5 things you want to know before booking an Ice cave tour in Iceland in 2024
Table of Contents
- 5 things you want to know before booking an Ice cave tour in Iceland in 2024
- 1. Where can I see a naturally made blue Ice cave?
- 2. What would be the optimal time to see the Ice Cave?
- 3. Where should I book my accommodation before the Ice Cave tour?
- 4. If I am a photographer and want to get the best Ice cave photos possible?
- 5. Weather and travelling in the wintertime in Iceland.
If you are travelling to Iceland in the wintertime, then blue ice caves are something you don’t want to miss. But you should consider many things before booking your Ice cave tour. In this article, we will list five things you should look at before deciding and find out where, with whom, and if you want to visit the ice caves in Breiðarmerkurjökull.
1. Where can I see a naturally made blue Ice cave?
There are probably thousands of glacier ice caves in Iceland, most of which you can not visit due to their location or the conditions inside and around the ice caves. Every year, we have to find new caves due to the fast melting of the glacier, which means that every ice cave is unique. The conditions in some areas are very good for ice caves; therefore, they are often found in similar locations.
We know of only three glaciers where there are active ice cave tours: Langjökull, Mýrdalsjökull, and Vatnajökull, the largest glacier in Europe. In Langjökull, you can see a man-made ice tunnel. Mýrdalsjökull has naturally made ice caves, but due to a lot of volcanic ash in the ice, there is not much blue in it, though you might find some blue ice.
In past years, the best blue natural ice caves have been in Vatnajökull, and most of them that have been accessible have been found in Breiðarmerkjurjökull, a glacier outlet from Vatnajökull. Breiðarmerkurjökull is also known for Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon (Jökulsárlón), where the ice carves into that lagoon, icebergs flotes on the lake, and the diamond beach, where you can see some glacier ice on the black sand.
We offer two options of ice cave tours from the Jökulsárlón parking lot.
Ice Cave – Adventures Dream – Includes Glacier Walk
Ice Cave – Inside Vatnajökull The largest Glacier of Europe
Summary: The best blue Ice cave tours are in Breiðarmerkurjökull / Vatnahjökull
2. What would be the optimal time to see the Ice Cave?
The best time to visit the ice caves is winter, which is getting colder. During summer, the water level rises too much, the glacier melts faster, and there is a greater possibility of collapsing in the caves. We always recommend going on a guided tour for visitors’ safety.
Most companies start their ice cave tours in November and usually end them at the end of March or the beginning of April. Some years, it is possible to start sooner, like this year (2022), when our first departure is the 1st of October, but that is more unusual.
If you want to stay away from the crowd
Due to the popularity of these tours, it can be hard to know when the best time is. It is not always about what month is best; it’s also about the time of the tour. In our experience, the best dates are some time from the 1st of November to December 10th and from the 10th of January to the 25th.
If you are trying to avoid the crowds, you should try to avoid Christmas time, from 15 December to 10 January. It can be very crowded, and the bigger companies have many departure times, so it is also harder for smaller companies like us to find good departure times.
Due to the popularity of the ice caves, the best departure time can be hard to find. The bigger companies have the most departure times, and they also want to try to go as often as they can in the short daylight hours we have in Iceland in the winter.
So, usually, most companies depart their first tour from 9:00 to 10:00 and their second round from 13:00 to 14:00. We recommend departing from 11:00 to 12:00. The companies that depart at this time are usually smaller. We do our shorter Ice cave tours at 11:00.
If you choose to go on the more extended tour you are doing a glacier hike also, then the timing to the ice cave is easier for the guide to control, and they can try their best to be at the ice cave when there are fewer people in the ice cave.
Summary: The best dates are November to December 10th and January 10th to 25th. The best departure time is between 11:00 and 12:00
3. Where should I book my accommodation before the Ice Cave tour?
First, it is crucial to know where the Ice Cave tour is departing from. Jökulsárlón (Glacier Lagoon) is very popular. You have many companies doing their tours there, and we do as well. Even if Iceland is a small island, the roads and conditions are not always the best, and it can take a longer time to drive short distances. The weather can also be harsh in the winter, especially around Öræfi, which is close to Jökulsárlón. This area is known for heavy winds and storms.
So we recommend always staying close to the Jökulsárlón (Glacier Lagoon). But it is not always easy to find a place to stay close by, so booking a good time ahead can be crucial. We would also recommend visiting the Lobster/glacier town of Hofn. You can find very nice places to stay there and also very nice restaurants. Höfn is about 80 km east of Jökulsárlón.
4. If I am a photographer and want to get the best Ice cave photos possible?
This can sometimes be a tricky one. Begin by choosing the best dates and times that we recommended (we listed above). This might help you a lot. But our experience with photographers is that time is more important than anything else, so a normal tour might not be the right choice for you.
Private tours are very likely to be the best option. You can take the time you need and depart at the time you want. We find that it is best to start around 7:00. Then, most normal departure times have not started yet, and you have some time with no one or a few other people (Other photographers). And if you are patient enough, then you will always get the pictures you are looking for.
We would also recommend hiring a professional guide to go on the glacier because there are usually very nice spots that are even more beautiful than in the ice cave. If you are looking for the blue colors, the glacier has some hidden gems that are even bluer than the Ice cave.
5. Weather and travelling in the wintertime in Iceland.
This is probably the most important thing you have to be sure of. The weather in Iceland can be unpredictable. Travelling to Jökulsárlón in the winter can be difficult, especially if you want to make it fit your ice cave tour schedule. A bus is very likely not the best option as it will likely not fit the timing of your ice cave tour. So renting a car is often your best solution.
If you rent a car in the winter, you have to be sure it is 4×4 because the road conditions are often snowy or slippery. If you add wind, you need to have a very well-equipped car and good insurance. We can never recommend travelling if the weather and road conditions are bad. This is why we want you to stay close to the area of Jökulsárlón.
Always check these websites every day/morning for weather predictions and road conditions before you start your journey. We also recommend looking at the Safe Travel website and installing the app.
Weather: https://en.vedur.is/
Road conditions: https://www.road.is/
Safe Travel: https://safetravel.is/ (Install the app on your phone)
Summary
- Choose where and what Ice cave tour you want to go on
- Pick the best dates possible and timing
- Check the location and book accommodations close to that area
- Photographers must follow the guidelines very well if they want their perfect photo.
- If you travel by rental car, always have a 4×4 and good insurance
- Most importantly, you should always check the weather and road conditions before starting your trip.
Contact us if you have any questions. We will always do our best to inform you in the best way we can
info@glaciertrips.is
+354-7792919
About the author
Sindri Ragnarsson: I was born and raised in Höfn, the town of lobsters and glaciers. I have been doing Ice cave tours in Breiðarmerkurjökull for almost 10 years and will be entering my 10th Ice cave season in 2025.
I am one of the owners of Glacier Trips (A small local and family-owned company)