Iceland- ice cave/ glacier

[2025istheyeari]

Hiya
We’re off to Iceland with our 16 yo son in half term.
We will have a car but very aware that trips will be weather dependent! We’ve booked a northern lights trip and also a trip to the glacier lagoon which is the one I’m rethinking. My son would love to see an ice cave, are they safe this time of year and can anyone recommend a day trip from Rekyavik, ideally with a glacier included?
we are planning to drive the golden circle, and possibly the south coast/ snaefelness. We’d also love to go to Hvammasik, can’t wait!

thanks

Thank you all so much, can’t wait now!!
plan is to spend the afternoon we arrive in Reyjavik and def go to the museum and maybe a public pool. Next day golden circle, my husband has found a ? Geothermal river which looks accessible? next day we are booked on a bus tour to diamond beach etc but given the weather it looks like the roads may be ok so wondering if we cancel and do it ourselves?! We’re not really bus tour people. We are keen to go to hvammasvik and have Saturday free for this and anything else we fancy. We’ve booked the one hour trip to the lava tunnel Sunday morning and then have a good few hours before leaving for the airport- scret lagoon? We had deliberately left plans loose as we know Feb can be really difficult with the weather but looks like, if it’s just wet, we should be ok!! Yay!! Is there anything else we’re not doing that’s a must do? Thanks

Definitely drive yourself rather than bus tour if you can. The roads will be fine. It gives you much more scope to stop at other spots along the way - there is a lot to see along the south coast! Though a day trip to Jökulsárlón from Reykjavík is an insanely long day. Get up early and take turns with the driving if you attempt this.

I assume you mean Reykjadalur for the hot river - this is indeed a very fun hike, I do recommend it!

For the pool, go to Kópavogslaug if you like slides or Lágafellslaug if you can be bothered to drive to Mosfellsbær. If you want a nice view from the hot tub Álftaneslaug is good (right near the President's house).

There is a lot you're not doing of course, but you can come back 😉 I would maybe pick one or two hot water related activities and do something else with the rest of the time. The hot water is nice but you don't want to dissolve 😄

Re Jökulsárlón, it's 10 hours of driving all together. In all honesty I wouldn't recommend this distance for a day trip as you need several hours to get out and look at the things you actually came to see.

Wouldn't want to spend 10 hours on a coach either.

I'd turn around at Vík and see Jökulsárlón another time.

Oh and before you set off on a big drive, check safetravel.is just in case. You need to know if there are any weather warnings, though the forecast looks fine atm.

Sorry for serial posting, but if you have several hours before your flight, you enjoy hiking and it isn't pissing it down - consider hiking to the 2021 volcano at Fagradalsfjall. It is really interesting to see such fresh craters / lava fields and it is a brilliant path. Parts of the lava still steam a little in cold weather.

It is close to the airport and also Kleifarvatn and Krýsuvík.

Oh wow @Puffinshop thank you so much, you’re amazing, these all sound right up our street!!! I think you’re right about Jökulsárlón, we had originally wanted to do a tour and stay in Vik but we were worried about weather in Feb. The hike sounds amazing and the pools, you’re right, I’m into cold water therapy but one or two should be enough! Thank you thank you thank you, I’m so excited! If there is anything else please feel free to serial post all you like 🤣

Sorry @Puffinshop just reading about the volcano and see there are a number of paths, which would you recommend and would it be feasible to do it on our way from the airport too? We land at 1030am so I thought it may be a good first stop if weather ok. Would you say it’s really tough or ok? ( I have limited peripheral vision and can’t scramble up and down for example!) thanks so much!

Now I’m serial posting sorry! The hot spring river we found was Hrunalaug hot springs , thought we could do it as part of the Golden Circle tour.

It's not difficult. There is one steep section but the path is excellent. When it was erupting thousands of people were walking it every day and they put a lot of resources into it - the first time I hiked it you had to climb up one bit with a rope, which was rather hairy in the snow, but it got a lot better very quickly. The signposting is top quality too.

Take the left path (towards Fagradalsfjall, not towards Langihryggur) and just see how far you want to go. The whole thing takes about 3 hours ime.

Oh I've never been there! Looks cool, though, good luck 👍

@Puffinshop sorry to bother you- We’ve just looked on safe travel.is which says the following
Sundhnúksgígar eruption site status: Increased possibility of an eruption in the area. Visitors are adviced not to hike to the eruption site due to unsecure grounds. Scientists state that eruption might break without any warning.

Mt. Fagradalsfjall eruption site of 2021-2023. Possible eruption at Sundhnúksgígar could result in a temporary closure of the area. P1 is the reccommended spot to park and from there is a well marked hiking trail up to have view over the eruption site. It is the red trail on the map

sorry, trying to decipher it, is it safe or not?! I’m not sure it is…

Oo yep good noticing!

Sorry edited: checked the site and read it better. You're fine to hike to Fagradalsfjall, but just don't try to cut across country from there to get to the 2024 eruption sites.

It might be closed at short notice but it's not dangerous as if there's an eruption it'll be in a different place.

I know you probably wouldn't ever think of trying to cut across an uneven lava field with no path to get to an area that's at risk of imminent eruption. But unfortunately some people would!

Omg! I wouldn’t be trying to go over an uneven lava field full stop!!! Thanks ever so much, really appreciate you coming back to me! Think we’ll see how we feel when we land. Is an eruption imminent do people think?
im wondering whether we go to plan a and explore Reyjavik tomorrow! And use another day to do the inside the glacier tour- argh!! Pleased weather on our side, we’re now doing golden circle, the south coast drive to Vik, possibly inside the glacier and Hvammasvik and then lava tunnel and bridge across continents on Sunday. Don’t think we’ll be lucky enough to do the northern lights but if we do that’s a bonus! And we’ll take ourselves, all bus trips cancelled 😄
thanks so much for all the advice, cannot wait!

Pretty much, an eruption has been either happening or imminent since 2021. Yeah it'll probably happen soon, but it's nothing much to be concerned about - though I wouldn't go to the Blue Lagoon but I know that wasn't in your plans anyway!

It would actually be really cool if it happened while you were near Fagradalsfjall because you'd probably be able to see it. But you'd have to be very lucky for that to happen.

Try the lighthouse if you want to go Northern lights spotting. But very very very cold! We saw them around midnight - apparently most people leave too early.

Thanks @Binglebong thats the place we’ve been told to go! Looks like it’s cloudy/ rainy when we’re there but our hotel does a wake up call if they’re visible so may take them up on that!

If you've got a car and it seems a likely night (clear, good Aurora forecast), just drive out of the city. It won't take that much longer and you can get much lower light pollution.

Heiðmörk is not that far away and will be much darker than Grótta.

Also all the tourists drive to Grótta ever since some genius marked it on Google Maps as a 'Northern Lights viewing spot' or something and a lot of them sit in their cars with the headlights on. Grr.

It was a lot nicer when it didn't attract hordes every clear winter's night. Not that I'm bitter or anything 😆

But seriously if you have a car and the time to go out Northern Lights hunting you can do better.

@Puffinshop I just wanted to say a massive thank you for the hike recommendation, we did it on our way to our hotel ( well kind of on our way!) and loved it! The lava field is incredible and the steam rising up was our highlight. Despite the mist and mizzle it was awesome!!! Can’t wait to explore more! Thanks so much

I second that, we loved the lava tunnel tour

So glad to hear it! Hope you have a brilliant time here 😊

@Puffinshop Sorry to jump on ops post, but do you know where I can find further information about this walk? I have had a google but couldn’t find the walking routes/ where to park etc. We fly out this weekend and very much looking forward to our 2nd trip to Iceland. Thanks!

https://safetravel.is/eruption-in-reykjanes/

See maps and so forth here - the Fagradalsfjall area not the more recent eruption sites around Sundhnúksgígar. You have to pay to park but it's great 👍

Thanks @Wendolino we are booked for Sunday before our flight home, can’t wait!