Top 5 reasons to choose Icelandic Mountain Guides for your next adventure
- Due to exceptional service and innovative tours, IMG is the most awarded Outdoor Adventure tour company in Iceland
- IMG upholds high professional standards for safety and run an outstanding, award winning training system for its guides.
- Quality and Professionalism through and through with a trusted operator that knows the lay of the land
- With an active environmental policy, every adventurer that takes an IMG tour contributes to preserving Iceland´s beautiful nature through the IMG Environmental fund
- IMG is a member of the official quality and environmental system in Iceland, Vakinn.
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Awards and Recognitions
Awards and Recognitions
Icelandic Mountain Guides are a proud recipient of various awards and recognitions for operating adventure tours in both Iceland and Greenland. Recognition of our efforts have been motivation for us to continuously improve in all of our aspects of our operations.
In both 2014 and 2015 Icelandic Mountain guides were listed as one of Iceland´s strongest companies in Iceland by credit info. See more about the conditions to make the Credit Info list of the strongest companies in Iceland here
Throughout the years Icelandic Mountain Guides have received the honor of being handed the Certificate of Excelence by Trip Advisor. We are truly proud of our customer feedback on both Trip Advisor and Shopper Approved. We hope to keep up our good track of ratings as well as we will always take negative feedback into consideration for improvement.
In both 2013 and 2014 Icelandic Mountain Guides received the Outdoor Travel awards for tour itineraries in West and East Greenland. This is a recognition to the standards that we put into our tour development and rest assured, the same ammount of knowledge and experience goes into all of Icelandic Mountain Guides tours, both in Iceland and Greenland.
In April 2013 Icelandic Mountain Guides received the great honor of accepting the 2012 Conch Environmental Award. This is an award issued by the Ministry for the Environment and Natural Resources for being a leading company in nature friendly tourism in Iceland.
In 2010 Icelandic Mountain Guides received the Icelandic Travel Industry Association’s Innovation Award for the innovation and development of Glacier Walks. Since then, Glacier Walks have become one of the most popular tourism activities in Iceland.
In February 2010 Icelandic Mountain Guides were awarded the Icelandic Travel Industry Association’s annual Education Award for the education and continuous training we provide for our guides. The training system has later been used by the Association of mountain guides in Iceland to train and rate the standards of guides in Iceland.
In autumn 2009 Icelandic Mountain Guides received the Icelandic Tourist Board’s Environmental Award for our environmental policy and awareness towards responsible tourism. Later on, in 2010 Icelandic Mountain Guides were also nominated for the 2011 Nordic Council Environmental Prizer.
In 2006 Icelandic Mountain Guides were awarded the Icelandair Pioneer Award for designing and developing Glacier Walks. Today the company offers glacier walks with daily departures from two locations in south Iceland, from Skaftafell in Vatnajökull National Park and from Sólheimajökull glacier.
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Membership and Licenses
Membership and licenses
In 2015 Icelandic Mountain Guides were the first outdoor adventure tour operator offering hiking and trekking tours in Iceland to be accepted into Vakinn, the official quality and environmental system for Icelandic tourism. Only tourism businesses that maintain the highest standards in all aspects of their business practices and meet VAKINN´s comprehensive assessment criteria earn the right to carry the official quality label. Read more about Vakinn here.
Icelandic Mountain guides are a licensed Tour Operator and Travel Agency by the Icelandic Tourist Board.
Icelandic Mountain guides are an active member of the Iceland Travel Industry Association (SAF). The purpose of SAF is to protect the common interests of Icelandic tourism companies. SAF also works towards creating the foundations for a growing tourism market in Iceland in a professional way where the emphasis is on quality and environmental concern.
Icelandic Mountain guides have been an active member of the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) since 2009. ATTA is a global network of adventure destinations, tour operators, travel agents, accommodations, and media partners that benefit from sustainable adventure travel markets.
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Leading by an Example
Quality and professionalism
At Icelandic Mountain Guides we work continuously towards to improve the quality of our tours and enhance the skills and training of our guides to assure that all our clients have a safe and memorable journey. The Icelandic Mountain Guide’s team of guides and drivers is a selected group of - specialists and professional mountaineers, many have background in mountain rescue and all are passionate nature lovers and travelers. Our guides have a record that includes an incredible number of expeditions and impressive journeys, should it be of high altitude summits or long winter tours in the high Arctic. All have firstaid training and operate in accordance with the company’s safety policy.
Safety and training
We set high professional standards when it comes to the safety of our outdoor adventures. Since 2004 our mountain guides have received training from qualified instructors from New Zealand and from 2008 the training of our glacier and mountain guides is based on recognized standards from the New Zealand Mountain Guides Association. Training is kept up to date by annual courses on glaciers, avalanche rescue, river crossings and more. During these courses safety standards are revised and mountain skills practiced. When it comes to staff training we are proud to be the leading company in tourism in Iceland.
A trusted operator that knows the lay of the land
Both Iceland and Greenland are countries where nature is untamed and conditions can change unexpectedly. Travelling on these grounds in the safest and the most enjoyable way requires knowledge of the terrain and organization; a knowledge that only passion for the land and years of collective experience can gather. Icelandic Mountain Guides have travelled across and around these two countries for the past decades, and created a range of adventure to allow you to experience their fabulous landscapes and fascinating history and cultures. Whatever adventure you seek, you can be sure that with Icelandic Mountain Guides you are in the hands of a trusted operator that knows the lay of the land.
Environment first
Icelandic tourism depends on the continued prosperity of our delicate nature. In all the activities and experiences we offer, our objective has always been to minimize the environmental impact and to leave no trace when we travel. Icelandic Mountain Guides has adopted the World Wildlife Fund conservation plan, concerning ecological tourism in the Arctic. A part of our philosophy is to support local NGOs and to take an active part in discussion about the development of wilderness and open spaces. We take the nature’s side against ideas of heavy industry or new highway projects in unspoiled areas. We pride ourselves in being a company that emphasizes cooperation, sustainability and safety. As a growing company Icelandic Mountain Guides continue to lead by an example as the environmental policy is reviewed regularly to ensure that it´s implemented into all levels of our operations.
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IMG Environmental Fund
IMG Environmental Fund
- Icelandic Mountain Guides give back to nature with the IMG Environmental Fund
In 2014, Icelandic Mountain Guides started an environmental fund to help supporting the foundations for responsible tourism in the Icelandic Highlands. The mission is to support significant improvement to our nature through land management in order for our unique nature to be preserved for coming generations. To start with Icelandic Mountain Guides put 2.000.000 into the fund and added an extra 1% price on our Laugavegur trail tours from Landmannalaugar to Þórsmörk that go directly into the fund. 1% of the companies yearly profitsgoes into the fund. By travelling with Icelandic Mountain Guides you contribute to the conservation of nature!
See more about the companies environmental policy and the environmental fund here
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