Getting to Vík and the meeting points
Vík is a small village, yet five operators meet in four different spots around it. Each one wants you there early, and a reviewer warns against typing the cave into your GPS. This guide goes address by address, then follows the jeeps out across the black sands.
Vík in brief
Vík í Mýrdal is Iceland's southernmost village, home to a few hundred people about 180 km (110 miles) east of Reykjavík. The Ring Road runs straight through it under the name Austurvegur, so most of the meeting points sit on that street or just off it. For supplies the village has a Krónan supermarket and a fuel station, plus cafés for a coffee before check-in. Reynisfjara black beach lies just to the west, and the black plain of Mýrdalssandur opens to the east, which is where every tour heads.
Four meeting points at a glance
| Tour | From | Meeting point | Arrive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Troll.is (our pick) | ~$223 | Lobby of the Vík Inn, Víkurbraut 26 | 20 min early |
| Katlatrack | ~$220 | Katlatrack base, Austurvegur 16 (Black Crust Pizzeria building) | 15 min early |
| Arctic Adventures | ~$188 | Bus parking behind Icewear / Krónan, sea side | Before the start, look for the sign |
| Gravel Travel | ~$177 | Ice Cave Bistro, Austurvegur 20; vehicle in the Icewear / Krónan lot | 15 min early, leaves promptly |
| Southcoast Adventure | ~$271 | Ice Cave Bistro, Austurvegur 20 | Before the start |
Troll.is at the Vík Inn
Troll.is, from ~$223, meets in the lobby of the Vík Inn hotel at Víkurbraut 26. Its Viator text also mentions the Icelandic Lava Show building, so if the two descriptions leave you unsure, search "Troll.is Katla Ice Cave" on a map and follow the pin. Be there 20 minutes before the start. Reviewers say parking is easy, and the coffee and biscuits after the tour are served back at the Vík Inn. The 4-hour extended tour by the same company starts from the same address.
Katlatrack at Austurvegur 16
Katlatrack's FastTrack tour, from ~$220, checks you in at a desk inside the Katlatrack base at Austurvegur 16, the building it shares with the Black Crust Pizzeria. Arrive 15 minutes early. Because several tours leave each day, go by the time on your own booking rather than one you saw on the listing. From here the jeep drives about 40 minutes each way across black sand and glacial rivers.
Check in on the main street
Katlatrack sends several 3-hour tours a day from its base at Austurvegur 16, with about an hour at the cave and all the gear in the price, from ~$220 on Viator. Cancel free until 24 hours before the start.
Arctic Adventures behind the Krónan building
Arctic Adventures, from ~$188, gathers in the bus parking lot behind the Icewear / Krónan building, on the side that faces the sea. Look for the Arctic Adventures sign. If you are coming without a car, the GetYourGuide listing for this tour also has a longer option with transport from Reykjavík, which saves working out the connection yourself.
Gravel Travel and Southcoast Adventure at the Ice Cave Bistro
Two more operators use the Ice Cave Bistro at Austurvegur 20. Gravel Travel from Vík, from ~$177, parks its vehicle in the Icewear / Krónan lot on the ocean side. Come 15 minutes early, because its tours leave promptly. One of its reviewers warns not to put the cave into your GPS; drive to the meeting point and let the guide take it from there. The catch is a bigger group and a short visit, with up to 16 or 19 guests depending on the site and about 30 minutes in the cave.
Southcoast Adventure's Mýrdalsjökull and Katla ice cave tour, from ~$271, meets at the bistro too and adds gloves and headwear to the usual helmet and crampons. Its catch is crowd size, with groups of up to 28, and on some days the way into the cave involves a few steps or ladders. It is sold on GetYourGuide only.
The ride east to the ice
From Vík the jeeps head east for 30–60 minutes, depending on the operator, across Mýrdalssandur, the black outwash plain built up by Katla's floods. The mountain Hafursey rises beside the route, and toward the sea you can pick out Hjörleifshöfði, a lone hill standing out of the sand. The last part is a rough track meant for the jeeps, so expect a bumpy ride. Katlatrack warns people with back problems or motion sickness, and an Arctic Adventures reviewer called the Super Jeep anything but gentle.
The cave is only ever visited with a guide. The ice shifts and melts from week to week, and the area sits in the path of glacial floods, so never set out to find it on your own. Is the Katla ice cave safe explains how the guides choose a safe spot each day.
Before you check in
Nobody serves food on the tours, so pick up a snack at Krónan, and use a toilet in the village before you board, since none waits on the glacier. A Gravel Travel reviewer found a restroom close to the Ice Cave Bistro. Dress before you leave the car, because the wind on the sands can be sharp even when Vík feels mild, and what to wear in the Katla ice cave lists the layers.
Without a car, check the scheduled bus along the South Coast and make sure it reaches Vík well before your check-in time. Otherwise one of the day trips in day trip or a night in Vík takes care of the transport. Families should read the Katla ice cave with kids for the minimum ages before choosing a meeting point, and what a Katla ice cave tour costs sets every option side by side.