Join the Katla Ice Cave Tour for a year-round small-group adventure on a glacier above one of Iceland’s most famous volcanoes. Depart from Reykjavík with a scenic south coast bus ride before switching to a Super Jeep in Vík, or meet us in Vík town to head straight for the glacier. Your off-road jeep ride crosses volcanic plains to Kötlujökull Glacier, an outlet of Mýrdalsjökull that covers the mighty Katla Volcano.
You’ll step inside the natural ice cave, where vivid blue ice and layers of black ash create a scene unlike anywhere else on Earth. The ice of Katla is often compared to real-life “dragon glass” from Game of Thrones. Certified guides will share the cave’s history as you explore, with all safety gear included.
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Your adventure begins in Reykjavík or the seaside village of Vík. From Reykjavík, travel along Iceland’s scenic South Coast, passing black-sand beaches, waterfalls, and glacier views before reaching Vík. Here, meet your glacier guide and board a modified Super Jeep for the off-road approach to Kötlujökull Glacier. Guests starting in Vík join the adventure at this point, heading straight from the village to the glacier.
The Super Jeep ride is an experience in itself — crossing vast black sand plains framed by rugged peaks and shimmering ice. At the glacier’s edge, gear up with crampons, helmets, and safety equipment before taking a short 1–2 km (0.6–1.2 mi) walk across uneven but mostly flat terrain to reach the cave. In some conditions, a few ladder steps may be used, but the path is easy and suitable for anyone with average fitness.
Inside, bands of dark volcanic ash swirl through walls of vivid blue ice, creating patterns found nowhere else on Earth. Your guide will share the story of the glacier and the active Katla Volcano as you explore and take photos. Depending on conditions, smaller nearby ice caves may also be visited before the return ride to Vík — and onward to Reykjavík for full-day guests.
Mýrdalsjökull is one of Iceland’s largest and most famous glaciers, sitting atop the active Katla Volcano. From its southern edge flows Kötlujökull, a glacier tongue that has advanced from the volcano over centuries. When Katla erupted in the past, volcanic ash became trapped within the ice, creating the striking black-and-blue layers seen inside the cave today.
Meltwater and seasonal shifts carve new chambers and passages in the glacier, so the Katla Ice Cave may appear as a tunnel, an arched entrance, or a wide opening depending on the time of year. The dramatic colors and textures are so unique that many visitors liken them to the “dragon glass” from the TV series Game of Thrones. Constantly shaped by volcanic history and glacial movement, it is one of the rare ice caves in Iceland accessible year-round.
A Super Jeep is a highly modified vehicle equipped with 38" to 50" tires and a robust suspension system, uniquely designed to handle Iceland's diverse terrains and conditions. Dive deeper into the world of Super Jeep Tours.
Yes, Super Jeeps are designed and modified to handle the challenging terrains of Iceland, ensuring safety during tours. For a secure adventure, check out our Super Jeep Tours.
Our Super Jeeps can fit 14–18 passengers, depending on the tour. This makes it ideal for small group tours and families! For example, the Katla and Crystal Ice Cave tours use 14‑seaters, while larger models like those for our Northern Lights tours can fit up to 18. Either way, you’ll enjoy comfort, great views, and off‑road adventure. Discover group adventures with our Super Jeep Tours.
From Reykjavík, the tour lasts around 11–12 hours and includes a scenic drive along Iceland’s South Coast, with selected sightseeing stops before or after the ice cave visit. In Vík, you meet your guide at the designated meeting point and head directly to the glacier in a Super Jeep. This version focuses entirely on the ice cave experience and lasts about 3 hours in total.
Absolutely! Katla is one of the only ice caves in Iceland you can visit year-round, and it sits right on top of an active volcano. Inside, you’ll see blue ice mixed with black ash from past eruptions — a combination rarely seen in nature! It’s also an easy day trip with daily departures, suitable for families with kids aged 6 and up.
Yes, the Katla Ice Cave is one of the few natural ice caves in Iceland open year-round. In summer, the cave may look different than in winter, as melting patterns and light conditions change the shapes and colors of the ice. No matter the season, each visit is a unique view of this ever-changing natural wonder.
From Reykjavík, the journey to the Katla Ice Cave takes around 3 hours by road before transferring to a Super Jeep in Vík. From Vík, the drive to the glacier in the Super Jeep takes roughly 30 minutes. Travel times may vary depending on weather and road conditions.
Time inside the Katla Ice Cave depends on natural conditions, as the glacier landscape changes with the seasons. Your guide will lead you through the best accessible cave on the day, giving you plenty of opportunity to explore, take photos, and learn about the cave’s history and formation.
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.
The walk to the Katla Ice Cave is about 1–2 km (0.6–1.2 mi) over uneven terrain but with minor elevation, which most people with average fitness can manage easily. In some cases, you may need to climb a few ladder steps to walk over meltwater, but these are not physically demanding. The pace is relaxed, and your guide will assist if needed.
The Katla Ice Cave tour includes all essential glacier safety gear: crampons, a helmet, and any other equipment needed for safe walking on ice. These items are fitted by your guide at the glacier before you begin the walk. Warm and waterproof clothing plus sturdy boots must be brought by each guest, as rentals are not available on-site.
Yes, the Katla Ice Cave can be closed at short notice if conditions are deemed unsafe due to weather, glacier movement, or volcanic activity. Safety is always the top priority, and alternative arrangements may be offered if closure occurs. In case of any changes to the tour, you will be notified in advance, and your professional guide will ensure you are in safe hands throughout the experience.
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.
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). During the tour, there will be a stop at the gas station where you could buy snacks and drinks.
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.
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.
On a glacier, you’ll want warm, layered clothing:
Warm base layers
Waterproof outer layers
Sturdy hiking boots that can fit crampons (a must for glacier hikes)
If you don’t own suitable boots, a waterproof jacket, or trousers, we rent these items for most tours — but not for the Katla and Crystal Ice Cave Tours, so please bring your own gear for those.
