Lofthellir Ice Cave

The Lofthellir Ice Cave is a lava tunnel filled with permafrost ice. The cave boasts incredible ice formations, some of which are hundreds of years old, that have been formed by dripping water over the course of time. The tour will start from the Lake Mývatn area, and we will drive past some incredible geology, including the volcano Mt. Hverfjall, and along the Lúdentarborgir crater row. Once we reach the base of Mt. Hvannfell, there will be a 30-minute guided hike across lava fields to the entrance of the Lofthellir cave. There you will be provided with equipment to safely navigate the cave. 

We will travel slowly into the cave in a single line. Your cave guide will help you to move safely through the cave. The entrance is the narrowest part of the cave and participants will need to crawl on all fours to pass through. Past that point, every step you take into the cave it just gets bigger! A lost world of ice and magic awaits, frozen in time and in space.  

The Lofthellir Ice Cave is a protected area and is privately owned by local landowners. Only a limited number of tours are allowed in, and all tours are operated by certified cave guides. The goal of the cave protection is to operate sustainable cave tours and preserve this incredible sight for future generations to explore - thus, in every ticket a fee is included for the protection program and local landowners. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: This tour is not for people with claustraphobia, young children, or people that are not in reasonable physical condition. To reach the cave, we will hike for 30 min across a relatively smooth lava field. The short entry (approximately 1,5 meters) into the cave is narrow, and guests need to crawl on all fours to enter. Temperature in the cave ranges from 0 to -2 degrees C, so please make sure you have good gloves and preferably waterproof pants. 

About the Tour: 

Duration: 5 hours

Departures: Sunday at 08:00 or 10:30 

Minimum number of participants per departure*: 6

Maximum number of participants per departure: 10 

*Please note that if the min. number is not reached, we reserve the right to either move participants to another departure or cancel the excursion. If the excursion is cancelled, you will be refunded. 

Inclusions: 

- Return transfers from the hotel to the cave
- Guide 
- 1 hour of cave exploration 
- Packed lunch 
- Required safety equipment: helmet, head lamp, and studded boots.