Where to See Glaciers Up Close, From Norway to Patagonia
These Ice Age relics are fading fast, but there are still responsible ways to visit them. Glaciers are seemingly as large and immovable as mountains, yet they crawl under their own weight and can transform landscapes.
Found in alpine, polar, and northern and southern latitudes around the world, these massive bodies of ice—which captivate imaginations with their sheer size, dramatic iceberg calving, and piercing blue colour. Can you imagine the nearly million-year-old ice caps of Antarctica. Tragically, however, most glaciers around the world are retreating due to climate change, meaning the time to see them is now.
Below, here are some places to visit glaciers around the world and how to plan a trip around these ancient, creeping giants.
Jasper National Park, Canada
Let’s start with one of my summer staycation visits. The glacier-gouged Canadian Rockies are home to the Columbia Icefield, the largest of its kind in the Rocky Mountain range. From this expanse of ice spills the 10,000-year-old Athabasca Glacier, which ends right by the Icefields Parkway in Jasper National Park and, consequently, serves as one of the most accessible—and most visited—glaciers in North America. Still, there’s a way to see Athabasca without the crowds: book the Ultimate Columbia Icefield Experience at the plush Glacier View Lodge.
Argentine Patagonia
South America’s Patagonia region has hundreds of glaciers, but the best ones are in Argentina’s Los Glaciares National Park. Here, you’ll find 13 separate ice masses, the crown jewel of which is the 15 kilometre long Perito Moreno Glacier, known for its terminus 19 kilometres above Lago Argentino, its dramatic calving events, and the fact that it’s still growing. Nearby viewpoints provide a decent vantage point, but for a closer look, take a boat ride on the lake or go for a guided trek on the glacier itself.
The gateway to Los Glaciares, the town of El Calafate, has hotels like the boutique Design Suite Calafate, restaurants serving local specialities like parrilla barbecue, and the interactive Glaciarium Ice Museum. If you’d rather stay in the park, opt for the historic Estancia Cristina, where you can witness Argentina’s gaucho culture.
Svalbard, Norway
Located just 1046 kilometres from the North Pole, the Svalbard Islands are known for their stark Arctic landscapes, wildlife like polar bears and reindeer, and more than 2,100 glaciers, which cover nearly 60% of the total land area. Using the capital of Longyearbyen as a base, do as the locals do and dog-sled or snowmobile to nearby glaciers like Longyear and Tellbreen for ice climbing and exploring in caves hollowed by meltwater.
Back in Longyearbyen, lodgings range from rustic, cabin-style rooms at Basecamp Spitsbergen to boutique hotels like Funken Lodge and The Vault. Despite its isolated location, Longyearbyen is quite the gastronomic hub, too: Sample Arctic cuisine like reindeer and whale at the Nordic-influenced Huset Restaurant. Be sure to visit.
Greenland
Following Antarctica, Greenland has the second-biggest icecap on earth (it covers 80% of the island and comprises more than 200 glaciers). The country also features the world’s fastest-moving glacier, the Sermeq Kujalleq (or Jakobshavn Glacier), which travels 39 metres per day and calves 35 billion tons of icebergs into the Ilulissat Icefjord and Disko Bay each year. You can see the icebergs up close on hiking and kayaking tours with local operators like Ilulissat Adventure, but Sermeq Kujalleq is too volatile to go near. Instead, take a sightseeing flight like those offered with Air Zafari over the glacier, head to more-accessible ice masses like Ilimanaq, or drive to the Greenland Icecap itself near the town of Kangerlussuaq.
While there, be sure to try Greenlandic foods like narwhal blubber and whale steaks at Inuit Café and Brasserie Ulo, and learn about local culture by participating in kaffemik (a tradition that involves going to the home of a local host for coffee, conversation, and more). Across Disko Bay, you can also glamp at Ilimanaq Lodge, which has solar-powered cabins with panoramic vistas of humpback whales and icebergs.
Here’s a sample itinerary created by experts and is meant to inspire your next trip. It is ready to be customized to suit your interests, tastes and budget so you can connect with local cultures and experience authentic travel on your own terms and departing whenever you choose. Contact me to design your northern adventure.
