Iceland Volcano Helicopter Tours Compared: Prices, Landings and Routes

Volcano by Volcano

Reykjanes eruption sites are what most flights cover. The eruption area sits about 30 km (19 miles) from Reykjavik, so a short flight gets you over the lava fields and back. Hengill and the glacier landings cost more because they include time on the ground. Eyjafjallajokull and Laki need longer flights from farther bases. Katla has no helicopter route sold from Reykjavik, so you visit it on the ground instead.

The flight times and prices for each volcano or area are set out below.

Between Eruptions and During One

Reykjanes has erupted 12 times since 2021. Three eruptions happened at Fagradalsfjall, at Geldingadalir in 2021, Meradalir in 2022 and Litli-Hrutur in 2023. Nine more came on the Sundhnukur crater row near Grindavik from late 2023, and the last one ended in summer 2025.

The Icelandic Met Office reports that slow ground uplift continues at Svartsengi and that a new magma intrusion toward Sundhnukur is the most likely scenario. Between eruptions you see black cooled lava fields and new craters from the air.

When an eruption starts, hiking trails close first. Helicopters keep flying under Civil Protection rules, so a flight becomes the way to see active lava. Fissure eruptions here produce no ash cloud that disrupts air traffic.

Source: Icelandic Met Office, Arctic Adventures.

The Arithmetic of the Ticket

The 40-minute shared flight from Reykjavik costs $498, about $12.45 for every minute in the air. The 35-minute flight costs $511, about $14.60 a minute, so it is both shorter and dearer. The two landing flights cost more in total but less per minute: $603 for 50 to 70 minutes at Hengill, and $950 for the 100 to 120 minute Fire and Ice trip, which falls to $7.92 a minute at full length. The Laki light aircraft costs $410 for 50 minutes, about $8.20 a minute, with taxes, handling and hot drinks at the airfield included.

None of these prices include hotel pickup and none includes food. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start applies to every listing here. The per-minute table below puts the six side by side.

Why the Price Is What It Is

A helicopter burns a lot of fuel and carries very few people. The 40-minute flight is limited to 5 participants, and one listing needs a minimum of four passengers to fly at all. If the weather or the numbers cancel the flight, the money comes back in full. That small cabin is also the product. You are not paying for a longer experience than a hike gives you, because 40 minutes is a fraction of the 4 to 6 hours a Fagradalsfjall walk takes.

What the money buys is access that no trail can offer. The Reykjanes volcanic area lies about 30 km from Reykjavik, and the helicopter crosses the whole lava field in minutes. It also buys independence from trail closures. When volcanic gas pushes over a hiking route and the paths shut, the aircraft keep flying under whatever rules the Department of Civil Protection has set that day. The Reykjanes and Grindavik page explains how those ground closures work.

• Minimum four passengers on one listing, refunded in full if it does not fly
• No hotel pickup on any of the three air tours
• Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start on every listing here

What You Fly Over

The helicopter operator's own listing describes an area with 12 eruptions in the last 4 years, about 30 km (19 miles) from Reykjavik. That is the Reykjanes peninsula, the same ground the hiking tours cover from below. The 40-minute flight lists its route as Litli-Hrutur, Geldingadalir, Fagradalsfjall and Grindavik, then back over Reykjavik with views of Mount Esja and Faxafloi Bay. The 35-minute flight covers the same lava in a shorter circuit.

The Icelandic Met Office reports continued uplift at Svartsengi, and a magma intrusion into the Sundhnukur crater row stays the most likely next step. Between eruptions the operators' photographs of fountains do not match what you see, which is black cooled lava and fresh craters. The flights follow the Department of Civil Protection's rules on the day, and the exact route depends on what the authority has open. Source: Icelandic Met Office.

Choosing Between the Two Shared Flights

Both shared flights are run by the same operator, GlacierHeli, from the same ACE FBO terminal. One is sold on GetYourGuide, the other on Viator. The 40-minute listing costs $498, carries a maximum of 5 participants and holds 4.8 from 619 reviews. The 35-minute listing costs $511 and holds 4.7 from 237 reviews. So the longer flight is also the cheaper one and the better reviewed.

Book the 35-minute flight only when the 40-minute one is full on your date, or if you prefer to pay through Viator. Reviewers on the 40-minute listing note that flights sometimes run shorter than advertised, so do not plan a connection around the landing time. Both listings state no walking, so the flights work for anyone who cannot manage the rough ground at the eruption site. Neither includes pickup, lunch or drinks.

• 40 minutes, $498, GlacierHeli on GetYourGuide, maximum 5 participants, 4.8 from 619 reviews
• 35 minutes, $511, GlacierHeli on Viator, 4.7 from 237 reviews
• Both meet at the ACE FBO terminal in Reykjavik, no pickup

Hengill Landing in About an Hour

The Hengill landing flight by GlacierHeli costs $603 and lasts 50 to 70 minutes. You fly across the Hellisheidi plateau and land in the Hengill geothermal area, where steam rises from the ground. The landing and fuel surcharge are included, food is not.

The helicopter takes a maximum of 5 passengers, and children 2 to 12 pay a child price. It is not recommended for pregnant travellers. Reviewers rate it 4.9 from 21 reviews.

That works out at $8.61 to $12.06 per minute, cheap per minute for a Reykjavik flight once the landing time is counted.

Fire and Ice: Glacier Plus Volcano

The Fire and Ice tour costs $950 and lasts 100 to 120 minutes, the longest helicopter trip on this page. It makes two landings, one on a glacier and one at the Hengill geothermal area, both weather and safety dependent. An English-speaking guide and both landings are included. The helicopter takes up to 6 passengers and meets right behind Hotel Natura in Reykjavik. Reviewers rate it 4.8 from 113 reviews.

Per minute it runs $7.92 to $9.50, and at the full 120 minutes that is the lowest per-minute price on this page. Reykjavik Helicopters sells a similar Volcano Glacier Combo with a Thorisjokull landing then the Reykjanes volcano area via Glymur from $1,375 (ISK 169,000), so compare the two before you book.

Landings Other Operators Sell

Nordurflug flies from Reykjavik Domestic Airport and lands at several spots on other tours. Its Countless Craters tour lands at the Eldvorp crater row. Its Fire and Ice tour lands on Thorisjokull glacier and at Hengill. Its Heli Happy Hour runs 40 to 45 minutes with a landing on Mount Esja. Prices for these are on request.

Reykjavik Helicopters sells a Geothermal Adventure with a landing at Hengill from $602 (ISK 74,000).

Nobody lands on the fresh Reykjanes lava, and walking on lava is prohibited. The eruption sites are flyover only.

Source: Nordurflug, Icelandair, Reykjavik Helicopters.

What $1,990 Buys

The private Volcano Heli flight costs $1,990, and that price is for the whole helicopter, not per person. The per-person cost falls as your group grows, so ask the operator how many seats the aircraft has before you compare it with a shared seat at $498. The flight lasts 40 to 50 minutes over the Reykjanes eruption sites, lava fields and craters, the surrounding mountains and Reykjavik.

The base is Reykjavik Domestic Airport, a 10 to 15 minute drive from downtown, not Keflavik International. The flight is wheelchair accessible and infants sit on an adult's lap. Volcano Heli has flown in Iceland since 2011 and holds a rating of 5 from 39 reviews.

One limit is stated plainly by the operator: flowing lava cannot be guaranteed. Between eruptions you see cooled lava fields and craters, and the price buys the aircraft and the route, not an eruption.

Why a Plane Is the Only Realistic Way to See Laki

The Lakagigar crater row sits far from any road a rental car can take, so the small plane is the realistic way to see the fissure that erupted in 1783. The flight lasts 50 minutes and leaves from Skaftafell airfield with Atlantsflug, sold through Viator for $410. It holds a perfect rating of 5, although from only 7 reviews, so treat that number gently.

The route covers more than the crater row. You also fly over Skeidararjokull and the Graenalon glacial lake, which makes it as much a glacier flight as a volcano flight. Tea and coffee are included at the airfield, and all taxes and handling charges sit inside the price. Infants sit on an adult's lap, so there is no effective minimum age.

• 50 minutes over the Lakagigar crater row, Skeidararjokull and Graenalon
• $410 with taxes, fees and hot drinks included
• Rating of 5 from only 7 reviews

The Catch With Light Aircraft

Light aircraft flights are weather dependent and cancel at short notice. If your schedule has no slack in it, that is a real risk, and the free cancellation window of 24 hours cuts both ways. The flight also starts at Skaftafell airfield, which is a long drive from Reykjavik with no pickup included, so the true cost of the day is the $410 ticket plus whatever it takes you to get to the southeast of Iceland.

Against that, this is one of the lowest per-minute prices on this page, and Laki cannot be seen any other way for a visitor without a super jeep and days to spare. If the highlands interest you, the Askja and Viti and Landmannalaugar pages cover two more caldera and rhyolite areas that sit at the edge of what ordinary cars can reach.

Who Flies and From Where

All the Reykjavik bases are 10 to 15 minutes from downtown. None flies from Keflavik. None of the volcano flights listed includes hotel pickup, so plan your own transfer to the base. Atlantsflug is the odd one out, a light aircraft flight from Skaftafell in the south, not a helicopter and not from Reykjavik.

The operators, their bases and their entry volcano flights are compared below.

Before You Book

A helicopter is balanced by weight, so seat rules matter more than on a bus. Nordurflug charges passengers over 120 kg (265 lbs) for 1.5 seats. Seat counts cap your group per aircraft, 5 on the GlacierHeli 40-minute and Hengill flights and 6 on Fire and Ice. Age rules vary too. Arctic Adventures takes no children under 2, while Volcano Heli carries infants on a lap.

The practical consequence is simple. Ask the weight question and confirm your group fits one helicopter before you pay, because a split group can mean two departures or a second booking.

• Nordurflug passengers over 120 kg (265 lbs) pay for 1.5 seats
• Nordurflug flies a maximum of 6 seats per helicopter
• GlacierHeli caps the 40-minute flight and Hengill flights at 5 passengers, Fire and Ice at 6
• Arctic Adventures requires a minimum of 4 passengers and takes no children under 2
• GlacierHeli prices children 2 to 12 at a child rate
• GlacierHeli does not recommend its flights for pregnant travellers

Between Eruptions You Will Not See Lava

Between eruptions every flight on this page crosses cooled lava, which is what the operators sell even when their photographs show fountains. Volcanoes are living hazards and the pictures in a listing are not a promise of what the ground will look like on your day. The flights cannot promise a view either, because weather decides, and the route follows the Department of Civil Protection's rules on the day.

The Icelandic Met Office reports continued uplift at Svartsengi, so the situation can change quickly. If seeing an active eruption matters to you, read the page on safety during an eruption and understand that access to an eruption site is decided by the Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management, not by the operator. Source: Icelandic Met Office.

Who Should Not Book

The flights need no walking, and only some listings set an age limit, so most people can fly. The real exclusions are practical. One helicopter listing needs a minimum of four passengers, and if that number is not reached the flight cancels, although the refund is in full. Weather cancels flights on every listing, and weather cancellations on the Reykjavik helicopter flights are common and refunded. Light aircraft over Laki cancel at short notice in bad weather.

Anyone sensitive to motion should think first, since a small aircraft over a glacier edge moves more than a bus. And anyone who wants to touch the lava, hear it or stand on it gets nothing from a window seat. For that, a Raufarholshellir lava tunnel walk or the Katla ice cave trips put you inside volcanic ground rather than above it.

Matching Flight to Traveller

The 40-minute shared flight suits travellers short on time who want the widest view of the newest Reykjanes lava without a 4 to 6 hour hike, at the lowest price of any helicopter here. The Hengill landing suits someone who wants to stand in a steaming volcanic area for less than the price of two shared seats. Fire and Ice suits a traveller who wants a glacier and a volcano in one morning and can spend $950. The private flight suits a family or group that wants the cabin to itself.

The Laki flight suits a different person entirely, someone already on the south coast with a spare morning and an interest in the 1783 fissure, the glaciers and the highland interior.

How It Compares With the Rest of the Site

A helicopter flight is the most expensive Iceland volcano tour format on this site and the least interactive. The Fagradalsfjall hikes cost a fraction of $498 and put you on the lava for hours, but they close when gas drifts over the trails. The Inside the Volcano descent into Thrihnukagigur lowers you into a magma chamber, which no aircraft can do. The Kerid crater rim walk is the cheapest geology of all.

If the aim is drama rather than access, the indoor lava show puts real molten rock a few metres away for the price of a coffee compared to a helicopter seat. The flights win on one thing alone. Scale. No trail shows you where one lava field ends and the next begins. That is the product, and it is worth knowing before you spend the money.

Weather Is the Real Gatekeeper

No listing publishes a fixed season for these flights, so plan around the cancellation terms instead. The Reykjavik helicopter listings state that weather cancellations are refunded, and one notes plainly that weather cancellations are common. The Laki light aircraft is weather dependent and cancels at short notice. In practice this means you should book the flight early in your trip, not on your last day, so a cancelled slot can be rebooked.

Every listing offers free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start, which gives you room to move the flight if the forecast turns. The what to wear guide applies to the aircraft cabins too, since window seats over glaciers get cold and dark clothing reduces reflections on the glass.

• Weather cancellations are common on the Reykjavik helicopter flights and refunded
• The Laki flight cancels at short notice in bad weather
• Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start on every listing here

How Often Volcano Helicopter Flights Are Called Off

Volcano helicopter flights are called off far more often than tours on the ground. Across nearly three years of bookings from early 2024, 21.4% of helicopter bookings were called off, against 5.0% across all tours. Weather causes 71% of those call-offs and the operator side, aircraft availability and maintenance, causes 29%. The popular volcano helicopter tour from Reykjavik was called off on 22.7% of bookings. Book the flight early in your trip so a called-off attempt can be rebooked, and avoid December and July if your dates are flexible. 94% of weather call-offs are decided within one day of departure, so check your messages the evening before.

Source: Guide to Iceland.

Booking and Safety Notes

The six tours are sold through GetYourGuide and Viator, with GlacierHeli, Volcano Heli and Atlantsflug as the operators. Hotel pickup is not offered on any of them, so plan your own transport to the helipad, heliport or airfield. The emergency number in Iceland is 112, and ICE-SAR also publishes 599-0112 as a backup line.

Volcanic gas is the reason trails close on days when the wind pushes it over the route, and the same gas is one reason flights follow the authority's route rather than a fixed sightseeing line. ICE-SAR's Safetravel service warns that conditions on the Fimmvorduhals hiking trail are dangerous and advises people not to hike it while they stay that way, a reminder that ground access changes faster than air access in Iceland. If a ground closure is what pushed you toward a flight, check the Reykjanes volcano tours page first, because a hike may still be open on a different trail the same day. Sources: Safetravel