Hidden Iceland would be nothing without our exceptional team of Iceland private tour guides. From the moment you start your adventure to the very end, they are there to bring each private journey to life with knowledge, warmth, and genuine passion for Iceland.
While our travel experts carefully craft your itinerary behind the scenes, it is our guides who transform those plans into unforgettable experiences. Whether leading private explorations into the highlands, along breathtaking coastlines, or across glaciers and remote valleys, they combine storytelling, safety, and local insight to create an unforgettable experience.
Every Hidden Iceland tour is designed to be personal and meaningful, easily achieved by our extensive list of unique guides. With diverse backgrounds and differing perspectives, they share not only Iceland’s landscapes but also its culture, folklore, and traditions. Keep scrolling to discover more about our guides and find the one who’s the perfect match for you!
Our Iceland Private Tour Guides
Andrés Andrésson
Driver Guide
Andrés (Andy) was born and raised in Reykjavík. As a youth, he travelled extensively around Iceland with his family, creating a lifelong appreciation and love for his country. As a professional guide, Andrés has had the privilege to share his country with travellers, and connoisseurs from across the globe, experiencing the joy and amazement through the eyes of others. He believes one of the most rewarding aspects of his profession is the human factor, getting to know people. He loves to educate and entertain and brings to the table a wealth of knowledge about all things Icelandic: history, current affairs, culture, mytxh, and geology.
Travelling is essential to Andrés’ existence, a passion he shares with his better half.
“Iceland is pure magic, with each season possessing its unique charm. And lest we forget, the promise of the Northern Lights. The anticipation, the thrill of the hunt, the fulfilment of a dream, the sensation of being touched by the divine.”
A background in history, political science, education, and English, as well as having attended a professional guide school, have equipped him well in tackling the nuances of guiding.
Andrés is a qualified Wilderness First Responder.
Ásdís Birgisdóttir
Driver Guide
Ásdís was born in Iceland and spent her youth in the US. Growing up with the family, the holidays were spent outside enjoying nature, either camping in the highlands of Iceland or in the national parks of the US. The love of travel and adventure steered her towards the guiding profession, but as Icelanders tend to have many hats, Ásdís also has degrees in textile art and design and is halfway to becoming a carpenter. So she can tell you all about the Icelandic traditions in handcrafts and, with the added passion for geology, wildlife and horses, would keep you interested and entertained while exploring the Icelandic countryside.
“Snæfellsnes peninsula is my favourite location in Iceland with its infinite variables; stunning coastlines, magical Snæfellsnes glacier, hidden paths and relics of ancient times, lava fields and craters, fishing villages and the “bay with a thousand islands”; such a treasure of sights, sounds and experiences.”
Ásdís is a certified hiking guide, trained off-road highland driver and Wilderness First Responder.
Atli Sigurðarson
Driver Guide
Born in a small fishing village in the East fjords of Iceland, a village with less than 1,000 inhabitants. As a young man, he worked as a deckhand on a trawler to finance his education. He has a degree from the University of Iceland in business management and economics but found himself in guiding as he loves people and telling them about the history, nature, geology, culture, and social structure of Iceland.
Throughout his life he has been going camping in the wonderful nature of Iceland as his lifestyle is being outdoors, hiking, camping, and exploring. Being the arctic person he is, with direct ancestry from the first settler of Iceland, Ingólfur Arnarson, he loves the winter equally to the summer. Atli does not believe in elves but thinks that when he can’t find his keys or phone it might be the teasing nature of the elves.
Atli is a graduate of the prestigious professional guiding school in Iceland and is trained in off-road highland driving and is a qualified Wilderness First Responder.
Björn Grímsson
Driver Guide
Björn is a highly experienced and passionate Icelandic guide and father of two. He is a true nature boy to the core. There is nothing that makes him happier than being able to introduce this beautiful country to those who want to experience its awe-inspiring nature, culture, and history. Björn grew up in the seaside town of Akranes, just across from the bay of Reykjavík where, starting from a relatively young age, he began hiking with his father, often on their hometown mountain, Akrafell.
Throughout his youth, he travelled around the country with his family, exploring and getting to know the millions of treasures, big and small, that Iceland possesses. His upbringing instilled within him an immense appreciation and love for Icelandic nature and its idyllic sceneries, and with it, an unwavering need to share it.
“My favorite part of Iceland is the Westfjörds. As a whole, it’s amazing to be able to drive out there and explore with the raw nature, but more specifically there are areas you can only enter on foot or by boat, such as Hornstrandir. It’s hard to find a place in the world that compares to that wilderness.”
In addition to guiding, Björn is a long-standing member of Icelandic Search and Rescue, a firefighter, and an experienced mountaineer, which are all great indicators that you will be in safe hands throughout. He also has a dynamic education in Icelandic culture, history, and a great deal of geological and geographical knowledge of the country.
Björn is trained in off-road highland driving and is a qualified Wilderness First Responder.
Emilia Bandosz
Driver Guide
Sometimes, one must journey afar to find what they seek, even if it’s just a four-hour flight away. Life unfolds amidst unexpected plans—a summer job before an Erasmus stint led to running a fine dining restaurant in England, wine exploration in New Zealand unveiled a love for glaciers and guiding. Emilia settled in Iceland since 2016, and has since found solace away from the city, captivated by its geothermal pools and folklore. Enthusiastic about sharing Iceland’s wonders, she embraces a life intertwined with guiding, drawn to the island’s pristine nature and endless exploration.
She holds a master’s degree in Tourism and Recreation, in the field of Geography and Geology. Additionally, she has participated in various courses in the field, such as Wilderness First Responder and glacier training and is trained in off-road highland driving.
Fannar Andrésson
Driver Guide
“May is my favourite month of the year. The summer is starting and all the birds are back. There’s love in the air with animals and plants, and you feel that happiness that the longer days bring.”
Fannar is trained in off-road highland driving and is a qualified Wilderness First Responder.
Helgi Helgason
Driver Guide
Helgi was born and raised in the west side of Reykjavík. Helgi’s route to guiding was quite a unique one, with many specialities. Although he loved the outdoors as a young man, spending most of his spare time on the football field, his career set solely in the business world until much later. He studied Psychology at University, but then moved into advertising, eventually owning his agency. More recently, he was working alongside his wife in her upholstery business. It was only later in his career that he realized that guiding was his true calling.
As he transitioned away from business and into the outdoors, he completed Icelandic guiding school with a focus on hiking and mountaineering. In his spare time and as a guide, Helgi has summited many mountains, traversed many glaciers and run many multi-day hiking tours across the country with, as he puts it, “með allt á bakinu”, which roughly translates to ‘everything on his back’. His favourite topics to share with his guests are geology and glaciers, but has vast knowledge of everything that is Iceland.
Helgi is is trained in off-road highland driving and is also a qualified Wilderness First Responder.
Holly Spice
Glacier & Driver Guide
Holly was born and raised in Scotland, and first visited Iceland as a teenager on a Scout summer camp.
This trip inspired her to study Geology at university, and she went on to complete a PhD related to volcanism in Iceland. She loves to tell you all about Iceland’s volcanoes and its geology! Holly moved to Iceland in 2017 to pursue the outdoor lifestyle as a guide and is now officially an Icelander herself. In her spare time, Holly is a passionate rock climber and travels extensively on climbing trips abroad.
“The best day of my life was when I went to see a live erupting volcano on the Reykjanes Peninsula with my best friends. We even hiked in to see it a few days later at night and were treated to a display of Northern Lights above the glowing lava flows. Where else on Earth could you ever have this experience!?”
Holly is a qualified Wilderness First Responder, is trained in off-road highland driving, and is a certified glacier guide. She also holds the UK Mountain Leader and Rock Climbing Instructor awards.
Ingimundur Stefánsson
Glacier & Driver Guide
Ingimundur is an Iceland native, family man and seasoned veteran in the guiding community. He has guided across every inch of the country over the years and delights in sharing his rich family history and how it connects with his passion for the outdoors and folklore. It’s hard not to become best friends with Ingimundur by the end of the trip, as his stories and personality make you feel like you are sharing a memory with a trusted friend rather than facts and figures from a tour guide. When Ingimundur isn’t teaching our clients about the wilderness, he’s out exploring it with his family.
Ingimundur is a certified Glacier Guide, is trained in off-road highland driving and is a Wilderness First Responder.
Kristjón Grétarsson
Driver Guide
Kristjón (or Kris), was born and raised in Reykjavík and Keflavík, but spent his summers as a young boy exploring the Icelandic countryside on a farm with different domestic animals and exploring the unspoiled nature. His love of nature, hiking, climbing, and guiding doesn’t go unnoticed by his family and friends. He also manages to squeeze some golfing into his schedule but admits that there is room for improvement in this particular field.
With years of experience as a professional driver guide in Iceland, Kristjón has established a loyal following of happy customers. When you travel with him, you can be sure that safety and fun are at the heart of every trip!
As a certified Glacier Guide, trained off-road highland driver, and a Wilderness First Responder, Kristjón has climbed many of the Icelandic peaks with his friends, both in winter and summer conditions, and reached the summits of some of the most renowned peaks in the Alps.
Levi Baráth
Driver Guide
Levi grew up in Hungary, where he discovered his love for nature near Europe’s largest thermal water lake. Childhood adventures and sports, alongside work at a horse stable, nurtured his outdoor passion. Leading tours across Europe, Asia, and North Africa for a decade deepened his love for exploration, especially in Iceland since 2015. His love for Iceland stays strong year round, enjoying winter, summer, and everything in between, highlighting how he “can enjoy a 4 hour long golden hour!”
A self-taught photographer and videographer, Levi expertly captures his journeys, which comes in handy while on tours. His tours seamlessly blend adventure and visual storytelling. Levi’s genuine joy in teaching and sharing enriches every expedition, creating unforgettable experiences for all.
“The Icelandic highlands are my favourite place to visit in Iceland. If you feel like Iceland is a different planet, the highlands are another planet within the planet! Not to mention it’s so untouched, you feel like an explorer being the very first person there.”
Levi is trained in off-road highland driving and is a qualified Wilderness First Responder.
Loftur Atli Eiríksson
Driver Guide
With a population of less than 400,000, Icelanders need to be able to take on many roles. This makes Icelandic bios sometimes quite interesting. Meet Loftur, who has done his share of working many roles; from working in a fish factory; aquarium; The Copenhagen Zoo. But for most of his career, he has been an editor and a journalist for local newspapers and magazines. Having granted a Fulbright scholarship, his path took him to study visual arts in the US where he lived for seven years, completing his Master’s degree at California Institute of the Arts, and being a Hollywood reporter on the side.
Loftur grew up in the countryside in Garðahreppur, close to Reykjavík. His home was just by the water with a small brook running into the sea, which made him a passionate angler and a nature enthusiast from early childhood. Fly fishing in Iceland is one of two books he has published, and he who holds a second Master in Cultural Administration. Loftur started his guiding career on salmon rivers but has been concentrating on general guiding for private parties and groups in Iceland and Greenland since 2016. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Sigrún, and they have an adopted son from India named Haukur and a Boarder Collie named Lukka.
Loftur is qualified in advanced First Aid through the ICE-SAR (Icelandic Search, Rescue & Injury).
Marcin Grzyb
Glacier & Driver Guide
Marcin was born and raised in Warsaw, Poland. Growing up in a city, he dreamed of the mountains and sea — managing to travel extensively through Europe every chance he got. He first stepped foot in Iceland back in 2013 during an Erasmus student exchange, not realizing back then that this country would soon become his home for life. Marcin realized that by working in tourism as a guide, he could combine his passion for the outdoors with his career aspirations.
He started his guiding career in earnest as a glacier guide in 2016 in the Vatnajökull National Park in Iceland. Since then, he has gained experience and qualification in many terrains such as; glacier hiking, wild trekking, sea kayaking, white water rafting and ocean sailing.
He has also guided in New Zealand, Canada, and Norway, but he often tells his clients that Iceland stole his heart. After taking part in 2 sailing expeditions to Greenland and Svalbard, his interest widened to the whole Arctic region, and he’s always happy to teach you about its geography, geology and history and the special place that Iceland holds in all of them.
Marcin is a fully certified AIMG Hard Ice Guide, is trained in off-road highland driving, is a Wilderness First Responder and IRATA Rope Access Technician. He also holds a degree in Economics from the Warsaw School of Economics.
Matej Školc
Driver Guide
Born and raised in Slovenia, Matej’s thirst for adventure led him to live and work in various countries, including Croatia, Greece, and Turkey, before finding his way to Iceland in 2018. There, he began his journey as a scuba diving guide at the breathtaking Silfra fissure. Falling in love with Iceland’s enchanting landscapes, Matej transitioned into sharing its beauty with others full-time.
Alongside exploring Iceland, he’s on a mission to show its wonders to fellow travellers. When he’s not out discovering new corners of the island, you’ll find Matej sipping on piña coladas and avoiding rainy days. If he ever skips a whale watching tour, you know something’s amiss!
“My favourite time of year is June, because you can spend 24 hours per day travelling and not worry about the darkness, especially if your base at night is at my favourite hotel, Skálakot. It is both homely and luxurious at the same time.”
Matej is a qualified Wilderness First Responder.
Prokop Teper
Glacier & Driver Guide
Born in a country that no longer exists, Prokop has been on the move since 2010, having lived in 7 foreign countries before finding his new home, Iceland! As Prokop says, “you can guide people on ice and do it year round, what’s better than that?” Since arriving in Iceland in 2016, Prokop has guided on multiple outlet glaciers in the south-east of the country, where the mighty Vatnajökull ice cap is situated. Or, as he calls it, “the 3rd heaviest ice-cube in the world.”
Prokop is also a passionate advocate for protecting the environment and sharing best practices on the climate crisis. In his spare time, he loves to go fishing or to unwind in one of many Icelandic hot springs.
“I left my heart in Oraefi [Vatnajökull National Park], my first home in Iceland. A place where I fell in love with the fire & ice that has shaped this country since times immemorial. The most spectacular views Iceland has to offer, but please DO call me biased!”
In addition to being a fully certified AIMG Hard ice guide, Prokop is a NOLS Wilderness First Responder, a PROAOA class 4 white water raft guide and a D5L Fritidsskipper motorboat operator and is trained in off-road highland driving. These qualifications allowed him to guide in places as diverse as the Canadian Rockies and western Norway, but he always knew “unique, one of a kind” Iceland would be his home.
Ragnar Ísleifur Bragason
Driver Guide
Meet Ragnar, a joyful guide and devoted father of three. With a background in theatre as a maker, writer, and actor, Ragnar brings a creative spark to his guiding role. His love for guiding has flourished over the years, allowing him to share diverse experiences and stories with new people. He has a passion for Icelandic food, especially Icelandic candy, which he rarely travels without. Ragnar’s zest for life and storytelling shines whether guiding through Iceland’s wilderness or captivating audiences on stage, leaving a lasting impression on all he meets.
Ragnar is qualified in advanced First Aid.
Robert Konopka
Driver Guide
Robert is originally from Poland but now considers Iceland his home, having worked as a guide and in operations for many years. Robert’s move to Iceland follows the same story as many guides. His first career was in the corporate working environment, as a Human Resources specialist, but he knew that his life was not one that revolved around 2 screens and lots of copy and pasting.
So on one fateful day, Robert decided to buy a one-way ticket to Iceland and start a new life here. Quickly, he found himself working as a glacier guide and in operations on the south coast of Iceland. His years of experience in Iceland, and his infectious smile, is what led to him joining the team of Driver Guides at Hidden Iceland.
In his spare time, Robert loves to travel, with his fondest memory being a solo long-distance bike ride through Europe with stop off in the Balkans, Romania, and even as far east as Ukraine. He loves sharing the beautiful wonders of Iceland with you and swapping stories. Robert is also a keen amateur photographer, so don’t be shy if you want some great pics from him.
Robert is trained in off-road highland driving and is a qualified Wilderness First Responder.
Símon Adolf Haraldsson
Driver Guide
Born in Reykjavík, Iceland and raised in Árbær, a village within the city surrounded by nature. From an early age, travelling with his parents and camping all over Iceland made him fall in love with Icelandic nature.
Working five summers on a farm during the age 11-15 just under the famous volcano of Eyjafjallajökull made him permanently hooked on glaciers and mountains. His curiosity has also taken him all over the world, living for some time in Spain, India, and Thailand.
With a background in business and consultancy for almost 20 years and an MBA, he one day decided to change his office but keep what he loves, which is to be around people, teaching them and telling stories.
He has been a full-time guide since 2018, and he finds his passion for Iceland and Icelandic nature growing by each day. Iceland truly is “like a box of chocolates’ as he often quips. There are few things that do not interest him, and his attention to details is remarkable. His focus is to always add value to each day and capture the moment, after all, “God is in the details”.
Símon is trained in off-road highland driving and is a qualified Wilderness First Responder.
Teitur Torkelsson
Glacier & Driver Guide
Iceland born, Teitur Torkelsson, is a lifelong adventurer, TV personality, peacekeeper, public relations specialist and traveller to more than sixty countries. Basically, anything that allows him to explore the outdoors is his passion. These days, he follows this passion in a guiding role and loves to share his experiences while on new adventures across Iceland with his guests.
Growing up, Teitur was raised on farms in three different parts of Iceland and educated in Iceland, France, Japan, and the USA. He has worked in several countries around the world and is extremely knowledgeable about world affairs and the nature, economy, culture, and history of Iceland.
Teitur also holds degrees in Philosophy and Journalism from the University of Iceland and International Law and Security from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, USA. He is a level II Certified Glacier Guide, Wilderness First Responder, Sea Captain and Advanced Scuba Diver and is currently working on his private pilot’s licence.
Teitur is trained in off-road highland driving and is a qualified Wilderness First Responder.
Þór Tulinius
Driver Guide
Although Þór (Thor) was born in Iceland, he was raised in different parts of the world, spending a year in the Faroe Islands, a year in Germany, five years in the USA and five years in France, thus being fluent in English and French. Since the age of 15, he has more or less lived in Iceland, and he started his guiding career early, at the age of 18. The definite lack of French-speaking guides back then allowed him to work and learn on the job.
Thor is a well-educated and experienced guide and has explored most parts of Iceland. When we asked him what his favourite part of the country was, he was at a loss for words because the list crosses the whole country.
You’ll just have to decide for yourself when you’re travelling with him! Being a trained actor and having a master’s degree in creative writing, Thor especially enjoys sharing the History and legends of his country.
Being a Wilderness First Responder and trained off-road highland driver, Þór’s motto as a guide is: “have them feel safe, and then we can start having fun!”
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