From Reykjavík: day trip or a night in Vík?
Reykjavík is a long way from the ice cave for three hours on a glacier. You can hand the whole day to a tour, or drive to Vík yourself and join a 3-hour trip from the village. This guide sets the three day trips we list against the self-drive plan, stop by stop, and explains why a night in Vík makes the driving far easier.
Two ways to reach the cave
Vík sits about 180 km (110 miles) east of Reykjavík on Route 1, roughly 2.5 hours each way in good conditions. Every Super Jeep to the cave sets off from the Vík area, so a trip from the capital comes down to one decision. Either a day tour drives you there and back in 10–12 hours, or you drive yourself and join a 3-hour tour in Vík, ideally after a night in the village. The cave does not care how you arrived. What changes is the rest of the day.
The three day trips side by side
| Tour | From | Length | Group | Pickup | Stops | At the ice |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Troll.is | ~$285 | 12 h | Minibus, up to 18 | Central Reykjavík | Two waterfalls plus Reynisfjara | A 3-hour block with the jeep ride |
| Arctic Adventures | ~$279 | 12 h | Up to 14 listed | 27 points, cruise terminal included | Two waterfalls | About 2.5 h by Super Jeep and on foot |
| Gravel Travel | ~$268 | 10 h | Up to 16 | Reykjavík pickup | Two waterfalls plus Víkurfjara | About 30 min in the cave |
Troll.is's Katla and South Coast day, from ~$285, gives the most time at the glacier. A minibus of up to 18 collects you in central Reykjavík and stops for 30 minutes at Seljalandsfoss and 40 at Skógafoss. Then a Super Jeep takes over for a 3-hour block that includes a 40-minute ride each way, and the day adds 40 minutes at Reynisfjara. It rates 4.9 on both sites. The catch is the length of a 12-hour day, plus a few practical points. One reviewer found the Skógafoss stop too short for the stairs to the top, hiking boots are mandatory (you can rent them at the cave), and reviewers mention coming home with wet feet.
Arctic Adventures' Katla ice cave and South Coast tour, from ~$279, has the widest pickup net, 27 points around Reykjavík including the Skarfabakki cruise terminal, and a bus with Wi-Fi. It drives you to Vík, where you swap to a Super Jeep for about 2.5 hours on Mýrdalsjökull with a beginner-friendly glacier walk and the cave. Along the way it stops for 30 minutes at Skógafoss and 25 at Seljalandsfoss. It scores 4.7 from more than 1,365 reviews on GetYourGuide. The catch is the pace, which some guests call rushed, and one reviewer's bus carried more than 14 people with a driver they found unfriendly. There is no beach stop, and food is extra.
Gravel Travel's South Coast and Katla ice cave tour, from ~$268, is the shortest of the three at 10 hours and the cheapest. Groups stay at 16 or fewer. Fast-track entry saves waiting at the cave, and the route adds Víkurfjara, the black beach at Vík, plus a walk behind Seljalandsfoss when the weather allows. Its catch is time at the ice, about 30 minutes in the cave, and one reviewer describes a climb over loose stone and lava to reach it.
Driving Route 1 yourself
With a car you set the clock. The road east runs past both of the famous waterfalls, first Seljalandsfoss and later Skógafoss, so you can stop at each for as long as you like and climb the stairs that the day-trip timetables leave little room for. In Vík the 3-hour tours meet in the village itself, a short walk from the Krónan supermarket, where you can buy lunch before check-in.
Without a car of your own, there is a middle way. Arctic Adventures' GetYourGuide listing for its Vík tour also sells a 3–12 hour option with transport from Reykjavík, stopping at Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss, with Wi-Fi on board. For two or more travelers who do have a car, driving and booking a tour in Vík usually costs less than two day-trip seats, and what a Katla ice cave tour costs shows the sums.
A 3-hour tour, with or without the bus
Arctic Adventures runs its Super Jeep trip from Vík from ~$188 on GetYourGuide, never more than 14 to a group, ice gear supplied. The same listing offers a longer version with transport from Reykjavík. Cancel free up to 24 hours ahead.
Winter on the road
Winter changes the drive. Strong wind along the South Coast and ice on the road are the two big hazards, and around the winter solstice South Iceland gets only about 4–5 hours of daylight, so much of a 5-hour round trip happens in the dark. Check road.is for road conditions and closures, and vedur.is for the wind forecast, before you set off and again before you drive back. If the forecast looks poor, a day trip puts a professional at the wheel, although storms can call off tours as well. The best time for the Katla ice cave goes through the seasons, and how safe and how hard the cave is covers weather cancellations.
Reynisfjara, just west of Vík, is known for sneaker waves that rush far up the black sand without warning. Stay well back from the water, however you got there.
Why a night in Vík helps
Five hours of driving around a 3-hour tour fits into a long summer day, but in winter it leaves little margin for wind or a slow road. A night in Vík turns the trip into two calm halves. Drive out in the afternoon with the waterfall stops, then take a morning tour without watching the clock. Afterwards you can head back to Reykjavík, or carry on east toward Jökulsárlón, which is where Katla or Vatnajökull becomes a fair question.
Staying over also widens your choice of tour. The day trips tie you to one operator's timetable, while in Vík you can pick any of the 3-hour tours, including Katlatrack with several departures a day.
Which plan fits you
- No car and one free day. A day trip. Troll.is gives the most time at the glacier, Gravel Travel the shortest day;
- Arriving by cruise ship. Arctic Adventures collects at the Skarfabakki terminal; leave a wide margin before all-aboard;
- A car and a spare evening. Sleep in Vík and join a 3-hour tour in the morning. The meeting points in Vík shows where each one starts;
- Winter, and wary of the roads. Let a day-trip driver handle them.
Either way the day begins and ends in the cold, and the cave drips, so pack with what to wear in the Katla ice cave in mind.