Skaftafell: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

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Skaftafell is a green island between two rivers of ice, a heath of birch and flowers wedged under Vatnajökull. Everything here starts from the visitor centre, and every path climbs. This walk goes up past small falls to Svartifoss, along the edge of the heath to the viewpoint, then down to the glacier snout; strong walkers can add the high ridge. Allow three to four hours for the loop and a full day with the summit; wear boots and carry a layer, since the wind off the ice is cold.

A short history of Skaftafell

For centuries Skaftafell was an isolated farm between glaciers and rivers, on the southern side of the Vatnajökull glacier. The farms moved up the slope again and again, because the rivers coming down from the glacier covered the fields with sand and stones. In 1967 the area was declared a national park, and in 2008 it became part of Vatnajökull National Park. Until 1974 there was no road here; only then did the bridge over the Skeiðará River open, completing the Ring Road around Iceland. In November 1996, after a volcano erupted beneath the glacier, a huge flood of water and blocks of ice swept away some of the bridges. The remains of a twisted bridge girder are on display beside the road.

The ten best sights in Skaftafell

1
Svartifoss
About 45 minutes uphill from the visitor centre; go early or late, the midday path is busy
2
Sjónarnípa
The viewpoint over Skaftafellsjökull; continue here after Svartifoss for a loop
3
Skaftafellsjökull
A flat path from the visitor centre to the glacier snout; never climb onto the ice without a guide
4
Svínafellsjökull
A short walk from the parking to a view of the crevassed ice; the side road is gravel
5
Falljökull
Where most guided glacier walks go; book in Skaftafell and take the gear they give you
6
Kvíárjökull
A quiet glacier inside a huge moraine; almost no one stops
7
Fjallsárlón
Icebergs right under the glacier wall, 30 minutes east; smaller and calmer than Jökulsárlón
8
Jökulsárlón
The great iceberg lagoon, 40 minutes east; cross the road to the beach where the ice washes up
9
Ingólfshöfði
Puffins on a headland across the sands; you can only go with the hay-wagon tour from Hofsnes
10
Hofskirkja
A turf church still used for services; step in quietly

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Tours in Skaftafell →

A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Skaftafell:

Free walking tours in Skaftafell

Skaftafell on foot

Skaftafell visitor centre · Skaftafell became a national park in 1967, and in 2008 it was joined into Vatnajökull National Park. The rangers at the desk post the day's trail and weather conditions.
Magnúsarfoss · The Svartifoss path follows the stream Stórilækur, which falls over several smaller steps on the way down. Magnúsarfoss is one of them, a good place to catch your breath on the climb.
Svartifoss · The black fall drops over hanging columns of basalt, formed when lava cooled slowly and cracked into six-sided pillars. The architect Guðjón Samúelsson used the same shape for Hallgrímskirkja in Reykjavík.
Sjónarnípa · From the point you look straight down onto Skaftafellsjökull and the lagoon at its snout. The lagoon is new: it has formed as the ice pulled back in recent decades.
Kristínartindar · The twin peaks are the high point of the Skaftafell heath, and the path to them climbs above 1,100 metres. On a clear day the view takes in Iceland's highest mountain and the whole outwash plain to the sea.
Skaftafellsjökull · Skaftafellsjökull is one of the outlet glaciers of Vatnajökull, the largest ice cap in Europe by volume. From the snout you see only its last few kilometres; the ice behind it covers about 8 percent of Iceland.

The glacier tongues of Öræfi

East of Skaftafell, Route 1 runs for an hour along the foot of the ice. One glacier tongue after another comes down from Vatnajökull and from Öræfajökull, the volcano under the ice, and each ends differently: in crevasses, in a moraine, or in a lagoon full of icebergs. This drive stops at six of them, from the closest to the most famous. Half a day by car, mostly on the main road with short gravel side roads; leave Jökulsárlón for the evening, when the light is low and the crowds are gone.

Svínafellsjökull · Christopher Nolan filmed scenes of the ice planet in Interstellar on this glacier. Batman Begins was shot here too, and the crevassed ice has stood in for other worlds many times.
Falljökull · The name means the falling glacier: the ice tumbles over a steep step in a frozen cascade of blocks. Its lower tongue, by contrast, is gentle, which is why guides take beginners here.
Kvíárjökull · The glacier lies inside a horseshoe of moraine so high that it looks like a range of hills. The ice pushed the rubble up when it was larger, and has since shrunk back inside it.
Fjallsárlón · Fjallsjökull, the glacier behind this lagoon, flows down from Öræfajökull, the ice-covered volcano whose rim holds Iceland's highest peak. Boats here sail close to the glacier front.
Breiðárlón · Breiðárlón is fed by Breiðamerkurjökull, the same glacier that feeds Jökulsárlón further east. Few visitors take the short gravel road, so the ice here floats in silence.
Jökulsárlón · The lagoon is the deepest lake in Iceland, and it has grown fast as the glacier retreats. Two James Bond films, A View to a Kill and Die Another Day, were shot among its icebergs.

Öræfi, the district the volcano emptied

This corner of Iceland was once called Litlahérað, the little district, a farming valley at the foot of the mountains. In 1362 Öræfajökull erupted and buried it, and afterwards people called it Öræfi, the wasteland. Glacial rivers cut it off on both sides for centuries, and the route follows that isolation: from the farm of the man who guided travellers across the sands, over the bridge that ended it, to a turf church and the headland where Iceland's first settler spent his first winter. A full day by car, from 30 minutes west to 30 minutes south-east of Skaftafell.

Núpsstaður · Hannes Jónsson of Núpsstaður was for decades the guide and mail carrier who led travellers across the rivers of Skeiðarársandur. People hired him because a wrong step in the braided glacial streams could kill a horse and rider.
Skeiðarárbrú memorial · The bridge over the Skeiðará, about 880 metres long, opened in 1974 and closed Iceland's Ring Road for the first time. In 1996 a flood burst out from under Vatnajökull after an eruption and tore part of it away; the twisted girders were left here as a memorial.
Svínafell · In Njáls saga this was the farm of Flosi Þórðarson, who led the burning of Njáll and his family. The saga ends with Flosi and the last of Njáll's avengers reconciled.
Hvannadalshnúkur · At about 2,110 metres it is the highest peak in Iceland, standing on the rim of Öræfajökull's crater. Climbers set off before dawn and usually spend 10 to 15 hours on the mountain, roped together on the ice.
Hofskirkja · The turf church at Hof was built in 1884 on the site of older churches, and it was the last church built in Iceland in the old turf style. It is still the parish church of Öræfi.
Ingólfshöfði · According to the Book of Settlements, Ingólfur Arnarson, Iceland's first settler, landed here and spent his first winter on the headland in the 870s. Today it is a nature reserve full of puffins and skuas.

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Getting to Skaftafell and getting around

Skaftafell visitor centre stop · Long-distance buses along Route 1 stop at the visitor centre; check the summer and winter timetables
Freysnes bus stop · Most hotels are here at Freysnes, 5 km east of the park; the stop is by the hotel and fuel station

Cheap eats in Skaftafell

There is almost no food in Skaftafell itself: a cafeteria in the visitor centre, a food truck outside it, and a shop at the Freysnes fuel station. Further east the glacier lagoons have cafés, and the next real lunch is an hour away. Prices are Icelandic and choice is small, so the best plan is a picnic bought in Freysnes and eaten in front of the ice.

Glacier Goodies · Food truck at the visitor centre; soup or fish and chips about 2,500-4,000 ISK
Skaftafell Cafeteria · Coffee, cakes and soup in the visitor centre, about 1,000-3,000 ISK
Freysnes shop · Shop and snack counter at the fuel station; sandwiches and hot dogs about 800-2,500 ISK
Fjallsárlón Frost · Café by the lagoon car park, about 1,500-3,500 ISK
Jökulsárlón Café · Soup and coffee at the lagoon, about 1,500-3,500 ISK
Þórbergssetur · Lunch buffet or soup, 50 minutes east, about 2,500-4,000 ISK

Museums in Skaftafell

Hofskirkja · The last turf church built in Iceland, still in use
Skeiðarárbrú memorial · The twisted girders of the 1996 flood
Skaftafell visitor centre · Small exhibition on the park, the glaciers and the floods
Þórbergssetur · A writer's life and the history of Suðursveit
Núpsstaður · Old farm buildings and a turf chapel under the cliffs

Nature and day trips near Skaftafell

Svartifoss · The black fall framed by basalt columns
Svínafellsjökull · Blue crevassed ice a short walk from the car
Jökulsárlón · Icebergs from Breiðamerkurjökull drifting to the sea
Fjallsárlón · Smaller lagoon right under the glacier wall
Ingólfshöfði · Puffins and skuas on a headland in the sands
Lómagnúpur · A giant cliff at the edge of the black sands
Kvíárjökull · A glacier wrapped in its own moraine

Things to do in Skaftafell with kids

Ingólfshöfði · A ride across the sands in a wagon behind a tractor, then puffins
Skaftafellsjökull · A flat walk to the edge of a real glacier
Jökulsárlón · Boat trips among the icebergs, in summer
Svartifoss · A walk with three little waterfalls before the big one
Fjallsárlón · Icebergs close enough to see from the shore

Where to eat in Skaftafell

Hotel Skaftafell · Dinner at Freysnes, the closest restaurant to the park
Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon · Hotel restaurant 25 minutes east, with a view to the ice
Adventure Hotel Hof · Hotel at Hof near the turf church; ask ahead about dinner for non-guests

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Frequently asked questions about Skaftafell

What is there to see in Skaftafell?

The top sights in Skaftafell are Svartifoss, Sjónarnípa and Skaftafellsjökull. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Skaftafell?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of Skaftafell without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in Skaftafell?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Skaftafell, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: Skaftafell on foot.

How do you get to Skaftafell and get around?

The main ways are Skaftafell visitor centre stop and Freysnes bus stop. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Skaftafell, and for how much?

sleepntrip shows only rooms in Skaftafell that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.

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