​Ice Cave Tour by Vatnajokull Glacier | Departure from Jökulsárlón

Join this tour to experience the extraordinary beauty of an ice cave in winter. You'll explore hidden spaces on a glacier hike near Vatnajökull, the largest glacier in Europe. 

This is the highest rated ice cave tour in Iceland, so book now to secure your spot. Just choose the time which fits your schedule and make your way to Jökulsárlón Café, beside the famous glacier lagoon in Southeast Iceland. You can make a day of it, and enjoy the glacier lagoon area, taking pictures of the floating icebergs. Reserve early as this tour is very popular and is likely to sell out.

At the start of the tour, you will drive with your group to the cave which has been specially chosen for its dazzling structure. The drive itself is exciting, as you will be traveling in a modified monster truck.

When you get there, you'll have a short walk through the landscape to the cave where you can learn about the mighty Vatnajokull glacier from your knowledgeable guide. Thick socks and warm layers will come in handy today! 

Afterwards you will have to option to do a short glacier hike in the vicinity of the ice cave.

Ice caves are rare phenomena that form naturally. The ice caves are a long time in the making. Each fall, after the meltwater of spring has begun to freeze, local guides from the area hunt for new ice caves. This is why the location of the caves change every year and every ice cave is unique and newly formed! The structure and condition of the caves can vary greatly each year. Our guide decides which cave to visit every day depending on safety and weather conditions. 

There is extremely limited availability for this popular tour. Reserve now you if you want to see this incredible natural attraction. Check availability now by choosing a date.

• Available: Nov. - Mar.
• Duration: 2,5 hours
• Activities: Caving, Sightseeing, Ice Caving
• Difficulty: Easy
• Minimum age: 8 years old
• Languages: English
• Highlights:

  

  Jökulsárlón is Iceland’s most famous glacier lagoon. Conveniently located in the southeast by Route 1, about halfway between the Skaftafell Nature Reserve and Höfn, it is a popular stop for those travelling along the South Coast or around the circular ring road of the country.

  Geography

  As a glacier lagoon, Jökulsárlón is a lake that is filled with the meltwater from an outlet glacier. In this case, it is Breiðamerkurjökull, a tongue of Europe’s largest ice cap, Vatnajökull.

  It stands out, however, due to the fact that it also fills with icebergs breaking from the glacier, some of which tower several stories high.

  These icebergs, other than their scale, are notable for their colouration. Although they are, as expected, largely white, most are also dyed electric blue in part, with black streaks of ash from eruptions centuries past.

  When the icebergs finally make it across the lagoon, they either drift out to sea or wash up on the nearby shore. Because of the way they glisten against the black sands of Breiðamerkursandur, this area has been nicknamed ‘the Diamond Beach’.

  In spite of being a rather recent formation, Jökulsárlón is the deepest lake in the country, with depths reaching 248 metres. With a surface area of 18 square kilometres, it is also growing to be one of the largest.

  History

  Jökulsárlón has not been around since Iceland’s settlement; it only formed around 1935. This was due to rapidly rising temperatures in the country from the turn of the twentieth century; since 1920, Breiðamerkurjökull has been shrinking at a dramatic rate, and the lagoon has begun to fill its space.

  Today, the expansion of Jökulsárlón is accelerating. As recently as 1975, it was just 8 square kilometres, and now that size has more than doubled.

  In the relatively near future, it is expected that the lagoon will continue to grow until it becomes a large, deep fjord.

  Though a dark omen for Iceland’s glaciers and ice caps in general, the retreat of Breiðamerkurjökull has resulted in an incredibly beautiful, if temporary, site. This has not been overlooked by Hollywood.

  Jökulsárlón has been featured in the James Bond films A View to Kill in 1985 and Die Another Day in 2002, 2001’s Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, and 2005’s Batman Begins.

  In 2017, Jökulsárlón was enveloped into the Vatnajökull National Park, thus it is now fully protected by Icelandic law.

  Wildlife

  Because of the wealth of herring and capelin that the tides bring into the lagoon, Jökulsárlón is somewhat of a hot-spot for Iceland’s wildlife.

  In summer, it is a nesting site for Arctic Terns; stay well away from this area, as these birds are notorious for the fierceness with which they protect their eggs, dive-bombing the heads of any they see as a threat. Skuas also nest on the lake’s shores in this season.

  Seals can be reliably spotted here throughout the year, swimming amongst or else hauling out on the icebergs. Jökulsárlón provides them with a safe haven to rest and socialise, especially considering the waters of southeast Iceland are renowned for their population of orcas.

   

   

  Jokulsarlon ,

  

  Vatnajökull is the largest ice cap in Iceland and the third largest glacier in Europe, covering 8% of the island's landmass. Vatnajökull Glacier can be found in the south west of Iceland and is a popular spot for glacier hiking and ice caving tours. 

  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 a stratovolcano known as Öræfajökull. 

  Underneath the glacier rests some of the most active volcanoes in the country, the most notable being Grímsvötn, Öræfajökull and Bárðabunga. Volcanic activity in the region has occurred on and off throughout the centuries, and many geologists believe that such a period is overdue for immediate future. If their calculations are correct, it would mean 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 of the valley. The major outlet glaciers of Vatnajökull include Dyngjujökull in the north, Breiðamerkurjökull and Skeiðarárjökull to the south. To the west, one can find the outlet glaciers Síðujökull, Skaftárjökull and Tungnaárjökull. 

  Glaciers are in constant motion underneath their weight; as they form over the centuries, the accession of snow exceeds its melting, creating a constant "push" on the ice cap. 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 

  ---

  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 

  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. Vatnajökull National Park has 14% coverage over the whole island of Iceland.

   

  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, one can find wetlands and ranges, 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. 

  ---

  • Click here for a selection of Jökulsárlón tours

  ---

  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 ,

  Breiðamerkurjökull is the glacial tongue that extends from southern Vatnajökull and into the glacier lagoon Jökulsárlón.

  Breiðamerkurjökull is constantly retreating, breaking and melting, causing the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon to increase in size. This glacier tongue provides the lagoon with all of its enormous icebergs, which perpetually break from off its tip and tumble into the abyssal waters where they float for about 5 years until they are small enough to make their way towards sea and join the countless smaller ice chunks that adorn the nearby Diamond Beach.

  Breiðamerkurjökull is beset with enormous cracks and crevices, and since it's virtually impossible to tell exactly when the next big block of ice will break from it, people should admire this enormous glacier tongue from a great distance.

  Breiðamerkurjökull

• Crampons

• Helmet

• Guiding

• Transportation

• Clothing and outerwear suited to rainy or chilly weather (waterproof recommended)

• Camera

• Hiking shoes