Silver Circle: Lava Cave, Waterfalls & Iceland Horses-Small Group
Recommended by 98% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Reykjavik, Iceland
- 10 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Take in the sights of the Silver Circle route without having to worry about driving across Iceland’s notoriously rugged terrain, all thanks to this hassle-free tour. Look forward to visiting the Snorralaug and Deildartunguhver hot springs, marveling at the Hraunfossar and Barnafoss waterfalls, descending into one of Iceland’s largest lava caves, and even visiting an Icelandic horse farm. With round-trip transportation from Reykjavik aboard a Wi-Fi-equipped vehicle, this tour makes exploring easy.
- Perfect for nature lovers who don't want to drive themselves
- See the best of the Silver Circle route, all in a single tour
- Stay connected en route aboard a Wi-Fi-equipped vehicle
- Admission to one of Iceland's largest lava caves is included
What's Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in the Reykjavik capital area
- Free Wi-Fi on bus
- Professional guide
- Admission fee to Viðgelmir Lava Cave
- Admission to visit the Sturlureykir horse farm
- LunchMeals are not included, but there will be a stop for lunch and a coffee break in the afternoon.
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
Please note that Nicetravel offers free pickup and drop off from hotels within Reykjavik. As buses are not allowed to drive in certain areas of Reykjavik centre, your pick up may be from the nearest bus stop. After receiving your pickup information, we will notify you of your exact pick up location. If you do not require hotel pickup, you can meet the tour at Nicetravel office in Fiskislóð 45M, 101 Reykjavik. Please notify Nicetravel directly if you intend to use this option and be there before 08:20. Pickup takes place between 08:30 - 09:00, so please be ready from 8:30 at your pickup location and look out for a bus with red NICE Travel logos.
Start time.9:00 am
Itinerary
1
Glanni Waterfall
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Deildartunguhver Thermal Spring
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Sturlureykir Horses/Visiting HorseFarm
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
4
Snorralaug
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Hraunfossar
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
6
Barnafoss
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
7
The Cave
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 19 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.9
based on 222 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Lori was a perfect tour guide and driver- so apologetic when he accidentally hit a bump on our way. He offered to take our pics, and we had enough pit stops for bathroom breaks and picked our food..
Highly recommended company.
This tour is exceptional. Its in a nice size smaller bus with a great guide, Hendrick. The geothermal springs, horses, waterfalls - its all magical. But the lava cave is the star of the show! Its totally doable even for slow walkers. I'm just 8 weeks post hip replacement surgery and it was doable. Highly recommend
Thoroughly enjoyed the country side and a stop to see the Icelandic horses. Even a taste of hearty rye bread backed in the hot earth on the farm. Plenty of spectacular scenery on this tour as well.
We had Christina as our guide for the day and she was absolutely lovely. Very knowledgeable, organized, funny, and kind. I really liked how the trip was with a small group (less than 20 of us), and all the stops were really neat. Especially loved the horse farm, you could feed them unlimited hay.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thanks for the wonderful feedback!
Dominica, our driver was very personable and funny on her commentary on our way to our sites. We were a group of 8 and highly recommend her . This was definitely an action pack day. The end of our tour at the lava cave was exceptional. Our Lava guide was packed with Information! EOIN we absolutely loved you and your tour. and had the best time.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much, Dominika will be pleased
David was a great driver and guide. The entire experience was really beautiful. Just be prepared for the cave, it’s very very cold. Extra layers will be beneficial.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you! Good advice!
This was a great experience! The pickup was seamless, my tour guide was knowledgeable about the country and landscape. The highlights include: the gorgeous waterfalls and the Icelandic horses (not ponies!).
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for your wonderful review!
We're happy to hear that everything ran smoothly and that you enjoyed learning about Iceland from your guide. The waterfalls and our famous Icelandic horses, not ponies :), are certainly unforgettable highlights! We appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you back again soon.
All the best
Vesna / NICETRAVEL
Wonderful tour with a variety of activities, nature, horses and lava cave! Filip was a great guy, and crafted a wonderful soundtrack of icelandic songs to complement the astonishing view and get a taste for the culture!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you so much, we are pleased that you had fun!
All the best,
Nicetravel Team
I had such a wonderful time! Great Icelandic vibe on the bus, that was super comfortable by the way, and such a relaxing pace. It you want to experience amazing views and uplifting mood, then his tour is for you! I highly recommend !
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you very much
This was a great tour. It was a good mix of sight-seeing and experiences, including the scenery while riding on the bus. The waterfalls were beautiful and we visited some points of interest, however, the highlights were visiting the horse farm and the lava cave tour - both a great deal of fun and a wonderful experience. It was nice to stop for lunch at some point in the day; and given the weather, we were grateful not to have to drive and just relax on the bus, especially after the long day. Would definitely recommend.
The tour is well organized. The guide worked hard, friendly and hospitable. Although the bad weather, the tour didn’t cancel
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thanks for exploring with us!
It was great. Authentic village did not have a lot of value. Like horses, lava cave and the waterfall. Lunch at the water fall was very weak
Glad was awesome. Very knowledgable, positive and very helpful. He also was a great driver
Response from Host, Mar 2026
We’re glad you loved the guide!
Everything about this tour was simply amazing! Hard to choose the best part - the horse farm was so much fun and hard to leave, the waterfalls were stunning, and the cave experience was something completely out of the normal with a wonderful guide.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
We’re thrilled you had a memorable time!
Excellent tour! This was a great itinerary and highly recommended. We were lucky to have Addi as our guide and really appreciated doing this tour in the winter for the views and ideal lighting. Photos don't do any of it justice - it is really breathtaking in person to see such grand and powerful waterfalls. The thermal spring was a nice stop - the colors really stood out against the steam and overcast day, the horse farm was both interactive and educational, and just when you think the experience can't get better, there's the lava cave. The location itself was gorgeous with the snowy lava field and the tour exceeded expectations. Our guide was fantastic as he guided us through the cave to learn about how it formed, the history, and pointed out unique features.
Visiting in February also meant stops were not crowded. The whole day was a fascinating, scenic, and educational experience.
For reference- this was our 2nd trip to Iceland and both times we were staying in Reykjavik without a rental car. Our 1st trip was for a week and did the recommended of day trips from Reykjavik -- Golden Circuit, South Coast, and Snaefellsnes Peninsula. This was a quick trip and with the reduced daylight hours, I think this tour was perfect with the unique and scenic options.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thanks for such a nice review :) We really appreciate that!
All the best,
Nicetravel Team
This is a great day out. Guide was very knowledgeable and engaging. The visit to the horse farm was great. Great family. The waterfalls and hot springs were awesome and coming out of the lava cave in the middle of nowhere was ‘out of this world’
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Great to hear you had an amazing day on your tour, thank you for choosing
NICETRAVEL and for your recommendation.
All the best,
Nicetravel Team
Amazing experience!
Was shown the local way!
Best day ever
Dominique was the best tour guide ever!
Thank you
Our guide was knowledgeable and pleasant. The bus was only half full, suggesting this was less popular than the Golden Circle, although having done both, we enjoyed this tour much more! The half-empty coach meant we had room to store our winter gear and backpacks in the vacant seats, aside from on our laps, that is, leaving us feeling less cramped and uncomfortable than our other bus tours. We also ran into far fewer tourists than on the Golden Circle tour, providing a greater sense of intimacy, solitude and peace.
The first hike, to the Glanni Waterfall, was short but icy. We were pleased to be given crampons to use, which made our footing more secure for both this and the next hike, where they proved even more important for our safety. While not as spectacular as Guilfoss, the Glanni was still beautiful to view.
We were next taken to a short volcanic cone nearby, which is not listed on the itinerary, but should be. Of the three volcanos we visited (on three different tours), we enjoyed this one the most. A path, with stairs, led us up the side of the cone, a short enough distance to the top that while we felt challenged, the ascent was not a slog. The path continued all the way around the crater, providing an expansive view of the surrounding landscape in all directions, to eventually descend more stairs and reconnect with the original path, so the hike was not too long, either, The wind was fierce, though, so be sure to wear wind resistant pants and jacket.
The stop at Deildartunguhver Thermal Spring was just long enough. Unlike the other springs we observed in Iceland, this was a series of vents running for perhaps 100 feet or so along the side of a small hill. While there were no geysers, mud pots or large pools of roiling water, if did bubble out of the many openings with such force we could almost feel the ground shaking.
The highlight of this tour might well have been the Sturlureykir Horse Farm. When we first read about this stop in the itinerary, we wondered what could possibly keep us interested for 45 minutes. While we'd seen a few Icelandic horses on the Golden Circle tour, they were tied up in a corral beside a parking lot where we could buy food for them, but the stop was brief and the experience felt like little more than a photo op. The Sturlureykir Horse Farm visit, on the other hand, was an intimate experience, where we we informed about their breeding program by the woman who owned the farm (the fifth generation in her family), and were encouraged to interact with the horses, both in their stable and outdoors. The owner even took pictures of us with one of them. We were also shown their own private hot spring, told how it was used to heat their home and the stables, and shown how they used the spring to bake rye bread. At the end, we were offered cups of hot chocolate and buttered bread in their charming little cafe, walls adorned with trophies and medals. The opportunity to meet and speak with a native Icelander eager to talk about her home and family made this stop so much more than we expected!
Snorralaug, a heritage site, was a fascinating slice of Icelandic history. The famed 13th century poet and author, Snorri Sturluson, lived and died there. Our tour guide showed us about the sight, providing information about both Snorri and the little village there.
Hraunfossar (and nearby Barnafossar) were not just more waterfalls. Though not flowing with the force of the Guilfoss, nor plunging such a distance, the Hraunfossar was a picturesque series of smaller, separate falls pouring out from beneath the lava field along the far riverbank for almost a full kilometer. Short, but ice covered hiking trails (where we again found the crampons to be useful) snaked along the shoreline to several viewing points as well as a bridge that crossed the river, where the path appeared to continue out into the lave field, although we did not go any farther. Ample time was provided to then catch a quick lunch of 'all you can eat' soup and bread or a buffet in a rustic cafe near the parking lot.
Lastly, the 'cave', a lava tube really, was quite different from our past previous caving experiences. Inside what we thought might have been a ranger station, where we began, were a few displays of various rocks found in the area, maps, restrooms and snacks. We were provided hard hats because there were a few narrow passageways with low ceilings, and headlamps because few spot lights illuminated the interior, unlike another lava tube we considered visiting before discovering this tour. After being led across the wind swept lava field outside to the wooden stairs leading down to the lava tube entrance, the guide (not our driver) led us down into the cave, telling us all about its formation and the sights we encountered within. While the lava tube was relatively short in length, we paused many times along its length to admire the colorful rock formations, much different than those in a typical cave, including markings on the walls left by cooling lava and ice stalagmites. We hiked part of the way back to the entrance with our headlamps shut off, for fun.
To summarize, the entire experience lacked the tourist vibe we felt on the Golden Circle tour. We'd recommend this for those seeking a more relaxed, solitary adventure than the more popular, tourist oriented excursions!
This was a great tour! Our guide Addi? (may have his name wrong) was great! He kept us engaged and was interactive with us. Gave us plenty of time at each stop.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Thank you for sharing your experience. Great to hear you enjoyed the tour. You have Addi's name perfectly written!
All the best
Nicetravel Team
My wife and I really enjoyed this tour, even in colder than normal weather. We chose it as it is less popular than the golden circle and that proved to be true as all the places we visited has small crowds, which was great. What you see and experience is outstanding! Very different than what we have near us at home, which makes it fun for us. The tour company good, but the guide was better. We would definiely recommend this tour!
Great way to see a lot in one day. Got to brush and feed the horses. The Lava cave was very enjoyable. Just enough walking under ground. Lil chilly down there though, so bundle up. The waterfalls were amazing.
I really enjoyed the tour, the tour guide was very friendly and the stops were interesting especially the lava cave. I just thought id write a review to make other traveller's aware. If you are one of the unfortunate ones, like me, who suffer from very bad back pain, the bus ride is very bad and painful for it. Once you go a certain distance from Reykjavik the roads are incredibly bumpy, I was being thrown around and had the bus constantly smashing up into my back, it was very painful for me and greatly hindered my tour the next day making it painful for me to stand and painful sitting on the bus. I had planned a lagoon the day before as the heat helps my back and was feeling ok at the start of the tour. I just thought I should make people aware as if id seen it I probably wouldn't have booked it. If you're lucky and your back can take the hammering then you'll have a great day, I didnt experience bumps that bad on any of the other 5 tours id booked.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Great to hear you enjoyed the tour and thank you for your nice words for our guide.
Some roads in Iceland are bumpy, but we are not able to do anything with them, because they are often the only rads to see many beautiful places.
All the best
Nicetravel Team
The waterfalls were beautiful! Make sure you bring waterproof outerwear, especially if you plan to go behind the waterfall, which I highly recommend.
Our guide through the lava cave was funny and personable. It wasn't too difficult even for someone who isn't in the best shape.
It takes 2 hours to get to the first stop but then the stops are close together. This allows time for Islandic stories
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Dear guest, great to hear you enjoyed exploring the beautiful and varied landscape of Iceland and the sights visited on your NICETRAVEL tour with us.
It was a amazing day. Beautiful waterfalls, hotspots and a wonderful
trip to a horsefarm, where we saw lovely icelandic horses. The place did also make a speciel kind og ryebred, who is cooked in a speciel made “ hotspot” The trip ended whit 1 1/2 hours walk in a lava cave.
A wonderful day and a wonderful and exuberant guide, Christina.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Dear guests, so great to hear you had an amazing day on your tour with us, exploring the beautiful nature in all its different forms. Thank you for selecting our NICETRAVEL tour.
Walter was amazing. Fun. Laid-back. Knowledgeable. The trip was well-timed and full of adventure and fun.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Dear guest, great to hear you had a fun time exploring and relaxing on your Silver Circle tour with us.
Bart did an amazing job at explaining everything we saw on our tour. His background as a chef was amazing for some Icelandic food history and recommendations! Cant recommend this enough.
Excellent day, so much to see.
The waterfalls and lava tube/cave were incredible.
The timing of all the stops was perfect.
We enjoyed our guide and also our cave guide - Gareth.
Response from Host, May 2025
Dear Gareth, thank you for the great feedback. We hope the memories last a lifetime!
Interesting and enlightening although weather conditions ie ice on pathways made walking a little harder. All in all a very good time was had.
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Thank you for sharing your experience ! Great to hear you enjoyed the tour.
All the best
Nicetravel Team
What a fun day! Absolutely loved Gulli as a guide; he told us some history of Iceland and the geography with understanding and humor. We would take another tour with him in a heartbeat ! Saw beautiful places, some in the sunshine and others in snow, but totally worth it. Jan at The Cave was funny and explained things very clearly. Of course, the waterfalls and hot springs are always worth the time! Overall, a really great tour that we highly recommend!
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Dear guests, great to hear you enjoyed your tour with us visiting the excellent and beautiful sights visited. Thank you for your kind comments and for recommending our tour.
The whole day was worth it! From waterfalls to hot springs to lunch to the Lava Cave! Maria, our guide was so wonderful and definitely gave the trip more details and fun!
Response from Host, Feb 2025
Thank you for sharing Laurie ! Great to hear you enjoyed the tour.
All the best
Nicetravel Team
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