Tour description
Ice Cave Exploration, Winter Hike & Super Jeep Adventure!
Cave Exploration Lofthellir winter challenge tour takes you to Lofthellir Cave, a unique lave cave filled with ice formations, stalagmites and sculptures. The tour starts with a scenic drive from Akureyri to Lake Mývatn, which takes around 1 hour and 30 minutes. Upon arriving to Lake Mývatn we exit the main road and enter the wilderness. During the winter season the route to the cave can get rough, due to snow and ice, so we bring along the snowshoes along. The track is usually around 40 minutes hike across a rugged lava field. Thus we combine the pristine untouched snow covered lava fields around the cave with an underground exploration. Once at the cave we spend at least one hour inside the cave, exploring the ice formations, darkness and strange atmosphere inside 3000 year old lava tunnel. On route to and from the cave we explore the lava fields and craters around Lake Mývatn, especially the crater row of Lúdentarborgir.
On the way back to Akureyri we stop by Goðafoss Waterfall, a beautiful and powerful waterfall in Skjálfandafljót river.
What’s included
- Fully guided tour
- Transportation
- Equipment:Helmet, head light and rubber boots
- Free Hotel pick up from Akureyri
Info
- Season: November 1st - April 30th
- Duration: 8 - 9 hours
- Departures from Akureyri:at 09:00 am, from 1 November to 30 April
- This tour runs only on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays
- Minimum in tour: 2 adults
Discount
Children 8-12: 50% discount
We recommend you bring:
- Warm and waterproof shoes
- Gloves
- Good walking shoes
- Water bottle
Highlights:
- Snow shoeing, if needed
- Lofthellir cave
- Natural Ice Sculptures
- Lúdentaborgir crater row
- The volcanic outback by Lake Myvatn
Itinerary for Lake Myvatn Classic
Departure from Akureyri and first stop at Godafoss waterfall on our way to Lake Myvatn. Godafoss is important in the Icelandic history, going back a thousand years when Iceland converted to Christianity. Next we stop at the pseudo-craters of Skutustadagigar before continuing to the mystic Dimmuborgir ('Dark Cities'), a series of unique lava-pillars and formations that are rich of mystic sagas and tales. At Grjotagja there is a warm underground river and nearby a geothermal area of Hverir with boiling mud pools, steaming fumaroles and sulphur pits. Krafla volcano area is our next destination and we drive past the power station bearing the same name which uses geothermal steam energy to create electricity. We then come to the explosion crater Viti that was formed in 1724 in the Myvatnseldar eruption and from there we will enjoy the view over Leirhnjukur volcano. On our last stop we visit the Myvatn Nature Baths and enjoy 1-2 hour relaxing in completely natural pool of geothermal water based in the middle of lava fields with great view over Lake Myvatn.
Notes
- This tour is not suitable for young children, people with claustrophobia or people that are not in reasonable physical condition
- To reach the cave is a 30 minute hike across a relatively smooth lava field
- The short entry (approx. 1,5m) into the cave is narrow and guests need to crawl on all fours to enter
- There is ice and water on the floor of the cave and the temperature inside the cave is around 0°C
- Due to weather and/or road conditions we might have longer journey time or cancellation of the tour
● You might like to read our article on Lake Myvatn
Images / Video