Katla Ice Cave Tour - Depart from Reykjavik

by Southcoast Adventure · Ice caves · Reykjavík

4.70· 300 Google reviews of the operator

Beginners welcome
Fine on your own
Self-guided

from €260.78 per person

Next departure: Thu 22 Oct

Book Thu 22 Oct · €260.78 Other dates

Katla Ice Cave Tour - Depart from Reykjavik — Southcoast Adventure

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Duration
11 hours
Difficulty
Easy
Season
Sep – Apr
Starts in
Vik
Pickup
Hotel pickup included
Departs
08:00, 09:00
Cancellation
Free until 2 days before

About this experience

Step off the beaten pathExperience the Katla Ice Cave tour

Looking for something beyond the typical tourist experience? Then the Katla Ice Cave tour is the perfect choice. Instead of crowded attractions, this adventure takes you deep into Iceland’s raw and dramatic nature.

First, hop into a powerful super jeep and head towards the mighty Mýrdalsjökull glacier. Along the way, the scenery quickly shifts from familiar landscapes to wild, cinematic views. Soon after, you’ll strap on crampons and prepare to step onto the glacier itself.

All around you, towering ice formations and vast expanses of snow create a truly otherworldly atmosphere. In fact, the glacier feels like a movie set brought to life. As you approach the ice cave, massive walls of ice rise above you, leading the way into a magical dome of blue and black ice formed by the outlet glacier of Katla volcano. Without a doubt, this is a moment that will take your breath away.

Discover the power of Mýrdalsjökull

The Mýrdalsjökull glacier ranks among Iceland’s most famous natural wonders. From it flows the striking Kötlujökull outlet glacier, named after the powerful Katla volcano hidden beneath the ice.

As the glacier slowly moves down the volcanic slopes, it constantly reshapes the landscape. Because of this movement, incredible natural ice caves form and evolve over time. Therefore, no two visits are ever exactly the same. During this tour, you will explore one of these ever-changing caves and witness nature’s creativity up close.

What to expect on the tour

On this “Katla Ice Cave tour – Departure from Reykjavík” tour, the journey continues with a stop near the base of the Kötlujökull glacier. From there, the landscape opens up into a surreal view that feels far removed from everyday life.

Next, you’ll put on your safety gear, including crampons and a helmet. After that, a short walk brings you to the entrance of the ice cave. Occasionally, you may need to climb a few steps using a ladder; however, the ascent is straightforward and suitable for anyone in average physical condition.

As you get closer, layers of ice and volcanic ash reveal themselves in striking patterns. These natural stripes create a unique visual contrast, making the cave even more fascinating. Meanwhile, your guide shares stories and insights about the glacier, the cave, and the surrounding area. As a result, the experience becomes both educational and exciting.

Pickup from Reykjavík

If you choose the pickup option when booking your Katla Ice Cave tour – Departure from Reykjavík, a guide will pick you up at your selected meeting point in the city. This makes the experience smooth and convenient from start to finish.

In collaboration

This tour is operated in collaboration with our trusted partner Arctic Adventures, ensuring a safe and high-quality experience.

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

Included

Pick up in Reykjavik

Crampons and Helmet

Good to know

Warm outdoor clothing, waterproofed jacket and pants, head-wear, gloves, appropriate hiking boots/shoes, some snacks, lunch

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 →

Why this one and not the cheaper one?

The nearest cheaper South Coast Tour & Vík Lava Show from BusTravel Iceland is €176 — €85 less. Here is every difference we can actually measure.

	Southcoast Adventure · €261	BusTravel Iceland · €176
Getting there	Picks you up	You make your own way

The €85 buys you hotel pickup. Whether that is worth it is your call — but that is what the difference is.

Who this is not for

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.
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 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

Best Glacier Hike in Iceland (2026): 5 PicksThe glacier hikes we would book ourselves in Iceland, on Sólheimajökull and in Skaftafell, with real adult prices, departure points and who each one is not for.
Best Horse Riding Tour in Iceland (2026): 4 PicksThe horse riding tours we would book ourselves: an easy lava-field ride near Reykjavík, the hot-spring valley, and longer rides for confident riders.
Best Ice Cave Tour in Iceland (2026): 5 PicksThe ice cave tours we would book ourselves, from the Vatnajökull caves near Jökulsárlón to Katla near Vík, with real prices and meeting points.

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 Vík í Mýrdal, from our hotel partners. Rooms are booked on our hotels site.

All hotels in South Coast →

One checkout, any number of operators
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If it falls short, we fix it

from

€260.78 per person

Southcoast Adventure'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.

Departs08:0009:00

Vík í Mýrdal: light 08:22–17:39, 9 h 17 min of daylight.

✓ Free cancellation until 2 days before
✓ Instant confirmation by email
✓ If Southcoast Adventure 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: Southcoast Adventure'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 €14 on the cheapest pair. One basket, one payment, however many operators they come from.