Visiting an ice cave from Reykjavík
- 23 sources cited
- Last verified 2026-10-24
- Published 2026-10-24
There is no natural glacier ice cave in Reykjavík. From the city you can take a long guided day tour to the Langjökull ice tunnel or the Katla ice cave, visit Perlan's indoor ice cave in town, or travel further to Vatnajökull, ideally with an overnight stay [1]. Durations and prices below are the operators' own, checked on 2026-10-24.
Options compared
| Option | What it is | From Reykjavík (operator figures) | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Into the Glacier | Man-made ice tunnel in Langjökull [2] | "Into the Glacier from Reykjavik": 11 h, from 38,990 ISK (as displayed) [3] | Year-round, operator claim [4] |
| Katla (Kötlujökull) | Natural ice cave, outlet glacier of Mýrdalsjökull [5] | 11 h by bus via Hvolsvöllur, Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss, back around 8 pm (Arctic Adventures) [6] | Sold all year; scientists warn against summer tours [7] |
| Breiðamerkurjökull (Vatnajökull) | Natural ice caves in Vatnajökull National Park [8] | About 5 h drive each way; overnight usually more practical (Perlan article) [1] | 1 Oct – 30 Apr (draft terms) [9] |
| Perlan ice cave | Indoor man-made ice cave, Öskjuhlíð, Reykjavík [10] | In Reykjavík [10] | Year-round, around −13°C (operator) [1] |
Perlan's article is written by an operator of one of the options. Prices change; treat them as dated quotes, not current prices.
Driving yourself
Perlan's article gives about 2.5 hours from Reykjavík to Vík (for Katla) and about 150 km, roughly 2 hours, to Langjökull [1]. These are operator estimates, not ours. In winter the Into the Glacier operator uses roads 1, 50 and 518 to Húsafell, because road 550 is closed from October [4]. Check umferdin.is for road conditions [11].
Book a tour, never go alone
Perlan's article says you must book a guided tour to visit a glacier ice cave [1]. The park's draft report says independent glacier access is not banned but is strongly warned against [12]. Day tours from Reykjavík:
Where these places are
FAQ
Can I do a Vatnajökull ice cave as a day trip from Reykjavík?
Perlan's travel article says Vatnajökull and Jökulsárlón are about 5 hours' drive each way from Reykjavík and that an overnight stay is usually more practical [1].
How long is a Katla ice cave tour from Reykjavík?
Arctic Adventures lists its Katla tour as 11 hours from Reykjavík, returning around 8 pm, or 3 hours from Vík [6].
Sources
- Ice Caves From Reykjavik: Best Day Trip Options
Perlan (museum/attraction, commercial) · tour operator (commercial claim) · accessed 2026-10-24 - FAQ
Into the Glacier ehf. (tour operator) · tour operator (commercial claim) · accessed 2026-10-23 - Into the Glacier: tours list (home page)
Into the Glacier (tour operator) · tour operator (commercial claim) · accessed 2026-10-24 - Into the Glacier Classic Tour
Into the Glacier ehf. (tour operator) · tour operator (commercial claim) · accessed 2026-10-23 - Katla Ice Cave Tour: Under the Volcano
Arctic Adventures (tour operator) · tour operator (commercial claim) · accessed 2026-10-23 - Katla Ice Cave Tour: Meeting in Vík or From Reykjavík
Arctic Adventures (tour operator) · tour operator (commercial claim) · accessed 2026-10-24 - Minnisblað: jöklaferðir (memo on glacier/ice cave trips)
Icelandic Met Office & University of Iceland glaciology group (hosted by Ferðamálastofa) · in Icelandic · published 2024-09-04 · accessed 2026-10-23 · via curl + pdftotext (PDF) - Jökulsárlón (area page)
Vatnajökull National Park · accessed 2026-10-23 - Samningsskilmálar (drög): contract terms for ice cave tours and glacier walks, DRAFT
Vatnajökull National Park / Náttúruverndarstofnun · in Icelandic · official DRAFT document · published 2025-07 · accessed 2026-10-23 · via curl + pdftotext (PDF) - Ice Cave and Glacier Exhibition & Museum
Perlan (museum/attraction, commercial) · tour operator (commercial claim) · accessed 2026-10-24 - Traffic info (road conditions)
Vegagerðin / Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration (IRCA) · accessed 2026-10-23 - Íshellaferðir og jöklagöngur: Greinargerð um stöðu og þróun (DRÖG / draft, 1 Oct 2024)
Vatnajökull National Park (draft report, hosted by Ferðamálastofa) · in Icelandic · official DRAFT document · published 2024-10-01 · accessed 2026-10-23 · via curl + pdftotext (PDF) - Reykjavík (Q1764): coordinate location (P625)
Wikidata · accessed 2026-10-24 · via Wikidata API (wbgetentities) - Vík í Mýrdal (Q685369): coordinate location (P625)
Wikidata · accessed 2026-10-24 · via Wikidata API (wbgetentities) - Breiðamerkurjökull (Q907049): coordinate location (P625)
Wikidata · accessed 2026-10-24 · via Wikidata API (wbgetentities) - Mýrdalsjökull (Q214818): coordinate location (P625)
Wikidata · accessed 2026-10-24 · via Wikidata API (wbgetentities) - Sólheimajökull (Q1405353): coordinate location (P625)
Wikidata · accessed 2026-10-24 · via Wikidata API (wbgetentities) - Langjökull (Q737657): coordinate location (P625)
Wikidata · accessed 2026-10-24 · via Wikidata API (wbgetentities) - Natural Earth: Terms of Use (1:50m admin-0 countries outline used for our Iceland map)
Natural Earth · accessed 2026-10-24 · via curl - Travel conditions (alerts)
Safetravel / ICE-SAR · accessed 2026-10-23 - Travel plans
Safetravel / ICE-SAR · accessed 2026-10-23 - Vatnajökull National Park (English home)
Vatnajökull National Park · accessed 2026-10-23 - Safetravel.is home page
Safetravel / ICE-SAR (Slysavarnafélagið Landsbjörg) · accessed 2026-10-23