lofthellir ice cave

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!

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, funIce 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!!!

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.

A nice tour,from the way to the cave to the visit of the cave itself.our guide Anton was really enthusiastic and made us regret not having grown up in the area for a minute.The entrance fee is quite expensive though,as you can only stay an hour or so in the cave.Yet we recommand the tour.Also try the biggest lava cave in Fjlotsunga.

We took the tour with Saga Tours and Oli was our guide. For us it was the highlight of our iceland trip. The ice cave brings along a magical feeling, the colours and ice formations are incredible. But what really made the experience so special was Oli who knows so much about the geology, nature and history of the Myvatn area and who's love for the place where he grew up is very contageous. If you have the time- DO IT!

A really unique experience that I reviewed under the Saga Tours heading. Please see that very positive review.

We took this tour on July 22 and Stefan was our guide. He was a great guide and had very interesting stories. The ride out to the cave takes a whole but is a good experience if you have not done any off-roading in Iceland. The walk across the lava to the cave is an easy one and quite enjoyable.The cave itself is amazing. First you squeeze through a small hole (not too small, I am not a small person and I fit with no trouble). Then you go through various chambers where there are different ice formations, There are some areas where you have to climb up and then slide down, lots of fun you just have to have a sense of humor.I would highly recommend this tour. If was very interesting and will bring out the adventurer in you. My 10 year old son described it as Awesome, so you know it must be good,

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.

This was a very interesting experience. Not the typical tourist thing. The location is in the middle of nowhere but all of a sudden a bus full of other tourists pulls up and precisely on the hour, you put on helmets, grab torches and down into the lava tube you go. Listening to absolute silence in perfect darkness is an experience not to be missed.

If there's one thing worth binging a little money on while you're in Iceland, it would probably have to be whale-watching and this ice cave. It's unlike anything I've ever done before, and completely beautiful inside. You don't need to be in rock-climbing condition or anything. As long as you are ok crawling on your hands and knees (and stomach for one bit), then you will be fine. At the entrance there's a crawl space where you have to pull yourself through with a rope, and for me (slightly claustrophobic) it was a little unnerving. But it's over in two seconds and really not that bad at all, and the view on the other side is soooo worth it. If you can get the whole group to turn off the head lamps and be quiet for a minute, sitting in the dark listening to the water drip is totally unreal.

The cave is magical, a must do when in Iceland and our favorite activity in the area!!! Tips: wear warm socks and gloves, waterproof or quick dry travel pants, you really don't get too wet but jeans would be uncomfortable. There are no tight tunnels - the part you "squeeze" through you can touch (and easily see to) the other side. There is plenty of room once in the cave. The guides are wonderful.

This is a show cave with a difference for the adventurous. You are provided with studded wellies for the trip that involves crawling over ice (covered in a tarp), scrabbling up icy slopes and edging past columns of ice to emerge in a chamber filled with massive ice formations. Recommended.

It is quite an adventure to reach here. An hour's drive on a regular road, then an hour of extremely bumpy riding on the lava field. I can't imagine how the Saga tours find the right spot to stop. Then about a mile walk across the lava field where the van can no longer travel, while carrying boots supplied by Saga Tours. We were given helmets with lights and headed down to the caves. This is NOT a tour for anyone who is very overweight! The opening to that cave is very narrow! One of the guides even said that although they hadn't turned anyone away, it was a concern if someone was very large. Once inside it was fabulous. Our guide, Jorgen was terrific taking good care to be sure we were safe as we maneuvered the slippery ground. An adventure we will never forget! Wonderful!!

It's a pretty rough ride to the caves, but the cave exploration itself is a really unique experience and worth the bumpy journey. You don't have to be in great physical condition for this excursion, but there are a few obstacles within the cave that would be difficult for taller adults or those with balance issues. Bring warm clothes and enjoy the ice formations. Watch out for troll women in the rock formations!

After a long and bumpy road trip we got to the cave. For a middle aged lady like me it was a little bit tricky to squeeze through a hole and crawl on slippery ice, but it was worth it! I don't know if you can see anything like this anywhere else! Awesome Ice formations in different shapes, which were lighted for us (with flashlights) to admire along some beautiful lava rocks in unusual colors. The trip would not be as enjoyable if it wasn't for our terrific guide Oli! First off, he was a careful driver, he helped those who struggled moving through the cave, he helped with photos and best of all shared his immense knowledge of the history and geology of Myvatn! On the way back he offered a small detour to show us a crater. We all accepted, of course! He's an asset!!!