Fagradalsfjall

In spring 2021, half of Iceland went for a walk. A volcano had erupted within an hour of Reykjavík for the first time in centuries, and families, pensioners and people in office shoes hiked over a mountain to watch lava fountains at dinner time. It was a strange, happy few months. The lava has cooled now. The hike is still worth it.

Fagradalsfjall is a low mountain on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwest Iceland, about an hour's drive from Reykjavík. On 19 March 2021 a fissure opened in Geldingadalir, a valley on its slopes, and lava flowed for six months, until September 2021. It was the first eruption on the peninsula in about 800 years. Two more followed nearby: in Meradalir in August 2022, and next to the hill Litli-Hrútur in July–August 2023.

Tours that visit Fagradalsfjall

Grindavík, Krýsuvík & Eruption Site Half Day Tour

5 hours and 30 minutes · From Reykjavík

4.6(30)

From 14.990 ISK

Volcano Eruption Site & Blue Lagoon Admission Tour

9 hours · From Reykjavík

4.7(184)

From 32.990 ISK

Volcanic Caves and Craters: The Lava Tunnel, Grindavík & Reykjanes Lava Fields Combo Tour

9 hours · From Reykjavík

From 23.990 ISK

Small group Tour Reykjanes Peninsula: Lighthouses, Hot Springs and The Sky Lagoon

10 hours · From Reykjavík

5(63)

From 38.000 ISK

Small group Tour: Volcanoes and Hot Springs of Reykjanes

10 hours · From Reykjavík

5(63)

From 26.000 ISK

Family Volcano Discovery – Private Reykjanes Peninsula & Sky Lagoon Experience

7 hours · From Reykjavík

5(63)

From 199.643 ISK

What you'll see at Fagradalsfjall today

Black, fresh lava. Lots of it. The three eruptions left overlapping lava fields that filled whole valleys, with the craters standing up in the middle. In places the lava is still warm under the surface and steams after rain. It's the closest most people will ever get to brand-new land.

Don't walk on the lava. The crust can be thin with hollow spaces under it, and the edges are sharp enough to cut boots and hands. Stay on the marked trails.

Hiking to the Fagradalsfjall eruption sites

There are parking areas off Route 427 with marked trails from them. Parking is paid. Visit Reykjanes lists several paths: Path A up to the 2021–2022 craters is about 6–8 km one way, roughly two to two and a half hours of hiking each way; shorter paths lead to viewpoints over the lava fields; and the long Path E to Meradalir and Litli-Hrútur is 18–20 km return, about five to six hours. The terrain is rough gravel and rock, with steep sections. Bring good boots, water, a windproof layer and a charged phone.

Trails can close at short notice when there's new activity on the peninsula or when the weather turns. Check safetravel.is and visitreykjanes.is on the day you go.

Pro tip: in summer, go in the evening. The day-trippers have left, the light turns golden on the lava and you can get back to the car before it gets properly dark, even at 10pm. In winter, don't start the long trails in the afternoon; darkness comes fast and the path is hard to follow.

Fagradalsfjall and the Grindavík eruptions

The Fagradalsfjall eruptions were the start of a new volcanic period on the peninsula. Since December 2023 the activity has moved a few kilometres west, to the Sundhnúkur crater row north of Grindavík, with nine eruptions there up to August 2025. If there's an eruption on while you're in Iceland, it will most likely be there rather than at Fagradalsfjall, and access rules will be different. Check safetravel.is for the latest.

Tours on this page hike to the eruption sites with a guide, some combined with Grindavík, Krýsuvík, the Blue Lagoon or a lava tunnel. Tours that include Fagradalsfjall are below.