Lava Show Reykjavík

by LAVA SHOW · Volcanoes & lava · Reykjavík

4.90· 2,452 Google reviews of the operator

Fine on your own
Luxury
Suits older travellers
Works in the rain
Good with teenagers
Eco-certified

from €48.38 per person

Next departure: Thu 22 Oct

A young boy wearing safety glasses raises his hand while sitting in a dark theater alongside other children and adults, illuminated by the r

An overhead view of an audience seated around a lava channel in a dark theater, watching the glowing lava flow through the stage.

Smiling audience members sit close to a steaming lava pit, lit in red and white as molten rock cools and releases steam.

An audience seated in a dark theater watches molten lava being poured into a trench, glowing yellow-orange under stage lights.

A close-up of a lava stream pouring from a tilted metal container under intense orange lighting with a person standing nearby.

Audience members watch closely and take photos as a large, glowing blob of cooled lava rests on a sand platform in front of them.

Lava Show: lava flowing into the showroom innReykjavik

Audience members sit in close proximity watching a large, glowing, freshly-cooled lava formation, with several people photographing the mome

A smiling staff member in a Lava Show t-shirt stands at the ticket and merchandise counter, ready to welcome guests.

Close-up of a glowing molten lava formation bubbling on a black sandy surface, captured in vivid orange and red tones.

Our beautiful Reykjavik facilities also offer a small souvenir shop with lava-related items, some of which are hand-made from our own lava

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15 photos from LAVA SHOW. Tap any one for the full-size original.

Duration
55 minutes
Difficulty
Easy
Season
All year
Starts in
Reykjavík
Pickup
Meet at the start point
Starts at
Lava Show Reykjavík
Fiskislóð 73, Reykjavík
Guide
Guided in English
Departs
08:00, 09:00, 10:00, 11:00 …
Cancellation
Free until 24 hours before

Our take on this one

They melt real lava to around 1,100°C and pour it into the room you are sitting in. That is the whole show, and it works: you feel the heat from a few metres away, you hear it, and a live host explains Icelandic volcanism around it, with a short film and questions at the end. Fifty-five minutes, indoors, in central Reykjavík, running every hour from 08:00 to 22:00 — which makes it the reliable answer to a day the weather has wrecked, or an evening before a morning flight. Safety goggles are handed out. The room gets genuinely hot, so take a layer off before it starts. No minimum age, and at €47 it is cheap by Icelandic standards.

Book it if: Anyone with a rained-off afternoon, or a family wanting volcanoes explained properly without a five-hour drive.
Skip it if: It is a 55-minute indoor show, not an excursion — if you have limited days and good weather, spend them outside.

Written by us, from the operator's own details and what we know of the route. We don't take a fee for a good word.

About this experience

LAVA SHOW is an award-winning experience that recreates a volcanic eruption by superheating real lava and lets it flow in front of an audience inside an auditorium. From the safety of their seats, the audience sees, smells, hears and feels the intense heat of real lava in close proximity while learning about the wonders of Icelandic volcanism. It's a highly immersive, educational experience that is absolutely one-of-a-kind.

PRO TIP: We recommend booking LAVA SHOW early in your Iceland trip as it helps you understand the volcanic landscapes around Iceland.

Description from the operator, LAVA SHOW. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.

Where you go

The only live LAVA SHOW in the world

Included

Safety goggles
A live host makes the show fun and personal
A short, engaging and educational video about how volcanic forces have shaped Iceland
A sensory loaded experience - you feel the heat from the lava.
A Q&A session at the end of the show
A unique once-in-a-lifetime experience

Not included

Handmade lava-related souvenirs made on location and from our own lava is available for purchase at location

Good to know

Your good mood, eagerness to learn and willingness to ask questions. The show is always the most fun when people interact with the host. And if you booked your tickets online, it's enough to show the electronic tickets at the counter, no need to print them out.

We advice people to get there at least 10 minutes before the show, get their bearings and check out our gift shop before the show.

It gets HOT in the showroom when the lava pours in so people are advised to remove some layers of clothing before the show starts. The show is a safe experience and the heat should not be an issue but pregnant women, people with infants, and people with cardiovascular diseases are recommended to sit in the second row and/or close to the exit just to be on the safe side.

Everyone is advised to to keep their safety goggles on at all times during the show when there is lava in the showroom - also and especially when it is cooling down and solidifying.

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 wind on the ridge or a change in eruption activity — civil protection decides, not the operator. Here is exactly what happens to your booking.

1LAVA SHOW 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.
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.
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 →

Why we list it

LAVA SHOW 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 LAVA SHOW

Read all 2,452 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.

Piotr Szarzyński
★★★★★ · 4 months ago
An absolute must-see in Vík! We had an incredible time at the Lava Show! Our host, Louis, was phenomenal—he made the whole experience engaging, educational, and fun. The show is perfectly paced and consists of several stages. I especially loved the video segments about Iceland’s volcanic history; they provided such great context. But the real highlight was, of course, when the molten lava started flowing into the room. Feeling the heat and seeing it glow just a few meters away was breathtaking. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience that I can’t recommend enough!
stuart worley
★★★★★ · 2 months ago
Great fun, seats full up quick and is at the back of a nice restaurant, easy parking a d easy to walk to from anywhere in vik. We did the extended tour and pre purchased lava, the extended tour is good but short. It gets very hot quickly ensure you can de later.
-CelestialSoup-
★★★★★ · a month ago
This was by FAR the highlight of my trip, super awesome and informative show!! This wasn't on my bucket list before coming to Iceland but it's definitely an unforgettable experience. I never thought I would get to see lava so close up ever, but here I am! HIGHLY recommend. Thank you so much!! :)
Peter Liptay-Wagner
★★★★★ · 4 months ago
Might sound overrated, but this is indeed a 'must-see' when in Iceland and the next best thing to seeing a fresh lavaflow 'in the wild' (which, let's be honest, one's unlikely as an average tourist, especially from a distance of a few meters and without the dangers involved)! It's a real clever idea and concept, well thought out and executed and is fascinating, mesmerising and hugely informative and memorable! Yes, it is expensive (like most things in Iceland), but well worth it! In Vík, it's probably a smaller venue and somehow feels less 'touristy' (compared to the Reykjavik venue) and our showman, András, was a phenomenal guy - funny, slick, entertaining and pleasant. And the bonus: you can have a selection of great, tasty soups (and other simple dishes) on site/in the same building!

Reviews from Google · updated 21 Oct 2026

Read before you book

Lava Show: Reykjavík or Vík?Same molten lava, same €48 ticket, same 50-odd minutes. See it in Vík if you are driving the South Coast anyway, in Reykjavík on a wet day in town.
Perlan in Reykjavík: is it worth it?Yes, for a wet day, a jet-lagged first afternoon or children — Perlan's ice cave, planetarium and viewing deck take two to three hours and cost from €52.
Rainy day in Reykjavík: what to book insteadRain rarely cancels anything in Reykjavík; wind does. Book the Lava Show, Perlan or the lava tunnel, and keep the boat for a calmer day.

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.

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 →

One checkout, any number of operators
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from

€48.38 per person

LAVA SHOW's own price. 3% off the whole trip when you book two or more tours together, in one checkout.

Your date

The next departure we can see — change it if this tour is for another day.

Pick a date to check departures.

Departs08:0009:0010:0011:0012:0013:0014:0015:0016:0017:0018:0019:0020:0021:0022:00

Reykjavík: light 08:37–17:48, 9 h 11 min of daylight.

✓ Free cancellation until 24 hours before
✓ Instant confirmation by email
✓ If LAVA SHOW cancels for weather or safety: a full refund, or another date
✓ Card — Apple Pay or Google Pay where your device offers it — through Stripe; the charge is made in Icelandic krónur
✓ Price promise: LAVA SHOW's own price, or we refund the difference
✓ One checkout, even with tours from several operators
✓ Vetted operator — the six checks every operator passes

Pairs well with

Add any of these to this tour and 3 % comes off both at checkout — about €2 on the cheapest pair. One basket, one payment, however many operators they come from.