At 5,000 to 7,000 meters above sea level, the Siachen glacier is the highest battlefield in the world. It has been contested by India and Pakistan since 1984, when the Indian Army occupied it.
The ministry said the glacier was being opened up because a recent thaw in Indian-Pakistani relations had made it possible, and because the area represented "an ideal venue for tourism."
The glacier, which is in the disputed state of Jammu and Kashmir, will be visited by three expeditions in September and October, and will include hikers from India and France, an Indian Army spokesman said.
Those wishing to arrange a visit will need to contact the Indian Army, the Defense Ministry, which was behind the initiative, said.
Pakistan, which considers the glacier its territory, has made repeated attempts to wrest it from Indian control, but has been repulsed each time.
The last armed confrontation took place in 1999, and a ceasefire has been in place between New Delhi and Islamabad since 2003.
