The Original Ice Cave Tour in Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
Recommended by 96% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Hofn, Iceland
- 2 to 4 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
Explore the blue ice caves on the west side of Breiðamerkurjökull, an outlet of Vatnajökull glacier, on this small-group tour that puts the "ice" in Iceland. Travel from the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon in a sturdy 4WD, then embark on a journey into a stunning blue ice cave formed by melted glacier water and enjoy photo opportunities like no other.
- Get up-close with blue ice caves on Breiðamerkurjökull glacier
- Small-group tour offers a personal glacier walk experience
- All glacier equipment provided for safety and comfort
- Guide explains how the caves are formed and ensures a safe adventure
What's Included
- Local and Professional Glacier Guide
- 4x4 modified vehicle transfer
- Spikes and Helmet
- Supporting a Small Local Company
- Carbon Neutralised Tour
- Visit to the Ice Cave / Blue glacier feature
- Small group tour
- Food and drinks
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Jökulsárlón 781, 781, Iceland
Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon (next to Diamond Beach) 370 km east of Reykjavík on Highway 1 (the Ring Road) Google Maps: Jökulsárlón parking Our meeting location is by the bus parking area at the main parking lot, where our cars marked with Local Guide will be parked.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
1
Glacier Lagoon
2 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Operates in most weather conditions, please dress appropriately. Please come in warm and waterproof clothing and good hiking boots.
- Your safety is of the utmost importance. Ice Cave tours are weather dependent. Sometimes tours have to be cancelled with short notice due to weather conditions or safety concerns or. After periods of adverse weather, the caves can become flooded or unsafe to enter. If this happens we will always do our best to offer an alternative such as a glacier hike if weather conditions allow, however if this is not suitable we will also always offer a full refund.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
ealvarez1222
Hiking the glacier was a once in a lifetime experience. Words can’t explain how beautiful the blue ice caves looked. It was something out of a movie. Our tour guide, Michael, was amazing!! Huge shout out to him for keeping our group safe and for educating us about the history of the glacier/ice caves. Don’t hesitate to book - just do it! You won’t regret it, I promise.
Reviews
4.8
based on 201 reviews
Mary_B, Mar 2026
This is a must-do activity in Iceland—truly unforgettable! Don’t think twice about booking it, just be sure to plan ahead since it’s about a five-hour drive from Reykjavík. Make sure to pin the address on Google Maps before you go like the instructions state on their page.
There is a parking fee, but it’s valid until midnight, and you’ll be rewarded with beautiful views before heading off on this incredible adventure.
Our tour guide, Michal, was friendly, knowledgeable, and fun. I felt completely safe despite the weather conditions, which made the experience even more enjoyable. It was also great to support a small, locally owned business. The small group size made the tour feel personal and special. Michal is such an an amazing guide!!
This is absolutely a bucket-list experience! Thank you so much again!
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you so much for this amazing and detailed review!
We’re thrilled to hear that the experience was so memorable and that Michal made it even more special with his knowledge and great energy. It’s also wonderful to know you appreciated the small group atmosphere and supporting a local company.
Thank you for the kind recommendations and helpful tips—means a lot to us! We hope to welcome you again someday.
4h6wwp99cs, Mar 2026
Great experience and the tour guys are amazing, thanks for the help with booking a last minute spot. I will remember this adventure always
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you so much!
We’re really glad we could help you join last minute and that you had such a great experience. It means a lot to hear it’s something you’ll always remember!
MITKOFF, Mar 2026
Hiking the glacier was a really cool experience! Our guide was from Greece and although she was very sweet she didn’t share much knowledge of the glacier or history. It didn’t diminish our great time and the amazing ice tunnels we walked through.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for your feedback!
We’re really happy to hear you had a great time on the glacier and enjoyed the ice tunnels—such a unique experience. We also appreciate your note about the guiding, and we’ll take this on board as we continue to improve the balance between safety, friendliness, and sharing knowledge.
Thanks again for joining us!
ealvarez1222, Mar 2026
Hiking the glacier was a once in a lifetime experience. Words can’t explain how beautiful the blue ice caves looked. It was something out of a movie. Our tour guide, Michael, was amazing!! Huge shout out to him for keeping our group safe and for educating us about the history of the glacier/ice caves. Don’t hesitate to book - just do it! You won’t regret it, I promise.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for sharing this!
It’s great to hear how much the glacier and ice caves stood out for you—those blue tones really do feel unreal. Big thanks as well for highlighting Michael; he’ll be happy to know his guiding made such an impact.
We really appreciate your encouragement to future guests—means a lot!
tthames51, Mar 2026
Do not book this tour unless they tell you where it is. I booked and got to hotel and was told the meeting place was 6 hours away! The tour operator didn’t specifically say where the meet place was. Being a foreigner, I didn’t know the distance from the area, so no, we didn’t get to do tour, and they kept my $$! Felt like I was taken advantage of!
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Dear Theresa,
We are sorry to hear about your experience.
We would like to clarify that this tour is clearly advertised as taking place at Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon in Southeast Iceland, and the exact meeting point (including a Google Maps link) was also shared with you directly prior to the tour.
We understand that travel distances in Iceland can be unexpected, especially for first-time visitors. However, as this is a meet-on-location tour, it is the responsibility of guests to review the location before booking.
Despite this, we offered you the option to reschedule your tour on alternative dates as a gesture of goodwill.
We are sorry that you were unable to join the experience and wish you have enjoyed the rest of your holiday in Iceland
Marisa_C, Mar 2026
Amazing BLUE ICE cannot be missed1!! Not all glaciers have this blue ice so when you book this trip, you wont be disappointed as you get amazing blue ice walls, with wavy glass-like ice you can see through like a blue paned window. Amelia was our guide and she was the best! We felt safe and taken care of on the icy glacier. The things I was most unprepared for was the weather and the climb. You literally hike on the glacier to the blue caverns (not caves) and it can be quite far from where you park. I tracked almost 2 miles roundtrip and its not normal "steps" but deliberate "stomps" using the crampons to grip the ice. Its much harder than a mere hike uphill. Also the weather, we had sunny weather making it quite warm so be sure to layer. The day before was rain so you never know what you're going to get! Oh and I recommend a lanyard or something to tie to your phone because if you drop it on the glacier, its gone!
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you so much for this detailed and thoughtful review!
We’re delighted to hear how much you enjoyed the blue ice – it truly is a unique and ever-changing feature of the glacier, and we’re glad it made such a strong impression. Your description captures it beautifully!
A big thank you as well for your kind words about Amelia – she’ll be very happy to hear that she made you feel safe and well taken care of.
We also really appreciate you sharing these practical tips about the hike and weather. Glacier environments can be unpredictable, and your insights will be very helpful for future guests preparing for the adventure.
We hope to welcome you back on the glacier again someday!
Eugenia_D, Mar 2026
Martin , from Germany, was our guide and he was fantastic! We felt very safe and throughly enjoyed our time in the ice. Would recommend this 1000 times!
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you so much for the fantastic review – we love the “Fant-ice-tic!” 😊
We’re thrilled to hear you had such a great time on the glacier and that Martin made you feel safe and well taken care of. He’ll be very happy to hear your kind words!
Thank you for the 1000% recommendation – it truly means a lot to us. We hope to welcome you back for another icy adventure in the future!
John_D, Mar 2026
Kish was amazing. Very friendly and willing to answer any question. The caves were stunning. You can tell they really have a passion for climbing and cave hunting.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you so much for your great review!
We’re delighted to hear that both the caves and your guide made it a 10/10 experience. Kish will be very happy to know his friendliness and passion made such a positive impact.
It’s wonderful to hear you enjoyed the stunning ice features – we hope to welcome you back for another adventure in the future!
Maikel_M, Feb 2026
We had an amazing experience on this tour. Our guide, Thomas, was absolutely amazing. He is extremely knowledgeable about glaciers and the surrounding landscape. He shared so much interesting information throughout the hike, which made the entire experience even more meaningful.
The tour itself is a hike, but it is absolutely worth it. Seeing the ice caves up close was incredible. We were fortunate enough to explore three beautiful caves, each unique and breathtaking in its own way.
One important recommendation: if you are visiting in the winter and snow is predicted, consider staying closer to Jökulsárlón rather than in Vík. We heard that several people who were staying in Vík missed their tour due to road closures. We had the 2:15 PM tour and ended up staying at a nearby hotel afterward since it was late and the roads were not safe. Planning ahead during winter conditions is very important.
Overall, this was an unforgettable experience and one of the highlights of our trip. Highly recommend!
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you so much for this detailed and thoughtful review!
We’re thrilled to hear that you had such an amazing experience and that Thomas made the tour even more meaningful with his knowledge and guidance. He’ll be very happy to hear your kind words.
It’s fantastic that you were able to explore multiple ice caves—each one truly is unique, and we’re glad you got to experience such variety. And we completely agree—the hike is part of the adventure and makes the reward even more special!
We also really appreciate you sharing your travel tips regarding winter conditions. Planning ahead and staying closer to Jökulsárlón can make a big difference, and your advice will surely help future guests.
Thank you again for your recommendation—we’re so happy this was a highlight of your trip, and we hope to welcome you back again!
DELIA_I, Jan 2026
Great experience. The glacier is amazing. The three caves we visited were beautiful. Sam, our guide, was awesome. Personable, funny, knowledgeable and kept us safe. You need ro bw able to hike about 20 -30 minutes up the glacier, and dress warm if going between November and April
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Dear Delia_I
Thank you for the great review! We’re happy you enjoyed the glacier and the ice caves, and that Sam made the experience fun, informative, and safe. Thanks as well for the helpful tip about hiking time and warm clothing—it’s great advice for future guests!
Geoffrey_T, Jan 2026
This was the highlight of our week in Iceland. If I was asked for advice on the one thing visitors shouldn’t miss, this is it. Great for a family. Awesome hike across the glacier and visits to several ice caves. DRESS WARMLY. And try to get a tour that gets off the glacier while the sun is shining as there’s lots to see in the area. If you’re doing a day trip from Reykjavik, I would also see the black sand beaches in Vik on the way.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Dear Geoffrey,
Thank you very much for such a great review! We are very happy to see that you liked your experience on the ice with us!
Hopefully we will meet again in the future.
Shon_S, Nov 2025
Our guide Sophia did a great job teaching us about ice caves and the local area. That caves were incredible and even better that I was expecting.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed your tour and that Sophia made the day both informative and memorable. It’s wonderful that the ice caves exceeded your expectations — they truly are a special part of Vatnajökull.
We hope to welcome you back for more glacier adventures in the future! Safe travels and warm greetings from our team.
Cole_H, Nov 2025
Couldn’t go into normal ice caves due to warm temperatures, but the alternative hike on top of a glacier and down into crevices in the ice was still a great and fun experience.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you for sharing your experience! We’re glad to hear that, even with the warmer temperatures preventing access to the usual ice caves, you still enjoyed the glacier hike and exploring the crevasses. Our guides always aim to offer the safest and most exciting alternative when conditions change, and it’s great to know you had a fun and memorable time.
We hope to see you again for another adventure when conditions allow for different features to be explored
Xin_L, Nov 2025
Wonderful guides, knowledgeable, professional, informative, caring, and fun! We had an amazing experience.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Dear Xin_L,
We are happy to see you enjoyed the tour with us and that our guides made it memorable and special.
Take care
Andrea_A, Oct 2025
Was a great experience to be able to hike into a cave of the glacier. Such a beautiful sight! Arno was a great guide, he provided a lot of information about glaciers and made the experience fun for all.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Dear Andrea,
Thank you for sharing your experience with our tour! We are happy you had a wonderful time on the glacier with Arno and you enjoyed your trip with us. Take care
Lorraine_L, Oct 2025
We booked an ice cave tour but unfortunately it had to be changed to a glacier hike because there had been so much rain it was so warm. There was a little mix up with the meeting point but it worked out. The glacier hike was a longer hike but the best part was that instead of an ice cave we did an ice crevasse. It was absolutely amazing. Our tour guide Alex was great and made everybody feel safe and comfortable. One couple on the hike said that they had done an ice cave previously and the crevasse was so much more dynamic and exciting. Would highly recommend this tour company.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you so much for your kind words and understanding! We’re really glad to hear you enjoyed the glacier hike and the unique ice crevasse experience — it’s always special to explore the glacier up close in different forms. We’ll be sure to pass your compliments to Alex! Thank you for recommending us and for joining our tour despite the weather changes.
Scott_B, Oct 2025
Great experience! The ice caves were not safe enough to visit but we went to some pretty cool ice canyons which in my mind are the same thing! Just breathtaking.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Dear Scott,
Thank you for this 5-star review! We are happy to see you enjoyed the adjustments we made to the original ice cave tour and that you had a wonderful experience with us. Take care
Victoria_E, Dec 2024
Beautiful views but I wish our guide would have given us more background on the glaciers and formations. I felt it was a little awkward because the guide didn’t really talk much. Still a fun experience to see and I’d recommend.
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Hi Victoria!
First of all we want to thank you for booking with us and we are happy to hear that you enjoyed the structure and the views on our tour.
We sincerely apologize if you feel you did not receive a satisfying experience with the guide on the tour. We pride ourselves with recruiting only experienced and skilled glacier guides that are eager to share their knowledge in a fun and engaging way. There is always a change that people might be experiencing a rougher day then usual and might have been the case with your guide that day.
We value your feedback greatly and will use it to make sure all of our clients receive a fun and informative experience on our tours.
Please feel free to contact us directly as we would love to hear more details about your experience.
All the best. Ásgeir
Ciaralyn_L, Dec 2024
Wow this trip was more than I could have imagined! Our tour driver Sam was so kind, helpful, and knowledgeable! The caves she guided us to would amazing truly had the best time and would recommend this trip and anyone visiting Iceland !!
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Thank you for the fantastic feedback. We are always happy to hear about the good things we are doing and we know that travelling with Sam is always a guarantee for a great experience.
We hope to see you with us again in the future.
Victoria_Y, Nov 2024
This tour was incredible. We went into a huge ice cave and saw beautiful blue hues in the ice! Our tour guide, Arnold, was very knowledgable and so friendly. It was a small group, which was very nice as well. Highly recommend doing this tour when in Iceland!!
Response from Host, Nov 2024
What a great feedback to read! Thank you for this amazing review, we will make sure to also pass it on to Arnaud :) We hope to meet you again one day!
Ann_S, Nov 2024
Our guide, Sophia, was brilliant. She was very knowledgeable and fun. There had been very heavy rain for a couple of days before our trip so the ice cave was pretty small but the tour was still amazing. We hiked along the glacier. It was very safe - we were given good clear instructions and had helmets and crampons provided. I cannot rate this trip highly enough.
Response from Host, Nov 2024
Thank you for this amazing review! We are so happy to hear about your experience with us and our guide! We hope to meet you again one day :)
RJ_B, Oct 2024
Really fun tour exploring the ice cave and the glacier, learning about the geology of the area and how glaciers are formed. We had a great time and would highly recommend!
Response from Host, Oct 2024
Dear RJ_B,
Thank you for choosing us! We are happy to see you enjoyed the glacier tour with us and you had a great time with our guide exploring the area.
Take care,
Lisa_F, Apr 2024
Cool experience. Short walk to the ice cave so anyone can do it. It was a little crowded and I wish there was more of them to see but it's worth it!
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thank you for taking the time to write us this review! We are happy to hear you enjoyed the tour with us despite it being quite busy with another companies group coming in at the same time. We are always working on improving our timings for a better experience :)
Kathryn_K, Mar 2024
We loved this tour! The cave is beautiful and our guide gave a lot of interesting information. Highly recommend!
Response from Host, Mar 2024
Thank you for the recommendation and taking the time to leave us this very nice review!
Nesti_R, Dec 2023
I loved this tour and everything went by smoothly! The tour guide Mary was very knowledgeable and funny! Made this experience amazing!
Response from Host, Mar 2024
Dear Nesti_R,
Thank you for joining us for the ice cave tour. We are glad to hear you had a wonderful time with our guide Mery and that you enjoyed this experience fully :)
Luz_R, Nov 2023
Great experience. Our tour guide Hanka was great explaining everything about the glacier and great photo spots.
Response from Host, Nov 2023
Thank you for your great review! We will forward your amazing feedback to Hanna :)
Keri_C, Oct 2023
This was the highlight of our Iceland trip! The colors in the cave matches the photos online. Beautiful and unique. Our guide Asta was so knowledgeable and made it an incredible experience.
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Thank you for this amazing review! We are taking pride in our honest selling of tours and are so lucky to have great guides like Ásta on our team!
Patrick_S, Oct 2022
The whole thing was wonderful. Pat was an awesome tour guide. The cave was beautiful. We saw a herd of reindeer on the way back.
Response from Host, Oct 2022
Dear Patrick,
Thank you for your great review. We really appreciate it :)
We are glad to see you enjoyed the ice cave tour with our amazing guide Pat.
We hope to have you on the glacier trip with us one day again,
Take care,
Matthew_M, Mar 2022
Pat (our guide) was great! He was very personable and taught us a lot about the cave and glacier. He additionally gave us a great tip about where to go next on our Iceland trip.
Response from Host, Mar 2022
Hi Matthew,
Thank you for your wonderful review. We really appreciate it and we are extremely happy to see you had an amazing adventure with Pat.
We hope to meet you another time in the future,
AbbySears_S, Mar 2022
We had the best guide ever! The trip was magical and the highlight of our trip. The tour company was excellent as well
Response from Host, Mar 2022
Dear Abby,
Thank you for taking your time to write a tour review! We really appreciate it.
We are glad to see you enjoyed the tour as well as our guide.
We hope to have you back on tour with us in the future,
Likely to Sell Out
From $195.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Likely to Sell Out
The Original Ice Cave Tour in Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
201
4 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$195.00
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Explore Similar Things to Do
- Sporting Events
- Half-day Tours
- Extreme Sports
- Nature and Wildlife Tours
- 4WD Tours
- Tickets & Passes
- Tours, Sightseeing & Cruises
- Outdoor Activities
- Private and Luxury
- Hofn
- Sporting Events - Djupivogur
- Extreme Sports - Djupivogur
- Nature and Wildlife Tours - Djupivogur
- 4WD Tours - Djupivogur
- Sporting Events - Skaftafell
- Half-day Tours - Skaftafell
- Extreme Sports - Skaftafell
- Nature and Wildlife Tours - Skaftafell
- 4WD Tours - Skaftafell
- Sporting Events - Reykjahlíð
- Extreme Sports - Reykjahlíð
- Nature and Wildlife Tours - Reykjahlíð
- 4WD Tours - Reykjahlíð