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Raufarholshellir Lava Tunnel in Iceland

Overview

More than just scratching the surface during your Icelandic experience, this cave adventure is surely off the beaten path

Tour Snapshot

Duration

1 hour

Level

Easy

Availability

All year

Starting point

Raufarholshellir Lava Tunnel in Iceland

End point

Raufarholshellir Lava Tunnel in Iceland

Languages

English

Trip style

One-day tours

Minimum age

12 years

What to Expect

On Tour

Guided caving tour
Flashlight
Gloves
Helmet

Transportation

Meet on Location
The tunnel is located less than 30 minutes drive (approximately 30 km) from Reykjavík, Iceland and is accessible by all vehicles. Driving from Reykjavík east on Route 1 and driving for about 18 km. Turn right onto Route 39 (Þorlákshöfn) and drive for another 12 km. The parking area will be on your left-hand side. Click here for a Google Map.
The GPS coordinates are: N.63º 56.407 / W. 021º 23.742
Pick-up & drop-off in Reykjavik

Accommodation & Meals

Meals
Accommodation

Itinerary

1 hour

Tour Itinerary Overview

Raufarholshellir lava tube cave is one of the better known lava caves in Iceland and it is easily accessible. The length of the tube is estimated to be 1360 metres. There are four entrances, all in easy reach of each other. The cave is partially collapsed and is difficult to trek, except for the innermost part which is easier because little has broken from the ceiling.

During the winter time a lot of ice forms in the forward section of the cave and almost every stone is coated with a thin crust of ice, which makes it hazardous to walk around the cave.

In the backward section, the cave forks into 3 tunnels, the lava flow from those tunnels probably joined in the Raufarholshellir cave 5000 years ago. Lava falls and other spectacular lava formations can be seen deep in those tunnels.

There are large chambers in Raufarholshellir lava tube, the largest chamber in Iceland, excluding those in Surtshellir and Vidgelmir lava tubes in Hallmundarhraun lava fields in western part of Iceland. The walk around the cave is an exciting journey and there are many things to see.

There’s a road leading to the cave’s entrance and it’s accessible all year round. It takes about an hour to reach the cave from Reykjavik in a car, and the trek through the cave itself takes about four hours. So it is probably best to plan 5-6 hours for the whole tour.

Lava Tubes

Lava tubes are natural conduits through which lava travels beneath the surface of a lava flow, expelled by a volcano during an eruption. They can be actively draining lava from a source, or can be extinct, meaning the lava flow has ceased and the rock has cooled and left a long, cave-like channel.

Lava tubes are formed when an active low-viscosity lava flow develops a continuous and hard crust, which thickens and forms a roof above the still-flowing lava stream. Tubes form in one of two ways: by the crusting over of lava channels, and from flows where the lava is moving under the surface.

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:

The Lava Tunnel

The Lava Tunnel offers guided tours through Raufarhólshellir, one of Iceland’s longest lava tubes, just 30 minutes from Reykjavík. Guests can explore the tunnel year-round and witness unique volcanic formations. The tours range from a standard one-hour tour to more adventurous options, providing a fascinating look at Iceland’s volcanic landscape. The Lava Tunnel focuses on safety and sustainability, offering an informative and engaging experience for all visitors.

Packing List

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

What to bring (Required)

Warm clothes
Gloves
Headwear
Sturdy shoes
Water & Windproof Jacket and Pants

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 pickup time is stated on your voucher and therefore we recommend you to review your voucher carefully. We ask all participants to be ready from the start of the pickup time indicated as you may well be the first pick up of the day. Please be at your assigned location at the right pick up time that you chose when booking the tour.

Wait for your guide at your assigned pick up location.

Have your email and phone number listed with us so we can contact you if we run into any trouble finding you.

View our pick-up locations in Reykjavík.

Alcohol is prohibited on all of our tours before and during activities. If we find the participant to be intoxicated, we will prohibit them from taking part in the activity.

After the activities of the day are finished then you are more than welcome to have a drink and relax.

Yes, we do have a tour into Langjökull Ice Cave that has no minimum age and it is a fantastic option for the whole family. As a Whale Watching with our partner company Special Tours, enjoyable tour for a family traveling with young children, these guys have an enormous success rate in seeing whales (upwards of 98% in the summertime).

If you want to explore parts of Icelandic Highlands than we have our magnificent Landmannalaugar Safari tour that also offers you to bathe in natural hot springs. Almost all of our jeep tours are suitable for children over the age of 6 years old. Then we also have a relaxing experience that we highly recommend, our Golden Circle & Secret Lagoon tour.

We reserve the rights to adjust the itinerary and/or take different routes depending on conditions. Your safety is our number one priority.

Please read more information in our terms and conditions in regards to this matter.

Yes, we have specially trained and certified guide on all of our tours, expect on our self-drive tours.

All of our tours are English guided.

No, for all your questions and concerns you would need to contact our customer service.

In Iceland, the standard is 230V and 50Hz and we use F-type power sockets and plugs. If you are visiting from the UK, USA, Canada or other countries using a different voltage, Hz or plugs, therefore, we highly recommend you to bring an adaptor.

We have four different categories that help participants to get a better understanding of what to expect from the tour. The categories are Easy, Moderate, Challenging and Demanding. All of our tours are rated to make it easier for you to find a tour that suits you.

For further information about the difficulty ratings and descriptions.

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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