Igor

Igor has spent months exploring every inch of Iceland over several years. He specializes in the Highlands, F-roads, hiking, hot springs, and less touristy places. He loves Iceland and keeps coming back.
Igor has spent months exploring every inch of Iceland over several years. He specializes in the Highlands, F-roads, hiking, hot springs, and less touristy places. He loves Iceland and keeps coming back.
List of all Hot Springs

List of all Hot Springs

Enjoy our unique and detailed list of all Icelandic hot springs! Currently 59 hotpots. If you think some info should be updated, feel free to contact us! Also, please, if you know of any hot springs not listed here, let us know and we will give you all the credit for that one! 🙂

We’ve spent months exploring all the different hot springs in Iceland and have visited almost all of them. Some of them are right next to the ring road, while some are almost impossible to find. Please remember, these are all very delicate and sensitive areas where you should never leave any trace or litter!

Looking for more amazing hidden spots? Check out our Map of 2000+ Best Places in Iceland.

Below we list all the wild hot springs, man-made hot springs, hot pools, and mountain hot tubes. We only list all the hot springs you are allowed to bathe in unless otherwise stated. We exclude hot caves like Stóragjá because it’s forbidden to bathe there. We also exclude classical public pools. The borderline is sometimes pretty thin in Iceland, so it’s impossible to create a perfect classification 🙂 Below is our map of hot pots in Iceland:

Map of all hot springs in Iceland


All the GPS points on this map are under strict copyright and are being tracked for an illegal use. You can’t copy any content without our consent.

Yes, there is Laugafell, there is Laugarfell, and there is also Laugavallalaug! All of these are different hotpots at different locations, each one differently amazing! And that is not all. There are actually two different hot springs with the same name – Krosslaug, located completely elsewhere! And then that’s also Krosnesslaug to make it easier to remember. That being said, hopefully, this list will help you to find your favorite one.

Askja hot spring

swimming in askja crater

Me swimming in 25°C sulphuric water of Víti crater in Askja

Askja definitely isn’t a typical hot spring. It’s a big warm crater lake. It’s often known as Askja caldera. The road leading to Askja is long and challenging but really worth it. We wrote an entire guide about how to visit Askja.

Askja hot spring type

Askja warm lake is a completely natural and wild crater where warm sulfur water created this unique “blue hot spring lake”. There are no changing rooms at all, you are in central highlands here. Bathing is free of charge and requires a hike down the crater, which can be challenging. Water is not especially hot, actually much colder compared to typical hot springs, but still warm, with around 28°C / 82°F.

How to get to Askja hot spring

We wrote a detailed guide on getting to Askja. Roads to Askja are open only during full summer (July and August) and require at least a medium-sized 4wd car. The bigger, the better. “Can we do it in a Suzuki Jimny?”, yes you can try and you may succeed, but you may also not. Jimny is considered to be a small-sized SUV, which, when driven in the right way and in good weather may be enough. It may also not be enough if the opposite is the case.

In short, You can either come from the north via F88 or from the east by F905. You will then connect to F910 and lastly to F894. After parking your car, you will still have to hike/walk for another 30 minutes one way. If you don’t feel like driving to Askja, you can take an epic Askja tour (10% discount code: EPICICELAND)!

Not sure what type of car to choose? Feel free to read how to choose a proper car or how to pick the best Icelandic car rental insurance. We also collaborate with Icelandic car rental companies to give you a discount and us a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Video of Askja hot spring

Tips about Askja hot spring

Pick a day with good weather, or take a guided tour (10% discount code: EPICICELAND). A drive in rain and fog will usually bring you no joy and no views just stress. If you decide to drive to Askja, read carefully both our Askja guide and Askja F-roads descriptions. Last but not least, please choose a proper car, so that you don’t have to call 112 for rescue.

Once you reach Askja, to get down to the warm lake, you need to take a short but steep descent. In bad weather, this may get dangerous. We recommend taking the descent to Askja only in good weather. Better also use hiking poles for stability. Moreover, it’s not allowed to bathe in all parts of the lake. There are signs that you cannot cross, please watch out for them or you may get yourself injured!

To sum up, bathing in Askja is more challenging and more adventurous compared to most of the other hot springs out there. Adjust your expectations and prepare accordingly 🙂

Biskupslaug – Reykir

Blue Lagoon

blue lagoon iceland

The famous Blue lagoon by Epic Iceland archives

Blue Lagoon is an iconic hot lagoon with blue water between Keflavik Airport and Reykjavik. If you haven’t been there already, you simply have to. At least once in your life.

We picked for you the cheapest, reliable Tickets & Transfers to Blue Lagoon:

All options above have free cancellation/rescheduling up to 24 hours before departure.

Brúarpotturinn

bruarpotturinn hot spring

Brúarpotturinn hot spring. Image courtesy to: www.icelandthebeautiful.com

Djúpavogskörin

Djúpavogskörin hot spring

Djúpavogskörin hot spring, Djúpivogur

Closed as at April 2023. Should be repaired and reopened in the following weeks/months.

Djúpavogskörin hot spring, is virtually a hot bathing tank. It’s located right on the ring road next to Djúpivogur, as the name suggests. Yet, Djúpavogskörin is still nicely hidden away from the main road and you have to keep searching for it for a few minutes.

Djúpavogskörin hot spring type

Djúpavogskörin hot spring is basically a man made stone block with a really hot water flowing into it. When we visited Djúpavogskörin in summer, we were unable to bathe there, because the water was simply too hot, definitely more than 43°C (109°F). In the winter, though, the temperature seemed to be considerably lower and just right for soaking up 🙂 Based on this finding, we better recommend a winter visit.

How to get to Djúpavogskörin

You don’t need any special car to get to Djúpavogskörin, any car can do that. The only tricky part is a bit cumbersome parking. The hot spring is located right next to the ring road, where cars drive around 90km/h, so you need to slow down, find the right detour and don’t block other cars. The car park is just a worn-out grass field that can easily get icy or muddy.

Not sure what type of car to choose? Feel free to read how to choose a proper car or how to pick the best Icelandic car rental insurance. We also collaborate with Icelandic car rental companies to give you a discount and us a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Once you leave your car at this unmaintained parking area, you need to walk for around 5 minutes via an unmarked path to find the Djúpavogskörin hot spring. There’s a little hill right next to the parking area and the hot spring is hidden right below this hill. The easiest way is to follow the prior footsteps of someone, but even without it, you should still be able to find the hot spring, because it’s really close by.

Video of Djúpavogskörin

Tips for Djúpavogskörin hot spring

Hot spring is free of charge, there was no donation box at the time of our last visit. There are also no changing rooms, but there’s a clothes-hanger. The short path leading to the actual hot spring can be really muddy when it’s wet, so get ready for that with your footwear.

Drangsnes hot pots

drangsnes hot pots iceland

Drangsnes hot pots. Image courtesy to: www.love-iceland.at

Forrest Lagoon

New luxurious lagoon already open.

forrest lagoon iceland

Forrest lagoon iceland. Image courtesy to: www.forestlagoon.is

Foss

foss hot spring waterfall akureyri

The Foss. Hot spring waterfall next to Akureyri. Image courtesy to Instagram @libertadoo

Fosslaug

fosslaug hot spring iceland

Fosslaug hot spring

Fosslaug hot spring is a beautiful stop when driving near Varmahlíð, definitely worth a little detour. There’s also a waterfall – Reykjafoss – and the whole place is magical especially during the sunset.

Fosslaug hot spring type

Bathing in Fosslaug is free of charge. We couldn’t find any money box, as is the case with many other Icelandic hot pots. There are no changing rooms, so just don’t be shy 🙂 Hot spring can accommodate up to 10 visitors, however comfortably maybe only up to 5. Fosslaug is a natural hot spring (man maintained) so naturally, the water isn’t entirely clear, but we think it belongs to the better ones when compared to other Icelandic hot springs. Water in Fosslaug is pleasantly hot with a temperature of around 38°C / 100°F.

How to get to Fosslaug

In summer, you can reach Fosslaug with any 2wd car. In winter a 4wd car would be better. Finding Fosslaug is part of the adventure. Although Google maps do show its location, it’s not that straightforward to find it anyway. We firstly turned right a few tens of meters earlier and ended up parking our car at the wrong spot, which we however didn’t realize at that time. After a few minutes of walking around, we eventually reached a dead-end and came back to our car.

Read about how we chose our car. Or just get free discounts for your Icelandic car rental.We realized we should have taken the next turn right. This turn will take you to the small, but pretty well visible car park. There you may leave your car (probably along with several other visitors, because Fosslaug is pretty popular and easily accessible). After parking your car at Fosslaug car park, it takes about 10-15 minutes of walking through the easy trail to reach the actual hot spring. As far as I remember, there are 1 or 2 gates which you have to open and then also close after you pass.

Video of Fosslaug

Tips about Fosslaug

On your way to Fosslaug, you will also pass the beautiful Reykjafoss. One of the smaller Icelandic waterfalls, Reykjafoss, is especially picturesque during sunrise and sunset, which we were lucky enough to experience.

What we liked the most about Fosslaug is that it overlooks a river and if you are lucky, you may observe a beautiful sunset over the river! Despite not being remote and thus possibly a bit touristy, Fosslaug is definitely one of our favorite hot springs.

Galtahryggjarlaug

galtahryggjarlaug hot spring

Galtahryggjarlaug hot spring. Image courtesy to: www.icelandthebeautiful.com

Geosea geothermal sea baths

husavik geosea geothermal baths

Husavik Geosea geothermal baths

Geothermal Goldfish Pond

Gjörvidalslaug

May be open, may be locked. It’s recommended to ask locals for permission.

gjorvidalslaug hot spring

Gjörvidalslaug hot spring. Image courtesy to: Harpa Hreinsdóttir

Grafarlaug

grafarlaug hot spring

Grafarlaug hot spring. Image courtesy to: www.icelandthebeautiful.com

Grettirs pool – Grettislaug

grettislaug hot spring

Grettislaug hot spring. Image courtesy to: www.icelandthebeautiful.com

Guðlaug baths

gudlaug baths

Guðlaug Baths. Image courtesy to: www.facebook.com/Gudlaug.NaturalPool/

Guðrúnarlaug

gudrunarlaug hot spring shelter

Shelter for changing clothes and Gudrunarlaug hot spring

Guðrúnarlaug is one of the most picturesque hot springs in Iceland. It’s very well accessible.

Gudrunarlaug hot spring type

Guðrúnarlaug hot spring is man-made and man-maintained. It also has a cute little “cottage” changing room. Bathing was free of charge, we didn’t notice any donation box, but one may have been added in the meantime. The water was around 38°C / 100°F hot at the time of our visit, i.e. very pleasantly hot.

How to get to Gudrunarlaug

In summer, Guðrúnarlaug is easily accessible by any 2wd car. Read about how we chose our car. Or just get free discounts for your Icelandic car rental.

Video of Guðrúnarlaug

Tips about Guðrúnarlaug

Guðrúnarlaug is definitely a bit more touristy compared to, for example, Lýsuhólslaug. The reason for that is its proximity to ring road and to Westfjords, i.e., it’s quite easily accessible. The same is true when it comes to access to the actual hot tube – it’s a 2-minute walk from the car park, which sits right next to it. Google Maps are also quite precise about the location of Gudrunarlaug, so feel free to orientate according to them.

Guðrúnarlaug is located next to the small rural campsite (we didn’t see anyone camping at the time of our visit, during Covid-19 times) and something which looked like a school.

Gvendarlaug

gvendarlaug hot spring

Gvendarlaug hot spring. Image courtesy to: www.laugarholl.is

Hauganes hot pots

hauganes hot springs

Hauganes hot pots

What’s probably best about Hauganes hot springs is their location. They are situated just few meters from the actual fjord. This guarantees you an amazing view over the fjord while enjoying pleasantly hot water.

Hauganes hot spring type

Hauganes hot springs consist of 4 pools. The first pool (and the most legendary one) is shaped like a boat and definitely is pretty cool to bath in. In summer, the “boat-pool”, however, has the coldest water out of all pools (around 30°C), so it’s more a “warm spring” rather than “hot spring”. The other 3 pools (not that cool looking) have higher temperature though (35°C+). To us (and to our local Icelandic co-visitors) it seemed like the hottest pool was the rightmost one, that’s why we spent almost all our time there.

In winter, temperatures of the pools changed, however. The boat-shaped one felt just right with about 35°C, while the other two hot tubes were unbearably hot with more than 40°C.

There’s also a changing room, so you don’t have to do it outside in the cold as is the case with many wild hot springs. Price for Hauganes hot springs is 1000kr/person (ca. 7Eur/8USD). When the owner is present, you can pay it directly to him. If he’s not present, and you have cash, there’s a cash box right next to the pools. And thirdly, if you don’t have cash, you can pay by card at the nearby restaurant Baccalá.

How to get to Hauganes hot pots

Hauganes hot pot is easy to find (e.g. on Google maps, surprisingly in Hauganes). Hauganes hot springs are easily accessible by any 2wd car. Read about how we chose our car. Or just get free discounts for your Icelandic car rental.

Video of Hauganes hot pots

Tips for Hauganes hot pots

Hauganes hot springs are located just next to the little campsite, so there’s a high chance, you won’t be alone in here, given the hot pots are not that remote, nor hard to access. At the time of our visit, there were 2 groups of visitors, plus us and the place didn’t feel crowded at all. A capacity of one pool is around 8 people, therefore it’s not that easy for hot pools to become crowded. For those interested – you may even rotate between hot springs and sea, which lies right next to hot springs. Just don’t forget to shower yourself before each hot spring dive (the sea is dirty and salty).

Hellulaug

hellulaug hot spring

Hellulaug hot spring

Hellulaug is a nice hot spring situated in one of the fjords in the southern part of Westfjords.

Hellulaug hot spring type

Hellulaug hot spring is a man-made and (not that much) man-maintained rocky hot spring. Hot spring is free to use, I don’t remember a donation box next to it, but there may have been one. There’s no shelter, nor changing room, you have to change your clothes either in a car or just next to the hot spring. The water is pleasantly hot, with some 37°C / 99°F.

How to get to Hellulaug

In summer, Hellulaug is accessible by any 2wd car. Read about how we chose our car. Or just get free discounts for your Icelandic car rental.

The distance from the nearest car park to the hot spring is around 2 minutes of walking. You can get to Hellulaug from the main road 60. Just be sure to finally turn on Hellulaugavegur and end up here, because there’s one other (wrong) spot on Google maps. You will leave your car at a small, gravel parking lot. From there you have to descent about 2 minutes to reach the pool itself.

Video of Hellulaug

Tips about Hellulaug

Hellulaug is situated right in the heart of the fjord. If you are into “sauna style” bathing, you may even alternate between bathing in the hot spring and bathing in the ice-cold sea. Water in the hot spring is very pleasant though, having some 37°C (according to my professional, read as „guessed“, assessment).

If it rains, since there’s no shelter, some of your things will probably get wet, unless you cover them with something. We didn’t mind, though, because Hellulaug was probably the last stop of our trip.

Heydalur

heydalur hot spring

Heydalur hot spring. Image courtesy to: http://kitiniceland.blogspot.com/

Hjalteyri Hot Tub

Run by Strýtan dive centre, ask for permission / pay for access.

Hoffel hot tubes

hoffel hot pots

Hoffel hot tubes. Image courtesy to: www.icelandthebeautiful.com

Hörgshlíðarlaug

Horgshlidarlaug hot spring

Hörgshliðarlaug hot spring in the heart of fjord

Hörgshliðarlaug is a nice remote hot spring hidden in one of the fjords in the northern part of Westfjords. This is one of our favorite hot springs in Iceland.

Horgshlidarlaug hot spring type

Hörgshliðarlaug hot spring is a man-made and man-maintained seaweed hot spring. Hot spring is free to use, I don’t remember a donation box next to it, but there may have been one. There’s an old shelter next to the hot spring, which serves as a changing room. The water is pleasantly hot, with some 37°C / 99°F.

How to get to Horgshlidarlaug

In summer, Hörgshliðarlaug is accessible by any 2wd car. Read about how we chose our car. Or just get free discounts for your Icelandic car rental.

Not only tough to pronounce, but also tough to find, that’s Horgshlidarlaug. At the time of our visit, road 633 was closed, so we had to use the northern part of road 61 and make a detour south (left) right before crossing the Mjóifjörður fjord. The distance from the nearest car park (next to the road) to the hot spring is around 2 minutes of walking.

Video of Hörgshlíðarlaug

Tips about Hörgshlíðarlaug

Horgshlidarlaug is a dirty, old, full of seaweed hot spring with a true Icelandic atmosphere. It lies right in the heart of the fjord, so you will be able to watch the fjord while soaking in the hot pot. If you are lucky enough, there may even be seals around (we haven’t seen any though).

If you are into “sauna style” bathing, you may even alternate between bathing in the hot spring and bathing in the ice-cold sea. Water in the hot spring is very pleasant though, having some 37°C (according to my professional, read as „guessed“, assessment).

Hrunalaug

hruni hot spring

Tranquil scenery of Hruni hot spring

Hrunalaug is one of the most picturesque Icelandic hot springs. Although it’s nowadays already really touristy, it definitely belongs to the top Icelandic hot springs.

Hrunalaug hot spring type

Hrunalaug hot spring is man-made and man-maintained. There’s an authentic wooden shelter (similar to the one next to Guðrúnarlaug) serving as a changing room, right next to the pool. Hrunalaug hot spring has changed into a paid hot spring with opening hours as of 2024. The water was around 38°C / 100°F hot at the time of our visit, i.e. very pleasantly hot.

How to get to Hrunalaug

Hrunalaug (or Hruni) is easily accessible by any 2wd car. Read about how we chose our car. Or just get free discounts for your Icelandic car rental.

Use Google maps. They were quite precise about the location. There’s actually a car park near the hot spring. From the “car park” it’s about 3 minutes of walk. You shouldn’t get lost, as far as I can remember there’s even a sign pointing towards hot spring.

Video of Hrunalaug

Tips about Hrunalaug

There are actually several pools, some of them smaller, some of them bigger. All pools do contain heated water, but each one has a different temperature. The hottest one is also the smallest and is the one right next to the shelter. It’s ideal for 2 people, and if you are OK with some squeezing even for 4.

I can confidently nominate Hruni hot spring for winning the award of the most authentic Icelandic hot spring. It is, without doubt, one of the best hot springs we’ve ever been to. Thanks to many aspects. Firstly, it’s a place secluded from anything else with no buildings or roads around. Secondly, the landscape surrounding it is truly peaceful and picturesque. Thirdly, the hot pot itself looks like to be from some kind of fairy-tale. And, importantly, the water (in the main one) is pleasantly hot with some 38°C according to my professional (read amateur) assessment.

The main downside of Hrunalaug is that it’s getting really crowded. It’s easily accessible and beautiful at the same time. I recommend either coming here off-season or during some weird times (like really soon in the morning, or during the night). Also Hrunalaug now has opening hours and an entrance fee. More info on Hrunalaug entrances here.

Hvammsvík hot springs

hvammsvik hot springs iceland

Hvammsvík hot springs SPA. Image courtesy to: https://hvammsvik.com/

Hvammsvík hot spring type

Hvammsvík is a man-made and well maintained, unique hot spring located in the picturesque Hvalfjörður fjord. There are currently eight different pools with various temperatures. There’s also a restaurant and a brand new changing room.

Our readers can use a 5% discount code: EPICICELAND5 for Hvammsvík on Classic and Comfort tickets.

Hvammsvík has recently been gaining a lot of popularity, because it’s one of the most beautiful hot springs in Iceland that is still not crowded! It’s surrounded by ocean, mountains and black sand beaches that create a one-of-its-kind scene you’re just tempted to visit again and again.

How to get to Hvammsvík

It’s not a coincidence Hvammsvík is getting so popular. One of the main reasons is, it’s located just a 45-minute drive north of Reykjavik, making it a great day trip from Reykjavik.

The easiest way to reach Hvammsvík is to drive there. Another alternative is to take a day tour from Reykjavik (5% discount code: EPICICELAND), which includes the visit of Hvammsvík.

Tips about Hvammsvík hot spring

Did you know that water levels of some of the pools and their temperatures vary with tide? Well, they do! Hvammsvík lies right next to the Atlantic ocean, that’s why. This actually makes every visit to Hvamssvík unique!

The admission includes access to all hot springs, a steam room, beaches, a jump into the ocean (if you dare), as well as free use of their paddle boards.

Húsafell canyon baths

This is a paid hot spring on a private property. You have to buy the package to visit it.

Húsafell Canyon Baths

Húsafell Canyon Baths. Image courtesy to: www.husafell.com

Hveravellir hot spring

Hveravellir hot spring

The only Hveravellir hot spring for bathing. Image: courtesy of hiticeland.com

Hveravellir is a hot spring area in the middle of F35 road with one nice free hot spring available for bathing. We wrote a detailed guide on visiting Hveravellir hot springs.

Hveravellir hot spring type

Hveravellir hot spring is man-made and man-maintained. It has an uncovered exterior changing space. Bathing is free of charge, we didn’t notice any donation box, but one may have been added in the meantime. The water is pleasantly hot, with some 38°C / 100°F.

How to get to Hveravellir

You need a 4wd car to access the Hveravellir area. Road 35 leading there (former F35), a.k.a. Kjölur or Kjalvegur is open for tourists without super jeeps only from June to September.

In summer, the road F35 (Kjalvegur) is not hard to drive on, though. You may rent basically any 4wd car to drive it. Read about how we chose our car. Or just get free discounts for your Icelandic car rental.

Once you leave F35 towards Hveravellir, it’s just a short, easy drive and you will soon find a parking lot in front of a small restaurant. Almost next to the parking lot lies a nice, public, free hot spring. The distance from the nearest car park to the hot spring is around 5 minutes of walking.

Video of Hveravellir

Tips about Hveravellir

Since it is so close to the car park, there’s a high chance someone will be inside most of the time. Nevertheless, the hot spring is big enough and the water is pleasantly hot, with some 38°C (according to my professional assessment). On the other hand, the air temperature felt really cold, something like 7-8°C even in the middle of August. So again – be prepared for that – you are in the middle of Iceland, in highlands.

I guess my expectations for Hveravellir were too big (read further to find out why). When planning our trip, I had read that there are “several hot springs in the Hveravellir area”. Moreover, seeing pictures like this had instantly made me a Hveravellir enthusiast. Well, the reality was a bit different. We were hiking for 1 hour around the entire area, but we haven’t found any hot springs, other than the main one near the parking lot.

We finally also asked the local at the restaurant who just confirmed our realization by saying: “you can bath only in this hot spring, next to the car park. There may be also some other hot springs further away, but you shouldn’t bathe there”.

Kerlingarfjöll hot spring

kerlingarfjöll hot spring iceland

Bathing alone at Kerlingarfjöll hot spring

There’s only one hot spring in Kerlingarfjoll available for bathing. And it is well hidden from the mainstream trails of the Hveradalir geothermal area!

The entire scenery around the hot spring looks entirely like from another planet. This is one of our favorite hot springs in Iceland.

Kerlingarfjöll hot spring type

The Kerlingarfjoll hot spring is a man-maintained but originally wild hot spring. It has man-made walls and a wooden platform for changing clothes and entering the pool.

There are actually two pools next to each other, one warmer and the other less warm.

How to get to Kerlingarfjöll hot spring

Hike to Kerlingarfjoll hot spring is easy and totally worth the experience. Just be sure to bring a towel and clothes to change, because the hike can easily take you 1.5 hours as a round-trip.

The hike starts only and only at the Highland Base (former Kerlingarfjoll Mountain resort). There’s no other trail. And it’s actually not trivial to find the beginning of the trail. There were no signs at the time of our visit, so we asked the visitors coming from the opposite direction, who pointed us toward the trail.

After about 10 minutes of walking from and through Kerlingarfjoll mountain resorts, we’ve finally reached a little crossroad with a signpost pointing to a trail to the Kerlingarfjoll hot spring. The sign says it’s just 1km to the hot spring, but that’s not true. It’s actually double that – 2km. It’s not long, but it’s also not a 5-minute walk in slippers 😉

Tips for Kerlingarfjöll hot spring

When we first visited Kerlingarfjoll, and the place was called “Kerlingarfjoll hot spring area” or “Hveradalir hot spring area”, we had thought there will be many hot springs to bathe in. We were wrong. Yes, there are many hot springs, but you can’t bathe in any of them! Except one. The vast majority of these hot springs are “just” bubbling mud holes that are either too small, or too hot (or both) to bathe in.

Water in the warmer of the two pools had temperature of around 37°C in July, which was more than just pleasant after a full day of hiking. The water was also quite clear, at least if compared to other wild hot springs. Don’t expect SPA-like clean, though, this is wild and remote Iceland in its fullness.

Krauma Natural Geothermal Baths

krauma hot springs

Krauma hot baths. Image courtesy to: www.krauma.is. 10% discount code for Krauma: EPICICELAND

Krauma hot spring type

Long story short, Krauma is a nicely-maintained modern hot spring / hot spa with all the facilities you could probably need – showers, restaurant, café, changing rooms – all being new and with a glamorous touch. There are several pools of various (hot) temperatures and also an ice-cold “dip pool”. It is located in the exterior and has a view over nearby lands, which makes a visit even more pleasurable!

Our readers can use a 10% discount code: EPICICELAND for Krauma Hot Springs when booking online in advance.

How to get to Krauma baths

A normal road leads to Krauma, you can make it with any car. Read about how we chose our car. Or just get free discounts for your Icelandic car rental.

Video of Krauma baths

Tips for Krauma baths

If you are into more glamorous hot springs with all of the facilities, services, and comfort and you don’t mind paying for that, you’re gonna be happy! As was my wife 🙂

Me, personally, I prefer wilder experiences with remote (and uncomfortable) hot springs. But hey – Iceland has enough of both of these for everyone!

Krosslaug hot pot

krosslaug hot pot

Krosslaug hot pot

Krosslaug hot pot type

Krosslaug is a natural hot spring (man maintained). Bathing in Krosslaug is free of charge. We couldn’t find any money box, as is the case with many other Icelandic hot pots. There are no changing rooms, so just don’t be shy 🙂

Krosslaug is pretty little, suitable comfortably maybe for 2 people, and less comfortably for 4. The temperature is pleasant, though, with around 38°C according to my (non) professional estimate. The water is not entirely clean with some plants floating in it, though much clearer compared to some not well-maintained algae pools like Seljavallalaug.

How to get to Krosslaug hot pot

Krosslaug is located right next to road 52. You can leave your car at the little car park and from there it’s just a 2-minute walk. Read about how we chose our car. Or just get free discounts for your Icelandic car rental.

Video of Krosslaug hot pot

Tips for Krosslaug hot pot

Beware, there’s also another hot spring called Krosslaug 🙂 This one is located in Westfjords, though. See below.

Krosslaug hot spring Westfjords

krosslaug hot spring westfjords

Krosslaug hot spring in Westfjords. Image courtesy to: www.icelandthebeautiful.com

Krossneslaug

krossneslaug

Krossneslaug

Krossneslaug is a really unique, one-of-its-kind hot pool literally at the end of the world (or at least all Icelandic roads).

Krossneslaug hot spring type

Krossneslaug is a man-made and man-maintained hot pool. There’s an access fee of around 8 USD. For that price, you can use the whole infrastructure around – changing rooms, showers, toilets, etc. There is 1 big “infinity” pool with a view over the fjord and 1 small hot tube as a bonus. The bigger, rectangular pool has a water temperature of around 34°C / 93°F and a smaller, more modern hot tub with a temperature of around 38°C / 100°F.

How to get to Krossneslaug

Although officially any 2wd car is allowed in here, I do recommend a 4wd car and some guts to reach Krossneslaug. Road 643 heading towards Krossneslaug could easily be classified as an Icelandic F-road. It doesn’t contain any river crossings but it contains almost everything else an F-road may contain. Potholes, gravel, narrow passages, steep parts, driving on the edge of the cliffs, …

Read about how we chose our car. Or just get free discounts for your Icelandic car rental.

Google Maps mark Krossneslaug quite precisely. They just don’t show that the “car park” (or better said the place next to the road where you may leave your car) is tens of meters above the pool. That means, you have to leave your car up, next to the road and you have to walk down the path to Krossneslaug itself. Only the owner of the pool has an access to reach the pool by car.

Video of Krossneslaug

Tips about Krossneslaug

Bathing in Krossneslaug is again a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It definitely belongs to the Top 5 of Icelandic hot springs. Once in the pool, you will again feel like being in some kind of fairy tale. Just you, a hot pool and a view of the endless sea. The smaller, hotter bathtub even has a windshield (I guess for cases of severe weather?).

Before our departure, I asked the owner whether it does make economic sense to maintain such a pool at the end of the world. He just smiled and replied that from June till 1st half of August usually hundreds of people come per day. So this hot spring may get a bit touristy in the full season.

Kualaug

Kvika Footbath

kvika footbath hot spring iceland

Kvika footbath hot spring. Image courtesy to: www.icelandthebeautiful.com

Landbrotalaug

landbrotalaug hot spring

Source of the Landbrotalaug hot spring resembles a mud hole.

Landbrotalaug is a wild hot spring located in the middle of nowhere in the eastern part of Snæfellsnes. The main hot spring is a tiny geothermal pool, accompanied by a larger but muddier one, that serves as a water source for both hot springs. 

Landbrotalaug hot spring had been closed to the public for a longer time. However, it reopened again in 2024.

Landbrotalaug hot spring type

Lanbdrotalaug It’s a man-made hot pot, not much maintained. Water is typically very hot. There are no changing rooms, you’re all alone in the wilderness.

How to get to Lanbdrotalaug

Landbrotalaug is located on the easternmost end of the Snaefellsnes peninsula. The hot pot is well accessible by any car. The final access road may be slippery, icy, or full of snow in winter, so please take care not to get stuck. 

Once you get out of the car, it takes a few minutes of walk to find it.

Video of Landbrotalaug hot spring

Tips about Landbrotalaug hot spring

Firstly, there are two hot springs. The bigger and muddier one is located right next to the water supply pipe. The smaller one you’ve most likely seen in all these sexy pictures is located 100 meters to the right behind a wall. 

Secondly, this is a wild hot spring with no cabin, so if you prefer luxury lagoons or if you have sensitive skin or anything similar, this will most likely not be a place for you.

Thirdly, the main Landbrotalaug pool fits only two or three people max. If you’re in a hurry and there is a crowd, it may be best to skip it.

Fourthly, if you are going in the rain, there may be mud all around. Be ready for it, or don’t go.

Landmannalaugar hot spring

Landmannalaugar hot spring

Landmannalaugar hot spring. Picture courtesy of https://www.foodiebaker.com/day-4-iceland-travelogue/

Landmannalaugar hot spring (sometimes called Brennisteinsalda) is the only hot spring suitable for bathing in the main Landmannalaugar area. It is located right next to Landmannalaugar campsite.

Landmannalaugar hot spring type

Landmannalaugar hot spring is one of the few 100% real natural hot springs (without any human interference) we’ve seen in Iceland so it’s definitely worth trying. It’s basically a stream of some really hot water (>50°C / 122°F) flowing into the small river and you may bathe in this river. The water temperature gradually goes down the more you go away from the source. The hot spring is free to use. It has an uncovered exterior changing space.

How to get to Landmannalaugar hot spring

You need a proper 4wd car to reach Landmannalaugar and Brennisteinsalda hot spring. However, there’s a huge difference between whether you come from the northern side of F208 or the southern side. The distance from the nearest car park to the hot spring is around 5 minutes of walking.

Read more about these different routes in our F-road guide. Read also about how we chose our car, as this is essential for your Icelandic trip. Or just get free discounts for your Icelandic car rental.

Video of Landmannalaugar hot spring

Tips about Landmannalaugar hot spring

The river you firstly need to jump in actually isn’t so hot, maybe around some 26-30°C / 79-86°F which doesn’t feel so fantastic when it’s really cold outside. But the more you approach the actual hot stream, the warmer it gets. The warmest place is, of course, just near the place where the stream flows into the water. This is the place you want to aim for (but so will all your fellow co-campers). You will probably have to wait some time in a queue to get to that source. There’s also another smaller stream a few meters to the right, so these 2 streams flowing into the river are the hottest spots.

The river is also really shallow, only some 40-70cm deep, so you basically have to lie in it to be covered by water. Nevertheless, it’s definitely worth the experience and it’s a really cool thing to try as Brennisteinsalda hotpot is one of the very few “wild” hot springs not artificially modified by locals.

Laugafell

laugafell hot spring

Laugafell hot spring

Laugafell hot spring is an enjoyable, spacious and pretty remote hot spring located in the central highlands of Iceland. Laugafell lies right next to the road F752 – Skagafjarðarleið and is a part of the Laugafell mountain hut and campsite area.

Laugafell hot spring type

Laugafell hot spring is a man-made and man-maintained hot spring lake. The temperature in summer was pleasantly hot with about 38°C (100°F). There’s a huge changing room with toilets, as a part of the Laugafell campsite area. There’s also a wooden path leading to the hot spring, so Laugafell definitely belongs to one of the really well-maintained hot springs.

How to get to Laugafell

Laugafell hot spring is located in the central Icelandic highlands, so you definitely need at least a small 4×4 car to reach it. Then, it depends on what season and what road you choose, whether small 4×4 is enough or whether you would need a large 4×4.

Option 1 is to arrive from the north, first via F821 – Eyjafjarðarleið and then via F752 – Skagafjarðarleið. This is the easiest way to reach Laugafell. F821 is a beautiful road without any considerable river crossings, only some small streams. Some parts of F821 are pretty steep and bumpy, though, especially the final parts in the direction of highlands. F752 up to Laugafell doesn’t contain any major river crossings, I remember only smaller streams. If you go in summer and the roads are officially open, you should do fine also with smaller 4×4 cars like Jimney or Duster.

Not sure what type of car to choose? Feel free to read how to choose a proper car or how to pick the best Icelandic car rental insurance. We also collaborate with Icelandic car rental companies to give you a discount and us a small commission at no extra cost to you.

laugafell mountain hut iceland

Laugafell campsite and hot spring near the sunset

Option 2 is to arrive from the south, firstly via F26 – Sprengisandur, a.k.a. Sprengisandsleið and then via the aforementioned F752 – Skagafjarðarleið. Both these roads, if you come from the south, contain medium to big-sized rivers to be crossed. We definitely recommend at least a large 4×4 SUV, and ideally a super jeep to drive the roads safely. Under extremely good conditions it’s possible to drive the roads also in medium 4×4 cars, but I would not rely on that!

Option 3 then involves driving also the F881 – Dragaleið. To our knowledge, there’s no river crossing on F881. Then, it depends whether you connect to F881 from the northern F26 or southern F26. Southern F26, as described above, contains one medium to big-sized river called Hagakvislar, next to Nyidalur, that needs to be crossed. You need a large 4×4 for that and at least some river crossing experience.

Video of Laugafell

TBA soon.

Tips for Laugafell

Price for bathing was 500ISK per person at the time of our last visit. You have to pay for bathing to the warden located in one of the huts. The hot spring is huge enough to accommodate for 20+ people so do not worry about it being crowded.

Laugarfell

laugarfell hot spring

Laugarfell hot spring

A nice remote hot spring in the middle of nowhere, yet still easily accessible by any car in full summer, with a hotel next to it.

Laugarfell hot spring type

The hot spring is private and it’s a part of a Laugarfell hotel. If you want to use only the hot spring, price is 1500ISK (10Eur) per person. There are actually two hot pools – one with a water temperature of around 38°C and the other one with around 43°C, which is already VERY hot and not many people are able to stay there 🙂

How to get to Laugarfell

Laugarfell is easily accessible by any car via a fully paved road 910. Read about how we chose our car. Or just get free discounts for your Icelandic car rental.

Video of Laugarfell

Tips for Laugarfell

There are also several beautiful hikes available around the area, so there’s definitely stuff to do for an entire day, if not longer. Some beautiful waterfalls also lie nearby, such as Kirkjufoss, Stuðlafoss and Faxi waterfall.

Laugarvatn Fontana

laugarvatn fontana hot spring

Laugarvatn fontana hot spa. Image courtesy to: www.fontana.is

Laugavallalaug

laugavallalaug hot spring

Laugavallalaug hot waterfall spring

Laugavallalaug hot spring really positively surprised us and it definitely belongs to one of our favorite Icelandic hot springs, probably even to the Top 3 🙂 Maybe you’ve been to hot springs already, but have you ever been to a hot spring waterfall? Well, that’s exactly what Laugavallalaug is!

Laugavallalaug hot spring type

Yes, Laugavallalaug is a hot spring with your private hot waterfall! This can happen only in Iceland, right? Water in Laugavallalaug is pleasantly hot (my professional assessment would say around °37C to °39C). Water is also pretty clean, at least compared to other wild hot springs (several levels cleaner compared to e.g. Seljavallalaug).

How to get to Laugavallalaug

There are several options how to reach Laugavallalaug:

  1. If you want to avoid F-roads as much as possible, you can come from the Hallormsstaður direction – via road 910. Road 910 is very well maintained and fully paved road. It’s probably one of the best 3-digit roads I’ve driven in Iceland. 910 ends at Kárahnjúkar dam and then you have to drive a bumpy F910 for a few kilometers. No river crossing, though.
  2. If you want to see the Stuðlagil canyon along the way (which we highly recommend), then come via road 923 (semi-paved, easy-to-drive road). Google labels 923 as just “Jökuldalsvegur”. The correct names are here https://vegasja.vegagerdin.is/eng/. Afterwards, you will have to drive F910 in the southern direction (Google again has a wrong name – “Karahnjukar”). This part of F910 is very bumpy, but contains no river crossings (maybe some small streams that I don’t even remember).
  3. If you want to see Askja area first (as we did), the longest and the most difficult access road to Laugavallalaug leads also via long part of F910 coming from the crossroads with F88. The road is definitely doable in a medium-sized 4×4 in good weather and road conditions. There are one (or two) medium-sized river crossings.

Access to Laugavallalaug is thus is a bit cumbersome, but manageable. The last part of F910 close to Laugavallalaug is really bumpy, but doesn’t contain any river crossings. Still, it’s advantageous to have a good ground clearance of car for it. Coming from the north-east, you then have to turn right and drive the dirt track to Laugavallalaug for approximately 1.5km to arrive at the small car park.

Several visitors left their car just before the turn. The reason is, after taking this detour, the road turns into a steep, narrow and bumpy track, making it not that pleasant a drive. Nevertheless, we’ve seen even cars much smaller than ours (like Dacia Duster) making it to the car park as well, so it’s definitely doable. Just a lifespan of your car’s bumpers would probably be a bit shortened after this drive 🙂

Read about how we chose our car. Or just get free discounts for your Icelandic car rental.

Video of Laugavallalaug

Tips for Laugavallalaug

Laugavallalaug is also surrounded by picturesque, green hills and a few pretty hungry sheep. The place is quite hard to access, so we expected almost no visitors. We were surprised to arrive at the car park and park our car along 5 other cars. Nevertheless, these car owners were probably only chilling in their cars, because we met only one couple in the hot spring.

What we liked the most about Laugavallalaug was its remoteness, amazing surrounding countryside and, of course the waterfall experience! It was more than just worth the drive!

Lýsuhólslaug

lysuholslaug hot spring

Lýsuhólslaug hot spring

Lysuholslaug or Lýsulaugar is a nice hot pool “spa”, hidden in the southern part of the Snaefellsnes peninsula.

Lýsuhólslaug hot spring type

Lysuholslaug is a man-made and man-maintained hot pool. There’s an access fee of around 8 USD. For that price, you can use the whole infrastructure around – changing rooms, showers, toilets, etc. There are 2 small hot tubes and 1 bigger pool. All of them are the so-called “sea-weed baths”. That means, they look to be dirty, because of the sea-weeds everywhere. The ground and walls of the pool are also slippery, because of sea-weeds.

The big pool has water with a temperature of around 32°C / 90°F. Water in the small hot tubes is much hotter, around 36-38°C / 97-100°F  in the first of them and around 39-41°C / 102-106°F in the hottest one. It’s definitely not recommended to stay in the hottest one for too long.

How to get to Lýsuhólslaug

Lysuholslaug is easily accessible by any 2wd car. Read about how we chose our car. Or just get free discounts for your Icelandic car rental. The distance from the nearest car park to the hot spring is around 1 minute of walking.

Tips about Lýsuhólslaug

Bathing in Lysuholslaug is definitely a very pleasant activity when the weather sucks. We really enjoyed it, despite the place not being anywhere near as picturesque as Hrunalaug or some other “wilder” hot springs. So, it depends on your preference, weather (and who knows what else), whether it’s worth making a detour for you. For us it definitely was.

Marteinslaug

Marteinslaug hot spring

Marteinslaug hot spring. Image courtesy to: http://losangelesswimmin.com/

Mývatn nature baths

myvatn nature baths

Mývatn nature baths. Image courtesy to: www.myvatnnaturebaths.is

Nauteyrarlaug

nauteyrarlaug hot spring

Nauteyrarlaug hot spring. Image courtesy to: www.love-iceland.at

Nauthólsvík beach lagoon

nautholsvik beach iceland

Nauthólsvík beach lagoon

Pollurinn hot pool

pollurinn hot spring

Pollurinn hot pool. Image courtesy to: www.icelandthebeautiful.com

Reykjadalur hot river

reykjadalur hot river

Reykjadalur hot spring river. Image courtesy to: www.icelandthebeautiful.com

Reykjafjarðarlaug

Reykjafjarðarlaug hot pool

Reykjafjarðarlaug hot pool

Reykjafjardarlaug is a nice hot spring in the middle of nowhere, right next to the Road 63 in Westfjords.

Reykjafjardarlaug hot spring type

Reykjafjarðarlaug hot spring is man-made and man-maintained. It also has a changing room. Bathing is free of charge, we didn’t notice any donation box, but one may have been added in the meantime. The water was around 35°C / 95°F at the time of our visit, i.e. not that hot but still pleasant.

How to get to Reykjafjardarlaug

In summer, Reykjafjardarlaug hot spring is accessible by any 2wd car. Although road 63 leading there is zig-zag and secluded, it should be alright to reach with a bit of careful driving. Read about how we chose our car. Or just get free discounts for your Icelandic car rental. The distance from the nearest car park to the hot spring is around 5 minutes of walking.

Video of Reykjafjarðarlaug hot spring

Tips about Reykjafjarðarlaug

There are actually 2 places for bathing in here. The first one is the man-made artificial pool with regulated water temperature. The second one is the actual source of the hot water itself – a wild hot spring with varying temperatures (usually much hotter). This secret Reykjafjardarlaug hot spring lies nearby.

We made just a quick stop at the hot spring because we had already visited several of them at that time and headed elsewhere on that day. Reykjafjardarlaug is nevertheless nice and pleasant, just maybe not that exceptional compared to some other ones in Iceland. As someone had put it: “3 out of 5 Icelandic stars, i.e. 5 out of 5 anywhere else in the world”.

Reykjanes geothermal pool

reykjanes geothermal pool iceland

Reykjanes geothermal pool. Image courtesy to: http://reykjaneswestfjords.is/

Sæberg hot tubs

Saeberg hotpot

Sæberg hot tubes. Image courtesy to: www.icelandthebeautiful.com

Secret Lagoon

secret lagoon iceland

Secret lagoon. Image courtesy to: www.secretlagoon.is/

15% discount code for Secret Lagoon entrance: EPIC

Seljavallalaug

seljavallalaug hot spring

Seljavallalaug hot spring

Just a short hike from the ring road lies a popular, yet not very neat, hot pool, a.k.a. Seljavallalaug. You need to take around 30-minutes long hike to get there.

Seljavallalaug hot spring type

The pool is big, full of algae, slippery, and with water of a temperature of around 30°C+, which is not that much compared to several other 40°C+ Icelandic hot springs. It’s an old pool, not much maintained.

How to get to Seljavallalaug

Seljavallalaug is located on private land and to get there you need to walk. You can park your car also on the private land – there are 2 not very big car parks, which, however, weren’t completely full at the time of our visit. We parked the car at the one closer to the pool (but it really doesn’t make any difference, because they are both next to each other). Luckily for visitors, the landowners have not yet started to get money for the parking and visit of the pool. This may change in the future, though.

Read about how we chose our car. Or just get free discounts for your Icelandic car rental.

After parking your car it’s a 30 minutes (one way), non-demanding walk around a nice area. It’s not marked, but it also isn’t hard to follow because a) there’s no other route, b) you will probably meet several fellow tourists on the way there.

Tips about Seljavallalaug

There’s an old changing room at Seljavallalaug (actually 2 rooms, maybe supposed to be for men and women, but people mixed it anyway). As I said above – the pool is big, full of algae, slippery, and with water of a temperature of around 30°C+, which is not that much compared to several other 40°C+ Icelandic hot springs. Nevertheless, many other visitors seemed to enjoy the pool very much anyway. To sum it up, Seljavallalaug was still a nice experience, although we prefer other Icelandic hot springs and pools much more.

UPDATE from the local: “Seljavallalaug was cold when I visited in August 2022, no hot water coming out of the rock face into the pool anymore. Possibly the added tourism catering by the landowner has redirected the water for all those cabins.” Thank you Hákon Halldórsson for this info from 15.10.2022.

Video of Seljavallalaug

Skátalaug

Skátalaug hot spring iceland

Skátalaug hot spring. Image courtesy to: www.icelandthebeautiful.com

Skátalaug advice from the local

“Skátalaug by Kleifarvatn is empty now, water is flowing another route, away from it. No sign of this being a result of intervention.” Thank you Hákon Halldórsson for this info from 15.10.2022.

Sky Lagoon

sky lagoon iceland

Sky lagoon. Image courtesy to: www.skylagoon.com/

Sky Lagoon is a luxurious, modern hot lagoon in Reykjavik, famous due to its sea views and its “7-step ritual”.

We’ve collected the cheapest yet reliable tickets & transfers for Sky Lagoon below:

All options above have free cancellation/rescheduling up to 24 hours before departure.

Snorralaug

It’s forbidden to bath in Snorralaug. Photos only.

snorralaug hot spring iceland

Snorralaug hot spring. Image courtesy to: www.icelandthebeautiful.com

Strútslaug

strutslaug hot spring iceland

Strútslaug hot spring

Strútslaug is one of the most remote hot springs in entire Iceland. It’s located deep in the highlands, close to Maelifell volcano and Laugavegur trail. You have to firstly drive there pretty long and then hike for 1,5 hour one way, at best.

Strútslaug hot spring type

Strutslaug is a pretty big, totally wild natural hot spring that could easily welcome tens of visitors. I guess it’s never really full, given its total remoteness. It’s also pleasantly hot, with a water temperature of around 40°C according to my (non) professional estimate. It’s a very surreal and pleasant bathing experience in the middle of the total nowhere. One of my favorite Icelandic hot springs.

How to get to Strútslaug

Getting to Strútslaug is quite a challenge and you better use a super jeep for that or a guided tour. Under a good weather and road conditions, it’s possible to drive to the start of the hiking trail also by a large 4×4 SUV, like Land Cruiser. But as I mentioned, I better recommend a true jeep.

Strútslaug is located a 1,5 hour long hike from the end of Strútur track. Remember, Strútur track is not even an F-road, it’s even rougher, it’s just a dirt track. Now to get to the Strútur track, you have to arrive there by F210 – Fjallabaksleið syðri, which is not easy to drive either, from neither direction (west, nor east). There are several usually medium, sometimes big, river crossings. Please study this route carefully before going or just don’t go. Otherwise you can seriously hurt yourself. We described the drive in our detailed article about Strútslaug and also in our List of F-roads. We, however, take no responsibility for your drive.

This was the drive, and now the hike.

The hiking trail towards Strútslaug is roughly 5 kilometers long, not difficult at all, and it took us around 1.5 hours to finish it at a normal pace. It leads through nice valleys full of moss and along river streams. To hike to Strutslaug is a nice way to experience Icelandic highlands, even for families. The hike is pretty easy, just a bit long, but it doesn’t have any steep or exposed passages. It’s basically a walk through the moss valleys. Up until the last meters we were not sure where the end of the trail actually is. The Strutslaug itself is not well visible from the distance.

Tips about Strútslaug

There’s no changing cabin at Strutslaug. Anyway, we looked very much forward to bathing in Strutslaug, because the weather was very moody, with completely clouded skies and light drizzle throughout our entire hike. We put a bag on the wet ground, changed our clothes, covered them with waterproof clothes, and ran for the hot spring.

Video of Strútslaug

Sturlungalaug

sturlungalaug hot spring iceland

Sturlungalaug hot spring, sometimes called Guðmundarlaug

One of our favorite “hidden gems” hot springs in Iceland is definitely Sturlungalaug hot spring. Sturlungalaug, sometimes called by locals also Guðmundarlaug, is actually the only wild hot spring in Snæfellsnes peninsula. And not many visitors know about it. Don’t expect anything fancy, Sturlungalaug is basically just a big hole in the ground. But man, what a pleasant and remote hole!

Sturlungalaug hot spring type

In July, the water in Sturlungalaug was pleasantly hot, having around 38-39°C (102°F). We took a special care when entering the hotpot, because we saw bubbles in the water, indicating potentially dangerously hot water. We started by slowly trying the temperature at various spots, but the temperature was luckily stable, so we entered and enjoyed the soak. Sturlungalaug seems to be man-created but not often maintained and not much used. Hot spring water has been definitely here for hundreds of years, just someone took it above the ground.

How to get to Sturlungalaug

It’s not that easy to get to Sturlungalaug hot spring. There’s a dirt track leading to Sturlungalaug, which you will not find on majority of maps (including Google Maps). However, the track is displayed on one of the maps we use at Epic Iceland and the map is freely available to everyone else as well. The dirt track leading to Sturlungalaug is a 20-minute long bumpy drive on a not well maintained road.

map of sturlungalaug hot spring road

Map of the dirt track leading to Sturlungalaug hot spring

Technically it may be possible to reach Sturlungalaug by a 2wd car, but we highly recommend driving the Sturlungalaug dirt track with any proper 4wd car, due to bumpiness of the road and a possibility to damage your 2wd car. Sturlungalaug track leads through the old lava field and next to small and remote Icelandic huts, which is probably the only reason why there’s any road at all.

Tips about Sturlungalaug

Once you finish the road, there’s a little parking space about a minute of walk from Sturlungalaug hot spring and you just cannot miss it. We arrived to Sturlungalaug at around 7PM in the peak season in July and had the place all for ourselves. We highly recommend taking some kind of slippers to reach Sturlungalaug, because the grass leading there is pretty wet and you can get your shoes wet easily.

Bathing totally alone in a wild hot spring after a very long day, enjoying the scenery of the nearby remote surroundings, with the sun slowly setting down was a once in a lifetime experience even for myself, after having already visited Iceland numerous times in the past. Sturlungalaug hot spring was one of the highlights of our visit of Snæfellsnes peninsula.

Vök baths

Vök Baths hot spa iceland

Vök Baths hot spa

Posted by Igor in Guide, 17 comments
Best winter places in North Iceland

Best winter places in North Iceland

We wrote a short list of places we consider the most beautiful winter places in North Iceland. North Iceland is definitely more often visited compared to for example Eastfjords, but on the other hand much less compared to the most touristy South. This is also true for winter.

The aim of this article is not to list all of the beautiful places. We rather want to show you how some of our most favorite places in Iceland look like in winter. You can then decide for yourself, whether you want to visit a specific place or not, or whether you want to visit the place in summer or in winter, or at both times.

This post is part of our Winter Iceland articles series:

Hverir hot springs

hverir namaskard in winter

Hverir, or Námaskarð, in winter

Hverir hot spring area is well accessible also in winter. This is a very touristy spot, though, where all the tour buses stop throughout the day. We recommend only a short visit. Beware you cannot bath in any of these hot springs, they are simply too hot and too small. Námaskarð is just the synonym, that is another name for the same Hverir hot spring area.

Dimmuborgir lava field

dimmuborgir in winter

Dimmuborgir in winter

Dimmuborgir lava field is another place around lake Mývatn worth a short visit. This is one of the places which are usually too touristy and too boring to visit in summer, however in winter it’s slightly different. There are several very easy hiking trails around the Dimmuborgir lava field and in winter it makes much more sense to take a short walk around the lava field.

Höfði hike

hofdi myvatn winter

Höfði in Skutustadhir, Mývatn, in winter

Höfði is a little peninsula and nature reserve, where you may take a short walk and enjoy the views and atmosphere of lake Mývatn.

Skútustaðagígar craters

skutustadagigar in winter iceland

Skútustaðagígar in winter

Skútustaðagígar is a nice crater area right next to lake Mývatn, well accessible also in winter. Skútustaðagígar is hard to pronounce but easy to hike. It takes less than an hour to hike around the entire crater area, and you will be rewarded with peaceful surroundings and nice views over lake Mývatn. We definitely recommend a short visit to Skútustaðagígar in winter.

Important: How to choose the best car for Iceland?

Hverfjall hike

hverfjall in winter

Hverfjall in winter

Hverfjall is usually accessible also in winter. In summer it makes for a short (10-15 minutes) climb from the car park all the way up to the rim of the crater. In winter, a hike up Hverfjall gets much more difficult, though. The trail is usually slippery due to snow and ice, so it’s definitely helpful to have spikes on your shoes. We also recommend climbing Hverfjall only when weather is alright, i.e. no strong wind, rain or weather alert. But this is more or less a general advice for almost any moderate hike in Iceland in winter.

hverfjall hike in winter

Hverfjall hike in winter

We climbed up Hverfjall on a nice March day even without wearing spikes, but we struggled a bit and slipped a few times along the way. A short climb is totally worth it, because the view from above are amazing. And they are totally different from the summer views. While we had nice weather, we took a little hike all around the entire crater of Hverfjall, which took us around 1 hour.

Here is a short video of our Hverfjall hike in winter.

Geosea Húsavík hot SPA

husavik geosea geothermal baths

Husavik Geosea geothermal baths

Another in the series of fabulous paid SPAs in Iceland is located in Húsavík and is called Geosea. There are two hot pools with different temperatures and of course also a pool bar. There’s also a beautiful lighthouse right next to Geosea hot springs.

husavik geosea in winter

Husavik Geosea Baths in winter

But the main attraction of Húsavík’s Geosea hot springs is the view. On a nice day, there’s an amazing view over the nearby fjord and mountains on the other side of the fjord. Hot springs are also made in the style of an “infinity pool” which only adds to the magic of the place. A visit totally recommended, especially in winter 🙂

Mývatn Winter Festival

myvatn winter festival

Mývatn winter festival

We usually do not recommend any restaurants or festivals, these are simply not our things and we leave them for someone else to comment on. But with Mývatn Winter Festival we will make one exception. Why? Simply, because we consider Mývatn Winter Festival to be the nicest, cutest and possibly the most beautiful winter festival in Iceland.

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Check the website of the festival for dates and schedule. You can usually expect horse riding on ice, several funny competitions, dog sledging, ice fishing and many other fun local activities, including food tasting etc. A great way to spend a winter day in our opinion!

Goðafoss waterfall

godafoss in winter

Goðafoss in winter

Goðafoss is one of the most beautiful winter waterfalls in Iceland in our opinion. Goðafoss, contrary to many other waterfalls, does not get completely frozen in winter. Goðafoss is also easily accessible also in winter, so we more than just recommend a short and easy visit.

Here is a short video of our Goðafoss visit in winter.

Hjalteyri

hjalteyri winter

Hjalteyri in winter

Hjalteyri is a cute little village sitting in the fjord northwest of Akureyri. We spent a night in Hjalteyri and took several romantic walks in here. You will usually not find here any restaurants open in winter, though. You will rather find here tranquil, quiet and peaceful fjord surroundings, whale watching tour companies and an old factory.

Here is a short video of our Hjalteyri visit in winter.

Hauganes hot pots

hauganes hot pots in winter

Hauganes hot pots in winter

Hauganes is mostly famous due to its hot springs. Hauganes hot springs are accessible also in winter and we more than just recommend stopping for a visit. We visited Hauganes hot springs both in summer and in winter. Winter was actually even more comfortable season for a visit, because the hot tubes were simply too hot for us in summer. The opposite is true for a “boat-shaped” hot spring, though, where water is much less hot, so this one is more comfortable in summer.

Here is a short video of our Hauganes hot spring visit in winter.

Tvistur horse rental

winter horse riding iceland

Tvistur horse rental in Dalvik

With my wife being an avid horse rider, we of course have to go for Icelandic horse riding each time we visit Iceland. Our winter visit was not the exception. Not all horse-riding services are open in winter, so definitely contact them in advance to check if they operate also in winter.

tvistur horse rental winter

Tvistur horse rental in Dalvik in winter

We’ve had a great experience with Tvistur horse riding in Dalvik and they operate also in winter, so it was an easy choice for us to book a tour with them again. And we didn’t regret it at all. We had a cold but nice March day and a winter horse riding experience was pretty different from the summer one, despite riding almost the same trail. Everything looked totally different.

horse riding winter iceland

Horse riding in winter in Iceland

If you are afraid of the cold, as we had been, don’t be. A good horse-riding company, as Tvistur undoubtedly is, would usually give or rent you also warm overalls to keep you comfortable.

Here is a short video of our Tvistur horse riding in winter.

Siglufjörður

siglufjordur in winter

Siglufjörður in winter

As we mentioned earlier, picturesque Icelandic coastal towns are often even nicer in winter. And exactly in winter it makes perfect sense to visit them more, due to lower number of visitors. This is the case also with famous Siglufjörður.

siglufjordur winter

Winter Siglufjörður

Siglufjörður makes for a beautiful few-hours long stop, where you can simply walk around this cute town, or have probably the best coffee in Iceland in Café Freda. Views over the fjord along the entire town are more than just worth stopping by.

Here is a short video of our Siglufjörður visit in winter.

Grafarkirkja

grafarkirkja in winter

Grafarkirkja in winter

Did you know that Iceland has a turf church that is almost 400 years old? Well, that’s Grafarkirkja, the oldest church in Iceland. You will find it close to coast near Varmahlíð, so definitely not on a touristy route. Grafarkirkja is located just a short a walk from the road and can be a nice stop also in winter.

grafarkirkja winter parking

Grafarkirkja winter parking

Interior of Grafarkirkja was closed for visitors at the time of our trip but it may open in the future and also the exterior is interesting to visit. We’ve managed to make some pretty cool skyline shots right next to Grafarkirkja.

Fosslaug

fosslaug hot spring iceland

No winter picture, sorry, just summer one from Fosslaug

Fosslaug hot spring is accessible also in winter and definitely worth visiting if you haven’t been there yet. That was not our case, though. We had visited Fosslaug already in summer. And if we have to compare these two periods, we rather prefer a summer visit. Why? Because the water in Fosslaug is not that hot and in winter can get only mildly warm instead of hot. On the other hand, the water felt just right in summer.

We picked the Best Winter Guided tours in Iceland for you

Fosslaug is well hidden south of Varmahlíð, away from civilization. It’s also not that easy to find, we had wandered a lot around the area when we visited Fosslaug for the first time. Nonetheless, once you find an improvised muddy car park, Fosslaug is then about 15 minutes of walk away from the car park. There’s no changing room, so I recommend bringing some bag to keep your clothes at when bathing.

reykjafoss in winter

Reykjafoss in winter

On your way to Fosslaug you’re gonna see also a beautiful Reykjafoss waterfall. We’ve met two couples when we visited Fosslaug last time in the beginning of March. That was still bearable, while the hot spring is definitely getting more and more popular.

Glaumbær

glaumbaer winter

Glaumbær in winter

Have you ever wondered where to visit these typical Icelandic turf houses? Well, Glaumbær is possibly one of the best such places. There’s a little museum for which you have to pay and surroundings of the Glaumbær are also beautiful. If you are not into museums, you may just take a look at Glaumbær turf houses from the outside, without actually paying the entrance fee.

Hvitserkur

hvitserkur in winter

Hvitserkur in winter

Hvitserkur is probably the most famous Icelandic rock in the sea. You can find Hvitserkur in countless picturesque photos of Iceland. Hvitserkur is not among our favorite spots in Iceland, because in our opinion, well, it’s just a rock in the water 🙂 But, of course, a beautiful rock. So, many would disagree with us and come and see it anyway.

Hvitserkur is usually accessible also in winter, just watch the road conditions on www.road.is. A 4wd car is highly recommended to reach Hvitserkur in winter, because only a 3-digit road leads there. This means, the road is usually less maintained and covered more by snow than ring road.

hvitserkur winter hike

Hvitserkur winter hike in the background (if you want to get as closer as possible)

You can see Hvitserkur already from the car park in the distance. It’s also possible to hike all the way down closer to Hvitserkur, but we again recommend proper hiking shoes for that with spikes to protect you against icy, snowy and slippery trails.

Kolugljúfur

kolugljufur in winter

Kolugljúfur in winter

Kolugljúfur canyon is a beautiful canyon not that far from the ring road. Kolugljúfur is typically accessible also in winter, while it’s definitely better to drive with a 4wd car there.

Videos of North Iceland in Winter

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Best Winter places in East Iceland

Best Winter places in East Iceland

We wrote a short list of most beautiful winter places in Eastfjords. East Iceland is much less visited compared to the most touristy south. The difference is even more pronounced in winter. You will be often totally alone at many beautiful spots in Eastfjords in winter.

The aim of this article is not to list all of the beautiful places. We rather want to show you how some of our most favorite places in Iceland look like in winter. You can then decide for yourself, whether you want to visit a specific place or not, or whether you want to visit the place in summer or in winter, or at both times.

This post is part of our Winter Iceland articles series:

Vestrahorn

vestrahorn winter fog iceland

Vestrahorn hidden in the fog in the background.

If you catch a nice day without fog, stopping at Vestrahorn and even paying the entrance fee can be worth the nice picturesque views. Not on a foggy day, though. When we visited Vestrahorn at the end of February, the entire Vestrahorn was covered in fog. It didn’t make any sense to visit it in this case, so we rather stopped nearby and enjoyed the company of beautiful horses. This is how Vestrahorn looked on a sunny day in summer instead.

Skútafoss waterfall

skutafoss waterfall winter iceland

Skútafoss in winter

One of the waterfalls accessible also in winter is Skútafoss. You have to hike for about 20 minutes from the little (in winter often frozen) car park to reach Skútafoss. The trail was unclear at times, especially when covered by snow, ice or both. Bear this in mind. And don’t step on the moss. It will die.

Djúpavogskörin hot spring

djupavogskorin hot spring winter

Djúpavogskörin hot spring in winter

One of our favorite hot springs to visit in winter is Djúpavogskörin. Why? Because in winter, Djúpavogskörin is hot just right. In summer, though, it was simply too hot to be pleasant. Oftentimes, you’re also gonna be alone at Djúpavogskörin. Going for hot springs makes also perfect sense during foggy weather, as you can see from our pictures 🙂

djupivogur hot spring winter iceland

Djúpavogskörin in winter

Update: Djúpavogskörin was bit working from April 2022 until October 2022 but now it seems to be working again. Please check the signs onsite and beware of the potentially unstable water temperature.

Djúpivogur

djupivogur in winter

Djúpivogur in winter

We usually do not recommend to visit Icelandic cities and villages much in summer, because this is often where the most tourists concentrate at, due to restaurants, infrastructure, etc. Winter is a bit different, however. Number of visitors is much lower and they mostly focus only on the south and on areas close to Reykjavik. The further you go away from Reykjavik, the more “alone” you will feel.

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Some of the Icelandic villages and cities away from the south actually often look like they are deserted in winter. This was the case when we visited Djúpivogur in February. Almost nobody was there, just a few locals and us.

Djúpivogur is a cute little coastal town definitely worth making a short coffee or lunch stop. Just be prepared all the restaurants and cafes may be closed in winter 🙂 Don’t rely on opening hours from Google Maps. In winter everything is different in Iceland and many sites, including restaurants and cafes have different hours or are closed entirely.

Fáskrúðsfjörður

winter Fáskrúðsfjörður

Winter Fáskrúðsfjörður

Fáskrúðsfjörður is our personal favorite when it comes to Eastfjords. It’s not so overhyped and touristy as Seyðisfjörður and it’s still so beautiful! We simply love the view of this fjord and always admire the reflection of nearby mountains in the fjord on a nice day. Don’t forget to visit Café Sumarlina for the (not very Icelandic) curry fish soup and book your night at the guesthouse Elinar and Helgu with the best views over the fjord!

Here is a short video of our Fáskrúðsfjörður visit in winter.

Klifbrekufossar waterfall

klifbrekkufossar winter

Klifbrekkufossar

Klifbrekufoss is often inaccessible in winter, due to too much snow on the road 943 leading there. Always watch carefully www.road.is, once the road turns grey/red/black, stay away from the road, unless you have a true monster super jeep, like Land Rover Super Defender. Even with such a car, we highly recommend having a local Icelandic company to help if any emergency occurs.

Seyðisfjörður

Seyðisfjörður winter road vestdalur hike

Winter road from Seyðisfjörður to Vestdalur hike trailhead

Seyðisfjörður is popular for a reason. Not only is it a harbor for large cruise ships, it’s also one of the most beautiful fjords in Iceland, if not the most beautiful one. We more than just recommend stopping in Seydsfjordur and spending a half-day, day or even more in here. You won’t regret it, trust me.

Here is a short video of us getting stuck on a road to Seyðisfjörður in winter.

In winter, though, it’s sometimes difficult to get to Seyðisfjörður. It’s located down in the fjord, behind the mountain. This means you have to drive a pretty tricky, steep and zig-zagged mountain pass to get there. In summer it’s easy, but in winter, especially when there’s strong wind and a lot of snow, it may be an adventurous drive. The road to Seyðisfjörður is being ploughed several times a day. This, however, doesn’t stop snow from falling on the road when the plough isn’t there.

road to seydisfjordur winter

Road to Seyðisfjörður in winter

This is exactly what happened to us when we drove to Seyðisfjörður. Close to the highest point of the mountain pass, a strong wind started to blow and it made a huge pile of snow fall on the road from the nearby hill, right in front of our car. The road suddenly became impassable, because of 50cm / 20inches of snow, even for our “4wd” Dacia Duster. This was most likely the scariest moment of our trip, because we were simply stuck up at the mountain pass, with snow falling, wind blowing and no help nearby.

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Luckily enough, an Icelander with a jeep paved the way into the snow wall from the other direction with his jeep. This way he created firmer tracks we could try to follow. That’s exactly what we did and with our hearts beating (and with some luck) we were able to pass the snow pile. This is just a little example of how tricky the road may get in Iceland, and all of a sudden.

Seyðisfjörður in winter

Seyðisfjörður in winter

Nevertheless, once you finally get to Seyðisfjörður, you may quickly fall in love with this Icelandic city. On one hand, there are countless beautiful views everywhere around you and on the other hand there are many great restaurants and fancy accommodations. And also several beautiful hikes nearby!

Vestdalur hike

seydisfjordur vestdalur hike parking

Vestdalur hike parking. Seydisfjordur in the background.

One of the most beautiful, yet not much known hikes is called Vestdalur. Vestdalur hike starts as a quiet, not well visible detour up the mountains located right behind Seyðisfjörður, next to northwestern part of the fjord. The name Vestdalur comes from the nearby river Vestdalsá and a lake Vestdalsvatn, where this hiking trail actually leads. Vestdalur is then a „Vestdal“ valley.

vestdalur hike seydisfjordur map

The trail to Vestdalur we wanted to take, but took just the very beginning.

While a hike to Vestdalur is an easy summer hike, things get different in winter, as is often the case in Iceland. Why? Because everything may be covered by a lot of snow and ice. Unsurprisingly, exactly this happened when we tried to hike Vestdalur in the beginning of March. Trail was hardly visible, very slippery and didn’t seem very safe to follow.

We picked the Best Winter Guided tours in Iceland for you

There are 2 different trailheads where you may begin the Vestdalur hike – the western and the eastern trailhead. The main advantage of an eastern trailhead is the little car park right next to it, and also a beautiful Vestdalsfossar waterfall along the way. That’s why we chose the eastern trail.

winter vestdalur hike views

Views from the Vestdalur hike in winter

We left our car on a little car park right next to the fjord. There’s a little, hardly visible, signpost pointing to “Vestdalur” on a western side of the road. This is how we knew where to stop and where to leave our car. We (wrongly) didn’t have any spikes on our shoes, so we struggled basically from the beginning of the usually pretty easy hike. There were some stairs built for support, which definitely helped.

Here is a short video from our Vestdalur hike in winter.

With every additional step leading upwards, though, the views over Seyðisfjörður get only better and better. Thus, no matter how far you get we definitely recommend at least taking a short walk by the beginning of Vestdalur trail to enjoy these beautiful views. We were alone on the hike. Just a few minutes into the hike, you will run into a picturesque Vestdalsfossar waterfall.

seydisfjordur farm

Friends next door at farm close to Vestdalur

That being said, soon after firstly seeing Vestdalsfossar we reached the point where the snow was simply too deep and the hill to climb too steep. Moreover, we couldn’t see the trail at all. This was the point where we simply admired the views a bit and rather turned back. We recommend you do the same at any hike where you don’t feel comfortable to continue, because Icelandic winter hikes may be very tricky and dangerous.

Vestdalur hike then actually continues a quite long way into the valley, along the Vestdalsá river, but views over Seyðisfjörður will soon disappear, because you will get more deeply into the valley. The final destination of the Vestdalur hike is the Vestdalsvatn lake, however we do not recommend hiking there in winter, because the trail is often inaccessible and may be dangerous to follow. We recommend doing what we did – start the hike, enjoy the views and continue until you feel comfortable to do so, and then turn back.

Vök baths

Vök Baths hot spa iceland

Vök Baths hot spa

After a day of exploring Eastfjords, we went for a relaxing evening at Vök baths. We were lucky to catch a beautiful sunset there. Vök baths are modern Icelandic hot spring SPAs with entrance fee, definitely worth visiting, though. At least in winter. We prefer going for SPAs more in winter, when it’s less comfortable and more difficult getting to wild hot springs.

Vök baths have several different hot pools. Large enough to accommodate 100+visitors. There were around 30 of them at the time of our visit in the beginning of March. There’s of course a pool bar and actually also a cold lake right next to hot pools. Those who dare may switch between hot pools and an ice-cold lake as often as they wish 😉

Hengifoss waterfall

winter hengifoss

Winter Hengifoss

A famous Hengifoss waterfall is accessible also in winter. There’s a huge car park where you may leave your car even in winter. Beware, though, the trail to Hengifoss may be covered with snow and ice in winter and thus be pretty slippery and not that easy to follow. On a windy and/or foggy they, the hike isn’t very pleasant.

Hengifoss also may or may not be frozen, this depends on the season. The same applies to its orange colors, which may not be visible when covered by snow and ice. This is usually the case anywhere from November to March. We rather recommend visiting Hengifoss outside of the winter months due to above mentioned reasons.

Borgarfjörður Eystri

winter borgarfjordur eystri

Winter Borgarfjörður eystri

Borgarfjörður Eystri is accessible also in winter, because the road is being ploughed few times a day. To get to Borgarfjörður Eystri you have to drive through the mountain pass, similarly to Seyðisfjörður. The mountain pass leading to Borgarfjörður Eystri may become a bit scary and dangerous to drive during snow and wind, so try to avoid such times.

Borgarfjörður Eystri is a hikers’ and puffin lovers’ paradise in summer and is also a very popular place in Eastfjords to visit with many tourists heading there. In winter, this is very very different. Firstly, majority of hiking trails are inaccessible due to snow and ice (such as Stórurð for example). Secondly, there are no puffins in winter. Thirdly, most of the accommodations and restaurants are closed.

We visited Borgarfjörður Eystri in the beginning of March and the place resembled a ghost town to us. This is both good and bad, depends what you’re looking for 🙂 On one hand, you had the town all for yourself. On the other hand, there’s not much to do in Borgarfjörður Eystri in winter.

Videos of East Iceland in Winter

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Best Winter places in South Iceland

Best Winter places in South Iceland

We wrote a short list of places we consider the most beautiful winter places in South Iceland.

South Iceland is undoubtedly the most touristy region, but for a reason. There are plenty of amazingly beautiful places, with most of them being well accessible also in winter. The aim of this article is not to list all of the beautiful places. We rather want to show you how some of our most favorite places in Iceland look like in winter. You can then decide for yourself, whether you want to visit a specific place or not, or whether you want to visit the place in summer or in winter, or at both times.

This post is part of our Winter Iceland articles series:

Reykjadalur hot river valley

reykjadalur river in winter

Beginning of a Reykjadalur hike in winter

Reykjadalur in winter is accessible during good weather and with proper winter hiking gear, see below.

reykjadalur hike winter iceland

Views from the Reykjadalur hike in winter

Hike to Reykjadalur hot river is a very easy hike in summer. In winter it’s still easy, but snow and ice complicate it a little bit. I admit we had underestimated hiking Reykjadalur in winter, because we used just regular hiking shoes. And that was a mistake. Definitely bring at least little spikes for your shoes. Hiking trails to Reykjadalur in winter are all icy and slippery and thus may be even dangerous if you fall.

reykjadalur hot river hike in winter

The most slippery part on the right with a steep fall to the left. In reality this was much more scary than in the picture.

Apart from the icy and slippery trails, hiking to Reykjadalur in winter is a nice and pleasant hike, with a hot river in the end as a reward. A winter hike to Reykjadalur is especially beautiful on a nice sunny day. In case of strong winds and/or stronger rain/snow, we don’t recommend doing the hike, nor any other hike longer than just a few minutes.

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reykjadalur hot river winter

Reykjadalur hot river in winter

It took us roughly 3-4 hours to complete a winter Reykjadalur hot river hike, which is naturally considerably longer compared to summer. We’ve already explained in our Iceland in Winter – What you need to know article that you should prepare for considerably longer and tougher hikes in winter compared to summer.

Here is a short video of our Reykjadalur hike in winter.

Kerid crater

kerid crater in winter

Kerid crater in winter

Kerid crater in winter is a nice short stop, though we think it’s nicer in summer.

Hrunalaug hot spring

hrunalaug in winter

Hrunalaug in winter

Hrunalaug in winter is probably are most favorite winter hot spring in Iceland. Most of the time it’s easy to get to Hrunalaug by car even in winter and the surroundings of winter Hrunalaug are simply amazing! Moreover, there are usually considerably less visitors compared to summer. Water in Hrunalaug is pleasantly hot also in winter, which is not always the case with Icelandic hot springs in winter. We write more about Hrunalaug in our List of all Hot Springs in Iceland.

Here is a short video of our Hrunalaug visit in winter.

Seljalandsfoss waterfall

seljalandsfoss winter iceland

Seljalandsfoss in winter

Seljalandsfoss in winter is touristy as well, but for a good reason. In spite of tourists, Seljalandsfoss is one of our favorite Icelandic waterfalls in winter. Pretty often, a rainbow appears over winter Seljalandsfoss and the waterfall itself is simply picturesque in winter.

Here is a short video of our Seljalandsfoss visit in winter.

Gljúfrabúi waterfall

Gljúfrabúi waterfall in winter

Gljúfrabúi waterfall in winter

If you are visiting Seljalandsfoss, definitely go see also Gljúfrabúi in winter, a “hidden” waterfall just a few minutes of walk from Seljalandsfoss. Gljúfrabúi in winter is easily accessible and comparably, if not more, beautiful compared to summer.

Here is a short video of our Gljúfrabúi visit in winter.

Nauthuságil waterfall

Nauthuságil waterfall in winter is unfortunately not accessible for most of the time, due to snow.

hiking trail nauthusagil winter

Hiking trail to Nauthuságil waterfall in winter

Nauthuságil waterfall is in our opinion one of the most amazing Icelandic waterfalls in summer. Especially if you include in the ranking also a little adventurous hike to reach Nauthuságil. That being said, we tried to visit Nauthuságil also in winter, but it wasn’t possible. Nauthuságil in winter is inaccessible, once the first real snow settles down. The gorge leading to Nauthuságil is just full of snow and impassable.

Read How we fit all of these into a 2-week itinerary.

Skógafoss waterfall

skogafoss in winter

Skógafoss in winter

Skógafoss in winter is well accessible and totally worth the visit. Skógafoss definitely belongs to the most beautiful winter waterfalls in Iceland. We stopped at Skógafoss on a day with strong winds and clear skies. We were lucky to see the rainbow at Skógafoss, which occurs quite often on a sunny day, so be sure to go and see it too.

skogafoss winter iceland

Skógafoss with tourists cut out of the picture

There are stairs leading above Skógafoss, which are very slippery when covered with snow. Many visitors were struggling when climbing up and down the stairs. Some of them even wore sneakers and jeans – totally inappropriate shoes and clothes for Iceland – see section of our article How to dress properly for Iceland in winter. These stairs are another example of a place where shoe spikes come pretty handy.

Here is a short video of our Skógafoss visit in winter.

Waterfall way

waterfall way skogafoss winter

The waterfall way next to Skógafoss in a Fimmvörðuháls direction in winter

One of the most beautiful parts of the legendary Fimmvörðuháls hike (summer only) is called the waterfall way and begins exactly at Skógafoss. Is it possible to hike the waterfall way in winter? Yes, it is, on a nice day and with proper winter clothes and shoe spikes. The waterfall way in winter is accessible for visitors but much harder to visit compared to an easy summer hike.

We picked the Best Winter Guided tours in Iceland for you

We attempted to hike the waterfall way in February on a partially sunny day with some strong winds and we didn’t succeed. The wind was simply too strong making the hike too dangerous. We decided to stop and turn back after the first few hundreds if meters, because at times we felt like falling and not moving at all due to the strong wind. Additionally, we also made a mistake of not bringing shoe spikes, which made the waterfall way in winter impossible to pass.

Here is a short video of our Waterfall Way hike in winter.

Kvernufoss waterfall

kvernufoss winter

An easy hike to Kvernufoss in winter

Kvernufoss in winter is well accessible and we highly recommend a visit! Kvernufoss undoubtedly belongs to the most amazing winter waterfalls in Iceland. We were lucky enough to be alone at Kvernufoss and enjoyed Kvernufoss in winter actually even more than in summer! A roundtrip took us roughly 45 minutes.

Here is a short video of our Kvernufoss visit in winter.

Dyrhólaey

dyrholaey in winter iceland

Dyrhólaey in winter

Dyrhólaey cliffs are easily accessible in winter and make for a nice winter stop in the south.

Reynisfjara beach

reynisfjara beach winter

Reynisfjara beach can easily get crowded also in winter. This is one of the most touristy places in Iceland.

Reynisfjara beach, or the black beach in winter is also easily accessible in winter. Please take special care about the unexpected waves there, which may be deadly. Stay only where you see the dry ground.

Reynisdrangar beach

Horses Reynisdrangar beach Vik winter

Horses at Reynisdrangar beach in Vik in winter

Reynisdrangar cliffs in Vik are a beautiful stop during a winter trip in Iceland. We were lucky to witness a horse photo-shoot during sunset at Reynisdrangar, one of the most picturesque moments in the area.

Here is a short video of our Reynisdrangar visit in winter.

Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon

fjadrargljufur canyon winter iceland

Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon in winter

Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon in winter is easily accessible to visitors. Although we prefer a lush green “summer” look of Icelandic canyons compared to a winter white one, Fjaðrárgljúfur is undoubtedly nice also in winter.

Here is a short video of our Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon visit in winter.

Svartifoss waterfall

svartifoss waterfall in winter iceland

Svartifoss waterfall in winter

Svartifoss waterfall in winter is easily accessible to visitors and totally worth stopping by. Svartifoss proudly belongs to the list of the top places to see in Iceland in winter. A hike to Svartifoss in winter will take you slightly longer due to snow, but on a nice day is very beautiful and pretty different compared to a summer one. A roundtrip took us roughly 75 minutes.

Here is a short video of our Svartifoss waterfall visit in winter.

Svínafellsjökull glacier

svinafellsjokull glacier walk winter

A walk to Svínafellsjökull glacier

Want to hike to a glacier in Iceland without a guided tour? There are a few possibilities to actually do this. Just remember, you should never walk ON the glacier without the guide, because you can die easily. But, you can still hike close enough to glacier to see the glacier and admire it.

Important: How to choose the best car for Iceland?

road to svínafellsjökull in winter

Road to Svínafellsjökull in winter

One of the best spots to see a glacier in winter in Iceland is Svínafellsjökull glacier. Svínafellsjökull is located very close to the ring road, thus it doesn’t take much time to get there, whether by walking or by car. There’s a road leading pretty close to the Svínafellsjökull glacier, but this road is usually covered by snow. We were able to drive roughly into the half of the road with Dacia Duster. Then the snow started to be thicker and wetter, so we rather decided to park our car on the side of the road and continue by walking.

svinafellsjokull glacier winter iceland

Svínafellsjökull glacier in winter

Why go and see glaciers in Iceland in winter rather than in summer? The trick is, glacier colors are much much more beautiful in winter, compared to summer. Due to cold and ice, glaciers will shine with azure blue colors in winter, making them an amazing target for all photographers.

Here is a short video of our Svínafellsjökull visit in winter.

Diamond beach

diamond beach winter iceland

Diamond beach next to Jökulsárlón in winter

Jökulsárlón lagoon

jokulsarlon lagoon in winter iceland

Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon in winter

Diamond Beach and Jökulsárlón are great winter stops. As I explain above, glaciers and ice look even more impressive in winter with their unbelievably blue colors. We recommend a short stop at these, usually rather touristy places, anyway.

Ice Cave and Glacier Hike

best ice cave in iceland

Crystal Blue Ice Cave near Jökulsárlón

Seeing an ice cave in winter is one of the most beautiful things you can experience in Iceland. Ice Cave tour combined with a glacier hike was undoubtedly our favorite winter tour in Iceland. We decided to do a Crystal Blue Ice cave tour combined with a Glacier hike and we were absolutely happy with the choice. A glacier suitable for hiking is actually right next to ice caves, so it makes perfect sense to combine these tours into one day full of amazing Icelandic adventure.

A PROMO CODE EPICICELAND will get you a 5% discount with Local Guide of Vatnajökull, (in our opinion) the best Ice Cave and Glacier tour company.

We can highly recommend Local Guide of Vatnajökull as a top-notch tour provider for Ice cave tours, Glacier hike tours and combo tours. They have amazing guides and even more amazing tours! The tours are fairly easy, even the full-day combo tour, and everyone, at least slightly fit should be totally able to make it.

glacier lagoon iceland

Glacier lagoon picnic stop

We started our full day combo tour in Jökulsárlón, where we were picked up by an Icelandic monster super jeep. The super jeep drove with us close to an ice cave and glacier area. There we got off the jeep and headed towards glacier with our guide. A guide chose carefully the path so that we were the only group there, away from any crowds. The glacier hike led to a hidden fairy-tale like part of the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, where you can’t get in any other way than by hiking the glacier.

secret ice tunnel iceland

Combo Ice Cave + Glacier hike tour by LocalGuide.is

After the picnic at the glacier lagoon we continued towards ice caves. Yes, ice caves, not just one ice cave! We started with a “hidden” dark blue ice cave, where we were again the only visitors. Then we continued towards an amazingly beautiful ice tunnel, hidden unbelievably under the ground. At that moment it started snowing, which actually made the entire experience even more magical.

hidden ice cave iceland

Secret ice cave

Finally, we headed to the most famous, most beautiful, but unfortunately also the most crowded, crystal blue ice cave. This is the ice cave where everyone goes, because colors of this ice cave are simply the most impressive with out-of-this world crystal blue tones. A typical ice cave tours would take you only to this ice cave, that’s why we strongly recommend to take a combo ice cave + glacier tour. This way you can visit not only popular crystal blue ice cave, but also much more remote glacier lagoon and smaller ice caves and ice tunnels.

Here is a short video of our Ice Cave visit and Glacier Hike in winter.

Super Jeep tour

thorsmork winter super jeep tour

Thórsmörk winter super jeep tour by www.midgardadventure.is, 10% discount code: EPICICELAND10

Is it possible to go for a super jeep tour in winter? Of course, it is! And it actually makes perfect sense! Why? Well, in summer, if you rent a right car and have enough experience, you can drive to almost all amazing remote places in the highlands yourself. However, in winter, forget about driving to highlands. Everywhere is snow, often several meters/feet deep, and it’s simply too dangerous to drive to highlands alone, regardless of the car. Even Icelandic monster trucks not always make it in winter!

A PROMO CODE EPICICELAND10 will get you a 10% discount with Midgard Adventure, (in our opinion) the best small-group Super Jeep tour company.

Where to go for a super jeep tour from Reykjavik or in the south? The most beautiful winter super jeep tours in Icelandic highlands are definitely Thórsmörk valley and Eyjafjallajökull glacier volcano. Which one to choose if you can go only for one? Well, we rather recommend a Thórsmörk winter super jeep tour. Thórsmörk has slightly more versatile landscapes in winter, so if we had to choose just one, it would be Thórsmörk.

eyjafjallajokull glacier super jeep tour

Eyjafjallajökull Winter super jeep tour by www.midgardadventure.is, 10% discount code: EPICICELAND10

There are several super jeep tour providers and we researched all of them. In our opinion the best value-to-price super jeep tour company is called Midgard Adventure. They are actually a small family company and they give their full hearts into their tours. They also operate small groups (usually max 10-14 people). That’s why we decided to partner with Midgard Adventure and we can offer our readers a 10% discount on all their tours with the discount code: EPICICELAND10

Videos of South Iceland in Winter

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Best winter places in Snæfellsnes

Best winter places in Snæfellsnes

We wrote a short list of places we consider most beautiful winter places in Snæfellsnes peninsula.

Coming in summer? Be sure to check our list of Top Things to Do in Snæfellsnes in summer and all-year-round!

The aim of this article is not to list all of the beautiful places. We rather want to show you how some of our most favorite places in Iceland look like in winter. You can then decide for yourself, whether you want to visit a specific place or not, or whether you want to visit the place in summer or in winter, or at both times.

This post is part of our Winter Iceland articles series:

Guðrúnarlaug hot spring

gudrunarlaug hot spring winter

Guðrúnarlaug hot spring in winter

Guðrúnarlaug hot spring is accessible also in winter, just take special care where you leave your car. You can’t park in the middle of the road and neither on a private property. And everywhere else is usually a lot of snow.

Guðrúnarlaug winter

Bathing in Guðrúnarlaug in winter

When we visited Guðrúnarlaug in the beginning of March, we were there alone. Water was considerably less hot compared to summer, but still warm. Surroundings of Guðrúnarlaug were even more quiet and peaceful than in summer.

Here is a short video of our Guðrúnarlaug hot spring visit in winter.

Important: How to choose the best car for Iceland?

Selvallavatn

Selvallavatn viewpoint is a nice short stop to take a quick look over nearby hills and also to see a nice little waterfall Selvallafoss, which looks like a miniature of famous Seljalandsfoss in the south. Selvallavatn is a nice introduction to Snæfellsnes peninsula.

Stykkishólmur

stykkisholmur in winter

Stykkishólmur in winter

Stykkishólmur is a nice coastal town worth a short stop if you want to go for a coffee, buy some groceries, refill gas or just chill a bit in a cozy village. There’s nothing special to visit in winter, though, other than soaking up some winter Icelandic atmosphere.

icelandic horses in winter

Wind playing with horses’ hair. One of our favorite shots.

We’ve caught not only a fairy-tale like weather on our way to Stykkishólmur, but also a group of amazingly beautiful Icelandic horses. These two factors combined resulted in one of our favorite series of horse pictures we’ve made in Iceland.

Here is a short video of our meeting with horses in winter.

Helgafell hike

helgafell hike winter iceland

Helgafell hike in winter

Helgafell is one of the easiest and most beautiful hikes we’ve done in Iceland in winter. And a pretty underrated one. We’ve actually discovered Helgafell hill only thanks to our accommodation, which was located just around the corner. Almost no foreign visitors know about Helgafell. Hike to the peak of Helgafell takes only about 10 minutes and on a nice day guarantees beautiful views all around the area. Helgafell is accessible also in winter and with some effort almost everyone can climb a few hundreds of meters up to the summit.

Discounts for the Best Icelandic Car Rentals and Tour Operators for our readers

Here is a short video of our Helgafell hike in winter.

Kirkjufell

kirkjufell in winter iceland

Kirkjufell in winter

Kirkjufell, the most photographed mountain in Iceland, is of course well accessible also in winter. And very touristy too. Kirkjufell is undoubtedly one of the most touristy places in Iceland. Nevertheless, if you haven’t been there yet (at all, or just not in winter), it’s totally worth a visit, because it’s beautiful regardless of the crowds.

Here is a short video of our Kirkjufell visit in winter.

Búðakirkja

budakirkja in winter

Búðakirkja in winter

Búðakirkja is well accessible also in winter, if roads on Snæfellsnes are, of course, accessible too. Once again, check www.road.is for that. Búðakirkja is one of the most picturesque churches in Iceland, and probably also in the world. Its black colors contrasting with white snow are a perfect setup for an amazing winter picture.

Arnarstapi cliffs

arnarstapi cliffs in winter

Arnarstapi cliffs in winter

Arnarstapi is a beautiful coastal village and cliff area well accessible also in winter. A stroll around Arnarstapi coast was one of our most favorite easy walks in winter Iceland. We were lucky to catch a day with nice weather so we could enjoy the cliffs fighting with the winter sea waves to the fullest. It took us around 30 minutes to walk around entire Arnarstapi.

arnarstapi in winter

Arnarstapi in winter

Here is a short video of our Arnarstapi visit in winter.

Lóndrangar cliffs

londrangar cliffs in winter

Lóndrangar cliffs in winter – eastern viewpoint

Lóndrangar cliffs are well accessible also in winter. Lóndrangar is definitely the most famous cliff in Snæfellsnes peninsula and most likely also the most picturesque one. There’s a viewing deck both east and west of the cliffs. The best view of Lóndrangar cliffs is in our opinion from the eastern deck, ideally before lunch, when the sun is shining to the west, not from the west (into your face).

We picked the Best Winter Guided tours in Iceland for you

londrangar western viewpoint

Londrangar western viewpoint

Here is a short video of our Londrangar visit in winter.

Djúpalónssandur beach

djupalonssandur beach winter

Djúpalónssandur beach in winter

We visited Djúpalónssandur beach only in winter and the beach is well accessible in winter. We think Djúpalónssandur is a bit overrated, it’s just a nice black sand beach – as are many other beaches (or here, or here) in Iceland. Just this one is usually accompanied with many visitors.

Rauðfeldsgjá gorge

Rauðfeldsgjá gorge is the most popular gorge in Snæfellsnes and one of the most popular gorges in Iceland too. Rauðfeldsgjá gorge is mostly not accessible in winter, due to narrow trail often covered by snow, which can be dangerously slippery.

Lýsuhólslaug Geothermal Baths

lysuholslaug hot spring

Lýsuhólslaug hot spring

Lýsuhólslaug is open regularly only during summer. Lýsuhólslaug is open in winter only on selected weekends, announced on the facebook page of the baths.

Sturlungalaug hot spring

Sturlungalaug hot spring is a wild hot spring working, of course, all-year-round. The main issue about getting to Sturlungalaug is the road, though. Or, better said, a track. The only way to get to Sturlungalaug (other than hiking for about an hour) is by driving a Sturlungalaug dirt track. And this dirt track is most of the time unmaintained in winter. This means, Sturlungalaug is not accessible in winter for regular 4wd cars, only for big jeeps or for hikers.

Videos of Snæfellsnes in Winter

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Winter Itinerary for Iceland

Winter Itinerary for Iceland

This is our winter itinerary for Iceland we’ve completed during the last week of February and the first week of March. It’s a 2-week winter itinerary for Iceland and we hope it may help you set your expectation right for your upcoming Icelandic winter trip.

This article just briefly summarizes our 14-day winter itinerary with beautiful spots and times. We write in detail about each part of our trip in the following articles:

We highly recommend you also read our Guide to Iceland in Winter with many useful tips for visiting Iceland in winter. We also wrote a Full Guide to seeing Northern Lights in Iceland, in case you are interested.

skogafoss in winter

Skógafoss in winter

Icelandic Winter itinerary

No itinerary is universal and suitable for everyone. We actually believe that exactly the opposite is true. Everyone should create their own itinerary according to their own priorities. That’s why we usually don’t write any specific itineraries and write only about specific places to inspire you for your visit.

Our priorities for this particular winter trip were to:

  • Spend most of the time outside in nature or around it
  • See Iceland covered in snow
  • Hike every day at least a little bit, but not too much and not too hard
  • Complete the ring road + Snæfellsnes
  • Try many hot springs and SPAs
  • Drive ourselves, book tours only for activities we can’t do ourselves
glacier lagoon iceland

Glacier lagoon picnic stop

We have built our February/March trip around these priorities. What does this mean? We drove quite a lot, because we wanted to see quite a lot. We didn’t spend a lot of time in restaurants, because this was not our priority. We booked simple cabin, hotels or guesthouse accommodations, because fancy hotels were not our priority.

Discounts for the Best Icelandic Car Rentals and Tour Operators for our readers

If you’ve read some of our articles before, you may probably know we try to avoid crowded and touristy places as much as possible. We totally recommend this in summer, when it’s pretty safe. In winter, it’s a bit different. You don’t want to be stuck in a snow storm somewhere alone, trust me. Warm “civilization” is also much more welcome in winter, when you will be much happier coming somewhere for a coffee or a hot dog to warm up.

What I wanted to explain by this is, that we didn’t focus that much to avoid touristy places in winter, because “touristy” places with all the infrastructure are actually much more comfortable and safer to visit in winter. Without any more words, see below what we’ve done.

DAY 1 – Arrival

Gljúfrabúi waterfall in winter

Gljúfrabúi waterfall in winter

Our flight was supposed to land in Keflavik at round noon. Due to a combination of orange and red weather alerts, however, the flight was postponed by 8 hours. This sounds like a bummer, but we were actually pretty lucky our flight was not cancelled, as were many flights from the US around the same time.

That being said, our flight finally landed at 8PM. We picked our rental car at around 9PM, only thanks to the car rental lot being located right next to the airport hall (saying hi to Go Car Rental, by the way here you can find discount codes on Best icelandic Car rental companies only).

londrangar cliffs in winter

Lóndrangar cliffs in winter

Even a drive to our accommodation in Hveragerði wasn’t easy, nor ordinary. Due to the weather alerts, some of the roads remained closed, including the part of the ring road from Reykjavik to Hveragerði. That meant, we had to drive a longer southern route via Þorlákshöfn, all that already by full dark and still snowing (see short video) quite a lot. Definitely an adventurous and also a little bit scary drive, that took us almost double the expected time. We got to our accommodation at midnight. This is a nice example of a need for being flexible in winter in Iceland.

DAY 2 – Southwest part 1

seljalandsfoss winter iceland

Seljalandsfoss in winter

  • Hveragerði accommodation, leaving at 9:20
  • Reykjadalur hot river, 10:00-13:00
  • Kerid crater, 13:40-13:50
  • Hrunalaug hot spring, 14:45-15:30
  • Seljalandsfoss waterfall, 17:00-17:10
  • Gljúfrabúi waterfall, 17:15-17:30
  • Fljótshlið accommodation, arriving at 18:30
hrunalaug in winter

Hrunalaug in winter

We write more about each of these spots we consider Best places to visit in Winter in South Iceland here.

DAY 3 – Southwest part 2

Horses Reynisdrangar beach Vik winter

Horses at Reynisdrangar beach in Vik in winter

  • Fljótshlið accommodation, leaving at 9:30
  • Nauthuságil waterfall, 10:30-11:00
  • Skógafoss waterfall, 12:15-12:30
  • Waterfall way attempt, 12:30-13:30
  • Kvernufoss waterfall, 14:00-14:40
  • Dyrhólaey, 15:30-15:45
  • Reynisfjara beach, 16:15-16:30
  • Reynisdrangar beach, 17:00-17:15
  • Hella accommodation, arriving at 19:00
kvernufoss winter

An easy hike to Kvernufoss in winter

We write more about each of these places we think are among the Best spots to visit in Winter in South Iceland here.

DAY 4 – Weather alert

iceland weather alert

This is how you may end up driving in a weather alert. Source: www.ruv.is

The plan for this day was to take an amazing Super Jeep tour to Thórsmörk by Glaciers and Waterfalls. However, weather was against it. This is when we encountered our second weather alert, this time an orange one. This meant very strong winds and lots of rain. The tour obviously got cancelled and we didn’t have to pay anything.

Important: How to choose the best car for Iceland?

Originally, we planned to leave our cabin early in the morning for the tour. Instead, we remained “locked” in the cabin for an almost entire day until 4PM. Our cabin host was kind enough to let us stay in the cabin for that long without any surcharge, despite the checkout time being at 11AM. Take a short look how the orange weather alert looked like:

Nevertheless, we enjoyed the full day in the cabin anyway and didn’t let the weather disappoint us. Imagine being locked up in a nice, warm cabin with wind and rain shaking the cabin and blowing all around you. It definitely has some romantic touch. This is another nice example of a need for being flexible in winter in Iceland.

The only thing we managed during this day was to relax, observe the weather and complete a 3 hour drive to our next accommodation.

DAY 5 – South part 1

svinafellsjokull glacier walk winter

A walk to Svínafellsjökull glacier

fjadrargljufur canyon winter iceland

Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon in winter

We write more in detail about each of these places in our article Best places to visit in Winter in South Iceland.

DAY 6 – South part 2

secret ice tunnel iceland

Combo Ice Cave + Glacier hike tour by www.localguide.is, 5% discount code: EPICICELAND

ice cave local guide of vatnajokull

Secret ice cave

We write more about this tour in our article Best places to visit in Winter in South Iceland.

We picked the Best Winter Guided tours in Iceland for you

DAY 7 – Southeast

winter Fáskrúðsfjörður

Winter Fáskrúðsfjörður

djupavogskorin hot spring winter

Djúpavogskörin hot spring in winter

We write more about each of these spots we consider Best places to visit in Winter in East Iceland here.

DAY 8 – East

winter vestdalur hike views

Views from the Vestdalur hike in winter

Vök Baths hot spa iceland

Vök Baths hot spa

We write more about each of these places we think are among the Best spots to visit in Winter in East Iceland here.

DAY 9 – Northeast

hofdi myvatn winter

Höfði in Skutustadhir, Mývatn, in winter

husavik geosea in winter

Husavik Geosea Baths in winter

We write more in detail about each of these places in our article Best places to visit in Winter in North Iceland.

DAY 10 – North part 1

hverfjall hike winter

Hverfjall hike in winter

  • Mývatn accommodation, leaving at 9:30
  • Skútustaðagígar hike, 9:30-10:15
  • Hverfjall volcano hike, 10:30-12:00
  • Goðafoss waterfall, 13:15-13:45
  • Hjalteyri, 16:30-17:00
  • Hauganes hot pots, 17:45-19:00
  • Hjalteyri accommodation, arriving at 19:30
hauganes hot pots in winter

Hauganes hot pots in winter

We write more about each of these spots we consider Best places to visit in Winter in North Iceland here.

DAY 11 – North part 2

winter horse riding iceland

Tvistur horse rental in Dalvik

  • Hjalteyri accommodation, leaving at 9:30
  • Tvistur Dalvik, 10:00-12:00
  • Siglufjörður, 14:00-15:00
  • Grafarkirkja, 16:00-16:20
  • Reykjafoss waterfall, 17:00-17:15
  • Fosslaug hot spring, 17:15-17:45
  • Glaumbær accommodation, arriving at 19:00
siglufjordur in winter

Siglufjörður in winter

We write more about each of these places we think are among the Best spots to visit in Winter in North Iceland here.

DAY 12 – Northwest

hvitserkur in winter

Hvitserkur in winter

Guðrúnarlaug winter

Bathing in Guðrúnarlaug in winter

We write more about each of these spots we consider Best places to visit in Winter in North Iceland here and also here.

DAY 13 – Snæfellsnes

kirkjufell in winter iceland

Kirkjufell in winter

  • Stykkishólmur accommodation, leaving at 9:30
  • Stykkishólmur, 9:45-10:15
  • Helgafell hike, 10:15-10:45
  • Kirkjufell, 11:15-11:45
  • Búðakirkja, 13:00-13:15
  • Arnarstapi, 13:30-14:30
  • Lóndrangar cliffs, 15:00-15:45
  • Djúpalónssandur beach, 16:00-16:30
  • Grundarfjörður accommodation, arriving at 18:00
helgafell hike winter iceland

Helgafell hike in winter

We write more about each of these spots we consider Best places to visit in Winter in Snæfellsnes here.

DAY 14 – Departure

blue lagoon iceland

The famous Blue lagoon by Epic Iceland archives

Videos of Iceland in Winter

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How to see Aurora in Iceland

How to see Aurora in Iceland

When to visit Iceland to see Northern Lights? What is the best month for Northern Lights in Iceland? How to maximize your chances of seeing Aurora in Iceland? These are some of the most asked questions when it comes to Northern Lights in Iceland.

Many websites write something about Northern Lights, but we haven’t seen any website with all necessary information combined in one article. That’s what we attempt to do today 🙂 Of course, you can write a scientific thesis on how to see Northern Lights in Iceland, also known as Aurora. But, we will try to keep our guide to Northern Lights brief, yet still give you all the details you need to know.

This post is part of our Winter Iceland articles series:

1. How to see Northern Lights in Iceland?

Here is the very quick and simplified guide:

  • Come when the days are dark (September to April)
  • Come when the skies are clear (better chances in September, October, March, April)
  • Center your visit around new moon phase
  • Watch forecast for days with no clouds
  • Watch forecast for high aurora activity
  • Stay away from cities and light

Discounts for the best Northern Lights Tours in Iceland for our readers

northern lights tour reykjavik

A picture by @r3dmax

2. When to visit Iceland to see Northern Lights?

The shortest answer is between September and April. You need to balance good weather with dark skies. The best balance seems to be somewhere around September/October and then March/April. No guarantees, due to unpredictable weather. Also, I suggest you read our entire article to understand what are your chances to see Northern Lights.

All you need to know about Iceland in Winter – a full guide

3. How to maximize your chances of seeing Aurora in Iceland?

There are 3 most important criteria that need to be met so that you can observe aurora in Iceland:

While dark days are quite easy to predict, clear skies are a bit harder to predict, but still possible. The most complicated thing to forecast is the aurora activity, a.k.a. solar activity. These are the most important factors that determine the quality of your Northern Lights show in Iceland. Besides these, there are also some smaller factors like time of the day, location and looking into right direction. Let’s dig deeper into all of these.

guided aurora tour reykjavik

Northern Lights next to Kirkjufell

3.1. Dark days

Dark days in Iceland are the easiest thing to predict. You know these with certainty. The shortest daylight hours are in December, with only 4 hours of daylight and the longest daylight hours are in June, with 21 hours of daylight.

It’s impossible to observe Aurora during the brightest season in May, June or July with a bare eye. This does not mean there’s no Aurora at that time. There is. You just can’t see it, because the skies are just too bright. On the other hand, in December you have almost a 20-hour long window to catch a glimpse of Northern Lights, which is pretty long. If it was only about dark days, the easy answer would be – come in December. But it’s also about weather and clear skies.

daylight hours in iceland

Daylight hours in Iceland by month

Secondly, skies are the darkest between 10PM and 12PM. These are the hours with biggest chances of seeing Northern Lights. This is also when most of the Northern Lights tours go out for the hunt.

Last but not least, dark skies also mean no light pollution. Stay away from cities, settlements or any substantial light sources and you will see a much stronger aurora, once it happens. This is where it’s useful to have a 4×4 car also in winter, so that you can reach more remote places with better (darker) light conditions also in winter.

3.2. Clear skies

Clear skies are a bit harder to forecast, because they all depend on weather. And as you have probably heard, weather changes quickly in Iceland and is quite unpredictable. That being said, the most stable weather outside of summer in Iceland is usually during early autumn – September, October and early spring – March, April. Not always though, for example October often has some nasty storms and weather alerts.

Can you see Northern Lights on a cloudy day? Either not at all, or just weak Northern Lights. Clear skies are very important for a beautiful, high-quality aurora show. There are 3 types of clouds – low level clouds, medium level clouds and high-level clouds. Ideally, you want none of these. You can easily observe the cloud forecast at en.vedur.is. Just bear in mind, the most reliable forecast is for the next 1 or 2 days.

how to read cloud forecast for aurora

Comparison of a good cloud forecast and a bad cloud forecast for Northern Lights from en.vedur.is

How is it possible then that Northern Lights tours go out every day? Well, the guides will try to find a spot with as little clouds as possible, based on both the forecast and recommendation of locals. With some skill and practice you can actually find some northern lights pretty often, at least the weaker ones, though not always.

3.3. Solar activity

The third very important factor is the solar activity, sometimes called aurora activity. Solar activity actually produces Northern Lights as sun gases. If there is no solar activity, there are no Northern Lights. If there is a strong solar activity, there may be a beautiful aurora on a clear and dark day.

Now how do you know if there’s a strong solar activity? Look at the solar activity forecast, measured by KP index, on en.vedur.is and/or in Northern Lights apps. Official Icelandic Meteorological forecast is, however, usually the most reliable one. KP index is the summary number for the solar activity. It’s a simplification. Of course, you can go much deeper than just KP index, just read below. 

glaciers and waterfalls aurora tour

Pictures from a guided Northern Lights tour from Reykjavik by Glaciers and Waterfalls, 10% discount code: EPICICELAND

3.3.1. KP Index

KP index basically measures the strength of the solar activity in a single number, combining several factors. It’s not perfect, nor universal, but often helps a lot.

  • KP 0-1 usually means you can’t observe aurora with bare eye, only with your camera.
  • KP 2-3 usually means weak, but already present Northern Lights, usually green only
  • KP 4-5 is already pretty good, with higher chances to see even colorful Aurora
  • KP 6-9 means strong Northern Lights of various colors, with KP of 8-9 happening only very rarely

Once again – there’s no guarantee you will see northern lights even if the KP index shines at 5. The KP index is just a forecast, changes frequently and locally in a matter of hours and it’s impossible to exactly predict. The same however applies to low KP index – sometimes you can see amazing Northern Lights even if the index is low.

kp index aurora iceland

KP index as stated on en.vedur.is

3.3.2. Long-term sun cycle (11 years)

Now you know you need dark days, clear skies and high solar activity. But is there any pattern in aurora activity? Actually, there are several notable patterns.

There’s a long-term sun cycle lasting approximately 11 years which has a strong influence on quality of Northern Lights. The most solar storms and the strongest solar winds (i.e. the highest solar activity) occur around the so-called “solar maximums”. The nearest solar maximum is predicted to happen around 2024-2025. Year 2020 was actually a year of a “solar minimum”.

This means, the chances for seeing spectacular Northern Lights in 2023, 2024 and in 2025 are pretty high!

long term aurora cycle iceland

Long term sun cycle that strongly determines the Northern Lights activity. Source: SWPC NOAA

3.3.3. Yearly equinox cycle (1 year)

On a yearly basis, solar activity often peaks during autumn and spring equinoxes, i.e. in September and in March. These are the months when (usually) chances of seeing the most beautiful Northern Lights rise considerably. Once again – no guarantees, because the overall aurora show depends on all of the other aspects mentioned in this article.

3.3.4. Short-term moon cycle (29 days)

Not many know, that moon cycle also affects your chances of seeing Northern Lights in Iceland. Specifically, a full moon makes the sky much brighter and, thus, lowers your chances of clearly seeing vibrant aurora.

On the other hand, skies are darkest during new moon phases. We recommend to come to Iceland a few days before new moon, or just center your visit around new moon to maximize your chances of seeing Northern Lights.

moon cycle aurora

Moon cycle explanation. Source: griffithobservatory.org

3.3.5. Solar storms

Apart from long-term sun cycles and short-term moon cycles, the so-called solar storms (or “substorms”) may occur every now and then. Solar storms are great for Northern Lights. They mean that strong solar winds will be hitting the earth’s magnetic field and this implies strong aurora. How to detect solar storms? Once again, the simplest way is to watch out for KP index, which already includes solar storm forecast.

If you insist of digging deeper, then you can watch out for so-called Coronal Mass Ejections (solar flares) of the sun. They indicate a potentially strong aurora in the upcoming hours.

aurora forecast iceland

Aurora forecast for Iceland from https://auroraforecast.is/

3.3.6. Interplanetary Magnetic Field

Want to go even deeper? Interplanetary Magnetic Field activity (or IMF), is an important component of the KP index. Sometimes KP can be low, and IMF can still be favorable. Many “aurora hunters” often claim that KP index is not everything, and you should rather be looking at IMF and the so-called BZ index (which is just the direction of IMF). You can read more about IMF here or here. To simplify it as much as possible, you need to be looking for:

  • Negative BZ index / IMF direction – the more negative, the better; this means solar winds going towards earth, not elsewhere
  • Strong IMF – the stronger, the brighter and more visible aurora
  • Fast Solar Wind – the faster, the better
aurora forecast metrics iceland

Aurora forecast for Iceland by https://hello-aurora.com/

3.4. Location

Guess why Northern Lights are called “northern”? Because most of the time they really appear in the north and in the northern direction of the sky. So, what does this mean for you? Look at the northern direction. And try to avoid any bigger obstacles (like mountains) in that direction. There are not many of them in Iceland, but just in case 🙂

Does it make sense to travel to the Northern Iceland to see Aurora rather than staying in the South? Not really, the difference between the North and the South will most likely be only minor. However, it makes huge sense to travel to spots where there are no clouds and which are away from lights and cities. Regardless of the direction.

guided aurora tour Myvatn

A picture from a guided aurora tour from Mývatn by Star Travel, 10% discount code: EPICICELAND

4. What is the best month to see Aurora in Iceland?

Best months to see Northern Lights in Iceland are September, October, March and April. This is just a very simplified recap of everything written above. If we take into consideration stability of weather, dark skies and sun activity, we will arrive at these 4 months to most likely have the best chances. Does it guarantee you to see Aurora? Not really, this is just about odds of seeing them.

What about November, December, January and February? You can surely experience a spectacular Northern Lights show also during these months. Just bear in mind that weather may be more cloudy and solar activity slightly lower.

Can I see Northern Lights in August? Yes, you can! Especially in the second half of August aurora already starts to appear. Although chances for a huge vibrant show are lower compared to winter, autumn and spring months, it’s still possible to see it.

Are May, June and July totally off the table? Yes, most of the time they are. Especially in June and July the skies are simply too bright for Aurora to be seen with the bare eye.

aurora tour akureyri

A picture from a guided aurora tour from Mývatn by Star Travel, 10% discount code: EPICICELAND

Advantages and Disadvantages of a specific month to see Aurora in Iceland:

  • June, July – impossible by bare eye, too light days
  • May – hardly possible by bare eye, too light days
  • August – sometimes possible in the second half; usually weaker show (not so dark days); but very good weather; no snow
  • September – pretty possible; medium show (still not very dark days); stable weather; yearly equinox peaks
  • April – same as September, just weather is a bit less stable and there may still be snow
  • October, March – high chances; good show; usually more storms and clouds (less stable weather); often also snow; yearly equinox peaks
  • November, February – similar to October and March, just more snow, less daylight, and weather may again be less stable
  • December, January – darkest days; a lot of snow; storms and weather alerts; no yearly equinox; if skies are clear and solar activity is high, show may be great

5. Is Iceland the best country to see Northern Lights?

Iceland is a great country to go for a Northern Lights hunt. It probably isn’t the best, though. I suggest you look at the map below, which shows with green/orange/red the areas with the highest likelihood of seeing a big Northern Lights show.

Global aurora forecast

Global aurora forecast

6. Why does everyone have amazing Northern Lights pictures?

The trick is, Aurora often looks much better on camera than in real life. This is due to the fact that you can set up your phone or camera’s settings in such a way, that they can capture presence of Northern Lights even if you can’t see them yourself. Specifically, you need a long shutter speed (20 seconds). Try googling “how to shoot northern lights”, you will get tons of results.

northern lights iceland cell phone photo

Our first-ever northern lights picture, near Höfn, 3rd September

6.1. Real life example of hunting for Northern Lights

A positive example to begin with. Once, we visited Iceland on September 3rd , in a year of a solar minimum. Despite all of these, our neighbors from the apartment next to us woke us up around midnight, all staring at the sky. Northern Lights were there! Not very strong, with green colors only, but they were there. We didn’t even try to chase Aurora at this time of the year, yet aurora turned out to be chasing us.

Next time, we spent 2 weeks in Iceland during the last week of February and the first week of March, and, unfortunately, we’ve clearly seen Northern Lights on one evening only. Moreover, the sight was very similar to the one experienced in September. Not very strong and green colors only. We were watching forecast every day, chasing the spots with clear skies and we didn’t see any major show over entire 2 weeks of this winter trip.

aurora seydisfjordur iceland

Our first winter Aurora “show” in Seyðisfjörður. Shot by simple cell phone. 28th February.

Our advice is simple, though. Don’t visit Iceland only because of Northern Lights. Don’t make Aurora the ultimate purpose of your trip. Go and explore the beautiful winter Iceland, and when the conditions are right for Northern Lights, they will be an amazing bonus to experience. Don’t let not seeing them ruin your holiday, because it’s perfectly possible you may not see them even after reading this guide.

7. Useful Northern Lights websites and apps

  • The most reliable aurora forecast in Iceland is always done by Icelandic Meteorological OfficeEn.vedur.is
  • There are many other websites, for example www.auroraforecast.is, in our experience, though,  Vedur was always the best
  • For a global aurora forecast watch SWPC NOAA website, it forecasts with a 45min lead time
  • What are the best Northern Lights Apps? We are getting the best feedback on on App called Hello Aurora; nevertheless, we prefer Icelandic Meteo Office website

8. Best Northern Lights guided tours

Does it make sense to book a guided tour for Northern Lights? Yes and no. On one hand, you are definitely able to observe Northern Lights in Iceland on your own.

On the other hand, a tour guide will surely maximize your chances of seeing the Aurora. The guides have the best weather forecast available and they can ask locals about the current Northern Lights conditions all around Iceland. This is the huge advantage. If you don’t want to bother about forecasts yourself, then go for the Aurora tour in Iceland.

We have hand-picked the best Northern Lights tours, all with 5* reviews only, and amazing and knowledgeable guides.

aurora tour troll expeditions reykjavik

A picture from a guided Northern Lights tour from Reykjavik, 5% discount code: EPICICELAND23

8.1. Aurora Tours from Reykjavik

The only difference between the tours below is the number of participants and the vehicle used for transport.

8.1.1. Cheapest tour by Minibus 

This is the most popular Northern Lights tour by minibus. It’s the cheapest, with the biggest number of participants, departs from Reykjavik, and is operated by a minibus.

You can use a 5% discount code for the tour: EPICICELAND23

northern lights tour troll expeditions

A picture from a guided Northern Lights tour from Reykjavik, 5% discount code: EPICICELAND23

8.1.2. Semi-private tour by Super Jeep

This is an amazing semi-private Northern Lights tour operated by family-owned company called Glaciers and Waterfalls. You will be transported by a super jeep and the maximum number of participants will be limited to 6. You can have a 10% discount on all Glaciers and Waterfalls tours with the discount code: EPICICELAND 

8.1.3. Private tour by Super Jeep

Want to go for a private Northern Lights tour with a super jeep from Reykjavik? Private Aurora tour by Glaciers and Waterfalls is most likely the best tour for you. You can have a 10% discount on all Glaciers and Waterfalls tours with the discount code: EPICICELAND 

northern lights tour reykjavik

A picture from a guided Northern Lights tour from Reykjavik by Glaciers and Waterfalls, 10% discount code: EPICICELAND

8.1.4. A 3-Day Northern Lights Hunt by Jeep

Planning a Northern Lights tour for just one day is almost always a hit or miss. You can never be sure the show will be going on your day. That’s why we also recommend trying an amazing 3-day Aurora Hunting tour by Jeep.

This Aurora tour is run by the legendary Icelandic super jeep company – Midgard Adventure. You will never make a mistake by booking their tours. They are the stars in what they do in Iceland!

Our readers can also enjoy an exclusive 5% discount code for the Midgard Adventure northern lights tour: EPICICELAND5

northern lights jeep tour iceland

Picture from a fantastic 3-day Northern Light tour by www.midgardadventure.is, 5% discount code: EPICICELAND5

8.2. Aurora Tours in the North

The only difference between the tours below is the number of participants and a vehicle used for transport.

8.2.1. Cheapest tour by Minibus 

Start Travel is an amazing family-owned tour company with only 5* reviews, conducting tours for more than 10 years already. Star Travel offers 3 variants of the Northern Lights tour. The first one is operated by minibus, it’s the cheapest and with the biggest number of participants. Here is the cheapest minibus Aurora tour from Mývatn. You can have a 10% discount on all Star Travel tours with the discount code: EPICICELAND

northern lights tour myvatn

A picture from a guided aurora tour from Mývatn by Star Travel, 10% discount code: EPICICELAND

8.2.2. Semi-private tour by Super Jeep

This Super Jeep Northern Lights tour by Star Travel is operated by a jeep and limited to 8 people. If you want a semi private Aurora tour from Mývatn or Akureyri with your own guide, then this is in our opinion the best tour you can take. You can have a 10% discount on all Star Travel tours with the discount code: EPICICELAND

8.2.3. Private tour by Super Jeep

Do you want a Northern Lights private tour with a super jeep from Mývatn or Akureyri? We think the Private tour by Star Travel is the best option. Moreover, you can have a 10% discount on all Star Travel tours with the discount code: EPICICELAND

epic iceland facebook group ask questions or get inspired in our community

Posted by Igor in Guide, Winter, 0 comments
Iceland in Winter – What you need to know

Iceland in Winter – What you need to know

Iceland in winter is very specific and you need to both prepare well and set your expectations right. We’ve put together a list of all important nuances you should prepare for when visiting Iceland in winter.

This post is part of our Winter Iceland articles series:

1. Quick tips for Iceland in Winter

  • Be flexible. Weather may entirely change your plans for the day. Tours may get cancelled. Roads can get closed. Flight schedules can change pretty often too. Be mentally ready for that.
  • Plan shorter days. It will take you longer to hike. It will take you longer to drive. It will take you longer to change the clothes. Weather alert may even squeeze your day into 2 hours only.
  • Drive carefully. And choose a proper car. Driving on icy roads is no joke. But it’s doable if you drive with respect, caution and practice gradually. Watch www.road.is daily.
  • Don’t underestimate. Wind, ice, driving, weather alerts, dark days. It may not end up well.
  • Dress accordingly. It’s not that cold, but it’s very windy, it may rain and snow. No jeans.
  • Bring shoe spikes. Or buy them once you arrive. It’s very icy on every hike. It’s Iceland.
  • Set your expectations right. Read this article for many more tips 🙂
  • Enjoy Iceland!! No matter the weather or your plans, Iceland will be amazing!
iceland in winter

Winter in Iceland

2. Winter weather in Iceland

Want a real life example of what the weather in Iceland is like in winter? Last time we visited Iceland for 2 weeks at the end of February / beginning of March, we experienced the following weather:

  • 3 days with weather alerts (strong winds and rain) – two of them on the days of our flights (yes, flights were postponed)
  • 2 days with sun, clear skies and no wind
  • 2 days with sun, clear skies and very strong wind
  • 2 cloudy and windy days
  • 1 rainy and foggy day
  • 4-5 days with the mixture of all of the above in one day
road to seydisfjordur winter

Road to Seyðisfjörður in winter

2.1. Winter temperatures in Iceland

It’s actually not so cold in Iceland in winter as you might expect. In February, we had days ranging from -5°C (i.e. 23°F) to +8°C (i.e. 46°F). The ocean warms up the coastal areas (i.e.  basically almost the entire ring road), so it’s never -20°C in here. It can be that cold in the highlands, though. But you probably aren’t going to Icelandic highlands in winter, unless on a tour or unless you have some Icelandic friends with super jeeps 🙂

2.2. What is the weather like in Iceland in winter?

Expect a wild and unpredictable mixture of sunny days with blue skies, rainy days (yes, rainy!), cloudy days, windy days, snowy days and a mixture of those and anything in between and all of that sometimes changing even several times during the day.

skogafoss winter iceland

Wind blowing famous Skógafoss to the left

2.3. Wind in winter

Expect wind. A lot of it. Expect it to be strong, usually stronger than you are used to. It is not the cold, nor the rain/snow that may interrupt your plans, most of the time it is the strong wind, that, simply occurs every now and then during the winter. And it often causes weather alerts. Both our inbound and outbound flights in February/March were postponed due to strong winds by 8 hours and 2 hours respectively. Some airlines rather cancel the flights, see section on flights below.

2.4. Weather alerts

Related to the wind are the so called weather alerts. This usually means a very strong wind, sometimes combined with rain and/or snow. Wind may reach a hurricane force speed. No, you don’t want to drive or hike, or even walk outside when this kind of wind blows! There are three types of weather alerts – yellow, orange and red.

iceland weather alert

This is how you may end up driving in a weather alert. Source: www.ruv.is

  • Red is the worst, as you probably suspected. Stay in a safe, indoor place under all circumstances
  • Orange is the next,  don’t drive in the orange alert. It may be possible to drive some really short distances but expect strong wind blows and usually wet and slippery roads. An ideal recipe for an accident. So, better don’t drive at all.
  • Yellow alert is the least bad, but still pretty uncomfortable. And dangerous. Drive only when necessary and only short distances. Expect strong wind blows and usually also wet and slippery roads, just not that much as with the orange alert. Don’t drive through mountain passes at all (e.g. to Seyðisfjörður). Don’t plan any hikes. You can try walking outside but it won’t be very comfortable.
storm in iceland

An ugly storm may make streets look like this for a while. Source: www.ruv.is

All alerts are much more bearable in cities. So, if you are staying in Reykjavik or Akureyri, you may try having a walk in yellow or even orange alert and see how it goes. Never in a red alert. Usually, you will want to avoid areas with any kind of alert, because neither driving, nor staying outside is very pleasant, and may actually even be dangerous. Things may be flying in the air during orange and red alerts.

iceland weather alert roads

This is what roads during weather alert in Iceland may look like

3. What to check before heading out

Every day, before heading out, check the:

  • Official Icelandic Meteorological website en.vedur.is for weather and weather alerts.
  • Official Icelandic Road Administration website www.road.is for current road conditions. Roads may easily get closed or impassable in winter in Iceland. See the section about roads below.
  • www.safetravel.is just to be sure you haven’t missed any alert or warning
icelandic horses in winter

Wind playing with horses’ hair. One of our favorite shots.

4. What month is the best to visit in winter?

Everybody has different priorities. You, and only you need to choose based on your priorities. You will never get everything 🙂 Every month in Iceland has some advantages and some disadvantages.

How to see Aurora in Iceland? A full guide to Northern Lights in Iceland

4.1. Best month in Iceland daylight-wise

When it comes to daylight hours, the closer you get to December, the shorter the daylight hours. This, on one hand, means much shorter days for any tours, hikes or sightseeing. On the other hand, this means higher chances for observing Northern Lights. Moreover, if you want to experience a fairy-tale-like Iceland full of snow, your chances are again higher the closer you get to December.

daylight hours in iceland

Daylight hours in Iceland by month

A good compromise may be months like October, February, or March, when there’s still enough daylight, but also dark enough skies for northern lights and most likely also snowy surroundings.

4.2. Best month in Iceland weather-wise

Weather-wise – you cannot predict it. It’s different each year. It’s impossible to say whether March has better weather compared to December or anything like that. The same applies to weather alerts. There are years and months when they don’t happen at all and then you have a week with 3 weather alerts. Get used to it. It’s part of traveling to Iceland in winter.

winter road iceland

Clear skies in Iceland in March, next to Kirkjufell

Generally, weather is slightly more stable around September, March, or April. But, these are already kind of autumn/spring months, not exactly winter ones like November, December, January and February. October is often a good balance of chances for northern lights, still warm enough weather, less tourists and cheap prices, however there are often storms and weather alerts.

4.3. Best month in Iceland northern lights-wise

The shortest answer is between September and April. You need to balance good weather with dark skies. The best balance seems to be somewhere around September/October and then March/April. No guarantees, due to unpredictable weather. The drawback of these months may be less snow. Also, I suggest you read our Detailed Guide to Northern Lights to understand what are your chances to see Northern Lights and how to maximize them.

aurora seydisfjordur iceland

Our first Aurora “show” in Seyðisfjörður. Shot by simple cell phone.

4.4. Best month in Iceland snow-wise

Many visitors come to Iceland to experience a winter full of snow. If you come between November and February, you will most likely have a lot of snow everywhere. As we mentioned above, the more you head into central Iceland, away from the coast, the more snow you will see. Pretty often, you will experience snow also anytime from October until April, though not always. For example, on one occasion we visited Iceland at the end of February/beginning of March and there was almost no snow at the coastal areas. Temperatures reached up to +8°C (i.e. 46°F) and it rained, instead of snow.

kirkjufell in winter

Kirkjufell in winter covered by snow

4.5. Best month in Iceland for Ice Caves

Oh and Ice caves! They are usually open from sometimes in October until sometimes in April. They change in shape and accessibility as the ice freezes or melts, with the peak ranging from November to March. These are the months when all of the ice caves are usually fully accessible. The most beautiful ice cave is usually the “crystal blue ice cave” near Jökulsárlón. You can visit ice caves only with guided tours, because it’s dangerous to go there alone. Once too much of snow and ice melts around end of April, most of the ice caves become too dangerous to visit and only some less (but still) beautiful ice caves stay open, like Katla ice cave.

A PROMO CODE EPICICELAND will get you a 5% discount with Local Guide of Vatnajökull, (in our opinion) the best Ice Cave and Glacier tour company.

best ice cave in iceland

Crystal Blue Ice Cave near Jökulsárlón

5. Planning the accommodations in winter in Iceland

Accommodations very rarely get fully booked in winter in Iceland. By fully booked I mean all of the accommodations in some area. Yes, if you really want to stay in this particular hotel or cabin, that particular one may easily get fully booked, of course. But chances are, you will find a different accommodation option pretty easily, just not such a great one, maybe.

5.1. Last minute bookings

As I pointed out above, one of the options is to book accommodations “last minute”. This is pretty doable in winter. Worst case, you will need to drive an hour (or less) to reach the next free accommodation.

iceland winter 4x4 car

Yes, 4×4 car may be very useful in winter in Iceland

5.2. Flexible bookings in advance

The second option involves booking everything in advance, with 3 (or less) days cancellation option. This is what we prefer. 3 days upfront you are often able to tell whether you will be able to reach your accommodation or not. But it takes time to manage it, of course.

5.3. Fixed bookings in advance

The third option is to book everything without the cancellation option. In this case, I do recommend not booking the places too far from each other. For example, not farther than a 2-3 hour drive, or the drive you can make even in bad weather, worst case in the yellow alert. In case of a weather alert, you can always call your accommodation and try to arrange for an adjustment. Trust me, Icelanders are used to weather alerts.

winter villages iceland

Picturesque houses in Hali

5.4. Campervans and Camping

The fourth option is booking a campervan, motorhome or for the most adventurous ones camping in tents. This is the least comfortable option, because Iceland can be pretty harsh in winter. But it’s definitely adventurous and often also cheaper. The important thing is – it is mandatory to stay in the designated campsites only, especially in winter. And only some campsites are opened in winter, check it before going!

We offer to our readers a 5% PROMO CODE for Go Campers rental.

5.5. Which campsites in Iceland are open in Winter?

To make it more challenging for you, there is no accurate, up to date list of Icelandic campsites that are open in winter. Campsites themselves make it harder for visitors, because every now and then some of them close and some of them open in winter. I highly suggest you call/write the campsite in advance to check whether the campsite is open around the time of your visit. Below are some useful sources that have tried to list campsites opened in winter in Iceland:

Secondly, bear in mind that even if the campsite is open, not all amenities may be in operation in winter. Some campsites operate as normally, while other ones close their kitchen areas and/or even showers and offer only a space for a tent. Check this by contacting the campsite.

hauganes hot pots in winter

Hauganes hot pots in winter

6. Essential clothes for winter Iceland

What I brought and it was fully sufficient for a 2-week trip in February:

  • pair of waterproof hiking boots with ankle support and anti-slippery rubber outsoles (like Vibram); ideally also insulated/winter ones
  • 2 lower layers – base one (wool or synthetic), and the outer one (water and windproof pants)
  • 3 upper layers – base one (wool or synthetic), middle one (fleece), and the outer one (water and windproof jacket with a hood)
  • 1 pair of waterproof gloves, 1 woolen hat, 1 thicker balaclava, sunglasses and shoe covers to not let the snow get into your shoes from above
iceland winter clothes

My winter “gear” for Iceland

My wife brought the same clothes, just one additional lower layer. What we wish we had brought were the shoe spikes. You don’t need real crampons for majority of normal hikes in Iceland. But you definitely need spikes, if you plan to do hikes longer than 15 minutes. We’ve done 4-5 such hikes and were struggling a lot with hiking shoes only. Everywhere is snow and ice. Be prepared for it and get yourself some spikes. You can also buy them easily in Iceland.

However, if you don’t plan any regular hikes and you want to only stop at typical touristy places like waterfalls, hot springs, ring road spots etc., majority of them are accessible within 10 minutes of walk even without spikes. That being said, spikes are always an advantage, so it’s always better to bring them or to buy them on arrival. Tour companies often rent them to their clients for free.

7. Icelandic Roads in winter

Always use www.road.is for checking the roads. Every day. They often get closed or impassable in Iceland in winter. What does impassable mean? It means an Icelander with a big jeep may be able to pass, but not you. Secondly, closed means closed – any drive is strictly forbidden! Thirdly, “no winter service” is very similar to “impassable”, see details in our article explaining the difference between impassable road and no winter service road.

7.1. Icelandic road color system in theory

Now what do all these colors on www.road.is mean? Here is an official description of the Icelandic road conditions’ colors:

iceland road conditions legend

Icelandic road conditions types

7.2. Icelandic road color system in reality

We drove a basic 4wd car, Dacia Duster in February and all colors except red (impassable) and black ones (difficult driving) were pretty much easily passable. Yes, even all these orange, blue or purple roads were OK to drive on. BUT. This depends a lot on your driving experience. We come from regions where we are used to driving in winter, even in 2wd cars. If you have driven your entire life in Florida and not seen the snow, then this may be harder for you and take special care.

Generally, all these different colors mean there will be some ice and some snow on the roads. Practically this means, you have to drive slowly and be careful, not jump on breaks, not make quick turns. Otherwise, the roads are usually passable also with a 2wd car (yes, even the orange, blue, purple, white marked roads). A 4wd car is always an advantage, though! But don’t drive the black and the red roads. These are for super jeeps with experienced drivers only. Sometimes even they get stuck.

roads winter iceland

This is a well-maintained winter road without snow

What, however, can change the situation dramatically, is weather. If it rains, snows or there’s a strong wind, it is much more dangerous to drive on an icy or snowy road. You need to be more careful and experienced if this is the case. The only way how to be sure about this, is to slowly try all these conditions yourself. Observe very carefully and gradually what you are and what you are not capable to drive through. Most importantly, if feeling unsecure, better stop, wait or find a different road.

7.3. Driving times in winter

In summer, you can more or less rely on time estimates produced by Google Maps, or any similar GPS software. In winter, this is not the case at all. In fact, the opposite is the case. It always takes us longer to complete the drive in winter. For obvious reasons – snow, rain, wind. I suggest counting with roughly double the summer/normal times – if you insist on any estimates.

snowy road iceland

A typical winter road condition in Iceland – a little bit of ice, a little bit of snow

8. Car rental in winter

Do you need a 4wd car in winter in Iceland? Well, I always recommend taking at least a cheap 4wd car like Dacia Duster when traveling to Iceland in winter. You never know where and when you can get stuck in the snow. It may even be just at the car park. Here’s where 4wd comes handy. The longer you plan to stay in Iceland and the more you plan to go away just from the ring road, the more you need a 4wd car.

For majority of beautiful and accessible places in Iceland a simple 4wd car would be enough. If you plan to drive the less driven roads (e.g. the 3-digit roads or mountain passes, or the roads marked with black) the bigger 4wd car like Toyota Land Cruiser comes really handy. And as always – the bigger car you rent, the bigger the chance you will not get stuck!

road to svínafellsjökull in winter

Road to Svínafellsjökull in winter

What about highlands, super jeeps and all these roads marked as “no winter service” or “impassable”? Technically, it’s not forbidden to drive them, we explain more about Icelandic roads being impassable here. BUT. You need a huge vehicle for it, let’s call it a super jeep, and a good local knowledge of the roads. This means – either team up with someone local or better book a super jeep tour.

8.1. Our winter car rental experience

We have already had a great experience with Go Car rental in summer, so we rented with them again in winter. We rented a 4wd Dacia Duster, the best price to value car for any ring road trips in my opinion. Our trip was scheduled for the last week of February and the first week of March. Dacia Duster is a great choice for simple F-roads in summer, for the entire ring road, and also for the majority of winter trips, because it is a 4wd car for a very affordable price. We write more about it in our guide on How to choose the best car for Iceland.

A PROMO CODE epic5 will get you a 5% discount with Go Car Rental and us a small commission at no extra cost to you. 

Go Car rental already includes super collision damage waiver, gravel protection and theft protection in their rental prices. These are the insurances you’re gonna need the most in winter in Iceland. In most of the cases, you basically don’t have to do anything additional with the insurance anymore. If you want to fully understand how Icelandic car rental insurance works, we wrote a guide on Icelandic car rental insurance.

iceland winter car rental

We strongly suggest to rent a 4wd car, at least a simple one.

Once again, we had a great and smooth experience with the rental from Go Car. They have an office located just a 5-minutes walk from the airport hall (right next to the Aurora airport hotel). No need to take expensive taxis or wait hours for a shuttle. We collected our car within 15 minutes, not waiting in their office at all. The staff just quickly explained to us some basic car rental rules and we were good to go. The (great) experience is very similar also with Lotus car rental and MyCar rental.

A PROMO CODE epicicelandd5 will get you a 5% discount with Lotus and us a small commission at no extra cost to you. 

The car itself was a great choice. We didn’t have a single problem with our Duster. We got everywhere we needed and everything worked just as it should have. We had a huge luggage suitcase which fit right into the car trunk and all our backpacks and food could easily be stored on back seats. For 3 or more people I would recommend bigger car, though. Duster is the most popular choice in Iceland and for a reason.

A RARE PROMO CODE EPICICELAND will get you a 5% discount with MyCar and us a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Go Car Rental is not the only great car rental company in Iceland. We have used several times in the past also Lotus Car Rental and MyCar Rental. We can more than just recommend all these 3 companies. Lotus is special in Iceland, because they offer a full platinum insurance that insures absolutely everything, even F-roads and river crossings (in summer). MyCar offers the best customer service and rents brand new Toyota cars for affordable prices.

We offer to our readers a 5% PROMO CODE for Go Campers rental.

For Campervans we can more than just recommend two amazing companies with amazing service and reliable Campervans. Probably the most famous Icelandic Campervan company is Happy Campers. They have a base at Keflavik airport. Slightly less known, but equally great company are Go Campers. They have a base in Reykjavik city.

winter car rental iceland

Dacia Duster is a very good 4wd price/value. It will not get you everywhere, though!

9. Flights to Iceland in winter

Flights to and from Iceland often get delayed in winter and sometimes even cancelled. All delays and cancellations are due to weather. For example, both of our February flights (inbound and outbound) were delayed. First one by 8 hours due to orange weather alert. Second one by 3 hours due to strong winds. Flight cancellations most of the time happen on intercontinental flights (flights from the US or Asia). Flights inside the Europe most of the time get just delayed.

10. Northern lights

How to see northern lights in Iceland? Where to see aurora in Iceland? When to see northern lights in Iceland? These are some pretty often googled questions. Yet, your googling may often bring confusing results. So, let’s get Northern Lights in Iceland straight. If you want to maximize your chances of seeing aurora in Iceland, I suggest you read our Detailed Guide on Northern Lights in Iceland, where we dive deeper into the topic. If you insist on a short answer then to see Northern Lights in Iceland, you need “only” 3 things:

  1. Dark skies
  2. Clear skies
  3. Aurora activity
iceland best place northern lights

Northern Lights show as witnessed at Aurora Viking guided tour

10.1. What are the best months to see Northern Lights in Iceland?

The shortest answer is between September and April. You need to balance good weather with dark skies. The best balance seems to be somewhere around September/October and then March/April. No guarantees, due to unpredictable weather. Also, I suggest you read our Full Northern Lights Guide article to understand what are your chances to see Northern Lights. A very very short summary is below:

Discounts on Best Aurora Guided Tours in Iceland

10.2. How to see Aurora in Iceland?

  • Come when the days are dark (September to April)
  • Come when the skies are clear (better chances in September, October, March, April)
  • Center your visit around new moon phase
  • Watch forecast for days with no clouds
  • Watch forecast for high aurora activity
  • Stay away from cities and light
northern lights guided tour

Northern lights guided tour by Glaciers and Waterfalls, 10% discount code: EPICICELAND

11. Hiking in winter in Iceland

Firstly, expect majority of tougher hikes (like Fimmvörðuháls, or hikes in Landmannalaugar, Kerlingarfjöll, or Þakgil) to be impassable and closed to general public. This is true once the first real snow settles in the highlands, which usually happens beginning of October. The snow then remains in the highlands until May, June, or sometimes (2022) even July. These tougher hikes then re-open to visitors once the major snow-packs melt, i.e. usually sometimes in June. If you are unsure about a specific hike, please contact safetravel.is for reliable information.

Secondly, don’t worry, of course you can hike also in winter in Iceland. Just try to pick a shorter hike, an easier hike, and a day with good weather (no strong wind, rain, snow or fog). While we often recommend going “off the beaten path” in summer, we recommend totally the opposite in winter. Remote places in winter mean no traces of footsteps, deep snow and no help anywhere – avoid them.

kvernufoss winter

An easy hike to Kvernufoss in winter

Thirdly, buy spikes and wear them on your shoes! Spikes are totally invaluable for almost all winter hikes in Iceland. Winter hiking trails in Iceland are very often frozen, icy and slippery – you need a good grip and no winter shoes will guarantee that. Finally, similarly to driving times, expect your hiking times to roughly double. You will be hiking on an icy terrain and/or through snow and pretty often against wind. Such hikes are also much more strenuous, count on that.

12. Tourists

There are less tourists in Iceland in winter compared to summer (June, July, August and September). BUT. Winter is still a pretty popular time to visit Iceland, so don’t expect to be alone there. The typical touristy sights like a golden circle, silver circle and south coast can get pretty packed even in winter. That’s why we prefer visiting mostly places where tour buses don’t go, or where they go only seldom.

monthly visitors iceland

Visitors in Iceland by months

The busiest winter month is March, because the daylight is longer, Iceland still looks like a winter fairytale and there’s still a good chance to see northern lights. Prices are highest in March out of all winter months. March is then followed by February, January and November. The least visited winter month is December.

We prefer to visit Iceland in winter at the end of February, because the chances for northern lights are pretty good, the country is still covered in snow, the number of tourists is bearable and the daylight hours are sufficient. And as always, we try to avoid the most touristy places like Golden Circle. That being said, in winter it makes much more sense to visit also touristy places in Iceland. Why?

reynisfjara beach winter

Reynisfjara beach can easily get crowded also in winter. This is one of the most touristy places in Iceland.

First of all, there will be less tourists compared to summer. Secondly, imagine hiking in a strong wind, sometimes rain and snow and a cold weather. You will more than just welcome all these “touristy infrastructure” places, where you may warm up a little bit, eat or drink something hot and just relax inside for a while.

Last but not least, it’s much safer to stay around more touristy spots in winter. Believe me, you don’t want to get stuck in snow somewhere alone, be it a road, a hike, or a remote accommodation. In summer, this is not much of an issue, but in winter it may be. That’s why we are strong advocates of remote places in summer, not that much in winter, though.

epic iceland facebook group ask questions or get inspired in our community

Posted by Igor in Guide, Winter, 0 comments
10 Best Photo Spots in Iceland Away From the Crowds

10 Best Photo Spots in Iceland Away From the Crowds

Iceland, often referred to as the “Land of Fire and Ice,” is a photographer’s paradise. With its otherworldly landscapes, dramatic weather conditions, and stunning natural beauty, this Nordic island country offers a plethora of photo opportunities that will leave you in awe. From the rugged highlands to the coastal wonders, here are the ten best photo spots in Iceland that should be on every photographer’s bucket list.

Map of Iceland’s Best Photo Spots

Thórsmörk

thorsmork iceland

Þórsmörk, a magical Icelandic photo spot.

The Valley of Thor, or Þórsmörk in Icelandic, is a picturesque valley nestled between three glaciers: Eyjafjallajökull, Mýrdalsjökull, and Tindfjallajökull. It is named after the Norse god Thor, known for his fierce protection of the world against giants. The rugged beauty of this location certainly does justice to its namesake.

Why go

This enchanting location offers a unique blend of greenery, glacial rivers, and dramatic mountainous terrain, making it a captivating destination for nature photographers. It is also a popular hiking area. You can go on countless trails here. For example, the famous Laugavegur long-distance trail, which leads to the Landmannalaugar Nature Reserve, starts in Thórsmörk. Or the very famous Fimmvörðuháls hike.

How to get there

To reach Thórsmörk, you’ll need a 4×4 vehicle, as the roads can be challenging. Thórsmörk lies about 140 km east of Reykjavík, but the last 20 km is on a dirt road with several fords, which is passable only by off-road vehicles.

fimmvorduhals thorsmork descent

The final part of the Fimmvorduhals hike near Thorsmork

The journey typically begins from the small town of Hvolsvöllur, taking you through river crossings and rugged tracks. Guided tours are also available for those who prefer a hassle-free experience.

Tips on visiting

  • If you don’t feel like taking a car, you can also use the tourist buses from Reykjavik or Hella. Return tickets cost around 14,500 ISK, and you can use companies such as Reykjavík Excursions or Trex. These special four-wheel-drive mountain buses run around three times per day during summer.
  • Plan your trip during the summer period from June to September. During winter, the road to Thórsmörk is impassable and closed as crossing the rivers gets very dangerous. Even during summer, only experienced drivers should drive there as the weather conditions can change within minutes.
  • At the bottom of the valley, you can stay in the beautiful rural guesthouse Volcano Huts Þórsmörk or camp at Thórsmörk campsite.

Askja

askja volcano iceland

Our visit of the Askja volcano area, one of the best places for photography in Iceland

Askja is a 4 km-long volcanic crater located in the remote and desolate highlands of Iceland. Photographers are drawn to this otherworldly destination for its lunar-like landscapes, including the Viti crater, filled with a striking turquoise geothermal lake. It’s an ideal location for capturing the raw power of Iceland’s geological forces.

Why go

The area around Askja is one of the most remote parts of Iceland. The barren, monotonous landscape with only shades of grey, brown, and black resembles more than any other place the landscape on the moon. The monotonous yet extremely beautiful landscape takes you to an exotic nature like you won’t find on the European continent. That was one of the reasons why NASA chose the Askja area for the geological training of its astronauts before going to the Moon.

How to get there

Getting to Askja is an adventure itself. You’ll need a sturdy 4×4 vehicle and a sense of adventure, as the F-roads leading to Askja can be challenging. The journey usually begins from the Dettifoss area in the northeast.

Directly below Askja is the F910 road, which leads off the F88 road. It then connects to the main Ring Road number 1.

f905 to askja

F905 to Askja on a gorgeous sunny summer day

The distance from Reykjavik is 603 km. The roads are only passable for jeeps for a few months of the year, from early June to mid-September, when they disappear under a layer of snow and ice. The weather is unpredictable in this area, so it is vital to plan your journey well and check the current weather conditions.

From the car park at the end of the road, a hiking trail about 2.5 km long leads to the crater rim and Lake Öskjuvatn.

Tips on visiting

  • Pack a swimsuit for the trip! You can even swim in the Askja Crater. Thanks to the geothermal springs, the water temperature is very pleasantly warm (around 28 °C) and can come in handy in colder weather.
  • The whole area of the Icelandic highlands is breathtaking. Plan your trip and enjoy your time in this area. However, always check the current safety conditions. Hiking can be fun and enjoyable in good weather, but you don’t want to experience bad weather in this area.

Maelifell

maelifell best photo iceland

Maelifell volcano is one of the most picturesque places in Iceland away from the crowds.

The green, cone-shaped mountain rising above black sand. That’s Maelifell Volcano, located in the Iceland Highlands, just northeast of the massive Mýrdalsjökull Glacier Park.

Why go

Maelifell is a mesmerizing natural wonder featuring a perfectly cone-shaped volcano covered in vibrant green moss. This surreal landscape creates a captivating contrast with the surrounding black sand desert, making it a fantastic spot for photography.

The vibrant green moss that blankets Maelifell is a type of moss called Racomitrium lanuginosum, and it’s an essential part of Iceland’s delicate ecosystem.

  • Interesting fact: Maelifell has been featured in films such as Noah and television series such as Game of Thrones because of its beauty.

How to get there

F210 Fjallabaksleid Sydri east to Maelifell

F210 Fjallabaksleid Sydri east to Maelifell

From Reykjavik, you take the Ring Road to the south. In Hvolsvöllur, turn left onto Route 261, which will become F261. Continue this road until turning on F210, which leads you to Maelifell after approximately three and a half hours of driving. You can access the site also from the east, starting on F208 and continuing on F210.

A 4×4 vehicle is essential, and it’s best to visit during the summer months when the roads are more accessible. During winter, the roads leading to the highlands are closed due to snow. Attempting to cross them is dangerous.

Tips on visiting

  • Even during summer, the terrain of the roads is very challenging, bumpy, and involves crossing rivers, so prepare to challenge your driving skills. Always check road conditions beforehand.
  • Enjoy the view on the black sands to Maelifell from the summit of Rauðibotn, a colorful volcano that lies near the F210 from the east.

Westman Islands

best hikes heimaey westman islands

Eldfell volcano hike is one of the easiest and most beautiful ones

The Westman Islands, or Vestmannaeyjar, is a group of islands located about 12 kilometers off the south coast. Heimaey is the only inhabited place on Vestmannaeyjar.

The area is known for its remarkable history, including the eruption of the Eldfell volcano in 1973, which led to the evacuation of the entire population of Heimaey, the largest island in the archipelago. The town has since been rebuilt, and the eruption created new and unique landscapes worth photographing.

Why go

Heimaey is a bit of a hidden gem of Iceland. It offers a unique blend of natural beauty and wildlife photography opportunities. With dramatic cliffs, puffin colonies, and breathtaking coastal vistas, this place is heaven for photographers looking to capture the beauty of Iceland’s coastal landscapes.

  • Interesting fact: Westman Islands are considered the largest Atlantic puffin colony in the world.

heimaklettur views westman islands

Views from Heimaklettur on Heimaey island

How to get there

You can reach the Westman Islands by taking a ferry from the mainland, departing from the town of Landeyjahöfn in the south of Iceland. The ferry ride itself offers scenic views. The main island is not very big, so it can be explored on foot, or you can try to hitchhike. Taking a car is not necessary, but it is more convenient, especially if you want to save time.

Tips on visiting

  • Visiting the Westman Islands is a perfect one-day trip from the mainland. If you really want to enjoy the beauty and landscapes of the island, plan a trip at least two days long. That way, you will have time to experience a unique atmosphere.
  • Heimaey offers many hiking routes with amazing scenic views of the ocean and surrounding islands.

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon

jokulsarlon iceland photo spot

Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon

One of the most famous tourist spots in Iceland attracts travelers from all over the world. The overturning and cracking glaciers of Jökulsárlón create an incredible atmosphere. You might see the area as a backdrop for numerous movies, including James Bond’s “Die Another Day” and “Batman Begins.”

Why go

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon is a surreal and ethereal location where massive icebergs break off from the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier and float serenely on the lagoon’s icy blue waters. This icy wonderland is a dream come true for photographers seeking to capture the magic of glacial landscapes.

Not very far away from the lagoon, glacial fragments of various sizes enter the ocean. They are either carried by the waves or remain trapped on the black sand beach, creating such a unique and magical spectacle. No wonder the beach was named Diamond Beach.

jokulsarlon photography place

Jökulsárlón

How to get there

Jökulsárlón is easily accessible from the Ring Road (Route 1) in the southeast of Iceland. It’s a popular stop for travelers exploring the South Coast.

Tips on visiting

  • Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon is a popular tourist destination. The place might be crowded, especially during summer. There is a big car park with a parking fee to access the lagoon area.
  • Not enough to admire the glaciers from the coast? Take one of the boat tours that will take you closer to the icy pieces. You might see some seals as well.
  • Plan the visit during sunset to get different light for your photos.

Landmannalaugar

f208 landmannalaugar iceland

Landmannalaugar is an iconic photo spot

Landmannalaugar is a must-see place located in the heart of Iceland’s highlands. You can go there for a one-day trip or challenge yourself and set out a multi-day hiking route. There is a starting point of the Laugavegur Trail that takes you closely through some of Iceland’s most diverse landscapes, including colorful mountains, black deserts, and lush valleys.

Why go

It is a geothermal wonderland filled with vibrant rhyolite mountains, hot springs, and bubbling mud pots. The kaleidoscope of colors and unique geological features make it an enticing destination for photographers and hikers.

How to get there

To reach Landmannalaugar, you’ll need a 4×4 vehicle, and it’s usually accessible during the summer months via the F-roads. You can also join guided tours that depart from Reykjavik.

rainbow hills graenihryggur hike

Rainbow hills on a Grænihryggur hike are some of the most beautiful ones in Landmannalaugar

There are three main roads leading to the campsite:

  • From Reykjavik on the F32 and the gravel road, F208.
  • From the west of the Hekla volcano, the gravel dirt road F26 and then F225 leads, which is passable only by off-road vehicles, among other things, because of several fords.
  • From the east along the F208, a dirt road in good condition. However, you must cross about 15-20 fords on the way and, therefore, it is passable only by 4×4 off-road vehicles.

Tips on visiting

  • All marked trails start at the large Landmannalaugar campsite, where you will also find public toilets, a small shop, and parking. There are six main trails leading from here, but you can combine them freely. They are marked with low-colored stakes, but you may not come across any signs for miles. The trails include both easy and short ones and long and challenging ones.
  • Before visiting, check the road conditions and river level. The road is only opened in the summer, starting mid-June to mid-September.

Seljalandsfoss

Seljalandsfoss

Seljalandsfoss at 7pm

Seljalandsfoss is one of Iceland’s most iconic waterfalls located in the south of Iceland. You can see it from a distance while driving the Ring Road, which makes it accessible all year around.

Why go

Seljalandsfoss is popular because of its location and its unique feature: you can walk behind the cascading water curtain, providing a rare and awe-inspiring perspective for photographers. Capturing the waterfall from behind, with the Icelandic landscape in the background, creates stunning and memorable images.

How to get there

Seljalandsfoss is conveniently located along the Ring Road (Route 1) by the South Coast. It’s easily accessible by car. From Reykjavik, it is 1 hour 45 minutes long drive.

Tips on visiting

  • Seljalandsfoss is one of the most visited places in Iceland. Plan the trip outside the season, early in the morning, or enjoy long summer nights and visit it during the night to avoid crowds.
  • It’s probably no secret nowadays, yet many people skip it in their haste. We’re talking about the neighboring Gljufrabui waterfall. It is cleverly hidden in the rock just a few hundred metres further along the path to the north. Waterfalls are usually magical places, but cave waterfalls are even more magical, offering unique photo-shooting opportunities.
  • There is a car park next to Seljalandsfoss for a small fee. You’ll find public toilets and souvenirs as well.

Kirkjufell

kirkjufell in winter iceland

Kirkjufell in winter makes for an epic place for photography

Kirkjufell, also known as “Church Mountain,” is an iconic mountain lying on Snæfellsnes Peninsula in western Iceland.

Why go

Kirkjufell Mountain is perhaps one of the most photographed landmarks in Iceland. Its distinctive shape, paired with the nearby Kirkjufellsfoss waterfall, creates a stunning composition, which is perfect for photographers looking for that iconic shot.

How to get there

The area is easily accessible by car. It is around 180 kilometers from Reykjavik, which is about 2.5 hours long drive. Both the mountain and waterfall are located next to the main road 54. Right next to the mountain, you will find a small paid parking lot.

Tips on visiting

  • You can climb the 463-metre-high mountain on a very steep trail.
  • Snæfellsnes Peninsula is a gem bit forgotten by tourists. Not many people include the peninsula to their travel itinerary, but you should. It is full of natural beauty, iconic churches, waterfalls, glaciers, and picturesque lighthouses.

Goðafoss

Godafoss before sunset

Godafoss before sunset

Goðafoss is a waterfall in the north of Iceland between the Akureyri and Mývatn area, often referred to as the “Waterfall of the Gods. The nickname originates from an ancient tale when Iceland converted to Christianity, and the local chieftain Thorgeir Ljosvetningagodi threw his statues of Norse gods into the waterfall, symbolizing the shift in the nation’s beliefs.

Why go

With a width of over 30 meters and a wide horseshoe shape reminiscent of Niagara Falls, it is one of the most beautiful Icelandic waterfalls. It is also easy accessibility to both sides of the waterfall; you can practically walk right to the water and enjoy the monumental water spectacle up close.

How to get there

Goðafoss is easily accessible by car and is located along the Ring Road (Route 1) in northern Iceland, making it a convenient stop for travelers exploring this part of the country. The waterfall is visible from the road, and a short walk leads you to various viewpoints for photographing its splendor.

Tips on visiting

  • The waterfall can produce a lot of mist, so protect your camera gear.
  • There are a lot of different paths around the waterfall, allowing you to enjoy it from all angles. One path leads down to the water, and the view of the waterfall from below in all its glory makes it even more monumental.

Vestrahorn

vestrahorn stokksnes iceland

Vestrahorn in Stokksnes proudly belongs to Iceland’s top photo spots

Vestrahorn is a striking mountain located on the Stokksnes Peninsula in southeastern Iceland.

Why go

Vestrahorn is a favorite spot of photographers for its dramatic, almost surreal appearance. With its jagged peaks, black sand dunes, and reflective lagoon, Vestrahorn offers a diverse range of photographic opportunities, making it a must-visit destination for landscape enthusiasts.

How to get there

Vestrahorn is easily accessible by car from the town of Höfn in southeast Iceland. The mountain is visible from the main road (Route 1), and you can drive to the base of the mountain. The Stokksnes Peninsula is private land, so there’s an entrance fee to access the area, which also includes a café and facilities.

Tips on visiting

  • If you want to capture the iconic reflection of Vestrahorn in the lagoon, visit during high tide when the water creates a beautiful mirror effect.
  • A few metres from the car park, there is a man-made Viking village, which was built as a prop for a film that was never finished.
  • Due to the close proximity to the sea, the mountains are very steep, and there are no official trails leading to them. However, you can hike up to the heights on beaten paths, which offer spectacular views of the black and grey slopes and the ocean.
Posted by Igor, 0 comments
Best New Volcano Tours 2022

Best New Volcano Tours 2022

New volcano is erupting again in Iceland! Well, it’s actually an old volcano, but who cares? The eruption which started in August 2022 takes place in Geldingadalir, Meradalir area and is supposed to be 5 to 10 times stronger than 2021 Fagradalsfjall eruption! The volcano and lava flow changes every day, so it’s very important to adhere to all rules set by Icelandic Civil Protection office and follow all the advice on https://safetravel.is/eruption-in-reykjanes. Hike to new Icelandic volcano is longer and tougher this year, and trails change constantly.

Many visitors, rather than going alone, prefer to take a guided tour to Meradalir eruption. We prepared the selection of best available 2022 volcano tours. We will do our best to update the list and broaden this article, and apologize for any discrepancies, which may occur because everything changes really quickly these days.

meradalir volcano eruption iceland 2022

New Volcano eruption in Iceland, Geldingadalir, Meradalir

Geldingadalir volcano tours general information

New Volcano hike – time

A hike from the closest parking spot takes from 1 to 2 hours one way, depending on your physical condition. If you are going on your own, definitely add up some time for finding a parking spot and walking from there to the start of the trail. Also, don’t forget to add a time to enjoy the volcano itself 🙂

2022 tours – price

As of August 2022, prices range around 300-700 USD per private group, i.e. the more of you the lower the price. If you go solo, i.e. you will be part of a bigger organized tour, do expect a price of around 100 USD per person. Of course, you may find cheaper and more expensive tours. Always check the current price with the provider, as these may change quickly.

2022 tours – what’s included

A typical volcano tour includes the following:

  • Reykjavik pickup with a driver
  • An experienced guide
  • Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the trip

A typical volcano tour does NOT include the following:

  • Shoes, clothes or any gear (no special is required, though)
  • Food, water, snacks

There are exceptions, though, and almost always there is an option to buy or hire anything you need, so don’t be afraid 🙂

iceland meradalir 2022 eruption volcano

New eruption in Iceland, Geldingadalir, Meradalir

New Meradalir volcano tours we recommend

1. Hike by Glaciers and Waterfalls

Glaciers and Waterfalls is an amazingly friendly, funny and down-to-earth Super Jeep and Tour company in Iceland. Not only they have great and passionate guides, they also have wonderful reviews – 5/5 on Google, 5/5 on Tripadvisor and #3 of 342 tour providers in Iceland! Hard to find better 🙂 They’ve added a Meradalir volcano tour as one of the first and we really do recommend taking this one! Moreover – it costs less than 100 USD!

Do you want an exclusive private tour with no one else, just you? Glaciers and Waterfalls offer a Geldingadalur/Meradalir volcano private tour as well!

All conditions and prices are clearly stated on their website and you can easily book via their system. And we also have a 10% discount for you! 🙂

10% discount for all Glaciers and Waterfalls tours, including volcano tour, with promo code: EPICICELAND

fagradalsfjall volcano hike by glaciers and waterfalls

Fagradalsfjall volcano hike by Glaciers and Waterfalls

2. Helicopter tour by Guide to Iceland

Guide to Iceland is a huge Icelandic tour company with many good references. They’ve recently added a helicopter Geldingadalir volcano tour and based on their reviews we can also recommend you to take this one. Obviously, a helicopter tour is pricier. BUT. Seeing a volcano from a helicopter is simply once in a lifetime experience 🙂 So you have to decide for yourself whether it’s worth it for you. Don’t take too long though, they sell out quickly. All conditions and price are clearly stated on their website and you can easily book via their system.

iceland 2022 volcano eruption helicopter tour

New eruption in Iceland, Geldingadalir, Meradalir – helicopter tour

3. Troll expeditions

Troll expeditions is a renowned Icelandic company with a long history and thousands of 5/5 reviews. They’ve recently added a Geldingadalir volcano tour and we really do recommend taking this one! All conditions and prices are clearly stated on their website and you can easily book via their system. And we also have a 5% discount for you! 🙂

5% discount for all Troll expeditions tours , including volcano tour, with promo code: EPIC2022

meradalir volcano 2022 iceland

New Volcano eruption in Iceland, Geldingadalir, Meradalir

4. Volcano Flight by Plane

A great and cheaper alternative to a helicopter flight is a flight by small, private airplane. You can book a volcano flight here. The advantages of a plane flight are clear – cheaper, a bit safer and more stable, possibility to go even if you are a bigger group. And, most importantly, most of the helicopter tours are already sold off! So an airplane may be a good alternative! CircleAir is a reliable local company with great reviews, so we can definitely recommend also this tour. 

geldingadalur meradalur volcano plane flight tour

Flight to Geldingadalur, Meradalur volcano by airplane from Reykjavik

5. Helicopter tour by GlacierHeli

Another option for a helicopter tour is a volcano heli tour by GlacierHeli. This tour is slightly more expensive than the two tours above, but not much. In case all other tours are fully booked, we would definitely go for this one. Professional and reliable pilots and good history of the company make for a great trip. 

geldingadalur meradalur volcano helicopter tour

Helicopter volcano tour by GlacierHeli in Iceland

6. Cheap Hiking tour by Guide to Iceland

Guide to Iceland serves also an affordable and well reviewed hiking tour. They’ve recently added this hiking tour to Geldingadalir volcano and based on their reviews we can also recommend you to take this one. All conditions and price are clearly stated on their website and you can easily book via their system.

iceland new volcano eruption 2022

New Volcano in Iceland, Geldingadalir, Meradalir

7. Hiking tour with a local Geologist

What about a tour to volcano with and Icelandic geologist? Who else can be more proficient with explaining you all the nuances and context of the eruption? Well, in our opinion it definitely pays off to pay a few tens of dollars more for this experience which also comes in a small group only.

iceland 2022 volcano eruption

New Volcano eruption in Iceland, Geldingadalir, Meradalir

8. Private Volcano tour at your own pace

In case you prefer a totally private tour, at your own pace, with a private guide, then this tour is one of the best. It’s on a more affordable side and it has amazing reviews!

iceland volcano geldingadalir 2022

New eruption in Iceland, Geldingadalir, Meradalir

Any questions? Ask in our Facebook group!

Tips on any fabulous tours we missed? Feel free to tell us!

Posted by Igor, 0 comments