2-Day South Coast Tour with Blue Ice Cave from Reykjavík
The blue caves everyone comes to Iceland for sit 380 km from Reykjavík, and no honest day tour reaches them. This is the trip that solves that: you drive the south coast on day one, sleep at a hotel near Jökulsárlón, and spend the morning of day two at the glacier lagoon and inside a blue ice cave, with about an hour in the ice rather than the thirty minutes a day trip allows. It costs $728.09 with the room and breakfast included, rates 4.7 from 261 reviews, and it is the only way to combine the crystal caves with a Reykjavík base. The day-tour alternatives are cheaper and shorter, and they reach different caves.
About the Two Days
Pickup in Reykjavík on day one, back in the city on day two
Double or twin room with private bathroom near Jökulsárlón, breakfast included
Reached by super jeep from the lagoon on day two
Seljalandsfoss, Gljúfrabúi, Skógafoss and Reynisfjara on day one
The overnight sits far from city light, conditions permitting
Small bags on board; leave suitcases at your Reykjavík hotel or in a locker
Check Live Availability and Prices
Winter departures fill first over the Christmas and New Year weeks. Prices are per person in US dollars and include the hotel night.
Why Two Days Instead of One
Jökulsárlón is too far for a day trip and everybody knows it
The glacier lagoon is around 380 km from Reykjavík, roughly five hours' drive each way. A day tour that reached it would be sixteen hours of coach for two hours of daylight at the far end, which is why the operators that sell the crystal caves meet you at the lagoon instead.
Spending the night near the glacier turns that maths around. Day one becomes a proper south coast trip rather than a transit leg, and day two starts at the lagoon with the whole morning ahead of it.
The cave time is the real upgrade
On the ten-hour Katla day from Reykjavík you get about thirty minutes inside the ice. Here the super jeep runs you to a blue ice cave in Vatnajökull with roughly an hour to explore it.
The rest of the difference is the scenery you would otherwise skip: Vatnajökull National Park in the morning light, icebergs breaking off Breiðamerkurjökull into the lagoon, and the drive back through Vík.
The Two-Day Route
What You'll See
The south coast, then the ice
Day one collects the stops that make the south coast famous. Seljalandsfoss has a path behind the water and Gljúfrabúi hides in a cleft beside it, half missed by people who do not know it is there. Skógafoss drops the Skógá River 60 metres in one curtain. Reynisfjara is the black sand beach with basalt columns and sea stacks offshore.
Day two is glacier country: the national park, the lagoon full of icebergs calved off Breiðamerkurjökull, and the cave itself.
- Seljalandsfoss and the hidden Gljúfrabúi waterfall
- Skógafoss, 60 metres in a single drop
- Reynisfjara black sand beach and the basalt columns
- A hotel night near Jökulsárlón, with northern lights if the sky clears
- Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon and the icebergs breaking off into the sea
- A blue ice cave in Vatnajökull, about an hour inside
What's Included, and What Isn't
Room, breakfast, guide and gear
Included: pickup and drop-off, a double or twin room with a private bathroom, breakfast, the safety equipment for the ice cave, an English-speaking guide and free WiFi on the bus.
Not included: lunch and dinner, though the route makes stops where you can buy food. Warm waterproof clothing and boots are yours to bring. One practical restriction catches people out: only small carry-on bags such as backpacks are allowed on board, so leave the suitcase at your Reykjavík hotel or in a locker in the city centre.
Both Days, Stop by Stop
-
Day 1 · morning
Depart Reykjavík for Seljalandsfoss
Out along Route 1 to Seljalandsfoss and the hidden Gljúfrabúi falls, below the Eyjafjallajökull volcano.
-
Day 1 · midday
Skógafoss
The Skógá River dropping 60 metres in a single curtain, with the staircase to the clifftop viewpoint.
-
Day 1 · afternoon
Reynisfjara
The black sand beach at Vík, its basalt columns and the Reynisdrangar stacks offshore.
-
Day 1 · evening
Hotel near Jökulsárlón
East to the overnight stop, a room with a private bathroom, and a northern lights hunt if the sky cooperates.
-
Day 2 · morning
Vatnajökull National Park and the lagoon
The park in morning light, then Jökulsárlón itself and the icebergs breaking off the glacier.
-
Day 2 · midday
Blue ice cave by super jeep
The transfer onto the ice and about an hour inside the cave.
-
Day 2 · afternoon
Back through Vík to Reykjavík
The bus from Jökulsárlón west along the coast, with a refreshment stop in Vík.
Important Things to Know
The itinerary moves, and that is a feature
Reviewers repeatedly mention guides reordering the trip for the weather, adding stops when there is time and swapping in a glacier when conditions allow. On a two-day winter route across the south coast, a guide who sticks rigidly to a printed plan is the one to worry about.
Both days are long, and the second is the one with the ice cave in it, so the trip lives or dies on winter conditions at Breiðamerkurjökull. Since November 2024, operators inside Vatnajökull National Park run a daily assessment group led by an experienced guide, and a cave judged unsafe is closed for the day, for everyone.
Bring the small bag rule into your planning too: suitcases stay behind in Reykjavík.
Where Day Two Happens
The overnight puts you within reach of the lagoon, 380 km from Reykjavík, so the cave visit happens in morning light.
Who It Suits
Car-free travellers who want the crystal caves anyway
If you are based in Reykjavík, have no rental car and want the blue ice everyone photographs rather than the Katla cave, this is the only route to it. It also suits anyone who would rather not drive Route 1 in winter darkness.
- Two long days; not the trip for restless small children
- Carry-on bags only, suitcases stay in Reykjavík
- Lunch and dinner are not included
- Warm waterproof layers and boots that hold a crampon
- Winter only: the blue caves in Vatnajökull run roughly November to March
Questions About the Two-Day Trip
Is the hotel included in the price?
Yes. The $728.09 covers a double or twin room with a private bathroom near Jökulsárlón plus breakfast, along with pickup, the guide, the bus and the ice cave equipment. Lunch and dinner are not included.
How long do you spend in the ice cave?
Around an hour, reached by super jeep on the morning of day two. The comparable day trip from Reykjavík gives you thirty minutes in the Katla cave instead.
Can I see the northern lights on this tour?
Possibly. The overnight stop sits far from city light and the operator mentions a lights hunt if conditions are favourable, but nobody can promise an aurora. September to March gives the darkness needed.
Can I bring a suitcase?
No. Only small carry-on bags such as backpacks are allowed. Leave larger luggage at your Reykjavík hotel, which most will store, or in the lockers in the city centre.
Does this run in summer?
The blue ice caves inside Vatnajökull are a winter product, roughly November to March. For a summer cave, the Katla tour from Vík and the Langjökull ice tunnel are the options that stay open.
What People Say After Two Days
Fantastic trip. Vladimir was our guide. Kind, with s good humour. Was kind to turn off the American pop music in the bus, so we could enjoy the Icelandic countryside and take this amazing nature in, in silence. He added some extra stops in the way, as we had time for it. We still had enough time to enjoy all our stops. Nice rooms at the hotel.
Absolutely perfect tour and guide. We loved everything and especially the surprise visit to a glacier that wasn't on the schedule! The guide changed our itinerary to match the weather and made all the correct moves. Super impressive and so grateful for an amazing two days!
This was a fantastic 2 day trip. Bus driver Sammi did a great job in explaining the interesting sites and re-routing the trip so we would have the best experience. The two days are long days but there are plenty of stops and breaks so the time went by fast. The Ice caves were the highlight of the trip for me.
Quotes from the operator's GetYourGuide listing, reproduced as written. Shortened quotes are marked with an ellipsis.