Skaftafell Ice Cave Tour & Glacier Hike

Skaftafell and Vatnajökull National Park

Skaftafell is the green, birch-covered corner of Vatnajökull National Park, set between the black outwash plain of Skeiðarársandur and the outlet glaciers that pour down from Öræfajökull. It was a national park of its own from 1967 until 2008, when it joined the new Vatnajökull National Park, which UNESCO added to the World Heritage list in 2019 for its rare meeting of volcanoes and ice. The park protects Vatnajökull, the largest ice cap in Iceland, covering roughly eight percent of the country.

Most travellers stay in the area for a night or two, and the ice cave is usually the experience they remember most. If you have spare time before or after your slot, the trail to Svartifoss, a waterfall framed by dark basalt columns, takes about 1.5 hours there and back from the visitor centre. Skaftafell lies roughly four to five hours' drive east of Reykjavík on the Ring Road.

Hof hamlet and the glacier base

Your tour begins in Hof, a small farming hamlet in the Öræfi district, a short drive east of the Skaftafell visitor centre. Hof is known for its turf church, completed in 1884 and the last church in Iceland raised in the traditional turf style, with grass growing on its roof; it is worth a few minutes if you arrive early. The glacier base sits just west of Hofgarður, with free parking, toilets and a warm room for fitting your gear.

Inside, the guides fit crampons, a harness, a helmet and an ice axe, and sturdy hiking boots can be rented if yours are not suitable. A hot coffee or hot chocolate is offered before you set off. As for how to get to Hof, simply follow the Ring Road (Route 1) east from Skaftafell; a rental car is the practical choice, as no public bus is timed for the tours.

Falljökull glacier hike

Falljökull, whose name means 'falling glacier', is an outlet glacier that tumbles from the slopes of Öræfajökull, the ice-covered volcano at the southern edge of Vatnajökull. After a short ride from the base you walk about 20 minutes across the moraine, passing meltwater streams and bedrock polished by the retreating ice, to the edge of the glacier. There the guide shows you how to walk in crampons and explains how the ice has shaped this valley over centuries.

On the glacier you move in single file behind the guide, stopping at deep blue crevasses, sharp ridges and moulins, the vertical shafts that meltwater drills down through the ice. The hike and the cave visit together last about 1.5 hours, with plenty of time for photos. For most travellers this is the easiest safe way to stand on Vatnajökull ice with a professional, and no previous experience is required.

The natural blue ice cave

The highlight is a naturally formed ice cave inside the glacier, where light filters through ancient, compressed ice and turns the walls a deep, glowing blue. These caves are carved by meltwater running under and through the glacier, so they shift and change shape from year to year. Your guide picks the safest cave available on the day and explains how it formed and why no two visits look exactly the same.

Many people searching for a Vatnajökull ice cave tour expect a long expedition; here the cave is the reward at the end of a moderate hike, which keeps it open to beginners and older children. Photographers love the soft light on overcast days, when the blue looks strongest. Back at the base you are welcomed with another hot drink and a chocolate treat before you continue your Skaftafell trip.