2026 trekking season is near. Book early and save up to 15%! Early Bird Deals
Travel through Iceland’s most active volcanic region on a full-day guided tour. Begin your journey underground in the Raufarhólshellir lava tunnel, where flowing lava once raced through a massive volcanic tube. From there, travel across the Reykjanes Peninsula’s active volcanic landscapes, visiting lava fields, geothermal areas, and dramatic Atlantic coastline viewpoints along the way.
Availability
All Year
Duration
9 hours
Departs From
Reykjavík
Level
Easy
Suitable for most people in fair condition.
From
Get the best value for money by booking a combo tour for up to 15% less!
This one-day combo tour starts with a visit to Raufarhólshellir lava tunnel, one of Iceland’s longest and best-known lava caves. You’ll walk through its wide, rocky passages while learning how volcanic eruptions form lava tunnels.
After the cave tour, the journey continues across the Reykjanes Peninsula, a volcanic region shaped by recent eruptions and geothermal activity. An expert guide leads the day, sharing clear insights into Iceland’s geology and volcanic history along the way.
Your day begins with a pick-up in Reykjavík and a short drive to Raufarhólshellir lava tunnel, one of Iceland’s longest lava tubes. The cave measures about 1,360 m (0.84 mi) in length and features wide passages that are easy to walk through.
Inside, the cave walls show shades of red, violet, and turquoise caused by mineral deposits left behind by flowing lava. As you explore, your guide explains how the tunnel formed and points out notable features along the route. After about one hour inside the cave, you return to Reykjavík before being picked up again for the second part of the tour.
The second part of the tour begins with a drive to Kleifarvatn, the largest lake on the Reykjanes Peninsula. Located about 30 minutes from Reykjavík, it is also one of Iceland’s deepest lakes, reaching 97 m (318 ft).
Kleifarvatn is fed by groundwater that moves through the surrounding porous lava rock. Local folklore talks about a large, serpent-like creature said to live in the lake’s depths. If legends aren’t your focus, the colorful hills and volcanic landscape around the lake are just as striking.
Next, the tour stops at the Seltún hot springs in the Krýsuvík geothermal area, known for their active geothermal features. Steam rises from the ground, and the surrounding hills show shades of red, yellow, and gray created by mineral-rich soil.
As you walk along the wooden pathways, you can smell sulfur in the air, a clear sign of geothermal activity beneath the surface. Along the route, you’ll see bubbling mud pools, fumaroles, and steaming vents.
After a short drive, the tour continues to Grænavatn crater lake, known for its striking green color. The lake sits inside a volcanic crater, and its color comes from minerals in the water, often linked to sulfur from the surrounding geothermal area. This stop is popular for photos, with clear views across the lake and the surrounding volcanic landscape.
Next, the tour heads to Nátthagi valley, near Fagradalsfjall volcano, one of the eruption sites from 2021. After about 6,000 years without volcanic activity, this area became active again, with an eruption that lasted for several months.
The valley is now shaped by fresh lava fields, where hardened black rock marks the furthest points reached by flowing lava. A short hike leads to a higher viewpoint, providing a clear look across the dark lava flows set against the surrounding green hills.
Please note: Travelers will be hiking on uneven paths and rugged terrain for about 20 minutes.
We’ll see the more destructive side of eruptions in Grindavík, a coastal town affected by the Reykjanes Peninsula eruptions of late 2023. During the eruptions, roads were closed and residents were temporarily evacuated, leaving the town largely empty.
After the volcanic activity subsided, the area was declared safe, and residents started to return. Some homes were rebuilt, while a few structures still show visible signs of damage, demonstrating the eruption’s impact on the community.
Please note: The tour group will stop at a local restaurant for 15 to 20 minutes to grab snacks and refreshments.
For the finale, the tour drives through the Sundhnúkagígar lava fields near Grindavík. These fresh lava flows have reshaped the landscape, creating new volcanic terrain. Steam still rises from the ground in several areas, a visible sign that lava is still cooling beneath the surface.
After exploring the lava fields, the journey continues through the Icelandic countryside back to Reykjavík. The tour concludes in the early evening, giving you time to explore the city at your own pace.
Your day begins with an 8:00 AM pick-up in Reykjavík for the Lava Tunnel tour. After exploring Raufarhólshellir, you’ll be returned to your original transfer location in Reykjavík. You’ll then have some free time to grab lunch or relax before the afternoon portion of the tour begins.
The second part of the combo tour, the Grindavík & Reykjanes lava fields tour, begins with a pick-up at 12:00 PM. Please be ready at your designated location at this time.
Collecting everyone up for both trips may take up to 30 minutes, depending on traffic and your selected location.
Meet on location means travelling to the location of the tour yourself and then meeting our tour guides rather than being picked up and taken to the location.
This is a great question. We ask all participants to be ready from the start of the pickup time indicated. This is because you may well be the first pick up of the day. Please be at your assigned location at the start time that you chose when booking the tour.
Here you should wait for your guide.
Have your email and phone number listed with us so we can contact you if we run into any trouble finding you.
View our pick-up locations in Reykjavík.
Before and during activities on the multi-day tours consumption of alcohol is prohibited. If we suspect that a participant is intoxicated, we will prohibit them from joining the activity.
After the activities of the day are finished, you are welcome to have a drink and relax.
Yes, we do. Langjökull Ice Cave is a magical experience, the tour has no minimum age and is a wonderful option for the whole family. Whale Watching with our partner company Elding has been a favourite with families traveling with young children, these guys have a great success rate in seeing whales (upwards of 98% in the summertime).
Another option would be the Landmannalaugar Safari on this tour you get to explore parts of the Icelandic highlands and bathe in natural hot springs. Most of our super jeep tours are also suitable for children over the age of 6 years old. If you would like a nice and relaxing experience we would also recommend the Golden Circle & Secret Lagoon tour.
Your safety is our number one priority! Keeping this in mind, Arctic Adventures reserves the right to adjust the itinerary and/or take different routes depending on conditions. Please read more information in our cancellation policy.
Yes, there is a specially trained and certified guide on each of our tours. The only exception to this is for our self-drive tours.
All of our tours are guided in English.
No, our guides are not able to provide information on these matters, but our team will be happy to assist you. We kindly ask that you reach out to our customer care team regarding any questions or concerns.
The standard in Iceland is 230V and 50Hz and we use F-type power sockets and plugs, so you might have to bring an adaptor if you are visiting from UK, USA, Canada or other countries using a different voltage, Hz or plugs.
Our tours are split into four different categories that help participants to understand what to expect from the tour. The categories are Easy, Moderate, Challenging and Demanding. Each tour is rated making it easier to find tours that suit you.
For further information about the difficulty ratings and descriptions.
We’ve partnered with the Kolviður Fund in a new carbon offsetting program, which passengers can select to participate in at the time of booking.
The Kolviður Fund is the oldest, most respected carbon offsetting program in Iceland. With your support, one tree will be planted in special Kolviður forests in Iceland to carbon offset your tour with us.
Kolviður forests are strategically planted to absorb the maximum amount of CO2 and the forests are protected for a minimum of 60 years. During their lifetime the trees absorb carbon and store it in their root system, trunk, and branches. Trees also prevent soil erosion and maintain storage of carbon in the soil.
We provide you with a headlight and a helmet.
Like always in Iceland, it’s best to dress in layers. Warm layers closest to you preferably wool/thermal underwear, pants sweater and on top waterproof outdoor clothing. We also recommend that you wear good hiking boots and gloves. Jeans have proven to be a bad choice.
