From Reykjavik: Fire And Ice Helicopter Tour with 2 Landings

Iceland’s fire-and-ice story makes the most sense from a helicopter. In two hours, you fly from Reykjavik to Þórisjökull Glacier, land on the snow and ice, then continue to the steaming Hengill Geothermal Area for a second landing near hot springs and boiling mud pots.

I like the contrast between the two stops, and I like the small group size, limited to six people. You also see Glymur waterfall and Þingvellir National Park from above, including the rift between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. The main drawback is the price: at $867 per person, this is a major splurge, and poor weather may affect the flight.

Key points to know before booking

• Two very different landings: Walk on Þórisjökull Glacier, then explore the hot, steaming ground around Mount Hengill.
• A powerful aerial view: The flight includes Glymur waterfall, Þingvellir National Park, Iceland’s largest lake, and the visible continental rift.
• Small group setting: A maximum of six participants gives you a more personal ride than a large sightseeing excursion.
• Short but full itinerary: The tour lasts about two hours, so it packs a glacier, national park, volcanic area, and helicopter flight into one outing.
• A serious splurge: The price is high, but the experience combines places that would otherwise require separate drives and hikes.
• Important booking rule: At least four passengers are needed for the flight to operate, and anyone over 125 kilograms must book an extra seat.

Why this helicopter tour feels different

Most Iceland sightseeing days keep you on roads, trails, or boat decks. This one changes the scale entirely. From your helicopter seat, valleys open below you, the glacier stretches toward the horizon, and the tectonic split at Þingvellir becomes easier to understand.

The appeal is not only speed. The helicopter takes you to places that are remote, time-consuming, or difficult to reach on a normal day. The Hengill valley, in particular, can be reached only by helicopter or by hiking. You get the unusual chance to see it without spending hours on a trail.

The experience also has a clear theme. The glacier gives you Iceland’s ice, silence, and open snowfields. Hengill gives you heat, steam, mud, and volcanic color. That contrast makes the tour feel more carefully shaped than a simple sightseeing flight.

You should keep your expectations realistic. This is not a full-day expedition with long walks at each stop. The two-hour duration includes the flight time, so each landing is a compact visit. You will have time to walk around, take photos, and enjoy the setting, but this is a taste of two remote places rather than an extended glacier or geothermal excursion.

Meeting the helicopter at Reykjavik Domestic Airport

The tour begins at Ace FBO Reykjavik, behind the Reykjavik Natura Hotel at Reykjavik Domestic Airport. The activity also ends there, which keeps the arrangement simple. You do not need to plan for a separate drop-off at the end.

A pilot greets you at the airport and provides the tour in English. An English audio guide is included as well. The group is limited to six people, a useful detail in a helicopter, where every seat and every window matters.

The flight requires a minimum of four passengers to operate. That rule is worth considering if your schedule is tight or you are building a short Iceland visit around this activity. It is also wise to keep the weather in mind. Helicopter sightseeing depends on flying conditions, visibility, and safe access to the landing areas, even though the exact operating rules are not specified here.

Food and drinks are not included. Since the tour lasts about two hours, you are unlikely to need a full meal during the flight, but plan to eat beforehand if this is scheduled around breakfast or lunch.

Flying toward Þórisjökull Glacier

The first major stop is Þórisjökull Glacier. On the way, the helicopter flies over Glymur, one of Iceland’s best-known waterfalls. Seeing a waterfall from above changes your sense of scale. Instead of following a trail toward a viewpoint, you look down into the surrounding terrain and watch the water cut through the rock from the air.

The flight itself is part of the sightseeing. You can look across mountains, valleys, snow, and volcanic ground without the interruptions of a road journey. The aerial view also helps connect places that may seem separate on a map. Glymur, Þingvellir, the glacier, and Hengill become part of one broad sweep of southern Iceland.

You will want your camera ready, but do not spend the whole flight staring through a screen. The views arrive quickly, and the window gives you a much better sense of depth than a photograph can. If you are anxious about helicopters, the small aircraft and scenic purpose may help, though anyone with a strong fear of flying should think carefully before booking.

One practical point: the provided details do not promise a particular seat or a private flight. With up to six participants, window access and sight lines may vary. You should enjoy the view from your own seat rather than assume that every angle will be perfect.

Landing on the glacier

The glacier landing is the emotional high point for many people. Once the helicopter settles on Þórisjökull, you can step out onto snow and ice, walk around the landing area, and take photographs. The setting is not a quick photo stop beside a road. You are surrounded by a broad, cold, remote place that feels far removed from Reykjavik.

You might throw snowballs, make a snow angel, or simply stand still and take in the silence. The experience is especially appealing if you want a direct encounter with Iceland’s ice rather than another distant view of a white summit.

The glacier stop also gives you the kind of photographs that are difficult to create on an ordinary Golden Circle drive. You can photograph the mountains, the helicopter, the snow, and the wide view around the landing site. The best images may be the simplest ones: a person standing alone on the ice, with nothing nearby to show how large the setting is.

Still, do not confuse this with a technical glacier trek. The activity information describes a landing and time to walk around, not guided glacier travel with crampons or ice tools. You should follow the pilot’s instructions and stay within the permitted area. Glaciers can look calm and solid while hiding hazards, so this is a place for careful wandering, not independent exploration.

The cold is another consideration. Even if Reykjavik feels mild, a glacier landing can be much colder and windier. Wear warm layers and sturdy shoes. The tour does not list special clothing as included, so you should arrive prepared rather than count on supplied gear.

Þingvellir from the air

After the glacier, the helicopter flies toward Þingvellir National Park, part of Iceland’s Golden Circle. From above, you can see the park’s historic setting, Iceland’s largest lake, and the canyon associated with the split between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates.

Þingvellir matters for two reasons. It is a place of major Icelandic history and the birthplace of the oldest existing parliament in the world. It is also a striking geological area, where the movement of the tectonic plates can be seen in the rift and canyon.

A helicopter view is valuable here because it shows the structure of the park at once. On foot, you experience the path and the canyon close up. From above, you see how the fissures, lake, and surrounding mountains fit together. It is a quick visit, not a substitute for spending time at Þingvellir, but it gives you an excellent overview.

The trade-off is time. You do not get a ground tour of the parliament site or a long walk through the park. If Þingvellir is a top priority for its history, you may still want to visit separately by road. If your main goal is to understand the park’s geology and broad shape, the aerial view is a smart addition.

The steaming ground of Mount Hengill

The second landing takes place in the Hengill Geothermal Area, named for Hengill volcano. This remote valley is known for hot springs and boiling mud pots, and the helicopter provides access without the long hike otherwise required.

The mood changes sharply from the glacier. At Þórisjökull, you have snow, open air, and cold silence. Around Hengill, you may see steam rising from the ground, hot water, boiling vents, and mud pots. The colors can include rust reds, yellows, and grays, giving the ground an almost painted appearance.

This is where the fire part of the tour feels most direct. You are not merely looking at a volcanic cone from a distant road. You are close to active geothermal features, with heat moving under your feet and steam changing the view from moment to moment.

You should treat the area with caution. Hot springs and boiling mud are not harmless puddles, and the tour description specifically notes walking toward and observing them from close up. Stay with the group and follow the pilot’s directions. Do not step beyond marked or approved areas, even if a photo angle looks tempting.

The Hengill landing may also bring small surprises. One flight included a sighting of four wild bighorn sheep near the geothermal area, apparently unfazed by the helicopter. That sort of encounter cannot be promised, but it shows why a remote landing can feel more personal than a standard viewpoint.

What the flight is really worth at $867

At $867 per person, this is one of Iceland’s expensive activities. You should not book it casually or treat it as a routine way to get around. The right question is not whether the price is low. It is whether these particular experiences are worth paying for during your trip.

I see three parts of the value. First, you save the time needed to reach a remote glacier and the Hengill valley. Second, you get two landings that offer very different settings. Third, you see a large section of southwestern Iceland from above, including places that are normally experienced one at a time from roads and trails.

The tour can make sense if you have only a short stay in Iceland and want one major splurge. It can also suit you if you have already seen the Golden Circle and want something less familiar. The glacier landing and geothermal landing provide more than another panoramic flight.

The price is harder to justify if you are trying to see Iceland on a tight budget. You can visit Þingvellir by road, and other glacier and geothermal activities may cost less, though they will not reproduce this exact combination. The helicopter also does not include food or drinks, so there are no extra meal benefits built into the price.

I would compare this with the cost of several separate excursions, but I would not pretend it becomes cheap simply because it replaces other transport. You are paying for access, time saved, aerial views, and the chance to stand in two remote environments in one short outing.

Who will enjoy this most

This tour is a strong fit for you if you want:

• A special occasion activity with dramatic photographs
• A short, high-impact experience during a Reykjavik stay
• A glacier visit without committing to a long hike
• A close view of geothermal features in a remote valley
• A small group rather than a large coach excursion
• A mix of geology, history, and scenery in one flight

It is less suitable if you dislike helicopters, need a low-cost itinerary, or want hours of walking at either landing. It may also disappoint you if you expect a full glacier trek or a long, detailed visit inside Þingvellir National Park.

The activity is also worth thinking about in terms of physical comfort. You must be able to get out at the landing areas and walk around them, though no specific accessibility information is provided. If you have concerns, ask the provider before booking.

If you weigh more than 125 kilograms, you must book an additional seat. That is an important cost and planning detail, not a footnote. The flight needs at least four passengers to operate, and the maximum group size is six.

Timing, cancellation, and practical planning

The flight lasts two hours, but starting times vary. Check availability for the date of your visit, then leave enough room around the activity for possible changes to your day. The meeting point is Ace FBO Reykjavik, behind the Reykjavik Natura Hotel, and you return there after the tour.

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. The reserve-now-and-pay-later option lets you hold a place without paying at once, which is useful while you arrange the rest of an Iceland itinerary.

Wear warm clothing and shoes suitable for snow and uneven ground. Food and drinks are not included, and the short duration means you should handle meals before or after the flight.

Bring a camera, but also bring patience. A helicopter window can produce glare, reflections, and changing views. You may get better photos by lowering the brightness of your screen, keeping the lens close to the window without touching it, and taking a few shots before putting the camera away.

Is this fire-and-ice flight worth booking?

I would book this tour if you want one major Iceland splurge and care more about rare access than a low price. The glacier landing is memorable on its own, while the Hengill stop supplies a sharp contrast with steam, mud, and volcanic heat. The flight over Glymur and Þingvellir adds real value rather than serving as simple transport.

I would skip it if $867 would force you to cut other important parts of your trip, or if you prefer slow walks and detailed ground visits. But if you keep thinking about the idea of standing on untouched snow, then stepping into a steaming volcanic valley a short time later, this is the sort of experience that can justify its cost.

FAQ

How long does the helicopter tour last?

The tour lasts two hours.

Where does the tour begin?

You meet at Ace FBO Reykjavik, behind the Reykjavik Natura Hotel at Reykjavik Domestic Airport.

Where does the tour end?

The activity ends back at Ace FBO Reykjavik.

How many landings are included?

Two landings are included, one on Þórisjökull Glacier and one at Mount Hengill in the Hengill Geothermal Area.

What language is the tour provided in?

The live tour guide and audio guide are in English.

How many people can join the helicopter tour?

The group is limited to six participants.

Is there a minimum number of passengers?

Yes. At least four passengers are required for the flight to operate.

What happens if I weigh more than 125 kilograms?

You must book an additional seat if you weigh over 125 kilograms.

Are food and drinks included?

No. Food and drinks are not included.

Can I cancel the booking?

Yes. You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.