Fire and Ice Helicopter Tour Iceland | Volcano & Glacier Adventure

This fire and ice helicopter tour lands you twice: once on Þórisjökull glacier and once in the Hengill geothermal valley, with views of Glymur waterfall and Þingvellir along the way.

• Two landings in one tour: a glacier and a geothermal valley
• Stand on Þórisjökull glacier without a hike or crampons
• Fly over Glymur waterfall and the Þingvellir rift valley
• A second landing near hot springs and boiling mud pots
• Departs from Reykjavík Domestic Airport

Your day, stop by stop

2Þórisjökull glacier landingLand and walk on the ice of Þórisjökull.

The helicopter sets down on Þórisjökull, giving you about 15 minutes to walk on the ice, take photos and enjoy the view before heading onward. No hike or crampons are needed. The ground is ice and snow, so sturdy shoes are recommended.

Time here · about 15 minutesGround · ice and snow, sturdy shoes recommended

3Glymur waterfallFly over one of Iceland's tallest waterfalls.

Glymur drops 198 metres into a narrow, mossy canyon fed by the Botnsá river, which flows from the lake Hvalvatn. It was long thought to be Iceland's tallest waterfall, until Morsárfoss in Skaftafell was measured as taller in 2011. Unlike most of the famous waterfalls it cannot be seen from a car park: the hike is about 7 kilometres round trip, takes 3 to 4 hours, and includes a river crossing and steep sections.

In the air · flying, no stop here

Read our Glymur guide →

4Þingvellir National ParkA pass over the rift valley where two tectonic plates meet.

Þingvellir is where Iceland's parliament, the Alþingi, first met in 930, and it lies in a rift valley where the North American and Eurasian plates are pulling apart. Chieftains gathered here every summer, laws were recited from the Lögberg (Law Rock), and the plain below still shows where the assembly booths stood. The lake beside it, Þingvallavatn, is the largest natural lake in Iceland. The park is free to enter and open all year.

In the air · flying, no stop here

Read our Þingvellir National Park guide →

5Hengill geothermal valley landingA second landing near hot springs and boiling mud pots.

The helicopter lands on an old volcano in the Hengill geothermal area, with steaming ground and boiling mud pots close by, for about 15 minutes. It is an undeveloped site with no facilities.

Time here · about 15 minutesFacilities · none, undeveloped site

About the fire and ice helicopter tour

The name Fire and Ice fits the two landings on this tour: one on the white ice of Þórisjökull glacier, the other in a steaming geothermal valley near Hengill. It is a good way to experience both sides of Iceland's landscape without a full day of driving or hiking.

Along the way you fly over Glymur waterfall and the Þingvellir rift valley, where the North American and Eurasian plates meet. The glacier landing gives you a few minutes to walk on the ice and take photos, and the geothermal stop puts you close to hot springs and mud pots with no paths or ropes, so you follow your guide closely.

Both landings are weather dependent, and winter days are shorter, so timing and the exact stops can shift. Dress warmly, since wind on the glacier and at altitude makes it feel colder than in town, even in summer.

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