Ice Cave Captured

4 Hours Round trip from í Hornafirði Moderate pace

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The journey

Trip highlights

01 Explore a naturally formed crystal ice cave in Vatnajökull National Park
02 Travel by 4×4 from Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon to the glacier
03 Enjoy a relatively easy hike across a flat but rocky glacier plain
04 Join a certified glacier guide who is also a professional photographer
05 Receive 2 personalized edited ice cave photos per person
06 Learn about glacier history, ice cave formation, and the surrounding landscape
07 Experience a small-group tour with a maximum of 10 participants

Step into the icy landscapes of Vatnajökull National Park on a guided adventure to a naturally formed crystal ice cave. Travel by 4×4 from Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, enjoy an easy hike across the glacier plain, and explore a cave that changes shape and character every season.

What makes this experience especially memorable is that your certified glacier guide is also a professional photographer. As you explore the blue ice, your guide will capture personalized photos of you in the cave’s most striking spots, creating a lasting souvenir of your time on the glacier.

Along the way, learn about the glacier, the cave’s natural formation, and the surrounding landscape while taking in one of Iceland’s most dramatic winter environments.

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 4 Hours

Tour type Shared

Activity level Moderate

Accommodation Not included

Transport Included

Wheelchair access Not applicable

Cities Reykjavik, Höfn, Jökulsárlón, Vatnajökull National Park

Languages English

Day by day

The itinerary

Day 01

Winter Ice Cave Captured

Meeting with your Guide

You will meet your guide at the Glacier Lagoon parking lot in Vatnajokull National Park. The official address for this location is: í Hornafirði, Jökulsárlón, Glacier Lagoon, 781 Höfn. It is important to be aware that this is a 5-hour drive from Reykjavik so you will need to stay at an accommodation closer to this meeting point.

Please arrive 15–20 minutes early to prepare for the tour and use the restrooms since they will be none at the glacier. Your guide will be right across from the restrooms in the bus parking lot. You can look for the logo on our 4×4 vehicle amongst the other companies. Departure will be precisely at 12:00 pm so it is important to arrive on time or you may miss the tour.

Drive in 4×4 to Vatnajokull Glacier

From the Glacier Lagoon parking lot, you will hop aboard one of our 4×4 vehicles and head towards the glacier. About 10 minutes into your journey, you will turn off onto an F-Road and make the bumpy journey toward the glacier. From the road to the glacier parking lot, this will take roughly 20-30 minutes to reach. As you drive, your guide will teach you the history of the surrounding area as you enjoy a scenic ride through an ancient glacier plain.

Hike to the Ice Cave

Once you arrive at the glacier parking lot, your guide will begin handing out your gear for the tour. The equipment includes a helmet with a headlamp, and hiking boots if your rented them. Depending on the weather conditions, we might have to use crampons, an ice axe and a harness. Once everyone has their gear, you will be taken to the Ice Cave. The hike is relatively easy for most and will have you walking on flat, yet slightly rocky ground the entire way. We will always go at the pace of our guests so you can take your time and enjoy the walk as your guide leads the way.

Arriving at the Crystal Ice Cave

Upon arriving at the edge of the glacier, you will be greeted with a massive cavern in front of you with a river running underneath it. You have finally reached our Crystal Ice Cave! This cave varies each year in its shape, location, and size. This is because the cave is always melting away and reforming naturally during the summertime. That is why you will always get a unique experience when going into it because it will never be the same as it was on that day.

Before entering the cave, your guide will help you put on your crampons if necessary. Not all caves require wearing these since many lie underneath the ice on rocky ground. Still, this will vary from year to year. After your crampons are on, your guide will go over safety instructions when exploring the cave. It’s important to understand and follow these rules and to ask any questions that you may have before entering.

Exploring the Crystal Ice Cave

Entering the ice cave will be an unreal and otherworldly experience for most people. Your eyes will slowly adjust to the crystal blue walls of the cave and showcase its hidden beauty. If you are lucky and it’s a clear day, you may also see the sun rising with its first light hitting the walls of the cave, a truly magical experience.

As your guide leads you deeper into the ice cave, they will take their camera and photograph you in the best locations and angles. Having explored and photographed these caves hundreds of times, they will have the best insight at getting you amazing photos while you relax and enjoy the cave without worry.

As you are enjoying the ice cave, your guide will teach you about its formation and composition. Normally, these caves will have multiple chambers that you will be able to explore as you go deeper into the cave, however, this can vary from year to year. After everyone is happy with their photos and experience, we will exit the cave and make our way back to the glacier parking lot.

Return to the Glacier Lagoon

You will finish the tour with a hike back to the glacier parking lot and a 30-minute drive back to the Glacier Lagoon where you will say goodbye to your guide and have memories of an amazing day inside of Vatnajokull National Park.

The route

Where you'll travel

Tour route map — Round trip from í Hornafirði 4 cities · 4 Hours

The fine print

Trip details

What's Included

Certified Glacier Guide and Professional Photographer
Transportation to and from the cave
Glacier & Ice Cave Equipment: Helmet, Harness, Crampons
Small Group (10 persons max)
2 Personalized Iconic Ice Cave Photos (Per Person)

What's Not Included

Food and drinks

Know before you go

Read before you fly!

Participants must be in reasonably good health to embark on the tour they have booked. Pregnant individuals are not permitted on tours.
Our standard age requirement for our Ice Cave tours is 8 years old. For our Glacier Hikes, Glacier Ziplines,and private ice climbing tours the minimum age is 10.
Ice caves are a dynamic ever-changing natural phenomenon. Each year, old ice caves melt and new ice caves appear. Photos that you see of the cave at any given time on our website or any social media will not necessarily mean that is what you will experience on your tour. This makes each experience unique and special for our guests. Check out how ice caves evolve on our blog!
This tour can involve roughly 1-1.5 hours of total hiking. The terrain is very flat yet rocky and is relatively easy for a person of average fitness.

:: Special Notes ::

Photo packages may sometimes take more or less than 14 days to edit. This is just our average turnaround time.
IPJ Editor selects and edits the photo package based on what we feel are the best shots from the day. If additional photos are available outside of the package count they may be available for 1,000 ISK per but not guaranteed.
Also be aware that if there is a request to have specific photos from the day, advance notice via email is required before the editing process begins.
Our Cancellation Policy can be found here. Also, check out our FAQ page for more information!
Children on Tours: Our IPJ team has specific policies concerning children, please reference our Terms and Conditions. Be aware, we require parents to bring car seats / booster seats to be put in our 4×4 vehicles before the departure time (please arrive early). Additionally, we also require parents to ensure their children are under control, calm, and listen to our guides directions at all times.

Logistics