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Ice Cave Tour by Vatnajokull Glacier | Departure from Jokulsarlon
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.
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.
Quick facts
- Available: Nov. - Mar.
- Duration: 2,5 hours
- Activities: Caving, Sightseeing, Ice Caving
- Difficulty: Easy
- Minimum age: 8 years.
- Languages: English
- Highlights: Jökulsárlón,
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 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 of 248 metres (814 feet). With a surface area of 18 square kilometres (7 square miles), 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. In 1975, it had less than half its current surface area.
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.
Vatnajökull,Vatnajökull glacier is the largest glacier in Europe, covering 8% of Iceland’s landmass.
It is the central feature of the Vatnajökull National park, found in the south west of Iceland, a popular spot for activities like glacier hiking from Skaftafell, boat tours in the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, and ice caving tours between November and March.
Facts about Vatnajökull
Vatnajökull has a surface area of approximately 8,100 square kilometres (3127 square miles); though it is rapidly shrinking due to climate change, its recession is not quite as advanced as at other glaciers, such as Langjökull and Mýrdalsjökull. In parts, it is a kilometre deep (over three million feet), and its average thickness is around half of that.
Vatnajökull also holds the tallest peak in Iceland beneath its ice; Hvannadalshnjúkur is 2,200 metres tall (7,218 feet). It also conceals some of the most active volcanoes in the country, the most notable being Grímsvötn, Öræfajökull and Bárðarbunga.
Volcanic activity in the region has occurred on and off throughout the centuries, and many geologists believe that several eruptions are overdue. If their calculations are correct, it would mean significant volcanic activity for Vatnajökull over the scope of the next half century.
Depending on winds, this could result in worldwide consequences in terms of air-travel, agriculture and the general climate.
The glacier boasts 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.
Numerous rivers run out of Vatnajökull, making up some of the greatest glacial rivers in Iceland. The most notable are:
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 was established in June 2008, and has slowly grown to include more and more areas. The park now covers an area of 14,141 square kilometres (5,460 square miles), 14% of the country. It is the second largest national park in Europe.
Rivers divide the highland plateau to the north of the park. 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 Óðin's eight-legged 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 onto the lowlands. The sandy plains of Skeiðarársandur also lie to to the south, and the glacial river Skeiðará runs through this vast desert.
One of Iceland's most visited landmarks in the National Park is the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, which sits at the base of the outlet glacier Breiðamerkurjökull. Here, large icebergs that have broken off the glacier float across a vast lake before ending up in the Atlantic Ocean, or washed ashore on the nearby Diamond Beach.
This is one of the best seal-watching spots in the country.
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, Vatnajökull has on average lost about a metre (three feet) of its thickness annually over the past 15 years.
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.
Efforts are being made to prevent what some say is the inevitable, with reforestation projects going on all around the glacier, a proven method of cooling the area. Time will tell how successful they are.
Vatnajökull and Jökulsárlón in Popular Culture
The beauty of Vatnajökull National Park has not gone unnoticed by those in film or television. Many famous scenes have been shot here, starting with James Bond: A View to Kill in 1985. Other notable films with scenes here include Batman Begins, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, and James Bond: Die Another Day.
Most famously, however, many places in Vatnajökull have been used in the HBO Series Game of Thrones, north of the Wall. The Wall itself is constructed with CGI using shots of the glacier.
BreiðamerkurjökullBreiðamerkurjökull 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.
Departure time : 09:30 13:00,
This tour departs from Jökulsárlón café which is about 390 km east from Reykjavík, Just by the glacier lagoon Jökulsárlón
Crampons (if conditions call for such equipment)
Helmet
Guiding
Transportation
What to bring:
Clothing and outerwear suited to rainy or chilly weather (waterproof recommended)
Camera
Hiking shoes
Good to know:
For activities like ice caving, jeans are not recommended because denim, once wet, will spread moisture and take a long time to dry, leaving the wearer extremely cold!
Video
Reviews
English
John D'Alessandro
Celia Chan
It was a pleasure experience. My tour was the last day of the available season. The original ice cave that we were planning to go got flooded; however, new location got setup right away. Lucky that we checked our email. Tour guide was funny, friendly and professional. He told us a lot of information about the ice cave, environment and also some movie filming stories such as GOT and interstella. And we got some times to take photos.
Lenny Tanziln
The guide (i am sorry i didn't get his name) is a nice and informative person. The cave is smaller than we expected, but that's nature and still it was an experience for us. Ridding the monster truck also fun experience. Tips : book the earliest tour (08.30) if you want to avoid crowds.
James Horg
Guide was awesome; he was fun, entertaining and informative. It was an cool experience seeing and walking on the glacier, definitely not something you get to do every day. The caves were interesting, but much smaller than I was expecting. I still feel it was totally worth the money. I would recommend trying to go on a sunny day as the sunlight helps the caves light up with that surreal blue color.
Kate
So...we really enjoyed the tour. But it was almost a disaster. Apparently, they had changed the meeting location 3 weeks beforehand but failed to notify us until 2 days before via email. I was on holiday so didn't check my email. We showed up at the original meeting location for the 11:30am tour and someone was waiting for us to tell us to drive 40 minutes to the other meetup location and said we could get on the next tour at 1pm. We show up at the other meeting location and are told by tour guides that they're fully booked and they can't take us. We call The Guide to Iceland HQ for help, and the woman we spoke to basically blew us off and said the tour guides had to figure it out. We can "send an email" if we want a refund. Luckily for us, the tour guides were awesome and one of the guides worked overtime to take just the 4 of us out so we could see the cave. 5 stars for the tour guides, 1 star for customer service from the people in the office.
Mandi Ruch
Our tour guide was awesome, showed us great places to take pictures and suggested a great place for lunch. It was a bummer cause the weather was cloudy and we didn't see the bright blue ice caves like in the pictures, but still totally awesome. Would for sure recommend!
John Mucera
Awesome especially since it was the last day of the tour. Our guide T was fun talkative and extremely knowledgeable about the glacier. Fun time all around
John Mucera
Awesome especially since it was the last day of the tour. Our guide T was fun talkative and extremely knowledgeable about the glacier. Fun time all around
John Mucera
Awesome especially since it was the last day of the tour. Our guide T was fun talkative and extremely knowledgeable about the glacier. Fun time all around
Kristie E
Excellent guide and tour! Very knowledgeable and friendly. The day we did the ice caves our day was perfect, blue skies and clear. We were surprised about the temperature in the glacier, very mild and comfortable. The tour was amazing and we would definitely do it again using this company.
Max Cawley
Fantastic! Funny and knowledgeable guide, incredible blues, much fun had all around.
Melissa Larson
All aspects of this tour receive five stars. Some logistical problems arose from travel delays which were handled efficiently and professionally. I was impressed with the flexibility and excellent communication from Guide to Iceland to ensure all members of my group were able to experience this tour. The tour itself was incredible. Safety and comfort of participants was paramount. The short hike to the cave gives a great view of the Svinafellsjokull glacier as well as of the glacier field it once covered, and the murain it created. The cave was easily accessed and once inside, the myriad of things to see inside the ice and on the cave floor was captivating. Our guide was very knowledgeable and engaging. Playing the song " Dirty Paws" by Of Monsters and Men on the drive back to the meeting point was a special touch which further embeds this experience in my memory. The drive alone to Jokulsarlon is worth it. The cafeteria at Skaftafell is excellent. Highly recommend this tour and would definitely book other tours with this tour group.
Eva Schram
Stuning landscape and truly exceptional company. I would like to take this tour over and over again. The Glaicer and the cave was truly stunning. Thanks to our over qualified guide Addi. One of a liftime experience!
Dayna Rojewski
This tour was an amazing experience!! Our tour location and cave changed the night before due to flooding in the original cave. Instead of cancelling, our guide (Fie) had found another cave that was awesome and not crowded. We were the only ones in this cave and on the glacier for hours (8:30 tour). Fie was very friendly and knowledgeable. She also took wonderful photos of my husband and me! This company goes above and beyond to make sure that you have a great, safe time!
Kayla Brow
My husband and I highly enjoyed our tour with Vania (I hope that’s how you spell it!) he was very personable and easy to speak to and ask questions. He was very knowledgable of the area and glaciers. There was a change to our location and it was communicated with lots of warning and easy instructions to follow. These tours are pricey but it was a lot of fun and you’re in Iceland to experience it! Definitely recommend this tour.
Simona Basti
My experience was great! Iceland is expensive...we all know it, but I seriously think this experience is worth it every penny! I was there with my partner, our guide, Swan (hope that’s the right short cut for his name :)) was friendly, descreete and on time... he was a great company, the ice cave were amazing, safe and the short trekking easy and enjoyable! I booked the early morning experience and I think it was the best choice cos of tourism! It cannot be “intimate” and the reason why is obvious, but it is enjoyable and if you are there, you are not for being in a rush ;) Absolutely recommended!
Eric Muljono
Very well run from start to finish. Our guide was knowledgable and showed us 2 ice caves. Too bad the weather has started getting warm so the ice is melting, preventing us to venture deeper into the caves. Overall a great experience.
Lyndsay Rose
The tour guide was great! Was slightly disappointed that we weren't able to go to the larger, bigger cave as planned (due to flooding), but that was out of our control. If you are skeptical I would just call ahead to see if they are touring the smaller or larger cave that day. It was a beautiful day regardless and seeing the glacier was awesome!
Amanda
Liem Yau Chun Eugene
Cave was beautiful but smaller than expected, seems the inner side is blocked due to flooding. And the cave was packed with people, although tour guide was great and with awesome 4WD driving skills, it's pretty pricey with the size of the cave and the crowds.
Marisa Allen
Cave was beautiful but packed with people. The vans drive right up to the opening of the cave so there is no portion of this tour that includes a glacier walk. Tour guide was great. It's expensive for the size of the cave, the crowds, and the time on site, but on par with other tour companies, and the ability to change your reservation is key with unpredictable winter weather. Use the restroom at the N1 prior to arriving at glacier lagoon. The lagoon facilities are far too small for the crowds they host.
Kevin Gerner
Our tour guide, Sven, was absolutely phenomenal. He was engaging the entire drive, shared a ton of interesting Icelandic facts (he even was an extra in Game of Thrones), and gave great advice about things to do and see in Iceland. The cave was absolutely breathtaking; Sven made sure everyone was able to get all the photos they wanted, and helped show how to get the best lighting/angles in the cave. What an absolutely fantastic experience, and well worth the price!
Ann-Marie D
Our tour guide, “Biggie Smalls”, was exceptional! He definitely made the experience that much better! My partner and I came in the middle of February, and although the weather wasnt favorable during our trip, it turned out to be a beautiful, cold, but sunny day. I recommend booking an early morning tour to beat the crowds. The ice cave was smaller than I expected, but some areas appeared to be closed off, possibly because of the weather. Nonetheless, we managed to capture photos of the majestic beauty of the ice cave. We also got to hike afterwards to the “top” of the glacier that feeds into Jökulsárlón lagoon. Pretty pricey, but I was pleased with my experience.
Ke Wang
Amazing tour to the cave. Our guide (sorry didn't get his name!) was fantastic. Informative, friendly, and pleasant. The cave itself is stunning. It might seem expensive for just seeing a cave, but it is truly the wonder of the nature. And do not be fooled by other people saying "it's just the same cave every year". It might be a cave formed along the same river bed but it is a different cave every year, formed at a different location, of a different length and a different shape. You can't really plan a "perfect shot" before your trip as the cave you see will be different from that you saw on internet (unless of course the picture was taken around the same time of your trip). It is only accessible during a very limited time of the year, and more importantly you can not get to it yourself at all. It requires specially adapted vehicle and extremely extensive knowledge of the local area in order to navigate and drive in the vast snowfield. And it also takes the guides and their colleagues some back-breaking work to find this place, to establish a safe route to and from the place, to make the entrance and the end safe for tourists, and to reveal the true beauty of the cave. I would recommend taking the first tour in the morning. It'll be quieter there and the earlier it is the blue the cave is. As a reference we did the 9:30 one in mid February (the 8:30 one was sold out otherwise would go for that one) on a nice sunny day, the color was stunning but it was getting a bit busy already.
betty9416
The blue cave is beautiful, the ice is blue and our tour guide is humorous and warm hearted, she taught us how to take more beautiful pictures which make the tour a lot of fun.she also take us to last year ‘s blue cave, really interesting. The only drawback is the weather, because the snow hide the light, but nobody can forecast this.
John ONeill
Brilliant experience, as expected it was very busy so getting “that” photo is near impossible but people give each other time and space where possible, the cave was amazing and our guide Halli was witty but also very informative we loved it, highly recommended.
Jason Dunnagan
Excellent! I would recommend being the very first or last tour to avoid the masses. Our guide Tryggvi (sorry if I butchered the spelling) was entertaining and knowledgeable. Do not try to get to the caves outside of a guided tour. Yes, this is expensive but worth the money for an outstanding experience!
Edwin Matthews
We were in Iceland during a blizzard/storm and we were unable to travel to the Ice Cave on the booked day. A quick call to the Head Office and we were told not to worry! to call the next morning, hope the roads are safe and we can rebook or receive a full refund. I found this to be amazing customer care. Thankfully the roads were safe the next day! the actual tour was amazing, a great adventure and the tour guide was funny and very helpful. Loved the ride there and all the information. It is very expensive, the cave was much smaller than expected but it changes every year...that's nature for you! Still an experience I will never forget!
Tereza Simackova
we absolutely loved our tour! i was honestly expecting loads more people in the ice cave but there weren’t that many and we had a lot of time to take pictures and look around. our tour guide was great, shared lots of great fun stories and facts about the glacier and we also enjoyed the ride in the giant 4x4!
YI FENG
Overall it was a good experience. The cave was much smaller than expected. It can be quite crowded at time. Our guide Addi was really helpful though. He's making sure we got enough time to view the places we are interested and was looking after us really well. Also very knowledgable.
Vernon Yamashiro
Outstanding tour and place to visit. Cave is small and you want to be the first visitors or the last.
Leonie Dunne
Simon Gardner
It was simply amazing from.start to finish. The monster truck onto the glacier and then visiting 2 ice caves was fantastic! The guide was very informative and unflappable even when the truck decided to go for a nice slide on the glacier.
Patricia Sainz
Great Tour with Superb Guides! Antonio our guide and Pablo our driver, where awesome. The 2 South Coast Day Iceland Tour was amazing. Antonio was very knowledgeable and entertaining, Pablo was an excellent driver, very accommodating and helpful. They went out of their way to show us beautiful places that were outside the tour route. I highly recommend the 2 Day South Coast Tour with Antonio and Pablo. Thank you Guys!
Cory Schutz
Awesome trip with a very friendly and entertaining guide. You definitely recommend.
Elio Gonzalez Ruiz
Excelent experience 100% recommended
Adam Michael
Wonderful, once in a lifetime experience. Our guide, Gunnar, was fantastic! I would have preferred a little more time in the cave, itself, but still thoroughly enjoyed it.
James Vason
Just getting back from Iceland. I think this trip is not absolutely worthing the price paid for. Rather expensive, disappointing the program. Just riding half an hour on a superjeep for getting to one single tiny ice caving, overcrowded, really not exciting. Second step into an uncovered ice caving just for admiring the ice opera. The only thing I would save is the guide, knowledgable and engaging I don't remeber the name, he lives in Hofn, he said. All in all, I would not recommend this experience for that price! Bye James (Italy)
Sharanjeet Parmar
We had an absolutely amazing experience - the tour guide was knowledgable, funny and inspired a real respect for nature and where we were. Thanks for a seamless and unforgettable experience!
Edgar Danes
We went my 2 friends and me and we enjoyed in the glaciar as well as in the huge van with our guide-driver Sven. He was explaining us all history of glaciar and many other good stories. We would repeat for sure. Only thing I could say... Too much people in same place.
Jenny
My sister and I had an amazing time touring with your company. Our guide, Halli, was knowledgeable, engaging, and a true spark of fresh air and joy. His presence elevated the entire experience, hold onto that guy! The price was a bit high for the amount of time/ number of people that were in the cave, however this was a once in a lifetime experience for my sister and I and we enjoyed every second of it.
Jacob Greenland
Tour was great and Pia (?) was very informative and helpful.
Zhiling Li
It was a wonderful experience and the guide was a nice and friendly person who told us a lot of stories about the glacier. The only disadvantage is that the ice cave was really crowned, which was over my expectation. Maybe it is because of the Christmas holiday. Anyway, it was good.
Chung Tony Li
It is a lovely tour and the tour guide was very helpful.
Bingyan Pang
We really enjoyed our tour. The cave itself is small and was very crowded, I mean just like any other tourist sites in Europe, everyone wants to see it. It's much better than lining up 3 hours to see the statue of David in Italy. Our guide Agnes was awesome! She was super entertaining, and a great driver. Personally, I actually enjoyed the walking on glacier part more. Yes it's expensive. But you'd probably regret it and wondering what it's like if you didn't do it.
Lasanki Thubru
The cave was small and over crowded. Quite expensive.
Natalie DeCario
Queenie Yeo
The tour was amazing, i enjoyed myself! It’s a brand new experience for me! It’s mesmerising! Our tour guide is knowledgeable, hilarious, manly, cheerful and many more! He even shared his meaningful poem that he came up with it to all of us. Even tho, I don’t understand what’s it. But it sound lovely. Especially the yo-yo ending. (Rap) Overall, it’s awesome!
Laura Esposito
So much fun! I’d definitely recommend this tour!
JENNIFER
Great fun tour! Our fearless leader Agnes was super entertaining, great driver and guide. The Ice Cave we visited was not as big as I'd Imagined but we were allowed plenty of time to get fantastic photos for everyone in our group! Would definitely recommend this tour!
Jin Chung
It was great experience overall. However, I think this is kind a over-priced. Also there were tourists who stayed picture spot for very long time like more than 30 minutes so other people couldn't take picture there. I think there has to be some kind of rules for make everyone happy.
Mike M
Had a fantastic glacier tour with Bjarni; was very knowledgeable about the area etc and friendly too; nothing was too much trouble; thanks for a great afternoon - it was one of the highlights of our trip!
Cynthia Rivera
It was an experience and a half! I went with my parents and from what we expected we got more. Our guide was charismatic, energetic and had a great sense of humor that really made the drive in the monster truck fun and educational. We learned about the glacier lagoon, the volcanic activity in the area, the Northern Lights, the ice cave and a lot of Icelandic history. He was very helpful and even when we went inside the cave (luckily groups were on the way) we had it to ourselves for at least 10-20 mins. The pictures were breathtaking and the experience was very worthwhile. It was the highlight of our entire trip!
Clare Morgan-Riddell
Super good! The guide was goodnatured, energetic, and interesting. The drive to the cave was cool too! The cave was really pretty and unusual, though the photos of it make it look a lot bigger and emptier than it was. All in al, great trip.
Stephanie Hartwick
We loved our tour- our guid Svennie (Game of Thrones Star!) was fantastic. Super friendly and gave us lots of info about the area and Icelandic folklore on our drive out and back. The cave was packed with other tours but we managed to get some good shots without others in the photo. We also were able to do a short hike uphill to check out another cave fissure/ formation which was only our group so that was nice. If we had the opportunity to do a longer hike and less busy cave we would definitely do that next time !
Arun Sundar
Great experience!! After a 30 min drive in a monster truck/van, you start off with a short walk on the glacier and then enter the ice cave. The drive, the glacier and the ice cave are great experiences. Only downside is the crowd. When we reached the glacier, i thought it was a monster truck convention and there were at least 50 people inside the cave the whole time we were there. I’m a photographer, it was near impossible to get a good photo of the cave. Not a lot of room to even set my tripod. I was told the crowd was due to the cancellations the previous days, but seeing how popular Iceland has become these days, I don’t know if that’s the real reason. Anyways, if you are going for the experience, it’s worth it but don’t expect to NOT see people (it felt like a mall/subway station)! Special mention to our guide Sven, who was awesome!!
Olivia Dooley
My most memorable and exciting experience in Iceland !! The drive to the ice cave is so awesome in the monster jeep. Our guide Sven made the whole tour fun, he was very unique and funny and made me feel 100% safe at all times even going directly in front of me through the ice tunnel when I said I was a little claustrophobic. He made everyone feel like they were having a personal one on one tour and took the time to take pictures of everyone whilst giving us history of Iceland and the caves etc. Highly recommend this tour !!
Nina Mueller
Our tour guide was Birgir on the Ice Glacier Cave tour that should have been two hours but ended up taking about 4 because of the first cave being flooded. He turned us around and we went to a cave that was further along the ring road from Jokulsarlon that ended up being ontop of some amazing Mountains. During the drive, he pointed out some cool historical facts about the area and kept us laughing . He drove us up through this narrow and sometimes steep mountain road and walked 10 minutes to the cave entrance. Once inside, he allowed us plenty of time to explore and look around and then took us to two other connected caves. They were under the glacier and were very blue with a water fall running through them. Definitely a one of a kind experiance!! We were impressed with how flexable he was with the change of plans and did not mind the lenght of the tour because of how interesting Birgir made it! Definitely would recommend!
Luiz Henriques
Alasdair Keith Gardiner
I went on the Ice Cave Tour by Vatnajokull Glacier, greatly enjoyed it, and found it to be good bang for the buck! The drive to the ice cave (about half an hour) was a mix of interesting information about the ice cave, and little moments of adrenaline (though never a doubt that the driver was in complete control). In the ice cave itself, of course there are other people visiting it, but I didn't find it overcrowded. I was able to take some photos of my friends with no-one else in the background, for example. You are able to walk to the depths of it if you wish, and the tour involved a good amount of time so we were able to explore the cave at our own pace without ever feeling rushed. After visiting inside the cave we walked on the glacier with the tour guide, which was very cool. We actually finished the tour before the prescribed end time, because all six of us tourists on board felt like we were good, and made that call - so even if you spend a lot of time taking photos (like I did), I don't think you need to worry about time constraints on this tour. Finding the pick up/drop off point before the tour was very simple and straight-forward. I found the price to be very worthwhile for the quality, location, and duration of this tour. Our tour guide Garðar was excellent - funny, informative, and made us feel that we were in safe hands throughout the tour. Overall I highly recommend this tour! Thanks Garðar!
Fiona Garbisch
The tour was awesome, but very pricey for the short amount of time. It was difficult to take a picture without people in it, although we went there early in the morning. In spite of all, our very funny (and attractive :D) tour guide Sven, who happily took pictures with and for us, told us stories about himself and the glacier and who was all in all a very charming and educated person, made this tour a very pleasant experience. The cave was really full, but the way back to Jökulsárlón, we drove with a massive, cool Jeep through the snowy mountains, and listened to icelandic music -that was very rough and made us emotional. I would do it again :)
Kim Shannon
We had a fabulous tour. Reynir was very informative, and funny, making the entire trip one to remember. The colours in the ice cave are incredible. Such a wonderful experience!
Valerio
The cave was amazing and the guide was really friendly and funny, but maybe a bit overpriced considering the time you actually spend there.
Deb Tuttle Jenson
This tour is well worth the money. We went towards the end of the season (end of March) but still managed to see amazing ice. It's really quite a site to see, I highly recommend taking the time for this tour.
Alisha Man
The Ice Cave tour was amazing! Our guide, Athelstan (Addi), was very informative and friendly (and also, very good-looking, haha)! He gave us a lot of history of Iceland on the drive to the cave, and although it's a bumpy ride, he ensured our safety. The cave itself is not very large, but you get some phenomenal pictures in it. It's also fun to drink the glacier water that is dripping from the cave! Addi also stopped on the way back so we could enjoy the stunning view of a mountain and lagoon. This is one of those tours that is very much worth it, as climate change will soon render the cave obsolete. Thank you, guide to Iceland and Addi! :)
T Yan
worth every penny for this experience. We were lucky to be first in the cave at 8:30am so it wasnt crowded.
Edna Howard Goldberg
Fantastic tour with an excellent and knowledgeable tour guide, full of personality. The caves are amazing and the glacier is a fantastic landscape. Most of us may only experience this once in our lives. My husband my son (14) and I went and rocked our world. Definitely worth seeing while visiting Iceland. The tour company is fantastic as well.
Kate Jordan
Excellent - tour was informational, hilarious, safe and a blast! Reineer was an awesome tour guide. The cave is overall fairly small, with a long ride out, but well worth it. Stop by the glacier lagoon for pics.
Breanna Roe
We loved it! The ice cave was breathtaking and our tour guide was very funny and helpful. He stopped on the way back to let us get beautiful pictures and then made another stop to let us drink from a stream. It was so cool. His name started with a G, he told us we could call him Goonie.
Samantha Henry
We had the best cave tour experience ever! Highly highly recommend it. It is well worth the money! Halli Hansen was the best tour guide of all time!
Kiersten
Our guide was exceptional. The cave itself was smaller than expected, but there had been heavy rain and accessibility was questionable to begin with. There were a large number of people in the cave which was a bit disappointing as it was very small. Hard to take pictures without getting a myriad of extras in them. Overall it was a cool experience but for the price I expected more.
Sarah Thompson
What a wonderful adventure! I went into it knowing that there may be a lot of groups in the cave, but was pleasantly surprised to find that there were only two small groups (I did the 4 pm tour, so the last of the day). Even if there had been a large number of people, you are given plenty of time to take photos and hang out under the cool blue ice. The ride to the cave was also quite the experience, in the best way possible. I definitely recommend this excursion!
Cindy
The tour was fantastic! Our guide, Svein, was incredibly friendly, funny, and knowledgeable. He happily took lots of pictures with and for our large group of 14. Be prepared for a possible (and unavoidable if so) bumpy ride to/from the ice cave. Still highly recommended!
Stacy Farley
We had a great time on the ice cave tour while exploring the southern and southeast side of Iceland. Our guide, Reineer, was friendly and entertaining. It's not a large cave but you get plenty of time to get up close to the beautiful glacial ice and explore. I would highly recommend this tour to others exploring the region!
Jackson Teal
It's my understanding that there are a few different ice caves and that you get to go to whichever one is safest or most accessible. The one we went to was definitely different from the video above, but was still quite cool. It wasn't a very big cave, so it was a lot less "exploring" and more of getting to see the glacier up close and take pictures. We had the first tour of the day (8:30am) and I would definitely recommend it. There were about 15 people in our tour and that made the cave a bit full as there was another tour group there (assuming from a different company) at the same time. It was crowded, but not bad at all, and everyone had time for photos. By the time we left however, you could not move inside the cave for all the people, and forget about pictures without other people in them. Also, the cafe at the meeting place didn't open til 9am. Overall, fun tour, but it's definitely just a chance to get a cool picture and see the glacier up close. Don't expect to go exploring like in the video above.
Kaan Firatli
Excellent outing. The Crystal Cave was one of the highlights of the trip. The cave was flooded when we were there (mid-March), which meant we couldn't walk around freely, but neither could anyone else. As a result, we could experience and photograph the cave without people walking around and taking endless selfies. A definite plus. The super jeep squeaked through the whole ride which was annoying (and left me feeling it wasn't well-maintained). Our guide was experienced, with a good sense of humour. I particularly enjoyed it when he chipped ice off the glacier and we could eat it. Also drank and collected water from a mini fall inside the cave. It's now in my fridge in Canada. Worthwhile experience overall. I would recommend it despite the steep (very steep) cost.
Jen Vachon
This tour was incredible. Our guide was so friendly and let us stop at all the picturesque places. We spent as long as we felt we needed in the cave, got to crawl through an ice cave tunnel, and went on a short glacier walk. It was absolutely amazing.
Avana Grayr
Went on 12 March 2017 at 9:30 and arrived back at Noon. The tour left on time in a Super Jeep. We drove a few minutes down the highway and then about 30 minutes off-roaring to the cave. Because of warm weather the day before, as well as rain all night, the cave was a bit flooded so we weren't allowed to go all the way through the it. We were able to enter and explore about 20ft in and take photos for 45minutes. It was absolutely beautiful! Dark blue hues were vibrant and breathtaking. There were a few other groups in the cave, so you need to be patient to get your turn with photos:The tour guide was informational and comedic and overall allowed us to have a great time despite the weather.
Jose Alzate
Great tour! Our tour guide, Gunnar, was vey kind and always happy to answer our questions. The cave was amazing, the only problem is that it was starting to get flooded so we couldn't go that deep inside.
Hannah Busch
Amaaaazing experience, just so beautiful and best tour guide ever!!
Deylis Sequeira
This tour was amazing. Loved everything from the drive out to walking the cave. Our tour guide was amazing. Would recommend this tour 100%
Elizabeth Taufa
Great experience! The drive out to the ice cave was almost as fun as the ice cave itself. Definitely worth the trip!
Stacey Adler
Jordan and I had a blast with our new found love Halli Hansen! He was incredibly passionate about sharing this truly authentic experience with us. This was definitely the highlight of our trip and would highly recommend this tour with this specific company. - Stacey adler
Wojciech Kruczynski
Ten full buses at once, one cave. It's not tourism anymore, it's industry. You feel like in a subway station :)
Emily Yocm
Awesome experience! We booked the earliest tour (8:30) an are glad because there are several other trips and companies coming to the caves as well. We were able to enjoy some time in the beautiful cave by ourselves. The tour guide was friendly and knowledgeable, and allowed us to stop and take pictures in several places! Great experience and highly recommended!
Farrah Almira Lakeman
Such a great experience! We were picked up in time for the trip and the guide was extremely nice, informative and entertaining. The ice cave itself was breathtaking! Definitely worth a visit when you're in Iceland during winter.
Escape the Routine
We booked the 8:30 tour and we're glad we did so because when we reached the cave there was only one other group (when we left there were like 5 or 6 groups inside the cave). The drive/guide was nice and funny and explained everything we had to know about the cave and security measures. The cave... I think our expectations were a little too high. We had seen some photos and had pictured a big cave with lots of tunnels, but in spite of all its beauty, the cave was rather small (about 25 meters deep). We still managed to take some amazing photos of the vivid blue ice which made the all experience worth it.
Mary I Lyons
My tour of the Crystal Cave was fantastic. Had a great guide who was entertaining and informative. He didn't wear a hat, which amazed me. The wind was brutal and he didn't wear a hat. Very impressive. I thought he was great and the caves (we saw two) were just incredible. We had plenty of time to explore each one and take pictures, and even got great pictures of the sunset. Highly recommend.
Dianne Cooper
My experience was great! Sun was shining for the March 3rd 14:40 tour. Svein was an awesome guide, both funny and informative. The cave was beautiful and intimately small. Yes, other groups were there also but our group was timed in such a way that at one point for almost 20 minutes we were the only ones there. This smaller cave was great for the fact that the ceiling of the cave was more easily photographed and details more visible. If you go into this tour with the viewpoint of it being a "once in a lifetime" adventure instead of "it must look exactly like the adverts" then you will have a great time!
heidi bang
The tour was not as enjoyable as I was hoping. The ice cave itself was beautiful but tiny, and felt even smaller with the amount of different tour groups that occupied it at a time. Because of this it was hard to get pictures in certain spots, or take pictures without them being ruined by other people being in them. In the end, we felt rushed because we spent so much time just waiting for certain areas of the cave to be clear. Our tour guide was great, although sadly I can't remember his name. For the amount we are paying, I would suggest that less groups be taken to the cave at a time to allow for a more intimate setting.
Stuart Jotham
Was really really looking forward to this trip and getting some good pictures. Sadly the cave was way to busy, couldn't hardly move in some spots so no chance of getting good shots. The guide was awesome and we loved the drive out to the cave but the bit you actually pay for was a bit of a letdown due to how full it was. It needs to be limited for sure so people can actually enjoy the caves beauty and get shots they want. Cap the number off for people in the cave at one time and this trip would be a lot better.
Tori Immel
This was an amazing trip! The tour company was on time, professional, and made us feel safe at every step of the way. We did our tour on February 27th, 2017. Our guide Addi was funny and sweet and told us so much about the glacier, inspiring awe and respect in everyone on the tour before we even stepped into the crystal cave. Highly recommend!
Keith Hoi Kit Chan
The tour guide was very nice and took us other close ice cave of less people. But I think the ice cave was a bit crowded. After-all, we had a wonderful moment in the tour!
Svetlana Polyakova
It was great especially situation when Big Car was blacked in snow:)
Gail Gursky
The cave was flooded but the guides made up for it with a longer hike and a different cave that was small but very beautiful. Our guide Halli was awesome and made our tour complete! Highly recommend this professional tour company!
tudanqing
cool
Conor Cosgrove
It was incredible! The guys were excellent and very accommodating. We were late for our scheduled time because we couldn't find the location but we were allowed to join the next group. Tour guide was top notch too with excellent info on the glacier and surrounding area. Make sure you have a proper camera because your phone will not do it justice. Please note for those travelling from west to east: The cafe meeting point is just left of a suspension bridge on the main ring route. It can be easily missed on a dark morning
ABDULKERIM AKBEN
Wonderful
Alison Jane
The day my group and I went for our ice cave tour it had been raining heavily the past few days, so the caves had filled with water and our tour ended up being cancelled. But, we were given the options to come back the following day, cancel and get a FULL refund, or do a glacier walk and get a 50% refund. We opted for the glacier walk and half refund and had an amazing time!! Our guide Halli was incredible!! I would highly recommend doing a tour to anyone who loves the outdoors, or breathtaking once in a lifetime experiences! SO AWESOME!
Cara
Great! The tour was cancelled due to flooding of the caves, but we were given the option to have a glacier tour at 50% off. Our tour guide, Hallie was awesome and his personality and expertise of the glacier made the experience unforgettable!
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