Iceland Travel Guide logo Iceland Travel GuideLOCAL TRAVEL AGENCY IN ICELAND My trip Talk to a local

Reykjanes Peninsula Private Tour

About 6.5 hoursGroup: Private tour, up to 3 adults and 2 childrenEasyPrivate vehicle and guideNo minimum ageAll year
5.0(1 review)
Coloured geothermal hills at KrýsuvíkSteam rising from GunnuhverThe Bridge Between ContinentsKleifarvatn lake at dusk
Bathers in the Blue Lagoon

A private Reykjanes Peninsula tour with your own guide and small vehicle. You see the peninsula's volcanoes, geothermal areas and coastline at your own pace, with lunch in Grindavík included.

KrýsuvíkKleifarvatnNew lava fieldsGrindavíkBrimketillGunnuhver
  • Your own guide and vehicle, for your group only
  • Recent lava fields from the Reykjanes eruptions
  • Krýsuvík's bubbling mud pots, Brimketill and the Bridge Between Continents
  • Gunnuhver, Iceland's largest mud pool, right by the coast
  • Lunch in Grindavík included

Your day, stop by stop

Click a stop for photos and practical tips.
1Pick-up in ReykjavíkYour guide meets you at your hotel.
2Krýsuvík geothermal areaKrýsuvík geothermal areaBubbling mud pots and steaming vents at Seltún, on a boardwalk.
Krýsuvík geothermal areaKrýsuvík geothermal areaKrýsuvík geothermal area

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.

Time here · about 30 minutesWalking · boardwalk paths
Read our Krýsuvík guide →
3Kleifarvatn lake at duskKleifarvatn lakeA quiet lake in a lava landscape, on the road through Krýsuvík.
Kleifarvatn lake at duskKleifarvatn lakeKleifarvatn lake

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 →
4Crater and fresh lava fieldNew lava fieldsFresh lava from the recent eruptions, starting at Geldingadalir.
Crater and fresh lava fieldThe lava field at sunset

The tour visits the Reykjanes peninsula's recent eruption sites, starting at Geldingadalir, where fresh black lava now spreads across the landscape. Your guide explains what happened and when, and how close you go depends on which areas are open at the time. The walk can include an uphill stretch, so wear sturdy shoes.

Time here · about 1 hourWalking · depends on how close you go; can involve an uphill walk
5Lunch in GrindavíkLunch in GrindavíkLunch at Bryggjan Café in the fishing town of Grindavík, known for its lobster soup and Icelandic meat soup.
Lunch in GrindavíkLunch in GrindavíkLunch in Grindavík

Lunch is at Bryggjan Café in the fishing town of Grindavík, known for its lobster soup and Icelandic meat soup, and it is included in the price. Drinks are extra. Grindavík is the town closest to the recent eruptions, and what you see of it depends on current access.

Time here · about 45–60 minutes
Read our Grindavík guide →
6Blue Lagoon (photo stop)Blue Lagoon (photo stop)A stop to see the milky blue water from outside. Entry is not included.
Blue Lagoon (photo stop)Blue Lagoon (photo stop)Blue Lagoon (photo stop)

The Blue Lagoon is a milky-blue geothermal spa on the Reykjanes peninsula. The water is geothermal seawater from the nearby Svartsengi power plant, rich in silica and minerals, and it stays at 37 to 40°C all year, whatever the weather outside. The silica gives the water its blue-white colour and a slightly cloudy, mineral feel. The lagoon holds about nine million litres, renewed roughly every 40 hours.

Read our The Blue Lagoon guide →
7BrimketillBrimketillA rock pool in the lava coast where the Atlantic waves crash in.
BrimketillBrimketillBrimketill

Brimketill means 'surf cauldron'. It is a round pool cut into the edge of the lava shore, at the foot of a low cliff by the open ocean, shaped by the sea over thousands of years and filled by waves. It is sometimes called a hot spring, but it is not geothermally heated: it is cold Atlantic seawater, and swimming is dangerous. A viewing platform with a small set of steps overlooks it.

Read our Brimketill guide →
8Reykjanes lighthouse above the steam of GunnuhverValahnúkur and ReykjanesvitiSea cliffs and the old Reykjanes lighthouse at the tip of the peninsula.
Reykjanes lighthouse above the steam of GunnuhverLighthouse on a hill on the Reykjanes peninsula

Reykjanestá is the bare, wind-scoured southwestern tip of the Reykjanes Peninsula, where the Mid-Atlantic Ridge comes ashore, with sea cliffs, stacks, the Valahnúkamöl boulder ridge and geothermal steam. Iceland's first lighthouse was built here in 1878, but earthquakes and erosion damaged it so badly that a replacement was built inland in 1907 to 1908. That newer lighthouse, about 26 metres tall, is still in use, though it is not open inside to visitors.

Read our Askja guide →
9Gunnuhver hot springsGunnuhver hot springsIceland's largest mud pool, steaming right by the sea.
Gunnuhver hot springsGunnuhver hot springsGunnuhver hot springs

Gunnuhver sits where the Mid-Atlantic Ridge runs through the Reykjanes peninsula and the ground is thin and active. It has one of the largest mud pools in the country, a roiling grey pit about 20 metres wide, surrounded by steam vents and sulphur-stained ground. Raised boardwalks let you get close without stepping onto the unstable, superheated crust, so stay on them.

Time here · about 30 minutesWalking · short walk on a platform
Read our Gunnuhver guide →
10Bridge Between ContinentsBridge Between ContinentsA footbridge across a fissure between the North American and Eurasian plates.
Bridge Between ContinentsBridge Between ContinentsBridge Between Continents

The Bridge Between Continents is a footbridge, about 15 metres long, built in 2002 over a rift on the Reykjanes Peninsula. The fissure below is part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the Eurasian and North American plates are slowly pulling apart by roughly 2 to 2.5 centimetres a year, and it is one of the few places on land where you can walk from one plate to the other in a few seconds.

Read our Bridge Between Continents guide →
11Back to ReykjavíkDrop-off at your hotel.

About the Reykjanes Peninsula private tour

Reykjanes is the peninsula south-west of Reykjavík, and it has been Iceland's most active volcanic area in recent years. On this private tour your guide takes you around at your own pace, with a small vehicle for your group only, so you can stop for longer wherever you like.

The day mixes geothermal areas, like the steaming vents and mud pots at Krýsuvík and Gunnuhver's mud pools by the coast, with fresh lava fields from the recent eruptions, Kleifarvatn lake, the Brimketill rock pool, the lighthouse at Reykjanesviti and the Bridge Between Continents. You also stop to see the Blue Lagoon from outside. Lunch is included at Bryggjan Café in Grindavík, the fishing town closest to the recent eruptions.

Reykjanes is open, exposed terrain with little shelter, so wind and weather can change quickly even on a short drive from the airport. Being private, your guide can adjust the route around the weather and around what has recently been open or closed near the volcano sites.

Included

  • Private guide and vehicle
  • Pick-up and drop-off in Reykjavík
  • Lunch in Grindavík
  • Entry and parking fees on the route

Not included

  • Drinks with lunch
  • Optional extras
  • Blue Lagoon entry

What to bring

  • Warm, windproof and waterproof jacket
  • Comfortable walking shoes
  • Hat and gloves outside summer

Good to know

  • The price is per vehicle, for a private group of up to 3 adults, plus up to 2 children
  • Duration is about 6.5 hours
  • Suitable for all ages
  • Reykjanes is open, windy terrain with little shelter
  • Some stops depend on which areas near the volcano are open at the time

Questions people ask

Is the price per person or per group?

Per vehicle and group, since this is a private tour.

Is lunch included?

Yes, lunch at Bryggjan Café in Grindavík is included.

Will we see an active volcano?

You see the recent lava fields and eruption sites near Fagradalsfjall. Whether there is any current activity depends on what is happening at the time; your guide will tell you the latest.

Can we change the route?

Yes, it is a private tour, so your guide can adjust stops and pace to suit your group.

Reviews

Reviews from travellers who took this tour. A local reads every review before it is shown.
5.0Based on 1 review
5 stars1
4 stars0
3 stars0
2 stars0
1 star0
Great guide and beautiful day

Had a wonderful time on this private tour with Petur - he is the best guide we have ever had on a tour.
The area around Reykjanes the Blue Lagoon and the lava fields is stunning and it was very convenient to end the day at Keflavik airport for our flight back home. Recommend this tour for your last day in Iceland!

Richard L. · April 2025
From179,900 ISKPer vehicle, for your whole group

Other private tours

Volcano Tour in IcelandVolcano Tour in IcelandFrom 15,990 ISKReykjanes Volcano Fields & GrindavíkReykjanes Volcano Fields & GrindavíkFrom 14,990 ISKReykjanes GeoParkReykjanes GeoParkFrom 19,300 ISK
More tours like this:Volcano tours in IcelandSightseeing tours in IcelandReykjanes toursPrivate tours in IcelandAll categories →
Our guides to places on this tour:AskjaBrimketillGrindavíkGunnuhverKleifarvatnKrýsuvíkReykjanestáReykjavík
From179,900 ISK