Ice Cave In Skaftafell, Iceland

Ice caves are temporary structures that appear at the edge of glaciers. They look amazingly beautiful from the inside. This particular cave is located on the frozen lagoon of the Svínafellsjökull glacier in Skaftafell, Iceland. The centuries old ice coming down the slopes of Öræfajökull via Svínafellsjökull glacier has metamorphosed into highly pressurized glacier ice that contains almost no air bubbles. The lack of air means that it absorbs almost all visible light, apart from the blue fraction which is then visible to the naked eye. However, this blue ice can be seen only under certain circumstances. It can be seen in winter after long periods of rain when the surface layer of the glacier has been washed away. It can be seen in ice-caves like this one and on floating icebergs that have recently rolled over.
This cave in the glacier ice is the result of glacial mill, or Moulin where rain and melt water on the glacier surface are channeled into streams that enter the glacier at crevices. The waterfall melts a hole into the glacier while the ponded water drains towards lower elevations by forming long ice caves with an outlet at the terminus of the glacier. The fine grained sediments in the water along with wind blown sediments cause the frozen meltwater stream to appear in a muddy colour while the top of the cave exhibits the deep blue colour. Due to the fast movement of the glacier of about 1 m per day over uneven terrain, this ice cave cracked up at its end into a deep vertical crevice, called cerrac. This causes the indirect daylight to enter the ice cave from both ends resulting in homogeneous lighting of the ice tunnel.

The cave is accessible through a 22-foot entrance on the shoreline. At the end it tapers to a tight squeeze no more than four feet high. Ice caves are in general unstable things and can collapse at any time. They are safe to enter only in winter when the cold temperatures harden the ice. Even so one could hear constant cracking sounds inside the cave. It was not because it was going to collapse but because the cave was moving along with the glacier itself. Each time the glacier moved a millimeter loud sounds could be heard.
These beautiful pictures were taken by 35-year old photographer Orvar Thorgeirsson.
For important safety reasons it is not recommended to go into the ice caves without a certified glacier guide.
Ice Caves are only found during the wintertime when the glacial rivers retract and the water freezes.  New caves are formed in different locations each year. This tour is highly dependent on conditions (including temperature, safety of the cave and access to the cave).  Ice-caves must be treated with the utmost respect in regards to the ceiling being supportive along with other factors.  Being inside an Ice Cave provides visitors with unparalleled photographic opportunities while capturing the blue light passing through the glacier ice.

• Group Maximum: 12 people
• 19.990 per person
• Departs at 11:30
• 2.5 - 4 hours duration
• Minimum age 13

The ice cave tours departs promptly at 11:30 from the Glacier Guides booking house in Skaftafell.  We will visit one ice cave during the tour and this cave is selected based on conditions and safety.
Included is all necessary glacier gear - crampons, helmet, and harness.
You must bring warm clothes (2 or 3 layers is recommended) and good hiking boots or hiking shoes are essential.  The approach to the cave is over an uneven rocky surface which may also be muddy.

Please note that you must arrange your transportation to the meeting point of the tour (Skaftafell is 4 hours east of Reykjavik).  The bus schedule during the winter is very limited so it is highly recommended to rent a car and to stay in the area either the night before or after your tour.  Driving times can be greatly affected by winter conditions so please be sure to give yourself enough time depending on winter road conditions.  Find out more about Road and Weather conditions.
Accommodation options for the area can be found here.
If you are looking for an ice cave tour that includes transportation to/from from Reykjavik please have a look at our South Coast Ice Cave and Jokulsarlon Ice Lagoon 2 day tour.
If you are looking for other options that include glacier exploration and transportation to and from Reykjavik please check out the Blue Ice tour or Glaciers & Waterfalls.  Please note that these are not ice cave tours.
This is an ice cave tour only so it is not combined with a glacier walk.  If you are interested in a glacier tour please see our selection of Winter Glacier Tours