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About Tour

Enter one of Iceland’s best ice caves in years to discover a crystal blue icy wonderland unlike any other

Highlights

  • Crystal Ice Cave
  • Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
  • Vatnajökull - Europe's largest glacier
  • Ride in a Super Truck to the Glacier

Have the experience of a lifetime as you witness crystal blue ice unlike any other in Iceland. This tour is a must-see for people who want to witness the country’s bluest, most captivating ice cave in recent years. Get up close and personal to incredible shades of icy blue while you walk into the depths of the mighty Vatnajokull, Europe’s largest Glacier. Grab at the chance to take fantastic photos to make this special ice cave adventure last a lifetime!

 

Inside the Crystal Ice Cave Tour

Get a glimpse of the famous Crystal Ice Cave Tour featuring the charismatic ice cave guide Fannar.

Availability Oct - April
Duration 2-3 hours
Departs From Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon
Level Easy Suitable for most people in fair condition.
Minimum age 6 years
Ratio 1:14
Meet on Location Yes
Pick Up No

From

180
Per
Adult

What's included

Included

  • Super Jeep transfer to & from a Crystal Blue Ice Cave
  • A Guided Visit to an Ice Cave
  • All Necessary Glacier Gear
  • All Required Safety Equipment
  • English Speaking Licensed Adventure Guide

What to bring

  • Warm and waterproof jacket and pants
  • Hiking boots
  • Headwear
  • Gloves

Not Included

  • Meals

Attractions map

Explore the top attractions of this tour with our interactive map

Itinerary

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon

Huge icebergs in Jokulsarlon glacial lagoon

Jökulsárlón Glacier lagoon is a grand natural spectacle. Its visitors are left in complete awe and if there is ever a moment to bring out your camera it is at the moment you visit the lagoon. An outlet of the vast and magnificent Vatnajokull Glacier, called Breiðamerkurjökull, has retreated back from the edge of the Atlantic carving into the soil beneath it and creating a depression. The meltwater from the glacier then started to fill up the depression and the size of the lagoon has been growing rapidly since then. Icebergs constantly break off the glacier's tip (a process known as ‘calving’), floating majestically in the lagoon before they find their way out to the Atlantic Ocean constructing the most magical display for those who visit.

Jokulsarlon Ice Cave tour in Iceland

A visit to a naturally formed Ice Cave is a once in a lifetime experience! The astonishing blue glacial ice caves are only found deep inside of glaciers. They formed by the power of meltwater as it travels through the crevasse channels of a glacier, as the meltwater carves out huge tunnels and holes deep inside the ice. When the cold season comes, the caves that the water left behind freeze completely so that they become stable and safe to visit.

The natural light seeping through the dense ice is unique and it gives the cave an adventurous atmosphere. This is definitely a must-see for everyone and especially photographic enthusiasts!

Man at Crystal Ice Cave in Iceland

We pick you up at Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon in a super jeep and drive to the edge of the glacier where we gear up and get ready for the caving. After a short hike (approx. 20-30 mins), we'll arrive at the magnificent ice cave where you will have about 30-45 minutes (depending on conditions) to explore its wonders at your own pace. You will be wearing a helmet so a smaller hat is definitely recommended for it to fit underneath the helmet.

After we have explored the cave we will start making our way back to the location where you were picked up.

We recommend that you spend the night in the vicinity of Vatnajökull because the road and weather conditions can be unpredictable during winter in Iceland.

The Jokulsarlon Ice Cave tour departs from Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon which is located 379km from Reykjavik which means, at least, 4.5 hours drive from Reykjavik in best conditions. Staying close to the glacier lagoon for one night, either before or after you visit the ice cave is therefore not a bad idea.

Return time: You will return to Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon approximately 2-3 hours after your pick-up.

Check-in is no later than 15 minutes before the tour starts.

Ice caves are ever-changing natural phenomena that are only accessible during winter when the temperature drops well below zero so the water from the rivers that run underneath the glacier freezes and leaves us with this phenomena to explore. Each year new unique caves are formed in different locations. We will visit one naturally formed ice cave during this tour and the cave we visit is chosen based on conditions and safety each time.

Warm and preferably water-resistant clothing along with good hiking shoes are very important so you can enjoy the tour to its fullest.

Please make sure to follow weather and road conditions before you take off – the weather can be very different just out of the city. Safetravel.is gives warnings for the whole country.

Contact us for more Information about this tour

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Reviews

4.6
Based on 24 reviews

Crystal Ice Cave Tour with Super Jeep Ride

1- of 24 reviews

Fun Trip with Fannrar

Reviewed on January 16, 2022 by Diane N Review from Tripadvisor

A great trip! Fannrar was our guide and he was awesome. His liveliness really kicked off the morning for us and the ride to the glacier was just fun. The super Jeep they have was impressive and I enjoyed the ride. Fannrar had interesting fun facts and stories and this really complimented the experience. The ice caves were absolutely beautiful and such an experience.

10/10 experience.

Into the deep dark blue!

Reviewed on January 07, 2022 by Birthe D Review from Tripadvisor

Amazing tour! Fannar, our guide, drove us safely through rocky terrain and was super responsive to our group. Thank you for a wonderful day, taking a lot of time on the walk, answering all our questions, showing us how to take the best pictures and leading us into the deep dark blue of the crystal ice cave!

Amazing tour, good for kids who can hike

Reviewed on December 28, 2021 by Caitlin F Review from Tripadvisor

We LOVED this tour and had a great experience with the company. We are from Florida, USA and originally planned to travel to Iceland in November 2020. Of course, that trip was cancelled due to COVID and we received a voucher from Arctic Adventures to re-book any time within 3 years. We didn't waste any time and re-booked the tour for November, 2021. The re-booking process was easy and the company accepted our voucher with no problems.

A bit about the tour: the journey TO the ice cave is part of the experience. I read some negative reviews saying that the tour itself was "only 30 minutes of action", but it really depends on your perspective. It took several hours to get to the cave and back. We enjoyed the ride to the tour site in the big 4-wheel drive van. The hike out to the ice cave was about a mile on rocky terrain. Our 5-year old was able to do it, but know your child's hiking ability before choosing this tour for young children. I would not recommend it for children younger than 5 or for anyone with mobility challenges, as you will be hiking for quite some time to get to the ice cave. There were other children on the tour with us and all of them hiked the terrain just fine.

Yes, your time in the cave itself will be limited because the cave is just not that big - in fact, it is shrinking every year. But it's amazing. Book this tour and go see it before it's gone. We had a perfect experience.

One more tip: Road conditions can change quickly in Iceland. The morning of our tour, it was extremely windy and hard to keep our tiny car on the road. I'd recommend that you try and stay somewhere close to Jokusarlon the night before rather than trying to drive out from Reykjavik in the morning. It's about a 5-hour drive from the city. We stayed at Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon for one night before this tour and while it was expensive, it really took the stress out of trying to make an early morning tour in Jokularsarlon.

Great tour!

Reviewed on December 08, 2021 by vitore Review from Tripadvisor

We booked the tour through Arctic adventures and it was amazing! Our tour guide was Axel and he made sure we enjoyed the tour. He is very well informed and passionate about his job. Definitely recommend the tour!

Perfect Ice Cave adventure!

Reviewed on November 15, 2021 by Ariel I Review from Tripadvisor

Best trip inside d sapphire ice cave ( since the crystal no longer exists). Fannar, our guide has made our hike to d mouth as easy as possible. The ride in his super was cloud like. He even takes good pictures.

Crystal Cave Tour - So Much Fun!!

Reviewed on November 04, 2021 by Dana Webster Review from Tripadvisor

We had a wonderful time on the Crystal Cave tour with Southeast Iceland and our amazing guide, Fannar! It was on time, comfortable, not rushed, and fun the whole way. Fannar shared authentic fun facts along the way, both about family experiences in Iceland and about glaciers/nature/history. We walked away feeling like we learned something today with some added laughs and fun! It was a great experience all around, not even mentioning the gorgeous landscape and beautiful cave we had the pleasure of exploring. Can’t wait to go again!

Great day trip in Southern Iceland

Reviewed on November 02, 2021 by Ian M Review from Tripadvisor

What a wonderful hike / tour! The hike was professionally run and the tour was gorgeous. Fannar was our guide, and he was just great - full of stories and information about Iceland, the land, the ice, etc.. Really couldn't have asked for more. 'Would do this again in a heart beat.

Had the best time!

Reviewed on October 28, 2021 by Tink0707 Review from Tripadvisor

So glad we did this! We were staying in Reykjavik and decided we wanted to do this tour and see Diamond beach - so glad we did!!! Our guide was fantastic, Funar. Parking was easy as was finding our tour (they have a sign in the parking lot). There were 13 total on our tour. It’s a short bumpy drive then about 25 minute walk to entrance of the ice caves. Very busy but the guides make the effort to get each group in, get good photos, etc. it was such a neat experience & with the glaciers melting & caves always changing I would go back again on another visit to Iceland.

Highly Recommend!

Reviewed on October 21, 2021 by Sharon A Review from Tripadvisor

My friend and I had a wonderful time on the ice cave tour. We loved our guide Bjork. She was very knowledgeable about the glacier and Iceland in general and was happy to answer all of our questions.

Make sure to wear hiking boots and be prepared to walk approx 20 minutes to the caves from where the van parks. The ice inside the caves does not appear very blue to the naked eye, but looks very blue through a camera lens when taking pictures.

Wonderful time

Reviewed on December 02, 2020 by Elena Review from Tripadvisor

Wonderful ice cave and amazing guide. Shall come to see this big crystal ice cave.

I and my boyfriend have a unique experience in Iceland.

Too Busy

Reviewed on January 06, 2020 by Corey From our post-trip system

This tourist spot needs to be regulated, too many people in the cave at one time, takes away from the beauty of the cave. In hindsight I would have hired an all wheel drive & done it myself (as anyone can go anytime). Of the 2.5 hour tour it’s 45 minutes of walking to cave, 75 min of driving & sorting gear & 20-30 minutes in cave with 75-100 other people at one time.

Reviewed on December 26, 2019 by Cathy From our post-trip system

Crystal cave was amazing!a must GO!just the tour guide Takk was a bit rush to finish as he had another tour straight after!

Highlight of the Trip

Reviewed on December 09, 2019 by DavidH0523 Review from Tripadvisor

My wife and I did this because we have no clue when we'll be able to see something like this. We were skeptical of the money being worth it, but man was it amazing. The off-road jeep ride was pretty neat, and they took us to a parking lot with other tours. After a half hour or so hike over to the glacier, we donned our crampons and entered the ice cave. The shades of blue were awe inspiring and made for great photos. I drank thousand year old ice melt, waded through an small creek and took a ton of amazing pictures. I'm sure I'm misspelling his name, but our guide Tate was knowledgeable and funny. He made a great experience even better. This was definitely something worth doing.

An Amazing Tour!

Reviewed on November 12, 2019 by Amy From our post-trip system

We had Tate as our tour guide and his knowledge, sense of humour and overall delivery of the experience was amazing! I was overly impressed with the tour and would HIGHLY recommend it! It was very well paced and we saw some wonderful hidden sights. If you are going the Iceland this tour is a MUST! Thanks so much Tate :)

Amazing experience!

Reviewed on November 08, 2019 by Berend Review from Tripadvisor

We had a great hike over the glacier with Vjeran ♥. He showed us the most beautiful places on the glacier and let us drink fresh glacier water. My fiance was a bit scared to walk on ice with the ice shoes, but Vjeran guided here very well and she was running like a maniac ;-)

Cool Tour of the Ice Caves (Pun Fully Intended)

Reviewed on September 01, 2019 by CED Review from Tripadvisor

We took a super Jeep up to the glacier, which was an experience all on its own. Our Jeep actually broke down on top of the glacier, but our guide recovered from that like a pro and promptly got us to the ice caves after a small hike and short ride in another group’s Jeep.

We were unable to visit the Crystal Cave because it was flooded, but we went in another ice cave, then visited a fresh crevasse, which was bright blue.

We felt safe the whole time with Arctic Adventures, even when the Jeep broke down. I’d recommend their tour in a heartbeat.

Increíble pero solo con buen tiempo

Reviewed on July 20, 2019 by Soy_Munieca Review from Tripadvisor

The day of the visit was really rainny and cloudy day so I think the tour should have been cancelled, it is almost imposible to enjoy the experience because all was grey , the ice, the glacier, the cave... only cloudy view on the top .. not worthy although the guy in charge of the tour was nice, kind and drove us through the lava field that was a very funny experience bumping. During the drive, He shared a lot of details of Icelanders habits, culture... it was really interesting
I would say that the tour is only worthy if the weather is nice, that is difficult in Iceland

Very unique experience

Reviewed on March 12, 2019 by Diana C Review from Tripadvisor

We had a great time with our tour--we saw two different "caves," one which was all black ice which looked incredible and another one which wasn't exactly a cave but rather two walls of blue ice. While it was really interesting and we had a great guide, we were somewhat expecting a blue ice cave (like is shown in all promotional photos). But overall we had a fun experience which we would recommend. Walking on a blue ice glacier is such a cool experience. Make sure to bring gloves!

Overly priced

Reviewed on February 17, 2019 by Mamta M Review from Tripadvisor

The tour was definitely an experience but also overly priced in my opinion. We paid about $455CAD for two people for 3 hours, where 2 hours were spent trekking in the snow and we spent only about an hour in the actual ice cave. Also, I was under the assumption that the ice cave was blue ice, but when we got there it was black ice, which is due to the volcano eruption that had happened recently. Now I understand that that is something not under the tour company's control but I feel like it is something that should've been communicated with us as the ice cave was just all black ice, when we were expecting blue according to the pictures. I felt a little deceived as I wanted to see what the pictures portrayed, but was little disappointed. Once in a lifetime experience still, I do not regret the purchase at all.

Unique but Expensive

Reviewed on February 04, 2019 by 999lissa Review from Tripadvisor

I feel like the glacier cave experience is a must have while in Iceland, and Arctic Adventures definitely offered a good service. The guide was super knowledgeable and friendly, the vehicles we took up the glacier felt safe, and the equipment we were given (helmet and ice spikes) were in good repair. I would say the tour we got was not worth the high price tag (which is why I subtract a star), however there's not really any other cheaper option (the tours for the same thing offered by other companies are all around the same price point). So while I think the tour we got wasn't quite worth the cost, it's still worth paying the high price tag to get to experience a glacier cave. I will note that as stated in other reviews the photos on their website are from last year's cave. It needs to be understood that glacier caves melt/"flood" every summer, and so the cave you experience only lasts one season. Winter 2018-2019's cave that we visited was fairly small and looks predominately black as there is not much light penetration through the ice (the blue look comes when light can be seen through the ice). They don't generally bother naming the caves since they melt every year. However I think that calling this tour the "Crystal Ice Cave Tour" does seem slightly ingenuous since that seems to reference a previous cave that was mostly blue and no longer exists.

Awesome!

Reviewed on January 25, 2019 by mwnuk5 Review from Tripadvisor

Our tour guide Thor is what made this tour so great. We went on the last tour of the day at 14:00 and he was able to show us 2 different caves, he even brought his own spotlight and helped us all get the perfect photo everywhere we went! This man really does love his job and it was really awesome to be able to bask in the experience and take it all in. Our tour even went 45 minutes longer than we were supposed to so he could show us another glacier! Thank you! The caves were very very cool and well worth it for the price!

A must do in Iceland in November!

Reviewed on November 16, 2018 by MysticRiver Review from Tripadvisor

Amazing experience driving on the glaciers in a super jeep and exploring an ice cave wearing crampons. We loved the whole tour and the unique experience of wearing crampons and walking inside ice caves under the glaciers! Highly recommend if traveling in November!

Thor is a national treasure

Reviewed on November 15, 2018 by RachelEliza721 Review from Tripadvisor

We had the best time visiting two stops on our glacier tour. Thor went above and beyond as a tour guide, and was both knowledgeable and fun. Would definitely recommend!

Crystal Ice Cave Closed- Change in Cave

Reviewed on February 09, 2018 by Julesinerie Review from Tripadvisor

I write this review with mixed thoughts. Originally we booked the Crystal Ice Cave tour. Upon arriving and starting our trek onto the glacier we were told the cave we were supposed to see had sadly been closed and would probably never reopen, as it had flooded then filled with dirt. Previous reviews of that cave were all very high. It was disappointing that the company’s marketing was not corrected when that cave closed, as I booked this tour in September.

This being noted, I still really enjoyed this tour. The two caves weren’t what I expected, but were beautiful in their own different ways. And you can’t go to Iceland and not trek onto a glacier.

P.S. Dress appropriately in warm layers with warm gloves, sock, boots and hat/ear band or you will be cold.

FAQ

The Into the Glacier tour departs from the Glacier Guides booking hut in Skaftafell National Park and is up to 4 hours in duration. After gearing up for our glacier adventure, we jump on a bus for a short drive to Falljökull glacier (approx. 15-20 minutes). This tour is perfect for those looking to try hiking on a glacier, exploring the crevasses and fascinating ice formations as well as experience what it’s like to be inside a glacier ice cave. This tour is rated easy (2 / 5) and no prior glacier experience is needed to participate on the tour. Participants need to be in good walking condition and be able to walk for 1.5 – 2  hours at a low pace with short breaks.

Your guide will take the time to explain to you the scenery that you are seeing and tell you all there is to know about glaciers.

The into the Glacier tour is a combination tour of glacier hiking and ice cave exploring.

 

The Crystal Ice Cave tour departs from Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and is up to 3 hours in duration. A large off-road jeep will take you to an ice cave located in Breiðármerkurjökull Glacier, an outlet glacier from Vatnajökull. This tour offers you the chance to venture inside one of Vatnajökul’s beautiful crystal ice caves and take photos of its picturesque crystal surroundings. You will then jump back on the super jeep which will return you safely back to Jökulsárlón.

This tour is rated easy and no prior glacier experience is needed to participate on the tour. You will not need to walk as much on this tour as it only includes a short walk to, in and around the glacier for up to approx. 20-30 minutes. 

This tour doesn’t include much hiking, it includes exploring the ice cave and offers you the opportunity to take photographs from inside the cave. The ice cave is very beautiful, which makes it very popular with many other operators and tourists, for this reason very reason it is therefore likely that you will be sharing the location with other groups.

 

If you are looking for a tour that combines a visit to an ice cave with glacier hiking then Into the Glacier is the tour for you.

If you are looking for a tour that will take you directly to an ice cave for some great photo opportunities inside an ice cave then the Crystal Ice Cave tour is the tour for you.

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.

Jökulsarlon is situated in the South East of Iceland on the edge of a glacier called Breiðamerkurjökull. It is about a 4.5-hour drive from Reykjavik.

The caves are in a constant change so they might look different from what you see in the picture. Air temperature, sunshine, precipitation, geothermal activity, and many other factors cause significant changes in the formation of the ice caves and this process is exclusively controlled by Mother Nature.

We will visit the best available naturally formed ice cave during this tour and the cave we visit is chosen based on conditions and safety each time.

Iceland is known for colourful weather. It can sometimes show you all 4 seasons in one day.

Dressing for this sort of weather can be a challenge so we always recommend dressing in layers.  3 or 4 upper layers are highly recommended such as a light t-shirt (preferably wool) next to the skin, then a fleece or heavy wool garment, topped off with a waterproof windbreaker.

Jeans are not recommended for our trips as they become very heavy, cold and uncomfortable to wear when they get wet.

Lightweight hiking pants, track pants or long cotton pants are best and then wind/waterproof pants over. We also recommend using sunglasses and sunscreen even if it is cloudy due to the high UV and sunlight reflecting off of the glacier.

You will need sturdy hiking boots that fit crampons for the glacier hiking tours. If you do not own a pair then we rent out good hiking boots as well as a waterproof raincoat and trousers.

We recommend bringing your own backpack on our full day or 1/2 day tours. It’s great to carry a small lunch and some extra clothing.

You can bring your camera along, and you should definitely bring one since the setting on the tour is full of amazing, scenic views.

This is, of course, a personal choice, we have often had pregnant women on our trips. We recommend you take a close look at our trip description and difficulty rating, they will hopefully give you a better idea. It is also good to contact your physician, pregnant women’s health can be quite different. Feel free to contact us if you have further questions or concerns.

We do not provide lunch on any of our trips, so we recommend you bring your own lunch (for the longer trips), snacks and a bottle of water (you can refill it on the trip).

Crampons are metal spikes that we attach to the soles of your hiking shoes, these enable you to walk on the glacier ice without slipping.

Yes, there is a specially trained and certified glacier guide on every ice cave tour that we offer.

The Ice Caves in Iceland are truly magical. If you want to learn more about them this information page on Ice Caves will be a great help.

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