The Inside the Volcano tour in Iceland is probably one of the most unique experiences of your life! Take an elevator inside the volcano – towards the center of the earth!
Highlights
- Thrihnukagigur volcano
- Seeing Inside the Volcano in Iceland
- Hike through lava fields
- Traditional Iceland meat soup / vegetarian soup
About Tour
Þríhnúkagígur Volcano
Let’s get to know a little more about the volcano that you will be exploring from the inside! Iceland is one of the most active volcanic regions in the world, with eruptions occurring every 3-4 years on average. Iceland’s location on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the North American and Eurasian plates are moving apart are the reason why Iceland is so active. The plates drifting apart means that the earth’s crust is literally opening up. In the center of this ridge sits Þríhnúkagígur volcano.
Þríhnúkagígur is a dormant volcano that last erupted over 4.000 years ago. There are no indications of it erupting again in the near future, so you do not have to worry about that! The name of the volcano can be directly translated as the Three Peaks Crater. The name is almost unpronounceable for anyone. Even locals often find it hard to pronounce it.
On this tour you will be entering one of the three peaks. The peak stands about 35m (100 ft) higher than its surroundings. We will be hiking up to the top of this cone and find a funnel-shaped opening. The opening is around 4×4 meters (12×12 ft) wide. We will be entering a huge 120 meters (400 ft), bottle-shaped volcanic vault. On this tour you will be continue down to the volcano in an elevator to a total depth of about 200 meters (700 ft).
When you get inside the volcano you will see the magic of this place. The beauty of the crater mostly consists in the various colors found inside it. The size of the volcano is enormous, and it will feel very unique to be standing inside a volcano that once erupted. To put the size of the volcano in context, the ground space of the volcano is equal to almost three full-sized basketball courts, and the height is such that it would easily fit a full-sized Statue of Liberty into the chamber.
The magma chamber, where you will be entering, is often referred to as the heart of a volcano. This is where the liquid rock waits to find a way through to the surface, causing a volcanic eruption. In most cases the crater closes after the eruption by cold, hard lava.
The magma chamber is often referred to as the heart of a volcano. It’s there that the liquid rock waits to find a way through to the surface, causing a volcanic eruption. In most cases, the crater is usually closed after the eruption by cold, hard lava but Þríhnúkagígur volcano is a rare expectation to this. The magma in the chamber seems to have disappeared and it is believed that the magma solidified in the walls or retreated to the depths of the earth.
Haraldur Sigurdsson volcanologist explains Þríhnúkagígur like this:
“Þríhnúkagígur is unique (…) It’s like somebody came and pulled the plug and all the magma ran down out of it.”
The Inside the volcano in Iceland Tour
If you have read the description about Þríhnúkagígur here above, you will know that this volcano is a unique natural phenomenon. By setting up the necessary gear and equipment, you can go on this tour inside the volcano to see a whole new world.
To be able to see inside the volcano you will need to do a 45-50 minute hike to get to the crater. When you get up to the crater you will be going down inside the volcano to the bottom of the crater in an open cable lift. The hike to the volcano is a great part of the tour. The scenery is breathtaking, and you will be walking through lava fields from the volcano. It is also one of two ways of getting to the base of the volcano. If you are not up for the hike, you can also book a helicopter tour that will take you to the crater.
Itinerary
The volcano is located only around 20 kilometers East of Reykjavik, the capital city of Iceland. You can choose to meet us at location or have a pick up in Reykjavik. There is no extra fee for the pick up so we recommend that you use our pick up services from Reykjavik.
Once you arrive at the destination, you will meet up with your volcano guide that will be taking you on this Inside the volcano tour. The guide will walk with you through the lava fields surrounding the crater. Here you will see the lava from the volcanic eruptions in the area. When you get to the Base Camp, next to the crater, the guide will tell you about all safety procedures and how to behave in the crater. You will get all safety equipment and the group will be split into smaller parties of 6-7 people. We will head on to the open cable lift that will take you down into the volcano. The trips up and down take about 6 minutes each way. An expert guide will be with you the whole time, in the cable lift and on the ground in the magma chamber.
We will spend around half an hour on the ground of the volcano. You can use this time to explore and take as many photos as you want. You are not allowed to take rocks and stones from the crater.
After exploring inside the volcano, we will take the cable lift back up to the surface. There you will have the opportunity to enjoy a traditional Icelandic meat soup or vegetable soup and hot coffee / tea / chocolate.
After that, we will walk back over the lava field with your guide after a day you will probably never forget!
Included
- Guided tour inside the volcano in Iceland.
- Small groups and plenty of volcano guides – personal experience.
- Pick up at your hotel in Reykjavik
- All safety gear – helmet, harnesses, etc.
- Traditional Icelandic meat soup / vegetarian soup
- Coffee / tea / hot chocolate.
- Transfer back to your hotel in Reykjavik.
Highlights
- Thrihnukagigur volcano
- Seeing Inside the Volcano in Iceland
- Hike through lava fields
- Traditional Iceland meat soup / vegetarian soup
What to bring
- Outdoor clothing: the weather in Iceland can be unpredictable. The weather on the carter can be different than in the city of Reykjavik. Bring warm, rainproof clothes. The temperature in the crater is always the same, around 3°C (37°F).
- Good shoes: You will be hiking through rocky trail so we recommend hiking shoes. The trial can get muddy on a rainy day.
- Camera: You will want to remember this trip inside the volcano in Iceland!
Good to know
- This tour is ideal for everyone – solo travelers, families, kids, groups and friends.
- We ask all visitors to behave responsibly during the tour. The environment is extremely sensitive, and we expect visitors to leave no footprint. What you carry in, you carry out.
- The duration of the tour is around 5-6 hours including pick up and drop off.
- If you choose to meet us at location, the duration of the tour is around 4 hours.
- You will be spending about 35-40 minutes inside the volcano.
- A moderate level of fitness is needed on this tour. No knowledge of hiking or climbing is required.
- You will be walking around 3 kilometers (2 mi) each way on this tour. The hike usually takes around 45-50 minutes each way.
- It is not a steep uphill walk, but the surface is uneven in places. The last 10 minutes of the hike are more challenging with an elevation of around 50 meters (150 ft).
- A volcano guide will be with you at all times on this tour.
- The minimum age limit for this tour is 8 years old. Children 8 years and older, that are able to hike 2 times 3 kilometers are welcome to join the tour. They have to be dressed appropriately for the tour. The price for children 8-12 years is 50% off (22.000 ISK). We can not make a refund if it turns out that your child is not able to finish the hike.
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