Everybody loves the photos of blue ice caves. And in most of these photos you will not see any crowds in the caves. Truth is there are times in the winter where many people will visit the ice caves at the same time, making it trickier to get that perfect shot and the experience you were looking for.

We have a few tips for you on how to avoid crowds and make your Ice Cave Tour even more memorable.

Travel in the low season. November and the beginning of December are a great time to beat the crowds not only in the ice caves but also in Iceland in general. You will find fewer people everywhere because there are more sights that can get very busy. It is easier to find accommodation and consider traveling not just the famous routes but see if there are more remote areas you can reach during your holiday in Iceland. 

Choose a local company to take you to the ice caves. They will have the most experience where and when to take you for the best ice cave tour. Smaller group sizes are a great way to have less people around you. Timing matters so ice cave tour operators like Local Guide of Vatnajökull schedule their departure times around other companies. Going early or late not only gives you more time in the rest of the day to explore, but it also means you are not there at the same time as others.

Stay in the area a bit longer and consider a full day tour. When you are up for a bit more hiking, a longer tour can take you to more remote ice caves. Many travelers are rushed and want to just check a visit to the ice cave off their bucket list. Look through your options and find a tour like the Ice Cave Discovery that goes the extra mile.

Ask how the bookings are, on the day you want to travel, and see if there is a time that we can recommend to you.

Read through some of the recent reviews on popular sides like Google and TripAdvisor. You will get a great overview on how people are feeling about the tour you want to book. Also check out the social media channels of a company and see if they either have some posts and stories of the ice cave or if they can send you some, so you can understand better what the ice cave and the conditions are like.

Take a private tour. Even on private tours nobody can promise you to have the ice cave to yourself. But there are different options to avoid crowds on a private tour. Reach out to see what tour would suit you and your wishes best. Private tours can be scheduled even earlier or later in the day. Working with the limited daylight in the wintertime, you might want to start your tour at Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon in the darkness, so you will be at the ice cave when others are just getting out of bed or in the afternoon working around the magical blue hour. If you choose a private tour, another great perk is, to have the guide just for you so no other people in your group want to keep going while you are still getting your perfect shot. On a private tour it sometimes is possible to spend more time in the ice cave. While public groups are coming and going you can wait for the sweet moment in between when you have the cave almost to yourself.

Ice caves are a unique experience. They are different every winter and every week. Instead of getting annoyed at the other people in the ice cave – consider they are travelers, just like you, being able to have this once in a lifetime experience exploring a natural ice cave.