Kayak River Ride
By Arctic RaftingTop rated
Meet on location at Drumbó to ride in an inflatable kayak down Hvítá River. Brave down a glacier river in a small inflatable kayak. Then enjoy a sauna to warm up! Difficulty: 3/5 challenging Trip details: This tour is also available with pick up from Reykjavík.
- Duration
- 3 hours
- Difficulty
- Challenging
- Season
- May to September
- Minimum age
- 18 years
- Getting there
- Self-Drive
- Book by
- 1 hour before
- Cancellation
- Free up to 24 h before
from
30.990 ISK
per adults
Check dates & bookNext departures
- Sat 15 May · 11:00
- Sat 15 May · 15:00
- Sun 16 May · 11:00
- Sun 16 May · 15:00
Runs: May to September
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
- Secure payment, confirmation from the operator
- No account needed
Why it's on Icebreaker
Rafting on Hvítá
Hvítá is only an hour and a half from Reykjavík, which makes never having rafted it slightly embarrassing. At Arctic Rafting's Drumbó base you pull on a wetsuit, board a bus to the river and learn to paddle on command. Newcomers are the target audience: seven kilometres of class II rapids that ride like a gentle roller coaster, through green canyons made of the kind of rocks you only read about in school geology classes. At Brúarhlöð, conditions allowing, anyone dumb enough can leap off a cliff into the glacial water. The calm stretch tends to descend into a war between boats. Afterwards: sauna, hot tubs and a bar. A gentler family trip takes children from eight; inflatable kayaks are for adults who want it rougher.
From the Icebreaker app, curated with The Reykjavík Grapevine.
Prices
| Adults16+ years | 30.990 ISK |
|---|
Prices for the next departure, checked Wed 30 Sept. They can change with the date; the booking shows the exact price.
About this tour
Meet on location at Drumbó to ride in an inflatable kayak down Hvítá River.
Brave down a glacier river in a small inflatable kayak. Then enjoy a sauna to warm up!
Difficulty: 3/5 challenging
Trip details: This tour is also available with pick up from Reykjavík.
Time of departure from Drumbó: 11:00 and 15:00. Please arrive at Drumbó 15 minutes before departure.
Sailing down Hvítá River in an inflatable kayak is a magnificent way become more acquainted with Icelandic nature. Hvítá River means the ‘White River’, the name referring to the roaring white water you will encounter. Once seated in a smaller boat, the waves all of a sudden become huge and therefore extra exhilarating. This trip is only recommend to people who are looking for action and are in good physical condition, maybe with some previous white water experience.
Hvítá river originates from Langjökull glacier, the second largest glacier in Iceland. We begin our journey a few kilometres downstream from Gullfoss Waterfall and travel down 7 kilometres. En route we experience a beautiful view that can only be seen from a boat. The first few kilometres are filled with whitewater rapids and action and the latter kilometres feature serene beautiful canyons. You will sail by Brúarhlöð, a stunning canyon.
The inflatable kayaks are designed so they do not fill up with water and are rather easy to manoeuvre. However, chances are that you flip your kayak will need to brave the mighty glacial waters. In any case, our expert guides will be there to give you a helping hand. No need to worry about the cold water, we provide wetsuits to keep you from freezing and a life-jacket to keep you afloat.
The River Ride is our ultimate ride, one you are not likely to forget. See you out on the rapids!
Disclaimer: All rafting trips are undertaken on the responsibility of its participants. Arctic Rafting does not assume any responsibility for accidents which are caused by its customers or can be traced to their own actions. Participants have to sign a waiver before undertaking all trips stating that they realize that all outdoor activities carry an inherent risk.
What's included
- Inflatable kayak trip down the scenic Hvítá with trained river safety team
- All necessary river equipment; wetsuit, life-jacket, neoprene shoes, helmet and paddle
- Visit to the famous Brúarhlöð canyon via the river
- Hot sauna after to warm up
- Extra small group experience, the boat fits 2 people.
What to bring
- Warm wool or fleece sweater and thermal underwear (pants) to wear underneath the wetsuit. This might get wet during your tour. Don’t wear cotton as it will not keep you warm when wet.
- Change of clothing
- Towel and bathing suit for the hot tub and sauna afterwards.
Good to know
Although you don't need to "swim" while river rafting/canoeing, we recommend that you can. You have to be comfortable with floating in water.
All of our tours begin from Drumbó River Base. At Drumbó you find:
- Changing rooms
- Showers
- Sauna
- Bar and coffee
- Restaurant
Where it starts
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the tour.
For all bookings of day tours, a minimum of 24 hours' notice prior to your scheduled departure is required in order to receive a full refund. If a cancellation is made with less than 24 hours notice, no refund is given.
For all bookings of multi-day and custom private tours, a minimum of 72 hours' notice prior to your scheduled departure is required in order to receive a full refund. If a cancellation is made with less than 72 hours' notice, no refund is given*
*Note that in the event the client requests a refund for any reason, Tour Desk reserves the right to charge a 3% administration fee to cover costs incurred.
Cancellation and refund requests need to be sent in writing to info@tourdesk.io
Questions
- How long is Kayak River Ride?
- About 3 hours.
- How much does Kayak River Ride cost?
- From 30.990 ISK. Adults (16+ years): 30.990 ISK. Prices are per person unless the category says otherwise, and can change with the date.
- Where does it start?
- There is no pickup: you meet the operator at Drumbó River Base, Drumbó River Base, Reykjavik. Most people drive there themselves.
- What is the minimum age?
- 18 years.
- When does it run?
- May to September, going by the departures listed for the next twelve months.
- Can I cancel?
- Yes. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the tour starts.
- How hard is it?
- The operator rates it challenging.
Explore more
Read next: The South Coast: waterfalls, black sand and Jökulsárlón
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