Icelandic Mountain Guides Our Review + Discount Code

Looking for a tour operator that takes you properly onto a glacier, and not just to the parking lot next to one? Then Icelandic Mountain Guides is the one we keep recommending. And you can get 10% off any of their tours with our discount code 26-EPIC-IMG.

IMG has been guiding people around Icelandic mountains since 1994. That’s longer than most Icelandic tour companies have existed at all. They started with glacier walks in Skaftafell, then Sólheimajökull, and today they run everything from a 1-hour quad bike ride on a black beach to a 6-day trek across the highlands.

We like them because they’re a mountain company first and a tourism company second. You can feel it on the ice.

Here’s why we book with them, how to use the promo code, and which of their tours are actually worth your time.

This website may contain affiliate links and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps us cover running costs of this website.

Why Icelandic Mountain Guides

Guiding since 1994

Four outdoor enthusiasts founded IMG in 1994 with the idea of showing Icelandic nature to visitors. Their slogan is “Á fjöllum frá 1994” – in the mountains since 1994.

Over 30 years later, they’re still the operator other Icelandic guides tend to name when you ask them who they’d trust with a rope.

Certified guides and real safety training

This is the part that matters and nobody reads about until something goes wrong.

IMG runs its own guide education and safety programs, and their guides are certified outdoor professionals rather than seasonal staff who learned crampons last Tuesday. They also hold Vakinn quality and environmental certification and are licensed by the Icelandic Tourist Board.

Iceland’s weather changes fast. A guide who can read it is worth paying for.

Small groups

Everyone mentions this over and over. Groups of 6 to 12 on glacier tours, sometimes fewer. Small enough that the guide can adjust the route to whoever showed up that day.

We’ve seen big-bus glacier operators walk 40 people in a line to a viewpoint and call it a hike. That’s not what happens here.

They actually go into the mountains

Most Iceland operators sell the same 4 things. IMG will also take you up Hvannadalshnúkur, Iceland’s highest peak at 2,110 m, across the Fimmvörðuháls pass in a single day, or on a multi-day trek through the Icelandic highlands with hut nights and hot food.

If your idea of adventure is a bit more than a photo stop, they’ve got the range.

Icelandic Mountain Guides Discount Code

We partnered with Icelandic Mountain Guides so our readers get a discount.

The Icelandic Mountain Guides discount code is 26-EPIC-IMG. It gives you 10% off any tour.

How to use the Icelandic Mountain Guides discount code

1. Go to mountainguides.is and pick your tour, date and number of people.
2. Continue to checkout.
3. Find the promo code field on the checkout page and enter 26-EPIC-IMG.
4. Apply it. The 10% comes off the total before you pay.
5. Check that the discounted total is showing before you confirm.

The code doesn’t work for partner tours.

Icelandic Mountain Guides Tours

IMG runs day tours and multi-day trips, in summer and winter, from several bases around south Iceland. Here’s how the main categories compare.

Tour type	Base / start	Season	Typical duration	Difficulty
Easy glacier hike	Sólheimajökull	All year	2.5 hours	Easy
Blue Ice Experience	Skaftafell	All year	3.5 hours	Easy to moderate
Glacier hike + ice climbing	Skaftafell	May to September	4.5 hours	Moderate
Glacier hike + ice cave	Sólheimajökull	November to April	3.5 hours	Easy to moderate
Katla secret ice cave	Vík or Reykjavík	All year	Half to full day	Easy
ATV to the plane wreck	Mýrdalsjökull base	All year	1 to 2 hours	Easy
Eyjafjallajökull summit	Self-drive meetup	April to July	10 hours	Challenging
Laugavegur trek	Landmannalaugar	Summer	4 to 6 days	Moderate to challenging

Hiking tours

This is where IMG stands apart from the standard day-tour crowd.

Their flagship is the Laugavegur trek from Landmannalaugar to Þórsmörk, 55 km through rhyolite mountains, black sand, and glacial rivers. National Geographic once listed it among the world’s best hikes, and IMG runs it as a 4-day hut version, a 5-day version, and a 6-day version that continues over Fimmvörðuháls into Þórsmörk.

Hut nights, cooked meals, and a guide who carries the map. If you’ve ever tried to ford the Þröngá in bad weather on your own, you’ll understand why this is worth it.

They also run the Volcanic Trails trek through Fjallabak, summit trips up Hvannadalshnúkur, and a hike to the Grænihryggur green ridge, one of the strangest-looking places in the highlands.

Most of the trekking runs June to August. Book early, the huts sell out.

Glacier hiking tours

Glacier walks are IMG’s oldest product and their bread and butter.

Two locations. Sólheimajökull is about 2.5 hours from Reykjavik, an outlet of Mýrdalsjökull, easier to reach and more family-friendly. Skaftafell is roughly 5 hours away in Vatnajökull National Park, rougher terrain, better views, better for people who want a real hike.

The easy 2.5-hour Sólheimajökull hike works for beginners and kids. The Blue Ice Experience in Skaftafell is the classic 3.5-hour option. Want more? Add ice climbing, which is genuinely fun and requires zero prior skill (your forearms will disagree by the end).

Crampons, harness, helmet and ice axe are included. Bring waterproof hiking boots with ankle support – that part is on you.

Ice cave tours

Two different things get called “ice cave” in Iceland, and it’s worth knowing the difference.

The Katla secret ice cave under Kötlujökull sits directly beneath the Katla volcano, and it’s open all year, which is rare. Blue ice streaked with black volcanic ash. You get there by modified 4×4 from Vík, and IMG runs this one with their partner Katlatrack. There’s also a version with pickup from Reykjavik.

The seasonal blue ice caves in Sólheimajökull and Skaftafell form naturally each winter and are usually accessible from around November to April. These come with a glacier hike attached. IMG is honest that entry depends on the cave’s condition on the day, which we appreciate – caves collapse, and anyone promising you a guaranteed cave is selling you something.

If you’re planning a winter trip, our ice cave and glacier hike guide covers what to expect.

ATV tours

The ATV and buggy tours run from their Mýrdalsjökull base on the south coast, and every one of them ends up at the Sólheimasandur DC-3 plane wreck.

If you’ve ever done the 4 km walk across the sand to that plane, you know it’s a long, flat, boring slog. Riding a quad through rivers and black dunes to get there is a considerably better plan.

Options:

• 1-hour ATV express to the beach and the wreck
• 2-hour ATV tour adding the Jökulsá river and the foot of the mountain
• 2-hour buggy tours, including one that runs up to the edge of Mýrdalsjökull glacier in summer
• ATV plus glacier hike combos

Drivers must be at least 17 and hold a full valid driving licence. A learner’s permit or motorcycle licence won’t do, that’s Icelandic law, not IMG being difficult. Passengers can be younger, from 8 on ATVs and 6 on buggies.

Icelandic Mountain Guides Reviews

IMG has racked up well over 2,000 reviews on TripAdvisor alone, with strong ratings and a long track record.

The pattern in the reviews is consistent, and it’s mostly about the guides. People remember the person who took them onto the ice: patient with nervous first-timers, generous with geology, willing to stop and explain instead of marching.

The second recurring theme is safety without the theatre. Reviewers who’ve done glacier hikes elsewhere notice the difference in briefing quality and equipment fitting.

Criticism, where it exists, is usually about logistics on multi-day treks: bus timings, hut basics, meals. Nothing about the guiding itself.

They’re also the most awarded adventure tour company in Iceland by their own count, with Vakinn and Icelandic Tourist Board credentials to back it up.

Our Experience with Icelandic Mountain Guides

What sticks with us from the glacier tours is how much the guide shapes the day. We’ve stood at the edge of Sólheimajökull in sideways rain thinking this was going to be miserable, and then had one of the best mornings of the trip because the guide knew exactly where to take a small group and what to point at.

The gear fitting takes a while, and IMG asks you to show up 20 minutes early for it. Do that. Crampons that don’t fit properly are the fastest way to ruin a glacier hike.

On the ice itself, the pace is calm. Plenty of stops. Real explanations about crevasses, moulins, and how much the glacier has retreated, which is depressing and fascinating in equal measure.

The ATV side is a completely different mood. Loud, muddy, grinning-under-the-helmet fun. The plane wreck is worth it and getting there through the rivers is half the point.

And on the treks, the huts are basic. Bunk beds, shared space, sometimes a shower for a fee. Nobody’s pretending otherwise. What you’re paying for is the guide and the logistics, and not having to carry a week of food across a black desert.

We’d book them again without thinking about it.

Icelandic Mountain Guides FAQ

What is the Icelandic Mountain Guides discount code?

The Icelandic Mountain Guides discount code is 26-EPIC-IMG. It gives you 10% off any Icelandic Mountain Guides tour, and it stacks on top of any other discount they’re currently running.

How do I use the Icelandic Mountain Guides promo code?

Pick your tour on mountainguides.is, go to checkout, enter 26-EPIC-IMG in the promo code field and apply it. The 10% is deducted before payment. Check that the new total shows before you confirm the booking.

Can I combine the coupon code with other discounts?

Yes. The 26-EPIC-IMG coupon code works on top of seasonal offers, so the discounts add up.

Do I need experience to join a glacier hike?

No. The easy glacier hikes at Sólheimajökull and Skaftafell need no technical skills and no prior experience. Crampons, ice axe, harness and helmet are provided. You do need waterproof hiking boots with ankle support.

What is the minimum age for the ATV tours?

Drivers must be 17 or older with a full valid driving licence, which is set by Icelandic law. Younger travelers can ride as passengers, from age 8 on ATVs and age 6 on buggies.

Can you visit an ice cave in summer?

Yes, but only some. The Katla ice cave under Kötlujökull is open all year. The natural blue ice caves at Sólheimajökull and Skaftafell are winter formations and are usually accessible from around November to April.

Do the tours include transport from Reykjavik?

It depends on the tour. Many glacier hikes and ATV tours are meet-on-location, so you need your own car. Some tours, including certain ice cave and combo tours, include return transport from Reykjavik. Check the tour page before booking, and see our take on renting a car versus joining guided tours.

Can I cancel my Icelandic Mountain Guides booking?

Day tours can generally be changed or cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours before departure by emailing [email protected]. Multi-day tours have different terms, so read those at booking.