Adventure

South Iceland: Vatnajökull Glacier Blue Ice Cave Tour

Activity provider: Guide to Iceland
Adventure

South Iceland: Vatnajökull Glacier Blue Ice Cave Tour

Activity provider: Guide to Iceland
Likely to sell out

From US$ 145 per person

Likely to sell out

Experience the dramatic landscape of Vatnajökull National Park and go inside the ice caves formed when water runs beneath the glacier during the summer. Trek across the rugged terrain of the south of Iceland, and look at the magical blue ice of the caves.

About this activity

Free cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
Reserve now & pay later
Keep your travel plans flexible — book your spot and pay nothing today.
Covid-19 precautions
Special health and safety measures are in place. Check your activity voucher once you book for full details.
Duration 3 hours
Check availability to see starting times.
Live tour guide
English

Experience

Highlights
  • Experience the deep blue ice formations of Europe´s largest glacier at Vatnajökull
  • Hunt down the newest ice caves with a local guide
  • Enjoy the stunning glacial surroundings of the ice cave
Full description

Meet at the Café by Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, about 40 minutes east of Skaftafell, for the start of a unique winter activity and look at an extraordinary natural phenomenon. Go inside some of the ice caves that form after water runs beneath the Vatnajökull Glacier during the summer. Every fall, local guides hunt for new ice caves, as their location can change each year. The structure and condition can also vary from year to year, but rest assured your guide will decide which is the best cave to visit, depending on the safety and weather conditions. Drive for approximately 20 to 30 minutes to the ice cave chosen by your guide, and then walk for 5 to 15 minutes to the mouth of the cave. Upon arrival, enjoy between 1 and 1.5 hours to look inside at the miraculous blue ice of the cave, and take in the natural beauty of the surrounding area.

Includes
  • Ice cave tour
  • Guide
  • All safety gear
    Not suitable for
    • Children under 8 years

    Select participants and date

    Participants

    Date

    Meeting point

    Meet at the Café by Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon in South Iceland, approximately 390 kilometers east of Reykjavík.

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    Important information

    What to bring

    • Warm clothing
    • Hiking shoes
    • Rain gear

    Know before you go

    • It will be cold inside the cave. A 15-minute walk over rugged terrain for is involved
    • This activity has extremely limited availability so reserve now if you want to see a blue ice cave
    • Please be advised that the ice caves are a natural phenomenon and it's impossible to predict where, when and how many will form. In the unlikely that no ice caves form next winter, the tour will be fully refunded
    Customer reviews

    Overall rating

    4.4 /5

    based on 308 reviews

    Review summary

    • Guide
      4.8/5
    • Value for money
      3.8/5
    • Service
      4.6/5
    • Organization
      4.5/5

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    Star rating:

    This experience is unlike any other! I had seen glaciers. Walked on them. BUT IN THEM IS ANOTHER THING ENTIRELY! our guide kept reminding us that the glacier changes every year!! One thing to note, at this location, you don't meet at the "cafe" as the booking suggests. It's a free-for-all upon arrival to locate your actual tour group, which was a little stressful.

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    January 9, 2023

    I was a bit worried about how strenuous/dangerous it might be - but (at least when we went), it was about a mile to the cave and fairly flat. Very little of the route was on ice, and the crampons were light to wear and worked beautifully. The route itself was otherworldly. And even though there were several other groups there at the same time, the guides did a great job of spacing the groups a bit, and each group had the innermost chamber to itself for 5-10 minutes. Our guide also shared info about how the caves form, and even sang a song to show us the acoustics.

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    January 3, 2023

    Drove to the Lagoon under strong winds met warning, but when we got there, all was ‘normal’. As informed, 30min rough terrain drive followed by 30min hike to the cave. Awesome and fantastic! Despite there being loads of tour groups, everyone had their chance to see and selfie.

    November 9, 2022

    Product ID: 56089