Reykjanes Volcano Fields & Grindavík Afternoon Tour

A half-day tour of the Reykjanes peninsula's volcanic side. You see Kleifarvatn lake, the steaming ground at Seltún, and the lava fields left by the eruptions near Grindavík.

• Fresh lava fields from Reykjanes's recent eruptions
• Steaming ground and mud pools at Seltún
• Kleifarvatn, one of the peninsula's largest lakes
• A look at Grindavík, close to where the 2023–2024 eruptions broke out
• An afternoon departure, so it fits around a morning flight or another activity

Your day, stop by stop

2KleifarvatnOne of Reykjanes's largest lakes, set in a volcanic bowl.

Kleifarvatn is the largest lake on the Reykjanes Peninsula, about 9.1 km² and around 97 metres deep, which makes it one of the deepest lakes in Iceland. It lies below the steep ridge of Sveifluháls, close to the Seltún geothermal area, in a stark landscape of thick moss-covered lava, with steam rising from hot springs in several places.

Read our Kleifarvatn guide →

3Seltún geothermal areaBubbling mud pools and steaming, sulphur-stained ground.

Krýsuvík is a geothermal system on the Reykjanes Peninsula, and Seltún is the part most visitors see: a compact hillside of bubbling mud pots, hissing steam vents and mineral-stained ground in yellows, reds and greys. Wooden walkways and viewing platforms let you get close without stepping on the ground, which is fragile and can be scalding hot. Keep to the boardwalks.

Walking · boardwalk paths

Read our Krýsuvík guide →

4GrænavatnA small, strikingly green crater lake.

A small, strikingly green crater lake, coloured green by minerals and algae in the water.

5NátthagiThe site of the 2021 Fagradalsfjall eruption.

A valley where lava from the 2021 Fagradalsfjall eruption spread, now cooled into dark rock fields.

6GrindavíkA fishing town close to the recent eruption sites.

Grindavík is a fishing town on the Reykjanes peninsula, close to the Blue Lagoon. Before 2023 it had around 3,000 residents. Since an earthquake swarm in October 2023 and the eruptions that followed, the town has been evacuated more than once, and access depends on current advice from the authorities.

Read our Grindavík guide →

7Sundhnúkagígar lava fieldFresh lava from the 2024 eruption.

A raw, black lava field from one of the most recent eruptions in the Sundhnúkur crater row near Grindavík.

About the Reykjanes volcano afternoon tour

Reykjanes has been the most active part of Iceland in the last few years, with a series of eruptions breaking out near Grindavík since 2021. This afternoon tour takes you through the volcanic landscape that resulted: black lava fields, steaming geothermal ground and the fissures where the most recent eruptions started.

You pass Kleifarvatn, a quiet lake in a volcanic bowl, then Seltún, a geothermal area with bubbling mud pools and sulphur-stained ground, and Grænavatn, a small crater lake. From there the route heads toward Grindavík and the Sundhnúkagígar lava field from the 2024 eruption, and Nátthagi, site of the 2021 eruption.

It's an easy tour with short stops rather than long hikes, and it runs year round. Reykjanes is exposed and windy, so bring a proper waterproof layer whatever the forecast says, and expect spiked shoe covers to be handed out in icy months.

• Ice grips for your shoes, to buy (October to April)
• Waterproof jacket and trousers rental
• Hiking boot rental

Questions people ask