Private Tour to a Remote Ice Cave with a Helicopter

Would you like to experience an exclusive visit to a remote ice cave, which is not accessible by normal means of transportation? Do you want to make sure that no other groups will be bothering you? Are you a photographer interested in capturing images of things rarely seen by anyone? This tour might just be for you! Board a helicopter with us and fly to the Skeiðarárjökull glacier, which not many people ever step on. Here, surrounded by rugged glacial and mountain terrain we can often find some of the biggest and most stunning ice caves in Iceland. The remoteness of this area guarantees to make the experience unique and adventurous, while the use of a helicopter means that it also doesn’t require any strenous hike, so this tour can be done by almost anyone, including elderly people and children.

Our guides are all skilled and trained professionals, certified by the Association of Icelandic Mountain Guides. They have vast knowledge of geology and glaciology which they share with you in an entertaining way. Our goal is to educate and have fun on our tours at the same time, so that your experience will be both memorable and rewarding. Of course the safety of our guests is always our highest priority.

Please note: This tour can be organised only in winter. The ice caves which we visit always change between the seasons, therefore our pictures show ice caves from the previous winters. We will post first up-to-date pictures as soon as we run the first tours in the winter 2026/2027. The choice of an ice cave which we visit depends on the current conditions and might even be different on different days, but we always aim to visit the most beautiful cave available safely. The tour is very weather dependent -if it can’t go ahead, because the weather conditions don’t allow the helicopter to fly, we will always try to offer you an alternative tour. This tour is booked only as a private experience, which means that your group will have its own guide and won’t share it with any other travelers. The cost of the helicopter flight to the ice cave and back is included in the tour. To inquire about prices and availability please send us a message.

Highlights of the tour

Scenic helicopter flight above the glacier is not only our way to get to the ice cave, but also an extraordinary experience on its own. As you hover in the air you will witness an endless maze of deep blue crevasses streaking across the glacier towards the horizon, surrounded by rugged mountain peaks and a vast desert of black sand divided by hundreds of glacial rivers meandering to the distant ocean. This is exactly how the edge of the mighty Vatnajökull glacier – largest ice cap in Europe looks like from a bird’s eye view. It can truly give you a different perspective to observe it like that as it stretches far behind the horizon with its over 7700 square kilometers of size. Moreover in the direct vicinity of the flight route lies Iceland´s highest peak – spectacular Hvannadalshnúkur. Multiple outlet glaciers slowly flow down its slopes like gigantic frozen rivers carving deep valleys in the Skaftafell area. Where the ice overflows mountain edges icefalls form – unstable broken glaciers, parts of which regularly collapse and tumble down the slopes. Although normally very hard to reach due to their remoteness and risk involved in staying near them, this kind of formations can be easily watched from the air.

The main highlight of the tour is of course a remote ice cave located in the Skeiðarárjökull glacier. This is NOT the same ice cave as the regular superjeep and hiking tours go to, but rather a truly remote one located in an area which cannot be reached without the use of helicopter. In the previous years multiple stunning caves have been discovered every year on the edge of Skeiðarárjökull glacier and melted away at the end of winter. We are always on the look for the most beutiful ones. This area tends to be very active, which means constant changes, so no two ice caves ever look the same here and the same cave might look completely different in different months.

Itinerary

Your trip will begin at the meeting point located at Skaftafell Airport terminal. There you will meet your guide and prepare for the tour. The guide will provide you with glacier equipment and explain how to use it. You will also be instructed how to stay safe around the helicopter. After the briefing you will depart towards the ice cave. The flight can take up to 10 minutes one way and takes you above and across the Skeiðarárjökull glacier, where you get plenty of opportunities to see and photograph it. You and your guide will be dropped off right on the edge of the glacier and close to the entrance of the ice cave, so that there is no long walk required to reach it.

How much time is spent inside the ice cave is entirely up to you. Normally we plan for about 1,5 hours inside. If you are a passionate photographer and want to stay a longer time then this can be arranged – please specify the desired time in your booking request. The helicopter might come back to the base during our stay in the cave, but it will always fly back for the pick up at the arranged time.

We provide all necessary safety gear, including crampons, helmets and headlights.

As it comes to weather-related clothing our motto on the glacier is “hope for the best, but prepare for the worst”. The conditions in Iceland can change really quickly especially on the glacier and the temperature there tends to be lower than on the coast. You should dress in warm and comfortable hiking layers. In the winter expect negative temperatures can be expected with possibility of snow and rain (sometimes both). Therefore rain gear, hat and gloves, are always a must, as well as sunglasses and sunscreen at the same time in case of unexpected, but beloved sunny weather.

We’re always happy to advise you, so please contact us if you need assistance with any of the recommended gear.