ICE CAVE TOURS IN VATNAJÖKULL

Explore the crystal blue ice caves in Iceland on a tour with us at Local Guide.
Our main speciality are ice caves
See our selection below

ICE CAVE TOUR

Our most popular tour!

Join our signature Ice Cave Tour, a favorite among our guests! Explore a naturally shaped, ever-changing blue ice cave. On this tour our expert ice cave guides bring you to the best ice cave available. Currently, in October 2025 we are visiting during the tour some blue ice formations on the glacier and we get to experience a proper glacier hike as the only adventure of this kind available in the area.

BLUE ICE DISCOVERY

Smaller but with even bigger rewards

Explore the breathtaking blue ice of Vatnajökull on a small-group glacier adventure. Hike with an experienced local guide and discover stunning blue ice formations, hidden features, and ever-changing glacial landscapes. Perfect for those looking for a more immersive glacier experience in Iceland.

ICE CAVE DISCOVERY

Smaller but with even bigger rewards

 Experience our premium small-group glacier adventure (max 8 people)! Go beyond the ice cave to discover hidden glacier viewpoints and pristine wilderness. Perfect for those seeking a more intimate, immersive ice cave and glacier hiking experience.

Five Stars: The Ultimate Compliment

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ExcellentTrustindex star 1Trustindex star 2Trustindex star 3Trustindex star 4Trustindex star 54.81867 reviews
4.8Trustindex star 1Trustindex star 2Trustindex star 3Trustindex star 4Trustindex star 5
Excellent1867 reviews
ExcellentGoogle star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 54.9513 reviews
4.9Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
Excellent513 reviews
ExcellentTripadvisor star 1Tripadvisor star 2Tripadvisor star 3Tripadvisor star 4Tripadvisor star 54.9627 reviews
4.9Tripadvisor star 1Tripadvisor star 2Tripadvisor star 3Tripadvisor star 4Tripadvisor star 5
Excellent627 reviews
GoodTrustindex star 1Trustindex star 2Trustindex star 3Trustindex star 4Trustindex star 5.0.34.34 reviews
4.3Trustindex star 1Trustindex star 2Trustindex star 3Trustindex star 4Trustindex star 5.0.3
Good4 reviews
ExcellentGetyourguide star 1Getyourguide star 2Getyourguide star 3Getyourguide star 4Getyourguide star 5.0.74.7723 reviews
4.7Getyourguide star 1Getyourguide star 2Getyourguide star 3Getyourguide star 4Getyourguide star 5.0.7
Excellent723 reviews
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Lauren Grote profile picture
Lauren Grote
12 September 2026
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
One of the highlights of our long trip to Iceland and worth every penny!!!!! We had the absolute BEST guide, Sam. Her energy and knowledge made the tour spectacular, and this very moderate hike gave us some of the best glacier views we have ever seen. Thank you!
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GetYourGuide Traveller
11 September 2026
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¡Merece muchísimo la pena hacer esta ruta! El guía fue estupendo. Era un chico polaco de ojos azules, aunque no recordamos su nombre, y fue extremadamente atento durante toda la excursión. Tuvimos la suerte de ser solo 5 personas más el guía, lo que hizo que la experiencia fuera mucho más cercana y tranquila. Además, comparándolo con otros grupos que vimos durante el viaje, en esta excursión se llega bastante más arriba y se realizan algunas actividades diferentes, por lo que nos pareció mucho más completa. Aunque no sabemos mucho inglés y el guía hablaba en inglés, nos entendimos perfectamente y no tuvimos ningún problema. Muchas gracias por el viaje y, especialmente, gracias al guía por su atención y por hacer que la experiencia fuera tan buena. ¡Repetiríamos sin duda!
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Jochum Binnema
9 September 2026
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
Enorm goede gids, met goede uitleg skills.
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GetYourGuide Traveller
8 September 2026
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Our guide Michel was so knowledgeable and kind and is the reason why this experience was a 10/10
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Klaus
6 September 2026
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Great tour, fantastic guide, awsome view over the glacier. We were very happy to have booked the „advanced“ tour, so we gut a bit further up, than most of the other tours, where we had a great view and where it wasn’t as crowded as the easier part below. Also our guide was very great and told us a lot of interesting facts about the glacier and the surroundings.
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Lindsay Loyd
2 September 2026
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
My family and I did the Glacier Encounter tour with Hannka. She was an excellent, knowledgeable, and helpful guide. We found the 3 hour tour to be plenty of time to explore, although we may have benefitted from being a small group (only 6) and we had a guide who was mindful of other larger groups on the glacier and hitting the hot spots strategically to avoid crowds or having to wait for our turn. The crampons were great, after the first few steps, it was easy to settle in. We had a gray day so we were glad to have layered up. On a sunny day, i would imagine you might overheat, and possibly sunburn. SPF and coverage needed for sure!
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Aarica Cleveland
2 September 2026
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
The glacier hike was absolutely the highlight of our ring road trip. Hanka (sorry, I'm not sure on spelling) was a fabulous guide. The glacier itself was incredibly beautiful.
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Pamela profile picture
Pamela
2 September 2026
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Had a great hike with Sam as our guide. She was very knowledgeable, knowing which were the best routes to take. We did the longer discovery tour which I would recommend as we had over 3 hours on the ice and got much further up the glacier away from other groups. We had plenty of photo stops so didn’t find hike to strenuous! Would recommend this tour, and only had 8 participants.
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Ryan
31 August 2026
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by far a must do on your trip. walking on the glacier really put the size in perspective. the tour guide Barbara was absolutely fantastic. took the time to show all of us everything and answer any questions. a true local guide.
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Leslie Berman
27 August 2026
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
Just finished the four hour glacier tour and having nothing but the high praise for the quality and awesomeness of this experience. Michal was an incredible guide providing us with an amazing narrative of glacial history and ecology. Highly recommend this company and getting close up and personal with Vatnajökull!
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Nina Ceres
27 August 2026
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
On a adoré l'expérience ! On a pris par local guide parce que notre livre de voyage le proposait. Notre guide était adorable et nous a donné pleins d'informations sur le glacier et il était content qu'on lui pose des questions. On est monté haut sur le glacier, plus haut que les autres groupes avec d'autres guides, c'était génial car on était seul dans l'immensité de la glace. On peut louer des chaussures pour 16 euros environ et ils nous prêtent des pantalons imperméables si besoin. Groupe de 8 ou 10. On recommande !
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GetYourGuide Traveller
23 August 2026
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"Piotr" guida molto gradevole, che ti spiega in dettaglio tante cose, mentre ti accompagna nel tour sul ghiacciaio. Esperienza non impegnativa e con un fascino particolare.
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Bernd profile picture
Bernd
23 August 2026
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Bin froh, die Advanced Tour gebucht zu haben. Wir sind weiter hinauf, war auch schon etwas anspruchsvoller, also man sollte dafür halbwegs fit sein. Echt ein Traum da oben. Guide war auch super nett und hat alle Fragen beantwortet und einige Tipps gegeben.
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BigFamilyofTravelers
22 August 2026
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Good guide, worth it Our guide Thorir was amazing. He was knowledgeable, down to earth, experienced and safe and even took some pictures for us. There is a 25 minute drive from the pickup point and about an hour on the glacier. You learn a ton and we got to do two small ice caves.
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GetYourGuide Traveller
20 August 2026
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Beeindruckende, sensationelle Tour und ein erfahrener Guide, der einen sicher über den Gletscher geführt hat. In der Beschreibung steht als Voraussetzung eine gute Fitness. Dazu gehört Trittsicherheit auf unebenen Grund und einen guten Gleichgewichtssinn, sowie Ausdauer und Wandererfahrung im alpinen Gelände. Wir hatten eine super fitte Truppe und konnten die Zeit auf dem Gletscher optimal nutzen. Die Guides passen sich natürlich den schwächsten Gruppenmitgliedern an, was selbstverständlich ist- jedoch nicht immer zum Vorteil der Gruppe, da es Personen gibt, die sich in ihrer körperlichen Fitness überschätzen. Dies war in einer anderen Gruppe beobachtbar. Das ist kein Spaziergang über den Gletscher- dafür gibt es passendere Touren. Die Guides sind sehr professionell und lassen niemanden das Gefühl, fehl am Platz zu sein. Ich finde nur, etwas mehr Selbstkritik und Ehrlichkeit gegenüber seiner Fitness sollte man mitbringen.
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Eka Eiff profile picture
Eka Eiff
19 August 2026
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
What an absolutely top day. The weather was perfect, the guides kind, calm, knowledgeable, genuinely passionate and experienced. Felt in safe, capable hands all the time and our small group really had the time to do some exploring. Can definitely recommend it.
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Richard
19 August 2026
Getyourguide star 1Getyourguide star 2Getyourguide star 3Getyourguide star 4Getyourguide star 5
It was fun! The guide was very knowledgeable about the region and the glacier itself. He showed us lots of different areas of the glacier and explained what's is going on.
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GetYourGuide Traveller
18 August 2026
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Une grande expériences qui était incroyable.
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Jennifer Starkey profile picture
Jennifer Starkey
15 August 2026
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
Enjoyed our 3 hour glacier hike with Local Guide. Convenient meet up location, friendly and knowledgeable staff and unique experience. Your guide will prepare you for the hike with all appropriate safety equipment. Highly recommend having an expert guide who knows the terrain. Such a fantastic otherworldly experience!
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Lili Wong
14 August 2026
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
Had a wonderful Glacier Encounter hike with Kish! A wonderful way to experience Iceland. Kish was super friendly and kind, and happy to answer any questions about Iceland we had. We rented hiking boots as ours were low cut and were happy we did!
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Santi Chancho
9 August 2026
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
Mijau (the polish guy) was an amazing guide, We'd love the experience and enjoyed the moment. Mijau was very proffessional and made the experience súper enjoyable. And my sister and brother in law were very exited. Thanks!!
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Mark D profile picture
Mark D
17 July 2026
Tripadvisor star 1Tripadvisor star 2Tripadvisor star 3Tripadvisor star 4Tripadvisor star 5
Amazing experience! My family and I did the four hour glacier hike in July 2026 with Local Guide. The four of us were part of a group of eight (I believe that’s the max group size). Our guide was Michal (from Poland!) and he was simply excellent! From start to finish Michal was friendly, informative, patient and fun. The hike on the glacier and the scenery was stunning and was one of the highlights of our trip to Iceland - what a beautiful country. I would thoroughly recommend this experience to anybody thinking of doing it - thank you Michal for such a great experience.
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Benjamin H profile picture
Benjamin H
13 July 2026
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Great Guide, Highly Recommend We had a fantastic time walking the glacier and learning about many aspects of it, thanks to our guide. The beginner tour is not intense at all, just requires some light hiking. Shoutout to Barbara, 5/5 guide!
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Marc-Antoine B
9 July 2026
Tripadvisor star 1Tripadvisor star 2Tripadvisor star 3Tripadvisor star 4Tripadvisor star 5
Merveilleuse sortie pour débutant! Superbe sortie sur le glacier avec notre guide Barbara. La description du tour est vraiment à point. La guide va a un rythme adéquat pour débutant et a à cœur la sécurité de tous. Merveilleuse sortie sur un site d'une beauté grandiose. J'en garderai un très beau souvenir. Je recommande!
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Connecticutgoodtogo
11 June 2026
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Doesn’t get better than this!! We lucked out with has to be the best guide ever! Michal’s knowledge of glacial history was phenomenal. His instructions on everything from crampon to position of stepping (up slope, down slope, on gravel vs. rock vs. ice ensured a safe and easy trip for all of us. He took pictures of all of us, let us repel downslopes, and just…made the trip one to remember. Forever!! Will recommend this to anyone I know coming to Iceland! Hope to see you again, Michal!! Ellin Van Leeuwen
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Sanjay N profile picture
Sanjay N
7 June 2026
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Grwst experience Great experience. Great location for pickup, knowledgeable guide and perfect sight seeing. We loved it.
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Valerie from PA
7 June 2026
Tripadvisor star 1Tripadvisor star 2Tripadvisor star 3Tripadvisor star 4Tripadvisor star 5
Excellent - wouldn't do a 4-hour tour with anyone else Outstanding experience. Would highly recommend Local Guides. First they drive you in a four wheel drive vehicle directly to the glacier so you avoid hiking unless then optimal areas. Our guide took us and much better way than we saw other groups going where we got to be on the glacier much more. Great setup to fit you with crampons; great gear. Didn't waste time standing around talking... Truly outstanding glacier experience maximising time moving on the glacier. Can't imagine it being any better.
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Teddy H
4 May 2026
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The once in a lifetime experience What an adventure. I highly recommand Local Guide. Our guide was awesome. Since the caves weren't as extraordinary as usual, Mike took the time with our small group (about 11 people) and brought us to two small caves, we had a nice hike on the glacier. He taught us a lot about the region. The tour that was expected to last 3 to 4 hours lasted 5 hours. That was definitely a great experience
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Alma G profile picture
Alma G
21 March 2026
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Do not miss this one Beautiful caves, we saw four and hiked the glacier while walking from cave to cave. Takes about 3 hours and they are very well organised. Timely, proffessional and our guide Mika was great. He is full of stories just ask a question and he goes on. May seem pricey but this one is worth that price.
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Sorin R profile picture
Sorin R
16 March 2026
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Unbelievably Was really nice adventure! I really recommend!
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karen reyes
29 January 2026
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Best glacier tour ever We had an incredible experience exploring the glacier! Michel's guidance was exceptional—he shared fascinating history about the glacier, ensured our safety, and made the tour unforgettable. It truly felt like the best and most immersive way to experience such a unique place. This is an adventure everyone should try at least once!
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Merrill Blake
16 July 2025
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Awesome Hike We had an amazing day hiking the glacier with Damien. He is FANTASTIC, very knowledgeable. He took care to make sure our small group stayed safe & together. We chose the moderate/advanced hike - it was a top 10 experience & the highlight of our trip. The fog began to lift as we were at the 2nd plateau & we were greeted by amazing views & landscape. Highly recommend!
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Sietske Couperus
11 May 2025
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Amazing experience We had such an amazing time with Kish as our guide! Once in a lifetime experience for sure! We felt really safe and we learned a lot of mountaineering skills and interesting stuff about the gorgeous glacier!

WHY ARE WE ICE CAVES EXPERTS?

 

Expertise You Can Trust

As the original Ice Cave Tour operator, we know how to deliver safe, authentic, and unforgettable blue ice cave excursion. Our team of most educated and experienced guides ensures every tour is not only fun but also informative and secure.

Daily Adaptability for the Best Experience

Ice caves are ever-changing, and conditions can vary daily, with our experience we make sure to select the best and safest ice cave for exploration each day, what we look for is the experience, the safety first, but also the best cave but also factor in the traffic inside the ice caves since ice cave tours have been increasing in popularity since we where the only company offering those tours.

Commitment to Quality

We focus on offering tour with small-group sizes of max 12 persons per guide on our ice cave tour and 8 on our ice cave discovery.

Whether you choose our best selling Ice Cave Tour or the combination of glacier hiking with ice cave visit, you’ll enjoy a high-quality experience that prioritizes guest satisfaction.

local guide team

Ice caves from the past and present

INTERESTED IN PRIVATE ICE CAVE TOUR?

SINGLES OFFER!
Celebrate Singles Week with 10% off your next adventure! Use a promo code SINGLES10 at the checkout of our ice cave tours and glacier hikes.

HALLOWEEN SALE!
Celebrate the spooky season with a 10% discount on all glacier tours this winter. Use code: SPOOKYGLACIER10 at the checkout. The promo code will expire on November 4th and it is valid for all the public tours until March 31st 2025.
BLACK FRIDAY SALE
Enjoy your 15% discount for all of our glacier tours until the end of 2026 when booking between 17.11-30.11. Use promo code BLACKFRIDAY25 at the checkout!