Silver Circle and Víðgelmir Lava Cave Tour

This Silver Circle and Víðgelmir lava cave tour takes you through West Iceland to Europe's most powerful hot spring, the Hraunfossar and Barnafoss waterfalls, and inside Víðgelmir, one of Iceland's largest lava caves.

• Deildartunguhver, Europe's most powerful hot spring
• Hraunfossar and Barnafoss waterfalls side by side
• A guided walk inside Víðgelmir, one of Iceland's largest lava caves
• A stop at a horse farm near Reykholt
• Small-group minibus with pick-up from Reykjavík

Your day, stop by stop

2Deildartunguhver hot springEurope's most powerful hot spring.

Deildartunguhver is the highest-flow hot spring in Europe, with about 180 litres of water a second rising at close to 100°C and sending clouds of steam into the air. It does not look dramatic from a distance, but from the boardwalk the volume of water is startling. The water is put to work, piped through Iceland's oldest hot water pipeline to heat homes.

Walking · short, on boardwalks

Read our Deildartunguhver guide →

3Hraunfossar and BarnafossTwo waterfalls side by side on the Hvítá river.

Hraunfossar, the 'lava falls', is made up of countless small streams that emerge directly from beneath the Hallmundarhraun lava field and trickle into the Hvítá river along about 900 metres of riverbank. The water filtering through the lava stays clear and a striking blue-white. Barnafoss, a smaller and more turbulent waterfall on the same river, is a few minutes' walk upstream.

Walking · short, flat paths and viewing platforms

Read our Barnafoss guide →

4Víðgelmir lava caveA guided walk through one of Iceland's largest lava caves.

Víðgelmir is Iceland's largest lava cave, a lava tube formed when the Hallmundarhraun lava field erupted around the year 900. Molten rock flowed underground through a channel, and when the surface cooled and the lava inside drained away it left a long, high tunnel, up to about 16 metres high, with walls stained by minerals and frozen lava drips on the ceiling and floor. It can only be visited with a guide, on a walkway through part of the cave.

Temperature · cool year-round, bring a warm layerWalking · on a fitted walkway, guided

Read our Víðgelmir guide →

5Reykholt horse farmA stop at a local horse farm.

A chance to see Icelandic horses up close at a farm near Reykholt. They are small, sturdy and sure-footed, and the stop gives you time to meet them.

Read our Snorralaug guide →

About the Silver Circle and Vidgelmir lava cave tour

This version of the Silver Circle route swaps the hot spring baths for a trip underground, into Víðgelmir, one of the largest lava caves in Iceland. The cave formed during an eruption around 1,100 years ago and is fitted with walkways and lighting, so no caving experience is needed, though it stays a constant, cool temperature so bring a warm layer.

Before the cave you visit Deildartunguhver, where boiling water pours out of the ground at Europe's highest flow rate of any hot spring, and Hraunfossar and Barnafoss, two very different waterfalls next to each other on the Hvítá river. A stop at a horse farm near Reykholt breaks up the driving with a chance to see Icelandic horses close up.

It's a long day at around 10 hours because of the distance from Reykjavík, but the walking at each stop is easy, including inside the cave itself, which is fitted with a walkway. Wear sturdy shoes and a warm layer for the cave, since the temperature underground stays low even in summer.

• Ice grips for your shoes, to buy (October to April)
• Hiking boot rental
• Waterproof jacket and trousers rental

Questions people ask