Natural blue cave · Winter only
Jökulsárlón: the Original Ice Cave tour on Vatnajökull
The classic blue cave from the Jökulsárlón car park. Stay on the south coast the night before.
- 3 h
- 4.6★ (1,131 reviews)
- Small group
- No hotel pickup
The blue caves in the photos are natural, under Vatnajökull, and open only in winter. Two other "ice caves" run all year and look very different.
Key takeaways
- Natural blue ice cave tours under Vatnajökull cost ISK 19,990–34,900; price differences come down to group size and whether a glacier hike is added.
- Most blue cave tours meet at Jökulsárlón, go up by super jeep, and include helmet, crampons and headtorch; groups spend about an hour inside.
- Outside the blue-cave season, the Katla ice cave near Vík is natural, open all year, and its ice is banded black with volcanic ash.
- Into the Glacier in Langjökull is a man-made, LED-lit tunnel reached by glacier truck from near Húsafell, so its photos aren't of the blue caves.
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Why the blue caves are winter-only
In short In summer the caves are full of water and not accessible, while from October to April there is very little melting, if any, so the ice holds.
The caves are carved by meltwater inside the glacier.
- In summer, Visit Vatnajökull says, they're "full of water and not accessible".
- In autumn the flow stops and the cold strengthens the ice.
- From October to April "there is very little melting, if any", glaciologist Magnús Tumi Guðmundsson told the Reykjavík Grapevine, while in summer walls and roof can thin by 10 cm a day.
So caves are re-scouted every autumn, and a warm, windy, rainy spell in winter can flood one and close it. Never go in without a glacier guide.
Natural blue caves, Vatnajökull
In short Tours of the natural blue caves cost from ISK 19,990 to ISK 34,900, and most run from about October or November to April, meeting at Jökulsárlón.
The price differences for "the same" cave come down to group size and whether a glacier hike is added.
| Tour | Price | Length | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glacier Guides, Crystal Ice Cave | ISK 19,990 | 2–3 h | Oct–Apr |
| Glacier Guides, glacier walk + cave (Skaftafell) | ISK 19,900 | ~4 h | Sep–Mar |
| Glacier Adventure, Crystal Ice Cave Adventure | ISK 23,800 | 3 h | Nov–Apr, max 12 |
| Local Guide, Original Ice Cave Tour | ISK 23,900 | 3 h | Oct–Apr |
| Local Guide, Ice Cave Discovery | ISK 34,900 | 5–7 h | Oct–Nov, Feb–Mar, max 8 |
| Arctic Adventures, Crystal Ice Cave | from USD 153 | 2–3 h | Oct–Apr, min age 6 |
Inside a winter ice cave
- A super jeep takes you from the Jökulsárlón car park to the glacier.
- You put on crampons and a helmet and walk in.
- Groups spend about an hour inside, in walk-in chambers with smooth, scalloped walls cut by water.
The colour depends on the day. Arctic Adventures describes it as anything "from deep, electric blue to white or grey, depending on the light, snowfall, and the cave". The electric-blue photos are real, but not guaranteed.
Three kinds of ice cave
In short The natural blue caves under Vatnajökull are winter only, the Katla ice cave near Vík is natural and open all year, and Into the Glacier is a man-made tunnel.
Natural blue caves
Vatnajökull · winter only
- Carved by meltwater inside the glacier
- Most tours meet at Jökulsárlón and go up by super jeep
- Electric blue on the right day, not guaranteed
The Katla ice cave
Near Vík · natural · all year
- Under Kötlujökull, an outlet of Mýrdalsjökull
- The ice is banded black with ash from past eruptions of the Katla volcano; Katlatrack calls it "black volcanic ash and brilliant blue ice"
- The answer for anyone travelling outside the blue-cave season
Into the Glacier
Langjökull · man-made · all year
- A tunnel lit with LEDs, with a chapel inside; Arctic Adventures calls it "the world's largest ice tunnel, engineered by a team of scientists"
- Reached by glacier truck from the Klaki base camp near Húsafell
- A fine trip, but not a natural cave, and its photos aren't of the blue caves
Katla and Into the Glacier prices
In short The Katla ice cave from Vík costs ISK 23,990 with Glacier Guides, and the Into the Glacier classic tour costs ISK 24,900.
| Tour | Price | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Glacier Guides, Katla ice cave from Vík | ISK 23,990 | about 3 h |
| Arctic Adventures, Katla ice cave | from USD 197, including a 14-seat super jeep | — |
| Arctic Adventures, Katla as a day trip from Reykjavík | — | 11–12 h |
| Into the Glacier, classic tour | ISK 24,900 | 3–4 h |
| Into the Glacier from Reykjavík | ISK 38,990 | 11 h |
The 2024 collapse
On 25 August 2024 an ice wall collapsed in a cave at Breiðamerkurjökull, killing an American visitor and injuring his partner. Ice cave tours in the national park were suspended afterwards. Tours run now within an October/November to April season.
Choose an established operator, and accept a cancellation if the guides call it.
Booking one of each
Black-and-blue cave · All year
From Vík: Katla ice cave tour
Vík is about 2 hours from Reykjavík, against over 4 to Jökulsárlón, and the cave is open all year.
- 3 h
- 4.4★ (1,279 reviews)
- Small group
- Pickup included
Langjökull · From Húsafell
Húsafell: Langjökull glacier ice cave tour
Langjökull's tunnel is man-made. Read the listing to confirm what you're booking.
- 4 h
- 4.7★ (862 reviews)
- No hotel pickup
GetYourGuide prices couldn't be read for these dates. The operators' own prices are in the table above.
Iceland ice caves: FAQs
When is ice cave season in Iceland?
Natural blue caves under Vatnajökull run from about October or November to April, depending on the operator and conditions. The Katla cave and the Into the Glacier tunnel run all year.
How much is an ice cave tour in Iceland?
Natural blue cave tours from Jökulsárlón cost ISK 19,990–34,900 at the operators' own prices in September 2026. The Katla cave is from ISK 23,990.
Can you visit an ice cave on a day trip from Reykjavík?
Only the Katla cave (11–12 hours with Arctic Adventures) or Into the Glacier (11 hours). The blue caves at Jökulsárlón are about 380 km from Reykjavík; stay nearby.
Are Iceland's ice caves safe?
Go only with a glacier guide, in season. A fatal collapse in August 2024 led to a suspension of tours in the national park; seasons now run from about October or November to April.
More for an Iceland winter trip
Sources (7)
- Visit Vatnajökull: ice caves in Vatnajökull, why they are winter-only (checked 2026-09-17)
- Vatnajökull National Park: statement on ice cave tours and glacier walks, 2024 (checked 2026-09-17)
- Glacier Guides: ice cave tours (checked 2026-09-17)
- Glacier Adventure: Crystal Ice Cave Adventure (checked 2026-09-17)
- Local Guide of Vatnajökull: ice cave tours (checked 2026-09-17)
- Into the Glacier: tours and prices (checked 2026-09-17)
- Arctic Adventures: northern lights day tours (checked 2026-09-17)