Early scouting begins for the 2025–2026 season

By the end of September, our guides had begun scouting and preparing the first usable blue ice formations for the new winter season. Several canyons, tunnels and other blue ice features showed potential, but conditions were still developing and changing quickly.

No single large ice cave could be treated as the focus of the season. Our preparations therefore centred on combining glacier hiking with the best safe blue ice features available on the day.

The early formations already showed promising sculpted blue ice, narrow passages and attractive photographic angles. Although scouting was still underway, these first discoveries gave our team several different options to continue assessing before the season officially opened.

A warm and changeable start to the season

The season opened with glacier hikes leading to blue ice canyons, tunnels and other natural formations. Early tours generally lasted around four hours, with stronger groups sometimes reaching more than one feature.

October was unusually warm and wet. Water levels changed quickly, and some caves and features became temporarily inaccessible after rainfall. Strong winds also caused route changes and occasional cancellations.

Our guides moved between shorter-access ice features and longer glacier routes according to flooding, wind, daylight, group ability and safe access. This changeable opening showed why natural ice cave tours cannot be tied to one fixed cave.

Despite the changeable conditions, early guest feedback was very positive. Tours generally lasted around four hours, and stronger groups could sometimes explore two different blue ice features. Many guests especially enjoyed experiencing the wider glacier landscape rather than visiting only one cave.

Blue canyons reopen and new formations are prepared

At the beginning of November, water drained from several blue ice canyons and our team restored the steps and safety lines needed for access. The formations could once again be included in longer glacier tours.

Conditions remained unsettled. Wind sometimes made the higher routes unsuitable, while an easier-access cave continued to flood after rain. During one photography tour, water entered the cave and the group left immediately before continuing to a safer alternative.

Late in the month, our guides prepared a new area containing a rounded blue ice tunnel and two smaller sculpted formations. This gave us another option between the shortest cave visits and the longer glacier hikes.

The newly prepared area offered an approximately 900-meter walk each way and several formations located close together. These included a rounded blue ice tunnel of approximately 25 meters and two smaller sculpted features measuring around 10–15 meters. This created a varied experience with hiking, blue ice and several opportunities for photographs.

Repeated rainfall reshapes the caves

December brought frequent changes between the available caves, tunnels and blue ice features. Strong winds sometimes prevented groups from reaching the higher formations, while repeated rainfall caused one of the easier-access caves to flood several times.

During the heaviest rainfall, water reached the cave roof. When it later drained, flowing water, sand and melt had significantly reshaped the interior, leaving some sections inaccessible. Another tunnel was partly closed after its roof became too thin.

By the end of December, tours were relying on smaller safe alternatives. The busy Christmas period also brought queues that occasionally extended the overall tour time.

When conditions allowed, guests could combine a glacier walk with two different blue ice formations, with some tours lasting around three hours and 20 minutes. Even when routes needed to change, guide reports regularly noted that guests were happy with the experience and appreciated being able to step onto the glacier and photograph the available blue ice.

Heavy snow fills the smaller features

January brought substantial snowfall, difficult driving conditions and several weather-related disruptions. On some days, reaching Jökulsárlón or the glacier access roads was more challenging than the conditions on the glacier itself.

By the middle of the month, several smaller tunnels and blue ice formations had filled with snow. Features that had worked well in November and December were becoming less accessible, while other ice walls, open formations and short tunnels became more useful.

Tours continued using the best safe combination available for each group. Easier routes remained available for some guests, while longer or more technical approaches depended on surface conditions, group ability and the equipment required.

The changing conditions also revealed new photographic possibilities. The available routes included blue ice walls, open ice rooms, narrow passages and smaller formations that could be combined into a varied glacier loop. Fresh snow across the glacier added a distinctly wintry character to the landscape.

Longer glacier exploration returns

At the beginning of February, suitable groups were again completing longer glacier hikes and visiting combinations of blue ice canyons, walls and tunnels. These tours generally lasted around four hours.

Shorter-access alternatives remained available for guests who were less comfortable with the longer hike. The exact route was selected according to fitness, wind and surface conditions.

Longer routes covered approximately 2–4 kilometres and usually lasted around three hours and 45 minutes to four hours. Depending on the group and daily conditions, guests could visit two or three different blue ice locations. Field reports described very positive feedback, with guests appreciating the combination of glacier hiking, varied formations and time for photographs.

Weather remained highly variable. Strong winds occasionally made one side of the glacier unsuitable, while a late-February warm spell created deep slush and water-filled holes. Some features could only be explored partly, while others remained safely accessible.

Rapid changes from warm weather, heavy snow and flooding

Throughout March, the team continued to reopen and prepare the best available tunnels and blue ice formations after each weather change. Shorter routes could cover approximately 0.5–1.6 kilometers, while stronger groups could explore farther. The combination of fresh snow, sculpted ice and newly cleared passages created a noticeably different glacier experience from one week to the next.

March was one of the most changeable periods of the season. After a warm winter, several small ice roofs had become thin and were reduced or removed as a safety measure.

Rain and wet snow flooded some formations early in the month. Later, a major snowfall buried features and blocked the glacier access roads, requiring extensive work to reopen paths and clear the remaining tunnels.

Warmer conditions then turned the fresh snow into deep slush. Ponds formed on the routes, and no blue ice feature could be offered on the morning of 29 March. Suitable guests were offered a glacier hike instead. By the end of the month, earlier caves were no longer being used as the main feature, while newly cleared tunnels provided temporary alternatives.

The final transition to spring conditions

One blue ice tunnel remained the main shorter-access feature at the beginning of April. Heavy rainfall caused further flooding, although guides were sometimes able to drain the tunnel and reopen it when conditions improved.

By the middle of the month, deep water and slush made the remaining shorter features unsuitable. Stronger groups were moved to a longer glacier hike that included wide views over the glacier lagoon, a blue ice tunnel and, when safe, smaller canyons as additional features.

The canyons changed quickly, and during the final part of April only the tunnel remained consistently usable. Tours continued until 30 April, with routes adjusted until the end according to weather, slush, access and the best safe experience available that day.

The longer late-season route covered approximately 5.3 kilometres and took around three hours and 45 minutes for a small group. It combined a proper glacier hike with a blue ice tunnel, smaller canyons when safe, a glacier pool and wide views over Jökulsárlón. Guests responded very positively, with some describing the unexpected combination of hiking and blue ice as a highlight of their Iceland experience.