Every winter, Iceland’s glaciers transform into shimmering blue cathedrals of ice, and for a few short months, you can actually step inside them. Walking through the Iceland ice caves feels otherworldly the light dances, the air hums, and the walls glow an impossible shade of blue.
Going on an Iceland ice cave tour was one of the most memorable moments of my trip last winter. We went on a super jeep tour to the Katla Cave near Reykjavik.
It started out with a thrilling ride, then continued with a breathtaking walk through the caves, and when we got back outside it was golden hour, which turned everything into a winter wonderland. ❄️
I’ve written this post to convince you to add an ice cave tour to your Iceland itinerary! Below you’ll find out everything you need to know from when to go to the best tours to book. I hope you enjoy this memorable experience.
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Planning Your Ice Caves Tour in Iceland
Quick Ice Caves Tour Overview
🗓️ Best Time to Go: November through March
❄️ Ice Caves in Iceland: Katla Ice Cave, Crystal Ice Cave, and Langjökull Glacier
💵 Cost: $175-300 USD a person
⏱️ Duration: 3-6 hours
🥾 Activity Level: Moderate
What is an Ice Cave?
The term “ice cave” can be kind of confusing, because there are a couple types of ice caves: glacier ice caves and rock ice caves. Generally, an ice cave is a cave that’s formed anywhere that there is year long ice.
But, the ice caves in Iceland are glacier ice caves, because they are formed within glaciers. Geothermal heat from volcanic activity 🌋 carves into these glaciers and creates meltwater that carves the caves out.
Although these ice caves are there year round, they’re constantly reshaping and re-forming as the glacier melts and moves.
Where to See Ice Caves in Iceland
Luckily, there are a few ice caves in Iceland that visitors can explore:
- Katla Ice Cave in the South near Vik and 1 hour from Reykjavik
- Crystal Ice Cave in Vatnajökull Glacier in the East
- Langjökull Glacier or “Long Glacier” near Husafell (2 hours from Reykjavik) with man-made ice caves
Because ice caves constantly change with the glacier’s movement, they can be dangerous to explore without a guide. Local experts check conditions daily to ensure safety, which is why tours are required.
While Katla and Langjökull Glacier have ice caves open year round, Crystal Ice Cave can only be visited in the winter from November through March.
The Best Iceland Ice Caves Tours
There are a number of ways that you can explore these ice caves. You can choose to go with large groups in super jeeps or by snow mobile in smaller groups. It depends on the type of adventure that you want.
Personally, I recommend taking an ice cave tour with Arctic Adventures. They have a plethora of tour options to all three ice caves and they run incredible tours. We went with them to explore the Katla Ice Caves as well as the Northern Lights Tours.
- Katla Ice Cave Tour– Year-round access to dramatic black-ice formations inside the Katla volcano. Includes transfer, gear, and expert guide.
- Crystal Ice Cave– Year-round access to dramatic black-ice formations inside the Katla volcano. Includes transfer, gear, and expert guide.
- Langjökull Glacier– A man-made but stunning experience inside a glacier, a great option for families!
There are tons of great tours to choose from and you can book directly on the website or through tour providers like GetYourGuide & Viator.
What to Expect on Your Tour
🚙 Whether you’re going by super jeep or snowmobile, you can expect a bumpy ride over the ice fields. Buckle yourself in and prepare for the journey! (On our trip, we literally flew out of our seats at points, and we couldn’t stop laughing.)
🛞 Super jeeps are larger vans with 4WD overlanding tires. If you are taking a super jeep, you may find yourself stopping along the way to air out your tires or get unstuck from the ice! It took us an hour to get to the cave.
❄ For visitors taking snow mobiles, they’ll go over how to use them and what to know before you set off on the adventure. Just make sure to wear extra layers, because it gets veryyyy cold.
⛑️ They will give you standard safety gear like crampons and helmets. However, you can bring your own microspikes if you want.
🥾 The walk through the caves is not especially arduous (around 10-15 minutes to the cave) and people tend to go slow to take photos. So, have patience and follow the instructions of the guide.
📸 People will want to stop for photos, try to be courteous and take photos quickly so others can have their turn as well.
⏱️ Tours are around 3-5 hours depending on how long you will have to drive and the time it takes for your group to get through the caves.
Best Time to Go on an Ice Caves Tour
Although you can visit some of the caves year round, the best time to visit them is in the winter season. During this time, the ice is stable and you’ll feel safe and secure as you explore the caves.
From spring through fall meltwater tends to increase and caves can shift and form. Tours can even get cancelled because of the caves reshaping, caving, or flooding activity.
That being said, it’s a unique experience that you will always remember.
What to Pack & Wear on Your Tour
One of the most important things to do when you pack for a trip to Iceland is to bring plenty of windproof and waterproof layers. I have never experienced as extreme weather as I have in Iceland.
So, that means you’ll want warm base layers, thick mid-layers, and of course durable outerlayers. Also, do not forget thick socks, waterproof shoes, and a hat to keep you warm and toasty on your tour.
You can read a good packing list below:
- Warm Base Layer – Vital for all of your Iceland/winter adventures!
- Thermal Underwear
- Snow Pants – I like these because they’re waterproof and warm.
- Warm Fleece
- Down Jacket
- Neck Gaiter or Buff – If it gets windy, you’ll be so glad you had this.
- Beanie
- Gloves
- Merino Wool Socks
- Snow Boots or Insulated Boots – I got insulated hiking boots for my trip and loved it
- Tripod for Camera – you’ll need to set up shots quick, but can be handy!
- Camera
You can see all of my packing advice for a winter trip to Iceland here!
Quick Photography Tips
Because you will be moving through the caves kind of quickly, you’ll want your camera settings to be ready to go!
You’ll want a longer shutter speed, so that you can really capture all of the details in the low light. I recommend doing a wider aperture to let in all the details as well. However, you may have to adjust them to get enough light.
If you have a tripod, you can lower your ISO and keep it below 400, but if you don’t you’ll need to put it up a bit. My recommended settings are below.
Aperture: F8-10 for Tripods, f4-5 for Handheld
Shutter Speed: 1-2 seconds with Tripod, 1/60 for Handheld
ISO: 100-400 with Tripod, 400-800 Handheld
Final Tips for Booking an Ice Caves Tour
Walking through the ice caves will feel as if you’ve transported to another world. I just remember staring up in awe at the dark blue ice and the smoothly textured walls.
So, in order to make sure you don’t miss out on doing a cave tour you’ll want to book it early! These tours sell out fast especially in the busy season over the holidays.
The ice caves melt and reform every year, meaning no two tours are ever the same. That fleeting magic is exactly what makes this adventure unforgettable.
Let me know in the comments if you have any questions or if you enjoyed the post!
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