Ancient Historical Site Tour at the Caves of Hella
Description
Twelve ancient man-made caves have been discovered on the land of Ægissíða by Hella on the South coast of Iceland. Five of them have now been open to the public on our guided tours. The historical site is Iceland's oldest still standing archaeological remains, some believe the caves to date even further back than the settlement of the Nordic Vikings. The wonders of the Caves of Hella include ancient crosses, wall carvings and carved seats. Mystery surrounds the caves and for centuries people have wondered: Are the caves the handiwork of the Celts? Were the caves a place of ancient worship? The caves are an historic landmark site where you will learn about hidden secrets and other untold stories from Iceland's history. Join one of our local guides to discover the secrets our caves hold and experience the magical Underworld of the South. The Caves are located right next to Route 1 (the Ring Road), an approximately hour drive from Reykjavik.
Tour Options
Itinerary
At this location, called Ægissíða, there are 12 ancient man made caves. In this tour your local guide will take you to four of them.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(237)
Well worth the time and money it was very informative and fun to listen to some of the history of these dwellings
Thank you David for your feedback, we appreciate your support! Best regards, Lena
Wonderful guide - he is the grandson of the person who built it! Learned about history of Iceland as well. I would recommend adding some video if remotely within that family's budget and have us sit in the cave and watch it there. I loved the grandkids! Thank you so much. Also add a lot more merchandise in the store.
Thank you for your feedback, we´re glad to hear you enjoyed the tour! We appreciate the support. Best regards, Lena
Very interesting and unique tour, with a fascinating look at history. I learned a great deal about settlements of Iceland. The tour guide/owner was friendly, intelligent, and very passionate about the caves and their history. Highly recommend it!
Thank you for the kind words, we appreciate your review and support! Best regards, Lena
Stephan was very funny. Good information about the caves. It was a nice experience.
Thank you for the review, we appreciate your support. Best regards, Helga
I didn't really know what to expect and was surprised how much there was to be said about some man-made caves. It was less visual than I was expecting, but still really interesting. The guide packed a lot of information in to the 1 hour tour. The only downside was that his language was definitely aimed more for an adult audience, despite there being children present. The tour costs around €50, which is a lot by European standards but on the cheaper side for activities in Iceland.
Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts. Best regards, Helga
Was very interesting and really good guide! For children there were some parts that felt lengthy as there were a lot of explanations without activity.
Thank you for your feedback, we appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts. Best regards, Helga
This was my second time doing the Caves of Hella tour with Stefan - I went with a group of friends a few years ago and loved it so much I brought my husband to the caves on our visit to Iceland this summer. The caves are a fascinating relic of pre-Viking-settlement Iceland, with lots of insight into the blending of Celtic and Nordic peoples in the early days of the country. My husband is hard to impress and he was very impressed. The tours are group tours but the groups are small enough that it’s not overwhelming and it doesn’t feel too “touristy”. Since my last visit they’ve also added a traditional smokehouse where they smoke local lamb and wild salmon from the nearby river and sell it in the gift shop - it is delicious!
Thank you for the feedback, we're glad to hear both you and your husband enjoyed the tour and we really appreciate your support. Best regards, Helga
It was uniq and very intresting
Thank you for the review, we appreciate your support! Best regards, Lena
Excellent tour. Excellent guide. Lovely unique experience of the caves
Thank you for the kind words, your support means a lot to us! Best regards, Lena
Our guide made the visit worth it. The way she told the story of the caves and the history was captivating and kept us engaged.
Thank you for the kind words, we appreciate your feedback! Best regards, Lena
