Golden Circle and Ice Cave in a Monster Truck

A Golden Circle ice cave monster truck tour from Reykjavík that combines the three classic Golden Circle stops with a ride onto Langjökull glacier in a huge monster truck to visit a natural ice cave.

• The three classic Golden Circle stops and a glacier ice cave in one long day
• Ride in a huge monster truck built for driving on ice and snow
• Walk inside a natural ice cave with striking blue ice
• Pick-up and drop-off in Reykjavík included
• A good option if you only have one day for both the Golden Circle and an ice cave

Your day, stop by stop

2Þingvellir National ParkWhere the tectonic plates meet and the Vikings held their parliament.

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.

Walking · easy paths, about 1–2 km

Read our Þingvellir National Park guide →

3Geysir and StrokkurHot springs, with Strokkur erupting every few minutes.

Geysir gave every geyser in the world its name. The original Great Geysir now erupts only rarely, sometimes after earthquakes, so the show is Strokkur, a short walk away. It throws boiling water 15 to 20 metres into the air every 5 to 10 minutes, and sometimes a good deal higher, so you will see several eruptions while you are here. Keep to the paths between the pools and stay behind the ropes, as the water is very hot.

Walking · short, flat paths

Read our Geysir guide →

4Gullfoss waterfallA two-tier waterfall dropping into a deep canyon.

Gullfoss, the Golden Falls, drops about 32 metres in two steps into a narrow canyon roughly 70 metres deep and 2.5 kilometres long. The water comes from the Hvítá river, which is fed by the glacier Langjökull. Glacial water often turns golden-brown in sunlight, and rainbows hang in the spray on bright days. A path with stairs leads down to a lower level, closer to the water.

Walking · upper viewpoint easy; lower path has stairs, can close in winter

Read our Gullfoss guide →

5Monster truck to LangjökullTransfer into a glacier monster truck for the climb onto the ice.

You transfer into a glacier monster truck for the climb onto the ice. The truck's oversized tyres are built for exactly this kind of snow and ice driving. The ice cave is on Langjökull, Iceland's second-largest ice cap.

Read our Langjökull guide →

6Ice caveA short walk to a natural cave with deep blue ice inside.

A short walk to a cave that forms naturally within the glacier and is known locally for its striking blue colour. Guides check conditions before every visit. The tour runs in winter only.

About the Golden Circle ice cave monster truck tour

This is a long day that packs in both the Golden Circle and a glacier ice cave, so it suits travellers who don't have time for two separate trips. Pick-up is from Reykjavík in the morning, and the day covers Þingvellir National Park, the Geysir geothermal area with Strokkur erupting every few minutes, and Gullfoss waterfall, before heading up to Langjökull glacier for the ice cave section.

At Langjökull, you transfer into a purpose-built glacier monster truck, which handles the snow and ice on the way up far better than a standard vehicle. From there it's a short walk to a natural ice cave known for its deep blue colour, where your guide leads you through and explains how the cave formed.

Because it covers so much ground, this is a long day: around 11 hours door to door. It runs in winter only, roughly November to mid-April, when the ice cave is safely accessible. Walking at each stop is easy, so it suits most fitness levels, but the day itself is a full one, so pace yourself and expect some time simply travelling between stops.

• Carbon offset for your tour, through tree planting in Iceland
• Necklace to buy

Questions people ask