By the time most travelers reach Höfn, they have spent a long day among glaciers and icebergs, and what they want is a hot pool, a plate of fish and a bed. Höfn delivers all three, but the town also makes a good base for a slower day, with glacier walks to the west and mountain trails to the east.
What to do in Höfn
The best things to do in Höfn are swimming in the town pool, eating seafood in the harbor town, hiking to the front of Fláajökull glacier and walking the trails of Lón to the east. Jökulsárlón is about an hour's drive west, so many visitors also use Höfn as an overnight base for the glacier lagoon.
Höfn í Hornafirði, usually shortened to Höfn, is a town of about 1,813 people in Hornafjörður on Iceland's southeast coast. It is a working fishing town with shops and places to eat, and the main service town in this part of the country. Our Höfn town page has the background.
Things to do in Höfn town
Höfn is small enough to cover on foot, and the town campsite and several restaurants sit along Hafnarbraut, the main road into town. Plan to spend an evening here rather than a full day, and save the daylight for the glaciers.
Höfn swimming pool
The outdoor pool in Höfn is the best way to finish a day of driving. It has a 25 m outdoor pool, hot tubs, a cold tub and a steam bath, plus three water slides and a children's wading pool.
Höfn's outdoor pool has three water slides.
It is open all year, from 06:45 to 21:00 on weekdays and 10:00 to 19:00 at weekends. A single adult entry costs 1,450 ISK in 2026, seniors pay 620 ISK and disabled visitors swim free.
Seafood and lobster in Höfn
Höfn's restaurants lean toward seafood, and lobster is on the menu. Birki Restaurant on Hafnarbraut puts fish and lobster at the center of its menu, and Kaffi Hornið, also on Hafnarbraut, is a mid-range option for a sit-down dinner.
In high summer the town fills with Ring Road traffic, so arrive with a plan for dinner rather than hoping for a free table at 20:00.
Höfn campsite
If you are traveling by campervan, Höfn's town campsite is at Hafnarbraut 52, beside the main road into town. It is within walking distance of the shops, the pool and the restaurants, and it is open all year with a winter service for campervans.
Höfn campsite sits at the entrance to town, within walking distance of the pool.
Facilities include toilets, showers, cooking facilities, washing machines, Wi-Fi, electricity hook-ups, a dump station and a playground. Cottages are rented from mid-April to 15 October, and the campsite does not publish its rates consistently online, so check before you arrive.
Fláajökull glacier hike
Fláajökull is an outlet glacier of Vatnajökull about 40 km west of Höfn, roughly 30 minutes' drive from town. Marked trails lead to the ice front, which makes it the easiest glacier walk to reach from town without a tour.
To get there, turn off Route 1 between the farms Hólmur and Lambleiksstaðir and drive a 6 km gravel road to the car park. The shortest marked trails are F1, which is 2.6 km and takes one to two hours, and F2, which is 3.6 km and takes about two hours. Longer routes continue to Heinabergslón and Haukafell.
The trails lead to viewpoints near the ice front, not onto the glacier itself. Walking on Fláajökull is only safe with a qualified guide and proper equipment, and overnight stays are not allowed at the car park. For park rules and conditions, see the Vatnajökull National Park website.
Haukafell
Haukafell is a sheltered forest near Fláajökull, and a marked trail leads from it across the Kolgrafardalsá footbridge to the glacier front, a walk of just over 2 km. It is a good alternative start if you would rather walk in than drive the gravel road to the Fláajökull car park.
Haukafell sits in a sheltered forest near Fláajökull.
The campground here is open from the beginning of April to the end of September, with toilets, showers and electricity, plus canvas tents with made-up beds. The access roads are partly gravel but suitable for a normal car driven slowly.
Lake Þveit and Myllulækur
About 12 km north of Höfn, in Nesjar, the Myllulækur campsite sits by lake Þveit, 400 m off the Ring Road. It is a summer alternative to the town campsite, and it opens from mid-May until late September or early October, depending on the weather.
Myllulækur is about 12 km north of Höfn in Nesjar.
It does not take reservations, and pitches are first come, first served. The most recent published adult rate is 2,000–2,200 ISK a night plus a 400 ISK accommodation tax per unit, with children under 14 free, so confirm it on arrival.
Vestrahorn
East of Höfn, Vestrahorn's steep peaks rise behind dark dunes at a coastal viewpoint. Access arrangements and any local admission charge change, so check them before you drive out.
Hiking in Lón
Lón is the district east of Höfn, and Stafafell farm is about 25 minutes' drive from town near the Ring Road. Several hiking trails start directly from the Stafafell campsite, and Hvannagil gorge and the wider Lónsöræfi area are a short drive inland.
The mountains of Lón, about 25 minutes east of Höfn.
The campsite has toilets, showers, cooking facilities, drinking water, a washer and dryer, eight electricity pitches and Wi-Fi at reception. Its published price is 2,000 ISK per adult, with children free, plus 400 ISK accommodation tax per tent. Listings disagree on the season, giving either late April to the end of September or mid-April to 1 November, so confirm dates before an early or late trip.
Jökulsárlón and the Diamond Beach from Höfn
Heading west, the iceberg lagoon at Jökulsárlón is about 80 km from Höfn, roughly an hour's drive along Route 1.
That makes Höfn a practical overnight base for the lagoon and for the Diamond Beach nearby, especially if you want to see them early or late in the day.
When to visit Höfn
Höfn is open for business all year. The pool and the town campsite both stay open through the winter, while the campsites at Myllulækur and Haukafell close at the end of the summer season.
In winter, short days and storms on the southeast coast make the driving the hardest part of the trip. Check southeast road conditions before you leave.
If a storm is forecast, look at SafeTravel's southeast alerts as well and be ready to wait a day in town.
How long to stay in Höfn
One night is enough to swim, eat well and break the drive. With two nights, you can add the Fláajökull hike and an afternoon in Lón without rushing.
If you would like a route that gives Höfn and the glaciers the time they deserve, let our team plan the southeast around your dates.
