When frigid winter temperatures come, the Icelandic ice caves form as glaciers freeze
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Then, come summertime, they melt. If you want to see unreal beauty—and beauty that may never be seen again, book your tour to see a unique Vatnajokull Glacier Ice Cave. These six hours of unrivaled natural beauty and panoramic views of Iceland.
Films, television shows, games, and books have long inspired our imaginations with fantasy worlds filled with ice caves. Here, in Iceland, you can see these wonders with your own eyes.
This tour features some of the most outstanding photographic and cinematic panoramic views one can find in Iceland. If you are physically up to the challenge, and ready with your warmest winter regalia and attire, we will supply helmets, crampons, harnesses, and your own ice axe to traverse the rugged one-and-a-half-hour glacier hike to the natural ice cave. From this point, we will also enjoy a stunning panoramic view of the monolithic and world-revered Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon.
Then, it is time to enter the ice cave—the beauty of which cannot be understated. Ice caves form where glacier water runs out underneath the physical glacier structure. The result is an otherworldly view that looks like time has stopped completely, frozen by the power of nature—and that’s the magic of it, because time is fleeting, and soon, the ice caves will melt away. This unique ice cave is only seen by people who make the hike as it's not possible to reach by vehicle. A magical combination of glacier hiking, ice cave exploration, and a view of the glacier lagoon from above. This adventure tour is definitely a bucket-list experience, ready to be checked off.
Our professional, high-level tour guides are talented experts with a wealth of experience in hiking. Their knowledge of the glaciers is second to none. The trek can be a trying feat, but the reward cannot be beaten. Expand your imagination. Book your ice caves tour, today!
Please note that this tour is moderate/challenging so participants need to have a reasonable fitness level and be prepared with the right clothing and hiking boots.
Meeting point - Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon's main parking lot. Jokulsarlon is located in the South of Iceland, approximately 80 km west of Höfn and 380 km east of Reykjavik. Please arrive no later than 20 min before the tour is scheduled to leave.
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.
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.
Iceland is known to have a lot of snow and when the snow stays long enough in one place than it turns to ice. Over long periods of time, the ice layers up becoming huge blocks called glaciers. It forms to create ginormous glaciers that sweep across huge masses of land. Iceland is home of the largest glacier in Europe that is called Vatnajökull. The Glacier Guides can tell you more about and everything you need to know about the Glaciers.
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.
