Hike to Volcanic Eruption Sites & Reykjanes Tour

The guided tour starts with our fast and efficient pick-up service, where we will come to pick you up from either one of the hotels in the center of Reykjavik or one of the designated pick-up stops across the city. With everyone on board our comfortable minibus we will then depart from the capital, and begin our exciting road trip with an experienced, knowledgeable tour guide.

Depending on the duration of the volcano hike, we may skip this stop.

Our first stop of the day is at Lake Kleifarvatn, the biggest lake in the volcanic Reykjanes Peninsula. The lake is surrounded by fascinating geological features such as palagonite and sandstone mountains, formed in ancient subglacial volcanic eruptions.  
The lake is rimmed with black basalt beaches and beautiful rock formations sculpted by the weather elements throughout the centuries. Kleifarvatn has been severely affected by seismic activity in recent years which led to the lake partially draining. This activity also created a new hot-spring in one corner of the lake. The Lake’s folklore gives this stunning place an extra mysterious feeling.

Depending on the duration of the volcano hike, we may skip this stop.

Our next stop is at Seltún, where you can view the effect that geothermal waters can have on an environment. Here one can walk along wooden paths winding between boiling and hissing mud pools and streams of natural hot water flowing over the colorful ground and rock. The air is thick with the smell of sulphur emitted from these hot-springs. Beneath the surface, the hot water dissolves minerals such as sulphur from the rocks and ground soil, leading to this distinctive stench. Two viewing platforms overhang the area allowing you a 360 degree point of view over the area.

We now reach the main event! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to get up close and personal with a volcano eruption site. Normally volcanic eruptions in Iceland occur in very remote and difficult to reach locations. In the same area as the 2021 Fagradalsfjall eruption, the hike to Meradalir is longer and can be up to 4 hours and 14 km covered in the round trip. 

Your guide will take you to the nearest viewing point for the best view of the newly made lava field. During the height of the eruption, lava shot many hundreds of metres in the air and was visible over the mountains in Reykjavík, 50 kms to the north. Once expelled from the crater, the lava flowed down the valley adding to the immense mass of the newly formed lava fields. On the drive to the volcano you will have seen moss covered lava fields formed many thousands of years ago. The new and rapidly cooling lava fields will no doubt resemble them in years to come.
Even if you happen to visit on a less active day, you cannot fail to be impressed by the sheer scale and landscape changing power of this eruption.

We proceed to Gunnuhver hot-springs, the centerpiece of the UNESCO Global Geopark. This protected geothermal area is highly active, with steam vents and mud-pools dotting the landscape.

In myth, the mischievous ghost of Gúðrun or Gúnna was trapped here in the mud-pools. Perhaps the violent, barely repressed nature of the area can be explained by the presence of this angry ghost!. Hver is the Icelandic word for hot-spring. So this is the hot-spring of Gunna or Gunnuhver.

Iceland’s largest mud-pool is located here and measures 20m in diameter. Like at Seltun, the smelly sulphuric steam lingers over the area.

Geothermal power plants are common in Iceland and Iceland is a world leader in harnessing this raw geothermal energy as well as in renewable energy. The nearby Reykjanes Power Station use this thermal water for electricity generation and district heating for the locality.

We continue to the majestic Reykjanesviti lighthouse. Dating from the early 20th century, this popular lighthouse has guided ships for over a century with its light a shining beacon at a height of 63m above sea-level. Situated on Bæjarfell hill, the lighthouse is popular with amateur photographers and is also a good place to take in the breathtaking coastal features. 
Here you can also admire Valhnúkamöl boulder ridge, sea-cliffs, sea-stacks, and skerries which are a haven and nesting ground for sea-birds of all description. Eldey Island in the distance is home to the world´s largest Northern Gannet colony, with over 16,000 breeding pairs.These coastal features are under constant attack by the furious waves of the North Atlantic Ocean.

Our last stop of the day is the Bridge between Continents. After witnessing the effects of seismic activity over the course of this day, here is an opportunity to visualise the root cause of all the wonders you have seen.

Reykjanes peninsula lies on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge where two major tectonic plates are moving apart from one another, the gap increasing by a few centimeters each year. This location is one of the few locations on earth in which this ridge is above sea level.The bridge between continents is a 15-meter footbridge that gives you a unique opportunity to walk between the two tectonic plates where North America and Europe drift apart.

We get back on the bus and begin our drive back to the city which will take just under 1 hour and will see moss covered lava fields, the remains of past volcanic eruptions in this region scarred and built from seismic activity.