Among Iceland’s myriad natural treasures, from steaming volcanoes to gushing waterfalls, are hidden underground gems. Often blue in colour, cold to the touch, and requiring some crampons to navigate, Iceland’s spectacular ice caves are a must-see.
The majority of ice caves you will see here are caves formed within glaciers due to the effects of wind and water. These caverns transform in shape over time as they adjust to a changing climate, resulting in breathtaking formations.
Ice cave tours in Iceland differ based on a variety of factors, such as the location of the caves and their accessibility. This might make choosing the right Iceland ice cave tour for your needs a bit more challenging, but Ice Guardians is here to help!
We are a team of seasoned guides partnering with local operators to offer visitors the best Iceland Adventure Activities, including ice cave tours. Keep reading for our guide to the best ice cave tours in Iceland, or feel free to contact us about our tours.
Let’s get caving!
Ice Cave Tours in Iceland
The best ice cave tours largely take place in Mýrdalsjökull, which is on top of the Katla volcano, and Vatnajökull, the largest ice cap in Iceland. Touring these caves takes planning and they can only be visited with a professional tour guide for safety reasons. Read our Ultimate Guide to Visiting Ice Caves in Iceland for all you need to know about exploring these phenomena. For a sneak peek inside, check out our YouTube short of a recently discovered ice cave!
Below, we break down the top ice cave tours in Iceland, including the approximate duration of the tours (excluding transport), their difficulty, the glacier location, tour departure location, and seasonal availability.
Katla Ice Cave Tours
The Katla Ice Cave is one of the most popular attractions in Iceland, thanks to the cave’s year-round accessibility and reachability. Most tours here will use Super Jeep transportation to reach the Mýrdalsjökull glacier before you embark on a short hike and enter the cave. Situated in a glacier on top of a volcano, Katla Ice Cave is certainly a sight to behold!
The majority of tours here will meet at Vik, but some tours offer the option of pick-up from Reykjavik for a full-day excursion.
Tour Duration: 3 Hours
Difficulty: Easy
Location: Mýrdalsjökull
Departing from: Vik
Seasonality: Year-round
Sapphire Ice Cave Tours
The name “Sapphire Ice Cave” may give you a pretty good idea of what you can expect to see here – a jewel-like display of blue! It’s located in Breiðarmerkurjökull, an outlet glacier on Vatnajökull, and is only accessible in winter – makes visiting this developing cave all the more special!
We offer this Vatnajökull Glacier Ice Cave Tour with our local tour partners, Glacier Adventure. No glacier hiking is required to reach the cave, making the Sapphire Ice Cave one of the most accessible in Vatnajökull! Also known as the Crystal Ice Cave, this frozen cavern will leave the whole family dazzled.
Tour Duration: 3.5 Hours
Difficulty: Easy
Location: Breiðarmerkurjökull
Departing from: Hali
Seasonality: Winter
Askur Ice Cave Tours
Askur Ice Cave offers a beautiful bubbly display in Mýrdalsjökull. As the closest natural ice cave from Reykjavik, you can find a number of short 2-hour tours departing from the starting point in Vik or offering transport from the capital for a day trip.
Take a ride to the cave’s entrance and enjoy an easy exploration of this accessible cavern. Admire its silver colours, bubbles trapped in the ice, as well as volcanic ash frozen in time.
Tour Duration: 2 Hours
Difficulty: Easy
Location: Mýrdalsjökull
Departing from: Vik
Seasonality: Year-round
Blue Ice Cave Tours
If you’re looking to spend a little more time on the glacier and seeing more features, without it necessarily being difficult our Blue Ice Cave Adventure with Glacier Adventure may be just for you. This winter tour will see you hiking across the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier and encountering moulins and ice tunnels. Inside the Blue Ice Cave, you’ll be struck by the sheer intensity of the colours!
This tour takes almost double the time of easier ice cave tours and requires a greater level of fitness. The effort you’ll make is well worth it to step inside this awe-inspiring marvel!
Tour Duration: 5-6 Hours
Difficulty: Medium
Location: Breiðamerkurjökull
Departing from: Hali
Seasonality: Winter
Hidden Ice Cave Tours
How about exploring an ice cave few have experienced before? Our year-round Hidden Ice Cave & Glacier Hike is a full-day adventure that will see you exploring deep into the heart of Vatnajökull. Hike up to 15 kilometres in total and enter a secret cave concealed within the ice, which you’ll only have to share with four other people.
You’ll spend over 5 hours on the glacier, offering you a fully immersive experience of this icy wonderland. Anyone who’s up for the challenge can’t go wrong with this excursion.
Tour Duration: 7-8 Hours
Difficulty: Challenging
Location: Vatnajökull
Departing from: Skaftafell
Seasonality: Year-round
Explore More of Iceland’s Natural Wonders
Iceland’s glacier caves are one of the most remarkable natural wonders you can experience in the country. However, they are also under increasing threat from climate change. At Ice Guardians, we use our tours to educate our guests about these formations and how we can protect them for future generations. Whether you join us for our Vatnajökull Glacier Ice Cave Tours or even our Iceland Glacier Tours, we’ll provide you with an informative, immersive, and empowering experience. If you’re ready to explore Iceland’s landscapes with us, contact us today.
