Iceland has two kinds of ice cave to visit: natural caves and a man-made ice tunnel. Both are entered only with guides and proper equipment, because glaciers are dangerous.
Two kinds of ice cave
Iceland has two kinds of ice cave to visit: natural caves and a man-made ice tunnel.
Natural ice caves
Natural ice caves form each winter inside glacier tongues, carved by meltwater. They are visited on guided tours in winter, roughly from November to March, and change from year to year. Natural caves can have the deep blue ice the caves are known for. They depend on cold weather and safe ice, so they can be visited only in winter. Winter caves under Vatnajokull are natural ice caves.
The Langjokull ice tunnel
The man-made option is a tunnel dug into the Langjokull glacier, with carved passages and rooms inside the ice. The Langjokull tunnel is open year-round, unlike the natural caves. It is reached by a special vehicle that drives up onto the glacier. The Langjokull ice tunnel is a man-made tunnel in the ice.
Which to choose and ice cave tours
You can compare ice cave tours to see the current options.
Prepare your kit
The Iceland Packing List can help you pack for the weather and the time outdoors involved in Natural vs Man-Made Ice Caves.
