South Coast & Katla Ice Cave From Reykjavik

by Gravel Travel · Ice caves · Glacier hiking · Snowmobiling · Reykjavík

4.30· 127 Google reviews of the operator
  • Fine on your own
  • Luxury
  • Skip the queue
  • Can be tailored

from €260.6 per person

Next departure: Thu 22 Oct

Book Thu 22 Oct · €260.6Other dates
South Coast & Katla Ice Cave From Reykjavik — Gravel Travel
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Meeting point, in Gravel Travel's words: Please select a pick up location

About this experience

Embark on our exclusive Ice Cave Tour at Katla, Iceland, and delve into the captivating wonders of Iceland’s southern coast on a remarkable day trip from Reykjavik. Prepare to be mesmerized by the sheer beauty of Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss waterfalls, offering you the extraordinary opportunity to stroll behind the cascading veil of Seljalandsfoss, an experience that defies the ordinary. Immerse yourself in the rich folklore surrounding the powerful Skogafoss waterfall, adding an enchanting layer to your expedition.

Explore the renowned Vikurfjara black-sand beach, where you can leisurely wander along the striking ebony shores and marvel at the majestic rock formations extending into the sea.

The pinnacle of your adventure awaits at the Katla Ice Cave, nestled at the foot of the Katla glacier. Equipped with crampons and helmets, venture deep into the glacier's heart to discover the mesmerizing Ice Caves.

Throughout the day, indulge your senses in the breathtaking landscapes as you traverse Iceland’s southern coast, immersing yourself in the rugged scenery and dramatic cliffs that define this unique country.

As your extraordinary journey concludes, you'll return to Reykjavik with cherished memories to last a lifetime. Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to savor the beauty and excitement of Iceland’s southern coast in a single, unforgettable day.

This ice cave tour promises an experience you’ll treasure forever. Book your adventure now.

Description from the operator, Gravel Travel. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.

Where you go

  1. Katla Ice Cave

Included

  • Helmet and Crampons for the Ice Cave Visit
  • A visit to a Katla Ice Cave
  • Professional Personal Driver Guide
  • Small Group Experience (Max. 19 Passengers per guide/ Superjeep
  • Pickup and Return from Reykjavik
  • Beautiful Icelandic Nature
  • Free Wi-Fi on board

Not included

  • Food and Drink

Good to know

  • Dress according to weather
  • Water and windproof outerwear
  • Hiking boots
  • Headwear
  • Gloves
  • Camera
  • Food, Drinks and Snacks
  • The drive from Vík to the Ice Cave is approximately 45 mins each way. The walk from the end of the road to the Ice Cave is approximately 10 mins. You will have approximately 1 hour at the Ice Cave.
  • Ice Caves are natural and ever changing and do not always reflect photos.
  • We recommend that you are able to walk 2 km on uneven ground and can climb a steep set of stairs with a rope assistance.
  • If required you must provide your own car seat. Per Icelandic LAW: Children under 135 cm must use a child car seat when travelling in a car. Taller children are free to use car seats as long as the car seat is intended for children of that height and weight. Children under 150 cm must not sit in front of an active airbag. For more information please see: https://island.is/en/children-in-cars
  • Please note that this tour may not be suitable for individuals with fear of darkness or claustrophobia.
  • There is a maximum of 19 people per superjeep and guide.

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. 1Gravel Travel 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 →

Why this one and not the cheaper one?

The nearest cheaper South Coast Tour & Vík Lava Show from BusTravel Iceland is €176 — €84 less. Here is every difference we can actually measure.

Gravel Travel · €261BusTravel Iceland · €176
How long it runs10 hours11 hours
Changing your mindFree until 24 h beforeFree until 48 h before
How hard it isModerateEasy

On everything we can measure, the BusTravel Iceland tour is the better buy. The €84 is not buying anything we can point to, so unless you want this operator in particular, take the cheaper one.

Who this is not for

  • Children under 8 cannot join this one.
  • Not available in summer; the operator runs it roughly September to April.

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

Why we list it

Gravel Travel 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 Gravel Travel

Read all 127 reviews on Google →

Operator rating 4.3/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.

  • Chai Chuan Wei

    ★★★★★ · 6 months ago

    We went for Katla Ice Cave tour this morning on 29 Mar. Gunnarr is our guide. He can drive superjeep very well and is a very interesting guide. Would recommmend to join their ice cave tour which is of very good experience we had

  • Roya Shahi

    ★★★★★ · 2 months ago

    The Landmannlauger super jeep tour departing from Hella (I chose pick up there, but pick up from Reykjavik is also possible) was wonderful and so much fun! Our tour guide was great, had a sense of humor and explained the scenery and history of all the places we visited very well. The super jeep is huge and comfortable, so can cross the rivers easily and makes for a fun ride. The tour included lots of incredible, beautiful spots like the famous Landmannlauger area and scenery of course, which also included time to go on a brief hike and relax at the hot spring, lots of volcanic scenery between points of interest on the tour, much of it looking like a different planet, a big crater with lake, a few gorgeous waterfalls including the tallest in Iceland, beautiful and unique scenery all around. The tour is packed with so many amazing sites and is the perfect way to explore the highlands. I highly recommend booking with Gravel Travel, as the itinerary was perfect, customer service was friendly and prompt, and the experience was one of the highlights of my Iceland trips.

  • Nora Tuominen

    ★★★★★ · 4 months ago

    The Katla ice cave tour from Vík was great! The ice caves are changing constantly, but at least in late May the cave was about 30 meters deep and the walls were beautiful mix of blue, clear, white and black stripes. There were no other groups at the cave, and the guide allowed us to stay in as long as we liked. The journey to the cave and back was fun as well, with the guide sharing stories and facts about the areas we drove past.

  • Jared Kaufman

    ★★★ · 8 months ago

    I have to say I was disappointed by the Super Jeep Northern Lights tour. The lights were incredible, however, I’m not sure what we gained with the Super Jeep. For the added cost from a traditional tour, there did not appear to be any evident difference. Don’t waste your money on this upgraded experience if you’re expecting something special by being in a “super jeep”. Guide was a little rough around the edges, though, brought us to a great spot. Pick up was late, drop off was over an hour early. A 4 hour experience was actually less than 2.5 hours.

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 — about €14 on the cheapest pair. One basket, one payment, however many operators they come from.

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€260.6 per person

Book Thu 22 Oct · €260.6