Jökulsárlón boat season 2027

When does the 2026 boat season end at Jökulsárlón?

The amphibian boats run until about 15 November 2026. The zodiacs run May to October only, so they have already stopped for the year.

The operator's own site, icelagoon.is, lists the amphibian season as May to November and the zodiac season as May to October. Its tour hours for October to 15 November are 10:00 to 17:00, and the last amphibian boat leaves about an hour before closing. In practice that means a last departure around 16:00.

Late-season trips are quieter than July, when the operator runs about 40 amphibian trips a day. They are also colder and shorter on light: by 15 November the sun sets at Jökulsárlón just after 16:00. If you are on a day trip from Reykjavík, you arrive in the early afternoon, which still works. A storm can stop the boats on any given day, so treat a November booking as likely, not certain.

What can you do at Jökulsárlón in winter without the boats?

Walk the shore, see the icebergs and seals, cross to Diamond Beach, and book an ice cave tour or a glacier hike that starts at the lagoon.

The icebergs do not leave when the boats do. The lagoon is open all year, Route 1 runs right past it, and seals gather here in large numbers in winter. Diamond Beach, across the road, usually has ice on the black sand in every season. The café keeps shorter winter hours: 09:00 to 17:00 from November to February, closed 24 to 26 December and 31 December to 2 January (icelagoon.is).

The winter activity on the ice is the cave tour. The 3-hour ice cave tour meets at the main car park and drives out by super jeep; our post on the 2026-27 ice cave season has the dates and the rules. The Breiðamerkurjökull glacier hike also starts at the lagoon café. Day trips from Reykjavík keep running all winter, without the boat option.

Self-drivers pay the national park's area fee at the car park: ISK 1,110 a day for a car with five seats or fewer, on the current (Vatnajökull National Park price list). The park closed the main car park from 2 to 7 October 2026 for construction works; it is open again.

When do the amphibian and zodiac boats restart in 2027?

In May 2027. The operator gives the season as May to November for the amphibian and May to October for the zodiac, with May hours of 10:00 to 17:00.

As of 15 October 2026, Jökulsárlón ehf had not published an exact first day for 2027. The pattern has been the same for years: boats back on the water in May, the longest hours from June to September, and a slow wind-down in autumn. Some resellers quote 15 May as the amphibian start, while the operator itself just says May. If your trip falls in the first half of May, check the booking calendar on icelagoon.is before you plan the day around it.

The lagoon can hold a lot of loose ice in spring. That does not stop the amphibian, which drives in from the shore, but it can shape where the boats go. The zodiac needs open water to reach the glacier front, so May is its less reliable month.

How much do the Jökulsárlón boat tours cost, and will prices change in 2027?

In 2026 the amphibian costs ISK 7,100 per adult and the zodiac ISK 16,600. The operator had not announced 2027 prices as of 15 October 2026.

These are the prices when you buy direct from the operator. Children 0 to 5 ride the amphibian free. The zodiac takes no one under 10, and everyone must be at least 130 cm tall. Groups of 12 or more get the amphibian at ISK 6,800 a head.

Iceland's prices tend to move up a little each season, so budget a small rise for 2027 and check the operator's page in spring. Buying online before you arrive is the operator's own advice for summer. On a day trip you can usually add the amphibian through your guide, which saves the queue. Our price guide compares this with the cost of the tours.

Which day trips from Reykjavík include the boat ride?

Only one on this site: the Reykjavik Excursions tour with the boat, at $328. The others sell it as an optional extra, and only in boat season.

South Iceland and Glacier Lagoon with Boat Tour includes an approximately 30-minute boat tour inside its 1 hour 20 minutes at the lagoon. It is the same 14.5-hour day as the flagship day trip ($185), which leaves the boat out. On the two-day small-group tour the boat is included "if option selected". BusTravel Iceland, Gateway to Iceland and Gray Line give you one hour at the lagoon and treat the boat as an add-on or leave it out.

Our advice: from mid-November to April, check the date picker on any listing that leads with the boat, because no boat runs then. From May to early November, if the boat is the point of your trip, book the version that includes it. Adding it on the day eats a big slice of a one-hour stop. The boat tour guide compares the amphibian and the zodiac.

The one day trip with the boat ride built in: about 30 minutes among the icebergs, then Diamond Beach. Book it for May to mid-November.

★ 4.7 · 14.5 hours · from $328

Explore the day trip with the boat tour → Tour details

What is the best month for a boat ride in 2027?

June or September. Long opening hours, both boats running, and fewer people than July and August.

June to September has the longest tour hours, 09:00 to 19:00, which gives a self-driver room to arrive early or late and dodge the coach rush around midday. July and August are the busiest, with an amphibian leaving roughly every 20 minutes. September brings darker evenings and the first chance of northern lights over the lagoon after dark; our northern lights outlook covers that side.

May and October are fine for the amphibian but have shorter hours, and the zodiac is at the edges of its season. Late October to mid-November is amphibian only. Dress for wind on the water in any month: what to wear has the list.

Frequently asked questions