T
he platforms inside the Vidgelmir cave make it a lot more comfortable to visit, but do not spoil its naturalness. We can still clearly see that we are in a real, natural cave.
The opportunity to learn up close about the structure and operation of volcanoes is one of Iceland’s greatest advantages. At Vidgelmir Cave you get to know the volcano not only up close, but actually from the inside!
What is a lava cave
A lava cave is an underground rock tunnel where a stream of lava once flowed from an erupting volcano. If such a lava flow is large enough, its top begins to solidify and form a hard rock vault as the lava below/inside continues to flow. If the volcanic eruption stops, this still-flowing lava flows out from under the solidified vault leaving an empty tunnel behind. Then all that is needed is for this natural tunnel ceiling to collapse at some point and sink. Such a collapse becomes an entrance, and the tunnel itself becomes a lava cave.
Entrance to Vidgelmir cave
It is perhaps worth mentioning that in Iceland it is also worth seeing a second completely unusual type of cave – an ice cave (or more precisely: a glacial cave). Such a cave is formed in quite a similar way, but in a completely different environment – not in the hot lava of a volcano, but in the cold, solidified cover of a glacier…. See our complete guide on visiting those here: The Amazing Ice Caves.
Vidgelmir Cave – Iceland’s largest lava cave
Vidgelmir Cave (Víðgelmir Cave) is one of the largest lava caves in Iceland and the world. Officially, the longer cave is the nearby Surtshellir, but if you consider the volume of the cave, Vidgelmir Cave is said to be the largest.
What’s important: Surtshellir is admittedly longer, but not adapted for sightseeing. You can enter it, but at your own risk and without any facilities. Meanwhile, the Vidgelmir cave is nicely illuminated and equipped with comfortable stairs and wooden platforms leading through the entire length made available to tourists.
T
he platforms inside the Vidgelmir cave make it a lot more comfortable to visit, but do not spoil its naturalness. We can still clearly see that we are in a real, natural cave.
With platforms and lighting, the Vidgelmir cave is one of the easiest to visit and see. Without hassle and quite quickly, you will “dive” into it for more than 1.5 km / 1 mile, which in a fully-natural cave (like Surtshellir) would be difficult, risky and very time-consuming.
What can be seen in Vidgelmir cave
The tourist adaptation of the Vidgelmir cave allows you to visit the cave not only faster and safer, but also much more thoroughly. Strong, but not excessive, lighting makes it much easier to admire the various rock formations inside the cave.
Mineral infiltrates in Vidgelmir
Others may give the impression that we have strangely found ourselves in the tunnel of Iceland’s sewage system, through which waste from all over the island flows…. Others, give the impression of being fragments of the skin or armor of some mighty dragon, which just happened to have shed its old scales here…
Another “design element” of the cave are different-colored rocks, on which various elements from the volcanic eruption have precipitated, including, perhaps most importantly: sulfur. The yellow sulfur veins on the ceiling of the cave look really nice.
The cave also features stalactites and stalagmites. Unlike many other large and famous caves, however, in Vidgelmir there are (almost) no stalagmites, that is, a stalactite and stalagmite joined together. This is firstly because, in a geological sense, this cave is very young, and secondly because the water flowing down from the ceiling here – as in all of Iceland – is extremely pure. It contains very little iron, calcium or other minerals from which stalactites and stalagmites form. That is why here their formation is extremely slow. Therefore, although stalactites and stalagmites can be seen here, they are very small. Sometimes just comically tiny.
Ice stalagmites
On the walls of the cave we can also admire rock formations that are a reminder of the lava history of the place. The traces quite clearly show where the lava flowed, where it had already begun to solidify and was covered by a new flow, etc. etc. You will also see characteristic cracks and fissures.
Sightseeing the Vidgelmir Cave
The area where Vidgelmir Cave is private property and entry to the cave is allowed only on paid guided tours.
Such tours begin and end at a pavilion located about 11 km (about 6 km as the crow flies) north of Husafell. You can book admission here: Cave Explorer Tour.
Guides are available year-round, and tours head into the cave every two hours or so. As the cave is navigated by comfortable stairs and platforms the entire time, we enter the cave at a distance of about 1.5 km very efficiently. The whole tour lasts about an hour and a half and is colored not only by the beauty of the cave itself, but also by interesting facts told by the guide.
Naturally, the organizers provide helmets and flashlights (without artificial light there is absolute darkness in the cave), but it is up to us to prepare ourselves for the temperature of about 2 ºC / 36 ºF prevailing in the cave throughout the year.
Tickets for the tour are best bought online, well in advance. In winter, the cave is not crowded and you can almost always just join the next group going in, but in summer you should reserve a place at least a few days in advance, especially if you care about starting the tour at a specific, selected time.
If
you are staying the night in Reykjavik, you can visit the cave on one of 1-day tours to this area, sometimes referred to as ‘the silver circle’, like this one: Silver Circle | Small Group Day Tour.
Víðgelmir Cave – Tips and Practical Information
- The cave is open year-round. The tour organizers provide helmets and flashlights.
- The attraction can be used by people of all ages, including children.
- Unlike caves accessible for free, such as nearby Surtshellir, Vidgelmir is fully accessible for tours. Among other things, it has stable walkways and permanent lighting. As a result, also people without experience will feel confident and safe in it.
- Walking through the cave is not particularly demanding. During the expedition there is no need to crawl or crouch, although in places you need to watch your head.
- Entry to the cave is allowed only under supervision. To visit it, you must go to Cave Explorer Tour and book a tour. Its price is 7,500 ISK, so about $50 (Cave Explorer Tour). The tour lasts about 1.5 hours.
- Tours of the cave during the season are held daily, from 10 am to 6 pm.
- In 1993 some bones and jewelry from the Viking Age were found in the cave.
- The temperature inside the cave is low. Make sure to wear warm clothing (even in the summer, a hat and gloves are recommended, but after all, this is the norm in Iceland).
- The cave’s temperature is low.
- Throughout 90% of the year, you can successfully get to the cave area in an ordinary passenger car. In winter, a four-wheel-drive car may be necessary, but the cave is also part of many day trips starting and ending in Reykjavik.
| Vidgelmir Cave – details | |||
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| location | Western Iceland | ||
| GPS coordinates | 64.7530122737519, -20.801107568701532 |
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| length | 1.5 km | ||
| opening hours | daily, 10:00 – 18:00 | ||
| entry cost | adults: 7500 ISK (about $55), youth (7-15 y.o.): 4000 ISK ($30), kids < 7 years: free entry; ( |
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| remarks | Tour the cave only in organized groups with a guide. Tour time: about 1.5 h. |
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| website, tickets | Cave Explorer Tour | ||
| tour from Reykjavik | Silver Circle, the Lava Cave, Waterfalls & Hot Spring | Small Group Day Tour | ||
How to get to Vidgelmir Cave
Vidgelmir Cave is located at the eastern end of the Kalmanstunga region, slightly northeast of where the 518 road curves.
To visit the cave, buy tickets online and report to the Vidgelmir Cave Center, or – if you buy the option in advance – organizers will pick you up from the parking lot in nearby Husafell.
