Geysir

About Geysir

Geysir is the geothermal area in Haukadalur valley in South Iceland and one of the three main stops on the Golden Circle, along with Þingvellir and Gullfoss. It is named after the Great Geysir, the hot spring whose name became the word for geysers worldwide. The Great Geysir once threw water close to 100 m into the air, but it is now largely dormant and erupts only on rare occasions.

The reason to come is Strokkur, a few steps away, which erupts roughly every few minutes, about 17 times an hour on average, sending a column of water around 11 to 32 m high. Wind and weather affect how often it goes off, and sometimes it erupts twice in quick succession. Walk around the rest of the field to see Litli Strokkur, the Blesi hot spring, the Konungshver spring, mud pots and steaming fissures stained by minerals.

The water in the springs is boiling hot and reaches about 120°C at depth, so stay behind the ropes and on marked paths, and keep children close. The ground away from the paths can be thin and unstable. When standing near Strokkur, check the wind direction, as the spray and steam blow downwind.

Geysir is open all year and there is no entrance fee. It lies about 100 km north-east of Reykjavík via Routes 1 and 35, roughly 1 hour 40 minutes' drive, and Gullfoss is about 10 minutes further on. Parking is charged, around 1,000 ISK per car, paid through the Parka app. The Geysir Center across the road has restaurants, cafés, shops and toilets. Allow 45 minutes to an hour to see several eruptions and walk the paths.