Into the Glacier: Langjökull's Man-Made Ice Tunnel in Iceland

Since 1 June 2015, visitors have been able to walk inside Langjökull, Iceland's second-largest glacier, through a man-made ice tunnel that runs some 550 metres into the ice. Into the Glacier bills it as the largest ice tunnel in the world, and Roman Gerasymenko's photographs show why people travel across the ice cap to see it: blue-grey bands of ancient ice, lit passages and chambers carved deep below the surface.

Illuminated passage carved through layered blue-grey glacier ice in Langjökull — Layers of glacier ice exposed in the Langjökull tunnel. Credit: Roman Gerasymenko for Into the Glacier.

Langjökull: Iceland's second-largest glacier

Langjökull, the "long glacier", covers about 870–950 km² of the western Highlands, second in size only to Vatnajökull. Most of the ice cap lies 1,200–1,300 m above sea level, and its highest point, Baldjökull at the northern end, reaches about 1,450 m. The ice is up to 580 m thick. The Kaldidalur track runs along its western side, and the lake Hvítárvatn to the east is fed largely by its meltwater.

The glacier is shrinking. Some researchers estimate that Langjökull could disappear within about 150 years if warming continues at its recent pace, which gives a walk through its interior a sobering edge.

Inside the Langjökull ice tunnel, Iceland – photo 2

Building the ice tunnel

The idea came from Baldvin Einarsson and Hallgrímur Örn Arngrímsson in 2010. Geophysicist Ari Trausti Guðmundsson studied and modelled the project, and Icelandair Group and leading Icelandic pension funds backed it. Digging was finished in early 2015 and the tunnel opened on 1 June that year.

Length: about 550 m of passages in solid glacier ice.
Depth: roughly 30 m below the glacier surface at its deepest.
Entrance: about 1,200 m above sea level, high on the ice cap.
Inside: LED-lit passages, side chambers and a small chapel where couples can marry.

Narrow opening cutting through rough pale ice inside Langjökull — Rough ice away from the smooth tunnel walls. Credit: Roman Gerasymenko for Into the Glacier.

Rounded ice passage leading towards a bright doorway — The curved passage leads towards the light. Credit: Roman Gerasymenko for Into the Glacier.

Inside the Langjökull ice tunnel, Iceland – photo 5

What you see inside the glacier

The walk is a lesson in glaciology. Guides point out crevasses, moulins and running meltwater, the layers that record years of snowfall and the stages by which snow is compressed into dense blue ice. Lit displays in the walls explain glacier science and climate change. Because the tunnel is a maintained, man-made route, it can be visited all year.

Benches arranged inside a broad blue-lit chamber in the ice — A chamber with benches inside the glacier. Credit: Roman Gerasymenko for Into the Glacier.

Inside the Langjökull ice tunnel, Iceland – photo 7

Visiting Into the Glacier: tours and tips

You cannot walk to the entrance. Specially modified 8-wheel glacier trucks carry visitors up across the ice cap and back. Tours start from Húsafell, from Klaki Base Camp on the edge of the glacier, or as day trips from Reykjavík, with combinations such as snowmobiling also on offer.

Time inside: about an hour on foot with a guide; the whole tour takes 3–4 hours from base camp, depending on conditions.
Getting to Klaki: Road 550 is an F-road that needs a 4x4 and is open only in summer, roughly June to October. Outside summer, or without a 4x4, book the Húsafell departure.
What to wear: dress for winter even in July: waterproof jacket and shoes, warm layers, hat, gloves and sunglasses. Ice spikes are provided.