Travel bucket list idea:
Tour inside the Thrihnukagigur volcano
Hafnarfjordur, Iceland
Last updated: 23 April, 2024
A once-in-a-lifetime experience: the chance to travel down inside a dormant volcano, the only place in the world that it’s possible to do so.
It combines a 3km hike (around 45 mins each way) and a cave tour: the volcano is accessed via an elevator that descends into the volcano’s underground chambers. If you’re feeling flush, you can skip the hiking part with a helicopter trip.
The volcano hasn’t erupted in the last 4,000 years, but it’s still an unnerving experience as you descend on the elevator into its inky depths, like descending into the Icelandic underworld. The main chamber is just over 120m deep: the molten magma that once filled it is thought to have drained away, leaving behind a cavernous, cathedral-like space.
Logistics
Price from: £260
Minimum age: 8
Age suitable: 8+
When: All year around
Duration: 4-5 hours
Getting there & doing it
The only way to visit is with a guide: Inside The Volcano run organised bus trips direct from Reykjavik. Booking is essential.
The full tour last between 5 and 6 hours, including 40 minutes inside the volcano itself.
When to do it
Tours run several times a day, from mid-May to mid-October.
