The Katla Ice Cave Honest Review: Risky But Worth It

The Katla Ice Cave in Iceland is a relatively new attraction that could also be gone tomorrow.

It’s one of the best things we did, not only in Iceland, but quite possibly ever!

And it’s also one of the most terrifying things we’ve done.

Needless to say, we’re happy we did it, but in retrospect, we probably shouldn’t have… Here are some things I wish I knew before heading out on this crazy Iceland ice cave adventure!

Psst! This blog post contains affiliate links in it which sends me a bit of extra money if you use them… at no extra cost to you!

What Is The Katla Ice Cave?

The Katla ice cave is in the Kötlujökull glacier (which is from the Mýrdalsjökull glacier, fourth largest in Iceland!).

And the Kötlujökull glacier conveniently sits ON TOP of the Katla volcano!

So, Katla is actually subglacial volcano. And it used to erupt every 40-80 or so years. By the way, the last time it erupted was in 1918… let’s just say we’re over due for an eruption.

Because the glacier sits above an active volcano, the lava erupts into glacier ice and then turns into ash. The ash then falls and becomes compressed by ice.

So you end up with these beautiful blue and black layers of ice.

Now, as the glacier is melting, it forms these beautiful ice caves that are filled layers of ice and ash.

P.S. the Katla volcano is also why you get the black sand and dirt in the South of Iceland.

The Cave Is Constantly Changing – It’s Always A New Experience

Glaciers are always melting, which means, this Iceland ice cave is constantly changing.

The Kötlujökull glacier recedes about 35 m a year. To put that into perspective, when they started this Iceland ice cave tour in 2019, the cave started at the parking lot. Now it’s about a 10 minute walk away.

This also makes every visit to the Katla ice cave a very unique and completely different experience .

My sister visited in May, and by the time we went in July, half of her cave was gone. We visited a much shorter cave, but we also saw the beginning of the new one starting to form (with a beautifully waterfall!).

Our guide mentioned that by the end of the summer, our cave would no longer exist (we visited in mid July!). Our cave was the 10th cave since they started taking tour group there 4 years ago!

Do You Need A Tour Group To Visit The Katla Ice Caves?

Technically no. The Katla ice caves are completely open to the public and free to access.

But should you go on an organized tour, yes.

Not to worry though, there are several organized tours that take you to the Katla Ice Cave, like these on Viator.

Viator offers both options whether you’re staying in Reykjavik, you can go on a full day tour like this one on Viator. Or if you’re already in Vik, you can opt for a half day tour like this one on Viator.

It’s All Around Safer To Go On An Iceland Ice Cave Tour…

There are several benefits to going with a tour group, but it all boils down to safety.

First, they make sure the Katla ice cave is even safe to visit that day. Remember, this is an active volcano and melting glacier after all.

They remove any part of the cave that is deemed unsafe and change the path if they need to.

Then there’s the drive over – which also isn’t simple. You will be driving on unmarked F roads and potentially through a river (we did!).

They also guide you through the ice cave itself – literally building us a new path and stairs on the way. I guess the old ones melted away before we got there!

And finally, they provide you with the necessary crampons to walk on the ice. Plus as a bonus, you get all the information and history of the Katla volcano in Iceland.

All around, the Katla ice cave is already dangerous to visit, so make it a tad safer for yourself by taking an organized tour.

What If The Katla Volcano Erupts When You’re There?

This is another one of the benefits of booking a tour group to the Katla ice caves.

They are tracking the volcano, so it’s most likely that they will know way before you’re going if the volcano is about to erupt.

For example, there tends to be earthquakes in the area before an eruption.

And worst case, as our tour guide informed us, if it were to erupt while we were there, you would have about an hour to get out of the vicinity!

If it were to erupt, they’re actually most worried about a flooding over anything else. Because it’s a subglacial volcano, it would just melt all the ice and the water needs somewhere to go…

Glacier Tours In Iceland To The Katla Ice Cave

We booked our tour with Arctic Adventures a few weeks in advance (see their website here). It’s the same tour as Southcoast Adventures, which I think is the main company.

Would I recommend them, not necessarily. But I don’t know if another tour company would be any better…

The way our tour guide described it is that all the tour companies are affiliated. They all manage the cave together and then bring tour groups here. So, if you want to visit the Katla Ice Caves, you don’t have that many options.

And in the end, I actually really liked our guide. He knew what he was doing and entertained all my questions and fears about what we were doing!

You can also book the tour through Viator here.

Where Do The Tours Leave From?

Tours to the ice cave leave from both Reykjavik or Vik.

If you choose to leave from Reykjavik, most tours will stop at Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss waterfalls (timing permitting).

How Long Is The Ice Cave Tour?

The tour ranges between 3 and 11 hours (depending on if you’re leaving from Reykjavik or Vik).

From Vik, you have 45 minute drive (in the super jeep) to the ice cave. Once you’re there, you have about an hour at the caves itself, and then you have the drive back.

If you’re leaving from Reykjavik, you have to add about 5 hours of driving alone just to get to Vik.

Who Can Go To Katla Ice Cave?

We saw people of all ages at the Katla ice cave. From young to old.

Technically, the minimum age is 6 years old to go on the tour.

Just because the tour is open to all ages, doesn’t mean all ages should actually go.

You are walking on small bridges, wearing crampons to walk on literal ice… I would say, if you’re traveling with young kids, this is NOT for you.

The same should be said if you’re older and not as mobile, this is also NOT for you.

I was scared doing this in my late twenties…

What To Know Before Booking The Katla Ice Cave Tour

These are some of the issues we encountered on our tour and from talking with our guide.

As I mentioned though, the safest way to visit the caves is still with a tour group. But it is good to know what you’re getting yourself into beforehand, so there are no surprises.

Overbooking Issues…

We did have an issue with our group that’s more common than we initially thought (after reading some more Google reviews…).

They actually overbooked our tour and two people had to join a later group.

This can be a non issue if you’re spending the day in Vik. But if that were us, it would have destroyed the rest of our day.

Be Prepared For A Longer Tour

Perhaps the bigger problem with the tour (that they never mention when booking) is that it can easily be way longer than 3 hours.

The tour timing is very weather dependant. If it’s snowing, or even if there’s a lot of wind, the tour can be a lot longer. Our guide was saying that tours can take upwards of 4, 5, even 8 hours!

Obviously, this can really affect any plans you might have for that day as well.

Be Prepared To Never Even Make It To The Caves

As I said, the tour is very weather dependant but they rarely actually cancel tours.

When talking with our guide, he mentioned that in the year and half that he’s been working, they’ve only had to cancel one tour.

Now here’s the caveat…

They don’t cancel, but they also might never make it to the caves… and they don’t give you a refund.

Despite having bad weather, they would rather try to make it to the caves and fail than not try at all.

Our guide was telling us that once they went out in the winter and it ended up being an 8 hour day… stuck in the car. They just got stuck on the F Road and it took them 8 hours to get back to Vik…. never having made it to the cave.

Of course, I would like to remind you this is an extreme case, but just to know that it can happen!

Also, Don’t Do What We Did…

As I said, tours leave from either Reykjavik or Vik.

We were staying in Reykjavik for our entire stay while in Iceland. But instead of booking the tour that left from Reykjavik, we booked the tour from Vik.

It is cheaper, and we felt we had more control over our day this way. We spent the morning in Vik and afternoon stopping and driving back to Reykjavik.

But we also didn’t realize how fickle the Katla ice cave tour actually was…

In retrospect, this was a terrible plan.

Either stay one night in Vik if you want the flexibility. Or book the tour that leaves from Reykjavik (like this one here)!

What To Expect On The Tour

Here are some extra things to know about the Katla Ice Cave tour!

A Bumpy Ride To The Cave

The reason the tour doesn’t meet at the ice caves is because the drive isn’t exactly easy to access.

They take you in a Super Jeep – an insane Jeep with crazy ground clearance that could drive through anything… and I mean anything!

The ride to the Katla Ice Cave is an adventure and an experience on it’s own, even during the summer months.

As I mentioned, on a good summer day the drive is about 45 minutes from Vik to the caves. It’s two thirds of the tour!

And in worse weather conditions, it can be even longer.

You start on the main highway, but then you quickly diverge onto the old ring road (that they used until 1996!)… which is a simple dirt path.

That’s no problem, until you then turn off of that road and end up on no road at all. It’s just dirt all around you. And the crazy bumpy ride begins!

There’s no markings, and zero defined path. You would definitely get lost if you were driving here alone. At one point, we even had to drive through a little river.

There Are NO Bathrooms At The Cave

Well, I guess the bathroom is all around you!

If you’re leaving from Vik, make sure to go to the bathroom at the meeting point (at the Ice Cave Bistro there are public washrooms).

Otherwise, there’s not even at outhouse at the parking lot for the cave.

It’s just you in nature after that point!

This Is One Of The Most Terrifying Things I’ve Done…

We did this cave tour as per a recommendation from my sister. I am probably the least risk seeking person, especially while travelling.

While I do enjoy adventures and new experiences, I don’t like being in dangerous situations.

I was not expecting the caves to be what they were….

You are walking on ice – granted with crampons, but still. It’s not a very wide path. And at least when we were there, it was quite a drop into the water below.

Then you have to cross from one ice island to another via a thin wood bridge… with no railing. There was a wet rope you can grab onto… although I’m not sure how much it will actually do…

The bridges are also completely sopped from the melting ice, and destroyed from people walking on them with crampons.

Let’s just say, some of the bridges we walked on definitely sagged a bit… I was not happy.

And, when you make it to the other side of the cave, you still have to walk back the same way you came from…

And all this while the volcano might erupt underneath you! Woohoo!

But It’s Also One Of The Most Incredible Things I’ve Done…

I’m sorry to say that it was also one of the most incredible things I’ve done, possibly ever.

I’m so happy I did it (but I’m also so happy I made it back and I don’t have to ever do it again!).

This doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world and it’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen. Where else would you have ash layered ice!?

Secret Option Visiting The Ice Cave: Enjoy It From Far!

If you’re on the edge of booking the Katla Ice Cave tour because you’re scared, there might be another option for you.

Now, this might not work for the cave you’ll be visiting, but it would have worked for ours.

You were able to see our entire cave without walking on any sketchy bridge. Maybe you had to walk on a bit of ice, but it wasn’t nearly as narrow as it gets.

So, technically, if you’re scared, you can walk right up to the entrance and then not go any further. This way you get to see the beauty of the cave, have the fun of driving on an F road in Iceland, and not risk much!

What To Bring To The Ice Caves?

They recommend bringing warm and waterproof clothes (you are going to an ice cave after all!).

When we visited, we had very good weather and they said it was pretty dry. We did wear our rain jackets (and I’m happy we did)! But we didn’t need to put on our rain pants (we still brought them just in case).

I also recommend waterproof hiking boots (like these on Amazon – they’re my favourite!).

Extras To Bring To The Ice Cave!

Some other items that can be overlooked but you might want to bring are a hat, gloves, and waterproof phone bag.

A hat is good to stay warm but also to wear under the helmet they give you. Make sure it’s thin enough though so it will fit! I love this thin merino wool hat from Decathlon – check it out here.

I also ordered the matching gloves as well (which are great for travel). But, for the ice cave I wish I had waterproof gloves. I said, the ropes are WET and you’ll want to grab on to them every chance you get! You can check out these water resistant gloves on Amazon instead.

The waterproof phone bag actually serves two purposes here. First, it will come in handy to protect your phone from the dripping water.

But, the better reason is that it keeps your phone attached to you at all times. Let’s just say you’ll want to take photos, but if you drop your phone it’s most likely gone forever! Check out the waterproof phone bag on Amazon here.

Remember! Your Experience Can Be Completely Different From Mine

Not only will the cave look different. But depending on when you visit in the progression of the cave, you can also get a different experience.

We were walking on bridges above a stream of water that was carving out the ice. But, apparently, the ice islands started off even higher. They keep having to lower the bridges as the ice melts.

So perhaps you area walking higher up or even be lower down (which would be way less scary!).

Visiting In The Winter Is Also A Different Experience

The winter (if you make it there) is also a completely different experience (from what I’m told!).

For starters, there’s way less sunlight. Our guide was telling us that they come every morning to put up little fairy lights for people to see. He said this makes the cave really quite magical!

He also mentioned that you can also walk on the ground in the winter because the water is frozen (so no sketchy bridges!).

But as I mentioned, the tours usually last a lot longer in the winter as well. You’re usually spending a lot longer driving to get to the cave.

My Katla Amazon Essentials

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Last update on 2024-05-08 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API