Ice Cave Day Tour with Flights from Reykjavik

Hop on a plane for a scenic flight over the south coast of Iceland and then explore a natural ice cave! This tour is for everyone who wants to see something truly rare: an ice cave.

Every year, stunning ice caves are formed by running water from Europe's largest glacier, Vatnajökull. Each cave collapses during summertime and gets filled with water and each winter new ones form. Therefore, every single cave is unique, and you won't have the same experience twice when you go to see a natural glacier cave!

Vatnajökull is situated in the southeast of Iceland, about a 6-hour drive one-way from Reykjavík. So to drive there, you'll need at least 2 days. This tour will get you to East Iceland and back in one day.

Flying will save time, giving you the chance to visit the ice caves, the nearby glacier lagoon Jökulsárlón and the Diamond Beach all at once, while still having plenty of time to admire the stunning blue ice cave!

The flight departs from Reykjavík airport at 8:55 AM, and in just 50 minutes, you will have reached Höfn in East Iceland. Your return flight to Reykjavík is at 6:55 PM.

Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon is right by the glacier and connected to the sea. In it, you will see majestic icebergs afloat, and you may even spot some seals relaxing on the ice. Where the lagoon meets the sea, there's a Diamond Beach, named for the glistening ice scattered along it.

The flight itself will be in a small plane, flying along the south coast of Iceland to the town of Höfn, offering spectacular aerial views of the Icelandic coastline. On a clear day, you'll get a great view of Vatnajökull glacier itself, giving you an idea of its immense size!

The ice caves should not be missed if you are here during winter and if you're pressed for time, this is the perfect tour for you! As soon as you reserve it, we will contact you to send you your flight tickets and provide you with all the necessary information.

Come aboard for the experience of a lifetime. Check availability by choosing a date.

• Available: Nov. - Mar.
• Duration: 12 hours
• Activities: Glacier Hiking, Super Jeep, Sightseeing
• Difficulty: Easy
• Minimum age: 8 years old
• Languages: English
• Highlights:

  Jokulsarlon is a glacier lagoon in the south of Vatnajokull national park that is easily reached by the Ring Road.

  Covered in thick glacial ice until the 1930’s when the glacier started retreating, the lagoon today measures 7 square miles (20 km2). More than 300 feet of ice still breaks away each year, reshaping the lagoon and filling it with icebergs -  causing an alarmingly beautiful sight.

  The water is freezing cold and contains a mixture of salt and freshwater giving it a blue-green color. There is plenty of fish and birdlife by the lagoon and the vast sand area of Breiðamerkursandur, and hundreds of seals stay there in winter.

  Jökulsárlón,

  

  Vatnajökull is the largest ice cap in Iceland and the third largest glacier in Europe, covering 8% of the island's landmass. 

  Facts about Vatnajökull 

  • Surface: 8,100 km2 
  • Average thickness: 400 - 600 m
  • Maximum thickness: 1,000 m
  • Height: 1,400 - 1,800 m
  • Highest peak: 2,200 m (Hvannadalshnjúkur)

  Information about Vatnajökull 

  Vatnajökull Glacier belongs to the greater Vatnajökull National Park, which encompasses the former national parks Skaftafell in the southwest and Jökulsárgljúfur in the north. Vatnajökull's highest summit is Hvannadalshnjúkur, which rests on top of the stratovolcano known as Öræfajökull. 

  Underneath the glacier rest some of the most active volcanoes in the country, the most notable being Grímsvötn, Öræfajökull and Bárðabunga. The volcanic activity of the glacial area occurs at intervals throughout the ages, and many geologists believe such a period is scheduled to happen in the immediate future. If their calculations are correct, it would mean a significant volcanic activity for Vatnajökull over the scope of the next half century. 

  The glacier boasts of over 30 outlet glaciers, which are channels of ice that flow out of ice caps but remain constrained on the sides to valleys. The major outlet glaciers of Vatnajökull include Dyngjujökull in the north, Breiðamerkurjökull and Skeiðarárjökull to the south; and Síðujökull, Skaftárjökull and Tungnaárjökull to the west. 

  Glaciers are in constant motion underneath their weight, as they form over centuries when the accession of snow exceeds its melting. Each year, due to the melting ice water, new ice caves form that disappear come spring. 

  • Click here for a selection of Ice Cave tours 

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  Numerous rivers run out of Vatnajökull, making up some of the greatest glacial rivers in Iceland:

  • Tungnaá (west)
  • Köldukvísl (west)
  • Þjórsá (west)
  • Jökulsá á Fjöllum (north)
  • Skjálfandafljót (north)
  • Jökulsá á Brú (north east) 
  • Jökulsá í Fljótsdal (north east)
  • Jökulsá í Lóni (south)
  • Hornafjarðarfljót (south)
  • Jökulsá á Breiðamerkursandi (south)
  • Skeiðará (south)
  • Núpsvötn (south)
  • Hverfisfljót (south)
  • Skaftá (south) 

  Vatnajökull National Park 

  The Vatnajökull National Park in its current state was established in June 2008. The park now covers an area of 14.141 km2, making it the second largest national park in Europe with a 14% coverage of the island of Iceland.

  The combined forces of volcanic and geothermal activity, glacial rivers and ice make up the different features of incredible landscapes that together give Vantajökull National Park its unique qualities. 

  Rivers divide the highland plateau to the north of the park; an area that sees massive glacial flows in the summertime. The volcanic table mountain Herðubreið towers over this particular region, along with volcanoes Askja, Snæfell and Kverkfjöll. 

  The canyon Jökulsárgljúfur was carved out by glacial floods centuries ago. At the upper end of the canyon, you'll find Dettifoss, the most powerful waterfall in Europe. Further north, the horseshoe-shaped canyon Ásbyrgi is believed to have formed when Óðinn's horse Sleipnir stepped his foot down from the heavens. 

  East around Snæfell, wetlands and ranges are home to roaming herds of wild reindeer and abundant birdlife. Steep mountain ridges make up the south side of Vatnajökull, where outlet glaciers crawl in between the ridges onto the lowlands. The sandy plains of Skeiðarársandur also lie to the south as they reach out to sea. The glacial river Skeiðará runs through this vast desert. 

  One of Iceland's most visited landmarks is the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, which sits at the head of outlet glacier Breiðamerkurjökull. There, large icebergs that have broken off the glacier gather to float in the lake before ending up in the Atlantic Ocean, or on the nearby Diamond Beach. 

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  • Click here for a selection of Jökulsárlón tours

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  The Future of Vatnajökull 

  The volume of Vatnajökull reached its peak around 1930 but has since been in a steady process of decline. Because of rising levels of global temperature, approximately over the last 15 years, Vatnajökull has on average lost about a metre of its thickness annually. 

  If temperature levels continue to rise, the glacier could be all but gone nearing the end of the next century, leaving only small ice caps on top of the highest mountain summits.  

  Vatnajökull and Jökulsárlón in Popular Culture

  • HBO's Game of Thrones (season 2, 2012)
  • Batman Begins (2005)
  • James Bond: Die Another Day (2002)
  • James Bond: A View to a Kill (1985) 
  Vatnajokull,

  Hofn a Hornafirdi, is a fishing town in southeast Iceland, with a population of 1641 (as of 2011). It has a strong harbour and its main industries are fishing and tourism.

  Of note are several interesting museums and the annual Humarhatid (lobster festival). The area is also rich and varied birdlife and migratory birds from Scotland land here around April and leave around August/September.

  Höfn

• Return flights from Reykjavík

• Transfer from the Höfn airport to the caves,

• Ice Cave tour with all gear

• Airport taxes and fees

• Transfer to and from Reykjavík airport

• Food

• Good warm clothes

• ID card