Arctic Adventures Reviews 165

Terrible customer treatment, would not recommend. Supposed to have a glacier hike on Monday which is an hour out of our way so we drive through harsh conditions and a bad road to the car park only for no one to turn up. We pay for parking and toilets and wait for 45 minutes in rough conditions and still no one is here. What company in their right mind decides to cancel an experience due to bad weather without informing tourists that it’s not happening. This is extremely unsafe and also them not informing us of this cancellation caused us to be stuck behind closed roads and trapped in bad conditions. I completely understand cancelling due to weather but the sheer lack of information provided to us is appalling. For £180 you go to a booking because you won’t get it back if it happens so this company has created an extremely unsafe situation and I will never book with them again. I highly recommend that if anyone wants to do any winter activities they book with other companies.

Spectacular Experience
Our experience with Arctic Adventures was spectacular. We expected to witness the full variety of what Iceland had to offer a first time visitor and the tour did not disappoint. From the glaciers to the waterfalls to the ice caves to the lava tunnels, etc., each stop was a "wow" moment. The accommodations were above average. If nary a word was spoken by the guide, the trip would have been a success. But we got far more than that. Our travel guide (and new friend) Hjalti Bjornsson, was a revelation. He has to be your best guide and we were so very fortunate to have him beside us through good and bad weather. He was informative, knowledgeable, professional, humorous and, in short, just a joy to be around. We could tell he truly cared about the quality of our vacation and spared no effort to ensure our success. He listened to our input and even socialized with us on lunch and dinner breaks. As a "so very proud" Icelander, Hjalti presented your country with enthusiasm and joy. We were blessed to have his expertise and would recommend others to request him as their guide. Even when weather caused alterations in our itinerary, as we expected it might, Hjalti made sure our tour quality was not impacted more than necessary. In short, we could not be happier with our experience and thank Arctic Adventures for an unforgettable vacation. Submitted Bill and Sherri Slater.
Visited March 2026•Traveled with family

The ice cave tour is absolutely amazing. Our guide who drove us from Reykjavik to Vik, Franklin was amazing. He was very knowledgeable and entertaining. For the cave tour we had Leif, who was also amazing. He knew so much about the history of Katla and the ice caves. He also made us feel comfortable while traveling through the caves. The only downfall to get to the caves. It’s very bumpy but we made it there safely with Leif driving! Would highly recommend this tour

I traveled from Italy with my children for a once-in-a-lifetime Crystal Ice Cave tour. The morning departure was cancelled by Arctic Adventures — we only found out on arrival, as their cancellation email arrived at 8:20 AM, long after we had left at 7:30 AM.
We accepted the afternoon rescheduling without complaint. On the way, a violent gust of wind slammed our car door, injuring a member of our group. We spent an hour in sub-zero temperatures waiting for roadside assistance while caring for the injured person. We notified Arctic Adventures immediately via WhatsApp, explaining everything in real time.
Then it got worse. They told us to send an email. We did — no reply. We called — no answer. We were promised a response “the next morning.” It never came. They strung us along knowing full well they had no intention of helping.
The same weather that forced THEM to cancel our morning tour caused our emergency. They used their own policy as a shield while showing zero humanity.
Do not trust this company if you expect to be treated as a human being. They will take your money, cancel your tour, and leave you stranded in the cold — literally.

We have done 2 tours and can't recommend them enough. Northern lights our guide was brilliant, knew his stuff providing plenty of info and made an extremely cold night where you just have to wait around very bearable, he was prepared to do whatever he possibly could to give us the best opportunity. Golden circle tour Palli was amazing, what he doesn't know about Iceland isn't worth knowing. He was so lovely and a massive personal thank you as i had asked him about the ponies, he decided to make an impromtu stop enroute to see some.

We did a Katla Ice Caves tour and were positively surprised by the whole experience. Our guide,Thor, was incredibly knowledgeable and made sure we had a great time. We were picked up in Vík by a superjeep. The actual hike and cave tour lasted over an hour and we loved it. Well organised and great guide. Definitely recommend it!

Absolute scam of a company! Clearly told me in an email that if I gave them 24 hours notice in writing I would be fully refunded for my tour that I eventually could not make, they are now choosing to ignore me after several emails that I have sent them asking them why they still haven’t issued me a refund…?! I will now have to take legal action against these FRAUDS ….!! Avoid this unprofessional rip off company.

We joined the arctic adventure 2D1N SOUTH COAST, ICE CAVE, JOKULSARLON GLACIER LAGOON TOUR.
Pick up went smoothly. But there wasn’t enough time in each stop. Majority of the time we were in the bus travelling, we felt a bit rush.

What disappointed us the most is D2 trip to Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon and ice cave walk.
Majority of us paid extra during online payment for an add-on 45-min amphibian boat tour so that we could have closer look at the floating glaciers.

Yet on the day, the tour guide said it is either doing the 45min boat tour or the 3hr ice cave hike. We were shocked cuz it didn’t make sense. It is advertised on the website as an “add-on” which means extra. It shouldn’t substitute the ice cave hike.
After discussion, the guide said ok we could do the hike first then boat tour.
At that point we already doubted the communication between the company and the guide. They didn’t seem to know about the itinerary.

After the ice cave hike (in which we only saw the black ice instead of crystal blue ice cave), he told us that the boat trip was cancelled, it was not offered.

We were really disappointed and walked to the lagoon looking at at the glacier from afar. BUT WE SAW THAT THE AMPHIBIAN BOAT TOURS WERE STILL RUNNING, several boats were in the lagoon.

All of us went to the guide, and he said the company didn’t make reservations. That’s why we could not get on the boat. He also said that he didn’t know why the boat tour is included in the itinerary becuz there isn’t enough time.

We were furious because we all booked this tour months in advance. This is completely the company’s responsibility to have it arranged. We contacted customer service, he said that it‘s company’s tour organisers decision not to book it. And hilariously, that there is a bug on the website that they are trying to fix not to include this add on.

COME ON, THIS IS A SCAM. Arctic adventure has been running this tour for years. Till now the add on is still advertised and available in the booking. Comments in the past also mentioned about this boat tour, so how would this be a bug?! If you cannot provide what you claim, YOU SHOULD NOT MAKE PRMOSE AND ADVERTISE IT. If there is no this add on, seriously we would have chosen another company.

We travelled a long way and were really anticipating for the boat trip. The weather was nice, the boat tours were running and you tell me you didn’t book the tour?

The guide kept saying there wasn’t enough time for a 45min boat tour. But he made long stops at the souvenir shops and gas stations.. In the itinerary, it stated that we would be back to the city Center at 9-10pm. But we were already back by 6:30pm 🙂 How rush were we？

Promised to get a refund and it’s been 2 weeks. We still haven’t received it 🙃

We had an unforgettable night with Arctic Adventures! The jeep was a powerhouse, rugged, comfortable, and perfect for going off-road to remote spots far from city lights. Our guide was hilarious, knowledgeable, and made the whole experience even more fun.

We saw the Northern Lights in full glory, plus two shooting stars, absolutely magical! Booking the jeep tour instead of a bus was the best decision: more adventure, and access to hidden locations.

Highly recommend this tour for anyone chasing the aurora!

I booked a snorkelling adventure for me and my son and the booking time came through as a different time to the one that I booked online. I asked them straight away to correct the time (same date) and they were completely disinterested and refused. A sad example of a company with a monopoly that feels it can treat its customers terribly. Avoid if you can, that sadly you can’t.

EDIT: I contacted them 8 hours after booking. I didn’t want to cancel, just move the booking a few hours to the time I originally tried to book. Regardless, I ended up double paying and the experience was amazing. The people on the ground are great, the head office “computer says no” much less so.

POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE: On a Sunday, I booked a trip for Monday with hotel pick up. After booking, I realized that I wasn’t given an option to indicate my pick up location, so I called. I was told that I had booked the “Meet on Location” trip in Silfra. When I explained that I honestly thought I had chosen “From Reykjavik,” the agent asked me if I could PROVE that I was on the REYKJAVIK tab. He said that my only options were to rent a car or take a taxi - which would be ridiculously expensive. I was told I could not change to a different day or to a different tour due to their 24 hour policy. I was extremely disappointed in their lack of understanding of an honest mistake.

I did dry suit diving in Silfra with this company, and i definitely regret booking through them.
In summary, I did not feel that the guide (Martin) was caring, despite me telling him ahead of the dive that I may feel anxious in the cold water. Instead he overweighted me (10kgs), which caused me to struggle immensely with buoyancy, and in the end I could not even swim through the lagoon, this is how exhausted I was. Not to mention that adding 10kg of weight INTO the BCD directly is a massive safety hazard.
To top this up, and even though I told him I was exhausted at the end of the dive, he completely ignored me after exiting the water, and walked a big distance ahead of me back to the vans. I struggled with breathing during the walk back (out of exhaustion, no existing conditions), but he did not care. I would absolutely not recommend Martin to anyone at all.
Also need to mention, that the dry suit I received was for a very tall person, and I am only 160cm tall, but apparently the company didn't have any other suits. The suit was too long, the boots were too big and again this contributed to a ruined dive and my struggling with buoyancy. The dry suit valve operating strangely as well, and certainly was an issue with the 3 finger gloves you provided. I am extremely disappointed with the suit I received, because the advertisement says you have a big range of brand new suits. (!!) I trained on used suits at the diving school but the suits this company has are of extremely poor quality.
Even though the location was so beautiful, the dive did not feel good at all, and I am left with a huge dismay and disappointment.
To top all of this up, after I left the review on Adventure.IS, they got back to me quoting snippets of their website tour description, which obviously does not address any of the concerns I have raised in this review. Just shows the poor culture of the company, but looking (now) at other reviews, it seems it's a trend.
If you can avoid them and book with someone else - AVOID.

Booked onto a heli tour (Glacier Heli) months in advance via Arctic adventures. We called them the day before to find out what the arrangements were and they informed us by text straight after our call that they had to cancel because they didn't have enough people to make it worth it for them. They then proceeded to 'offer' us another tour for an hour later at almost double the price! Basically do not book with these guys if you actually want to go on your experience.

We booked this snorkeling tour and arrived at the meeting point as required. **The staff rejected us on the spot, claiming we needed "very strong swimming skills" to participate** - even though we can swim freestyle, backstroke, and breaststroke.
**The Contradictions**:
1. **On-Site vs. Emails**:
- Staff said: *"Must have strong swimming skills."*
- Later emails: *"We never said 'strong skills' - just
'able to swim!"*
- Final email: *"This is an extreme sport!"* (Which contradicts their own handbook).
2. **No Testing, No Fairness**:
- They refused us **without any swimming test** or chance to prove our ability.
3. **Hidden Rules**:
- Their website/handbook only states: *"Able to swim without a lifejacket."* No mention of "extreme sport" or
"fluent English."
**Conclusion**:
This company changes rules arbitrarily, refuses refunds, and treats customers unfairly. Save your money and time.
(Note: I have kept all communication records as evidence.)

While I had high expectations for this trip, several issues significantly impacted my experience:
• Transportation Issues: A mini bus was provided for 17 people, which was inadequate for a road trip requiring a minimum of 350 km a day. The vehicle was cramped and uncomfortable, making long journeys difficult for everyone involved.
• Guided Tours: he guided tours did not meet the promised standards. Arctic Adventure provided us with a driver who also acted as the guide. While he was friendly and nice, he lacked guiding experience. We did not receive a professional morning briefing for the day, nor clear information throughout our journey. Many of our questions went unanswered, which diminished the overall experience.
• Sightseeing and break stops: The time allocated for sightseeing and breaks was not planned professionally. Some locations required more time for proper enjoyment, while others were given excessive time. This led to missed opportunities to fully appreciate the beautiful stops we visited. Additionally, we had unnecessary stops at gas stations and supermarkets, which further detracted from our experience. This led to missed opportunities to appreciate the stunning scenery and attractions.
• Activities cancellation: Unfortunately, our whale watching tour was canceled due to bad weather. However, the way this cancellation was managed was not professional. We had a night in the lovely town of Akureyri, but due to a late arrival, we didn’t have a chance to explore. We noticed poor weather conditions in the morning and suggested to our guide that we check for alternative plans, like enjoying sometime in the town before proceeding. The guide assured us the weather was fine for whale watching. After a 30-minute drive, we were informed that the tour had been canceled with no alternative options provided. We ended up spending the day wandering between supermarkets, which was very disappointing given our expectations for this trip.
• Customer Service: When I reached out for assistance during the trip, the response was unsatisfactory. Despite marking my emails as urgent, I did not receive a same-day response. There was no direct contact number provided for emergencies, and my inquiries were largely ignored. This left me feeling unsupported while dealing with unexpected service issues that I had paid for.
• After-Sales Service: I sent multiple complaint emails with several reminders but received no response. While I received prompt replies before the sale, after-sales communication was nonexistent. This lack of support has been very frustrating.
• Accommodation: The accommodation was acceptable and met my expectations
These issues not only detracted from my overall enjoyment but also led to significant inconveniences

We booked the ice cave tour for 9:30 in the morning, but due to severe snowstorms, the road from our hotel to the meeting point was closed. We called them at 8:00 (when the office opened), and they informed us there was nothing going on, we could easily get there (we couldn't!).

Finally, they agreed to let us rebook to 13:00, hoping the storm would ease down and the roads would be safe again. We drove through the storm to the meeting location, but the parking was closed, a temporary parking location was being created on the beach (very dangerous!). When we tried to park there, a ranger from the national park came to us that we were absolutely not allowed to park there. This was all very confusing. Upon exiting our vehicle, 10 minutes before the agreed meeting time, we received a cancellation in our email because of the bad weather.

They probably already knew that morning that the weather was too bad for tours to depart all day, but they made us drive anyway. We saw several cars tipped/on the side of the road due to the hazardous conditions! I understand the Icelandic weather can be very unpredictable, but they should be pro-active in keeping tourists safe, not making them drive unsafe roads and park on hazardous lots.

We booked the afternoon snorkelling which was fantastic. It was really well organised with clear parking/arrival time instructions and although there were 3 groups of 6 it only took 2 hours in total. We spent about 30 mins snorkelling which was plenty as it was so cold. Take spare clothes as unfortunately my partner’s dry suit leaked and he was soaked, dripping wet rather than a little leak. It was a really memorable experience and would recommend it as a must do.

AVOID, AVOID, AVOID. Never EVER book with this unreliable and dishonest company. We were booked for the Northern Lights tour on 22 February. It had rained in the morning but cleared in the afternoon and the skies were clear. We waited for 11/2 hours but no guide arrived. When we returned to the hotel there was a message saying that the tour was cancelled due to bad weather! While we were waiting other tour operators collected their customers for the trip and only we and another couple were left waiting for Arctic Adventures.
We messaged Artic Adventures asking to be booked on the following evening. We received no communication from them but went to the pick up stop again as we did not want to lose the opportunity of going on the trip but not knowing if we were booked or not. Yet again Arctic Adventures did not show, although again other operators did. We and another couple left again. Weather was fine!
I wrote to Arctic Adventures on our return to the UK. Lots of apologies about lack of communication but nothing about not turning up. Complete disinterest but saying that they “hoped to serve us better in the future” if we returned. Even if we did return why would we book any tours with Arctic Adventures?
Interesting a previous review states that the guide forgot to pick them up. I have asked them whether no guide was available or too few people on the trip two days running; but maybe they forgot. Oh for honesty

We went on the golden circle tour 01/03. We were really disappointed as the golden circle with Kerid Crater is a great tour, but our tour guide must have been in a rush to get back home!

First she left without us and had to come back to the bus stop (we were on time but there were lots of buses, we were told it would have an artic adventures logo, but the minibus was actually a completely different one), apparently she called us, but to be honest she mustn't have tried very hard and must have left at 8.01 - she then had the cheek to saynwe must have arrived late!).

We had so very little time at the different places and we felt very rushed - especially as it seemed like she was going to leave one couple at the first stop who had got lost - we didnt want to risk being late back to the bus!

We got back to the city about 3pm, which considering we didn't leave until about 8.45 and we had the hiccup at the first stop that delayed us by about 30 minutes, means we had very little time, which was very disappointing.

So disappointed, we had photos taken during our northern lights tour on the 11.2.25 and our photos have not been uploaded and there has been no reply from the company. Very upsetting and the lack of response has made it even worse.