Ice Cave Day Trips from Reykjavik

Ice caves are formations that are created in Iceland's glaciers during the winter. It is an unparalleled attraction that I recommend you include in your itinerary of things to see and do in Reykjavik as it reminds you of the power of nature.

During the excursions to these caves you will have the opportunity to learn about the most important geological aspects that make this phenomenon possible. In addition, the tour inside the caves will leave you a lot of photos that you will keep forever among your memories, definitely one of the best tours in Reykjavik to know and enjoy.

Of course the Golden Circle is one of the experiences that you can not miss if you go to Iceland, to know it more closely you can make a trip to the Golden Circle and a tour of the Kerid crater in Reykjavik. In this case I propose a three-day trip to see some of the wonders of the Golden Circle and other similar landscapes.

During the first day you will visit the Golden Circle, Thingvellir National Park from Reykjavik, Geysir and Gullfoss waterfall. On the second day you will travel to the most impressive waterfalls on the south coast, as well as have the opportunity to see the black sand.

You will have to wait until the third day to visit the majestic ice caves of the Vatnajokull National Park, which are formations that can only be seen in Reykjavík in winter, because they are formed anew every season.

Details of interest

• Price: From 563 euros per person.
• Duration: 3 days trip.
• Means of transport: All the transfer is made by minibus with all the comforts included.
• Advantages of this excursion: Pick up and drop off in Reykjavik is included, whatever your location. You have two breakfasts included and accommodation for two nights in shared double rooms. The bus you will travel on has wifi service included. Also included is all the professional equipment to visit the ice caves. A professional guide is included who will let you know all the details about the caves.
• Disadvantages of this excursion: Lunch and dinner are not included in the reservation on any of the days. This is not a wheelchair accessible tour. Children under eight years of age cannot participate in this experience. Although pick-up and drop-off is from Reykjavik, it will probably not be directly at your hotel, but at a specific point.

This icy adventure will take you to the Sólheimajökull glacier tongue, a place where you will see a snowy landscape and a couple of beautiful waterfalls that are definitely one of the most impressive on the island. At Sólheimajökull you can learn to walk on the ice while getting to know the glacier inside and out.

Although one of the main attractions of this walk is not its caves but the glacier itself, it is an extreme experience to see the ice formations that are in the surroundings and inside the glacier itself.

In this experience you will learn how to climb the glacier using all the elements at hand, from the straps and harnesses to the crampons and ice axe. This is an activity only suitable to do in Reykjavik in winter, when the ice caves are fully formed.

Details of interest

• Price: from 119 euros per person.
• Duration: This experience can last approximately 10 hours.
• Means of transportation: Bus with all amenities that picks you up at the hotel and back.
• Advantages of this excursion: Pick up and drop off service from the hotel in Reykjavik is included. Specialized equipment for the glacier tour is included. Also included is the expert tour guide who will take you to learn everything you need to know about these glaciers.
• Disadvantages of this excursion: Drinks and meals are not included. Children under 8 years old cannot participate in this experience. The minimum shoe size to adapt the crampons for hiking is 35 EUR.

This eleven-hour tour will be enough to see most of the wonders that the south coast of Iceland has to offer. The tour begins when your guide picks you up at your accommodation in Reykjavik or directly in the town of Vik. Once in Vik, you will get into the super jeep and take the country road.

On this country road you will see breathtaking scenery along the entire south coast. Along the way you will see glaciers of all shapes and sizes, but it will be at the Kötlujökull glacier where you will get off to enjoy one of the best ice caves you will see in Iceland.

An experienced guide will take you inside these caves that form only in winter. After the tour of this natural wonder is over, you will continue your way back to Vik where you can stop to admire the spectacle of the Skógafoss waterfall. Another interesting place to see on your tour is the Mýrdalsjökull ice cap.

Interesting details

• Price: 150 euros per person, approximately.
• Duration: The trip takes about 11 hours from Reykjavík.
• Means of transport: If you choose to be picked up in Reykjavik or Vik the first transport will be an equipped minibus. Once you arrive at the meeting point you will board the super jeep.
• Advantages of this tour: It is an experience for everyone. You have included a professional tour guide who will take you inside the glacier to get to know it from the inside. You have wifi during the whole tour to the ice caves. All safety equipment and crampons for walking on the ice are included.
• Disadvantages of this excursion: The minimum age to participate in this trip is 6 years old, so it is not a suitable activity to do with children under that age.

On this full day tour you will have the opportunity to see the wonders of Europe's second largest glacier, Langjökull. In a tour of about 40 minutes you will climb together with your tour guide to the top of the Húsafell glacier and later you will be able to enter the interior of the glacier from the top.

The exploration will last approximately two and a half hours, in which you can visit the entire length of the glacier inside, you will also listen to the comments of the guide who will accompany you in your experience.

The time you stay inside the ice cave will depend on the conditions of the cave and if the guide states that it is safe to stay inside during the time stipulated for the excursion. During the tour you will also be able to appreciate the crystal clear glacial water lagoon Hraunfossar.

Details of interest

• Price: From 193 euros per person.
• Duration: Approximately eleven hours from the time you are picked up at your accommodation until the end of the experience.
• Means of transportation: If you choose the option of pick up at your hotel, then you will go in a minibus with all the comforts on board. To reach the glacier aboard a specialized truck to go on ice.
• Advantages of this excursion: All activities and a professional guide who will show you around are included. All fees and taxes are also included, as well as handling fees.
• Disadvantages of this tour: Food and beverage prices during the tour are not included. This tour is not suitable for people in wheelchairs or for people with limited back conditions.

During this two day tour to the south coast from Reykjavik you will be able to see much of the wonders that nature in Iceland has to show you. From black sand beaches to breathtaking waterfalls, and the highlight of this trip, which is why I recommend it, the visit to the blue ice caves.

This is one of the most impressive phenomena in the world and occurs under the largest glacier in Europe, the Vatnajökull. In these caves you will have the opportunity to appreciate the blue color that is printed on the ice walls.

In addition, this two-day tour is ideal to enjoy the best time to see the northern lights in Iceland from Reykjavik. You will also visit the Jokulsarlon lagoon, one of the best lagoons to visit from Reykjavik, being the only glacier in Iceland.

Details of interest

• Price: You can find this experience for an approximate price ranging from 400 euros per person.
• Duration: To do the whole tour you could take about two days traveling and visiting interesting places.
• Means of transportation: The whole tour is done on board of a bus properly equipped with all the travel comforts.
• Advantages of this excursion: The pick up of each of the passengers at their respective places of accommodation is included. It is included the guide of a professional who will teach you everything you need to know about the ice caves and the rest of the landscapes you will see during the trip. Breakfast and overnight accommodation is included, as well as the necessary safety equipment to do the whole excursion on the ice. The entrance fee to Skaftafell National Park is included in the price. You can leave part of your luggage in the luggage storage at no additional cost.
• Disadvantages of this excursion: Refreshments, snacks, lunch and dinner are not included during the trip. Trekking boots are not included, although you can request to rent them during the trip if you do not bring your own. It is not wheelchair accessible and the itinerary may change according to availability at each location due to weather conditions. You can take with you a maximum of 24 suitcases.

I think there is no better way to get to know the Langjökull glacier than embarking on one of the best snowmobile tours in Reykjavik. In the experience you will have the opportunity to go and get to know the glacier and the ice caves inside it. To get to the place you will travel by super jeep, while the tour through the glacier you will do it by snowmobile.

This tour lasts approximately ten hours, so you will need a whole day to visit this place and enjoy it to the fullest. The super jeep pick up is in the city of Reykjavik from where you will depart to the second largest glacier in Europe, the Langjökull.

Before you get on the snowmobiles you will receive a basic induction on how this snowmobile works and what you have to do during the tour. After you have toured the place for enough time, you will enter the ice caves, a unique spectacle that you can only get in Iceland.

Interesting details

• Price: This experience has an approximate price of 300 euros per person.
• Duration: You can do this tour in about 8 to 10 hours.
• Means of transportation: From your location in Reykjavik to the glacier, the transfer is completed by super jeep. Once at the glacier, the ride is by snowmobile.
• Advantages of this tour: All the necessary equipment is included for the glacier tour, as well as a basic lesson on how to drive the snowmobiles. You have at your disposal an experienced guide to whom you can ask everything you want to know about the tour and the ice caves. Local taxes and transfer to and from Reykjavík are included.
• Disadvantages of this tour: Children under 8 years old are not allowed on the tour. Not recommended for pregnant women or people with back problems. It is not adapted for wheelchair users.

Of course the main reason for you to do this kind of tours is to see the ice caves that form in winter after the freezing of fresh water due to the action of low temperatures. This type of phenomenon is unique, which makes the landscape change every winter.

Depending on the type of tour you take to the ice caves, you will generally learn how to visit Iceland's best glaciers, you will see and visit Iceland's best waterfalls that are part of the rugged landscape and above all you will see a lot of snow and ice along the way.

You will also have the opportunity to see glacial lakes and other natural phenomena that are part of the Icelandic landscape in winter time. If you choose tours of more than one day, you will probably be lucky enough to see the Northern Lights from Reykjavik.

• Regardless of the season in which you visit Iceland, always wear warm clothes, thermal pants, waterproof jackets, closed shoes, sunglasses, hats, scarves, among other things that will keep you warm.
• If you want to avoid renting trekking boots for some activities on the ice, I recommend that you bring your own.
• If you go with children, make sure that in each experience they tell you beforehand the minimum age that the child must have to participate. Many activities do not accept children under six years of age for their own safety.
• Pay close attention to the safety rules in each of the experiences you attend, remember that ice caves are temporary formations, so the safety conditions of each one can change in minutes.

If you like adventure tourism and you come to Iceland believing that it is a country where you can have all the adventure you want, then you are right. But you should always be cautious when sightseeing in this country. Its climatic and geographical conditions are a bit dangerous, especially for tourists.

In that sense, it is necessary that you make the excursions to the most inhospitable places, with knowledgeable people of the place. Even more so during the winter period, when the wind does its thing and temperatures drop considerably, I recommend you not to venture out on your own.

In addition to the safety issue, it is important that you go to each of the places accompanied by a person who is an expert in geological issues and the history of Iceland, so that he/she can give you all the information you need to know about each of the tourist attractions.