Which helicopter tour is the best in Iceland?

The New Volcanic Area Helicopter Tour is the best Reykjavik helicopter for almost everyone. It is the 40-minute lava flyover over the Reykjanes Peninsula, rated 4.8 from 539 reviews. Book the Geothermal Tour only if you want a 15-minute landing beside hot springs. Book Fire and Ice only if you want two landings, on a glacier and at Hengill.

What is the difference between the volcanic lava flight and the Geothermal Tour?

Both leave Reykjavik Domestic Airport in a small helicopter. The New Volcanic Area flight is a 40-minute flyover of Reykjanes lava fields and the new volcanic area. The Geothermal Tour is a one-hour flight over Hengill hot springs, power plants and craters, with a 15-minute landing beside steaming ground. The Geothermal Tour is not a longer look at the same lava.

Is the Fire and Ice helicopter tour worth it?

Only if you want two landings. The live GetYourGuide product is From Reykjavik: Fire And Ice Helicopter Tour with 2 Landings, rated 4.8 from 142 reviews. You land on Þórisjökull glacier and again at Hengill. Most visitors should book the volcanic lava flight or the Geothermal Tour instead.

Do Iceland helicopter tours include a landing?

Not always. The New Volcanic Area flight is a flyover. The Geothermal Tour includes one 15-minute landing beside remote hot springs. Fire and Ice includes two landings, on a glacier and at Hengill. Landings depend on weather.

Do I need to book a Reykjavik helicopter tour in advance?

Yes in summer, when the best morning departures and four-passenger minimums fill up. The volcanic lava flight, Geothermal Tour and Fire and Ice on GetYourGuide include free cancellation on most options up to 24 hours before, so booking ahead is the low-risk move. Flights are weather-dependent.

Which helicopter tour is actually the best in 2026? (Volcanic lava vs geothermal landing vs Fire & Ice)

Quick answer

book the New Volcanic Area flight if you want the Reykjanes lava fields from the air. Book the Geothermal Tour if you want a 15-minute landing beside hot springs. Book Fire and Ice only if you want two landings, on a glacier and at Hengill. The volcanic lava flight is the one almost everyone should take.

Updated: 15 August 2026

This page contains affiliate links. If you book through our links, we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more

The top 3 helicopter tours people actually book

This is a which-flight page for Reykjavik helicopter tours: the New Volcanic Area lava flyover, the Geothermal Tour with a hot-springs landing, and Fire and Ice with two landings. It is not a worth-it essay and it is not a full attraction hub. Ranked from live GetYourGuide products. Review counts, starting prices and product photos come from those listings. Prices below convert to your currency. The exact fare is confirmed on GetYourGuide at checkout.

Helicopter over the Reykjanes Peninsula lava fields, New Volcanic Area Helicopter Tour product photo

Best for almost everyone

From Reykjavik: New Volcanic Area Helicopter Tour

This is the volcanic lava flight people actually book. It leaves Reykjavik for the Reykjanes Peninsula lava fields and the new volcanic area, in about 40 minutes. It is the most reviewed helicopter tour on this site, and it is the one almost everyone should start with.

From: €471
Time: 40 minutes
Rating: 4.8 (539 reviews)
Included: Pilot commentary, small-group helicopter
Landing: Flyover only; no landing required
Best for: The Reykjanes lava flyover

Who it is for: First-time visitors who want the lava from the air without paying for glacier or geothermal landings, and anyone comparing a short helicopter add-on to a full-day bus tour.

Book New Volcanic AreaFree cancellation. Instant confirmation

Helicopter over steaming geothermal landscape, 1-Hour Geothermal Tour product photo

Best if you want a landing beside hot springs

1-Hour Helicopter Tour in Iceland: The Geothermal Tour

The Geothermal Tour is a different flight, not a longer look at the same lava. You fly over Hengill hot springs, power plants, lava fields and craters, then land for about 15 minutes beside steaming ground. It is the highest-rated of these three, and it is the one to open if you specifically want to step out of the helicopter.

From: €478
Time: 1 hour
Rating: 4.9 (286 reviews)
Included: 15-minute landing beside remote hot springs
Landing: One landing in a geothermal valley
Best for: A 15-minute geothermal landing

Who it is for: Visitors who want a landing without paying Fire and Ice money, and anyone who cares more about hot springs and mud pots than a new lava field from the air.

Book Geothermal TourFree cancellation. Instant confirmation

Helicopter landing on glacier and geothermal ground, Fire and Ice Helicopter Tour product photo

Best if you want glacier and volcano landings

From Reykjavik: Fire And Ice Helicopter Tour with 2 Landings

Fire and Ice is the premium two-landing flight, not a nicer seat on the volcanic lava tour. You land on Þórisjökull glacier and again in the Hengill geothermal valley, with a flyover of Glymur and Þingvellir. The from-price is roughly double the lava flight, and the review sample is thinner.

From: €840
Time: 2 hours
Rating: 4.8 (142 reviews)
Included: Landings on Þórisjökull glacier and at Hengill
Landing: Two landings, about 15 minutes each
Best for: Two landings: glacier and Hengill

Who it is for: Couples and splurge travellers who will actually use both landings, and who have two hours rather than a 40-minute add-on.

Book Fire & IceFree cancellation. Instant confirmation

Which one should you book?

Book the New Volcanic Area flight if you want the Reykjanes lava fields from the air. It is the tour people actually book, rated 4.8 from 539 reviews, from €471.
Book the Geothermal Tour if you want a 15-minute landing beside remote hot springs. It is not a longer look at the same lava. From €478, rated 4.9 from 286 reviews.
Book Fire and Ice if you want two landings, on Þórisjökull glacier and at Hengill. From €840, rated 4.8 from 142 reviews. It is a two-hour premium flight, not a nicer seat on the lava tour.

Volcanic lava vs a landing, honestly

The New Volcanic Area flight and the Geothermal Tour both leave Reykjavik Domestic Airport in a small helicopter. The route is the difference. The lava tour heads to the Reykjanes Peninsula and the new volcanic area: craters, lava fields and, when conditions allow, a look at recent eruption ground. It is a flyover. The Geothermal Tour heads to Hengill, power plants and colourful hot-spring valleys, then lands for about 15 minutes beside steaming ground.

If you specifically want the new lava from the air, the volcanic flight is the better booking. If you specifically want to step out next to mud pots, the Geothermal Tour is the one to open. Visible flowing lava is never guaranteed on the Reykjanes flight. Landings on both tours depend on weather.

GetYourGuide also lists a shorter Hengill landing flight and a Landmannalaugar tour with three landings. They are not in this top 3 because the Geothermal Tour has far more reviews for a single landing, and Landmannalaugar is a thin-sample, much longer, much more expensive day. If a three-landing highlands circuit matters more than review volume, that listing is the one to open on GetYourGuide.

Fire and Ice is two landings, not a better lava view

Fire and Ice is still a Reykjavik helicopter, but it is a different day. You land on Þórisjökull glacier, fly over Glymur and Þingvellir, then land again in the Hengill geothermal valley. It does not replace the Reykjanes lava flyover, and it is the wrong pick if you only want 40 minutes over new volcanic ground.

If you are still deciding whether a helicopter is worth the money at all, that is a different question. Use what Iceland tours cost in 2026. This page only ranks the flights.