3 Hours Katla Ice Cave Tour/Meet in Vík
by Southcoast Adventure · Ice caves · Vatnajökull & Jökulsárlón
- Beginners welcome
- Fine on your own




Would this be cheaper direct? No — we sell at Southcoast Adventure'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 3 Hours Katla Ice Cave Tour/Meet in Vík
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Duration
3 hours
Difficulty
Easy
Season
Sep – Apr
Starts in
Vik
Meeting
Meet on location
Languages
EN, DE, NO, FI, RU, SV, IS, FR, DA, ES
Departs
08:30, 10:00, 11:30, 12:00 …
Minimum age
6
Cancellation
Free until 2 days before
About this experience
It’s time to jump in a super jeep, strap on your crampons and step onto the mighty Myrdalsjokull glacier.
Mother Nature has really outdone herself with this one, the movie-like surroundings and glaciers are everywhere you look. Grandiose ice walls tower over you as you walk among them to enter the magical blue and black ice dome of the outlet glacier named after the powerful volcano Katla. Prepare to have your breath taken away.
We will come to a stop near the roots of Kötlujökull glacier and the view that greets us is otherworldly. We will take on our crampons and helmets, and take a short walk to the opening of the ice cave. We might need to climb a few steps on ladders to the entrance of the cave. As the natural ice cave is in constant change, conditions can be different on each tour. The climb is, however, not difficult at all, and anyone in an average physical condition should be able to climb these steps. It might look adventurous but it is not demanding at all.
Description from the operator, Southcoast Adventure. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.
Included
Good to know
Warm outdoor clothing, waterproofed jacket and pants, head-wear, gloves, appropriate hiking boots/shoes.
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Not stroller accessible
- Not suitable for pets
- No public transportation nearby
- Infants must not sit on laps
- Infant seats unavailable
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
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 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.
- 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.
- 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 2 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 6 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
Southcoast Adventure 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 →
What travellers say about Southcoast Adventure
Read all 299 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.
★★★★★ · 2 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!
★★★★★ · 5 months ago
Our tour guide Alejandro took us to experience glaciers in Vík, where we got to hike in the glaciers which was an amazing experience. We got told about how the glaciers move, how a small hole can turn into a big pile of snow, stones and ice. Later on we went on buggy rides where we went off road and drove to Eyjafjallajökull. We drove through fields, stones, snow and ice, we got told “you can get as wet as you want” as we drove through the lakes. Alejandro always made sure we were safe and comfortable, he would turn around to check on us if we got stuck. Waited for us if we lacked behind. And even though we drove through dark fields with very little visibility, we still felt safe. It was a great experience, and Alejandro made the experience even better. I would highly recomend Southcost Adventure.
★★★★★ · 4 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.
★★★★★ · 3 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!
Reviews from Google · updated 13 Sept 2026
Read before you book
- Boat tours in Iceland sort into five kinds, and only two of them are sightseeingWhale boats, aurora cruises, glacier-lagoon zodiacs, island ferries and sea angling. What each one actually is, what it costs, and which are worth a slot.
- Five days in Iceland works better from a Reykjavík base than behind the wheelWith five days you can base in Reykjavík and take three day tours, or rent a car and move every night. We explain why we'd usually stay put.
- Sólheimajökull, Skaftafell or Vatnajökull — which glacier hike to actually bookThree glaciers sell almost the same walk at different prices and distances. Which one fits your route, what 'easy' means, and what blue ice really requires.
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.
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