Iceland Travel GuideLOCAL TRAVEL AGENCY IN ICELAND
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Iceland Travel GuideLOCAL TRAVEL AGENCY IN ICELAND
My trip
Talk to a local
Dimmuborgir is a field of tall, dark lava pillars and small caves on the eastern side of Lake Mývatn in North Iceland, about 470 km (around 6 hours) from Reykjavík. It is free to enter, open all year, and has five marked loops, from a 15-minute stroll to the Church Circle of about an hour.
The name means "Dark Castles", and it fits. Dimmuborgir is a maze of black lava towers, arches and small caves, left behind when a lava lake drained away around 2,300 years ago and the crust collapsed into strange, castle-like shapes. Steam pillars that once cooled the lava from below are now hollow rock chimneys you can walk between and, in places, through.
It is one of the more atmospheric stops on the Diamond Circle, and it is easy to see why it has gathered so much folklore, and why film crews have used it for otherworldly landscapes. In Game of Thrones it was the setting for Mance Rayder’s wildling camp. A network of marked paths loops through the formations, from a short paved walk to longer routes that take in the far side of the field.
The best-known formation is Kirkjan, "the Church", a tall arch you can walk into. Give yourself time to wander rather than rushing the shortest loop; the lava shapes look different from every angle, and quieter side paths are usually far less busy than the main one.
The shapes come from water as much as fire. Lava from the Þrengslaborgir and Lúdentsborgir crater row pooled here over a small lake and marsh. The water boiled, steam rose through the molten rock and cooled it into pillars, and when the lava lake drained the pillars and hollow chambers were left standing. The tallest show that the lava lake was at least 10 m deep. Some of the caves and chambers are big enough for several people to stand inside, and in summer moss and birch soften the black rock.
In Icelandic folklore, Dimmuborgir is said to be a place where this world touches the world of trolls and elves, and the rock shapes are described as their castles and hiding places. One story ties it to Grýla, the troll who is said to come down from the mountains at Christmas, and to her sons the Yule Lads, who are traditionally said to have a home somewhere in these lava fields.
Older tales are darker. Dimmuborgir is said to connect the earth with the underworld, and in Nordic Christian lore it is the place where Satan landed when he was cast out of heaven. The friendlier Yule Lads have the upper hand today: local people have fitted out a small cave among the rocks as their home, with beds and belongings for all thirteen.
You do not need to believe any of it to feel the pull of the place. Walking among towers of black rock with steam sometimes drifting from the nearby geothermal fields, it is not hard to see why generations of Icelanders told these stories about it.
Coloured markers show five loops that all start from the car park. Lengths are approximate, and you can join loops together.
Keep to the marked paths. The formations look alike and it is easy to lose your bearings, the lava is brittle and must not be climbed, and some areas are roped off to protect plants and nesting birds. Paths can be slippery when wet or icy.
There is a café with a gift shop and toilets at the car park, along with information boards about the lava formations. Opening hours are shorter outside summer. Fuel, a shop and more places to eat are in Reykjahlíð village, about 10 minutes away by car.
Most visitors stay in Reykjahlíð by the lake, a few minutes from Dimmuborgir, or in Akureyri, a little over an hour away, if combining it with other North Iceland stops. Reykjahlíð has hotels, guesthouses and a campsite right on the water.
Yes, there is no entry fee and parking is free.
The Small Circle takes 15–20 minutes and the Church Circle about an hour. Allow up to 90 minutes if you want to combine loops.
About 470 km, roughly 6 hours by car, so most visitors see it as part of a longer North Iceland or Ring Road trip.
Yes, it is open all year, though paths can be icy and daylight is limited from November to February.
It translates roughly as "Dark Castles", after the tall black lava towers.
Yes. Dimmuborgir was the backdrop for Mance Rayder’s wildling camp in the series.
About 2,300 years ago lava pooled over a small lake. Steam from the boiling water cooled pillars inside the lava, and they were left standing when the lava lake drained.
Yes, there is a café with a gift shop and toilets by the car park.
Tours and trips that include Dimmuborgir, booked directly with a local travel agency in Iceland.
DAY TOURLake Myvatn Day Tour & Goðafoss WaterfallFrom 23,000 ISK per person
SHORE EXCURSIONLake Myvatn & GoðafossFrom 25,300 ISK per person
SHORE EXCURSIONLake Myvatn & GoðafossFrom 21,990 ISK per person
SHORE EXCURSIONGoðafoss & Lake MyvatnFrom 21,990 ISK per person
MULTI-DAY6 Day Iceland Ring Road Tour in SummerFrom 277,119 ISK per person
