3 Hours Katla Ice Cave Tour/Meet in Vík
Description
It’s time to jump in a super jeep, strap on your crampons and step onto the mighty Myrdalsjokull glacier. Mother Nature has really outdone herself with this one, the movie-like surroundings and glaciers are everywhere you look. Grandiose ice walls tower over you as you walk among them to enter the magical blue and black ice dome of the outlet glacier named after the powerful volcano Katla. Prepare to have your breath taken away! We will come to a stop near the roots of Kötlujökull glacier and the view that greets us is otherworldly. 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 constant change, conditions can be different on 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!
Tour Options
Itinerary
Mýrdalsjökull glacier is one of the best-known in Iceland- from which the alluring Kötlujökull glacier originates. Kötlujökull is named after the robust Icelandic Volcano Katla, which is covered by the glacier. As the enormous mass of ice has been slowly crawling down from the volcano mountain, it creates some of Iceland’s most impressive natural ice caves. On this exhilarating Super Jeep tour, you will get to explore the wonders of this stunning natural phenomenon. You will see why as soon as you step in!
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(24)
Our guide Fricky was great...friendly, warm, very experienced...really made our trip! The truck ride was about 45 minutes there, of which 15 minutes on the highway and the rest on gravel road towards the glacier. We went to 2 caves (one small and one medium); each experience is different as the glacier is always changing. Once you get there, there are a LOT of tours and people all waiting to get in and out of the caves and you have to "queue". I would say easily over 100 people and 10 tour groups all there at the same time. Our group only had 9 people, but other tours had more like 15-20 people who would take a long time on the paths. I would rate the trip itself more like a 3 or 4 star due to the sheer volume of people, but since we had SouthCoast adventures and Fricky our awesome guide...I am giving this 5 stars because of him. Thanks Fricky!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're so happy to hear that Fricky made your adventure so special. He truly is a fantastic guide, and we'll make sure he receives your kind words. Knowing that his friendliness, experience, and enthusiasm made such a difference means a lot to us. Thank you as well for mentioning the crowds. The ice caves are one of Iceland's most popular natural attractions, especially during peak times, and several tour operators visit the area throughout the day. We always aim to keep our groups smaller and provide the best experience possible, even when it's busy. Thank you for choosing Southcoast Adventure and for your 5-star rating. We hope to welcome you back to Iceland for another unforgettable adventure!
We were really looking forward to visiting the Katla Ice Cave, but unfortunately the experience was disappointing. After the super jeep ride, the ice cave we visited was very small, approximately 20 meters long. We had expected to explore a much larger and more spectacular ice cave. I would like to point out that our guide was friendly and professional, and the surrounding landscape was absolutely stunning. However, considering the price of the tour, the time spent inside the cave was far too short and did not feel worthwhile. We understand that ice caves change constantly due to the natural conditions of the glacier. However, we believe tour operators should provide more accurate information about the actual size and condition of the cave that will be visited that day, so that customers have realistic expectations. We would not choose this tour again, and if you are looking for a larger and more spectacular ice cave experience, we would recommend considering other options in Iceland.
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We are sorry to hear that your experience did not meet your expectations. We truly appreciate your kind words about your guide and the beautiful surrounding landscape. We will be sure to pass your compliments along to our team. As you mentioned, the Katla Ice Cave is a natural formation that changes continuously throughout the year due to weather conditions, glacier movement, and safety considerations. Because of this, the size, shape, and accessibility of the cave can vary significantly from day to day. Our guides always select the safest and best available cave based on current conditions. We understand that you were hoping for a larger cave and are sorry that the one you visited did not provide the experience you had anticipated. We strive to set realistic expectations, and your feedback highlights an opportunity for us to improve how we communicate the changing nature of the ice caves before our guests arrive. Thank you again for your valuable feedback. We hope you otherwise enjoyed your time in Iceland, and we wish you many more memorable adventures in the future.
We had an amazing time on this trip would totally recommend. Our guide made the trip he was amazing!! If you have Sylwester as your guide you are in great hands! He was very funny and informational and kept the trip interesting. Would totally recommend this trip if you stop in vik!
Thank you for the fantastic review! We’re so happy to hear you had such an amazing time on the trip. Sylwester will be thrilled to know he made such a positive impact on your experience with his humor, knowledge, and energy throughout the tour. We truly appreciate the recommendation and are glad we could help make your stop in Vik so memorable. Hope to see you again on another adventure in Iceland!
We did the afternoon Katla Ice Cave & Super Jeep from Vík in May 2026. The tour was fantastic. Our tour operator was Southcoast Adventure. Our guide Magni was magnificent. We had a second guide too, unfortunately I forgot his name for a personal shoutout. Meeting place was straightforward. We went into the shopping center before the tour to use the water closest and get a snack at the grocery store. Food is not included on the tour. The fun begins with the super jeep tour! We learned all about the volcanos and area around Vik on the drive to the ice caves. On arrival we were given micro-crampons and helmets. No issue wearing sturdy hiking shoes with the micro-crampons. Before entering the cave, our guide told us the cave is the main event, do not rush through. It was great advice. We went through slowly and took as many pictures as we wanted. He showed us different layers in the ice from various volcanic eruptions over the years and told us how the ice caves are formed. The ice is so beautiful! Pictures do not do it justice! We were the only guests on our tour. We saw a different tour group at the caves and they had several guests. We learned there are a few tour companies that visit and maintain the same ice cave. I only mention this because if you happen to book with a different group, you will most likely be visiting the same location. I was very impressed with Southcoast Adventure as a tour operator. They are locally owned and operated. I like supporting the little guy competing in a world where larger organizations are taking market share. If you want to book this tour, I suggest finding Southcoast Adventure outside of TripAdvisor. I tried to book "direct with the operator" using the link provided by TA, and I ended up booking with Artic Adventures (one of those larger organizations taking market share from the little guys). AA contracts to Southcoast Adventure on this particular tour. If you book with Southcoast Adventure directly, you will probably save a little money and know you are booking with the local tour operator directly.
Dear Paula, Thank you for your wonderful feedback and taking the time to leave us a review. We're glad to hear you had a great time with us and Magni, made it even more worth it. Our guides are passioned about the nature and it shows! We truly appreciate the recommendation and hope to welcome you back to Iceland for more adventures in the future!
5 stars! Super cool guide, it was real fun, beautiful caves, 100% recommend!
Thank you for your wonderful feedback! We're so glad to hear you had a great adventure with us and our guides helped you making this even more memorable. Katla is such a fun activity to do all year around, thank you for the recommendation! We hope to welcome you back to Iceland for more adventures in the future!
Visiting the ice caves was more than I expected. The landscape was beautiful. The ice cave itself was quite magical, and yes, I would very much do it again. Alex, our guide truly made it a special experience for everyone! He was informative and good natured.
Great organization, our guide Alex was very professional, funny and made us have a great experience, which started with the ride to the cave itself. The weather was typically changeable, but Alex and his interesting and unconventional stories and experiences from the cave will be remembered for the rest of our lives. Highly recommended!!
We did the Katla Ice Cave tour with Southcoast Adventures and had a really great experience. Everything was well organized and felt very safe from start to finish. Our guide, Helgi, was great — super friendly, knowledgeable, and easy to talk to. Helgi's ravens made the tour so much more memorable and unique. The ice cave itself was incredible to see in person. Definitely worth doing if you’re in the area.
Dear, thank you so much for your wonderful feedback, and for taking the time to leave us a review. We're glad to hear you had a fantastic time with Helgi on the Ice Cave. We're so lucky to have him on our team, and how lucky you were to see the raven. It has become a friendly visitor all the time for the delight of everyone. And we would be more than happy to welcome you again on this or another one of our tours.
3 hours for a few minutes in the cave. Tons of people. Very little information from the guide. It was all about getting a photo for Instagram.
Dear, thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. We are sorry to hear that the activity didn't meet your expectations. The Katla ice cave, is one of the most exiting points in the South, unique for it's structure that allows to operate all year around. unlike other ice caves that can only be seen during the proper winter times. Our team has specific guidelines on how to operate the tour, although there's also other companies operating the area, we take turns going into the cave. And we make sure the waiting times are filled with information about the area. If this was not provided on your day, the team in the area, as received a new note on how we expect this tour to be operated. In hopes this won't happen again. Nevertheless, we hope you had made new memories in Iceland and enjoyed your time here. We would be more than happy to see you again in one of many other tours we offer.
Great trip. The super jeep ride through spectacular scenery was fun and the ice cave itself amazing. Guide Alex was a real character with interesting info on the formation of the ice caves (which are different each year) but also stories about the many films made in the area in which he was an extra! Highly recommend.
Dear Davide, Thank you for the feedback, we really appreciate it. We are very glad you enjoyed the tour and Alex is indeed a real character.
