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
- 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.
Operating hours.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 193 reviews
MINH_T, Mar 2026
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!
Bill_M, Mar 2026
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!
AnneMarie_H, Feb 2026
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!
Melissa_M, Feb 2026
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
john_t, Feb 2026
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
Brian_D, Jan 2026
Amazing experience!
Was shown the local way!
Best day ever
Dominique was the best tour guide ever!
Thank you
Ronald_H, Dec 2025
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!
Lien_H, Dec 2025
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
Scott_C, Nov 2025
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!
Robyn_T, Oct 2025
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.
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