-day trip becomes most of a day away from town.

Once you are at the base, the operator takes over. Transport between the base and the put-in on the river is part of every trip, and the bus picks you up again at the end. Our page on getting around North Iceland covers car hire and the roads.

West Glacial or East Glacial

Visit North Iceland lists two glacial rivers in Skagafjörður for rafting: the Jökulsá Vestari, or West Glacial River, at class 2, and the Jökulsá Austari, the East Glacial River, at class 4. The shorter trips run on the West Glacial River. Viking Rafting describes its family trip as a gentle tour through canyon landscapes, with steaming hot springs along the riverbank, for anyone from a first-time rafter to a whole family. It lasts 3.5 hours and takes children from 6 years. Bakkaflöt runs its own West Glacial trip of 3 hours. On the way down there is hot chocolate drawn straight from a geothermal spring, and afterwards a bus takes you the short way back to the base, where the hot tubs are included.

The Bakkaflöt trip has "Family" in its title, yet the operator only accepts rafters from 12 years. For a family with younger children, the Viking Rafting trip is the only option in the comparison.

The East Glacial River is the serious day out. The Viking Rafting drysuit trip takes six hours and runs grade IV rapids, with guides certified by the International Rafting Federation and safety kayakers on the water. Bakkaflöt's East Glacial trip lasts 5 hours and is for adults from 18 only. Depending on the water level, the group stops for cliff jumping on the way. At the take-out a bus waits with bowls of traditional Icelandic meat soup, followed by a 20-minute ride back to the base and a hot tub.

Drysuits and what the price covers

Viking Rafting puts everyone in a drysuit, also on the family trip, and adds a buoyancy aid, a helmet, booties and gloves. Thermal underwear or base layers appear in the operator's notes for the East Glacial trip. Refreshments on the riverbank are included. Lunch or dinner is not, so on the six-hour East Glacial day you should eat well before the drive or bring something with you.

At Bakkaflöt the extras are different: hot chocolate in the river on the West Glacial trip, meat soup on the East Glacial trip, and entry to the hot tubs at the base afterwards. That makes the end of the day warmer, which counts in a region where the weather changes fast. Visit North Iceland advises layers and a waterproof jacket even in summer. Our page on what to wear in North Iceland has the details.

Some health limits apply. The Viking Rafting family trip is not suitable for pregnant women or people with heart problems. Read the tour page before you book if either applies to someone in your group.

Which trip suits your group

With children under 12, the choice is made for you: only the Viking Rafting family trip takes them, from 6 years. Teenagers from 12 can also join the Bakkaflöt West Glacial trip, which is half an hour shorter and ends with hot tubs at the base. Adults who want proper whitewater pick the East Glacial River, either the six-hour drysuit day with Viking Rafting or the five-hour Bakkaflöt trip with soup at the end and an age limit of 18.

Count the whole day, not only the time on the water. With the drive of about 1 hour 25 minutes each way, a 3.5-hour family trip keeps you out for well over six hours, and the East Glacial trips for most of a long day. Drivers should keep some energy for the road back to Akureyri.

When the rafting season runs

None of the tour pages and neither of the operators' listings with Visit North Iceland gives fixed season dates. Check the available dates on the tour page before you plan a trip around it.

Water levels change through the summer. Bakkaflöt mentions that the cliff-jumping stop on its East Glacial trip depends on them, so it may not happen on every day.

Languages and cancellation

All rafting trips here are guided in English, and the Viking Rafting East Glacial trip also in Icelandic. You can cancel each of them up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. Autumn storms do reach North Iceland, so check the road conditions on umferdin.is before the drive west.

Making a day of it in Skagafjörður

Because the drive is long, it makes sense to combine rafting with something else in the valley. Hestasport has its reception on road 752 in Varmahlíð and runs rides along the Svartá river to the Reykjafoss waterfall, from a 30-minute short ride to a private three-hour tour. A morning on the West Glacial River and an afternoon on an Icelandic horse fit into one day; see our page on horse riding near Akureyri.

Bakkaflöt also runs a 90-minute kayak trip on the quiet Svartá river, with the hot tubs afterwards. It is listed with other outdoor activities on our page on zipline and adventure tours. Families who want something closer to town will find more ideas on Akureyri with kids.