Best glacier destinations in Europe
Best glacier destinations in Europe
Active ice sheets and massive alpine glaciers in Europe
Europe's glacial environments are concentrated in the Alpine arc, Scandinavian mountain ranges and the Icelandic ice fields, with the continent's most accessible and dramatic ice systems supporting well-developed visitor infrastructure that brings glacial environments within reach of a wide range of fitness levels and experience. Iceland's glaciers are among the most visited in the world, with guided ice walks, ice cave tours and snowmobile programmes operating across an extended season.
The Alpine glaciers offer a contrasting experience embedded within established mountain tourism infrastructure, with cable car and mountain railway access bringing significant ice systems within reach without requiring technical mountaineering experience. Scandinavian glaciers deliver a wilder and less structured experience, with guided hiking and kayaking programmes in front of calving tidewater glaciers providing some of the most dramatic accessible encounters in the region.
Glacial retreat has been particularly pronounced across the Alpine system and checking current conditions before travel is essential as access routes and viewpoints change as ice recedes. Guided access is strongly recommended at all active glacial environments where crevasse risk and unstable ice make independent exploration dangerous. Costs in Iceland are considerably higher than Alpine equivalents and advance booking for popular ice cave tours is essential during peak season.
Lists by region
City in France
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc
Alpine thrills beneath Mont Blanc
In 1741 two English travellers visited the Mer de Glace and made the valley famous. A cogwheel train from town now climbs to Montenvers. A gondola and many steps lead down to an ice cave. The stairs grow longer as the glacier thins. Mont Blanc rises above at 15,777 feet.
National Park in Iceland
Vatnajökull National Park
Glaciers, Volcanoes and Ice Caves
Skaftafell has trails to Svínafellsjökull and Skaftafellsjökull, two outlet glaciers of the huge Vatnajökull ice cap. Svartifoss waterfall drops past black basalt columns. Hvannadalshnúkur, the highest peak in Iceland, rises about 6,900 feet. UNESCO listed the park in 2019 for its fire and ice scenery.
Town in Switzerland
Zermatt
Alpine Magic and the Matterhorn
Edward Whymper made the first climb of the Matterhorn from this village in 1865. Today a cog railway climbs to Gornergrat for views of the Gorner Glacier. The Matterhorn Glacier Paradise cable car reaches 12,740 feet. Summer skiing is possible on the glacier above town.
Country
Norway
Land of the long cloud
Locals practice friluftsliv, a tradition of outdoor life in all weather. It includes guided walks onto glacier tongues like Nigardsbreen. That glacier is an arm of Jostedalsbreen, the largest glacier on the European mainland. Blue ice, meltwater lakes and steep fjord valleys surround the trails.
Country
Iceland
Land of fire and ice
Ice covers about 11 percent of this island, mostly in a few huge ice caps. Guides lead walks on Sólheimajökull, an outlet glacier near the south coast. Icebergs drift through Jökulsárlón lagoon towards the sea. Blue ice caves open to tours in winter, when the glaciers glow.
Outer Territory in Norway
Svalbard
Arctic wilderness at Earth's edge
Longyearbyen lies farther north than any point in Alaska. More than half of Svalbard is covered by glaciers. Guided trips visit ice caves and cross glacier tongues by snowmobile in spring. Boats reach calving fronts such as Monacobreen, where huge blocks of ice crash into the fjord.
Mountain in Italy
Matterhorn
Majestic peak echoing alpine legends
Summer is when the Plateau Rosa glacier above Cervinia opens for skiing on the Italian side of the mountain. Cable cars climb on to Klein Matterhorn at 12,740 feet. The Matterhorn itself reaches 14,692 feet on the border with Switzerland. Its pyramid shape is visible for miles.
Region in Switzerland
Graubünden
Alpine wonderland with pristine lakes and trails
Cold air and the sound of meltwater meet hikers on the Morteratsch glacier trail near Pontresina. Signs along the path mark where the ice ended in past decades. A cable car to Diavolezza gives wide views of the Pers glacier. Piz Bernina, the highest peak in the eastern Alps, rises beyond.
Glacier in Switzerland
Aletsch Glacier
Majestic ice plateau overlooking alpine valleys
A faint hum of meltwater rises from the Aletsch Glacier, a river of ice about 14 miles long. It is the longest glacier in the Alps. The car free villages of Bettmeralp and Riederalp have trails along its edge. UNESCO listed the area in 2001.
Saddle in Bern
Jungfraujoch
Top of Europe Alpine Adventure
The Ice Palace is a tunnel carved deep inside the glacier, with ice sculptures along the walls. A cogwheel train climbs through the Eiger mountain to the station at 11,332 feet. The railway opened in 1912. From the Sphinx terrace the Aletsch Glacier flows away below.
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