If you read nothing else
- Skaftafell is about 327 km (203 miles) from Reykjavík by car via Route 1, a drive of approximately 4.5 hours.[1]
- The ice caves in Vatnajökull are only accessible during winter months, from November and usually throughout March, weather depending.[2]
- The blue ice cave and glacier hike booked from this site runs 4 hours in a group limited to 12 participants.[3]
- Vatnajökull has a surface area of approximately 8,100 square kilometers (3,127 square miles) and is the largest glacier in Iceland and Europe.[4]
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund, and you can reserve now and pay later.[3]
- Top choice Blue Ice Cave & Hike from US$167 Rating4.62 from 848 reviews[3]Duration4 hours[3]RouteVatnajökull, Falljökull[3]CancellationFree cancellation up to 24 hours[3] Check availability
- Blue Ice Glacier Hike from US$106 Rating4.71 from 1,357 reviews[5]Duration4 hours[5]RouteVatnajökull National Park, Falljökull[5]CancellationFree cancellation up to 24 hours[5] See this tour
- Ice Cave & Glacier Hike from US$162 Rating4.53 from 1,962 reviews[6]Duration4 hours[6]RouteVatnajökull National Park, Skaftafell[6]CancellationFree cancellation up to 24 hours[6] See this tour
On the 5th of July 2019 Vatnajökull National Park was inscribed on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites.
Is the blue ice cave and glacier hike worth the drive from Reykjavík?
Getting there and when to go
- About 327 km (203 miles) from Reykjavík via Route 1, approximately 4.5 hours by car[1]
- Ice caves are only accessible from November and usually throughout March[2]
- Skaftafell: Blue Ice Cave & Glacier Hike on Vatnajökull lasts 4 hours[3]
- The blue ice cave and glacier hike is limited to 12 participants[3]
Vatnajökull, the ice cap that shapes the south east
Vatnajökull is the glacier most people picture when they picture Iceland: a broad white lid of ice spread across the south east of the country, with tongues of ice spilling down towards black sand plains. It has a surface area of approximately 8,100 square kilometers (3,127 square miles) and is the largest glacier in both Iceland and Europe.[4] The ice averages about 380 metres thick, though in places it is almost a kilometre deep.[8] Underneath sit subglacial volcanoes, the three most famous being Grímsvötn, Öraefajökull and Bardarbunga.[9] The national park around the ice was inscribed on UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites on 5 July 2019.[10]
The guided walks and ice cave trips in this area start from Skaftafell, where the approach to the ice is short and the views open up quickly. Falljökull Glacier is a striking outlet glacier of the vast Vatnajökull ice cap.[11] It is worth knowing that these glaciers are changing: since the year 2000, Icelandic outlet glaciers have retreated exceptionally fast, and their mass loss is among the highest recorded in the world.[12] Walking on one of them, with crampons biting into old, dense ice, is a very different experience from looking at a photograph.
How far is Vatnajökull Glacier from Reykjavík
The Reykjavík to Vatnajökull drive is the long part of any trip to the ice, and it is worth planning around. Skaftafell is about 327 km (203 miles) from Reykjavík by car via Route 1, a drive that takes approximately 4.5 hours.[1] That is one way, along the Ring Road, past Hvolsvöllur, Skógafoss and Vík, with the ice cap slowly filling the horizon as you head east. Doing the return trip in a single day is a very long day, and a night near the glacier makes the whole thing much easier.
Once you are out east, the ice is close. The direct drive from Skaftafell to Jökulsárlón is 35.4 miles (57 km) and takes about 50 minutes in normal traffic.[13] That makes the lagoon and Diamond Beach a natural add-on after a morning on the glacier, or a stop on the way home. If you would rather leave the driving to someone else, coach tours from Reykjavík cover the south coast in a single day: the Reykjavik: Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon & Diamond Beach Tour runs 14 hours and has pickup available.[14]
Blue ice inside an outlet glacier of the Vatnajökull ice cap
Vatnajökull ice cave tour from Reykjavík: your options
Ice cave and glacier trips in the Vatnajökull area meet near the ice, at Skaftafell or Jökulsárlón, so a Vatnajökull tour from Reykjavík usually means driving first or joining a coach. From Jökulsárlón, the Vatnajökull Ice Cave Guided Tour lasts 3 hours and is rated 4.25 from 2,171 reviews.[15] A Crystal Ice Cave Super Jeep Tour in the same area takes 2.5 hours.[16] Both have a live tour guide in English.[15][16]
Skaftafell: Blue Ice Cave & Glacier Hike on Vatnajökull is the tour booked from this site. It lasts 4 hours, starts from US$167 and is rated 4.62 from 848 reviews, with a group limited to 12 participants.[3] The day pairs a walk on Falljökull with time inside a blue ice cave, so you get both the glacier and the cave in one outing. If you would rather keep it simple, a blue ice glacier hike on the same glacier starts from US$106.[5]
What a day on the ice feels like
Walking on a glacier is slower and stranger than most people expect. The surface is not a smooth sheet but a rumpled landscape of ridges, hollows and channels, sometimes dusted with volcanic ash, sometimes glassy blue where the ice is dense and old. Crampons bite as you go, and the guide sets a pace that keeps the group together and away from the places where the ice is thin or broken. On the approach to Falljökull you cross ground the ice has shaped and left behind, gravel and bare rock where the glacier has pulled back.
Inside a blue ice cave the light changes completely. Daylight filters through the ice and comes out blue, and the walls are often striped with dark bands of ash from old eruptions, so the cave feels like a room built out of winter light. Cave conditions shift through the season, and the guide knows which entrances are safe on the day you visit. A small group makes it easier to find a clear view without a crowd in the frame.
from US$167
Four hours on Vatnajökull in a group limited to 12 participants, with free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance.[3]
Ice cave season, weather and daylight
To see a natural blue ice cave, you need winter. The ice caves in Vatnajökull are only accessible during winter months, from November and usually throughout March, depending on the weather.[2] Because the season depends on the weather, the exact dates can move from one year to the next. If your trip falls outside that window, look at caves elsewhere in Iceland: the Katla Ice Cave in Mýrdalsjökull Glacier is one of the few ice caves in Iceland that can be visited year-round.[17]
Winter also decides how much daylight you have on the ice. Days are short, so an early departure gives you more useful light, and a small head torch in your bag costs nothing. Away from the glacier, the Skaftafellsstofa Visitor Centre is a good stop for maps and a warm room: it opens 10-17 in January and February, 9-17 from March to May, and 9-19 from June to August.[18]
Where to stay and what to add to the drive
The usual shape of a Vatnajökull trip is a drive out, a night near the ice and a drive back, which turns one exhausting return journey into two comfortable ones. Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon is a four-star superior hotel located a stone's throw from Skaftafell, with 125 rooms and amenities that include complimentary parking, electric car charging points, a gym and a wellness spa.[19] Parking at Skaftafell is subject to a regional fee, with a passenger car of 5 or fewer seats charged 1,110 ISK.[7]
There is plenty to fill the rest of the day. On Jökulsárlón, an amphibian boat tour lasts 30-40 minutes and takes you out among the floating ice.[20] Inland, Hvannadalshnúkur, the highest peak in Iceland, rises to 2110 m / 6900 ft.[21] And along the same road home, the waterfalls, black beaches and small harbour towns of the south coast make easy stops, so the drive back never feels like an empty run.
Booking, group sizes and habits on the ice
The blue ice cave and glacier hike booked from this site runs 4 hours, with a group limited to 12 participants and a live tour guide in English.[3] You can reserve now and pay later, and free cancellation is available up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.[3] Group size matters on the ice: you move at the pace of the slowest walker, and a tighter group means less waiting at the cave entrance and more time inside it.
Check ages before you book. Mountain Guides class their easy glacier hikes on Sólheimajökull and Skaftafell as suitable from 8 years old, and note that more difficult glacier walks may have a higher minimum age.[22] Beyond that, ordinary winter habits see you through: waterproof outer layers, warm gloves and a hat, boots you can walk in, a spare pair of gloves in the bag, and a phone or camera you can work with cold hands. Check availability to see starting times, and be ready for the weather to rewrite the plan.
From-prices for Vatnajökull area tours
Every bar is a from-price of a GetYourGuide listing.[3][5][23][24][25]
What a day in the Vatnajökull area costs
US dollar from-prices of GetYourGuide listings:[3][5][25]
When to plan your Vatnajökull trip
Plan your Vatnajökull day
Sort out the drive
Skaftafell is about 327 km (203 miles) from Reykjavík via Route 1, approximately 4.5 hours by car.[1]
Choose your tour
Both the blue ice cave and glacier hike and the blue ice glacier hike run 4 hours, with a live tour guide in English.[3][5]
Watch the season
The ice caves are only accessible during winter months, from November and usually throughout March, depending on the weather.[2]
Book with flexibility
Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund, and you can reserve now and pay later.[3]
Add parking
Parking at Skaftafell is 1,110 ISK for a passenger car of 5 or fewer seats.[7]
See the blue ice cave and glacier hike on Vatnajökull
from US$167Reserve now & pay later
