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Katlatrack Adventure Tours
Katlatrack Adventure Tours
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4WD, ATV & Off-Road ToursAdrenaline & Extreme ToursNature & Wildlife ToursDay Trips
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About
The main emphasis of Katlatrack‘s activies revolve around the glacier Myrdalsjokull and Katla, Icelands most powerful volcano which sleeps under its thick blanket of ice, and the majestic nature which surrounds that area. Katlatrack makes every effort to adapt their trips to your needs so that you will have the best possible experience.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
1,301 reviews
Excellent
1,204
Very good
52
Average
14
Poor
8
Terrible
23
Jerry
New York City, NY8 contributions
Mar 2020 • Solo
I booked this trip as a last minute replacement to another tour that was cancelled last minute due to weather conditions.
Logistics:
I booked this trip with a departure and drop off point inside Reykjavik. The pickup and drop off is with a modified van (See photo), which is good if you’re traveling in winter on difficult conditions (wind, snow, ice, etc) since you will have to cross the volcano range to the east of Reykjavik to reach Vik, where the tour actually commences. The roads on this crossing can get very bad with wind blown snow and ice, winds are also very high here. Most tours manage the Reykjavik to Vik transfer with a Mercedes Benz Sprinter bus that has regular snow tires. If conditions are bad, then most companies will cancel tours for those staying in Reykjavik but still operate tours for those already in Vik.
The Good:
Our tour guide was James, he was very knowledgeable about the glacier and the region in general. Very safety conscious but still gives you enough room to make it an adventure. You can tell he is very enthusiastic about nature and the Icelandic outdoors. He was very patient with the group and generous with the time he gave us at each stop. It was more of a “go at your own pace” rather than a “15 minutes in and out” type of tour. We got to see everything we wanted.
Regarding the glacier walk, tours are timed so that each group arrives at the glacier around the time the group before is leaving, so you essentially have the area to yourself (your tour group) for the time you’re there. This was in the low season in Feb/Mar, so I’m not sure about other times of the year.
The region around Vik is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen and I would definitely recommend anyone staying in Iceland to find a guide to show you the area.
The Bad: absolutely none!
Logistics:
I booked this trip with a departure and drop off point inside Reykjavik. The pickup and drop off is with a modified van (See photo), which is good if you’re traveling in winter on difficult conditions (wind, snow, ice, etc) since you will have to cross the volcano range to the east of Reykjavik to reach Vik, where the tour actually commences. The roads on this crossing can get very bad with wind blown snow and ice, winds are also very high here. Most tours manage the Reykjavik to Vik transfer with a Mercedes Benz Sprinter bus that has regular snow tires. If conditions are bad, then most companies will cancel tours for those staying in Reykjavik but still operate tours for those already in Vik.
The Good:
Our tour guide was James, he was very knowledgeable about the glacier and the region in general. Very safety conscious but still gives you enough room to make it an adventure. You can tell he is very enthusiastic about nature and the Icelandic outdoors. He was very patient with the group and generous with the time he gave us at each stop. It was more of a “go at your own pace” rather than a “15 minutes in and out” type of tour. We got to see everything we wanted.
Regarding the glacier walk, tours are timed so that each group arrives at the glacier around the time the group before is leaving, so you essentially have the area to yourself (your tour group) for the time you’re there. This was in the low season in Feb/Mar, so I’m not sure about other times of the year.
The region around Vik is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen and I would definitely recommend anyone staying in Iceland to find a guide to show you the area.
The Bad: absolutely none!
Written March 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello,
thank you for great and extensive review of our tour! Our goal is that every guest would have similar good experience. We always emphasize the ample time for each stop, so people would not have the feeling of beeing rushed. :-)
Written March 5, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Ambassador618702
3 contributions
Feb 2022 • Family
We had an incredible time hiking up the glacier and exploring the ice caves with our guide for the day, Bjorn (not the actual spelling or Icelandic pronunciation, but a user friendly version of his name). On the way to the glacier he provided so much history of the natural forces at work shaping Iceland. Once we arrived Bjorn helped us choose exactly the right layers of clothing for our adventure - you can be cold at the start, but then it gets warm once you start climbing. He expertly guided us through deep snow and slippery ice to reach the most beautiful destination in Iceland. The blue ice, the snow peaks, the ice formations within the caves - were all among the most picturesque scenes we’ve ever experienced. We learned so much, saw so much beauty and came home with magnificent photos and memories. We could not say enough about how well taken care of we felt and how much we enjoyed this day.
Written February 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Ambassador618702,
We are very pleased to hear that our guide gave you an unforgettable tour on the ice. We always seek to ensure the best service for our customers and our guides are passionate about what they do. Thank you for joining us and we hope to see you again sometime.
All the best,
Katlatrack Team
Written May 5, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Bill T
Atlanta, GA452 contributions
Oct 2021
The guide was awesome. I realize the caves are in constant change but what we visited was a hole in the ice. We could only walk about 5-10 yards into it, get some pictures, and leave. It was VERY underwhelming. We had to take turns viewing it as it was small. The rest of the tour was landscapes and walking at the base of glacier. Other groups seemed to be visiting "caves" that day.
Written October 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Martin E
Amsterdam, The Netherlands7 contributions
Aug 2021 • Family
our vac in iceland was beautiful, but this katla track tour turned out to be a major tourist trap. an appr. 2hr tour with 2 times 50min drive in a super jeep that could have been done with any 4wd and than 5min in a cave size of a small entrance hall in a private apt. for oversized 140euro p.p.
a huge plus to the very knowledged guide you told us a lot about iceland and the glaciers and (maybe a bit selfembarrassed about the katla track management) tried to make the best out of this trip.
a huge plus to the very knowledged guide you told us a lot about iceland and the glaciers and (maybe a bit selfembarrassed about the katla track management) tried to make the best out of this trip.
Written August 16, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Martin,
thank you for your feedback regarding our tour. We are very glad that you enjoyed the knowledge of our guide, We take great pride in that our guides are well informed about the area and being entertaining. This particular tour was a little over 2 and 1/2 hours and we do plan and advertise our Fast Track tours in between 2 and 1/2 to 3 hours depending on weather conditions. Regular driving time in the summer is 25-35 minutes but if the visibility is good and the time allows, our guides will try to make some stops at some viewing points for the clients to take some pictures, which can prolong the driving time. Conditions of the road towards the glacier vary greatly based on the weather situation. Terrain that we drive through is changed quite often by water flowing from melting glacier and while it could seem accessible for a normal vehicle, it is not recommended to travel there by other means than modified super-jeeps that we use to transport our guests with. Ice caves that we are visiting, as we advertise, are a natural phenomenon. They are constantly changing, as the Katla glacier is melting. Each cave that we are visiting has its own special allure. They are never the same from week to week. Smaller caves like the one you have visited have the advantage of the proximity of blue ice all around you. Unfortunately, we cannot control the pace that glacier is melting and making the cave bigger, however much we would like to please our guests by doing so. We do try to inform our future clients of the status of the caves by posting pictures of the current status of the Ice Cave that we are visiting and their surrounding area on our Instagram and Facebook page. On our website you can find photos of ice caves is different shape and sizes, so all depend´s how the status is on the glacier each time we go there. We always try to make sure that things that we can control are up to the highest standard. We are sorry to hear that your experience was subpar and we will take your feedback into consideration to improve our future endeavors. Kind regards from the Katlatrack Adventure team.
Written August 19, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
allie
Guadix, Spain10 contributions
Dec 2021 • Friends
This ice cave trip was unreal and I’d 1000% recommend it to anyone and everyone. I did my research reading reviews of all the ice cave tours available and this one is rated highly for a good reason.
Ive never experienced anything like it, especially with sights full of ash from volcanic explosions past and ice everywhere. The fog made it even mor Elaine something out of a black and white movie. The tour guide, Jonas, brought so much happy energy, it was like exploring ice caves with good friends(: with respect to what we did and what we saw- astounding. We got to ride in the big 4x4s, Jonás stopped halfway to the caves so we could walk around in a place that looked like Mars but with black sand. (If you’re a Star Wars fan, they shot Rogue One here.!) Then we got to the glacier, strapped on crampons and helmets, and hiked to the ice cave, climbed a glacier and through a long tunnel of ice, climbed up to another cave and drank the best water of my life, and traipsed a terrain full of black sands and frozen glacier.
One thing to note is the tour advertises photos inside this crazy huge ice cave... unfortunately, it collapsed last summer (2020). But in all honesty, I was NOT disappointed. Mother Nature still has something up her sleeve to enjoy with all the ice chunks from the cave. It made for incredible ice formations and it was like exploring and playing on a giant playground of ice. Plus, come on, you’re exploring a glacier.! Nothing can take away from that(:
I’m telling you, do this tour, you won’t regret it.
Ive never experienced anything like it, especially with sights full of ash from volcanic explosions past and ice everywhere. The fog made it even mor Elaine something out of a black and white movie. The tour guide, Jonas, brought so much happy energy, it was like exploring ice caves with good friends(: with respect to what we did and what we saw- astounding. We got to ride in the big 4x4s, Jonás stopped halfway to the caves so we could walk around in a place that looked like Mars but with black sand. (If you’re a Star Wars fan, they shot Rogue One here.!) Then we got to the glacier, strapped on crampons and helmets, and hiked to the ice cave, climbed a glacier and through a long tunnel of ice, climbed up to another cave and drank the best water of my life, and traipsed a terrain full of black sands and frozen glacier.
One thing to note is the tour advertises photos inside this crazy huge ice cave... unfortunately, it collapsed last summer (2020). But in all honesty, I was NOT disappointed. Mother Nature still has something up her sleeve to enjoy with all the ice chunks from the cave. It made for incredible ice formations and it was like exploring and playing on a giant playground of ice. Plus, come on, you’re exploring a glacier.! Nothing can take away from that(:
I’m telling you, do this tour, you won’t regret it.
Written December 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wills Wanderers
Salem, OR590 contributions
Aug 2021 • Friends
Very disappointed because we weren’t told that the beautiful cave advertised on videos and website was not where we’re going. The glacier ride and easy ten minute walk advertised was the opposite hiking up steep, slippery lava trail after 30 minutes reaching a small cave that we could only reach by pulling ourselves up a rope. Once inside we could only go maybe ten feet. The weather was terrific and surprisingly warm. For $160 I hoped for a bottle of water since nothing said to bring it. Our guide didn’t check people’s crampons. Several people’s were too loose and dangerous. He stayed in the lead of the group until once after he was told he should check on the people in the back half of the group. No one in the middle and back could hear him or warnings. On the way The air in the van was blasting hot air and most people disrobed. He said not to open the Windows because of dust and AC was on. It was his first day on the job and very informative and knowledgeable. He didn’t know the vehicle. After the same cave experience people were unhappy. He drove us to the glacier advertised and pointed out we couldn’t go there because of rapid ice melt which was obvious. The cave was impressive standing quite a ways from it. Hope they start advertising honestly.
Written August 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Wills,
thank you for your feedback. We always strive to make our customers satisfied. In order to do so, we welcome your feedback on our tour. On our website and promotional material we have many different caves showing how the glacier progressed over the years. Ice caves are a natural phenomenon and as the glacier is melting, the caves are getting bigger and eventually melting away. We are constantly scouting for new caves to show you. Each cave is different and unique. We don't advertise glacier rides, we are always taking an adventure super-jeep ride to the edge of a glacier as close to the cave as possible, sometimes the hike is shorter, sometimes a little bit longer, depending on the conditions of the glacier. The walking crampons are meant to be a little bit loose, since we also walk with them in the sand and snow. We are always training our guides to make sure everybody is feeling comfortable during the hike. We provide the information beforehand about what is included in the tour, we are sorry, that you were expecting bottled water on the tour. We apologize that the air in the super-jeep was too warm, these modified vehicles, when they drive through the rough environment, could heat up and together with the sun shining on this day through the windows, it could have been rather warm. We don't have so many such warm days in the year. And on this day we have prioritized having windows closed to protect our clients from the dust outside. We hope that this explanation would clear up some issues that you pointed out to us. Kind regards from Vík, Iceland.
Written August 24, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
PapaTours
Kinnelon, NJ64 contributions
Aug 2024 • Family
Iceland has wonderful geographic tours - this is our second favorite (Into the Volcano is our best). Great and knowledgeable guide (Simon), explain the geology of the glacier, and mindful of our safety while traversing the ice caves. Take lots and lots of photos of the glacier. The tour ends with a walk on a secluded volcanic beach, where we lucked out with a humpback whale feeding near the shore! Black crust pizza for purchase at Base Camp was scrummy.
Written September 2, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your 5-star review!
We are happy to know that you enjoyed the tour with Simion and you learned new things about Iceland and you felt safe during the tour. Your safety is our main concern.
You are really lucky if you were able to see the whale that close!
See you in your next adventure!
Written September 4, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Richard M
Washington DC, DC18 contributions
Apr 2022
An Ice Cave had always been on my "bucket list" and with fewer and fewer options around the world, we jumped on this one during an all too brief visit to Iceland. We drove down to Vik on April 3rd and did the 12:30pm tour...we lucked into perfect weather, we were getting hot on the hike out to the cave but with sun and blue skies for the first time in Iceland we were loving it. The guide was fantastic and made sure to take care of a diverse party ranging in age from early 20s to 60s. All in all it was a wonderful if once in a lifetime experience in an amazing location.
Written April 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello Richard,
thank you for your review. We're delighted to hear that we could help you to check off ice caves from your bucket list :D We do agree that glacier cave is a sight to be seen! Our guides always take care to ensure your safety and comfort on the tours. We look forward to seeing you again soon! All the best, Katlatrack Team
Written April 20, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Michael K
2 contributions
Oct 2024 • Family
Our tour guide Viggo was super knowledge and very entertaining. He was very prepared and had all of the proper tools in case of any emergency so we felt super safe the entire time. Would have loved there to be more ice caves on the tour, but obviously not something that can be controlled. Would recommend to anyone looking for a very unique experience.
Written October 8, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello,
Thank you for your kind review! We are thrilled to hear you enjoyed the tour with Viggo and felt safe throughout the experience. While we wish we could offer more ice caves, we are glad you still found it unique. We appreciate your recommendation!
All the best,
Katlatrack Team
Written October 11, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Stamps on my passport
Munich, Germany62 contributions
Dec 2021 • Couples
This was the most fun and exciting guided tour we ever had in any part of the world. The glacier walk was amazing and so was the ice caves. Bjorn was our guide and what a fun person he is! He even added his special touch “highway to hell” on the way and throughout entertained us with jokes as well as information. Absolutely loved the experience!
Written December 18, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi, are you starting up the activities already. We plan to come July 9 or 10? Thnx for your reply.
Written June 21, 2020
Hi there!
Are you going to be going out June17 or June 18 2020?
Two adults.
Thank you
Written May 25, 2020
Unfortunately not this year.
Hope this answered your question
Kind regards
Dan
Written May 26, 2020
Hi, wondering if the ice caves are suitable for heavier people? Any issues with harnesses etc? Thanks!
Written November 20, 2019
We did this in November of 2019, our tour did require harnesses. While there wasn't any "climbing" involved there was quite a trek along a Ridgeline that was steep in places. We were required to clamp on to a safety rope on one section as there was a narrow ledge with a 30 foot drop. Easy to navigate though.
I am from Florida and everything seemed like I was going uphill! Lol.
If you can manage I would go for it, it was one of the most memorable moments in my life.
Written June 5, 2023
DaniPesaro87
Pesaro, Italy
Ciao,
Sto organizzando il mio viaggio in Islanda e ho notato questa escursione.
Andrò ad Agosto e mi stavo chiedendo se in questo periodo fosse interessante questa escursione con jeep e ghiacciao.
C'è la possibilità di entrare nelle grotte ghiacciate?
E' una bella esperienza fatta ad Agosto oppure è una semplice gita senza entrare nelle caverne visto il caldo e quindi la non sicurezza all'interno?
Mi dai un consiglio visto che la spesa è veramente alta per una gita di tre ore.
Grazie!
Written July 22, 2019
Has some one cancel the tour ?
I am trying to cancel a tour reservation for July 25, I already send them 4 emails and no answer
Written June 10, 2019
Hi! I’m looking to book the South Coast and Ice Cave tour w/ transportation from Reykjavik. I see it includes the Ice Cave/Glacier walk and stops at Skógafoss Waterfall and Seljalandsfoss Waterfall. Will we also be able to stop at the Black Sand Beach to take pictures?
Written June 3, 2019
Dear Alyssa
Thank you for the message.
I´m sorry but we do not stop at Reynisfjara black sand beach where with the basalt columns if that is your question. But we stop at another private black sand beach.
Thanks.
Written June 3, 2019
Hi - is the Katlatrack Fast Track Ice Cave tour suitable for children? Will be in Vik in August. Their FAQ says 8 years + for this particular tour. We have a small 10 year old and a 13 year old. Thanks for any advice!
Written May 30, 2019
I brought our 16 year old, who enjoyed it. My guess as to the age reference would be the ability to handle an occasional bounce in the ride over, plus the ability to maneuver in the ice cave (we went into a secondary smaller cave that a few people opted out of, since they were uncomfortable in tight spaces, as we had to briefly crawl on our knees).
Our guide had us climb to the top of the opening to view the area from above with crampons on our shoes, which is aided by good coordination and balance.
Written May 30, 2019
What is the best time of the day in summer to photograph Katla Ice Cave? When are the sun rays more likely to shine inside the ice cave to produce beautiful glow - morning or afternoon? (assuming that it's a sunny day)
Written March 9, 2019
Ice caves only last two or three weeks, so the cave in use now could be long gone by the time you visit in summer, it'll be a different cave totally - so not possible to predict which direction it's facing etc. for good light.
Also, Iceland has near 24 hour daylight in the summer, so there's not really a "glow" for sunrise and sunset like there is in winter.
Written March 9, 2019
Hello- Are there any Ice Cave tours in April? It seems most don't operate after March. We will be staying at the Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon on April 10 and were hoping for a cave and glacier tour to include visiting Jokulsarlon Lagoon and Diamond Beach area.
Written December 29, 2018
They found some ice caves last year which they are showing the whole year. We visited in September, and we were able to experience it.
Written January 29, 2019
Hi everyone! My dad and I are going to Iceland this summer. We love hiking and outdoor adventures. How much should we plan on spending on tours? Any ones we should not miss? We also love history and learning about local culture.
Written May 9, 2018
Agree with the above! We loved the ice caves, black sand beach, geysers, the waterfalls and the National Park to see the tectonic plates - book Northern Lights too if it’s the season.
Written May 9, 2018
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