Can You See Vatnajökull Glacier From a Plane? Best Seat Side Guide

193 flight routes pass within 100 km of Vatnajökull Glacier. Find out which side of the plane has the best views.

Europe's largest glacier by volume covers 8% of Iceland's surface. Its ice cap and outlet glaciers — including Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon — are visible on transatlantic overflights.

Routes that pass it193

BWI KEF Baltimore to Keflavik · 0 km Both KEF BWI Keflavik to Baltimore · 0 km Both DCA KEF Washington to Keflavik · 1 km Both KEF DCA Keflavik to Washington · 1 km Both BOM JFK Bombay to New York · 2 km Both JFK BOM New York to Bombay · 2 km Both KEF RDU Keflavik to Raleigh-durham · 2 km Both RDU KEF Raleigh-durham to Keflavik · 2 km Both HEL KEF Helsinki to Keflavik · 3 km Both IAD KEF Washington to Keflavik · 3 km Both KEF HEL Keflavik to Helsinki · 3 km Both KEF IAD Keflavik to Washington · 3 km Both RKV YUL Reykjavik to Montreal · 4 km Both YUL RKV Montreal to Reykjavik · 4 km Both KEF MDT Keflavik to Harrisburg · 5 km Both MDT KEF Harrisburg to Keflavik · 5 km Both AUH MDW Abu Dhabi to Chicago · 6 km Both EWR KEF Newark to Keflavik · 6 km Both KEF EWR Keflavik to Newark · 6 km Both MDW AUH Chicago to Abu Dhabi · 6 km Both IAD RKV Washington to Reykjavik · 7 km Both RKV IAD Reykjavik to Washington · 7 km Both RKV YMX Reykjavik to Montreal · 7 km Both YMX RKV Montreal to Reykjavik · 7 km Both EWR TRD Newark to Trondheim · 8 km Both JFK KEF New York to Keflavik · 8 km Both KEF JFK Keflavik to New York · 8 km Both TRD EWR Trondheim to Newark · 8 km Both BWI RKV Baltimore to Reykjavik · 9 km Both DCA RKV Washington to Reykjavik · 9 km Both RKV BWI Reykjavik to Baltimore · 9 km Both RKV DCA Reykjavik to Washington · 9 km Both DUR GLA Durban to Glasgow · 10 km Both HEL RKV Helsinki to Reykjavik · 11 km Both PIT RKV Pittsburgh (pennsylva) to Reykjavik · 11 km Both RKV HEL Reykjavik to Helsinki · 11 km Both RDU RKV Raleigh-durham to Reykjavik · 12 km Both RKV RDU Reykjavik to Raleigh-durham · 12 km Both ARN YTZ Stockholm to Toronto · 13 km Both BOS KEF Boston to Keflavik · 14 km Both KEF BOS Keflavik to Boston · 14 km Both EWR RKV Newark to Reykjavik · 15 km Right KEF MCO Keflavik to Orlando · 15 km Left MCO KEF Orlando to Keflavik · 15 km Right RKV EWR Reykjavik to Newark · 15 km Left FRA PDX Frankfurt to Portland · 16 km Left KEF YUL Keflavik to Montreal · 16 km Right PDX FRA Portland to Frankfurt · 16 km Right YUL KEF Montreal to Keflavik · 16 km Left JFK RKV New York to Reykjavik · 17 km Right RKV JFK Reykjavik to New York · 17 km Left ARN RKV Stockholm to Reykjavik · 19 km Right RKV ARN Reykjavik to Stockholm · 19 km Left AMS BFI Amsterdam to Seattle · 20 km Right BFI AMS Seattle to Amsterdam · 20 km Left MUC YYC Munich to Calgary · 20 km Left YVR ZRH Vancouver to Zurich · 20 km Left ZRH YVR Zurich to Vancouver · 20 km Right AMS SEA Amsterdam to Seattle · 21 km Right RKV YYZ Reykjavik to Toronto · 21 km Right SEA AMS Seattle to Amsterdam · 21 km Left YYZ RKV Toronto to Reykjavik · 21 km Left BNA RKV Nashville to Reykjavik · 22 km Left BOS RKV Boston to Reykjavik · 22 km Right DCA HEL Washington to Helsinki · 22 km Right LAX VIE Los Angeles to Vienna · 22 km Left RKV BNA Reykjavik to Nashville · 22 km Right RKV BOS Reykjavik to Boston · 22 km Left VIE LAX Vienna to Los Angeles · 22 km Right KEF PIT Keflavik to Pittsburgh (pennsylva) · 23 km Right PIT KEF Pittsburgh (pennsylva) to Keflavik · 23 km Left DXB IAH Dubai to Houston · 24 km Right HEL JFK Helsinki to New York · 24 km Right IAH DXB Houston to Dubai · 24 km Left JFK HEL New York to Helsinki · 24 km Left AMS YVR Amsterdam to Vancouver · 25 km Left YVR AMS Vancouver to Amsterdam · 25 km Right AUH ORD Abu Dhabi to Chicago · 27 km Left HEM JFK Helsinki to New York · 27 km Right JFK HEM New York to Helsinki · 27 km Left ORD AUH Chicago to Abu Dhabi · 27 km Right ARN KEF Stockholm to Keflavik · 30 km Right DTW RKV Detroit to Reykjavik · 30 km Left KEF ARN Keflavik to Stockholm · 30 km Left RKV DTW Reykjavik to Detroit · 30 km Right SFO SZG San Francisco to Salzburg · 31 km Left SZG SFO Salzburg to San Francisco · 31 km Right BOM EWR Bombay to Newark · 34 km Left EWR BOM Newark to Bombay · 34 km Right KEF YTZ Keflavik to Toronto · 34 km Right KEF YYZ Keflavik to Toronto · 35 km Right MJF PTY Mosjoen to Panama City · 35 km Right PTY MJF Panama City to Mosjoen · 35 km Left YYZ KEF Toronto to Keflavik · 35 km Left BNA KEF Nashville to Keflavik · 36 km Left KEF BNA Keflavik to Nashville · 36 km Right CPH GOH Copenhagen to Godthaab · 37 km Right GOH CPH Godthaab to Copenhagen · 37 km Left OSL RKV Oslo to Reykjavik · 37 km Right RKV OSL Reykjavik to Oslo · 37 km Left CAI LAX Cairo to Los Angeles · 43 km Left LAX CAI Los Angeles to Cairo · 43 km Right DET KEF Detroit to Keflavik · 45 km Left KEF DET Keflavik to Detroit · 45 km Right DTW KEF Detroit to Keflavik · 46 km Left FRA SEA Frankfurt to Seattle · 46 km Left KEF DTW Keflavik to Detroit · 46 km Right SEA FRA Seattle to Frankfurt · 46 km Right AMS PDX Amsterdam to Portland · 47 km Right ORD RKV Chicago to Reykjavik · 47 km Left PDX AMS Portland to Amsterdam · 47 km Left RKV ORD Reykjavik to Chicago · 47 km Right BFI FRA Seattle to Frankfurt · 48 km Right DFW DOH Dallas-fort Worth to Doha · 48 km Left DOH DFW Doha to Dallas-fort Worth · 48 km Right FRA BFI Frankfurt to Seattle · 48 km Left KEF OSL Keflavik to Oslo · 50 km Left OSL KEF Oslo to Keflavik · 50 km Right AEY EDI Akureyri to Edinburgh · 51 km Right EDI AEY Edinburgh to Akureyri · 51 km Left FRA YYC Frankfurt to Calgary · 54 km Right YYC FRA Calgary to Frankfurt · 54 km Left IAH KEF Houston to Keflavik · 55 km Left KEF IAH Keflavik to Houston · 55 km Right FBU KEF Oslo to Keflavik · 56 km Right KEF FBU Keflavik to Oslo · 56 km Left BGO RKV Bergen to Reykjavik · 59 km Right RKV BGO Reykjavik to Bergen · 59 km Left EGS RKV Egilsstadir to Reykjavik · 60 km Left YVR FCO Vancouver to Rome · 60 km Left DTW MSQ Detroit to Minsk 2 · 61 km Left MSQ DTW Minsk 2 to Detroit · 61 km Right KEF MDW Keflavik to Chicago · 63 km Right MDW KEF Chicago to Keflavik · 63 km Left DAL DOH Dallas to Doha · 65 km Left DOH DAL Doha to Dallas · 65 km Right KEF ORD Keflavik to Chicago · 65 km Right ORD KEF Chicago to Keflavik · 65 km Left PRG SLC Prague to Salt Lake City · 65 km Right SLC PRG Salt Lake City to Prague · 65 km Left AMS YEG Amsterdam to Edmonton · 66 km Right MUC SFO Munich to San Francisco · 66 km Right SFO MUC San Francisco to Munich · 66 km Left YEG AMS Edmonton to Amsterdam · 66 km Left DCA GOI Washington to Goa · 67 km Right GOI DCA Goa to Washington · 67 km Left RKV GDN Reykjavik to Gdansk · 69 km Left AMM PHX Amman to Phoenix · 73 km Left PHX AMM Phoenix to Amman · 73 km Right BGO KEF Bergen to Keflavik · 74 km Right KEF BGO Keflavik to Bergen · 74 km Left MSP RKV Minneapolis to Reykjavik · 77 km Left RKV MSP Reykjavik to Minneapolis · 77 km Right DEN IST Denver to Istanbul · 79 km Left IST DEN Istanbul to Denver · 79 km Right AEY SEA Akureyri to Seattle · 80 km Left IXE JFK Mangalore to New York · 80 km Right SEA AEY Seattle to Akureyri · 80 km Right AEY MUC Akureyri to Munich · 83 km Right CPH RKV Copenhagen to Reykjavik · 83 km Right MUC AEY Munich to Akureyri · 83 km Left RKV CPH Reykjavik to Copenhagen · 83 km Left CPH PHX Copenhagen to Phoenix · 84 km Left DXB MDW Dubai to Chicago · 84 km Left MDW DXB Chicago to Dubai · 84 km Right PHX CPH Phoenix to Copenhagen · 84 km Right CDC CCE Cedar City to New Cairo · 85 km Left FAE RKV Vagar to Reykjavik · 85 km Right RKV FAE Reykjavik to Vagar · 85 km Left RKV YYW Reykjavik to Armstrong · 85 km Right YYW RKV Armstrong to Reykjavik · 85 km Left BGO DFW Bergen to Dallas-fort Worth · 87 km Right DFW BGO Dallas-fort Worth to Bergen · 87 km Left RNO HEW Reno to Athens · 88 km Right SAN VIE San Diego to Vienna · 89 km Left VIE SAN Vienna to San Diego · 89 km Right HEL YHU Helsinki to Montreal · 91 km Left KEF WAW Keflavik to Warsaw · 93 km Left WAW KEF Warsaw to Keflavik · 93 km Right AMS YDQ Amsterdam to Dawson Creek · 94 km Left YDQ AMS Dawson Creek to Amsterdam · 94 km Right KUL RKV Kuala Lumpur to Reykjavik · 97 km Left RKV KUL Reykjavik to Kuala Lumpur · 97 km Right AXM KEF Armenia to Keflavik · 99 km Right DEN RKV Denver to Reykjavik · 99 km Left FAE KEF Vagar to Keflavik · 99 km Right KEF AXM Keflavik to Armenia · 99 km Left KEF FAE Keflavik to Vagar · 99 km Left KEF MSP Keflavik to Minneapolis · 99 km Right MSP KEF Minneapolis to Keflavik · 99 km Left RKV DEN Reykjavik to Denver · 99 km Right FRA YVR Frankfurt to Vancouver · 100 km Left YVR FRA Vancouver to Frankfurt · 100 km Right

Tip: Visibility depends on cloud cover, time of day, and how close the flight path comes. Sit on the listed side for the best chance of a view. Morning and evening flights often offer the best lighting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you see Vatnajökull Glacier from a plane?

Yes — 193 flight routes pass within 100 km of Vatnajökull Glacier. The closest routes include Baltimore to Keflavik, Keflavik to Baltimore, Washington to Keflavik. Sit on the Both side.

Which side of the plane is best for viewing Vatnajökull Glacier?

The best side varies by route. For the most common routes near Vatnajökull Glacier: on a Baltimore to Keflavik flight, sit on the Both side; on a Keflavik to Baltimore flight, sit on the Both side; on a Washington to Keflavik flight, sit on the Both side.