East Glacial River: Iceland's Wildest Rapids

Experience the thrill of Grade 4 white water rafting on the East Glacial River in Iceland. Explore breathtaking scenery and conquer exciting rapids on this remote and unforgettable day trip.

Duration: 6 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Hafgrímsstaðir - In one word… AWESOME!
    The East Glacial River Gorge (Jökulsá-Austari) is the setting for our most action-packed and exciting rafting day tour. With spectacular deep canyon scenery and relentless heart-pumping whitewater, the East has been consistently rated one of Europe’s best rafting rivers and has topped popular guide books’…
What's Included
  • Transportation between the rafting base and the river
  • Riverside refreshments
  • Transport from Akureyri (only if option selected at time of booking)
  • International rafting federation Qualified, professional raft guides and safety kayakers
  • All rafting equipment: DRYSUIT, PFD, helmet, Skull cap, booties, gloves
What's Not Included
  • Additional food and drinks, unless specified
  • Gratuities
  • Private transportation
Additional Information

Prepare to tackle Iceland’s most thrilling whitewater adventure. The East Glacial River offers more than just a rafting trip; it’s Iceland’s ultimate river escapade! Featuring exhilarating Grade 4/4+ rapids, breathtaking canyon vistas, and pure, unforgettable excitement. No prior experience? No worries. Our friendly, top-notch guides will teach you…

Location
Viking Rafting
Hafgrímsstaðir
You’ll find us just 15 km south of Varmahlíð on Road #752—on your left right after crossing a small bridge over a river. Cruise ship adventurers: If our departure time doesn’t line up with your schedule, contact us. We’ll do our best to make it work for you.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(439 Ratings)
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Yimr2025
Oct 6, 2025
Viking Rafting Adventure with Saurav: Fun, Professional, and Cozy Experience - Our family had an amazing Viking rafting experience on 22 Sep 2025, guided by Saurav. He was very professional and knowledgeable throughout the trip, making us feel safe and engaged. The rafting route was lots of fun, perfectly balancing excitement with beautiful scenery. We also loved the snacks provided—especially the hot chocolate, which was delicious and warming! It was really thoughtful that they gave us extra clothing to keep cozy in the chilly weather. Highly recommend this adventure for anyone looking for a memorable and well-organized rafting experience! — Chan Family
Review provided by Tripadvisor
_l_f_rra2022
Oct 3, 2025
River thrills and fabulous team! - What a great day! The thrill of the river and the beauty of the surroundings in their autumn colours was multiplied by the professionalism and cheerfulness of the great guide team. Thank you Anup, Hari, Gustavo, Saurav & The Viking Rafting Team for one of the best days ever :)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rsawh78298
Sep 26, 2025
Iceland- My top Tourist suggestion - Having visited over 75 countries, I will list Iceland as a top tourist destination. Every traveler have their own preference so these are my Pros and Cons for your considerations if Iceland is on your bucket list. Pros: 1. Very Tourist friendly. It is the largest revenue generator. With a total population of 400,000 they welcome over 4 million visitors annually. 2. Unique geography- You get to see Volcanos, Ice Glaciers, Black Sand Beaches, Northern lights, Warm Lagoons, Plenty of beautiful Waterfalls and Canyons 3. Very safe country and you need not to worry about getting mugged or robbed. 4. No language issue as just about everyone speaks English. Reading Icelandic road names is difficult though. 5. Nice and clean cities, sparsely populated country-side with amazing landscapes. Cons: 1. Very expensive - Hotels, Food and Taxis but worth it if you can afford. 2. You must be in good health and good physical stamina as you will expect lot of hiking and climbing stairs when visiting Waterfalls and Canyons. 3. Cold climate with lot of wind and rain. Hope this helps fellow travelers. Bon Voyage !!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sallysv8603jl
Sep 24, 2025
Awesome, Unforgettable Bucketlist Ecperience - This was an awesome, unforgettable, bucket list experience. The staff promises a rip roaring ride, but safety is their top priority. If they can keep a 66 year old lady who has absolutely no rafting experience secure and happy, they’ll make sure you have a wonderful and safe ride too. Although the whole team was great, Hari was exceptional. Also really enjoyed having Bhalu along for the ride. So glad I went and hope to go again!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Road50623931169
Sep 24, 2025
Highlight of our trip! - FANTASTIC! The team was interactive, highly informative, helpful and fun to be around! We felt prepared and ready! And lunch- wow! We will be back!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
S4752glnickg
Sep 24, 2025
Great time !! - We went rafting today and had an amazing time. 10/10 - Hari especially made our trip so memorable, what a legend. Thanks team for a brilliant day!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kaylacy4944fd
Sep 16, 2025
Super fun adventure - Had the best time with the Viking Rafting crew. I felt completely safe while the adrenaline was pumping. The whole team made the experience fun but a special shout out to Hari, our guide. Hari kept things lighthearted while prioritizing everyone’s safety. Awesome job team!!!! Would recommend this tour to anybody who likes a little adventure :)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kimwbiloveholidays
Sep 12, 2025
If you want a (safe) adrenaline rush in beautiful surroundings, this is for you . . . - What a fabulous experience :) A warm welcome on arrival, a very clear but engaging safety briefing, the equipment all seemed to be in very good condition. A drysuit that kept you very dry, nice hot chocolate and waffles for halfway through the trip. And best of all, a lovely team of obviously very knowledgeable and experiences guides, delivering the trip. Thanks Hari and everyone for a day to remember forever.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lexi
Sep 1, 2025
10/10 Extreme River Tour was Awesome - We went rafting with our guide Adam. He was amazing. After having gone rafting in the south of Iceland, going here with Viking in the north was way more exciting of a time. If you’re looking for fun and adrenaline definitely do the extreme option not the family river
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ulrikbirch
Aug 30, 2025
Fantastic experience. - Fantastic rafting trip today, a lot of fun, beautiful scenery, high quality equipment, and most importantly great and friendly guides (Hunter, Anub, Harri & Sourav) who provided a great atmosphere with focus on fun and safety.
Review provided by Tripadvisor