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Leave the beaten path behind and step into a natural glacial ice cave above the Katla volcano.
Choose a convenient pick-up from Reykjavík with a scenic South Coast bus ride, or meet your guide in Vík village if you’re traveling independently.
From Vík, ride a Super Jeep across volcanic terrain toward Kötlujökull, an outlet glacier of Mýrdalsjökull, which covers Katla volcano. You can enter the cave year-round in a small group led by a certified glacier guide. Inside, you’ll see blue-and-black ice—often compared to real-life “dragon glass” from Game of Thrones—along with textured walls and frozen formations. Dark ash streaks in the ice are a reminder that you’re standing on one of Iceland’s most active volcanoes.
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Your tour begins in Reykjavík or the village of Vík on Iceland’s South Coast, depending on the option you choose. From Vík, you’ll board a specially modified Super Jeep and travel off-road toward Mýrdalsjökull glacier, crossing black sand plains with views of ice and volcanic landscapes.
At the Kötlujökull outlet, you’ll gear up with crampons and helmets before taking a short walk of about 1–2 km (0.6–1.2 mi) across uneven terrain to reach the cave. The route is generally easy and suitable for anyone with average fitness.
Then, your local glacier guide will lead you inside the Katla cave. You’ll explore textured walls, thousand-year-old volcanic ash layers, and blue-and-black ice, often compared to “dragon glass” from the famous fantasy series. Along the way, your guide will share stories about Iceland’s glaciers and volcanoes, with plenty of time for photos.
After visiting the Katla ice cave, your guide may also show you smaller nearby caves, depending on conditions. You will then return to Vík or head back to Reykjavík by bus.
Mýrdalsjökull is one of Iceland’s largest glaciers and sits atop the active Katla volcano, which last erupted in 1918. From its southern edge flows the Kötlujökull outlet, where layers of volcanic ash are trapped in the ice, creating mesmerizing dark swirls.
Over time, meltwater and seasonal changes reshape the glacier, forming tunnels, arches, or wide chambers, such as the famous Katla cave. Shaped by both volcanic activity and moving ice, Katla is the only natural ice cave in Iceland that can be explored year-round.
No car is needed for this option.
You'll be picked up from one of the designated locations in Reykjavík, so you can sit back, relax, and enjoy the scenic drive along Iceland’s South Coast. Along the way, there’s a short stop in the town of Hvolsvöllur, where you’ll have time to grab food or drinks and use the facilities.
The journey also includes stops at Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss, two of Iceland’s most famous waterfalls (the order may vary). In Vík, you’ll switch to a Super Jeep for the glacier part of the tour and continue in a smaller group. Guests traveling from Reykjavík may be part of a larger group during the bus ride, but the Super Jeep experience is kept more intimate.
After a full day of exploring, you’ll return to Reykjavík at around 8:00 p.m.
Travel independently to the meeting point in Vík.
The meeting point for your Katla ice cave adventure is in South Iceland, in the town of Vík. Meet your guide at the bus parking lot on the south side of the Icewear/Kronan building (the side facing the sea), near Ice Cave Bistro/Restaurant. Look for the Arctic Adventures sign. Please arrive at least 15 minutes before your scheduled tour in case you have any difficulty finding the meeting point.
After meeting your guide, you’ll board the Super Jeep for the off-road ride to Kötlujökull glacier.
Accessibility: Katla ice cave is open every month of the year. As a natural formation, access may occasionally be limited due to weather or glacier conditions. On the day of the tour, your guide will always choose the best accessible route.
Appearance: Glaciers are constantly changing, and the naturally formed Katla ice cave evolves with seasonal weather and meltwater. For this reason, the exact size and appearance of the cave may differ from the photos and cannot be guaranteed.
Walking & terrain: To reach the cave, expect an easy walk on uneven, icy terrain for approximately 1–2 km (0.6–1.2 mi), suitable for anyone with average fitness. In some conditions, ladders may be used. They are safe and manageable for most guests.
Clothing & gear: Sturdy hiking boots with ankle support, and warm, waterproof clothing, including gloves and a warm hat, are a must. Dress in layers, as the weather can change quickly. There is no opportunity to rent clothing or shoes at the location, so please arrive fully prepared.
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.
