Geothermal areas in Iceland

Geysir

Geysir is a hot spring in the Haukadalur valley of South Iceland that gave the English language the word geyser, and the geothermal area around it is one of the three classic stops on the Golden Circle, along with Þingvellir and Gullfoss. Every geyser on Earth is named after this one. The catch is that the Great Geysir itself rarely performs anymore. In its active years it threw water around 60 meters high, but it has gone quiet for long stretches and now erupts only occasionally. The show you came for is Strokkur, a short walk away, which blows a column of boiling water usually 15 to 20 meters into the air every 5 to 10 minutes, sometimes twice in a row. After a few eruptions, walk the loop around the rest of the Geysir geothermal area. You'll pass Litli Geysir, the blue Blesi pool and Konungshver, along with bubbling mud pots and steaming, mineral-stained ground. The water in these hot springs is close to boiling, so stay behind the ropes and on the marked paths, keep children close and check the wind before you stand near Strokkur, since the spray blows downwind. Geysir Iceland sits about 1.5 hours' drive from Reykjavík via Routes 1 and 35, and Gullfoss is about 10 minutes farther up the road. Entry is free and the area is open all year, while parking is paid through the Parka app. Across the road, the Geysir Center has restaurants, a café, shops and toilets, and if you want to stay the night, Skjól campsite is a few minutes away. Give yourself 45 minutes to an hour to watch Strokkur several times and walk the paths. Tour buses tend to arrive mid-morning and early afternoon, so an early or evening visit is noticeably calmer. In winter the paths can be icy, so wear shoes with good grip.

Deildartunguhver

Deildartunguhver is a hot spring in Reykholtsdalur, West Iceland, and the highest-flowing hot spring in Europe, pushing out about 180 liters of 100°C water every second from a low rock bank. On a cold morning the steam rises high enough to spot from Road 50. The Deildartunguhver hot spring is a cluster of boiling vents rather than a single pool, and it never stops. People often search for a Deildartunguhver geyser, but nothing erupts here, so there is no waiting around; the water simply rolls and spits nonstop. Most of it goes straight into pipes, because the spring heats homes as far away as Borgarnes and Akranes. Around the vents grows a rare variety of hard fern found almost nowhere else. Look, but stay behind the railings, since the ground and water near the vents are scalding. Deildartunguhver is 97 km from Reykjavík, about 1.5 hours by car via Borgarnes. A short paved path leads from the parking lot to the viewing platforms in a couple of minutes, and the site is open all year. Keep children close, and watch your footing in winter, when the steam freezes on the walkways. Plan on 15 to 30 minutes for the spring itself. If you want to soak, Krauma next door cools the spring's water in five hot pools and one cold one, open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Adult admission was 7,900 ISK in 2026, and there is a restaurant on site. The spring fits neatly into a day in the valley. Hraunfossar and Barnafoss are about 20 minutes farther up, the historic church site of Reykholt is a few minutes away, and the Víðgelmir lava cave is a little beyond that.

Seltún Geothermal Area

Seltún is a high-temperature geothermal area in Krýsuvík on the Reykjanes Peninsula, about 40 minutes' drive from central Reykjavík. The hillside is a mess of boiling mud pots, hissing steam vents and clay stained yellow, red and green by minerals, and you will smell the sulfur before you open the car door. For a close look at raw geothermal ground without a long drive, the Seltún geothermal area is hard to beat. A boardwalk loop runs straight through the most active part, close enough to feel the heat coming off the pools. From its upper end, a path climbs the slope for a wider view over the field and back toward Kleifarvatn lake. Sulfur was mined at Krýsuvík in past centuries, long before anyone built a boardwalk for visitors. Stay on the boardwalk and marked paths. The crust around the vents can be thin over boiling water and mud, so the Seltún hot springs are for looking at, never for bathing in. In rain and frost the boards and steps get slippery, and shoes with good grip make a real difference in winter. Seltún sits right beside Route 42 between Kleifarvatn and the south coast, and it is open all year. Thirty minutes to an hour covers the boardwalk and the path above it. If you want another short stop, the Grænavatn crater lake is a few minutes down the road. Entry is free, but the parking lot next to the field charges by number-plate recognition: 750 ISK per day for a car with up to five seats and 1,500 ISK for larger vehicles, with stays under 10 minutes free. Pay on site or through the Checkit app; unpaid fees are billed to the vehicle owner, and rental companies may add a handling charge. Toilets and information boards are by the parking lot.

Kerlingarfjöll

Kerlingarfjöll is a mountain range in the highlands of Iceland, south of the Hofsjökull ice cap and just off the Kjölur route between South and North Iceland. Its peaks are rhyolite, formed by eruptions under glacier ice, which is why the slopes are orange and yellow and streaked with steam. The highest, Snækollur, reaches 1,488 meters above a plateau that already sits around 600 to 700 meters up. From Reykjavík the drive takes about 3 hours 30 minutes in summer, past Gullfoss and up Route 35, then onto the short F347 spur to Highland Base Kerlingarfjöll. F347 is an F-road, so you need a 4x4. The highland roads open in early summer on dates the Icelandic Road Administration sets each year. The Kerlingarfjöll geothermal valley, Hveradalir, is the main reason to come. A trail drops from the parking lot to boardwalks among steaming vents, boiling pools and stained clay, and bathing is not allowed. The whole area became a protected nature reserve in 2020, so stay on the marked paths, which also link up for longer Kerlingarfjöll hikes over the ridges. Give it at least a full day, or stay over to hike in the evening light. Highland Base has a hotel, lodges, huts and a summer campsite, plus a restaurant and the Highland Baths, which are open to day visitors in summer. Kerlingarfjöll in winter is a different trip, since the roads close and the base is reached by super jeep transfer. Check the official road-conditions map and weather warnings before any highland drive, because the weather up here turns fast even in July.

Reykjadalur Valley

Reykjadalur is a geothermal valley just north of Hveragerði in South Iceland, where a hiking trail leads to a warm river you can bathe in. The name means Steam Valley, and after about an hour on foot you can lie in the current with steam rising from the hillsides around you. Few hikes in Iceland end with a bath, which is why the Reykjadalur hot springs draw so many walkers out of Reykjavík. The trailhead parking lot is about 45 minutes' drive from the capital on Route 1, close enough for a half-day trip. The Reykjadalur hiking trail runs roughly 3 to 4 km each way, climbing a few hundred meters past bubbling mud pots and steaming vents before it levels out along the valley floor. Most people walk up in about an hour and come down faster, so set aside three to four hours including time in the water. At the bathing area, wooden boardwalks and simple changing screens line the Reykjadalur hot river, but there are no showers, lockers or enclosed rooms. The water is shallow, so this is a soak rather than a swim. It runs hottest upstream and cools where cold streams join, which means you can move along the bank until it feels right, and it's always worth testing with a hand first. The hike and the bathing are free; check the signs at the trailhead lot for any parking charge. Stay on the marked path the whole way, since the ground beside the hot springs can be thin and scalding. Summer is the easiest season, while from late fall to early spring the trail is often icy, so bring microspikes and start early. If you want a shower and a proper changing room afterward, Reykjaböð Hot Springs sits at the foot of the valley in Hveragerði.

Haukadalur

Haukadalur is a valley in South Iceland that runs north from Route 35, with the Geysir geothermal area at its mouth and a national forest behind it. Most Golden Circle visitors stand at the Strokkur ropes for 20 minutes and leave without knowing they were in it. The Haukadalur geothermal area holds Strokkur, which erupts every few minutes, and the Great Geysir that gave every geyser its name, though it now rarely blows. Paths loop past clear blue pools such as Blesi and Konungshver, and the water in them is close to boiling, so stay on the trail. Walking into the field is free, and the Geysir parking lot sits right beside Route 35. Behind the hot springs, Haukadalsskógur is one of the largest national forests in the south. In 1938 the Danish businessman Kristian Kirk bought the eroded land, and two years later it passed to the Icelandic Forest Service, which planted the birch and conifers you see today. The Svartagil trail is the most popular walk, and a wheelchair-accessible path was built with Sjálfsbjörg, the Icelandic disability association. To reach the forest, turn off just past the geothermal field and follow a gravel road for about 1 km to Haukadalur church. Centuries before the trees, this was a seat of the powerful Haukdælir clan and an early school, where Ari the Wise, author of the first history of the Icelanders, grew up. Most trips to Haukadalur start in Reykjavík, about two hours' drive away, and Gullfoss is roughly 10 km farther up the road. Give the hot springs 45 minutes, then add an hour or two in the forest if you want the valley without the tour-bus crowds. All year, early morning and evening are the quietest times at Strokkur.

Hveravellir

Hveravellir is a geothermal area on the Kjölur route (Road 35) in the central highlands of Iceland, between the Langjökull and Hofsjökull glaciers. Its field of steaming vents, boiling springs and pale mineral crusts has been protected as a natural monument since 1960, and it's the warm spot travelers crossing Kjölur aim for. Marked paths run between the springs, several of which have clear blue water and colored crusts around their edges. Some are at boiling point, so stay on the paths. Fjalla-Eyvindur, the 18th-century outlaw who hid in the highlands, is tied to the place, and the ruins of a shelter said to be his and a spring named after him sit at the edge of the field. The reason most people stop is the natural bathing pool, fed by the hot springs and close to the huts. After a few hours of rattling gravel road, a soak here is hard to beat. Day visitors pay a 500 ISK service fee per person, which covers the pool, toilets and showers. Hveravellir is also one of the few places with services on Kjölur. The operator runs a restaurant and café and a campsite, and in 2026 sleeping-bag beds in the old hut cost 10,900 ISK per person, while private rooms in the new hut cost 36,900 ISK with breakfast for two. Marked hiking trails lead from the hot springs into the surrounding lava and hills, and reception has maps. The site is about 90 km north of Gullfoss and roughly 200 km from both Reykjavík and Akureyri. Kjölur is an unpaved highland road that closes in winter and usually opens around June, so check the official road-conditions map before you set out. In summer most cars can manage the road, but the operator advises against the smallest models, and the nearest gas station is about 100 km away. Give yourself at least an hour for the walk and a soak, or stay the night.

Námaskarð

Námaskarð is the pass where Route 1 crosses the Námafjall ridge east of Lake Mývatn in North Iceland, and the Hverir geothermal area spreads across the slope below it. The field is bare ground stained orange, yellow and gray, full of boiling mud pots and hissing steam vents, and you will smell it before you see it. Strictly speaking, Námaskarð is the pass and Hverir (also called Hverarönd) is the field at its eastern foot, but most people use the names for the same stop. It sits right beside Route 1, about 6 kilometers east of Reykjahlíð and roughly 1 hour 15 minutes by car from Akureyri. Nothing grows here because the soil is hot and acidic, and the rotten-egg smell comes from hydrogen sulfide in the steam. Sulfur was once mined in the area, which explains the name, roughly "mine pass." A loop of roped paths runs through the field from the parking lot and takes 20 to 40 minutes. With another hour to spare, you can follow a steep marked trail up Námafjall from the same lot for a view over the vents toward Mývatn. Stay on the paths and inside the ropes, since the crust can be thin and the mud underneath is close to boiling. Because it is on the Ring Road, the site is open year-round, and the steam looks thickest on cold winter days. Expect mud in spring and ice in winter, so wear boots you can get dirty. Entry is free, but the parking lot is a paid lot with digital payment, so check the posted rate when you arrive. The Námaskarð hot springs are for looking only, as the water is far too hot to touch. For a soak, Earth Lagoon Mývatn (formerly Mývatn Nature Baths) is about 2 kilometers back toward the lake, and the Krafla area with Víti crater is a short drive north.

Flúðir

Flúðir is a geothermal village in the Hrunamannahreppur district of South Iceland, on hot ground beside the spring-fed Litla-Laxá river, about an hour and a half by car from Reykjavík. Steam rising from the fields and the glow of greenhouses are the first signs you have arrived, and the Secret Lagoon on the edge of the village is the main reason most visitors turn off the main road. The heat runs the local economy. Greenhouses warmed by geothermal water grow tomatoes, salad greens and mushrooms all year, and Flúðasveppir here is the country's largest mushroom grower. Around 500 people live in the village itself, which still has a grocery store, restaurants, guesthouses and a hotel. For the Flúðir hot springs, head to the Hverahólmi geothermal area just outside the center. Gamla laugin (the Secret Lagoon) was built there in 1891 and is kept at 38–40 °C by springs that include Litli Geysir, a small geyser that spouts every few minutes. If you just want a cheap swim, the village pool is a short walk away. Flúðir sits just east of the classic Golden Circle loop, with Gullfoss and Geysir both roughly 30 minutes north. That makes it a good overnight base for reaching them early or late, outside the tour-bus hours. In winter the hot pools are the main draw. Summer adds camping, the 18-hole Selsvöllur golf course and the walk up Miðfell, the low mountain above the village, for a view across the farmland.

Gunnuhver Hot Springs

Gunnuhver is a geothermal area of steam vents and boiling mud pools at the southwest tip of the Reykjanes Peninsula, off Route 425 near the Reykjanes lighthouse. Its main mud pool, about 20 meters across, is currently the largest in Iceland, and on a calm day you can see the steam column from the road long before you arrive. The name means Gunna's hot spring. Local legend says the ghost of a woman named Guðrún, or Gunna, haunted the district after a quarrel over unpaid rent, until a priest set a trap about 400 years ago and she fell into the spring. Stand in the sulfur-smelling steam for a minute and the story is easy to believe. The Gunnuhver geothermal area lies inside the Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark, and its water is mostly heated seawater, which is unusual in Iceland. Steaming increased sharply after the nearby geothermal power plant began drawing on the reservoir in 2006. Since then, surges of activity have damaged viewing structures and closed the site more than once. Two wooden viewing ramps keep you on safe ground. One stands next to the main mud pool, where you hear the boiling and feel the steam, and the other sits on Kísilhóll, a silica hill with a view over the whole field. Despite the name Gunnuhver hot springs, nothing here is for bathing, and the ground beyond the railings can scald. Gunnuhver is about 25 minutes from Keflavík Airport and about an hour from Reykjavík, which makes it an easy first or last stop of a trip. There's no entrance fee, and 20 to 30 minutes is enough on the platforms. Seismic activity has closed roads on the peninsula at short notice in recent years, so check the official road-conditions map and hazard notices before you set off.

Húsafell

Húsafell is a wooded valley at the head of Borgarfjörður in West Iceland, where birch forest and lava fields run up to the edge of the highlands. It's the last settled spot before the roads climb toward Langjökull, which makes it a natural base for the caves, waterfalls and glacier trips of upper Borgarfjörður. The Húsafell estate has been a farm and church site for centuries, and its best-known object dates from the 18th century. Pastor Snorri Björnsson used a basalt slab, now called the Húsafell stone, as the gate to his stone sheep pen. It weighs roughly 186 kilograms, and strongmen still travel here to try lifting it and carrying it around the pen. Today the birch wood of Húsafellsskógur shelters a campsite, holiday cabins and Hotel Húsafell, along with a geothermal swimming pool, a golf course and a small grocery store. Local sculptor Páll Guðmundsson, from the Húsafell family, carves faces into local stone. Marked trails start at the hotel, including the route into the Bæjargil ravine, which takes two to three hours and involves river crossings. From Reykjavík, Húsafell is about a two-hour drive via Borgarnes and Reykholt. The lava-fed cascades of Hraunfossar and Barnafoss are about 7 km west, and the Víðgelmir lava cave is roughly 12 minutes north by car. Guided trips onto Langjökull also meet in Húsafell, so book those ahead and treat the valley as your starting point. Plan at least half a day, or stay a night if you want to hike. The Húsafell Canyon Baths, small hot pools in a ravine above the valley, can only be reached on a guided walk from the hotel. In summer, the Kaldidalur road (F550) runs south from Húsafell toward Þingvellir, a scenic shortcut for 4x4 vehicles once it opens.