Iceland Volcano Helicopter Tour From Reykjavík
From the trail you see the lava you are standing on. From 1,000 feet you see the shape of the whole thing: which flow went where, which year it belongs to, where the moss gave up. The flight leaves Reykjavík, covers the 30 km out to the volcanic area, and is back before lunch. It is the most expensive way to see this landscape and the only one that shows you all of it at once.
About the Flight
Out from Reykjavík over the Reykjanes volcanic area and back
Small cabin; passengers rotate to the front seat at the stops
The priciest option here, and the shortest
The volcanic area sits close enough to reach in minutes by air
One of the best-reviewed flights operating out of Reykjavík
Flights move to fit a window rather than push through cloud
Check Dates and Availability
Live slots for the volcanic area helicopter flight from Reykjavík. Clear mornings book out first.
What $531 Buys
The view that no trail gives you
Twelve eruptions have hit this peninsula in the last five years, and of every Fagradalsfjall volcano tour on this site this is the only one that shows you the pattern they left. Walking, you get texture: ropey crust, cracks, the heat coming off it. Flying, you get the map.
One flow curls around a hill and stops. Another buries the one before it. Moss picks out the older ground in green and gives up entirely on the newest. A passenger from Cyprus in July described the line between untouched nature and scorched ground as razor-sharp, and said the lava from the recent eruptions is so young there is no moss on it at all.
The operator flies a five- or six-seat helicopter and the route takes in the crater row, the lava fields, Mount Esja and Faxaflói Bay on the way out or back.
- The Sundhnúkur crater row from directly above
- Overlapping lava fields from 2021 through 2025
- The moss boundary between old ground and new
- Mount Esja across the bay
- Faxaflói Bay and the Reykjavík shoreline
It lands, and you get out
This is the part the listing underplays. The flight is not purely aerial: passengers report landing on the lava field itself and walking on it.
A traveller from Norway in March wrote about the flight being great and walking on the lava fields being incredible. The passenger from Cyprus described stops where the group rotated into the front seat, and hot springs seen from the air in colours that do not survive a photograph.
So the forty minutes is airborne time rather than total time. Budget more than that for the outing itself.
Whether it is worth four times the hike
It costs roughly three and a half times the guided hike and lasts a fraction as long, and the reviews still average 4.8 across 539 people. The Cyprus review opens with the honest version: expensive, but worth every penny.
The case for it is narrow and real. If you have one day in Iceland, or a layover, or a knee that will not take 8 km of broken rock, this reaches ground the trail cannot. A traveller in June booked it around a whale-watching slot and the operator moved the flight time to fit.
The case against is equally simple. If you can walk, the hike puts you on the lava for four hours and costs $148.72.
The View From the Cabin
Operator footage flown over the Reykjanes eruption site, filmed from the aircraft.
What the Price Covers
Included, and what is not
The ticket covers the helicopter and the pilot. Everything else is yours.
There is no hotel pickup in the package, though one traveller in June was offered a lift back to their accommodation after the flight because they had arrived by taxi. Treat that as goodwill rather than policy.
Most operators fly from a base near Reykjavík city airport, so the transfer is short and cheap either way.
| Included | |
|---|---|
| Helicopter flight, 30 to 40 minutes | Yes |
| Pilot and commentary | Yes |
| Landing on the lava field | Yes, conditions allowing |
| Hotel pickup | No |
| Food and drink | No |
| Photos or video | No |
How the Flight Runs
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Check in
The helicopter base, Reykjavík
Arrive under your own steam. Weigh-in and seat allocation by cabin balance.
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Briefing
Safety and headsets
The safety brief and headset fitting before you walk out to the aircraft.
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Departure
Lift off over the city
Out across Faxaflói Bay with Mount Esja on the far side, heading southwest.
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In the air
The volcanic area, 30 km out
Over the crater row and the overlapping lava fields, with the pilot working the route so both sides of the cabin get the view.
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Landing
On the lava
Conditions allowing, a set-down on the field itself and time out of the aircraft on the rock.
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Return
Back to base
The run home along the coast, with passengers rotated so the front seat is shared.
Before You Book
Getting the most out of forty minutes
Weather governs everything here. A flight that gets cancelled for cloud is a flight that would have shown you cloud, so take the reschedule.
- Book a morning slot: the air is usually cleanest and the light rakes across the craters
- Ask about rotating into the front seat; several operators do it at each stop
- Shoot at an angle through the glass, not straight into it, to kill reflections
- Dress for standing on a lava field, not for sitting in a cabin
- Leave slack in the day: forty minutes is airborne time, not the whole outing
- Cancel free up to 24 hours ahead if the forecast turns
Who this suits
Short trips, layovers and anyone who cannot manage 8 km of uneven lava. It is also the one option here that works when the trail network is shut, since gas readings that close a footpath do not close the sky.
If the price is the obstacle and the walking is not, the guided hike onto the lava costs a third as much and lasts ten times as long.
Where the Flight Goes
Questions About the Helicopter Tour
How much is a volcano helicopter tour in Iceland?
$531.43 per person for a 30 to 40 minute flight from Reykjavík over the Reykjanes volcanic area, in a five- or six-seat helicopter. That is roughly three and a half times the price of the guided hike, which runs four to six hours for $148.72. The rating is 4.8 from 539 travellers.
Does the helicopter land at the volcano?
Passengers report that it does, conditions allowing. Reviews describe setting down on the lava field and walking on it, with the group rotating into the front seat at the stops. Treat the 30 to 40 minutes as airborne time rather than the length of the whole outing.
What do you see from the helicopter?
The crater row and the lava fields left by twelve eruptions since 2021, with the boundary between mossed-over old ground and bare new rock drawn sharply from above. The route also takes in Mount Esja and Faxaflói Bay. One passenger in July singled out the hot springs and the steaming craters as the highlights.
Is the helicopter tour worth it compared to hiking?
It depends what you cannot do. The flight is the only option that works for limited mobility, a layover, or a day when gas readings have closed the footpaths. It also shows the pattern of the flows, which the trail cannot. If you can walk 8 km over rough rock, the hike costs a third as much, lasts far longer and puts you on the lava for hours. We weigh that trade in full in is the trip worth it.
What happens if the weather is bad?
The flight moves. Operators fly to a weather window rather than a timetable, and cancel rather than push through low cloud, which is the right call given there would be nothing to see. You can also cancel yourself up to 24 hours ahead for a full refund.
Will I see an eruption from the air?
Not right now. The last eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula ended on 5 August 2025 and nothing has erupted since. The flight covers the ground those eruptions built rather than an active vent. If activity resumes, operators reroute to the best safe viewpoint, which from the air is a far better seat than any trail offers.
What Passengers Said
Expensive, but worth every penny - bird's-eye views you won't forget! Comfortable 5-seater helicopter; passengers rotated to the front seat at each stop […] my personal highlight - the fresh lava fields from the 2022–2025 eruptions. The lava is so young there's no moss on it yet, the line between untouched nature and scorched ground is razor-sharp.
It was like a dream came true! The pilot was great, The flight was great and it was incredible walking on the lava fields. I loved it!
We went on several fun and interesting excursions here but this was by far the best. The trip was amazing from start to finish. our pilot was great, made sure we had plenty of opportunities to take pictures.
Quotes from the GetYourGuide listing for this flight, reproduced as written and shortened where marked.