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.
The East Glacial River (Austari Jökulsá) is Iceland's signature Grade 4+ rafting trip – 18 km of big, powerful rapids born under the Hofsjökull glacier, running through a deep basalt canyon in North Iceland's highlands. No roads, no crowds, no phone signal. Just you, your crew, and the river.
You don't need rafting experience, just decent fitness and the will to paddle hard. Every trip runs with professional safety kayakers alongside the rafts, guided by an internationally certified team with decades on this river. You get a full safety briefing, a premium DRYSUIT, and all the gear to stay warm in glacial water. Cold river, warm rafters.
Rated one of Iceland's top adventure experiences and a TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice winner. If you do one adrenaline activity in Iceland, do this one.
Tour Options
Rafting Tour
6 hour rafting trip (3 hours on the water) on the East Glacial River, through exciting rapids and mind-blowing scenery down one of Europe's top rated rafting rivers.
Rafting Tour with Transfers
Grade 4+ whitewater rafting trip on the East Glacial River with pickup and drop-off from Akureyri (pickup outside Akureyri Backpackers, Hafnarstræti 98).
Itinerary
360 min
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’ lists of "must-do's" in Iceland. One of the most remote single-day rafting trips on the planet, this whitewater adventure delivers an unforgettable journey into the untamed beauty of Iceland’s river wilderness. Combine that with a dose of adrenaline strong enough to satisfy the most powerful of cravings. For those traveling to Iceland with a thirst for adventure, this is a day tour not to be missed!
Highlights
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 included
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
Not included
Additional food and drinks, unless specified
Gratuities
Private transportation
Traveller Ratings
5.0
481 reviews
5
477
4
2
3
1
2
1
1
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Important Information
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Minimum age is 18—but if you're underage and still dreaming of this trip, get in touch. We'll see what’s possible))
Recommended items to bring: thermal underwear/base layers, warm fleece top/wool sweater, fleece pants/extra long johns, thick wool socks/hiking socks, change of clothes for after the river, any necessary medications (asthma inhalers, etc.) and waterproof camera (optional)
Minimum numbers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there is not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund
Frequently asked questions
How long does Iceland's #1 Grade 4 Rafting – Glacial Canyon & Drysuits take?
Iceland's #1 Grade 4 Rafting – Glacial Canyon & Drysuits lasts about 6 hours. The itinerary has 1 stop.
How much does Iceland's #1 Grade 4 Rafting – Glacial Canyon & Drysuits cost?
Prices start at $266 per person for this Akureyri experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There are 2 booking options, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
Can I cancel Iceland's #1 Grade 4 Rafting – Glacial Canyon & Drysuits for free?
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
Where does the tour start?
The meeting point is 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.. Hotel pickup is not part of this experience.
What languages is Iceland's #1 Grade 4 Rafting – Glacial Canyon & Drysuits offered in?
The experience is available in EN.
Is this a private or a group tour?
It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 34 participants.
Travellers rate it 5.0 out of 5 across 481 verified reviews; it is run by Viking Rafting. Most-mentioned highlights: Transportation between the rafting base and the river; Riverside refreshments; Transport from Akureyri (only if option selected at time of booking).
Reviews(481)
K
K4486KTstephanies
September 7, 2026
Incredible rafting
We did the action rafting. I’ve never done class 4, but Hari and the team from Nepal were total professionals. We just followed their instructions and had the best rafting day of our lives! The kayak safety team and unflagging calm of Hari and the team helped me overcome a few nerves so that we could just have fun. Bhalu (the dog) was a joyful addition to our day. The dining team at camp fed us a hearty and delicious lunch on our return. I can’t recommend this highly enough!
D
Duney29
September 5, 2026
Hot fun in cold waters
What a great trip! Did the Eazt River with our fantastic guide Saurav and his awesome crew, Mike on the wheel, Amit in the safety kayak (thanks for taking me back to the raft after I got ejected) and Sean with the camera. Spectacular pictures, thanks. It certainly was one of the best rafting trips I ever did and the glacial water was more refreshing than chilling. Thanks for pushing us but keeping us safe.
Klaus
X
X5909SXgabriellas
September 4, 2026
🙏
Thank you Viking Rafting for this memorable experience with you…again.
Anup, धन्यवाद dai for your hospitality. You run a great business here with an amazing team. Well done.
Camino, gracias hermana for your fresh energies. You are just as great behind the reception desk as in leading the boat at the back.
Mike, ευχαριστώ αδερφέ for being the best driver who always finds the right beats to put on during the drive. The Stand High Patrol yesterday morning was one of the top moments of my day! And that’s my song recommendation to make the entire experience complete: https://youtu.be/XA-UHysrebk?is=0PlrvrfbBQkVhFWD
Sean, thank you for your calm confidence. Tho we haven’t been in the same boat yet, it’s always assuring to see you around.
Hari, धन्यवाद भाइ for your steadiness, you’re a rock. I’ve been lucky enough to have you as guide at both of my experience at Viking. You’re simply the best and always fun.
Boat crew, thank you, תודה for sharing this experience.
Tony, ευχαριστώ αδερφέ for being the best shopping mate.
Thank you Bhalu, you’re absolutely the coolest dog!
And great respect for the rest of crew too to secure us and taking amazing photoshots. धन्यवाद भाइहरू
Iceland, takk fyrir for providing this epic sorroundings and rapids and for intensifying us Nature’s energies.
Köszönöm🙏
Mettā, Ganga
V
Venture630778
September 3, 2026
A super fun day!
What a fun day! This was planned to be our 1st adventure on Iceland and we were really looking forward to it. Because of cancellations, we needed to push one day out but it was easy to do so. Camino reached out to us by email and phone to advise us and offer alternative dates.
We ended up camping (in a rented campervan) 2 days at their Basecamp. Their Basecamp is a fun place to chill at! We did end up buying coffee and beer and eating/chilling inside as well as using the showers. You can also order meals (looked delicious!).
Whitewater action was fun and everything we hoped for. Anup was guiding us. He's been guiding on this river for 26 years and we fully trusted him. The descent was packed with beautiful views and some thrilling rapids. My partner and I really had a blast! As pure Canadians.. we were fine with the cold water (we expected colder 😆) and the equipment provided is perfect to bring you back warm if you layer well.
Thanks for the fun adventure and maybe we'll see you again in Nepal one day for another river adventure! Cheers!
M
M4548MQrebeccag
September 2, 2026
They really take your fun seriously
This amazing team made our experience as memorable as possible.
We met on location and got to know our guides immediately. Super friendly and they explained us in detail how the day was going to be and what to expect.
We geared up (lots of good equipment for any size) and we made our way on they’re bus withe the help of Mike, the super driver.
Second briefing on safety and we set off.
Our guide Saurav was absolutely incredible. You can feel the love for his job and he is super talented in what he does. Best rafting I ever did. he made sure to let us use the right amount of energy and sugar boosted us mid game with the other group guided by Gapu.
Sean was our safety on kayak, hovering around us and with his koala move bringing us back to the raft in case we would end up overboard.
Back at the camp we got an amazing Icelandic meal cooked by the team and decided to stay for the night where Camino, the amazing woman receptionist/guide/chef made sure we were extremely well taken care of.
This team and place has a soul! As Saurav said, we got on of the most amazing night around the campfire with the stories of Anup the owner/boss/photographer off the team that made everything more special.
I recommend to make yourself a favour and experience this place.
Thank you
dhanyabad
Gracias
Sas efcharistó
J
jdN1374ZP
September 1, 2026
Thanks to the amazing team of Viking Rafting
We had such a blast! It was the best adventure tour you can book in iceland. We stayed over at the camp site and what makes the place really stand out is the people who work there. It's such a special place and you can feel that the people who work there really love what they are doing. Thanks to our guide Saurav who kept us safe along the way and made it so fun. Great and funny explantations while being professional and safety orientated. He is a legend! Gapu was the guide on the other raft and always had a smile on his face and is a great guide too. The photographer Anup took epic pictures of our adventure and really captured our emotions in the perfect moments. I can really recommend to buy the pictures to live the experience again when you look at them and have a good laugh with your friends.
Thanks also to our safety kayaker Sean, our driver Mike and Camino who helped us a lot back at the basecamp. Everyone is very friendly and overall amazing vibe. The dog Bhalu is the cutest! 100% book with Viking Rafting. Thanks a lot to the whole team. We will be back!
C
Culture24560846857
August 28, 2026
Fun times at the river
I had the most amazing experience with the team, they made me feel safe and well taken care of.
G
G4420DVclayc
August 28, 2026
Fun Adventure
Had a blast. Hari and Anudh were great guides and made it a the best experience possible. Highly recommend for anyone booking their Iceland adventures. And definitely get the meal after the rafting - it was a delicious, warm, home-cooked meal.
X
X7350XIlauras
August 14, 2026
Shout out to Saurav and his colleagues!
An incredible adventure and an absolute must for adventure and action fans. We had booked the Whitewater Action day tour and, as promised, got a full day of action. Our guide Saurav kept our group in the best of spirits with plenty of wit and humor.
He gave us a detailed safety briefing on how to behave correctly in the rapids. His colleagues paddled ahead in kayaks and took great photos of us, which you can buy for a reasonable price.
Before every rapid, Saurav described them to us in detail so that we knew how we had to behave accordingly and work together as a team of 6 in the boat so that the boat wouldn't capsize unintentionally. A huge amount of fun! We were actually allowed to intentionally capsize our boat and just jump out of the boat into the glacial river. Everything safe thanks to a drysuit and life jacket. And Saurav always kept an eye on everyone and was right there if you ever needed assistance.
Our drysuits kept us almost dry, but you should still have plenty of warm clothing underneath. As I said, glacial water, which is cold accordingly.
Another highlight is the jump from a cliff into the river. Definitely recommended for climbing enthusiasts. Afterwards, there was hot cocoa and chocolate bars from the guides as a snack on the riverbank.
We also booked lunch featuring Icelandic cuisine to go with it. Very delicious and reasonably priced. That was available at the headquarters following the rafting tour. Meanwhile, a slideshow with our photos was playing.
We booked as a group and were able to cancel 2 slots on short notice without any problems. Communication via email went smoothly, very lovely, and replies came within a few hours.
Would do it again anytime! Thanks to Saurav and the rest of the team for an amazing experience!
2
282jellel
August 11, 2026
Amazing
Almost drowned, it was amazing!
The crew was great and our guide Saurab made sure we all survived