Hekla & Maelifell Adventure - Private Super Jeep Tour

by Southcoast Adventure · Super jeeps · ATV & buggy · South Coast

4.70· 300 Google reviews of the operator
  • Beginners welcome
  • Luxury

from €1,680 per vehicle

Next departure: Tue 1 Jun

Book Tue 1 Jun · €1,680 the vehicleOther dates
Hekla & Maelifell Adventure - Private Super Jeep Tour — Southcoast Adventure
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  • Duration

    8 hours

  • Difficulty

    Easy

  • Season

    All year

  • Starts in

    Hvolsvöllur

  • Pickup

    Meet at the start point

  • Starts at

    Brú Base Camp

    Brú Base Camp, road 249, Hvolsvöllur

  • Guide

    Guided in English

  • Departs

    09:00

  • Minimum age

    1

  • Cancellation

    Free until 2 days before

Meeting point, in Southcoast Adventure's words: Meeting point is at Brú Base, road 249. 7 minutes further than Seljalandsfoss.

About this experience

An unforgettable Private Hekla & Mælifell Adventure tour

This is truly a voyage you don´t want to miss. With its rhyolite mountains, geothermal areas, black sand desert, canyons, glaciers, volcanoes, waterfalls and so much more… it’s an unforgettable private Adventure tour to Hekla & Mælifell.

Our trip begins at Mt. Hekla, one of Iceland’s most active volcanoes. It was labeled “The Gateway to Hell” after its 1104 eruption. That reputation grew with its 1341 eruption. People reported seeing birds fly amidst the fire with some believing it to be swarming souls from hell. Even today some say Hekla has preserved its diabolic status, claiming it is the spot where witches encounter the devil.

So if you dare, come with us for this thrilling drive up the Hekla volcano. We’ll search for signs of these gatherings, and while doing so get a gorgeous panoramic view over the highlands and the south coast of Iceland. As we’re making our way towards Laugavegur, Iceland´s most popular hiking trail, our F road takes us directly onto the hiking trail in parts, leading us up to a few mountain huts, for example, Álftavatn and Emstrur. Then we stop at the spectacular canyon Markarfljótsgljúfur. It is believed to have been created in a single flash flood bursting from the volcano Katla in Mýrdalsjökull glacier. Driving beside the glacial river Markarfljót with Þórsmörk and Eyjafjallajökull glacier on the east side is extremely beautiful.

The Super Jeep tourn ends in Fljótshlíð – a beautiful farmland where the famous Njáls Saga took place. In Fljótshlíð you truly get a chance to experience Iceland’s authentic countryside.

Geography of Mælifell

Mælifell is a 791-meter-tall volcano that stands out in a desert of black sands. It was once concealed under Mýrdalsjökull glacier, the third largest glacier in the country, but became exposed when the glacier retreated at the end of the last Ice Age. This occurred approximately 10,000 years ago. It was once hidden under the third largest glacier in Iceland, Mýrdalsjökull Glacier. Carrying a great responsibility of history on its shoulders, Mount Mælifell was exposed 10 thousand years ago approximately at the end of the last Ice Age. The green moss in the mountain is magical against the black sand all around. Mælifell is a beautifully shaped mountain placed in the Highland in Iceland. It is in the middle of a large black sand area behind Mýrdalsjökull, the glacier that houses the sleeping and scary volcano Katla.

Tour Highlights

Super Jeep adventure
Hekla volcano
Syðra Fjallabak
Laugavegur
Markarfljótsgljúfur canyon
Álftavatn
Emstrur
Einhyrningur

Description from the operator, Southcoast Adventure. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.

Where you go

  1. Hekla Adventure

Included

  • English speaking guide

Not included

Gratuities

Good to know

  • Warm outdoor clothing
  • waterproofed jacket and pants
  • head-wear
  • gloves
  • appropriate hiking boots/shoes
  • some snacks
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Not stroller accessible
  • Not suitable for pets
  • No public transportation nearby
  • Infants must not sit on laps

Cancellation for this tour

Free cancellation until 2 days 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 closed roads — the Road Administration shuts the mountain roads before the operator has to decide anything. Here is exactly what happens to your booking.

  1. 1Southcoast Adventure 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 2 days 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

  • Children under 1 cannot join this one.
  • 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

Southcoast Adventure 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 Southcoast Adventure

Read all 300 reviews on Google →

Operator rating 4.7/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.

  • Andreea Avaşi

    ★★★★★ · 3 months ago

    The super jeep tour in Thorsmörck delivered exactly what was promised and was worth every penny. Our guide, Jakob, was fantastic—super nice, easy to talk to, and he made the hours pass by so quickly. The lunch provided was also delicious. Thank you for a memorable day!

  • Joshua Kost

    ★★★★★ · 5 months ago

    We did the 5hr buggy buggy tour today, by far the best day in Iceland so far. Alejandro was an absolute amazing guide, seen waterfalls, caves, and a glacier that we would have never seen otherwise. Alejandro also took us on an incredible hike to one of the falls. He’s knowledge of the area was superb. Highly recommended over all the other tours.

  • David Graybeal

    ★★★★★ · 4 months ago

    Absolute number 1 excursion we have ever done! Our Eyjafjallajökull Snowmobiling Tour with Southcoast Adventures was an absolute highlight of our trip to Iceland—and we travel a lot! We spent about 2 hours on the snowmobiles and covered a huge portion of the glacier. Riding all the way to the top to experience the intense wind and the breathtaking views was unforgettable. Our guides, Ale and Martin, were phenomenal. Ale was incredibly patient and helpful while teaching us how to operate the machines. Even when we managed to tip our snowmobile over, they handled it perfectly. Their attitudes throughout the entire tour were tremendous. This truly felt like a once-in-a-lifetime outing. I cannot recommend this adventure and this team highly enough!

  • Veronica

    ★★★★★ · 4 months ago

    We’ve been coming to Iceland for years, and this was hands down the best experience/tour we’ve ever done here. Our snowmobiling tour with Magnús and Steinar was incredible from start to finish. They were fun, kind, knowledgeable, and clearly true experts at what they do. This was our first time snowmobiling, and they made us feel completely comfortable while still making the whole experience exciting and memorable. The location was awesome, the views were breathtaking, and we were lucky to have great weather. But what really made the tour special was Magnús and Steinar. We had so much actual time on the snowmobiles, learned a lot about Iceland, and genuinely enjoyed the conversations along the way. You can tell when guides love what they do and care about giving people a great experience. This was our first snowmobiling tour, but it definitely will not be our last. Huge thank you to Magnús and Steinar!!!

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.

Super jeeps — questions people ask

What is a super jeep?

A four-wheel-drive truck or van rebuilt for Iceland: raised suspension, huge low-pressure tyres and a snorkel, so it can cross rivers, drive on snow and climb glacier tracks that stop a rental car. Groups are small, usually eight to sixteen people. Super jeeps are how you reach Landmannalaugar in the highlands, ice caves under Mýrdalsjökull and dark northern-lights spots off the main roads. They are pricier than a coach, and rougher.

Is a super jeep northern lights tour better than a bus?

Slightly, for two reasons. A super jeep can leave the tarmac and find darker, more sheltered spots, and with ten people rather than fifty you spend less time waiting at stops. Arctic Adventures' Northern Lights Explorer (/experience/209/) and Northern Lights by 4x4 (/experience/1088067/) are the standard options. The sky is the same either way; a jeep does not make clouds part. If budget matters, a small-group minibus gets you most of the benefit.

When can you take a super jeep to Landmannalaugar?

Late June to September, once the highland roads open. The Landmannalaugar Safari (/experience/341/) is a twelve-hour day from Reykjavík with river crossings, a short hike and a soak in the natural hot river. The rest of the year the road is closed to everything except specially licensed winter expeditions. The dates the F-roads open vary each year with the snow, so if you are booking for June, expect a possible reschedule.

Is a super jeep tour comfortable?

Comfortable enough on the tarmac, bumpy on the rough stuff. That is the point. Expect to be thrown about on lava tracks and river beds, and to sit in a bench seat for several hours. People prone to motion sickness should sit in front and take a tablet. The trade-off is access: you see places coaches cannot go, with a driver-guide who talks to you rather than over a microphone.

Hotels

Where to stay for this tour

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

All hotels in South Coast →

  • One checkout, any number of operators

  • Rankings are not for sale

  • 203 operators vetted, and not all of them accepted

  • If it falls short, we fix it

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.

Southcoast Adventure

Luggage service

from €67 per person4.70· 300 Google reviews of the operator

from age 6 · meet at the start point

3 days · from Hella & Hvolsvöllur

  • Family friendly
  • Free cancellation 2 days ahead
Check dates

from

€1,680 per vehicle

Book Tue 1 Jun · €1,680 the vehicle