The Ice Cave Beneath the Volcano - AA33

Video from our tour - Note that the ice caves are an ever-changing phenomenon and they might not look currently like in the video - They're still always amazing!

About the Ice Cave Under Katla Volcano

Step off the usual tourist trail and do something totally different. You enter Katla´s glacier, Kötlujökull, through a truly magical ‘gateway’ of blue/black ice-walls.

Kötlujökull, the outlet glacier which is home to this unbelievably stunning ice cave, is part of the majestic and very famous Mýrdalsjökull glacier. The name, Kötlujökull, serves to remind us that the capricious volcano, Katla, has its home beneath this icecap.

The twin elements of Mýrdalsjökulls ice and Katla´s infernal fire have certainly combined to create a stupendous wonder of nature. On this really exciting Super Jeep tour, we take you to the biggest and the best Katla Ice Cave. Many people are calling this ‘Katla´s Ice Cave Dome’, stepping in through the glorious but totally natural entrance you will understand why.   

About the Tour

This tour is offered either as a meet on location tour from Vik or with a pick-up from Reykjavik. Please specify which option you prefer in checkout.

Starting out in Reykjavík

You will pass through beautiful countryside and coastal areas, the road is always threading a path between the mountains and the ocean. Expect spectacular views all the way to Vík!

In Vík, you'll change vehicles and jump in a giant Superjeep, which will take you on rough roads towards the glacier! As your journey heads east we will take a turn inland, your Super Jeep adventure will take you over really rugged terrain, as mountain glacier landscapes loom around you. When you come to a halt the dramatic Kötlujökull glacier will be standing right before you, with dense ice walls striped with black ash-layers.

After the tour, you'll change vehicles and we'll hit the road again back to the capital. When the length of the daylight allows us (from 1st of February until 15th of November), we'll make stops at the two of Iceland's most famous waterfalls: Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss.

Skógafoss is about 60 meters high (~200 ft) and 25 meters (~80ft) wide, and has been the inspiration to dozens of folklore tales which your driver-guide will share with you. You can take the stairs and hike up the right side of the waterfall to see it from above. The view is majestic from there!

Please note: Due to limited daylight periods, we are not able to stop at Skógafoss in wintertime (from 16th of November until 31st of January). Only from 1st of February, throughout the Spring, Summer, and Autumn until 15th of November do we stop at both of the waterfalls on this tour.

We will also stop (all year round) at the stunning Seljalandsfoss waterfall, the one you can walk behind. Seljalandsfoss is also 60 meters high (~200 ft) it's located on the Seljalands River which flows all the way down from the famous volcano, Eyjafjallajökull!

If you decide to meet us on-location

If you booked the Meet-on -location tour, your tour starts in Vík (about 2.5 hours driving time from Reykjavík). There, you will meet everyone onboard the Super Jeep. To begin with, we travel in an easterly direction. Before long, we turn off Highway 1. for the incredibly exciting journey to Kötlujökull.

Leaving signs of habitation far behind us we traverse the roughest tracks, always heading for the root of the magnificent Kötlujökull glacier - this outback journey through mountain scenery is an exhilarating adventure in itself!

Please note that the meet-on-location tour (from Vík) does not include any other stops but the Ice cave.

At the Cave

Arriving at the foot of the glacier, 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 a constant change, conditions can be different at 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!

The kind of sights that will greet you when we stop at the base of Kötlujökull glacier are not so easy to portray in words. Your first impression will be of stripe upon stripe of differently colored ice forming stunning layers in the glacial ice. This is a totally stunning and unearthly place. Visiting the Katla Ice Cave is a mesmerizing, and also an educational experience. Your guide will share the fascinating history of the ice cave with you, together with some interesting facts about the glacier and the surrounding area.

The drive back to Vík will give you a whole new vantage point on some incredible vistas, in winter the sun will sink behind the mountains giving a wonderful sunset. On this tour, you should keep your camera to hand!  

On the way to the cave

Quite cool!

Skógafoss waterfall

Standing behind the curtain of the waterfall

Thrilling features in the ice cave