Lofthellir Lava Cave
Lofthellir Lava Cave
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.5
138 reviews
Excellent
108
Very good
19
Average
5
Poor
3
Terrible
3
Kim T
Cologne, Germany19,098 contributions
Sep 2017 • Solo
I booked a half day tour to Lofthellir cave with Saga Travel while I was visiting the North for a few days.
Our guide Ingimar picked us up at the information center at Reykjahlíð (also possible from Akureyri) and provided us with a lot of information about the geology and history of the area while we were driving to the lava field. We also made a short stop at one of the craters en route.
The drive to the lava field was rough and bumpy and a lot of fun! If you struggle with motion sickness it would be best to take something beforehand. After parking the van we hiked for maybe 20 minutes through the lava field to reach the trailer with all the caving equipment. The ground was a little uneven, but fairly easy to walk on.
We all got helmets with a headlight and rubber boots with ice studs and then walked to the cave entrance. Make sure you have waterproof and very sturdy outer layers (both top and bottom), since the tour requires some crawling and thin material might be damaged. Gloves and a beanie as well as warm socks are also a good idea.
Saga Travel protects the cave from damage and provides all the infrastructure necessary to move safely on the ice, so they are the only operator who can take you inside the cave.
After entering we had to crawl up through a fairly narrow tunnel with the help of a rope to enter the actual cave. People with claustrophobia should be prepared. It is not a long section, but might be uncomfortable if you have issues with narrow and confined spaces. There were also some sections where we had to crawl on our knees, slide down or pull ourselves along on a rope on the ice as well as some sections where you could not stand upright while walking.
Even in summer the cave was full of beautiful ice formations and even some small frozen waterfalls. Ingimar gave us plenty of information about the formations and the cave as a whole, how fragile it is and what is being done to study and protect it. He lit especially beautiful formations, helped us with taking pictures and let us experience the magic of the place in total darkness. He also helped with tricky sections and gave us tips on how to handle them best.
On the drive back to Mývatn he played some Icelandic music for us and I was happy that he even played one of my favorite songs.
If you are considering this tour you should be able to navigate sections that require some crawling or sliding, should not be afraid of narrow sections or walking on ice and should dress in sturdy waterproof outdoor clothing that will be able to withstand rough surfaces. It might also be a good idea to bring a few snacks and a water bottle for the drive. If you bring a camera you should be able to stow it safely while you are crawling, since you will need both hands for a few of the sections.
I really enjoyed this tour and can wholeheartedly recommend it. I have visited a few caves in Iceland and this one was really unique und very beautiful.
Our guide Ingimar picked us up at the information center at Reykjahlíð (also possible from Akureyri) and provided us with a lot of information about the geology and history of the area while we were driving to the lava field. We also made a short stop at one of the craters en route.
The drive to the lava field was rough and bumpy and a lot of fun! If you struggle with motion sickness it would be best to take something beforehand. After parking the van we hiked for maybe 20 minutes through the lava field to reach the trailer with all the caving equipment. The ground was a little uneven, but fairly easy to walk on.
We all got helmets with a headlight and rubber boots with ice studs and then walked to the cave entrance. Make sure you have waterproof and very sturdy outer layers (both top and bottom), since the tour requires some crawling and thin material might be damaged. Gloves and a beanie as well as warm socks are also a good idea.
Saga Travel protects the cave from damage and provides all the infrastructure necessary to move safely on the ice, so they are the only operator who can take you inside the cave.
After entering we had to crawl up through a fairly narrow tunnel with the help of a rope to enter the actual cave. People with claustrophobia should be prepared. It is not a long section, but might be uncomfortable if you have issues with narrow and confined spaces. There were also some sections where we had to crawl on our knees, slide down or pull ourselves along on a rope on the ice as well as some sections where you could not stand upright while walking.
Even in summer the cave was full of beautiful ice formations and even some small frozen waterfalls. Ingimar gave us plenty of information about the formations and the cave as a whole, how fragile it is and what is being done to study and protect it. He lit especially beautiful formations, helped us with taking pictures and let us experience the magic of the place in total darkness. He also helped with tricky sections and gave us tips on how to handle them best.
On the drive back to Mývatn he played some Icelandic music for us and I was happy that he even played one of my favorite songs.
If you are considering this tour you should be able to navigate sections that require some crawling or sliding, should not be afraid of narrow sections or walking on ice and should dress in sturdy waterproof outdoor clothing that will be able to withstand rough surfaces. It might also be a good idea to bring a few snacks and a water bottle for the drive. If you bring a camera you should be able to stow it safely while you are crawling, since you will need both hands for a few of the sections.
I really enjoyed this tour and can wholeheartedly recommend it. I have visited a few caves in Iceland and this one was really unique und very beautiful.
Written September 25, 2017
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 review :)
Written October 31, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
KilburnPost
New York City, NY303 contributions
Aug 2014 • Family
We were torn on going. Rather pricey and a 5-6 hour time commitment. We were glad we did. Intimate tour (7 people in our group) led by a knowledgeable, enthusiastic local guide (Anton). Ice formations were amazing. I took over 400 pictures. Tour starts with a bumpy ride and then a walk across a lava field. They give you great boots for walking on the ice. Wear waterproof pants and jacket and gloves, if you have them. Not a big deal if you don't. You need to be reasonably agile as you move about in the cave. You'll learn a lot on the excursion and will have plenty of time to take everything in at your own pace. If you are on a budget, there are a lot of other great things to do in the area that cost a lot less. That said, this will be one of the highlights of our trip to Iceland.
Written August 29, 2014
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 review of us here at Saga Travel!
Written March 2, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jeff L
Greater London, UK120 contributions
Feb 2018 • Family
Family holiday to Iceland and my wife booked this trip. I was not entirely sure what to expect - all I knew was that we needed to have waterproof overtrousers as out bottoms may get wet.
The trip started from our hotel in a super Jeep (big jeep with even bigger tyres) and took us over the lava fields stopping at a location to climb up a small formation. We continued to the 'base camp' for the Lava Cave. Here we were given boots and hard hats.
A short walk to the entrance of the cave where we climbed down steps into the centre of a hole.
Although this was impressive, it was nothing to what was to come.
We then saw our entrance to the cave - a narrow slot that we had to crawl through - although not a very long crawl be aware if you suffer from claustrophobia!
Once through we were inside the Lava Tube and in a larger chamber. Another crawl and another even better chamber.
The whole cave has a floor of ice that is fed from water filtering through the lava above, this causes ice stalagtites and stalagmites.
This whole experience was truly the highlight of my trip to Iceland this time.
The trip started from our hotel in a super Jeep (big jeep with even bigger tyres) and took us over the lava fields stopping at a location to climb up a small formation. We continued to the 'base camp' for the Lava Cave. Here we were given boots and hard hats.
A short walk to the entrance of the cave where we climbed down steps into the centre of a hole.
Although this was impressive, it was nothing to what was to come.
We then saw our entrance to the cave - a narrow slot that we had to crawl through - although not a very long crawl be aware if you suffer from claustrophobia!
Once through we were inside the Lava Tube and in a larger chamber. Another crawl and another even better chamber.
The whole cave has a floor of ice that is fed from water filtering through the lava above, this causes ice stalagtites and stalagmites.
This whole experience was truly the highlight of my trip to Iceland this time.
Written February 14, 2018
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 the kind words. Lofthellir Cave is truly unique and it's one of our favourite places in North Iceland, I'm happy to hear that you had such a great experience with us :)
Written March 21, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tom F
15 contributions
Aug 2016 • Family
After driving 40 mins or so along a very bumpy road you get out of the car and walk another 10-20 mins before descending into the cave. You'll crawl through a tight opening and get to look around a small, 2-300 meter section of the cave, where there are some cool ice stalagmites and stalactites. The tour guide puts on some coloured LED's behind the ice and you turn off your lamps. Thats the whole tour, only a little geological information and an underwhelming caving tour. Not worth the exorbitant price!
Written August 26, 2016
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 Tom
First of all, thank you for reviewing Lofthellir Cave tour. We appreciate it, but at the same time we are a bit baffled. You talk about steep price and underwhelming tour. The price per person is around 175 eur. For that you get a off road transport to a lava cave (only 2-3 ice filled lava caves exist in the world, to our knowledge) on privately owned land. You go with a group counting not more than 10 guests (the maximum we allow on each tour). You also get all necessary caving gear, such as helmets, lights and specially studded boots. This tour and the price is fully comparable to similar activities in Iceland, often even cheaper.
Regarding your experience being underwhelming we would like to point out that most other guest to Lofthellir Cave regard the experience as unique and overwhelming. For instance the average rating here on TripAdvisor is 95%.
We are sorry we were not able to meet your expectations in this instance. We usually do.
Written November 14, 2016
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Nick A
Waukesha, WI18 contributions
Aug 2016 • Couples
I'm a bit torn in reviewing this. On one hand, exploring the cave is quite the experience. The ice formations inside the cave were truly beautiful and navigating the slick and sometimes very narrow passages in the cave was a lot of fun. On the other hand, the tour took about 5 hours, and I'd guess less than 2 hours of that time was actually spent exploring the cave. There isn't really anyway to avoid it, but the very bumpy ride to the cave is slow and a bit tedious, despite the best efforts of the tour guide who expertly navigated the terrain and shared information. A few other things to note, while the cave is remarkable, the amount of area you can actually explore is a bit limited. Also, when you initially enter the cave, some of the passages are tight. I occasionally have issues with claustrophobia, and it didn't bother me, but there was one other gentleman on the tour who nearly had to turn back. Finally, the tour is expensive. In total we spent about $375 for our two tickets. Overall I'm glad we took the tour, but the amount of time required outside of the cave combined with the high price tag keep this from a higher rating.
Written September 5, 2016
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 Nick
First of all, thank you for reviewing our tour. We appreciate it immensely. As you said in your review the unique experience of exploring Cave Lofthellir is a bit of a challenge. First of all it is in the middle of a lava field in the middle of nowhere, and the track there is rough and difficult on the vehicles taking our guests there. Secondly it is a very delicate cave, where a temperature flux can change the cave forever. In order to preserve the cave we keep visits to around 10 people at time and only have 1-3 departures per day (depending on season). We also monitor the condition of the cave closely with the help of Geologists in the Mývatn area. We feel it very important for it is one of maybe 3-4 caves in the world of it's kind, a lava tube cave in permafrost condition.
These facts are the main reason for the high price of the tour, but we feel that this price is worth for the unique experience. For you are one of around 7-8 thousand people in the world that have entered this cave, which is roughly the same number of people that visits Thingvellir National Park on a daily basis during the summer.
We kindly ask you to reconsider the grade of your review, since we are sure that you had a wonderful experience well worth the effort and money spend to get it, given the unique condition of Cave Lofthellir. It also does not represent your kind words on the experience.
Written September 23, 2016
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
astevens16
Albany, NY13 contributions
Jul 2014 • Couples
We had two recommendations to take this tour, so we decided to give it a shot, despite the cost (~$170 each). We took the tour out of Myvatn, so it was an hour drive, then about a 15-minute walk across a lava field to the cave. The entire tour lasted about 4-4.5 hours, with roughly an hour in the cave, and a few other stops on the way back in the van.
Our guide (Stefan) was wonderful, and perhaps the best part of the tour. He grew up in the area and so had wonderful tales of local farming and what it was like as a kid in this part of the country.
As we understand it, Saga Travel is the only company that goes to the cave, limiting the tours to a max of 14 people, in order to better protect the cave and its formations. We lucked out and only had one other couple with us on the tour. I think it would be pretty cramped in the cave with 14 people.
The cave itself was interesting, with lovely ice formations--stalactites and stalagmites of ice, rather than rock. The floor of the cave is ice, as well, but they provide nifty studded boots, and there are rope "handrails" at certain points to help you out. I thought the greatest part was listening in the darkness to the drips, as they made flute-like sounds when they hit the ice below. But honestly, we weren't blown away by the cave as a whole.
I'll caveat this by acknowledging that EVERYTHING is expensive in Iceland, and most of the time you just have to be prepared to pay more than you'd expect. But even given that, we didn't feel the cave was worth the cost.
Our guide (Stefan) was wonderful, and perhaps the best part of the tour. He grew up in the area and so had wonderful tales of local farming and what it was like as a kid in this part of the country.
As we understand it, Saga Travel is the only company that goes to the cave, limiting the tours to a max of 14 people, in order to better protect the cave and its formations. We lucked out and only had one other couple with us on the tour. I think it would be pretty cramped in the cave with 14 people.
The cave itself was interesting, with lovely ice formations--stalactites and stalagmites of ice, rather than rock. The floor of the cave is ice, as well, but they provide nifty studded boots, and there are rope "handrails" at certain points to help you out. I thought the greatest part was listening in the darkness to the drips, as they made flute-like sounds when they hit the ice below. But honestly, we weren't blown away by the cave as a whole.
I'll caveat this by acknowledging that EVERYTHING is expensive in Iceland, and most of the time you just have to be prepared to pay more than you'd expect. But even given that, we didn't feel the cave was worth the cost.
Written July 19, 2014
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.
Taylor C
San Luis Obispo, CA7 contributions
Jun 2019 • Couples
We went on an ice cave tour with our wonderful Geo Travel guide, Iri (apologies about the spelling! She was an awesome lady with short hair and excellent driving skills, been with the company for a month).
We met at the Visitor Center in Myvatn (in the same parking lot as the N1 gas station), then headed out in a super cool converted Hummer bus to drive out to the lava fields. Learned some interesting information along the way, before parking and walking for a bit over the lava fields to the cave entrance, where we were outfitted with rubber boots with spikes, and helmets with headlamps. The cave was amazing and it was fun to make your way through it: lots of crawling, crouching, sliding, and walking on ice. Lots of fun little surprises from the cave and our guide, which I won't spoil in this review :) Highly recommend the trip - it was a great time and even more exciting than we expected, especially with a bumpy mountain drive there and back!
HELPFUL TIPS
-Do not drink too much water or coffee the morning of your tour! There is no bathroom for 4-5 hours after leaving the visitor center, but I didn't know that until we arrived. Bring some toilet paper and a plastic bag if you are ok going outside, but please do not leave your toilet paper in the wild - be sure to haul it back out with you, hence the plastic bag recommendation :)
-Bring warm gloves, waterproof pants (layered if possible), and a couple pairs of warm socks! Our guide said she only wears one pair of socks and is fine, so I went with one as well, but I REALLY wish I had put on my second pair of warm socks. My feet got pretty cold/uncomfortable after about 30 minutes down there.
-Try not to get your gloves wet while in the cave! Mine got wet after sliding down some ice, and they were pretty useless after that, so my hands got quite cold as well.
-Leave your backpack in the bus or boot trailer, as there is lots of climbing/crawling in the cave and it is much easier to do without worrying about getting your backpack through first.
Overall, awesome trip and great experience! :)
We met at the Visitor Center in Myvatn (in the same parking lot as the N1 gas station), then headed out in a super cool converted Hummer bus to drive out to the lava fields. Learned some interesting information along the way, before parking and walking for a bit over the lava fields to the cave entrance, where we were outfitted with rubber boots with spikes, and helmets with headlamps. The cave was amazing and it was fun to make your way through it: lots of crawling, crouching, sliding, and walking on ice. Lots of fun little surprises from the cave and our guide, which I won't spoil in this review :) Highly recommend the trip - it was a great time and even more exciting than we expected, especially with a bumpy mountain drive there and back!
HELPFUL TIPS
-Do not drink too much water or coffee the morning of your tour! There is no bathroom for 4-5 hours after leaving the visitor center, but I didn't know that until we arrived. Bring some toilet paper and a plastic bag if you are ok going outside, but please do not leave your toilet paper in the wild - be sure to haul it back out with you, hence the plastic bag recommendation :)
-Bring warm gloves, waterproof pants (layered if possible), and a couple pairs of warm socks! Our guide said she only wears one pair of socks and is fine, so I went with one as well, but I REALLY wish I had put on my second pair of warm socks. My feet got pretty cold/uncomfortable after about 30 minutes down there.
-Try not to get your gloves wet while in the cave! Mine got wet after sliding down some ice, and they were pretty useless after that, so my hands got quite cold as well.
-Leave your backpack in the bus or boot trailer, as there is lots of climbing/crawling in the cave and it is much easier to do without worrying about getting your backpack through first.
Overall, awesome trip and great experience! :)
Written June 15, 2019
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.
aliciaroset
61 contributions
Aug 2017
This tour cost more than my plane ticket to the country. I understand they have their reasons for the price (as they've stated when responding to negative reviews) but it doesn't change the fact that it just wasn't worth it personally for me.
Unless you're a real geology buff I'd say skip this one.
Unless you're a real geology buff I'd say skip this one.
Written August 1, 2017
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.
DomingoClooney
Zurich, Switzerland6 contributions
Dec 2014 • Friends
I went to the ice cave in the beginning of December. It was amazing! On our way from Akureyri to Mývatn our driver Siddi told us many interesting things about Akureyri, but also about other things that we passed while driving to Mývatn (for example the tunnel that they want to build through the mountain). When we arrived at the meeting point, we went into a container to change our shoes. You get some rubber boots with spikes for walking on the ice. And we even got a third pair of socks, because our toes were already freezing.
On the way to the cave we were driving in a Super Jeep and it was a real adventure. The snow was sometimes quite deep and we got stuck, but our guide Óli knows what he is doing and so it never took long, until we could continue to drive. The road was from time to time quite "shaky", but if you don't get carsick really easily, that won't be a problem.
The cave itself was amazing! The entrance is narrow, but even for tall people like me no big problem. We were told many interesting stories about the cave and the exploration of it. The ice sculptures are very impressive. In the end you get the chance to enjoy a moment of complete darkness and almost complete silence (you just hear the waterdrops falling from the ceiling). Take the chance, it's a great experience! Because your eyes are off, you hear a lot more than you heard before - things that you didn't even realise before.
In the end you can decide if you want to go down the "ice slide" that you climbed before in the way you did it in the beginning (walking with your spikes) or slide down on your butt. Take the chance to slide on your butt, it's a lot more fun!
The way back to the meeting point was absolutely no problem with the Super Jeep, because we could drive in the tracks that we made on the way to the cave.
On the way back to Akureyri you make a short stop at Godafoss to take some pictures and look at this nice waterfall.
NOTE: take warm, waterproof clothes to the cave that you can also put off (in the car it's warm, but in the cave it's fresh) and don't make the same mistake as I did to not trust the spikes on your rubber boots. I was crawling on "4 legs" in the beginning because I didn't trust them, but they hold really good on the icy ground!
On the way to the cave we were driving in a Super Jeep and it was a real adventure. The snow was sometimes quite deep and we got stuck, but our guide Óli knows what he is doing and so it never took long, until we could continue to drive. The road was from time to time quite "shaky", but if you don't get carsick really easily, that won't be a problem.
The cave itself was amazing! The entrance is narrow, but even for tall people like me no big problem. We were told many interesting stories about the cave and the exploration of it. The ice sculptures are very impressive. In the end you get the chance to enjoy a moment of complete darkness and almost complete silence (you just hear the waterdrops falling from the ceiling). Take the chance, it's a great experience! Because your eyes are off, you hear a lot more than you heard before - things that you didn't even realise before.
In the end you can decide if you want to go down the "ice slide" that you climbed before in the way you did it in the beginning (walking with your spikes) or slide down on your butt. Take the chance to slide on your butt, it's a lot more fun!
The way back to the meeting point was absolutely no problem with the Super Jeep, because we could drive in the tracks that we made on the way to the cave.
On the way back to Akureyri you make a short stop at Godafoss to take some pictures and look at this nice waterfall.
NOTE: take warm, waterproof clothes to the cave that you can also put off (in the car it's warm, but in the cave it's fresh) and don't make the same mistake as I did to not trust the spikes on your rubber boots. I was crawling on "4 legs" in the beginning because I didn't trust them, but they hold really good on the icy ground!
Written December 14, 2014
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 review of us here at Saga Travel!
Written March 2, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
SakeSake
Nottingham, UK500 contributions
Sep 2014 • Friends
Great experience.
Local guide - Stefan, was enthusiastic, cool, interesting, entertaining, and ensured we had a great time.
Unique - never seen anything like this. Had no idea we would be crawling through a small hole into the cave, it was exciting and humbling.
Ice cave was very interesting, great photos, unique experience, errie, fun
Ice formations were pretty special (would love to see them in winter in full flow)
Note: climbing down and crawling (flat out) through a small hole is not for people that are lacking in courage or agility. Bear this in mind if you are taking fancy cameras etc down there. I would not fancy it if I were unfit or a large build either!!!
Local guide - Stefan, was enthusiastic, cool, interesting, entertaining, and ensured we had a great time.
Unique - never seen anything like this. Had no idea we would be crawling through a small hole into the cave, it was exciting and humbling.
Ice cave was very interesting, great photos, unique experience, errie, fun
Ice formations were pretty special (would love to see them in winter in full flow)
Note: climbing down and crawling (flat out) through a small hole is not for people that are lacking in courage or agility. Bear this in mind if you are taking fancy cameras etc down there. I would not fancy it if I were unfit or a large build either!!!
Written September 1, 2014
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 review of us here at Saga Travel!
Written March 2, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
HopeAbounds
Los Osos, CA141 contributions
I’ll be in Myvatm 22-25 September. Would like single for 23 or 24 September. I see sign up for 2 but not for 1. Can I join a group?
rosa Maria C
1 contribution
Hola a todos,
En agosto nos gustaria visitar la cueva. Somos un grupo de 7 pers., 1 persona tiene problema en las lumbares y no se si el camino a la cueva que he leido tiene muchos baches,puede q no sea aconsejable. Que tiempo de recorrido es hasta la cueva.
Muchas gracias,
Rosa M
SaevarFreyr
Akureyri, Iceland
Hola Rosa
The the travel time from Lake Mývatn is 45 minurtes on rough mud track to where we park the truck. Then we take easy 20 minutes mud trail walk over quite flat lava. We spend then about 1.5 hours inside the cave before returing.
- The track is quite rough
- The walk is by mud trail and is quiet easy
- The cave has 100% ice floor and. The enterance is tight and partly you have to be on you knees. But most ot the time you stand straight.
The tour is not difficult but both crawling and the bending has to be done
Eirikur_4
Zurich, Switzerland348 contributions
Hallo. Kann diese Cave auch auf "eigene Faust" besucht werden, d.h. ich fahre mit dem eigenen PW zum Parkplatz und laufe hoch. Gibt es ein Kassenhaus, wo ich bezahlen und die Ausrüstung übernehmen kann? Oder geht es nur mit einem Touroperator wie Saga Travel oder auch einem isländischen Anbieter?
Danke für die Hilfe.
Grüessli Eirikur
BaldvinE
12 contributions
Hallo. Danke für die Frage.
Leider ist es nicht möglich die Höhle auf eigene Faust zu besuchen, sowohl aus Sicherheitsgründen als auch zum Schutz der Höhle.
Es geht also nur mit Saga Travel auf einer geführten Tour.
mattovey
Stoke-on-Trent, UK1 contribution
Can we go there by ourselves without the tour? Just drive/hike up and go in?
BaldvinE
12 contributions
Hi Mattovey1000
You can not go to Lofthellir Cave by yourself. The cave is private property. The reason for this is that the cave is very delicate. The stalagmites and ice sculptures inside the dark cave are very fragile and a trained guide is required for entry, in order to protect this delicate location.
The road is as well an unofficial trail, and your car rental company will probably not allow you driving on it.
best
Baldvin
All the best
Janet S.
Wales, WI7 contributions
What is the difference between the two tours? And is it possible to meet at Lake Myvatn instead of Aukreyri?
Joann T
Midland, Michigan, United States6 contributions
I am guessing there is not much difference between the tours other than driving time. Lake Myvatn is where the offroad portion to get to the Cave starts. Aukreyi is quite some distance from Laka Myvatn.
AlanjN
5 contributions
How much physical exertion, bending over and fitting in tight spaces is involved in the ice cave tour?
Joann T
Midland, Michigan, United States6 contributions
The van parks a distance away from the entrance of the cave. You walk about 20 minutes over rough ground to get to the cave. Then you change into cave gear - spiked boots and hard hats. Then you walk to the cave entrance, climb into a hole in the ground, walk through the cave a distance to get to the actual entrance. From there you squeeze into a tight space to get in the cave using a rope to pull yourself. After that you are in the cave and must crab walk, crawl, and slide to get to different spots.
This cave is very beautiful and is worth it but be prepared. My husband was 68 and did fine but he is very active. I am 58 and had no trouble either other than freezing because i got wet from sliding around on the ice.
The most treacherous part was going down the stairs in the hole in the ground. There was no handrail and it seemed very unsteady.
Preeti K
San Francisco, CA
Are there tours in the winter. Specifically, on March 22 or 23rd 2015? Who can I contact to look into this?
Völundur J
Akureyri, Iceland3 contributions
Hi! yes, the tours to Lofthellir run all year. You can contact Saga Travel in Akureyri for further information.
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Claim your listingLofthellir Lava Cave - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Frequently Asked Questions about Lofthellir Lava Cave
- Hotels near Lofthellir Lava Cave:
- (0.12 mi) Mývatn - Berjaya Iceland Hotels
- (0.11 mi) Hlid Camping
- (0.13 mi) Elda Guest House
- (0.14 mi) Ferdatjonustan Bjarg
- (0.13 mi) Eldá Guesthouse
- Restaurants near Lofthellir Lava Cave:
- (0.06 mi) Fish And Chips Lake Mývatn
- (0.20 mi) Gamli Bistro
- (0.17 mi) Hotel Reykjahlid Restaurant
- (0.21 mi) Gamli Baerinn
- (0.25 mi) Mylla Restaurant
Lofthellir Lava Cave Information
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