Vatnshellir Lava Cave Tour, Snæfellsnes Peninsula

4.5 (13 reviews)
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Holly
Holly R.
Mar 19, 2023
This was another awesome tour! So breathtaking and awe inspiring once inside. Our guide was awesome! I think his name was Andre.
Allison
Allison G.
Oct 17, 2022
Driving around Iceland you see plenty of lava fields but seeing what lava does underground is amazing!
Dave
Dave K.
Oct 04, 2022
Our tour guide was informative and provide us with a safe and pleasurable experience. He was great at answering our questions and was very knowledgeable about... Read more
S
Suzanne D.
Oct 01, 2022
I found it really interesting to compare a lava cave to a limestone cave. Our guide, Andre, did a very nice job of explaining what we... Read more
Trish
Trish A.
Sep 23, 2022
One of my favorite activities! Our guide was not only informative but very entertaining.
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Overview

Dig deeper into Iceland's geologic history by touring the Vatnshellir Lava Cave on the southwestern end of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. A 2.5-hour drive from Reykjavik will get you there, to the most visited cave in the country.

The cave is an 8000-year-old lava tube created by a volcanic eruption from a nearby crater in the Purkhólar crater family. As the lava rushed down the hill in the form of a river, it began to cool on the surface, creating a crust. When the eruption stopped, all the lava from underneath the crust continued to drain, leaving behind a hollow tube.

To start the tour, you'll head down several flights of stairs to reach the lava tube itself—the eruption and receding lava left behind minerals that you can still observe today. As a result, the rocks compose vivid colors: reds from iron deposits, yellows from sulfur, and greens from copper. Enjoy walking through this 650-foot-long (200-m) tube, which reaches depths of over 100 feet (35 m).

Discover more unique experiences on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula and other volcanic activities in Iceland.

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Travelers often mention

Summarized by AI based on kimkim traveler reviews

Knowledgeable Guides

Many reviewers praised the guides for their knowledge and ability to explain the history and geology of the lava cave. Guides were highlighted for making the tour informative and enjoyable. (7 mentions)

S
“Our guide, Andre, did a very nice job of explaining what we were seeing.”  — Suzanne D.
Ann
“The lava cave was interesting & our guide was terrific.”  — Ann E.
Dave
“He was great at answering our questions and was very knowledgeable about the geology of the area.”  — Dave K.
Impressive Cave

Many reviewers found the cave impressive and awe-inspiring, mentioning it was breathtaking to see the underground effects of lava. (3 mentions)

Allison
“seeing what lava does underground is amazing!”  — Allison G.
R
“you see the untouched rocks that have fallen it blows your mind that you are inside a lava cave”  — Ruth R.
Fun and Entertaining

Reviewers frequently mentioned the tour was fun and described the guides as having a good sense of humor, which added to the enjoyment. (3 mentions)

Erin
“This was a fun stop”  — Erin B.
Trish
“Our guide was not only informative but very entertaining.”  — Trish A.
Short but Worthwhile

The tour was described as short but worth seeing, providing a good balance of information and enjoyment in a limited time. (2 mentions)

A
“Short tour but definitely worth seeing!”  — Alain G.
Safety Emphasis

The guides were noted for being uncompromising about safety, ensuring a safe and pleasurable experience for all participants. (2 mentions)

Rahul
“was uncompromising about safety”  — Rahul S.
Dave
“Our tour guide was informative and provide us with a safe and pleasurable experience.”  — Dave K.
Educational Experience

The tour was described as an excellent learning experience, especially about the lava caves' formation and characteristics. Some reviewers mentioned their children were very interested in the details. (1 mention)

Erin
“really interesting to see”  — Erin B.

Traveler reviews

13 total ratings, 13 with reviews
4.5
Feature ratings
Quality of Experience
4.5
Guides, Drivers and Staff
5.0
Transport
4.5
J
Jennifer D.
Denver, CO | Reviewed on Oct 13, 2024
Not very extensive spaces but very cool to experience Read more

Not very extensive spaces but very cool to experience

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
A
Alain G.
Mobile, AL | Reviewed on Jul 26, 2023

Short tour but definitely worth seeing!

Rahul
Rahul S.
the United Arab Emirates | Reviewed on Jul 09, 2023
The experience of going into the lava cave and learning all about it from our guide Irina was excellent. My 17-year old daughter was very interested in the details and kept talking about it afterwards. We really enjoyed the experience and found Irina to be excellent - she had great knowledge, was uncompromising about safety - but had a good sense of humor and made it fun. Read more

The experience of going into the lava cave and learning all about it from our guide Irina was excellent. My 17-year old daughter was very interested in the details and kept talking about it afterwards. We really enjoyed the experience and found Irina to be excellent - she had great knowledge, was uncompromising about safety - but had a good sense of humor and made it fun.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Erin
Erin B.
Mansfield City, CT | Reviewed on Jun 20, 2023
This was a fun stop and really interesting to see Read more

This was a fun stop and really interesting to see

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Holly
Holly R.
Canada | Reviewed on Mar 19, 2023
This was another awesome tour! So breathtaking and awe inspiring once inside. Our guide was awesome! I think his name was Andre. Read more

This was another awesome tour! So breathtaking and awe inspiring once inside. Our guide was awesome! I think his name was Andre.

Tips for future travelers

A few low spots but mainly extremely large inside the caves. A couple tall flights of stairs to go down (and up) into the caves.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Allison
Allison G.
Oak Ridge, TN | Reviewed on Oct 17, 2022
Driving around Iceland you see plenty of lava fields but seeing what lava does underground is amazing! Read more

Driving around Iceland you see plenty of lava fields but seeing what lava does underground is amazing!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Dave
Dave K.
Gastonia, NC | Reviewed on Oct 04, 2022

Our tour guide was informative and provide us with a safe and pleasurable experience. He was great at answering our questions and was very knowledgeable about the geology of the area. He did not rushes through and we had plenty of time to take photographs.

S
Suzanne D.
Lakewood, CO | Reviewed on Oct 01, 2022
I found it really interesting to compare a lava cave to a limestone cave. Our guide, Andre, did a very nice job of explaining what we were seeing. Read more

I found it really interesting to compare a lava cave to a limestone cave. Our guide, Andre, did a very nice job of explaining what we were seeing.

Tips for future travelers

This is a good activity to do on a bad weather day since it is underground. As the information will tell you, there are no restrooms here so stop at the Visitor Center nearby.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Trish
Trish A.
Gastonia, NC | Reviewed on Sep 23, 2022
One of my favorite activities! Our guide was not only informative but very entertaining. Read more

One of my favorite activities! Our guide was not only informative but very entertaining.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Our guide.
J
Jen G.
Minneapolis, MN | Reviewed on Sep 06, 2022
REally cool. great guide! Read more

REally cool. great guide!

Tips for future travelers

If you've done other similar lava cave tours, don't feel compelled to do this too. We've done lava tube tours in Iceland and Hawaii, and can say that once you've seen a couple, you've seen 'em.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport

Like what you see?

Chat with our local specialists and let us help you customize your trip with experiences like this.

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Itineraries with Vatnshellir Lava Cave Tour

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