40 minNew Volcanic Area
★ 4.8 · 569 reviews
- Reykjanes lava fields
- Fagradalsfjall craters
- No landing
- Free cancellation
$528
Check availability→ Who flies you
Who operates Reykjavik helicopter tours
A small number of helicopter companies fly the tours sold out of Reykjavik, and GlacierHeli is the operator behind the most-booked flight on this site. Here is what is known about them, what the aircraft are like, and what “top rated” on a listing actually means.
Who operates helicopter tours from Reykjavik?
Two operators are named in the listings. GlacierHeli runs the New Volcanic Area tour — the most reviewed flight sold here, with 569 verified reviews at 4.8. Norðurflug Helicopter Tours operates the flight to the Fagradalsfjall eruption site. The remaining tours are flown by operators working from the same airport, all of them using light helicopters seating four to six passengers.
The operators at a glance
- Named operators
- GlacierHeli · NorðurflugGlacierHeli flies the New Volcanic Area tour; Norðurflug flies the eruption-site tour
- Base
- Reykjavik Domestic AirportSeparate buildings on the apron, not the terminal
- Aircraft
- Light helicopters, 4–6 seatsEveryone gets a window; seats assigned by weight
- Languages
- EnglishLive pilot commentary through the headset
- Combined reviews
- 787 across six toursWeighted average 4.8
- Best reviewed
- New Volcanic Area — 569 reviewsBy far the largest sample on this site
- Smallest sample
- Eruption flight — 5 reviewsRated 5.0, but too few to draw conclusions from
- Cancellation policy
- Free up to 24 hoursIdentical across all six listings
What the ratings actually tell you
Across the six tours there are 787 verified reviews and the weighted average is 4.8. That number is carried almost entirely by one tour: the New Volcanic Area flight has 569 of those reviews on its own, and Fire and Ice has another 155. The remaining four tours share 63 between them.
That matters when you are reading a listing. A 5.0 rating on five reviews and a 4.8 on 569 are not comparable claims, and the second one is far more informative. Equally, the 4.4 on the Hengill tour sits on twelve reviews — a sample that size moves a long way on one or two bad days, so it is worth reading as a nudge rather than a verdict.
What the large sample does tell you is consistency. Five hundred and sixty-nine people rating a flight at 4.8 is a strong signal that the operation is well run: briefings happen, aircraft are clean, pilots talk, and the tour delivers what the listing describes.
What flying with them is like
These are small operations, not airlines. You check in at a building on the apron, someone weighs you, a pilot gives the safety briefing personally and then flies you. Four to six passengers, headsets, and live commentary through the intercom rather than a recording.
Seats are assigned by weight because a light helicopter has to be balanced, which is also why you cannot pick one. In practice there is no bad seat — everyone has a window — though on a bright day the side away from the sun is easier to photograph from.
The pilot decides whether the flight goes, whether the route changes and whether a landing happens. In Icelandic weather that authority gets used, and the reviews of these operators consistently describe the calls as conservative rather than commercial.
Every tour, current fare
Every tour and its review count
Read the review count alongside the rating. Two of these six carry almost all the evidence.
Swipe sideways →
| Tour | Price | Door to door | Landings | Per minute | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Volcanic Area | $528 | 40 min | None | $13.20 | 4.8 · 569 |
| Fagradalsfjall Eruption | $554 | 35 min | None | $15.83 | 5.0 · 5 |
| Hengill with Landing | $578 | 1 h | One | $9.63 | 4.4 · 12 |
| Fire and Ice, 2 Landings | $910 | 2 h | Two | $7.58 | 4.8 · 155 |
| ATV & Helicopter | $545 | 5–6 h | One | $1.65 | 4.8 · 39 |
| Landmannalaugar, 3 Landings | $1,635 | 3 h | Three | $9.08 | 4.8 · 7 |
Book direct
Book with the operators direct
Every booking goes to the operator through GetYourGuide. Prices are per person, free cancellation up to 24 hours.
40 min
35 minFagradalsfjall Eruption
★ 5.0 · 5 reviews
- Straight to the crater
- 35 minutes in the air
- Small group
- Free cancellation
$554
Check availability→ 
1 hHengill with Landing
★ 4.4 · 12 reviews
- Lands on a geothermal ridge
- Steam vents up close
- One hour door to door
- Free cancellation
$578
Check availability→ 
2 hFire and Ice, 2 Landings
★ 4.8 · 155 reviews
- Glacier landing
- Hengill geothermal landing
- Two hours door to door
- Free cancellation
$910
Check availability→ 
5–6 hATV & Helicopter
★ 4.8 · 39 reviews
- Quad bikes plus a flight
- Ground and air in one day
- Five to six hours
- Free cancellation
$545
Check availability→ 
3 hLandmannalaugar, 3 Landings
★ 4.8 · 7 reviews
- Thingvellir, Gullfoss, Landmannalaugar
- Three separate landings
- Three hours in total
- Free cancellation
$1,635
Check availability→ Common questions
Reykjavik helicopter operators, answered
Who operates helicopter tours from Reykjavik?
Two are named in the listings: GlacierHeli, which runs the New Volcanic Area tour — the most reviewed flight sold here, with 569 verified reviews at 4.8 — and Norðurflug Helicopter Tours, which operates the flight to the Fagradalsfjall eruption site.
What aircraft do they use?
Light helicopters seating four to six passengers. Everyone gets a window, seats are assigned by weight to balance the aircraft, and there is live pilot commentary through the headset.
Are Reykjavik helicopter operators safe?
They operate under Icelandic and European commercial aviation rules, and the pilot has final authority on whether a flight goes. In practice the reviews describe the weather calls as conservative — flights are cancelled and rescheduled routinely rather than pushed through.
Which operator has the best reviews?
The New Volcanic Area tour carries 569 reviews at 4.8, which is by far the largest sample on this site. Fire and Ice has 155 at the same rating. The other four tours share 63 reviews between them.
Is a 5.0 rating better than a 4.8?
Not when it sits on five reviews rather than 569. A large sample at 4.8 is a much stronger signal of consistency than a perfect score on a handful of flights.
Do the operators speak English?
Yes. The tours are conducted in English, with live commentary from the pilot through the intercom rather than a recorded track.
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