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Are you ready to step away from the beaten path and do something totally different? On the Katla Ice Cave tour, you will first be taken by Super Jeep across the challenging icy terrain, where you’ll be rewarded with unforgettable views of Mýrdalsjökull Glacier.
Then you will enter Katla’s Glacier, Kötlujökull, through a truly magical ‘gateway’ as blue and black ice walls stand like sentinels on either side of you. Once inside this ice dome, you will feel like you are in a magical Hollywood scene. The striking ice structures around you will make it difficult to believe that you are actually standing on one of the most active volcanoes in Iceland.
This tour is available with a transfer from either Reykjavík or from our meeting location at Vík in South Iceland.
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Kötlujökull, the outlet glacier that is home to this unbelievably stunning ice cave, is part of the majestic and very famous Mýrdalsjökull Glacier. The name, Kötlujökull, reminds us that the capricious volcano, Katla, has its home beneath this ice cap. The twin elements of Mýrdalsjökull’s ice and Katla´s infernal fire have combined to create a spectacular wonder of nature.
On this fascinating tour, we will take you to one of the biggest and best ice caves in Iceland, Katla. Many people call this ‘Katla´s Ice Cave Dome.’ Stepping in through the glorious, but natural entrance, you will understand why.
The Katla Ice Cave tour kicks off with a thrilling Super Jeep ride to Kötlujökull Glacier, where you will admire breathtaking views across Mýrdalsjökull Glacier and beyond.
Arriving at the foot of the glacier, your guide will assist you with your crampons and helmet before leading you on the short walk to the ice cave's opening. You should be prepared to climb a few steps on ladders to the cave entrance. As the natural ice cave constantly changes, conditions can differ on each tour. However, the climb is not challenging at all, and anyone in an average physical condition should be able to climb these steps. It might look adventurous, but it is not demanding at all!
The sights that will greet you when we stop at the base of the Kötlujökull Glacier are indescribable. Your first impression will be of stripe upon stripe of differently colored ice forming stunning layers in the glacial ice. This is a gorgeous and unearthly place.
Once inside the ice cave, you will be surrounded by natural ice sculptures and volcanic ash that has been frozen in time, at least until the ice melts and the structure changes over the coming months. Together with your guide and the group, you will explore this icy wonder, admiring the so-called ‘dragon glass’ and mysterious glistening tunnels.
Visiting the Katla Ice Cave is a mesmerizing and also educational experience. Your guide will share the fascinating history of the ice cave with you and some interesting facts about the glacier and the surrounding area.
The drive back to Vík will give you a whole new vantage point on some incredible vistas. In winter, the sun will sink behind the mountains, offering an astonishing sunset. On this tour, you should keep your camera to hand at all times to make sure you are always ready to capture your surroundings!
If you select the pickup from Reykjavík option, our tour guide will pick you up at your chosen meeting location at the time specified in the booking.
Please note that transfers may include groups of over 14 people. Once you arrive in Vik, guests will be split into smaller groups to enhance the experience. We appreciate your understanding!
If you choose to meet the tour in Vík, our tour guide will connect with you at The Ice Cave Bistro/Restaurant in Vík. By the entrance at the back of the building, you will find our guide holding an “Arctic Adventures” sign or standing by a Super Jeep marked with an Arctic Adventures sign in the window. The tour will start from Vík (approximately 2.5 hours from Reykjavík), where you will join everyone in a Super Jeep for the exciting day ahead.
Warm clothing is absolutely essential! We cannot stress enough how important it is to bring warm and waterproof clothing, warm headwear, gloves, and sturdy shoes, as there is no opportunity to rent any clothing items for this tour.
During the tour, there will be a stop at the gas station where you can buy snacks and drinks.
The actual view of an ice cave may look different from pictures since ice caves are a natural phenomenon and are constantly changing. How they look may vary depending on the season, time of the day, lighting, and other factors. They're still always remarkable!
Iceland is known for unforeseeable weather. It is likely that you can see all 4 seasons in one day.
Dressing for that kind of weather can always be demanding, so we suggest dressing in layers. 3 or 4 upper layers are highly recommended, for example, a light t-shirt (preferably wool) next to the skin, then a fleece or heavy wool garment topped off with a waterproof windbreaker.
Jeans are not recommended for our trips as they are not suitable for the weather conditions, they become very heavy, cold and uncomfortable to wear when they get wet.
Lightweight hiking pants, track pants or long cotton pants are convenient and wear wind/waterproof pants over them. There is high UV and sunlight reflecting off on the glacier so we highly recommend using sunglasses and sunscreen even if it is cloudy.
You will need sturdy hiking boots that fit crampons for the glacier hiking tours. If you do not own a pair then we rent out suitable hiking boots as well as a waterproof raincoat and trousers.
It is good to bring your own backpack on our full-day or half-day tours. It’s the best carry-on for a small lunch, extra clothes, and other necessary items.
The scenery on the tour is full of stunning, breathtaking views that you’ll almost definitely want to capture forever, so you should definitely bring your camera along. Your tour guide will also be happy to take your photo.
This is surely a personal choice, we do not deny pregnant women on our glacier trips but we highly recommend you to take a closer look at our trip description and difficulty ratings, they will hopefully give you a better idea. We also recommend you to contact your physician, as pregnant women’s health can be quite different. If you have any further questions or concerns then feel free to contact us.
Lunch is not provided on any of our trips, therefore we recommend you bring your own lunch, snacks, and a bottle of water (you can refill it on the trip). It is especially important to make sure you bring lunch on our longer trips.
Crampons enable you to walk on the glacier ice without slipping. They are metal spikes that we attach to the soles of your hiking shoes.
Yes, we have specially trained and certified glacier guides on every glacier tour that we offer. And for our 3rd party tours we only partner with operators that meet our quality and safety standards.
Yes, we provide you with all the necessary glacier gear for our glacier hiking tours. Ice axes, crampons, harnesses, and helmets are provided. This will help you to complete the tour safely. The minimum shoe size to attach crampons is EU 35.
Rain is common in Iceland but we never let the rain be in our way to go forward with our tours.
That’s why we highly recommend appropriate clothing so you can stay warm and dry.
Nature is out of our control and therefore we need to adapt to the weather. Your safety is our priority so if your safety is compromised by going on the tour then we will cancel it and you will get full reimbursement.
The guide on your glacier hiking tour will provide you with all the information you might need when preparing for a glacier hike.
The caves are in constant change so it's likely they'll look slightly different from what you may have seen in photos. Air temperature, sunshine, precipitation, geothermal activity, and many other factors cause significant changes in the formation of the ice caves and this process is exclusively controlled by Mother Nature.
We will visit the best available naturally formed ice cave during this tour and the cave we visit will be chosen based on conditions and safety at the time of the tour.
