Vatnshellir Lava Cave Tour

Went here with the family today on our trek around Iceland. Nice tour. Great guide. At 45 min long, its long enough to be interesting but short enough to not lose your attention. Well worth the cost.

We had such an amazing time Our Guide was very knowledgeable, friendly and funny. Overall great experience.

Vatnshellir Cave do not allow visitors to use their restrooms. Despite the fact that my husband is at this moment doing a lava tour with you. I am told that I must drive to the Visitors centre further on. I do not have permission to drive in Iceland. I'm sorry Cave Vatnshellir, I think this is a very poor show on your part!

Expensive for the experience Three lava caves with nothing extraordinary about them. The same kind of caves as in France or Belgium, except with lava instead of rock Disappointed

Nice, but short. Also, not for those who have issues with uneven surfaces or stairs. There were a number of folks on our tour that struggled with this.

Excellent tour. Well organized for a family

Excellent visit and very informative. Great guide and at 45 mins the tour was just right.

We arrived already rain-soaked from some stormy weather that blew in quickly, to the receiving area inside a small, heated structure. There we found some interesting artifacts and backstories to the origin and exploration of the cave.  They say that the Snæfellsjökull volcano system gave inspiration to the entryway in the novel Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne, and there’s some framed info supporting that, although Verne never visited himself.  Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and seemed to understand the very ideas that would pop into our head as we navigated the barely-visible, craggy, wet cave. Vatnshellir is actually a lava tube cave that formed approx. 8000 years ago. You'll find consistent but chilly conditions, no natural light, and an immediate one-hundred plus foot descent down a metal, silo-style stairwell. There are a few larger lava chamber rooms, but thankfully, you're never actually spelunking; no ropes or crawling through mud or into claustrophobic crawlspaces. It's more of a guided lava walk, helmets and headlamps included.  We really enjoyed our time here; the guide was fantastic and created some drama in his storytelling and the way he presented the cave to the group, in a safe and purposeful fashion. The entrance to the cave itself can be slippery, obviously, but it’s very near to the parking area, which is right off the main road. Book ahead if you can; we thought it was one of the more unique experiences that you can only replicate in a few places in Iceland, so well worth the price, and it only takes an hour out of your day.

Exciting to see the cave. Learned much from the guide. Children aged 7 and 9 liked the tour.

Professional guides with excellent explanations, English excellently understandable. More expensive than expected, but fair prices for this experience!"