Evening Lava Caving Tour & Northern Lights Hunt

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Raufarholshellir Lava Tunnel in Iceland

Overview

Got a free afternoon in Iceland? Why not explore the mesmerizing Raufarhólshellir Lava Cave at night and chase the shining Northern Lights? Join this exclusive tour for an extraordinary evening!

Your expert guide will pick you up in a comfortable minibus, taking you from Reykjavík to Iceland's fourth-longest lava tube. Learn about the 5000-year-old lava cave formations and colors during our hour-long excursion, venturing hundreds of meters into the cave.

Afterward, go on a scenic journey to spot the Northern Lights, with guides capturing sightings for memorable photographs. Warm up with hot chocolate as you admire the dancing lights in the sky!

Tour Snapshot

Duration

5 hours

Level

Easy

Availability

january - april, september - december

Starting point

Reykjavik

End point

Reykjavik

Languages

English

Trip style

One-day tours

Minimum age

6 years

What to Expect

On Tour

Guided tour with a certified caving guide
All necessary safety equipment
Helmet & head torch
Crampons (in winter)
English-speaking expert Northern Lights guide
Northern Lights photos
Icelandic hot cocoa, chocolate & blanket
Free Wi-Fi on the bus
Complementary retry, valid for 3 years when no Northern Lights are seen on the tour

Transportation

Meet on location
Pick-up & drop-off in Reykjavik

Accommodation & Meals

Meals
Accommodation

Itinerary

5 hours

Tour Itinerary Overview

Join us on an evening adventure as we go on an excursion into Iceland's fourth-longest lava tube and chase the shimmering Northern Lights!

Your knowledgeable guide will whisk you away in a comfortable minibus to Raufarhólshellir lava cave, a mere 45-minute drive from Reykjavík. Prepare to be awestruck by the breathtaking lava formations during our hour-long exploration, and walk 350 m into the cave up to 900 m (2952 ft) in total.

Afterward, we'll go on a scenic quest to witness the enchanting Northern Lights, capturing unforgettable moments and indulging in hot chocolate under the starry night sky. Get ready for an unforgettable journey!

Below, you can discover more details about the tour.

The Lava Cave Tour

Our journey starts in Reykjavík, where we'll pick you up before heading east through lava fields and mountainous terrain. Our first stop is Raufarhólshellir, a lava tunnel formed from a volcanic eruption 5000 years ago.

At the entrance of the Raufarhólshellir tunnel, our lava cave expert will provide gear and safety briefings before entering. You'll explore about 900 meters into the cave, marveling at the vivid colors, rock formations, and vivid array of colors formed during volcanic activity.

The walk is generally easy, with sections made more accessible by footbridges and paths, while other areas remain in their natural state. This allows people of all ages and abilities to enjoy the lava tunnel tour. However, guests should be comfortable walking on uneven ground to be able to participate in this experience.

With the help of an expert guide, you will learn about the lava cave’s history through fascinating rock formations, including natural lava falls, and in winter, marvel at glistening icicles and ice formations.

The Northern Lights

After our lava cave tour, prepare for an unforgettable adventure as we chase the mystical Northern Lights. Hop aboard our cozy bus and journey into the starry night with a professional guide. We'll venture into the remote countryside, where the sky becomes our canvas for the dazzling dance of the Aurora Borealis.

Traveling in our comfortable minibus, we'll navigate to secret spots far from city lights, giving us the best chance to witness this ethereal phenomenon. Throughout the night, our expert guides will snap a complimentary photo of you with the Northern Lights, ensuring you take home a tangible memory of this magical experience.

We'll also offer comforting hot chocolate, a delicious Icelandic chocolate treat, and cozy blankets to keep you warm!

Notable Information

Since the visibility of the Northern Lights tour relies heavily on weather conditions, there's a chance that the Aurora Borealis might not be visible during your trip. If you miss out on seeing the Northern Lights, we provide clients with the opportunity to join another minibus Northern Lights departure at no extra cost, subject to availability. Just remember to get in touch with us to arrange a re-booking.

This is a combination of two separate tours. If one of the tours is cancelled, you will still be able to join the other part.

After an adventure-packed evening, you'll be dropped off in Reykjavík at your selected drop-off location.

Meet your operator

At Adventures.com we love transparency, there are operators involved in your booking, we just stay with those we trust. This tour is operated by:

Arctic Adventures

Arctic Adventures is a top Icelandic tour operator known for its small-group experiences. Since 1983, they’ve specialized in guiding travelers through Iceland’s wild terrains, from glaciers to volcanoes. Their tours are all about adventure and sustainability, led by expert guides who make sure every trip is safe, fun, and memorable. Arctic Adventures combines deep local knowledge with a strong commitment to nature, making them a trusted choice for anyone looking to explore Iceland up close and responsibly.

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Packing list

Get ready for your trip, here are some items, you should not forget

What to bring (Required)

Warm outdoor clothing
Water & Windproof Jacket and Pants
Hiking boots
Rent with us, +29 USD per person
Shoe Spike Grips (Oct-Apr)
Thermal underwear
Warm Headwear
Gloves

We're here to answer your questions

Yes, we will provide you with a headlight and a helmet.

The Icelandic weather is very unpredictable therefore we highly recommend to dress in layers. Warm layers closest to you preferably wool/thermal underwear, pants sweater and on top waterproof outdoor clothing. It is also suitable to wear good hiking shoes and gloves. Jeans have proven to be a bad choice.

The Northern Lights are natural phenomena and we, unfortunately, cannot promise you will see them. Their appearance depends upon atmospheric and weather conditions.

For more information on the Northern Lights, please have a look at our Northern Lights tours.

We, unfortunately, do not have one simple answer to this question.

There isn’t just one single setting for your camera that ensures great photos. However, if you have manual options, you are probably best served with experimenting with various combinations of ISO, aperture, and exposure settings. As a rule of thumb, ISO setting between 800 and 3200, aperture between f/2 8 and f/5.6, and shutter speed at between 15 seconds and 30 seconds have proven effective.

A good thing to keep in mind, ISO setting between 800 and 3200, aperture between f/2.8 and f/5.6, and shutter speed between 15 seconds and 30 seconds have given great results.

Different combinations may give very different results. Higher ISO setting will allow you to capture faster exposures, but the downside to this might be for example grainier images.

If the shutter speed is above 15 seconds it will result in a slight star movement.

Wider angle lenses are usually more versatile in low light settings, but longer lenses give you different options for compositions. Make sure that you remove all lens filters, as they may distort images. You will probably get the best results with manual setting for infinite focal length.

Reimbursement is not given if the northern lights tour goes ahead and no lights are seen but we do offer you the change to join a Northern Lights Minibus tour free of charge.

Please contact our Customer Care to re-book your tour.

When Northern Lights tours are canceled it’s usually due to unfavorable weather conditions.

In that case, your options will be to:

Reschedule for another day.
Choose another our tour and use the deposit for it.
Get a full refund.

Please go to the customer portal to re-book your tour or contact us by phone at +354 562 7000.

The northern lights are a pretty difficult thing to predict. We recommend you to check en.vedur.is to see the forecast and if the level is high and the skies are clear then it’s very likely that the tour is going ahead. We do update our website’s tour departure sheet with the information at 17:00 pm the latest. If your tour is canceled then you will receive an email from us.

If we think there is no chance at all of seeing the lights we will cancel the tour. We don’t want to bring you out and disappoint if there is no chance of the lights to be seen.

Yes, the guide on your tour will take a photo of you with the northern lights in the background.
These can be single or group photo’s and are free of charge.

The Northern Lights season is from late August until mid-April. However, if you want to increase your changes of seeing them, it is best to wait until the clear winter months of mid-September until March.

The northern lights depend on luck and weather if that is in your favor than you will be able to see the Aurora Borealis above the inviting streets of Reykjavík. Whether you see the lights or not they depend on two different factors. The first being the weather. If the sky is clear, no clouds, then you are halfway there to seeing the astonishing spectacle that is the Northern Lights (although light pollution can sometimes be a problem). Increased solar activity is the second half so, if these two merge together you may well be able to see the Northern Lights from Reykjavik.

Still not convinced?

Customer Care

For Iceland, Scandinavia & Baltic tour

Open daily from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM GMT

Address

Köllunarklettsvegur 2

104 Reykjavík

+354 562 7000

BOOK YOUR TOUR

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