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Guide · Comparison
Lava tunnel tours in Iceland compared
Some caves have a lit walkway and take an hour; others mean boulders, ladders and a headtorch for half a day. This is how the lava tube trips on GetYourGuide differ, and who each one suits.
Check availabilityfrom $72 · cancel without a fee
Editorial team, lavacavetouriceland.comUpdated October 25, 20268 min read22 sources
The short version
- 01Easiest
- Raufarhólshellir: about 1 hour on a footbridge, from $72.
- 02Shortest
- Vatnshellir on Snæfellsnes: 45 minutes, from $46.
- 03Real caving
- Arnarker: 5 hours, boulders and no man-made path, ages 15 to 65.
- 04Biggest hall
- Víðgelmir, which its operator calls Iceland's largest lava cave.1
- 05Every listing
- Each listing here refunds you fully if you cancel 24 hours or more ahead.
Three kinds of cave trip
Lava tunnel tours in Iceland fall into three groups, and knowing which one you want saves a lot of reading. The first is the show cave: a lava tube fitted with a walkway and lights, visited on a short guided walk that suits nearly anyone with steady legs. Raufarhólshellir near Reykjavík, Víðgelmir in the west and Vatnshellir on Snæfellsnes all work this way, with a footbridge, a walkway or staircases doing the hard part for you.234
The second group is real caving. Here there is no built path, you climb over boulders by the light of your helmet, and the guide picks the line through the rubble. Arnarker, Leiðarendi and the far end of Raufarhólshellir belong here. The listings ask for good balance, hiking boots with ankle support and in some cases set strict age limits. These trips are slower, colder and dirtier, and they leave a far stronger impression of what a lava tube really is.
The third group is the combo: a lava cave inside a longer day that adds snorkeling in Silfra, a hunt for the northern lights, waterfalls, horses or a quad bike. In these trips the cave is usually the shortest part of the day, often the same 1-hour walk through Raufarhólshellir with transport around it. They suit travelers without a car who want several sights ticked off by one booking.
Raufarhólshellir: the easy hour near the capital
The listing this site sells is the simplest of all: you meet at the cave on Þorlákshafnarvegur, get a helmet and headlamp, and walk the lit part of the tunnel with an English-speaking guide for about 1 hour. It starts from $72 and is rated 4.69 from 1,956 reviews, the most reviewed lava cave listing in this comparison. The operator gives the drive from Reykjavík as less than 30 minutes, approximately 30 km.5
If you have no car, the same hour comes wrapped in a coach ride. One listing starts from $68, with 40 minutes on the bus each way and an hour of guided walking at the cave. Another runs 3 hours in all, from $154, with 30 minutes each way and 2 hours at the cave. The coach versions save you a rental car but tie you to their timetable and pickup points.
For walkers who want the whole cave, the Lava Falls Adventure Tour goes past the footbridge to the end of the tunnel. On GetYourGuide it is sold for a private group, from $223, with 3 to 4 hours spent underground on average, a minimum age of 12 and hiking shoes with ankle support required. It is the same cave seen in a completely different way, over rubble and to the lava falls at its deepest point.
Time
How long each cave trip lasts
hours
Side by side
The cave listings compared
| Trip | Cave | Listed time | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walk at the cave | Raufarhólshellir | 1 hour | from $72 |
| Coach from Reykjavík | Raufarhólshellir | 1 to 3 hours | from $68 |
| Bus tour | Raufarhólshellir | 3 hours | from $154 |
| Lava falls, private | Raufarhólshellir | 3 hours | from $223 |
| Snæfellsnes walk | Vatnshellir | 45 minutes | from $46 |
| Caving trip | Leiðarendi | 3 hours | from $103 |
| Geology adventure | Arnarker | 5 hours | from $210 |
| West Iceland day, private | Víðgelmir | 10 hours | from $218 |
From the GetYourGuide listings; prices are starting prices that change, and the two private trips are booked for your own group.
Three styles
Walkway, caving or a day out
Easiest
Most demanding
Private groupDecision helper
Match the cave to your trip
Start from where you are staying and how much effort you want
Raufarhólshellir
It is less than 30 minutes away and the walk lasts about 1 hour.5
Vatnshellir
Its 45-minute tour starts by road 574 in the national park.6
Arnarker
No man-made path, 5 hours, ages 15 to 65.
A combo
Silfra plus the tunnel takes 5 to 10 hours with pickup available.
The lava falls trip
It reaches the end of Raufarhólshellir, 3 to 4 hours underground.7
Take a guided tour into the mighty Víðgelmir lava tube with the aid of our easy-access walkway, and state of the art feature lighting.
Raufarhólshellir vs Víðgelmir, and Vatnshellir out west
Raufarhólshellir vs Víðgelmir is a natural question when you plan a trip around the west of Iceland. Víðgelmir lies in Hallmundarhraun, a lava field whose eruption is usually dated to around 900 AD, and its operator calls it Iceland's largest lava cave.81 Its walk lasts 1.5 hours along an easy-access walkway with feature lighting.13 Raufarhólshellir is older, about 5200 years by its operator's account, and far closer to Reykjavík.9
The practical difference is distance. Raufarhólshellir fits into half a day from the capital; Víðgelmir means a long drive or a day tour through Borgarfjörður. One GetYourGuide day tour from Reykjavík that includes Víðgelmir lasts 10 hours, with 1.5 hours at the cave and admission included, plus waterfalls, a horse farm and hot springs along the way. If you are already driving the west, Víðgelmir slots in naturally.
Vatnshellir is the short one. On Snæfellsnes, inside Snæfellsjökull National Park, it is visited on a 45-minute guided tour that goes down two spiral staircases into an 8,000-year-old lava tube.410 The Environment Agency of Iceland says no one may enter without a guide.11 The GetYourGuide listing starts from $46 and is rated 4.70 from 270 reviews, which makes it the cheapest cave walk in this comparison.
Map
Where the lava caves are
First the lava fields between Reykjavík and Hveragerði with the three caves near the capital, then west Iceland with Silfra, Vatnshellir and Víðgelmir.
1Raufarhólshellir2Arnarker3Leiðarendi4Reykjavík5Hveragerði
6Raufarhólshellir7Reykjavík8Silfra9Vatnshellir10Víðgelmir
- 1Raufarhólshellir
The lava tube by road 39, approximately 30 km from Reykjavík; the meeting point of the 1-hour tour.5
In Google Maps ↗ - 2Arnarker
A cave in the Leitarhraun lava field, entered by a ladder some 16 meters down; about 516 meters long.1213
In Google Maps ↗ - 3Leiðarendi
A lava tube near the Bláfjöll mountains, on road 417; its name means End of the road.141516
In Google Maps ↗ - 4Reykjavík
Bus tours to Raufarhólshellir start here and drive 30 to 40 minutes each way.
In Google Maps ↗ - 5Hveragerði
A geothermal town east of the cave on road 1, where the lava heath drops to the lowland.
In Google Maps ↗ - 6Raufarhólshellir
The tube of the Leitahraun eruption, 1360 m long in total.917
In Google Maps ↗ - 7Reykjavík
The capital, less than 30 minutes by car from Raufarhólshellir.5
In Google Maps ↗ - 8Silfra
The snorkeling fissure in Þingvellir National Park, in water of 2-4 °C.18
In Google Maps ↗ - 9Vatnshellir
An 8,000-year-old lava tube on Snæfellsnes by road 574, open on guided tours only.10611
In Google Maps ↗ - 10Víðgelmir
A lava cave in Hallmundarhraun, the lava of an eruption set at around 900 AD; tours last 1.5 hours.81
In Google Maps ↗
Checklist
Read this in every listing
01
Same on all of them
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
- Reserve now, pay later
- Guides in English
02
Differs by tour
- Pickup or meet at the cave
- Minimum and maximum age
- Footwear rules, ankle boots for caving
03
Bring to any cave
- Warm layers, even in summer
- A waterproof jacket
- Gloves for cold railings and rock
Calculator
Price a cave trip for your group
Choose a cave and the number of people
People
Total from$144
each from $72
Check availabilityfree cancellationOur sum: the trip's cheapest GetYourGuide fare multiplied by how many cavers you enter, converted with the ECB's figure for the day. The exact amount shows once you pick a date.
Video
Tips from a visitor before you book the cave
Nothing from YouTube loads into the page until you press the play button.
Real caving: Leiðarendi and Arnarker
Leiðarendi is a lava tube in a lava field close to the Bláfjöll mountains, and Visit Reykjavík says its name means End of the road, after the skeleton of a lamb found inside.1415 The GetYourGuide caving trip there lasts 3 hours with pickup included, takes small groups of up to 8 and is rated 5.00 from 13 reviews, starting from $103. Bring good hiking boots and a waterproof jacket for inside the cave.
Arnarker is the bigger step up. Visit South Iceland describes a ladder at its opening going down some 16 meters and a cave about 516 meters long, and says exploring it needs good hiking gear, a helmet and a headtorch.1213 The listing for it runs 5 hours with groups of up to 6, sets an age limit of 15 to 65 and warns that there is no man-made path inside, only boulders to climb over.
Neither of these is a gentle walk, and both are the better for it if you want the feeling of discovery. The rock is raw, the passages twist, and your helmet lamp is the only light. The Arnarker listing says the temperature rarely goes above 4°C, even in summer. Dress like you are going on a winter hike, keep your hands free, and expect to come out with dusty knees and a story to tell.
Combos that fill a whole day
Combos make sense when you would book a day tour anyway. One pairs the lava tunnel at 9:30 with snorkeling in Silfra at 14:00, takes 5 to 10 hours and starts from $195. Another starts in the evening with 1 hour in Raufarhólshellir and 2.5 hours at a northern lights viewpoint, for 4 hours in total from $208.
Other listings fold the cave into a classic route. A 10-hour Golden Circle day visits the tunnel for an hour before Thingvellir, Gullfoss, Geysir and the Kerid crater, from $208. A caving and quad bike day combines an hour in the tunnel with an hour on a quad bike, from $313 and rated 4.95 from 15 reviews.
The trade-off is time in the cave. In every combo above, the listing gives the cave about an hour, much like the walk sold on this site. What you buy is the transport and the second activity. If the cave is the reason for your trip, book it on its own and give it your full attention; if it is one sight among several, a combo is a tidy way to fit it in.
Which is the best lava cave tour in Iceland for you
There is no single best lava cave tour in Iceland, only the best one for your day. If you are based in Reykjavík with a car and limited time, the hour at Raufarhólshellir is the obvious choice: close, easy, well lit and offered every day from 09:00 to 17:00.519 Without a car, the coach versions do the same job for a few more hours of your day.
If you are touring the west, match the cave to your route. Driving Snæfellsnes, the 45-minute Vatnshellir walk is a short stop with two spiral staircases. Heading inland through Borgarfjörður, Víðgelmir and its walkway are the natural pick.3 Both give you a second lava tube with a very different character from the first, and if you have time for more than one cave, seeing two is never wasted.
If you want adventure rather than a viewing walk, choose Arnarker or Leiðarendi, or the private trip to the lava falls at the end of Raufarhólshellir. These ask for fitness, balance and proper boots, and they reward you with rock that few visitors ever see. Families with young children should check each listing's age limits first: they range from 5 at Vatnshellir to 15 at Arnarker.20
What every listing shares, and what to check
Every cave listing compared here can be cancelled free until 24 hours beforehand, and none asks for payment when you book: you reserve now and pay later. That makes it easy to book early and still move your plans if the weather turns or a road closes. Icelandic conditions can change quickly in every season, and Visit South Iceland advises being prepared for that whatever month you travel.21
What differs is the small print. Check whether the listing has pickup or meets you at the cave, what footwear it requires, its age limits and its group size. The walk sold on this site meets at Raufarhólshellir with no pickup, includes a helmet, a headlamp and crampons in winter, and leaves gratuities to you. The caving trips add strict footwear rules and fitness requirements, and the private trips are booked for your own group.
Last, think about photographs. The lit caves, Raufarhólshellir and Víðgelmir, are far easier to photograph than the dark caving trips, where your hands are often busy and the only light is your own. If pictures matter, choose a walkway cave, travel light, and keep a cloth handy for the lens: drips from the ceiling are common in all of them.22
Under the lava
Walk into a tunnel the lava made.
Pick a slot, park at the cave on road 39 and step underground with a guide.
You ask,we answer.
Which lava cave is closest to Reykjavík?
Raufarhólshellir. It lies approximately 30 km from the capital, less than 30 minutes by car.5
Which cave tour is the cheapest?
Vatnshellir on Snæfellsnes. Its 45-minute walk starts from $46.
Which tour goes deepest into a cave?
The lava falls trip in Raufarhólshellir. It spends 3 to 4 hours underground on average and reaches the end of the tunnel.7
Can children join a lava cave tour?
Yes, on the walkway caves. Vatnshellir has a 5 year age limit; the lava falls trip a minimum of 12; Arnarker 15 to 65.20
Do the cave tours include pickup?
Some do. The Leiðarendi trip includes pickup; the walk sold on this site meets at the cave.
Is Víðgelmir bigger than Raufarhólshellir?
By volume, its operator says so. The Víðgelmir operator calls it Iceland's largest lava cave; Raufarhólshellir is 1360 m long in total.117
Which caves need real climbing?
Arnarker and the lava falls trip. Both cross boulders with no built path and require boots with ankle support.
Sources
The sources for this guide
- 1The Cave VíðgelmirThe Cave Víðgelmir↩
- 2The Lava Tunnel (Raufarhóll ehf)The Lava Tunnel - One of the Longest Lava Tube in Iceland↩
- 3The Cave VíðgelmirThe Cave Explorer↩
- 4Summit Adventure GuidesVatnshellir Cave Tour↩
- 5The Lava Tunnel (Raufarhóll ehf)Location↩
- 6Environment Agency of IcelandVatnshellir cave↩
- 7The Lava Tunnel (Raufarhóll ehf)The Lava Falls Adventure Tour↩
- 8The Cave VíðgelmirAbout The Cave Víðgelmir↩
- 9The Lava Tunnel (Raufarhóll ehf)The Lava Tunnel - Raufarhólshellir↩
- 10Summit Adventure GuidesVatnshellir Cave Tour↩
- 11Environment Agency of IcelandVatnshellir cave↩
- 12Visit South IcelandSouth Iceland West map 2025↩
- 13Visit South IcelandSouth Iceland West map 2025↩
- 14Visit ReykjavíkLeiðarendi lava cave↩
- 15Visit ReykjavíkLeiðarendi lava cave↩
- 16Visit ReykjavíkLeiðarendi cave↩
- 17The Lava Tunnel (Raufarhóll ehf)The Lava Tunnel - Raufarhólshellir↩
- 18Þingvellir National ParkDiving and snorkeling↩
- 19The Lava Tunnel (Raufarhóll ehf)Hours and Prices↩
- 20Summit Adventure GuidesVatnshellir Cave Tour↩
- 21Visit South IcelandWhat to Pack for the Seasons↩
- 22The Lava Tunnel (Raufarhóll ehf)Frequently Asked Questions↩
