The Lava Tunnel
The Lava Tunnel
4.5
Eco Tours • Sightseeing Tours
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10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Explore the magnificent Lava Tunnel, or cave Raufarholshellir, one of the longest and best-known lava tubes in Iceland. It is located just 35 minutes from Reykjavik and is easily accessed year round. A journey into The Lava Tunnel is a unique experience and a great opportunity to witness the inner workings of a volcanic eruption as one walks in the path of lava that flowed 5.200 years ago. Get to explore the tunnel in an easy and enjoyable manner on our standard tour. The tunnel itself is a natural wonder, therefore the terrain is not easily accessible. To help our guests navigate through it, we have installed a foot bridge and lighting rigs into the rock bed. The lights illuminate the cave, further enhancing the experience and highlighting the ever-changing colors, landscape and geological formations inside the cave.
Reykjavik, Iceland

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Tours and Tickets by The Lava Tunnel
Walking Tours
1 hour
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 94% of travelers
This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher
from
$56.11
per adult
3 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 90% of travelers
This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher
from
$100.64
per adult
Travelers talk about
(39 reviews)
(19 reviews)
(27 reviews)
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions

4.5
1,572 reviews
Excellent
1,278
Very good
209
Average
52
Poor
16
Terrible
18

Tim J
Cardiff, UK58 contributions
Feb 2023 • Couples
We visited in February when the lava tunnel had massive cones of snow inside because of the openings in the tunnel roof,the spectacular ice formations at that time of year is something you'll always remember. I originally booked a standard day tour, but our plans had to change and I managed to change it to a evening tour. Our guide Asdis was brilliant, very informative, safety advice and equipment is provided, suitable for children. Will have to book a Lava tunnel adventure tour when in iceland again
Written March 17, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

brighton50
UK154 contributions
Mar 2023
This was an amazing trip underground through a lava tunnel. After a safety talk and putting on a hard hat, we went down through the tunnel in a small group with our guide who was very informative and had perfect English. It is amazing with frozen ice stalagmites. When we got as far as we were going the guide turned all the lights off to experience perfect darkness and silence. You can do the hour tour or a 4 hour tour to get to the end of the tunnel. There are stairs and walkways for the hour tour but you also get to walk on the surface of the tunnel - they provide sticks if you feel a bit unsteady. I am slightly claustrophobic but I felt fine. It was fascinating. I think they do get busy so worth booking. Just 40 mins from the capital.
Written March 10, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Emelia B
26 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
I booked for myself and my partner to go to the lava cave on our first day in Iceland. I booked the standard tour and we absolutely loved it. The transfer was easy from the main bus terminal to the cave and when we arrived it was just blanketed in snow which was beautiful. They give you treats to put on your shoes to stop you from slipping and a hardhat (you can also get a hiking stick if you want). Our tour guide took us into the cave and it was absolutely amazing. The group was small (around 10 people) and we stopped at 3 different places along the way for the tour guide to explain how the cave was formed. They gave you enough information without overwhelming or boring you and kept it entertaining. When you get to the end of the tunnel they turn the lights off so you can experience complete darkness which was beautiful and scary but it was nice to understand how the cave would be without the artificial lights. The tour guide then took photos for us and let us walk back at our own pace and take photos. The cave is huge and you can do another tour which goes into the cave deeper but we were getting quite cold towards the hour in there even though we were wrapped up and apparently if you go on the longer tour there is no path like what we had so it would be much harder.
We absolutely loved this cave and would highly recommend it to anyone who is going to Iceland. They also do concerts in the cave and hold different events so it’s worth looking to see if something is on while you are there.
Thank you Lava Tunnel for a great experience!
Written January 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Lucy Z
5 contributions
Mar 2023 • Couples
Really interesting tunnel. The rock had good colours and the ice stalagmites were nice. The guide Alex (sorry can’t pronounce his full Icelandic name) was really entertaining, very funny.
Written March 18, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Joe M
London, UK6 contributions
Feb 2023 • Friends
We did the Adventure Tour (the longer experience, off the besten track). We had an amazing experience with our excellent guide, Jona. She was very knowledgeable and made sure everyone was comfortable with the difficult terrain. The 3 hours spent in the lava tunnel were awesome. We climbed up and down all sorts of of rock piles and hills to reach the ancient source of the lava tunnel. There are incredible colours and shapes in all of the rocks and you can see the actual lines in the rocks from where the magma once ran. Incredible experience.
Written February 12, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Lucy Z
London, UK56 contributions
Oct 2022
We were fortunate enough to experience a personalised version of the extended adventure tour – with only ourselves and our guide, Iris. Iris is very knowledgeable – answering all of our questions on the various lava formations – and navigated the 3 of us expertly through the maze of tunnels. I would thoroughly recommend the extended tour if you have the time – the sheer scale and variety of the cave as you venture down will leave you in awe, and you will see some amazing lava formations when you reach the end that bring to life how the lava flowed into the tunnels years ago. I would also like to extend a special thank you to Iris – very friendly and informative, and she made the experience even more memorable.
Written November 5, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Clare
Exeter, UK20 contributions
Oct 2022
We opted for the longer adventure tour which takes you right to the end of the tunnel (actually there several ends). It is certainly not for everyone - you need to be able to spend several hours clambering over loose rocks - but I can definitely recommend it. It was so interesting to see the frozen lava falls at the end as well as other features like the lava straws and the "train tracks". Our guide Enno was great, very informative and made sure we were comfortable with the pace.
Written October 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Dave & Soph
19 contributions
Nov 2022 • Couples
Unique and interesting tour. The tour guide makes it, without this I am not sure we would have enjoyed as much. Tour itself if quite short but mostly you just get the chance to take a few different pictures. Overall glad we did it but it does seem slightly over priced considering other trips you can do for a similar price.
Written November 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

John B
Brentwood, TN16 contributions
Mar 2022
We actually drove here from Reykjavik in the snow and wind on 16 March. Our guide Theo, did a great job. His geological knowledge was informative and he even had a good sense of humor. The snow coming in from the openings above added a really cool layering effect in certain areas as well as the stalagmite ice formations created from the melting snow and refreezing. Our 11 yr old really enjoyed the experience.
Written March 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Paula S
7 contributions
Feb 2022
Fantastic. The tour itself took about an hour. The lead guide was incredibly knowledgeable, and really made the experience fun. Our coach came off the road on the way to the tunnels, so we were quite late getting there, but we were still welcomed and given a very timely tour. We were able to use the facilities and then go straight in after the safety talk. So accommodating, and definitely worth the trip. It was one of the guides first day, and we wouldn't have known if he hadn't told us - he took our lateness and group dynamics in his stride. If it is really snowy, I would recommend sunglasses for when you leave the tunnel, as this was a real shock to the eyes after the darkness of the tunnels (we were given an experience of pitch black and told about the long term effects of 'cave blindness' in the tunnels, but got a sense of snow blindness when we left). Definitely worth while and informative experience
Written February 25, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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The Lava Tunnel (Reykjavik) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go