Caves in Iceland

Grjótagjá

Grjótagjá is a small lava cave with a geothermal pool inside, just east of Lake Mývatn in North Iceland. The water is heated by the same volcanic system that runs under the whole Mývatn area, and the light through the cracks turns it a clear blue. Locals bathed here for centuries until the Krafla Fires, a run of eruptions between 1975 and 1984, pushed the water temperature past 50°C. It has cooled somewhat since but is still hot enough to scald. The cave belongs to the farm Vogar, whose owners don't allow bathing, so respect the signs and keep your hands out of the water. Most people know Grjótagjá cave from Game of Thrones, where it was the setting for the scene between Jon Snow and Ygritte in the Season 3 episode "Kissed by Fire." In person, it's smaller than it looks on screen. Climbing down to the water means a minute over uneven, often wet rock under a low roof, so watch your head. The cave is a few minutes' drive from Reykjahlíð on a short gravel road off Route 1, and about 1 hour 15 minutes from Akureyri. A small parking lot sits close to the entrance, and there's no admission fee. Around 15 to 30 minutes is plenty, and midday light reaches farthest into the cave. Grjótagjá is open all year, though in winter the path and the rocks inside can be icy, so wear shoes with grip. Pair it with a walk up Hverfjall, a couple of kilometers away.

Raufarhólshellir

The Raufarhólshellir lava tunnel, sold as The Lava Tunnel, is a 1,360-meter lava cave beside Route 39 in South Iceland, less than 30 minutes' drive from Reykjavík. It's one of the longest lava caves in the country, formed about 5,200 years ago when lava from the Leitahraun eruption drained out from under its own cooled crust and left a hollow tube behind. It's also the easiest way to stand inside a lava tube without a long drive or any climbing. Parts of the tunnel are up to 30 meters wide, with ceilings as high as 10 meters, and red, yellow and black mineral streaks run along the walls. From the capital, drive east on Route 1 for about 18 km, then turn right onto Route 39, the road to Þorlákshöfn, for another 12 km. The parking lot is right by the road, a short walk from the tunnel entrance. You can only go inside on a guided tour, and helmets and lights are provided. The Standard Lava Tunnel Tour lasts about an hour and costs 8,900 ISK, following a lit walkway and footbridge into the cave. Tours run every day from 9:00 to 17:00, usually on the hour, and an evening tour runs at the same price. If you have no car, the Standard Tour with transport from Reykjavík takes about three hours and costs 14,900 ISK. For something harder, the Lava Falls Adventure Tour (3 to 4 hours, 27,900 ISK) leaves the walkway and climbs over boulders to the far end of the cave. It's for ages 12 and up and needs good balance, and hiking boots with ankle support are required. Inside, the cave stays around 0 to 4°C all year, so bring a warm layer and a waterproof jacket for the drips. Winter adds something extra. Near the entrance, where the roof has collapsed, ice formations build up from the floor and hang from the ceiling, so the first section looks quite different from a summer visit. Is the lava tunnel in Iceland worth it? For a first-timer short on time, yes, since few caves let you walk this deep into a lava tube on a lit path.

Gígjagjá

The Yoda Cave, Gígjagjá, is a shallow cave in the Hjörleifshöfði promontory on the Mýrdalssandur black sand plain, about 15 kilometers east of Vík in South Iceland. Seen from inside, the outline of the cave mouth looks like the head of Yoda from Star Wars, which is how it got its nickname. The cave has a tall arched entrance you can walk straight into, so you need no flashlight or caving gear. Most visitors come for the photo: one person stands in the opening against the bright sand while another shoots from deeper inside, and the Yoda shape snaps into focus. The Star Wars link runs deeper than the name, since Hjörleifshöfði was a filming location for Rogue One. Hjörleifshöfði has older stories as well. It is named after Hjörleifur Hróðmarsson, sworn brother of Ingólfur Arnarson, Iceland's first recorded settler, and the medieval Book of Settlements records that Hjörleifur was killed here by his own slaves soon after landing. A mound on the summit is traditionally said to be his grave, and a marked trail climbs to the top for wide views over the sands, the coast and Mýrdalsjökull. From Reykjavík, the drive to the Yoda Cave takes roughly 2 hours 45 minutes. A signposted turn south off the Ring Road leads onto a gravel track that ordinary cars can usually manage in good weather, though it gets rough after heavy rain or snow. Entry to the cave is free, but the privately run parking lot charges a fee, payable through the EasyPark app or the operator's own payment options on site. Allow 20 to 30 minutes for the cave alone, or a couple of hours if you add the summit hike. The site is open year-round, but Mýrdalssandur is notorious for strong winds and blowing sand, so check the official weather warnings and road-conditions map before you leave Vík. It pairs easily with Reynisfjara and Dyrhólaey on the same stretch of coast.

Vatnshellir Lava Cave

Vatnshellir is an 8,000-year-old lava tube on the southern slope of Snæfellsjökull, inside Snæfellsjökull National Park on the Snæfellsnes peninsula in West Iceland. It lies about 500 meters from the Purkhólar craters, whose eruption formed it. The tube took shape when a river of lava crusted over on top and the molten rock underneath drained away, leaving a hollow tunnel behind. Two spiral staircases lead down through a series of chambers, and along the way the guide points out lava formations and the mineral colors on the walls. Jules Verne sent his explorers into the earth through the summit of the volcano, but this is a far easier way down. Vatnshellir lava cave can only be entered on a guided tour, and Summit Adventure Guides is the only licensed operator. The Vatnshellir cave tour lasts about 45 minutes and runs all year, with departure times that change with the season, so book through the official website and arrive at least 10 minutes early to check in. Helmets and flashlights are provided, while headlamps are not allowed inside. Inside, the temperature stays just above freezing all year, so bring warm layers, gloves and sturdy shoes even in July. Everyone must be able to walk unaided on uneven ground and manage the stairs, and the minimum age is 5. Adults pay 5,900 ISK, seniors over 65 and students 4,600 ISK, and teenagers aged 12 to 17 pay 2,600 ISK, while children aged 5 to 11 go free. The cave is roughly three hours' drive from Reykjavík, and there are no toilets at the entrance. The nearest are at the Malarrif visitor center, three minutes away by car. With the Lóndrangar sea stacks and Djúpalónssandur beach both a few minutes' drive away, the tour slots easily into a day on the peninsula.

The Cave Vidgelmir

Víðgelmir cave is a lava tube about 1,585 meters long in the Hallmundarhraun lava field in Borgarfjörður, West Iceland, about two hours' drive from Reykjavík. The Cave, the company that runs tours here, calls it Iceland's largest lava cave, with a volume of roughly 148,000 cubic meters and a ceiling that rises more than 15 meters in places. It formed when the surface of a lava flow hardened while molten rock kept draining away underneath, leaving a hollow tunnel behind. The operator dates the formations inside to about 1,100 years ago, and the walls are streaked with color where the lava cooled. The cave has been protected since 1993, and an iron gate now keeps it closed to anyone without a guide. That means the only way into the Víðgelmir lava cave is a guided tour. The standard Cave Explorer tour takes about 1.5 hours and is rated 1 out of 5 for difficulty, following wooden walkways, stairs and railings from chamber to chamber, with a helmet and headlamp included. In the colder months, you may also see seasonal ice formations. Parents with small children are asked to stay at the back of the group and skip the final stop. Tours run year-round, and the operator does not publish fixed prices outside its booking system, so check the current rate when you book. Arrive 10 to 15 minutes before departure. It stays cold inside in every season, so bring a warm jacket, hat and gloves along with sturdy shoes, even in July. The cave sits on the farm Fljótstunga, about 15 minutes' drive from Húsafell. Hraunfossar and Barnafoss waterfalls are a short drive west, and Surtshellir, an unlit cave in the same lava field with no walkways, makes an interesting comparison for experienced visitors. Without a car, a few West Iceland tours from Reykjavík include a Víðgelmir visit.

Thríhnúkagígur Volcano

Thríhnúkagígur volcano (Þríhnúkagígur, "three peak crater") is a volcanic crater in the Bláfjöll lava fields, about 30 minutes' drive southeast of Reykjavík, with an empty magma chamber you can be lowered into. Most volcanoes seal themselves shut when an eruption ends, but after this one last erupted about 4,500 years ago, the magma drained away and left the chamber open. From the small opening on top, the vertical conduit drops to a total depth of 212 meters, and the floor of the magma chamber measures roughly 50 by 65 meters. Its walls are streaked red, yellow and black by minerals, and they are far bigger in person than any photo suggests. You can only go inside on the guided Inside the Volcano tour. It starts at the Breiðabliksskáli ski cabin in Bláfjöll, followed by a hike of about 3 kilometers each way across moss-covered lava, which takes 45 to 50 minutes. At base camp you put on a helmet and harness, then an open cable lift lowers you 120 meters in about seven minutes for roughly 30 minutes on the chamber floor. The operator currently lists 51,000 ISK for adults and 25,000 ISK for children aged 8 to 12, with 8 as the minimum age. Tours run from May 5 to October 30, and places are limited, so book well ahead. Back at base camp you get lamb soup (or a vegan option) and hot drinks. Allow about four hours if you drive yourself, or five to six with the paid pick-up from Reykjavík. To self-drive, take Route 1 east and turn onto Route 417 (Bláfjallavegur), since the Route 42 approach via Hafnarfjörður is closed. Wear hiking boots and rain gear, because the weather on the lava often turns while the city stays dry.

Loftsalahellir Cave

Loftsalahellir cave is a hollow cut into soft tuff on the southwest slope of Geitafjall, a small mountain in Mýrdalur on Iceland's south coast, just off the road to Dyrhólaey. From inside, the opening frames Dyrhólaey and the black sand running toward Reynisfjara like a picture window, and most people who find it come for that one photo. Long before photographers, the farmers of Mýrdalur used Loftsalahellir as their assembly place, meeting in the shelter of the cave to settle local business. A nearby outcrop is called Gálgaklettur, or Gallows Rock. Its name suggests executions took place there, though no records have ever been found to confirm it. The cave sits just off Road 218, the side road from Route 1 to Dyrhólaey, about 15 minutes' drive west of Vík and roughly 2.5 hours from Reykjavík. Watch for a small parking area on the left side of the road. From there, a short trail crosses a meadow and climbs to the cave mouth in about five minutes. The path is grassy and gets muddy after rain, and in winter it can be slippery, so wear shoes with grip. There are no facilities at the site. Ten or fifteen minutes is plenty here, which makes it an easy add-on to Dyrhólaey, Reynisfjara and Vík on the same day, and late-afternoon light is best for photos looking out to the coast.

Surtshellir

Surtshellir is a lava tube in the Hallmundarhraun lava field, in the highlands above Húsafell in West Iceland. Nobody sells tickets and nobody switches on the lights, so this is a raw cave you explore on your own, with a headlamp and a lot of care. The Surtshellir cave runs for about 1,970 meters, and together with the neighboring Stefánshellir it forms a system of roughly 3.5 km. Both formed in the Hallmundarhraun eruption around AD 900, and the cave takes its name from Surtr, the fire giant of Norse myth. Eggert Ólafsson described it in detail on his travels in 1750. Inside, the main tunnel reaches about 10 meters high and 15 meters wide, with the roof dropping to 2 to 4 meters toward the ends. The westernmost section, Íshellir, holds permanent ice on the floor. Digs in 2001, 2012 and 2013 found that animal bones once blamed on outlaws point instead to Viking Age rituals held here in the decades before Iceland adopted Christianity around AD 1000. Getting there takes planning. From the end of Route 518 near Kalmanstunga, the F578 track runs about 7 km to a marked parking area a short walk from the entrance, and as an F-road it needs a 4x4 and is open only in summer. Check the official road-conditions map before you set out, and allow two to three hours for the cave itself. The floor is a jumble of loose boulders and ice, and rocks do fall from the roof. Bring a helmet, sturdy boots, warm layers and more than one light, and never go in alone. If that sounds like more than you want, the nearby Víðgelmir lava cave is the guided version with walkways and lighting.

Breiðamerkurjökull

Breiðamerkurjökull is an outlet glacier of Vatnajökull in Southeast Iceland, inside Vatnajökull National Park, and every iceberg floating in Jökulsárlón breaks off its tongue. In winter it is also where most travelers go for a Breiðamerkurjökull ice cave tour, walking into tunnels of blue ice that meltwater carved the summer before. The glacier spills off the ice cap onto the Breiðamerkursandur plain. Its tongue ends in Jökulsárlón, which sits beside Route 1 about five hours east of Reykjavík and roughly an hour west of Höfn, while Breiðárlón, a smaller and quieter lagoon, lies at another part of its edge. Breiðamerkurjökull has been shrinking for about a century. As the ice pulled back from the coast in the early 1900s, meltwater filled the hollow it left, and Jökulsárlón began to form in the 1930s. The lagoon is still growing, and from the shore you can see how far back the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier tongue now sits. You can only go into the caves with a licensed guide. After a fatal ice collapse on the glacier in August 2024, the national park closed the caves from May through September. A team of guides now checks each cave every day, and any cave judged unsafe stays off-limits, which leaves an ice cave season of October to April. Even then, tours can be canceled for weather or ice conditions. Most tours meet at the Jökulsárlón parking lot and drive out to the ice in a super jeep, and a cave visit usually takes two to three hours. A longer option adds a Breiðamerkurjökull glacier hike, with crampons and gear supplied by the guide. Book ahead for trips between December and March, then pair the tour with the Diamond Beach and Fjallsárlón, both within about 15 minutes by car.