Katla Ice Cave Super Jeep tour from Vik

Hike inside a glacier ice cave, then stand on black volcanic ash and blue ice

A Super Jeep tour from Vik that takes you onto Mýrdalsjökull glacier to explore Katla Ice Cave, a natural formation carved into the ice by the Kötlujökull glacier flowing from volcanic slopes. The guide provides crampons and all safety equipment. The tour runs three hours and suits all fitness levels, with children welcome from age 6.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Katla Ice Cave from Vík

• Meet guide at bus parking lot
• Ride Super Jeep to Kötlujökull glacier
• Hike on Mýrdalsjökull glacier
• Explore natural Katla Ice Cave
• Return to Vík meeting point

The experience

The tour starts at the bus parking lot behind the Ice Cave Bistro in Vik, where your English-speaking guide meets you and leads a small group, no more than 14 people, into a modified Super Jeep for the ride up to Kötlujökull glacier. The vehicle climbs off-road to reach the ice, and from there you hike onto Mýrdalsjökull glacier itself. Crampons go on your boots before you step onto the ice, and the guide carries all the safety equipment the glacier demands.

Once on the ice, the landscape shifts into something you won't see anywhere else: deep-blue ice carved into chambers and passages, streaked with bands of black volcanic ash from Katla volcano. The cave is a natural formation that changes with the season (temperature, sunlight and weather reshape it constantly), so what you find on the day you go is what no other group will see in the same way. The guide chooses which accessible ice cave to visit based on current conditions and safety, making each tour a different route through the same glacier.

After the ice cave, you return to the Super Jeep and ride back down to Vik, where the guide drops you at the meeting point. The whole outing takes three hours. Bring warm layers, a waterproof jacket and pants, hiking boots, a hat and gloves. The guide handles the technical gear.

What’s included

• Super Jeep ride to and from Kötlujökull glacier.
• visit to Katla Ice Cave on Mýrdalsjökull glacier.
• crampons for walking on ice.
• all required safety equipment.
• English-speaking guide leading a small group of up to 14 people.

Options for this experience

3 options

Discount tour from Vík at 12:00Guide in English · 12:00Lower-priced 12:00 tour from Vík for a limited time

Discount tour from Vík at 15:00Guide in English · 15:00Lower-priced 15:00 tour from Vík for a limited time

From VíkGuide in English · 08:30, 10:00, 11:30 and 13:45Meeting point in Vík: Gather at the parking lot behind the Icewear Magasin building, on the side facing the sea, in Vik, South Iceland.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day6 departure times: the first at 08:30, the last at 15:00

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (16 to 80 years) · Child (6 to 15 years) · Under 6: can't be included in the booking

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical level

Operated by Arctic Adventures

Is this one for you?Book the afternoon departure if you're staying in Vik and want a half-day adventure that doesn't eat into a full day of driving elsewhere. The three-hour window fits between other South Coast stops without requiring an early start or a late return.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 15 years). Under 6: they can't be included in the booking.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is Katla Ice Cave and why does it look the way it does?

Katla Ice Cave is a natural formation carved into Mýrdalsjökull glacier by the Kötlujökull glacier, which flows from the slopes of Katla volcano. The cave's walls show striking blue ice mixed with bands of black volcanic ash, a contrast created by the glacier's movement over volcanic terrain. Because ice caves are natural formations, the cave's shape and appearance change with weather, temperature and season, so every visit reveals a different interior.

Do I need to be fit or experienced to hike on the glacier?

The tour suits all physical fitness levels. You'll hike on the glacier with crampons attached to your boots, which the guide provides and helps you fit. The guide leads a small group of no more than 14 people, so the pace stays manageable and you get personalized attention.

What's included in the Super Jeep tour from Vik?

The tour includes the Super Jeep ride to and from the glacier, crampons for walking on ice, all required safety equipment, and an English-speaking guide. You don't need to bring technical gear. The guide handles it. Food and drinks are not included, so bring water and snacks if you want them.

How long does the tour take and when does it depart?

The tour runs three hours total. You'll meet your guide at the bus parking lot behind the Ice Cave Bistro in Vik (on the ocean-facing side). Two departure options are available (an afternoon slot and an afternoon discount option), so check which suits your schedule when you book.

What should I wear and bring for the ice cave tour?

Wear warm layers underneath a waterproof jacket and waterproof pants, and bring hiking boots, a warm hat and gloves. The glacier is cold and wet, and the weather can change fast. The guide provides crampons and safety equipment, so you only need to bring clothing and footwear suited to an active day on ice.