Private Bespoke South Coast & Katla Ice Cave Tour

by Your Friend in Reykjavik · Ice caves · Airport transfers · Vatnajökull & Jökulsárlón

4.90· 1,779 Google reviews of the operator
  • Beginners welcome
  • Luxury
  • Works in the rain
  • Eco-certified
  • Skip the queue
  • Can be tailored

from €2,311.56 per vehicle

Next departure: Thu 22 Oct

Book Thu 22 Oct · €2,311.56 the vehicleOther dates
Private Bespoke South Coast & Katla Ice Cave Tour — Your Friend in Reykjavik
An aerial view of Seljandsfoss
Travellers greeting a Guide from Your Friend in Reykjavik
A picture of Reynisfjara, the Black Beach
A picture of the basin of Skogafoss
A picture of Vik i Myrdal taken from a nearby hill.
A picture of rock formations by Reynisfjara, the Black Beach.
Aerial view of Skogafoss
A traveller stranding at Reynisfjara, the Black Beach
Private Bespoke South Coast & Katla Ice Cave Tour, photo 10
Private Bespoke South Coast & Katla Ice Cave Tour, photo 11
Private Bespoke South Coast & Katla Ice Cave Tour, photo 12

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  • Duration

    12 hours

  • Difficulty

    Easy

  • Season

    Sep – Apr

  • Starts in

    Reykjavík

  • Pickup

    Hotel pickup included

  • Guide

    Guided in English, French, German, Spanish

  • Departs

    08:00

  • Cancellation

    Free until 24 hours before

About this experience

Begin your adventure with a comfortable pick-up in Reykjavik before traveling along Iceland’s scenic South Coast. Your first stops are Seljalandsfoss and the hidden Gljúfrabúi waterfall, where misty cascades and narrow canyons create memorable photo opportunities. At Seljalandsfoss, you can walk behind the waterfall, so waterproof clothing and sturdy shoes are recommended.

Continue to Skógafoss, one of Iceland’s most powerful waterfalls, known for its thundering flow, frequent rainbows, and wide panoramic views. From here, the journey leads to Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach, famous for its basalt columns, dramatic sea stacks, and powerful Atlantic waves. During summer, the area is also ideal for birdwatching, though care is always needed due to unpredictable sneaker waves.

In the village of Vík, there is time for lunch at The Soup Company, a local favorite offering hearty soups made with local ingredients. Popular choices include the Red Hot Lava Soup and traditional Icelandic lamb soup, with vegetarian and vegan options available. Meals are not included in the tour price.

The day continues toward Kötlujökull glacier for an unforgettable Katla Ice Cave experience. Equipped with helmets and crampons, you will walk across the glacier and enter a naturally formed ice cave, where blue ice layers and volcanic ash create striking patterns. The terrain is suitable for most travelers in average physical condition, and your guide will explain the glacier’s history and changing nature. If conditions allow, smaller ice caves may also be explored.

On the return journey to Reykjavik, enjoy sweeping mountain views and, in winter, beautiful sunset colors over the South Coast. After a full day of waterfalls, black sand beaches, and glacier exploration, you return to Reykjavik with lasting memories of Iceland’s wild landscapes.

Description from the operator, Your Friend in Reykjavik. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.

Where you go

  1. Seljalandsfoss Waterfall
  2. Skógafoss Waterfall
  3. Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach
  4. Vík í Mýrdal - The Soup Company
  5. Katla Ice Cave Tour

Included

  • This tour includes, expert guide, comfortable car, gasoline, and more
  • Admission to Katla Ice Cave

Not included

  • Tips are welcome in Iceland if you feel the tour is of good quality but not a requirement

Good to know

  • Please dress according to the weather, in Iceland that means be prepared for any kind of weather. :)
  • Hiking boots are mandatory


Cancellation for this tour

Free cancellation until 24 hours before departure; no refund after that. If the operator cancels for weather or safety, you get a full refund or a new date.

If the weather cancels this tour

Iceland's weather is real. What usually stops this one is melt-water or unstable ice after a warm spell — the guide decides on the morning, and a cave can close for days. Here is exactly what happens to your booking.

  1. 1Your Friend in Reykjavik decides, and tells us. Operators cancel when it is unsafe or pointless, and we back that call every time — we do not ask them to run anyway.
  2. 2We contact you by email, and by phone if your tour is the same or next day. You choose: another date if there is one you can make, or a full refund. There is no fee and nothing to argue.
  3. 3The refund goes back to the card you paid with, through Stripe, usually visible within a few working days. If this tour was one of several in your booking, the others are untouched.

What you do not get is the day back. If this is the only free day in your plan, put a spare day next to it — the planner leaves days free with the rest-day option. And if you want out because the forecast looks bad, that is your own cancellation: free until 1 day before departure, the operator's policy after that.

Questions on the day: [email protected] · +354 497 1373. How cancellations work in Iceland →

Who this is not for

  • Not a good fit if you want a relaxed day: 12 hours is a long time on the road, most of it spent getting there and back.
  • Priced per vehicle, so it is poor value for one or two people and good value for four or more sharing.

Read off the operator's own conditions. If none of it applies to you, this is a good one.

Why we list it

Your Friend in Reykjavik is one of 204 operators we work with — chosen for reliability, honest descriptions and how they treat guests when weather changes plans. We don't list everything; we list what we'd book ourselves. The six checks every operator passes →

What travellers say about Your Friend in Reykjavik

Read all 1,779 reviews on Google →

Operator rating 4.9/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.

  • Sanket Das

    ★★★★★ · 2 months ago

    Your Friend in Reykjavik is the best tour company in Reykjavik . I took Walk with a Viking Tour , Snaefellsnes Peninsula day tour and 6 days around Iceland Adventure tour . I spent 8 Nights in Iceland . I stayed 2 nights at Hotel Reykjavik Grand , 1 night at Hotel Geirland , 1 night at Hotel Hofn , 1 night at Wilderness Center , 1 night at Akureyri Berjaya Iceland Hotels , 1 night at Hotel Laugarbakki , 1 night at Hotel Keflavik . It was an amazing tour . My experience in Iceland was magical and heavenly . I also visited Blue Lagoon and it was a nice experience. I enjoyed my every second in Iceland . Iceland is one of the most beautiful country on our planet . I would keep visiting Iceland in the future . Thank you for making my Iceland journey special and memorable .

  • Wendy Uhlig

    ★★★★★ · 2 months ago

    We had a great time on our Iceland Folklore tour. Our guide was Einar. He was a fantastic storyteller!! Hidden people/elves, trolls and ghost stories - and a lot of Icelandic history. Thank you Einar!!

  • Nanci Ritter

    ★★★★★ · 2 months ago

    Petra was an incredible guide. We asked her to show us as much as she could before taking our crazy family of 10 to the airport for our flights to three different cities ! First stop was the beautiful church in downtown Reykjavik that had just opened with an organ recital. Next stop a lovely spot and observation sight overlooking the city by the Pearl. Cold and wet she found us a lovely coffee shop with the best pastries for a welcome mid morning rest next to the sea. Back in the van we drove for a bit before having the opportunity to explore a geothermal field on our way to the airport. A perfect day and ending to our time in Iceland. Petra shared alot of history and information from the perspective of a local which we all appreciated and enjoyed!

  • Vincent Damas

    ★★★★★ · 4 months ago

    Nice walking trip in Reykjavik city centre with our local guide Hrafn, very friendly and knowledgeable. A good introduction to Iceland on the very first day of our 2 weeks road-trip around the island 👍

Reviews from Google · updated 21 Oct 2026

Read before you book

Reviews from our travellers

Only people who booked this tour through us can write here. We publish every review in full — good or bad.

Reviews arrive the day after each trip — none yet for this one. After your tour we send one email asking how it was, and what you write goes here, unedited.

Ice caves — questions people ask

When can you visit an ice cave in Iceland?

Natural blue ice caves open from around November to March, when the glacier is cold enough for the meltwater tunnels to be safe. They form under Vatnajökull near Jökulsárlón, and the caves change every year. Two exceptions run all year: the Katla ice cave near Vík, which is dark ice striped with ash, and Into the Glacier at Langjökull, a man-made tunnel. If you want the glowing blue photos, come between November and March.

Can I do an ice cave tour as a day trip from Reykjavík?

Only the Katla cave. The South Coast and Katla ice cave tour (/experience/22559/) is about twelve hours from Reykjavík and back. The blue caves at Vatnajökull are five hours' drive each way, too far for a day, so operators sell them as two- or three-day tours (/experience/6131/, /experience/7358/) with a night near Jökulsárlón. If you are self-driving, stay in the Höfn or Skaftafell area and book the Crystal Ice Cave tour (/experience/17337/) from there.

Is the Katla ice cave as good as the blue ice caves?

Different, not worse. Katla's cave under Mýrdalsjökull is black and white, layered with volcanic ash, and open all year. It will not give you the glowing blue tunnel photos from Instagram; those are the Vatnajökull caves, November to March only. What Katla gives you is a shorter super-jeep drive from Vík (/experience/22558/) and availability in summer. If you are here between November and March and can reach Jökulsárlón, choose blue. Otherwise choose Katla.

Are ice caves safe?

With a guide, yes. Operators inspect the caves daily and cancel when meltwater, warm weather or ice movement makes them unsafe, which happens most often in November and March at the edges of the season. You wear a helmet and crampons and stay with the group. Never enter a glacier cave on your own. If your tour is cancelled for safety, you get a full refund or another date, and most operators try to substitute another cave first.

Hotels

Where to stay for this tour

From the cheapest to the top end of what is near Reykjavík, from our hotel partners. Rooms are booked on our hotels site.

All hotels in Reykjavík →

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Pairs well with

Add any of these to this tour and 3 % comes off both at checkout. One basket, one payment, however many operators they come from.

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€2,311.56 per vehicle

Book Thu 22 Oct · €2,311.56 the vehicle