Bespoke Private Tours

– Make the best of your time in Iceland –

stepman is Stephan Mantler, AIMG certified glacier and mountain guide, member of the Icelandic search and rescue team, and former professional photographer with over 30 years of experience exploring the outdoors. No matter which adventures you are looking for, his goal is to enable you to go further, see more, and come back with the memories of a lifetime. stepman’s background is a great match for photographers looking for a guide that understands their vision, and for anybody else who is looking for utmost flexibility.

From family friendly excursions to hardcore ice climbing, anything is possible.

The personal touch

All tours are guided by stepman and have the same, consistent high quality guiding that people rave about. And, since you are always dealing with the owner of the company, special requests or changes do not need to be “checked with the office” and any feedback you may have goes directly to where it matters.

Everything is simple, direct and personal. Just like we believe it should be.

Environmentally Aware

stepman cares deeply about the world we live in, and our tours give us unique insights into the processes and changes going on in the world around us. We are happy to share our knowledge, both in our tours and online, and are actively trying to minimize the impact of our activities.

We are only a tiny company, but that is not an excuse to not do the best we can.

Glacier Mapping

In 2017, stepman initiated a project to document a section of Breiðamerkurjökull – the glacier behind the famous Glacier Lagoon – using drone technology. While Google Maps is still showing images from about 2015, these maps are updated every 1-2 months and are freely available online at maps.stepman.is.

This project is entirely self funded and does not currently receive any support, financial or otherwise.

Less Impact

Our goal is to have all our activities are effectively carbon negative. We are currently working with the Icelandic Carbon Fund to have all fossil fuel usage offset by planting trees, and we are also converting some of our farm land back to natural vegetation.

Damaged clothing or equipment is repaired or repurposed whenever possible, and when purchasing new gear we give preference to manufacturers that use recycled or sustainable materials.

Cleanup Days

One of the magic things about Iceland is experiencing the raw, untouched nature. Unfortunately much work is needed to keep it this way, with man made trash finding its way even into very remote locations.

We volunteer an entire day on a regular basis to beach, roadside, or mountain cleanup. If you’re interested to join, please contact us for the next available date(s).

Tours

Activities can generally be styled in many different ways – from family friendly to challenging – and always ready to be further customised according to your preferences. In any case, there’s always last-minute flexibility and a strong focus on having plenty of time to enjoy and learn more about the environment we move through.

If you’re not finding exactly what you’re looking for or would like to receive a quote for a fully bespoke activity, please send us a quick email and we’ll work with you to put together an amazing program!

Family Friendly

Easy, half-day activities that are perfect for all who prefer tours that do not have significant requirements of physical fitness or prior experience. Route selection over easy terrain is navigable for participants of all ages.

Photography Specific

Full-day tours specially designed to achieve the best photography results. Super flexible timing, stop whenever inspiration strikes, and more remote places with access hikes that are doable with heavy photo backpacks and tripods.

Adventure Oriented

Anything but a walk in the park, these all-day activities are perfect if you want to challenge yourself in moderate to difficult terrain. We will cover more ground with more vertical elevation over rugged terrain, and experience views that few will ever see. Requires above average physical fitness.