Iceland Travel GuideLOCAL TRAVEL AGENCY IN ICELAND
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Iceland Travel GuideLOCAL TRAVEL AGENCY IN ICELAND
My trip
Talk to a local
Víðgelmir is Iceland's largest lava cave, in the Hallmundarhraun lava field near Húsafell in West Iceland. It is about 130 km (around 2 hours) from Reykjavík, visited only with a guide on a walkway through part of the cave, open year-round, with tours lasting around 1.5 hours.
Víðgelmir is a lava tube formed when the Hallmundarhraun lava field erupted around the year 900, not long after Iceland was settled. Molten rock flowed underground through a channel; when the surface cooled and the lava inside drained away, it left behind a long, high tunnel with colourful walls stained by minerals and old lava drips frozen on the ceiling and floor.
The cave is entered through a collapsed section of roof and explored along a fitted walkway with lighting, so you do not need caving experience. Archaeologists have also found evidence that Viking-age settlers used the cave, with items now kept in Iceland's National Museum. It is a completely different kind of sight from Iceland's waterfalls and glaciers: quiet, dark, and shaped entirely underground.
The scale is what surprises people. At its biggest the passage is 15.8 m high and 16.5 m wide, which makes Víðgelmir by far the largest lava tube in Iceland and one of the largest in the world. That also means it does not feel cramped. The cave lies on the land of Fljótstunga farm, and the family there runs the tours, with guides who explain how the tube formed and point out the lava formations along the way.
Archaeological digs inside Víðgelmir found remains suggesting people sheltered or stayed in the cave not long after it formed, in the Viking settlement period. Objects recovered from inside are kept at Iceland’s National Museum in Reykjavík. An iron gate was added in 1991 to protect the cave’s delicate formations, some of which had already been broken, and that is part of why access today is limited to guided groups.
The cave is underground in a flat lava field, so you will not find it by looking for it. Drive to the signed meeting point and go in with the guide.
Beginners and experienced cavers alike can do the standard tour. This is how it goes.
It is cold underground even in summer. Wear warm layers, a hat and gloves, and sturdy boots with good grip.
There is a small visitor building at the meeting point with toilets. No café or shop at the cave entrance itself; the nearest services are in Húsafell.
Húsafell has hotels, guesthouses and a campsite, and makes a convenient base for visiting Víðgelmir along with Hraunfossar and Deildartunguhver nearby.
No, the cave is gated and only accessible on a guided tour.
Around 1.5 hours, including getting kitted out with helmets and headlamps.
Yes, tours run year-round, though conditions on the approach and entrance steps can be icier in winter.
About 130 km, around 2 hours by car to the meeting point near Húsafell.
Warm layers and sturdy shoes with good grip. It is cold underground year-round.
Most people do not find it so. The main passage is up to about 16 m high and wide, and the tour follows a lit walkway.
No. A normal car is enough. It is about 2 hours from Reykjavík and about 1 hour from Borgarnes.
Tours and trips that include Víðgelmir, booked directly with a local travel agency in Iceland.
