The ice caves in Iceland are most definitely something to look forward to! Even though you might feel uneasy about glacier hikes in Iceland – trust me, it’s totally amazing and not as hard as you think, especially if you’re with a guide.
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3 ice caves in Iceland in 1 day – is it possible?
The ice caves in Iceland were the second thing I was most excited about (the first being the Aurora, of course, but we ended up not seeing it when we visited Iceland in October). And boy, was I right to be excited!
We decided to book this ice caving and glacier hikes in Iceland tour as it had great reviews and it was one of the most booked on GetYourGuide. In addition, we opted for the morning one – even though it starts at 09:00, be there at 08:30! We were there pretty early and ended up being the first one on the glacier from all groups and all agencies. For a little while, we had this beauty all to ourselves <3 Can you imagine?
Here are the highlights of our glacier hike in Iceland:
- We first started with the equipment (see below for details).
- Afterwards, a small shuttle took us to the bottom of the glacier Vatnajökull (Europe’s largest glacier!). We had a super nice 15-20 minute flat hike and enjoyed the glacier from afar! I couldn’t stop taking photos, it was sooo photogenic!
- Once we reached it, we saw our very first ice cave in Iceland but from afar – our guide explained that this one was too dangerous to go into (I’ll explain more in the next paragraph).
- Then we put on our steel crampons and started a short hike to the second ice cave (first we were allowed to enter). It was absolutely stunning, I wish we could spend a week inside, honestly! There is a light deep inside it, so you can take photos. It’s pretty dark and if you do want to take great shots – take a tripod (I didn’t and I absolutely regretted it!) and do some focus stacking.
- Then followed a more strenuous hike up the glacier and then the third ice cave – it’s pretty large and open (unlike the second one), so you won’t need a tripod here, there’s quite enough light.
- As we were a small group (about 8 people) and were quick, we had some time, so our guide put us all on a rope and we could look down a moulin (hole in the glacier, more below), and she even showed us how the vikings drank water from the glacier! We also tried the water and it was AMAZING!
- We filled our bottles with glacier water and started going down. It was much quicker to go down the glacier than up, but it was harder, to be honest!
The whole glacier hike in Iceland took us a bit over 4 hours. There are different tours to see ice caves in Iceland that you can explore on GetYourGuide, but we chose the one with the best and most reviews.
Even though we were pretty tired afterwards, we did another hike in the afternoon as we were dying to see Svartifoss waterfall <3
Is it dangerous to go on glacier hikes in Iceland?
Even before we made a booking for our glacier hikes in Iceland, we were a bit worried. Are we going to make it? We don’t hike too often, let alone on a glacier! The photos of the glacier hike tours in Iceland looked a bit scary, I’ll be honest. However, we saw that the minimum age for this tour was 8 years, so… come on:
If an 8-year-old can do it, so can you!
That said, please bear in mind that unless you’re a professional glacier hiker, it’s absolutely compulsory to go on glacier hikes in Iceland with a guide! Indeed it can be dangerous and the most dangerous of it all are the holes, or “moulin”, as they are also called. These are shafts where water enters from and they can be super, super deep. I’m talking about can’t-ever-see-the-bottom deep! If by any chance you stray a bit from your group, watch out and stay at least a few meters away from them to be safe.
Our guide put us one by one on a tight rope and we took turns trying to see the bottom of one of these moulins. Well, guess what, even though the ropes were super tight and this was probably the least dangerous thing from our glacier hikes in Iceland and Skaftafell, it was pretty terrifying! I, personally, couldn’t look for longer than a second, but then again, you can absolutely skip this and enjoy the moulins from afar 🙂
Well, what about the ice caves? Are they dangerous?
Yep, they are a bit dangerous too, that’s why you should book a guided tour! There are some ice caves that you should never enter, and if you see someone trying to go in – stop them, you might just save their lives. The main reason for this is that sometimes, ice caves in Iceland are just at the bottom of these moulins (holes) in the glacier, so they are pretty unstable because of water constantly running over there.
The other reason ice caves in Iceland could be dangerous is because of falling rocks inside them. Try to stay away from holes you see at the ice cave’s ceiling and from the ice cave’s entrance! These are the two most important things when you’re visiting an ice cave in Iceland.
Don’t worry, though, your guide will be explaining absolutely everything along the way, we did totally fine and enjoyed every second of our glacier hike in Iceland! <3
What equipment do you need to do glacier hikes in Iceland?
What will be provided on a guided tour
- Climbing harness – a harness with adjustable leg loops
- Climbing helmet – essential for the ice caves in Iceland!
- Carabiners
- Ice axe – it’s huge help when going up and down, trust me 🙂
- Steel crampons – that you put over your own shoes
- Prusiks – which your guide will be carrying
What you should wear & pack
- Soft shell jacket & pants
- Thermo layers of pants and shirt
- Hat & gloves – you’ll be warm when moving, but when you stay in one place it does get cold!
- Hiking shoes – make sure they’re not too big, so you can put the steel crampons on top. Our hiking rubber boots worked well 🙂
- Thermo socks – you’ll totally thank me later!
- Headlamp – not necessary, but it might help you for some of the darker ice caves in Iceland
- Snacks – that are not too heavy, but you might need the energy!
- Reusable water bottle – so you can carry home some glacier water with you!
- Camera – duh!
- Tripod – not necessary either, but it will help you take some awesome photos inside the ice caves!
Just a note if you’re bringing a phone – you won’t be able to do a live video on Facebook or Instagram from the glacier, as there is no network coverage! 🙂
When is the best time to visit ice caves in Iceland?
Unfortunately, if you’re visiting during the summer, it will be pretty hard to see an ice cave in Iceland. The season for visiting Iceland’s ice caves is generally from November to March, but if you’re visiting Iceland in October or until mid-April, you’ll also be able to book a guided tour!
That said, there are two ice caves in Iceland that you can visit year-round – the ice cave under the Katla volcano and the ice cave at Langjökull Glacier which is man-made. You can take a look how the man-made ice cave in Iceland looks like and book a tour. But bear in mind that you must book way in advance! Still, these are not as spectacular as the ice caves in Iceland we visited, but they’re the closest you can get to a winter experience in the summer.
What are actually the ice caves in Iceland?
Okay, I know I’ve been calling them “ice caves”, but you know what? These are actually glacier caves I’m talking about! What’s the difference? Well, ice caves are not as spectacular – they can refer to a normal cave with some ice in it. They can be black of color or even reddish! Glacier caves are referred to what you think is an “ice cave” – they have that dreamy vivid bluish color and are completely made within a block of ice.
Thus, I advise you to be careful before you book a tour to an ice cave in Iceland – take a good look at the photos, so you won’t be disappointed. The tour we chose is this one.
Which are the most popular ice caves in Iceland to visit?
Let’s dig in and see all the ice caves you can visit in Iceland, so you know all of your options before you go!
The Ice Caves in Vatnajökull Glacier in Iceland
These are the ones we visited. With this tour you can see 3 ice caves in Iceland in one day (but just two from the inside!)
Crystal Blue Ice Cave in Vatnajökull Glacier
Photo credit: Giuseppe Milo, Flickr
You can take a look at this tour that starts from Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon. This cave, as well as all ice caves classified as crystal, have a translucent ceiling and seem even more blue!
Glacier Cave by Katla Glacier
Photo credit: jean françois bonachera, Flickr
This one is closer to Reykjavik than the Vatnajökull ones, but bear in mind it is black! However, the good thing is that this one is accessible during summertime and it’s still spectacular. Here is the tour for it I’d recommend.
Langjökull Ice Cave
Photo credit: Sigurdur Stefnisson, Flickr
This one is a natural cave, not a glacier one, so it is also black – to see it, book this tour.
Man-Made Ice Tunnels in Langjökull Glacier
Photo credit: Ron Kroetz, Flickr
As I mentioned above, these are also accessible during the summer, so you might want to take a tour there 🙂
There are also a few caves that have disappeared and you won’t be able to visit them, like the Blue Diamond Cave and Waterfall Cave in Vatnajökull glacier, as well as the Northern Lights Ice Cave (the shapes inside were so beautiful that thy reminded of the Aurora!). In case you’re curious to see photos from them all, check out GuideToIceland’s post about the different ice caves in Iceland!
Fun facts about ice caves and glacier hikes in Iceland
- Why is the color of the glacier caves so blue? – Well, that’s a toughie! Glacier ice is not like the regular ice you see in your everyday life – it is much thicker! In fact, it is so thick that it absorbs all colors except the color blue, so this is the color we can see. There are almost no air bubbles in glacial ice, so the light can go even deeper and lose even more of the red color!
- Are the ice caves different every time you visit them? – Yes, they are! Parts of them melt every summer and form again during the winter, so it’s worth visiting them in different years. Also, some ice caves in Iceland might become inaccessible at some point, but new ones could be formed, so don’t lose hope!
- How are glaciers actually formed? – To be formed, glaciers require very specific conditions and are actually not exclusive to the areas around the North and South Poles (you can even find a glacier in Africa and in Bulgaria!). If you visit Vatnajökull in autumn or spring, you’ll see a wonderful valley and a glacier lake right next to the actual glacier. In the spring, the glacier melts, which causes the lake to fill (it’s actually pretty deep – over 70 meters!). Then over the summer, the glacial water is evaporated into clouds and it starts snowing at the highest point. This snow then crystallizes in a specific way and voila! You have a brand new layer of glacier ice every season.
- “I kissed a moss and I liked it!” – Actually, there is vegetation on the glacier!! You will see some moss on your glacier hikes in Iceland – it’s also called “glacier mouse”. But don’t worry there are no mice on the glacier – these little fellas resemble tumbleweed more than actual mice. They’re very cute, but PLEASE do not step on them or touch them! It takes many years for them to form, so be very careful and go around them. Our guide actually let me kiss one, but no touching 🙂
- But how can there be vegetation on the glacier?! – Well, it’s because all the “muddy” particles you see are actually volcanic ash, which is a great environment for these mosses to grow.
- What is the temperature on the glacier? – It’s bound to be a bit colder around the glacier, but if you’re visiting in in autumn, winter or spring, you really won’t feel that much of a difference. In addition, you’re almost always moving while on glacier hikes in Iceland, so you won’t be THAT cold, don’t worry!
- Is it possible that my ice cave Iceland tour gets cancelled? – Unfortunately, it’s possible. Icelandic weather is so unpredictable that they might cancel it the same morning 🙁 However, they’ll let you rebook or refund you if you can’t go again. My advice is – spend two days in the area, so if your ice cave Iceland tour gets cancelled, you still have something else to do. And if it does get cancelled – it’s for your own good! You really don’t want to be up in the glacier if the winds are terrible.
I hope you’re as excited about the ice caves in Iceland and a glacier hike just as much as I was! 🙂 It’s a dream come true and a super unique travel experience, don’t miss it!
