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Kirkjubæjarklaustur village

South IcelandVillageFree to visitOpen all year
Written by locals at Iceland Travel Guide · Checked by Heiða · Updated October 2026
Kirkjubæjarklaustur
Kirkjubæjarklaustur
KIRKJUBÆJARKLAUSTUR IN SHORT

Kirkjubæjarklaustur, often shortened to Klaustur, is a small village on the Ring Road in South Iceland, between the black sand beach at Vík and Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon. It sits right on Route 1, is free to walk around, and makes a good overnight stop or lunch break.

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Quick factsHistoryGetting thereThings to doBest time to visitSafety tipsFacilitiesMapNearbyWhere to stayFAQ

About Kirkjubæjarklaustur

Kirkjubæjarklaustur is the first village you reach after crossing the Mýrdalssandur outwash plain and the Eldhraun lava field on the way east from Vík. The name looks like a tongue twister, but it breaks into three plain words: kirkju (church), bæjar (of the farm) and klaustur (convent). It is pronounced roughly "KIRK-yu-bye-yar-kloy-stur", and locals just say Klaustur.

The site has a long history: Irish hermits are said to have lived here before Iceland's Norse settlement, and from 1186 to 1554 a Benedictine convent stood on the site. Little remains of the convent itself, but the name has stuck.

Today Klaustur is a small service village with hotels, restaurants and a petrol station, and it works well as a base for exploring the surrounding area, from the black lava fields left by the 1783–1784 Laki eruption to waterfalls and canyons just outside town.

Quick facts

RegionSouth Iceland, on the Ring Road
Name"Church farm convent"; usually shortened to Klaustur
From ReykjavíkAbout 250 km, around 3 hours by car
From VíkAbout 70 km, around 50 minutes by car
From SkaftafellAbout 70 km, around 50 minutes by car
Nearest glaciersSkaftafellsjökull about 70 km, Falljökull about 80 km, Sólheimajökull about 100 km
EntryFree, it is a village
ServicesHotels, restaurants, fuel, supermarket

From convent to crossroads

Local tradition says Irish monks, the Papar, lived at Kirkjubær before Norse settlers arrived in the 9th century. A settler named Ketill the Foolish, himself a Christian, later farmed here, and it was long said that only Christians could live at Kirkjubær and that pagans were not welcome.

The old story of Hildir Eysteinsson tells what happened to one who tried. Hildir, a pagan from Meðalland, decided to move to Kirkjubær after Ketill's time, but dropped dead as he reached the edge of the farm. He is said to be buried in Hildishaugur (Hildir's Mound), a rocky hillock just east of the village.

A Benedictine convent operated here from 1186 until the Reformation in 1554, and it gave the village its name. The nuns are remembered in several place names: Systrafoss (Sisters' Falls), Systravatn (Sisters' Lake) and Systrastapi (Sisters' Rock), a rock pillar west of the village. According to legend, two nuns who broke their vows were burned at the stake and buried on top of it.

How to get to Kirkjubæjarklaustur

On a guided tourMost multi-day South Coast tours stop in or near Kirkjubæjarklaustur, often as a lunch or overnight stop on the way to Jökulsárlón.
By carThe village sits directly on Route 1 (the Ring Road), about 3 hours east of Reykjavík.
By public transportLong-distance buses along the south coast stop in Kirkjubæjarklaustur; check current timetables before relying on this.

Things to do in Kirkjubæjarklaustur

Most of what there is to see is within walking distance of the village or a few minutes' drive away.

Walk up past Systrafoss to SystravatnThe Klaustur trail starts in the village and climbs through the woods beside <a href="/locations/systrafoss-waterfall/">Systrafoss</a> to Systravatn, the lake on the plateau above. The climb is short and steep, and the view from the top takes in the village, the Skaftá river and the lava fields beyond.
Climb SystrastapiThe rock pillar of the nuns' legend stands a short walk west of the village. A chain is fixed to the rock to help you up. The climb is short but exposed, so skip it in wet or windy weather.
Stjórnarfoss<a href="/locations/stjornarfoss-waterfall/">Stjórnarfoss</a> is a small two-step waterfall just north of the village. On warm summer days locals bathe in the pool below it.
Kirkjugólf<a href="/locations/kirkjugolf/">Kirkjugólf</a> ("the church floor") is a flat patch of basalt column tops in a field just east of the village that looks like paving laid by hand. It takes ten minutes to see.
The swimming poolLike most Icelandic villages, Klaustur has a geothermal swimming pool with hot tubs. It is a good way to end a day of driving.
Skaftárstofa visitor centreSkaftárstofa is the Vatnajökull National Park visitor centre for this area, with staff who can advise on trails and road conditions, and exhibitions on local nature, including the mosses that cover the lava fields.

Best time to visit Kirkjubæjarklaustur

SummerLong daylight hours and the busiest period on the south coast, with hotels booking up well ahead.
WinterQuieter, with short days. Useful as a stopover to break up a longer south coast drive, but check road and weather conditions before travelling.

Safety and practical tips

  • Book accommodation ahead in summer, options in the village are limited.
  • Fill up on fuel here if you are continuing east, stations are spaced out beyond Klaustur.
  • Check weather and road conditions on vedur.is and umferdin.is before driving on, especially in winter.
  • Use Klaustur as a base for Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon and the Laki lava fields rather than driving them in one long day.
  • Do not walk on the moss in the Eldhraun lava field. It takes decades to recover from a footprint.

Facilities and accessibility

Hotels, guesthouses, a campsite, restaurants and cafés, a supermarket, a fuel station, a swimming pool with hot tubs and the Skaftárstofa visitor centre.

On the map

Open in Google Maps →

Nearby places worth a stop

Fjaðrárgljúfur canyonFjaðrárgljúfur canyonDeep, winding canyonSystrafossSystrafossWaterfall above the villageStjórnarfossStjórnarfossQuiet waterfall nearbyFoss á SíðuFoss á SíðuWaterfall on a farm cliffFossálarFossálarSmall roadside waterfallKirkjugólfKirkjugólfNatural basalt "church floor" by the villageFagrifossFagrifossWaterfall on the highland road towards Laki (4x4)EldhraunEldhraunMoss-covered lava field from the Laki eruption

Where to stay near Kirkjubæjarklaustur

Kirkjubæjarklaustur has several hotels, guesthouses and a campsite, making it one of the main overnight stops between Vík and Höfn.

Kirkjubæjarklaustur FAQ

Why is it called Klaustur?

Klaustur means "convent" in Icelandic, a reference to the Benedictine convent that stood here from 1186 to 1554. Locals often shorten the full name to Klaustur.

How far is Kirkjubæjarklaustur from Reykjavík?

About 250 km, around 3 hours by car on Route 1.

Is it a good overnight stop?

Yes, it is roughly halfway between Vík and Jökulsárlón and has hotels, restaurants and fuel, which makes it a popular place to break the journey.

How do you pronounce Kirkjubæjarklaustur?

Roughly "KIRK-yu-bye-yar-kloy-stur". Most people simply say Klaustur.

What is there to do in Kirkjubæjarklaustur?

Walk up beside Systrafoss to Systravatn lake, see Systrastapi, Stjórnarfoss and Kirkjugólf, use the swimming pool, and visit Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon a short drive west.

See Kirkjubæjarklaustur with a local

Tours and trips that include Kirkjubæjarklaustur, booked directly with a local travel agency in Iceland.

Laki Crater & Lakagígar Lava TourDAY TOURLaki Crater & Lakagígar Lava TourFrom 40,000 ISK per person
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