3 Hours Katla Ice Cave Tour/Meet in Vík

This is a review of the Katla Ice cave tour only that occurred on 1/6/25 at 11:30 am We booked through a travel agent and the min we arrived at the meet up spot it all seemed very odd. Just to give you an idea of the expectation from the booking, this was described as a 3 hour excursion and an EASY hike. The guides did not identify themselves and did not seem to know what was going on at all. People were shuffled between vans and there were about 20 to 30 of us stuffed into these Ford Econoline vans that had huge tires and set up high.. I am assuming to take on the terrain. Once we were all the vans, we had to then go pick up the helmets, why these were not already in the vans I will never know. Then we set off for the ice cave. Not more 10 Mins into our drive we pulled over on the side of the road and sit there for a long time, I'm talking at least 10 mins while apparently the company decided what guide should drive what van because of the tires and how inflated they were.. their air pump stopped working. Now this is one of literally >20 times we stopped and waited for something to happen over the about 6 hours we were in this van cramped together. Sometimes we were given an explanation, sometimes not. After this initial stop our guide was changed to a guide named Benny (spelling maybe incorrect). Let me tell you, he was a gem! He watched as we struggled to get our crampons on or other equipment, ignored our concerns, gave no care for our actual safety on the mountain and travels. The condescending comments to an older gentleman who was struggling was a real class act. This was described as an easy hike. It was not at all. Once we actually got there... after driving for >3 hours.. continuously getting pulled out from other vehicles.. going backwards and forwards. The cave was up a mountain that was as expected snow and ice but it was about a foot of snow with wind that picked me off my Feet and uphill. There was no warning that this could be this difficult or bring food because this could take literally all day. We didn't get back til About 8 pm. We expected this to be a 3 hr excursion.. so back by 2:30 pm Numerous times we all expressed concerns to turn back bc their equipment., as in vehicles.. couldn't make the travels. They ignored us. Other companies, just flew by us. It was obvious south coast just didn't want to cancel and have to refund all of us. They put us all in damage for $ My point is.. we were not told or given any expectation. It was once we were in the van about 2 hours that the horror stories of them being stuck came out. Just set up the expectation. Let people know.. hey in the winter, the drive maybe extended.. bring some food. The guides had zero care if we needed to use the bathroom or were hungry or needed water. And we were with them for over 8 hrs. The actual cave was underwhelming for all the work to get there. But the point is it was all rushed to get us back in the vans and get us back bc it was going to be a terrible journey back. So I really think they should have cancelled especially bc they were warned on the way out that the previous group had a very hard time getting in. I recommend using the other company as they at least could get you out there. This company used vans that required bungee cords to hold the doors together. In the van I was in.. the door behind me had a 3 inch gap So I was snowed on and felt the wind the whole Time. And the vents had no heat and the vents were removed. I'm sure this is a wonderful experience for most and an amazing place to visit in Iceland. My experience with this company was borderline dangerous. I went on other tours with other companies in Iceland and there was more care and consideration given for safety as well As preservation of the environment.

Our tour of the Katla Ice Cave was scheduled for 3 pm but was delayed because the group before us took longer due to bad weather. Thankfully we had been driven by a guide from Iceland Premium Tours. They were able to get us to the right place on time despite the weather as well as help find out about delays. When the Southcoast Adventure van arrived at the meeting spot, the guides seemed frustrated that we were there. They didn't introduce themselves, just asked for our tickets. Our driver didn't talk much, though that could be due to poor driving conditions - he used the GPS to navigate what looked like fields of snow, but there was a trail per the GPS. Our driver said "welcome to Iceland" several times, but not a lot else when asked questions. He did warn that the ride would be bumpy as we started driving, but didn't warn the tallest person when he was getting in. He had to sit with his head tilted because the bench-to-ceiling height was too short, but with the bumps it was especially bad - and dangerous. He should have been directed to the front seat (or at least not the bench he was on - it was higher than the one in front and behind it due to the wheels). We saw several abandoned vehicles in the snow-covered field that was the road, which was not reassuring for safety. When we got out of the van he gave us helmets, then told us someone else would be our guide. We were directed across a field and up a trail. At one point there was an area that we got crampons, and were given a bit of an explanation, but not much. People coming down from the cave had headlamps on, and we asked if we would get lights (it was already well into dusk since we started about 3:45 and drove for quite a bit to the cave area). He mumbled something about lights ahead. The cave did have lights, but the trail did NOT. The trail was narrow, and if you stepped off to the side, your foot fell into the snow that didn't have ground right below - again, there was a lot of snow that morning and snow drifts due to wind. We easily could have fallen who knows how far - some of the summer pictures show deep crevices in front of the cave where we walked (but didn't know at the time due to snow and limited visibility). On the way out, the guide was so far ahead of us that we just stopped and made him hike back up to help light the path, which we obviously got off of because our feet were deep in snow drifts. He got us back on the trail then went back up front to the family of 4 well ahead of us. Some of us pulled out cell phones to light the trail to get back down. If you do this trip and it might get dark, even hours after your scheduled tour because it might be delayed, bring headlamps! The cave itself was very cool. I'm still glad we went but this is a risky tour that could be safer with a few changes, such as more communication from staff and proper lighting (or at least clear instructions to bring your own headlamps).

Words cannot really describe how amazing the tour into the Katla ice cave turned out to be! The weather was... ehm... not the best when driving to the meeting point in Vík where we boarded a superjeep and set out for the adventure. But at the glacier, there was almost no wind nor rain, and gosh, the sceneries! But what stood out was our amazing guide Helgi who made the tour so much fun. He was very informative, respectful and really pleasant to be around. Thank you!

This tour was awesome! I had Alex as my guide, and even though the tour started with a tire popping on the road to the glacier, this was quickly solved and we got another bus to pick us up. The cave was absolutely stunning and Alex did a great job keeping everyone safe and entertained throughout the trip. The cherry on the cake was that we got to see an Arctic fox on our way down from the glacier! How lucky we were! Incredible tour!

We booked with Troll. This is not a Troll tour it is a Suncoast Tour. They sent one vehicle it arrived late at the pickup point. We stood in the cold not being allowed in the Troll building. Around 27 of us dutifully arrived as instructed 20 minutes early. The first driver filled up his 12-person van and left 18 of us not knowing what to expect. He was rude, and argumentative and indicated he didn't work for Troll. He had no idea what was going on. The second van arrived very late, Thor took our party of 5 and 4. He had never driven that particular vehicle and didn't know how to open or close that door. We had to use the emergency switch. He indicated that stuff got moved at the office and he couldn't find his belongings. Thor did nothing to indicate what was going on. He didn't even introduce himself until we asked on the hike. He spoke very little and didn't explain much. I am assuming a third vehicle showed up for the last 9 people. Troll you should not attached your name to such a poor subcontractor.