Private Ice Cave Katla, South Coast Waterfalls & Black Sand Beach

by Glaciers and Waterfalls · Ice caves · private · Glacier hiking · Vatnajökull & Jökulsárlón

4.90(60) · tour · TripAdvisor
Private Ice Cave Katla, South Coast Waterfalls & Black Sand Beach — Glaciers and Waterfalls

Would this be cheaper direct? No — we sell at Glaciers and Waterfalls's own price and take our commission from them, not from you. What you get here is one checkout across operators, one confirmation, and one place to change or cancel it. If you ever find it cheaper on their own site, tell us and we will match it or explain why we cannot.

More photos of Private Ice Cave Katla, South Coast Waterfalls & Black Sand Beach

People deep inside a glacier.Man taking a photo inside an ice cave.Glacial formations.Group photo inside an ice cave.Two people and a guide walking around ice caves.People inside an ice cave.Ice arch.

12 photos from Glaciers and Waterfalls. Tap any one for the full-size original.

  • Duration

    11 hours

  • Difficulty

    Moderate

  • Season

    Sep – Apr

  • Starts in

    Hvolsvöllur

  • Meeting

    Hotel pickup available

  • Languages

    EN

  • Departs

    08:00

  • Minimum age

    8

  • Cancellation

    Free until 7 days before

About this experience

This tour takes a route from Reykjavík towards the south coast of Iceland. As we travel the southern coast the scenery will change at almost every turn. You’ll see waterfalls, black sand beaches, and fantastic mountain scenery. As we wind our way along the coast you’ll catch a glimpse of Hekla, Iceland’s most active volcano, Eyjafjallajokull volcano (the one that canceled all the flights), the Westman Islands, and beauty you won’t believe. Just after we have visited the coastal town of Vík, we need to turn off the main road and go where there are no roads. This is why we are traveling in a modified super jeep, which is capable of driving through almost anything. This journey from the main road to the glacier is not only thrilling but also incredibly beautiful. In wintertime, the journey can be quite demanding on the super jeep.

Eventually, we’ll arrive at the base of the Katla glacier, where it’s time to gear up with crampons and helmets which we provide. Then we make our way to the base of the glacier where we’ll find the Ice caves. We spend as much time as is possible on the glacier giving you the chance to really take in this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Our guides know these areas very well and have been working in the area for many years.
All of our guides have experience and are trained in glacial exploration and are first aid certified.

Itinerary:
One of Icelands classic waterfalls, Seljalandsfoss
Certainly not one of Icelands biggest waterfalls but what makes Seljalandsfoss different is that most of the year you can actually walk behind the cascading water. This really makes for a unique experience.

Katla Glacier
The Katla glacier is a tongue, a flow of ice that comes from Mýrdals glacier, Icelands forth largest glacier. At the base of the Katla glacier are many caves, created by water which pours down the glacier in the warmer months of the year. The area is fascinating, raw nature at its best, proper movie making landscapes. Crystal blue ice caves, rugged Icelandic nature and towering mountains of ice. Prepare to be amazed.

The Village Vík
Vík is the southernmost village on the south coast of Iceland, located on the ring road. Famous for its beautiful landscapes, black sand beaches and strange rock formations, Vík is a great place to visit.

The Black Sand Beach
Reynisfjara black sand beach and is the most visited beach on the South Coast of Iceland. You’ll see a beautiful black sand beach and at times incredibly powerful waves from the Atlantic ocean. There are also some pretty awesome rock formations here called “Reynisdrangar” that rise from the ocean close to the shore.

Waterfall Skógafoss
Skógafoss is one of Iceland’s classic waterfalls and truly magnificent. 65 meters tall and 25 meters wide making it also one of the biggest waterfalls in the country. Legend has it that there is a chest of gold hidden behind the waterfall. You’ll have to be as strong as a viking to get to it though.

Description from the operator, Glaciers and Waterfalls. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.

Where you go

  1. Seljalandsfoss Watefall
  2. Skogafoss Waterfall
  3. Katla Ice Cave
  4. Hjörleifshöfði
  5. Vík the small town on the south coast

Included

  • Katla Ice cave entrance fee
  • Transfer to/from Reykjavik in a SuperJeep
  • English speaking guide
  • Free WiFi on the Bus

Not included

Meals

Good to know

  • Warm outdoor clothing
  • Hat and gloves or mittens
  • Rain gear
  • Camera/Phone
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Not stroller accessible
  • Not suitable for pets
  • Infants must not sit on laps
  • Infant seats unavailable
  • Not recommended for people with heart conditions
  • If you are being picked up in the capital area around Reykjavik, then you need to tell us which bus stop is closest to your hotel and choosing the bus stop you prefer.

Cancellation for this tour

Free cancellation until 7 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 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. 1Glaciers and Waterfalls 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 7 days before departure, the operator's policy after that.

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

Sold out on your date?

Seats come back — a cancellation, or the operator adding a vehicle. Tell us the date and we will check once a day and email you if one opens. One email, then we delete the address; nothing else is ever sent to it.

Who this is not for

  • Children under 8 cannot join this one.
  • Not a good fit if you want a relaxed day: 11 hours is a long time on the road, most of it spent getting there and back.

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

Why we list it

Glaciers and Waterfalls is one of 154 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 →

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.

No reviews yet from our travellers on 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.

  • One checkout, any number of operators

  • Rankings are not for sale

  • 153 operators vetted, and not all of them accepted

  • If it falls short, we fix it

Pairs well with

Everything here goes into the same basket and the same single payment, however many operators it comes from.

from

€1,970 per person

Check dates & book