Caves of Hella

05/02/2025

⚠️ Weather warning ⚠️

The weather forecast is turning very bad so we advise people, who are travelling in Iceland today and tomorrow morning, to maybe think twice before heading out. Very windy and alot of rain that will follow!

The caves are open as usual with tours 10:00, 12:00 and 14:00 everyday but we recommend checking out the weather forecast website (vedur.is) or the road conditions website (vegagerdin.is) before going out.

So please travel safe 🧡

04/02/2025

On the 21st of December there was a artshow in our caves held by a artist duo, Pat Lemons and Lukas Lehmann. They were introducing a art project of theirs called “SOLSTICE” which is a sound art book. They held this experience on the winter solstice.

You can read more about the event in this link below or on their website https://www.lemosandlehmann.com/ ✨

https://www.ry.is/is/frettir/thad-byr-fegurd-i-myrkrinu

Pat Lemos frá Spáni og Lukas Lehmann frá Þýskalandi eru par og listatvíeyki búsett á Hvolsvelli. Þau vöktu fyrst athygli okkar þegar þau héldu listaviðburð í Hellunum við Hellu á vetrarsólstöðum. Svona lýsa þau viðburðinum sjálf:

03/02/2025

The caves are man-made, but nobody really knows when they were originally constructed.

Stop by and take a look inside these caves and learn the history that lies there.

Tours everyday at 10:00, 12:00 and 14:00 😁

You can also book a tour on our website https://www.cavesofhella.is/ ✨

29/01/2025

We got an unexpected visitor today.
His car broke down right next to the Caves parking lot so while waiting for help to arrive, this guy got to stretch his legs a little bit.
As beautiful it is today with the sparkling snow all around, this visit really took us back to summer, when we do actually keep horses in this fence.

29/01/2025

It’s an absolute winter wonderland today! ❄️

If you use the code “WINTER” on our website when you’re booking a tour you get 20% off - it’s a beautiful day to come visit the caves!

27/01/2025

Did you know that in one of the caves there is a engraved cross?

Learn more about the rich history that lies in our caves by coming for an amazing tour with our guides.

Tours are all day at: 10:00, 12:00 and 14:00! 😁

Can you spot the cross on the picture? 🔎

06/01/2025

Today was the last day of our game! So here are some more winners!🥳

05/01/2025

The cold never bothered us anyway!
Open even though it is snowy❄️🌨️☃️

03/01/2025

The Lord of the Rings scene OR Caves of Hella?🤔🤭
Come to find out!

03/01/2025

Our lucky winner of the day!

30/12/2024

More winners, Congatulations!🥳
The game ends on January 6th!
Tours at
10:00
12:00
14:00
❄️

30/12/2024

When the show is falling outside, we recommend to test out the sheltering Caves of Hella .
Tours today at 10, 12 and 14:00.

28/12/2024

Here are a few winners of the game so far, congratulations!🥳
Just a few days left.. keep your eyes open!

12/10/2024

The excavation continues!

The steps that have been uncovered, which once ran from the upper barn area down into Fjóshellir, are in good condition. The railway tracks are also well preserved. This curve in one of the tracks is particularly interesting, as a hay cart used to run on these tracks to transport hay from the cave to the barn.

The steps were built by the brothers and farmers at Ægissíða, Þorgils and Torfi Jónsson, around the mid-20th century, when the barn and the storage area above the cave were constructed with concrete.

The top step in the picture is partially made of concrete and was the first step in the upper barn area.

The brothers were highly skilled craftsmen and built all the entrances and chimneys of the twelve caves found at Ægissíða. Some of Torfi’s stonework still stands today, hundred years after it was completed. One can see an exceptionally well-crafted chimney by Torfi in Fjárhellir.

Next, we will assess the condition of the steps and the railway tracks down into the cave.

10/10/2024

What will be uncovered during the excavation?

Work has now begun to open the inner entrance to the chapel at Cow-shed cave (Fjóshellir). The entrance or passageway once led from the cave up to the Cow-shed at Ægissíða – a distance of 13 meters from the cave to the surface (the barn was demolished in 1987).

In the passageway, there are old steps, somecarved into the rock, and others built with stones at the top. Still resting on the steps are railway tracks, which Þorgils Jónsson of Ægissíða brought with him from Reykjavik in 1918. Þorgils had worked on the harbor construction in the capital and was allowed to take the tracks after the project ended. The railway once ran from the harbor to Öskjuhlíð (where stones for the harbor construction were sourced).

When Þorgils returned home, he built a cart to run on the tracks, and with it, hay was transported from the cave to the barn – hoisted up by pulley – until 1975.

Jónas Fjalar Kristjánsson is now restoring the passageway. All the work is being done in close cooperation with Uggi Ævarsson, the Cultural Heritage Officer of South Iceland, and the Icelandic Heritage Agency.

In the pictures, you can see where the passage runs from the chapel, where the steps are forming, and the early stages of the project.
Now, the big question is how many steps are in the passageway and whether the tracks are still intact.

We will share updates on the work in the coming days.

05/07/2024

We are extremely proud to recieve Tripadvisor Travellers' choice awards in 2024. Reviews from millions of travellers place Caves of Hella in the top 10% worldwide.

We welcome you to daily guided one hour tour around Iceland's hidden mysterious world.

13/06/2024

Coverage on channel-2 about our Viking Feast at the Caves!
For our guests who want to experience something truly unique, we offer a Viking feast inside one of our caves. Hotel Rangá chefs prepare a delicious meal that includes gravlax, lamb shank and a special skyr dessert. Guests also enjoy live music as they dine by candlelight, sip local beers and handpicked wines.
These private dinners are booked via Hotel Rangà.

https://www.visir.is/g/20242583803d/borda-med-puttunum-a-hellu?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0BMQABHU_GE_xNAYIfsYsxLrWlLzzCplBF5zvunFaobswBx-AcRx2cumkFX-J6gg_aem_ARp97h4-FUhd0-pSKx-ujEOyuwId5hwSrAK3uBjRwWiE3Vb2wUKanzkRgHuYGMa8FcERonHqIT9ty9OUeR3U-_xY

Það er mikil upplifun fyrir ferðamenn, sem fara í hellana á Hellu til að fá sér að borða því lambakjötið þar er borðað með puttunum að hætti Víkinga. Hellarnir eru taldir vera eldri en landnám Íslands.

25/04/2024

Happy Summer 🇮🇸
The first day of summer (sumardagurinn fyrsti) is an annual public holiday in Iceland that is celebrated on the first Thursday after 18 April.
It is a celebration of the start of the first summer month (Harpa) of the old Icelandic calendar which had six months of short days and six months of nightless days.
Even though the climate of late April in Iceland is not very summer-like, the day marks the lengthening of the days and the harsh winter being over🌞