The Ultimate Guide to Ice Caves in Iceland
- What You Need To Know About the Ice Caves and Glacier Caves of Iceland
- Can you see ice caves in Iceland in the summer?
- What's the Difference Between Ice Caves and Glacier Caves?
- What's a Glacier?
- Why Is the Glacier Ice Blue?
- Comparing Glacier Caves in Iceland
- Crystal Cave: The World Famous Vatnajokull Glacier Cave
- Blue Diamond Cave In Vatnajokull Glacier
- The Waterfall Cave In Vatnajokull Glacier
- Northern Lights Ice Cave
- Glacier Cave by Katla in Iceland
- Langjokull Ice Cave
- Iceland Glacier Hike and Ice Caving
- Human-made Ice Tunnels in Langjokull Glacier
- Glacier & Ice Cave Exhibition in The Pearl in Reykjavik
Learn everything you need to know about visiting the ice caves in Iceland. What’s an ice cave, and how does it differ from a glacier cave? Where can you find the best ice caves in Iceland? When can you visit the Crystal Ice Cave? Find the answers to these questions and more in our ultimate guide to Iceland’s ice caves. Iceland's largest selection of ice cave tours and find the best one for you.
What You Need To Know About the Ice Caves and Glacier Caves of Iceland
- Ice caves and glacier ice caves are not the same things.
- Not all glacier caves are blue.
- Iceland's blue glacier ice caves are accessible between mid-October and the end of March.
- Many operators do not start ice cave tours until November.
- Never try to access a natural glacier ice cave without a guide, as they're very dangerous.
- The natural ice caves constantly change, so they may look different daily.
- Iceland ice caves can be white, blue, or even black.
- Accessibility to glacier caves is highly dependent on weather.
- If an ice cave tour is canceled, you'll get a full refund
Iceland is home to multiple glaciers, which lend the country many fascinating landscape features, including towering icy cliffs, crevasses, snow-covered plains, glacier lagoons, and natural glacier ice caves.
However, not all ice caves are the same, and the super stunning ones are natural glacier ice caves.
Can you see ice caves in Iceland in the summer?
Photo from the Into the Glacier Ice Tunnel Tour in Langjokull from Base Camp. These man-made ice tunnels can be visited in summer.
Generally speaking, Iceland’s natural glacier ice cave season is in winter, from mid-October until the end of March. Additionally, there is one option available that lets you see the inside of a glacier (but not glacier caves) all year round.
You can visit the man-made ice tunnels in the Langjokull glacier in summer. However, the natural blue ice caves in the Vatnajokull glacier are best visited in winter.
- Learn more about Glaciers in Iceland
What's the Difference Between Ice Caves and Glacier Caves?
Photo from 2 Day West Coast Tour | Snaefellsnes, Lava Caving & Sagas
When most people think of an ice cave, they picture a glacier cave, like the one shown above.
By definition, an ice cave is any type of natural cave with some amount of ice in it year-round; it does not need to be made entirely out of ice.
However, a cave fully formed within a block of ice, such as a glacier, is a glacier cave. These two terms tend to get conflated.
Glacier caves in Iceland generally have stunning blue color ice. You can also see blue in ice caves mixed with the colors of the cave itself, such as black, red, and even copper-colored.
Before you book an ice cave tour in Iceland, be sure to read the tour description and look at the accompanying pictures to know exactly what to expect. Most of Iceland’s ice cave tours refer to the glacier caves found inside the Vatnajokull glacier by the Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon, but not all.
Photo from Skaftafell Blue Ice Cave Adventure & Glacier Hike
Iceland has ice caves, such as the lava cave Lofthellir, which is filled year-round with magnificent ice sculptures and accessible during the summertime (from May to October). However, you can only enter natural glacier caves at the height of winter.
Some caves have temporary ice sculptures, such as the lava cave Vidgelmir. Additionally, there's a human-made ice tunnel inside the Langjokull glacier that you can visit throughout the year.
What's a Glacier?
Iceland is home to many glaciers, and the largest one, by far, is the Vatnajokull glacier in the southeast and east part of the country.
Glaciers are made of very dense ice that doesn't melt away during summer. Parts of glaciers may melt, and the glacier may shrink in size or grow larger, but if the ice melts completely, the glacier ceases to exist. If this happens, the glacier’s disappearance reveals the land beneath it.
Glaciers only exist on land. Ice blocks in the sea or water are called icebergs or ice sheets. Glacier lagoons are often found at the tip of a crawling glacier, like the famous Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon.
Another characteristic of a glacier is that it's constantly moving, and its weight causes it to move and deform, creating crevasses, moulins, and seracs. Additionally, rivers often run underneath or through glaciers, which shapes the ice.
It’s often said that the glaciers are crawling as they slowly move over their surrounding landscapes. During this movement, they constantly push sand and rocks from the ground, which causes their circumference to be covered in black dirt.
The glaciers and the glacier caves will change in appearance daily due to this constant movement. There's never a guarantee that you’ll see the same sight you’ve captured in a photograph as the glacier will have changed its shape.
Please note that glaciers and glacier caves are extremely dangerous. Never attempt to hike on a glacier or visit a glacier cave on your own.
The glaciers are full of cracks that the untrained eye may not detect, and people can easily fall dozens or even hundreds of feet (meters) into a glacier crevasse. The icy ceilings of a glacier cave may break and collapse if the temperature rises above 32 F (0 C), trapping people underneath a heavy mass of ice. Glacier caves become even more dangerous and unstable during and after rainfall.
Surprisingly, the road leading to the glacier caves poses the greatest threat. Before arriving at the caves, it’s necessary to drive on black gravel for the last 600-700 yards (550-650 meters). Although they appear to be solid ground, they’re actually on top of what's known as "dead-ice" and are not as safe as normal roads.
Dead ice occurs when the glacier stops moving and just melts on the spot. Underneath this dead ice, there may be a river flowing, and if travelers don't proceed with care, their cars could fall straight through the dead ice.
Moreover, when hiking on a glacier or visiting a glacier cave, it's necessary to be equipped with the right gear, such as helmets, ice axes, and crampons. This is why you should only explore glacier caves in Iceland on tour with a trained guide.
Why Is the Glacier Ice Blue?
Glacier caves are famous for their vivid electric blue color. As mentioned above, however, not all of them are blue.
The ice in a glacier is thicker and denser than regular ice, such as what’s in your freezer or the icicles outside your home. The ice is so thick, dense, and old that it absorbs all colors of the spectrum except the color blue, so that's the color we see.
Ice that’s entirely free of white air bubbles appears to be the most blue. Tiny air bubbles reflect and scatter visible light, so when no bubbles are in the way, the light can penetrate the ice further and lose more red color.
The absorption of light is six times greater at the red end of the color spectrum than at the blue end. So, the deeper the light travels into the clear ice, the bluer it becomes.
However, the caves can also be white, turquoise, grey, brown, or black. Much like water has many different colors depending on daylight and its depth, so does the glacial ice.
Some glacier caves have openings that are covered by snow or are constantly in the shade, so the sunlight doesn't reach the ice inside. In those situations, the ice will appear darker or even black. Fresh or newly frozen snow on the ice's surface will give the ice a white complexion, but the ice can also contain a lot of sand, gravel, and stones, giving the ice black patterns.
Glaciers turn up the ground when they crawl forward, and since many glaciers in Iceland are situated on top of volcanic craters, they can often contain a lot of black volcanic ash.
- See also: Volcanoes in Iceland
Comparing Glacier Caves in Iceland
The most impressive caves in Iceland are the glacier caves. They form naturally when summer meltwater carves long tunnels and caves underneath the thick ice sheets.
As these are natural caves that melt and break down each summer, they’re constantly changing. Each year the caves exist in different locations, varying in size and shape. Some years a few accessible caves are discovered, and some caves that were accessible get closed off.
The glacier caves also change daily in size and shape, making each visit unique. The pictures above and below show the same cave from a similar angle, so that you can see the difference between days or weeks.
Sudden intense cold can make the cave stronger. The cold may freeze droplets falling from the ceiling, resulting in impressive icicles. It can also make the cave tighter and more challenging to access.
Iceland's weather is notorious for continuously changing, so the difference between days or possibly even hours can be drastic.
A couple of days of mild winter weather may erode much of the cave; it can make it bigger; it may melt a hole into the ceiling, bathing the cave in sunlight or snow; and it may cause the cave to collapse or become too dangerous to enter.
Never try to enter a glacier cave on your own, even if you are an experienced hiker. To enter the glacier caves safely, you'll need to go with a professional glacier guide who will decide whether or not the cave is safe to enter.
A glacier cave tour is only ever canceled to ensure your safety. If this happens, you'll receive a full refund or be presented with alternatives such as a glacier hike or a snowmobile ride and then get a partial refund.
As the glacier caves are situated in Vatnajokull, about 243 miles (391 kilometers) away from Reykjavik, a 2-day tour or a 3-day tour of Iceland's South Coast that includes a visit to a glacier ice cave is recommended to have ample time to enjoy all the sights along the way.
Crystal Cave: The World Famous Vatnajokull Glacier Cave
Since the caves in Iceland's glaciers are only temporary, it seems futile to give them names. But if many are discovered in the same location, each receives a descriptive name, so they’re easily distinguished.
One of the sizeable Vatnajokull glacier ice caves is The Crystal Cave, and it has appeared roughly in the same location since the winter of 2011. It has loon been considered the undisputed best ice cave in Iceland, although, with the ever-changing nature of ice caves, this will undoubtedly change in the future.
Each summer, Iceland’s Crystal Cave is carved out by a large glacial river. This is the glacier cave most travelers have been to, as multiple cave tours in Iceland take visitors there due to its size and favorable access. The inside of the cave resembles a crystal dome, explaining the name.
In recent years, the Crystal Cave has been the largest glacier ice cave in the area, large enough to fit 70-100 people. It’s located a little west of the glacier lagoon Jokulsarlon, the starting point for all tours leading to the caves in the Vatnajokull glacier.
Photo by Regína Hrönn Ragnarsdóttir
Close to the Crystal Cave, there is another smaller cave, called the Dark Rubin. It has sometimes been accessible and is large enough to fit 30 people. It's entirely dark, and is made up of black ice.
- The Ice Cave Tour by Vatnajokull Glacier has the best reviews of the Crystal Cave tours.
- See also: A Beautiful Crystal Ice Cave in Vatnajokull Glacier in South Iceland.
Blue Diamond Cave In Vatnajokull Glacier
The Blue Diamond Cave was the name of one of the glacier caves that appeared in Vatnajokull in the winter of 2016. Like many glacier caves, the Blue Diamond Cave had a gorgeous blue color, but it was smaller than the Crystal Cave. Only 17 people would fit in the Blue Diamond Cave at a time.
The Blue Diamond had an arguably more vivid blue color than the Crystal Cave, hence the name.
The Blue Diamond was, in fact, a moulin cave (also known as a glacier mill). It was formed by snow, high up on the glacier but not carved out by a glacial river like the Crystal Cave. A moulin is ordinarily vertical, but the Blue Diamond was an exception since it was horizontal.
However, access to the Blue Diamond Cave was often possible even when the Crystal Cave was not accessible. This was because the Blue Diamond Cave was situated higher up on the glacier, where the temperature was generally lower, which also meant that it was harder to access.
This cave, like many others, has now disappeared and is not likely to reappear in winters to come.
Close to the Blue Diamond Cave, the Black Diamond Cave was accessible and could fit around 20 people. But it only had black ice inside and was not as popular with travelers.
The Waterfall Cave In Vatnajokull Glacier
The Waterfall Cave existed in the winters from 2015 to 2017. This large cave was safe to enter, even though a small river and waterfall ran through it.
This cave was formed by the river flowing into it instead of running out. Out of all the glacier caves mentioned here, it's the only one situated east of the Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon, by Vedurardalur valley.
The ceiling was not very high, but the Waterfall Cave was sizable. By following the small river, you end up by the small but picturesque waterfall seen above. Icelanders are hopeful for an ice cave in the exact location with a waterfall to be accessible again in the future.
Northern Lights Ice Cave
Only accessible one winter a few years ago was the stunning cave named after the dancing auroras: The Northern Lights Cave. The beautiful lines in the cave ceiling were reminiscent of the aurora borealis.
All the ice cave tours would go to this cave when it existed, but unfortunately, it was just accessible for one year.
- See also: The Northern Lights
Glacier Cave by Katla in Iceland
Photo from: Katla Ice Cave Tour | Departure From Vík.
One of the recent ice cave discoveries was made in the glacier that covers Katla, one of the most dangerous volcanoes in Iceland. The glacier that covers the volcano is Myrdalsjokull, the fourth largest glacier in Iceland.
There are several glacier caves here, but they’re darker than those in the Vatnajokull glacier and do not contain as much blue ice. The caves are small, with short tunnels in varying colors. If you don't mind getting down on all fours and doing some crawling, you'll be rewarded with some beautiful sights!
On the other hand, this location is more accessible from Reykjavik as the drive to get to the glacier is half of what it's to get to Vatnajokull. Additionally, the Katla ice cave is accessible during summertime.
Photo from: Katla Ice Cave Tour | Departure from Reykjavik.
Tours going to the glacier cave by Katla started in the winter of 2016 and have been going ever since. The ice cave can be reached on a tour with departure from Reykjavik or Vik.
Expect to see black ice when visiting these glacier caves, with small patches of light blue ice, white snow, and even some waterfalls with glistening rainbows on sunny days.
- See also: Katla Ice Cave Tour with Departure from Reykjavik
- See also: Katla Ice Cave Tour with Departure from Vik
Langjokull Ice Cave
Photo from Snowmobile and Ice Cave on Langjokull Glacier from Gullfoss
In Iceland's second-largest glacier, Langjokull, you can visit a natural glacier ice cave, as well as human-made ice tunnels (which will be detailed a bit further on).
The natural ice cave was discovered only recently but is accessible year-round. Its main benefit is its proximity to Reykjavik and that it can be added to a thrilling snowmobiling excursion. The ride to reach is exhilarating, conducted on a large super truck.
Iceland Glacier Hike and Ice Caving
Photo from 6-Hour Super Jeep Glacier Hiking & Ice Caving Tour in Vatnajokull
If you also want to go on a glacier hike, that's a bit more demanding than simply driving up to an ice cave. Sometimes it's possible to hike up to some glacier ice caves or find your way through massive cracks in the ice. Of course, the main requirements are a qualified guide and the necessary gear.
This Super Jeep Glacier Hiking & Ice Caving Tour is a 6-hour trip from mid-October through March. You start with a ride on a custom-built Super Jeep driving on Vatnajokull glacier, which is a thrilling ride in a unique environment. Then you'll hike for 1.5 hours until you reach a beautiful ice cave to explore.
- See also: Iceland in October
Human-made Ice Tunnels in Langjokull Glacier
Photo from Discovering Langjokull Ice Cave Tunnel
Lastly, the human-made ice tunnels in Langjokull mentioned above are also worth experiencing and can be reached with a tour departing from Reykjavik. These impressive tunnels have been dug into the glacier and include a chapel.
- See also: The Top 10 Festivals in Iceland
Photo from Discovering Langjokull Ice Cave Tunnel
The tunnels were created high on the glacier, in contrast to the natural ice caves, which are typically at the edges of glaciers and quite unstable. The tunnels, however, are very stable and are accessible all year round. Inside you'll be able to see the alluring blue ice of the glacier.
- Check out this Ice Tunnel Day Tour from Reykjavik
Glacier & Ice Cave Exhibition in The Pearl in Reykjavik
Even if you're in Iceland at an unsuitable time for visiting the glacier caves, you can still learn a lot about them and get a feel for what they're like by visiting the Wonders of Iceland Exhibition in Perlan, in Reykjavík.
Wonders of Iceland include the Glacier and Ice Cave Exhibition, which is the first of its kind to be open to the public. It also includes a Northern Lights Exhibition and a Land, Coast, and Ocean Exhibition.
In the Glacier and Ice Cave Exhibition, you can visit the first indoor ice cave in the world, right in the center of Iceland's capital city - and it's accessible all year.
If you're looking for something more to do in Iceland's winter wonderland, then check out the Best Winter Activities in Iceland or book a winter package.
Which glacier caves in Iceland have you visited? Are there any cave experiences in particular that you would recommend? Which one would you most like to visit? Feel free to leave your thoughts and queries in the comment box below.
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