Lava tube cave searching tours

Where you become an explorer of unknown territories

At Extreme Iceland, we plan lava tube cave search and exploring tours for groups of all sizes. Large portion of Icelandic lava fields have not been thoroughly explored by speleologists so it’s a good chance you may happen to discover a brand new lava tube on your own.

In tours like those participants can put themselves in the footprints of earlier age explorers and maybe you’ll be the lucky one and be the first human being to set its foot into that ancient lava tube.

We can’t promise you that we’ll discover a new lava tube in every tour, but in longer trips where more thorough searches are committed, it is likely that the group will find new and unknown lava tubes … even really large ones.

Extreme Iceland offers tours to almost every area in Iceland that has a worthy in size lava field and our tour guides are all speleologists with fundamental knowledge in the flow of molten magma and the constructions of lava tubes.

In such tours we are most likely navigating areas that are seldom visited but on the other hand the group is more likely to experience something new and exciting.

A week long tour where we trek the open lava plains and the fathoms of lava tubes is an amazing adventure in its own term not to mention the feeling of maybe being the first human on Earth to explore a certain lava field.

Feel free to contact us at Extreme Iceland when planning your budget and timetable.

Kjalhraun lava field in September

A great change from those who want to be the first to step into an uxexplored world

Kjalhraun lava field (847 m. over sea level) is large downfall between Langjokull glacier and Hofsjokull glacier. The crater there is around 900 meters in diameter, round and flat at the bottom but around it rises several small peaks. Those small peaks are called Strytur in Icelandic and they can be seen from far away. The easternmost peak is the highest one with shear cliff side at every angle. But southwest of the crater rises another peak, high and pointy and it's main characteristic is its hollow bowl which is somewhere between 5-7 meters deep and it has a small icy pond at the bottom.

The lava field is estimated to be 10-12 cubic kilometers and that it covers around 180 sq. kilometers. It's estimated that it was created in a large eruption about 7800 years ago and that the eruption may have lasted for years. Six lava tubes are known in Kjalhraun lava field but some of them have not been thoroughly investigated, like for instance KJA-06 and KJA-04 lava tubes and some are even unexplored, such as KJA-05 lava tube, due to it's exact location is not entirely know. Some of the lava tubes in Kjalhraun lava field are amongst the jewels in the Icelandic lava cave flora because of their sizes, formations, patterns and colors.

Extreme Iceland, the Icelandic Speleologic Society (ISS) and the Society for Hveravellir area have field trips, searching for lava tubes in the Kjalhraun lava field in the middle of September every year.

The trip will be held from the 14th-16th of September. The tour starts in Reykjavik at 4 o'clock (1600 hours) the Friday September 14 from Olis service station in Nordlingaholt(Highway 1 to Hveragerdi). We will travel together in a coach. We plan to stay at Hveravellir for 2 nights, but you can read about the accommodation here. You can choose from made beds or sleeping bag facility. Participants can also buy dinner both Friday and Saturday evenings. When participants book the trip it is recommended that they inform Extreme Iceland whether they will have a bed or a sleeping bag accommodation and whether they plan to buy dinner either or both nights.

The Friday night will be undertaken for the methodology in cave hunting and the search is planned with all participants in mind. The chance in finding a never before seen or found lava tube is good and participants will most likely find their hearts pounding in exhilaration for what may lie ahead in the vast darkness of never before explored lava tubes.  

The Saturday and until Sunday afternoon will be undertaken in searching for lava tubes and if any tube is found it will be investigated to the bottom. Participants will head to Reykjavik again late on Sunday evening and estimated arrival time is 10 o'clock (2200 hours).

Tour guide is Björn Hróarsson Speleologist.

Price with sleeping bag accommodation is,  EUR 130,-

Price with made bed accommodation is, EUR 160,-

Supper is priced at, EUR 25,- per meal per person.