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CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 💥
Ice caves in Iceland are numerous and change every year 👀! With climate change and melting glaciers, it’s possible that in the future the glacier will no longer be accessible 😭. Know that you’re lucky to be able to discover it now and make the most of it. The Jökulsárlón/Vatnajökull ice cave offers an impressive expanse and a perfect blue hue, and what we saw could be completely different depending on many factors. Reaching these cavities can sometimes require (99% of the time it will 🤣) an approach hike on the glacier, adding a unique adventure to the experience 😍.
Every time you discover ice caves, it’ll be an unforgettable experience 💙. We did it in March, on our 12-day road trip in Iceland along the Ring Road. In this article, we share our day at the ice cave, our stop at Diamond Beach right next door, and help you make the best choice for your tour: prices, season, safety, accommodation and everything you need to know before you go. Dive into the heart of Iceland’s glaciers to explore a dazzling world of blue, white and black.
🗺️ Jökulsárlón is the far end of the south coast: find all the stops on the way there in our article on Iceland’s south coast.
🗺️ Planning your trip? Find all our tips and articles in our complete guide to traveling in Iceland.
❄️ Heading off in the cold season? Ice caves, northern lights, hot baths in the snow: find all our ideas in our article Iceland in winter: what to do?.
🧊 Torn between several options? Length, season, 2026 prices: we compare every option in our article Iceland ice cave tour: which one to choose?.
THE MAP OF OUR ICELAND ROAD TRIP 🗺️
To help you plan your itinerary, we’ve gathered every place from our 12-day road trip in Iceland 🇮🇸 on an interactive map: waterfalls, glaciers, black sand beaches, hot springs and stopover towns, all the way around Route 1. Click on each pin to discover the place in detail 📍. And to keep it handy during your trip, open it in Google Maps: you’ll find it easily on your phone 📱.
Our itinerary
Our trip to Iceland
12 days10 stops1 full loop of Route 1Dacia Duster 4x4 in winter
The stops, in order
- 1
Reykjavik
1 night
Arrival at Keflavík and car pick-up
- 2
Selfoss
1 night
Golden Circle: Þingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss and Kerið
- 3
Hof
2 nights
South coast waterfalls, Reynisfjara, ice cave and Diamond Beach
- 4
Reyðarfjörður
1 night
The Eastfjords and the pebble beaches of Hvalnes
- 5
Egilsstaðir
1 night
Seyðisfjörður, its blue church and its rainbow street
- 6
Mývatn
1 night
Dettifoss, Hverir and the Mývatn Nature Baths
- 7
Akureyri
1 night
Hverfjall, Dimmuborgir and Goðafoss
- 8
Bifröst
1 night
Glaumbær turf houses, Grábrók crater
- 9
Hvalfjörður
1 night
The Snæfellsnes Peninsula and Kirkjufell
- 10
Reykjavik
1 night
Fagradalsfjall volcano, Blue Lagoon and Sky Lagoon
OUR TOUR OF THE JÖKULSÁRLÓN ICE CAVE 🌟
GETTING READY AND TAKING ON THE GLACIER
First of all, know that online you’ll find lots of tours, but they can sometimes be hard to make sense of. What’s more, you can choose between half-day or full-day tours 🤔; it’s up to you depending on what you’re looking for. Remember, you’re in Iceland, where costs can be high. We paid €187 per person to discover the ice caves 💰 (that’s what we paid in March 2023: it may have changed since). At first, we thought about the agency Icelandic.frenchies (2 French people living in Iceland), but unfortunately they couldn’t run the activity on the date we wanted 😭. So we booked directly with Ice Guide. The meeting point was set for 10 a.m. at the café at the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, with a group of 8 people, just right for starting the day the best possible way 😍. The guide was excellent, even if we can’t remember his name (Icelandic names are really hard 🤣). If you’d like an activity similar to ours, it’s this one, with nearly 5½ hours of hiking 👇.
To reach the glacier, and because of the melting ice, we climbed aboard huge Icelandic 4x4s 🚐 (you’d never find those in France). We took particularly rough access tracks ⚠️, with potholes, rocks, slopes… Allow 20 to 30 minutes of driving to cover only about ten kilometers 😂. After this fairly demanding ride, we arrived at the parking area, with an icy wind 🥶. Luckily, we were wearing ski pants and ski jackets: thanks to that, we weren’t cold all day on the glacier. Having warm clothes is really one of the most important things 💪. After picking up our climbing gear, we headed toward the majestic Jökulsárlón/Vatnajökull glacier. We even crossed a mini bridge, and the walk took about 30/40 minutes 🥾.
FIRST STEPS ON THE GLACIER IN ICELAND
After putting on our crampons, we head toward the glacier to climb its slopes and discover the wonders that the Jökulsárlón/Vatnajökull glacier has in store for us 😉! From the very start, the feeling is incredible, all the more so since the guide gives us some freedom 💪, letting us fully appreciate the breathtaking landscape in front of us 👀. He shows us and explains the variations in color, points out holes in certain spots, and leads us into a first open-air cavity, of a simply stunning blue 💙! We go into the ice cave, trying to explore every nook as much as possible, leaving unforgettable memories in our minds. It’s truly incredible, an experience not to be missed 👏!
I was skeptical at first before doing this activity, since I’d read several reviews describing it as underwhelming and heavily edited in photos 📷. Sure, that may be the case with some operators, but the reality is still extraordinary, and to our own eyes, it’s simply magnificent.
ENDING ON A HIGH NOTE WITH THE LAST CAVE
Finally, to wrap up, we discover an ice cave that this time isn’t open to the sky in Iceland. You can see it’s starting to disappear because of rising temperatures 🌡️. We went in March, and these caves gradually disappear as summer arrives 🌞. Here, the cave has an even more striking shade of blue than the first one; just look at the photos 📸. We continue our hike, getting down on our knees to see nothing but the blue glow coming from the ice cave. It’s breathtaking 😍!
Then we retrace our steps and walk for about another 30 minutes to get back to our huge 4×4 and return to the starting point around 5 p.m., almost 7 hours of touring in all 🚐.
DIAMOND BEACH: THE ICEBERG BEACH RIGHT NEXT DOOR 💎
After the tour, we took some time to catch our breath, then went straight to Diamond Beach, on the other side of the Ring Road. It’s the black sand beach where chunks of ice broken off the glacier wash up after drifting through the Jökulsárlón lagoon. The parking lot is the same as the one for our meeting point 🅿️.
That day, there weren’t a lot of icebergs on the beach, which is a bit unusual, since it all depends on the tides, the wind and the season. Even so, it was really magnificent 😍. There were people around, but we had plenty of space and could enjoy the view in peace. If you’re passing through, allow at least 30 minutes to 1 hour to stroll along the beach and the edge of the lagoon 💙.
⚠️ Heads up: on the beach, don’t climb on the ice blocks and stay well away from the waves, which can be very powerful on the south coast.
WHERE TO STAY NEAR JÖKULSÁRLÓN? OUR FAVORITE ⭐
The ice caves are far from everything, and accommodation is scarce around the lagoon. We stayed two nights at The Potato Storage, in Svínafell, about 45 minutes from Jökulsárlón. It’s simply our best accommodation of the trip ❤️🔥.
On the evening we arrived, we were treated to the northern lights above our lodging. It may be one of the best experiences of our trip, because we were all alone. It was like being in the countryside of the French Alps, lost in the middle of nowhere, with the sky lighting up green 🌌. Magical.
👉 Our tip: the place has a fully equipped kitchen, but there’s no supermarket nearby (the closest are in Vík or Höfn). Do your shopping before you arrive 🛒. You’ll find all our other places to stay in our article where to stay in Iceland.
HOW TO GET TO JÖKULSÁRLÓN? 🚗
The Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon is in southeastern Iceland, along the Ring Road, about 375 km from Reykjavik, or nearly 5 hours of driving without stops. So there’s no way to do the round trip in a day without spending hours behind the wheel: the best option is to stay on site or nearby, and make the most of it to see the south coast waterfalls along the way.
As for us, we drove all the way around Iceland, in a 4×4 rented from Blue Car Rental. In our view, it’s the best way to discover the country at your own pace. All our tips are in our article on renting a car in Iceland 👇
🅿️ Parking at Jökulsárlón and Diamond Beach is paid: expect about 1,000 ISK per vehicle per day, payable on the Parka app or at the machines (rate seen in 2025-2026, check on site). Remember to download Parka before you go, along with our other essential apps for Iceland.
RENTING A CAR IN ICELAND 🚗
To explore Iceland, we think a rental car is the best option: you’re free to string together waterfalls, glaciers, black sand beaches and hot springs at your own pace, and stop whenever a landscape catches your eye, without depending on organized tours 🏔️.
We drove all the way around Iceland on Route 1 in a 4×4, in the middle of March, and everything went really well. Here’s the agency we used and recommend, plus an alternative if you’d rather compare 👇
Our rental tip
Renting a car in Iceland
The agency we used, and an alternative to compare.
Blue Car Rental
Iceland's largest local rental company
We rented our Dacia Duster 4x4 with them for the whole loop around the island: we recommend them without hesitation!
Our budget€62013 days, full insurance · ~€48/day
- Tested on all of Route 1
- Insurance included, no deposit
- Free cancellation
DiscoverCars
Rental comparison site
To compare several Icelandic rental companies in a single search.
Excellent rating290,000+ Trustpilot reviews
- 1,000+ rental companies compared
- Free cancellation
- 24/7 support
To compare before you choose
Good to know before you rent
- Gravel, sand and ashThe wind blasts gravel and sand onto the bodywork: make sure these protections are included.
- Check the roads every morningLook at road.is and safetravel.is before setting off: in winter, a road can close within a few hours.
- Your French driving license is enoughIt's accepted in Iceland. The international driving permit is optional: only if you want one.
- Photos and video at pick-upFilm the car from every angle when you collect it, to avoid any dispute when you return it.
- Fill up whenever you canGas stations are rare in the East and North, and often self-service: bring a card with a PIN code.
- Hold on to the doorsIn strong winds, a door can be ripped off as it opens: park facing the wind and open gently.
ICE CAVE PRICES, SEASON AND SAFETY ⚠️
WHEN TO VISIT AN ICE CAVE IN ICELAND?
Natural ice caves can only be visited in winter. They form every fall and disappear as the ice melts in spring: guides even have to find them again every year. Depending on the year and the weather, the season generally runs from mid-November to mid-March, sometimes a little longer. We went in early March, and we could already see the second cave starting to melt 🌡️.
HOW MUCH DOES AN ICE CAVE TOUR COST?
We paid €187 per person in March 2023 for a full day with a glacier hike. Today, short tours (2.5 to 3 hours, by super jeep) start at around €170 per person, and full-day options with a glacier hike cost more (prices seen in October 2026). Gear (crampons, helmet, harness) is always provided.
STRICTER SAFETY RULES SINCE 2024
After the fatal accident in August 2024 on the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier, during an organized tour in midsummer, the rules were tightened. Visits are now only run by agencies that have signed a contract with Vatnajökull National Park (contracts in force until September 2027), with groups of 8 to 16 people per guide and a daily inspection of the caves’ condition. That’s good news for your safety 🛡️: always choose a recognized agency and never go into an ice cave alone.
EXPLORE THE ICE CAVES ON A TOUR 💸
▶️ It depends on you and what you want: there are lots of tours in Iceland, but they can get expensive fast 💰. Visiting the ice caves is a very touristy activity, and you’ll find lots of tours leaving from Jökulsárlón or even Reykjavik if you don’t have a vehicle.
Spots go fast in high season: if you really want to do this activity, I recommend locking in your dates quickly. If you like to plan ahead (like me), you’ll find lots of tours on GetYourGuide, with free cancellation on most of them 👇.
THINGS TO KNOW 🥰
As always in our articles, here are a few tips and tricks for visiting the ice caves in Iceland:
- The weather conditions have to be good, and you can only discover the ice caves in winter 🥶, generally from mid-November to mid-March.
- Not all glacier caves are blue; they can also be black.
- It’s mandatory to go with a guide into a natural ice cave, because they can be dangerous ⚡.
- Every year, the ice caves are in constant motion and can be completely different from one year to the next, or even one month to the next 😉. Don’t expect to see the same thing as in the agencies’ photos.
- Gear is provided by the agency (crampons, helmet, harness). It’s up to you to bring warm, waterproof clothing: ski pants and jacket, gloves, a hat and hiking boots. Our full list is in the packing block at the bottom of the article 🧳.
- There are lots of tours; it’s up to you to choose the one that best fits your expectations and fitness level 💪.
- The ice caves are far from Reykjavik: plan to stay in the area if you’re coming by rental car.
- The wind can be your worst enemy 💨. Bring something to protect yourself, especially in winter 😭.
- Booking is mandatory to discover the ice caves.
- To plan the rest of your trip, take a look at our 10 things to know before visiting Iceland and our article on paying in Iceland 💳.
The weather changes quickly, and an old Icelandic saying goes: “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes.”
OUR TAKE ON THE JÖKULSÁRLÓN ICE CAVE 💭
It’s pretty simple, and as you’ve seen in this article, we loved this experience 🌟. It was our first time in this simply magnificent country, where the key word is change of scenery. Walking on a glacier in Iceland is an exceptional experience that I recommend to everyone 🌠! Especially since, as I said at the start, I had mixed feelings because of the conflicting reviews I’d read, either very positive or very negative.
A tip for discovering the glacier: the best thing is to devote a whole day to this experience, so you really walk on the glacier and explore much more than on a simple afternoon 🙂, when you’d only get a few minutes in a cave. And if you can, continue with Diamond Beach and a night in the area: with a bit of luck, the northern lights will show up, as they did for us 🌌.
Once again, Iceland is a wonderful country 😍 to discover, with completely different scenery in winter and summer. If you come in winter, visiting an ice cave, this one or another, is, in my opinion, essential when planning your trip 🗺️.
👉 What about you? Are you tempted to walk on a glacier and go into an ice cave?
FAQ: YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT ICE CAVES IN ICELAND ❓
These are the questions people often ask before visiting an ice cave in Iceland. Feel free to ask yours in the comments, and I’ll add to this FAQ 💬.
Only in winter, when the ice is stable enough: generally from mid-November to mid-March, depending on the year’s conditions. We went in early March and the caves were already starting to melt. In summer, there are only alternatives (the Katla volcano cave or the man-made Langjökull tunnel).
We paid €187 per person in March 2023 for a day with a glacier hike with Ice Guide. Today, short tours start at around €170 per person, and full days cost more. Prices change every season: check when you book.
Yes. Natural ice caves are dangerous (collapses, crevasses) and can only be visited with an agency approved by Vatnajökull National Park. Never venture onto the glacier alone.
With an approved guide and in winter, the risk is tightly controlled. Since the August 2024 accident, the caves are inspected every day, groups are limited and agencies must comply with a contract with the national park. Always follow the guide’s instructions.
Basic good fitness is enough. On our tour, we walked about 30 to 40 minutes to reach the glacier, then hiked with crampons. Short tours require less effort than full days.
As for skiing: ski pants and jacket, thermal underwear, gloves, a hat and waterproof hiking boots. That’s what we wore, and we weren’t cold despite an icy wind. Crampons, helmet and harness are provided.
Our day lasted nearly 7 hours, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., including about 5½ hours of hiking and cave visits. There are also 2.5- to 3-hour options by super jeep, with less walking.
Yes, some agencies offer the round trip from Reykjavik, but Jökulsárlón is about 375 km away (nearly 5 hours by road). It makes for a very long day: the best option is to stay in the area and leave from Jökulsárlón.
Jökulsárlón is the glacier lagoon where icebergs broken off the glacier float. Diamond Beach is the black sand beach right across from it, on the other side of the Ring Road, where these chunks of ice wash up. Both share the same parking lot.
Yes, expect about 1,000 ISK per vehicle per day, payable on the Parka app or at the machines. The same parking lot serves both the lagoon and Diamond Beach.
We spent two nights at The Potato Storage, in Svínafell, about 45 minutes from Jökulsárlón: our best accommodation of the trip, with the northern lights in the evening. Remember to do your shopping beforehand, as there’s no supermarket nearby.
WHERE TO STAY IN ICELAND 🏨
During our 12-day road trip in Iceland 🇮🇸, we slept in 9 different places, alternating between hotels and guesthouses, almost all booked on Booking. Changing accommodation every night is the best way to loop around the island without piling up hours of driving 🚗.
OUR TIPS FOR CHOOSING THE RIGHT PLACE TO STAY
- 📅 Book ahead: outside Reykjavik, accommodation is scarce and the best places go fast.
- 🍳 Breakfast included: very handy, because cafés and restaurants are rare on the road. We often used it to make our lunch sandwiches.
- 🛒 A kitchen in remote areas: around Jökulsárlón, the nearest supermarket can be more than an hour’s drive away. Do your shopping before you arrive.
- ♨️ A hot tub: after a day in the cold and wind, it’s pure bliss. Several of our places had one.
- 🌌 Away from the lights: in winter, a place in the countryside gives you a better chance of seeing the northern lights right from your door.
- ✅ Free cancellation, to stay flexible if the weather forces you to change your itinerary.
HOTEL OR GUESTHOUSE IN ICELAND?
Both have their advantages. A guesthouse is often cozier, sometimes with a kitchen to cook your own meals. A hotel is more convenient for a one-night stop, with a reception desk, a restaurant and often breakfast included. As for us, we liked both. It all depends on what you want, your budget and how you like to travel.
HOW MUCH DOES ACCOMMODATION COST IN ICELAND?
Iceland isn’t a cheap destination, and accommodation is one of the biggest items in the budget. We paid between €78 and €162 a night for two. To be completely transparent with you: €1,366 for 11 nights, or about €124 a night on average (that was in 2023, prices may have changed since).
👇 Here are the 8 places where we slept during our road trip that still welcome travelers, in the order of our itinerary.
Tested during our road trip
Our 8 places to stay in Iceland
GuesthouseHotel
-
HotelReykjavik201 Hótel (Kópavogur)
Right next to the capital, handy for the first and last night of the road trip.
- Double room
- Breakfast included
- Close to Reykjavik
- Guesthouse
SelfossLambastaðir Guesthouse
A quiet guesthouse, perfect for sleeping after a day on the Golden Circle.
- Hot tub and sauna
- Breakfast included
- After the Golden Circle
- GuesthouseOur favorite
SvínafellThe Potato Storage
Our absolute favorite of the trip: an exceptional place at the foot of the glaciers.
- Our best place to stay
- Fully equipped kitchen
- Close to Jökulsárlón
- Hotel
EgilsstaðirHótel Eyvindará
A quiet hotel on the edge of Egilsstaðir, with a hot tub to unwind.
- Hot tub
- Breakfast included
- Near Seyðisfjörður
- Hotel
MývatnVogafjós Farm Resort
A farm on the shores of Lake Mývatn, chosen for watching the northern lights.
- Ideal for the northern lights
- On-site restaurant
- Breakfast included
- Hotel
AkureyriCentrum Hótel
Right in the town center, a stone's throw from Akureyri church: you can do everything on foot.
- Town center
- Breakfast included
- Superior room
- Hotel
BifröstHraunsnef Country Hotel
A country hotel in the middle of nowhere, with a hot tub and a restaurant.
- Hot tub
- On-site restaurant
- Breakfast included
- Guesthouse
HvalfjörðurHótel Laxárbakki
A stop on the edge of the fjord, ideal after a day on Snæfellsnes.
- Hot tub
- On-site restaurant
- Heading back to Reykjavik
MY MUST-HAVE TRAVEL GEAR 🧳
It’s a question that comes up a lot when preparing a trip “What should I bring?” And in Iceland even more than elsewhere, because the cold, wind and rain can quickly ruin a day if you’re poorly equipped 🥶. That’s why you’ll find below the travel accessories we had in our bags. Planning ahead and getting these items in advance helps you save money and avoid paying for some of them on the spot, where everything costs much more 💸 These are the accessories we took to Iceland in the middle of winter 👇.
Our road trip checklist
What to pack for Iceland?
What we had in our bags for 12 winter days. Good news: the outlets are the same as in France, no adapter needed.
0 / 12 in my suitcase · check what you already have
- Essential
Cold & snowHeat Holders thermal socks
The ones we took: to keep your feet warm on walks in the snow.
- Essential
Cold & snowThermal underwear
Thermal leggings and T-shirt under your clothes: the basics for facing the Icelandic wind.
- Essential
Cold & snowWarm gloves
A pair of ski gloves against the wind, and a thin pair for taking photos.
- Essential
Cold & snowBeanie and neck warmer
The wind is often strong, especially near the waterfalls and on the black sand beaches.
- Essential
Cold & snowWaterproof hiking boots
Icy trails, snow and waterfall spray: dry feet all day long.
- Essential
ElectronicsPower bank
The cold drains batteries fast: your phone lasts until evening.
- Recommended
Baths & waterWaterproof phone pouch
To take photos in the hot baths with no risk to your phone.
- Recommended
Baths & waterMicrofiber towel
Light and quick-drying: handy for baths and hot springs.
- Recommended
Baths & waterWater bottle
Tap water is excellent in Iceland: no need to buy bottles.
- Bonus
Travel & securityEmergency blanket
Keep it in the car, in case a closed road forces you to wait.
- Bonus
Travel & securityTSA lock
To lock your suitcase on the plane, with no risk of it being broken at security.
- Bonus
Travel & securityAirTag
To track your suitcase if your luggage is delayed or lost.
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