18 Jun Hverir Geothermal Area in Myvatn, Iceland

Iceland is full of geothermal activity, including the Hverir Geothermal Area in the northern Myvatn region. The area includes geothermal activity such as mud pools, steam vents, and fumaroles. It is just off the Ring Road, so you have no excuse not to stop for a quick visit. The short loop path takes you past all of the attractions, and thus you only need to plan 30 minutes to one hour for a visit. However, if you also plan to hike the nearby mountain Námafjall for scenic overviews, add an extra hour in your schedule.

If you do not want to have to worry about doing a bunch of research for your trip, then check out my road trip itinerary for Iceland. Additionally, knock out your packing with my list of hiking essentials for Iceland.

Contents:

1) Location of Hverir Geothermal Area

2) Opening Hours and Entrance Fee

3) The Best Time to Visit

4) Quick Facts

5) Words of Warning

6) Loop Trail and Geothermal Information

7) Námafjall Hike

8) Other Attractions in Myvatn

9) Recommended Items to Bring

1) Location of Hverir Geothermal Area

The Hverir Geothermal Area is located in northern Iceland, specifically in the Myvatn region. What is one of the most convenient things about this area? It is right off the Ring Road, making it an easy addition to any Iceland road trip itinerary. Moreover, Hverir is one hour east of the town of Akureyri and 45 minutes south from the town of Húsavík. 

Another nearby attraction in the Myvatn region are the Myvatn Nature Baths. Sit down, relax, and let the warm waters rejuvenate your mind and body. The Myvatn Nature Baths are northern Iceland’s version of the Blue Lagoon.

Parking

There is a specific parking lot for the geothermal area. There are a few signs in the parking lot that offer information about the area, and you can then start the trail around the geothermal area. Furthermore, there is no parking fee. 

Nearby Lodging

For lodging, we stayed the previous night at Eidavellir Apartments and Rooms and the following night at Akureyri H.I. Hostel. If you want a greater variety of options, check out accommodations in the Myvatn area.

Moreover, book one of the most romantic hotels in Iceland if you want to turn your trip into a romantic getaway with that special someone.

2) Opening Hours and Entrance Fee

Ready for some good news? The geothermal area is open all day, every day. You can thus visit at 3:00am or 3:00pm. However, take extra care if visiting while it is dark outside since Hverir is full of geothermal activity, which means it is full of boiling hot water. 

Additionally, there is no fee to explore the area! You can thus add this spot to your itinerary at no cost. Now you truly have no valid reason to not stop for a visit. 

3) The Best Time to Visit

The majority of crowds will appear in the late morning and early afternoon. If you want to avoid the crowds, plan to arrive in the early morning or evening. 

Best Season to Visit Hverir

There is truly no bad season to visit Hverir Geothermal Area. You can see the mud pools, steam vents, and fumaroles in the summer as well as the winter season. Since the temperature of the geothermal activity is so high, the snow and ice from the winter has no effect on it. 

Estimated Visit Time at Hverir

In terms of estimated visit time, plan for 30 minutes to one hour within your itinerary if you only plan to walk along the trail around Hverir Geothermal Area. The path is 0.6 miles (~one kilometer) long and takes an average hiker 15 minutes to complete. However, you will want to stop and admire the geothermal activity along the way, so plan for a bit longer than 15 minutes. 

Plan for an hour and a half to two hours if you plan to hike Námafjall in addition to walking along the trail around Hverir. The Námafjall trail is 1.7 miles (~2.7 kilometers) long and takes an average hiker one hour to complete. As said previously, the trail around the geothermal area takes 15 minutes to complete. However, you again will want to add in a bit of extra time to the one hour and 15 minutes of hiking for pictures, exploring, etc. 

4) Quick Facts – Hverir Geothermal Area

1. Hverir Geothermal Area is located in the Myvatn region of northern Iceland.

2. There are no visiting hour restrictions nor is there an entrance fee for the geothermal area.

3. Hverir Geothermal Area includes a variety of geothermal activity, such as mud pools, steam vents, and fumaroles.

4. The path around the geothermal area is 0.6 miles (~one kilometer) long.

5. An additional trail in the area is the Námafjall trail, which is 1.7 miles (~2.7 kilometers) long with 400 feet (~122 meters) in elevation gain. 

Steam emitting from Hverir Geothermal Area

5) Words of Warning

First and foremost, a word of warning. We visited the Hverir Geothermal Area in late August and got swarmed by little black flies (aka midges). When I say swarmed, I mean they were everywhere. We walked on the path for a few minutes before we could not take it any longer and then practically ran through the rest of the path back to our car. I recommend bringing a mosquito head net if visiting this area when it is extra buggy. The buggy season tends to last from mid-June through the end of summer. 

Additionally as a fun fact, there are no mosquitoes in Iceland. However, regular bug spray works against the little black flies.

Smell of Sulfur at Hverir

Second, I would be remiss not to mention the sulfur smell. Again, I will be honest with you all. The smell was fairly strong when we visited. It made us not want to linger around or spend any extra time than necessary viewing the area. If you have never smelled sulfur before, I would compare it to the smell of rotten eggs.

A question on your mind might be…what makes the sulfur smell? This smell is actually the result of gasses containing hydrogen sulfide. Plug your nose or tough it out while visiting as the smell of rotten eggs can be quite strong.

Marked Paths Around Hverir

Third, stay on the designated path. Due to the fact it is a geothermal area, venturing anywhere off the path can be dangerous. You will see mud bubbling, steam emerging from the ground, etc. Those are your signs that leaving the path to get closer to the geothermal activity could result in injury. For example, the water is extremely hot and would thus result in burns.

6) Loop Trail and Geothermal Information

Hverir is actually at the base of a small mountain named Námafjall within a volcanic zone. It boasts fumaroles, mud pots, and steam vents. A fumarole can be described as a crack within the Earth’s surface, usually close to a volcano. It emits sulfurous gasses.

This is not the only geothermal area in Iceland. Be sure to check out Strokkur and Geysir Hot Springs in the Golden Circle.

Loop Trail around Hverir

There is a loop trail around the geothermal area, making it convenient to view everything the area has to offer. The first viewpoint and beginning of the path is only a few steps from the parking lot. Furthermore, there is a sign located here with information about the area.

The trail is 0.6 miles (~one kilometer) long with an elevation gain of 52 feet (~16 meters). Moreover, an average hiker can complete the trail within 15 minutes.

Water Transforming Into Steam

Now, you might wonder how the water gets so hot that it transforms into steam. The temperature deep under the surface is a lot hotter than that above the surface. When I say deep, I am talking around 3,300 feet (~1000 meters) below the surface. When I say hot, I mean around 392 degrees Fahrenheit (~200 Celsius). As water flows deeper and deeper, it heats up. Once it heats to such a degree, it then rises back to the surface as steam. 

Lastly for a fun fact, NASA has actually trained astronauts here. That is right, you could basically be an astronaut in training if you visit (well, not really, but we can still think that way).

Steam, steam, and more steam

7) Námafjall Hike

Once you arrive, you will immediately see the Námafjall mountain. Námafjall reaches 1,600 feet (~488 meters) into the sky. It has paths on both the right and left sides of the mountain. That being said, you can begin your trek in either the northwest corner or southwest corner of the Hverir Geothermal Area, climb the mountain, and then end in the other corner.

Additionally, some of my favorite hikes in Iceland were to Stuðlagil Canyon as well as along Fimmvorduhals Pass behind Skógafoss Waterfall.

Trail Information

The Námafjall Trail is 1.7 miles (~2.7 kilometers) long with an elevation gain of 400 feet (~122 meters). An average hiker can complete the trail in one hour. 

The first half of the hike is the main uphill portion. The elevation gain is not too extreme though, only around 400 feet (~122 meters). Once you arrive at the top of the mountain, you will be rewarded with beautiful views of the entire Hverir Geothermal Area.

8) Other Attractions in Myvatn

There are a variety of other attractions in the Myvatn area. For example, there is Lake Myvatn, Grjótagjá Cave, Krafla Lava Fields, and Myvatn Nature Baths.

However, we only included the Myvatn Nature Baths on our itinerary. A basic ticket cost $45 per person, and we spent approximately one and a half hours relaxing in the warm waters. A lot of people might compare these nature baths with the Blue Lagoon. I have seen some people say Myvatn Nature Baths are better while others say the Blue Lagoon is superior. In my personal opinion, I enjoyed the Blue Lagoon more. Both were fairly crowded, yet the Blue Lagoon offered the beautiful blue water as well as a free drink and free face mask. That being said, it was still definitely worth our time and money to visit Myvatn Nature Baths. 

Panoramic view of Myvatn Nature Baths

9) Recommended Items to Bring

Check out my list of hiking essentials for Iceland as well as my list of road trip essentials for Iceland for additional recommendations.

1. Water bottle: Please be sure to bring water if you plan to hike up Námafjall Mountain. Even though Iceland has cooler temperatures, you still need to drink water to stay hydrated. For example, I brought my Yeti water bottle everywhere in Iceland.

Bug Repellent Items

2. Mosquito head net: Definitely pack or buy a mosquito head net if you visit during the buggy season from mid-June through the end of summer. We visited at this time and practically ran around the path because we did not have head nets. 

3. Bug spray: While there are no mosquitoes in Iceland, bug spray still works against the little black flies. 

Hiking Items

4. Hiking shoes: A pair of hiking shoes will be incredibly helpful as you walk along the Hverir loop trail and especially if you hike Námafjall Mountain.

5. Hiking poles: Hiking poles are not a necessity if you only plan to walk around the geothermal area since the path is flat. However, bring them along if you plan to hike the trail to Námafjall and want a bit of extra support.

6. Optional – crampons: These are only necessary in the winter months if there is snow or ice on the trails. Crampons are spikes that attach to the bottom of shoes.

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My favorite thing in Iceland is a short drive away: Favorite Activity in Iceland: Hiking to Stuðlagil.

Why not reduce the stress of planning and book a tour: Best South Coast Tours in Iceland.