Hverfjall Crater Hike

There are many volcanos in Iceland and walking along the rim of a crater is something you have to do at least once during your visit to the land of ice and fire. In this guide, I will explain my experience with the Hverfjall Crater Hike, which will give spectacular views of the crater and its surroundings.

Interesting Facts About Hverfjall

Hverfjall is a crater with a diameter of 1000m and 90-150m high.
The crater consists of mostly tuff layers with gravel and sand coating it due to weather conditions.
It was formed around 2500 years ago during an eruption of the Krafla volcano.
The Icelandic word hver means hot spring and fjall means mountain, its name can be translated as Hot Spring Mountain.

Getting to Hverfjall

Hverfjall is located next to Lake Myvatn in the North of Iceland.

The best way to reach it is by renting a car and driving there yourself. Otherwise, some guided tours may include a visit to Hverfjall but they will most probably not complete the hike around the rim.

On the map on the right, you can find the exact location of the parking lot of Hverfjall and some accommodations if you want to spend the night in the area. Driving times will vary depending on where you are coming from.

From Akureyri, it is approximately 1 hour and 5 minutes drive to reach Hverfjall.
From Reykjahlid, the main village near Myvatn, it is only 10 minutes to get to Hverfjall.

Accommodation near Hverfjall

There are many things to see and visit around Lake Myvatn. To be able to enjoy this beautiful region in the North of Iceland, I recommend spending a minimum of one night here. Here are some hotel and guesthouse recommendations.

We stayed 2 nights at the Skútustadir Guesthouse and we had a fantastic time there. It is a family-owned guesthouse and they were super helpful and friendly.

Hike Summary

Trail Start/End: Hverfjall Parking (see map above)
Distance: 4,2 km.
Elevation gain: 150 m
Route Type: Circular
Time: 1,5h

I used the hike Hverfjall Volcano Crater in the AllTrails app as a GPS although you don’t really need it. It is impossible to get lost.

There are two different paths to reach the rim of the crater. One is from the parking lot and the other one is from Dimmuborgir.

Important: The climb from Dimmuborgir is much more difficult than the one starting from the parking lot and it will involve some rock climbing. Only use this trail if you are an experienced hiker/rock climber.

Equipment needed

You don’t need specific equipment for this hike. However, the following might become handy_

Hiking shoes: You will be walking in between lava rocks, so good hiking shoes will be very useful.
Different layers: During this hike, you will be in an exposed area, so it is recommended to wear different layers to adjust to the changing weather. As you can see from my photos, during the hike, we experienced warm weather and really cold wind.

My experience hiking Hverfjall

The hike begins with a steep climb up to the rim of the crater. Depending on your level of fitness, it will take you between 10 to 20 minutes to reach the top. We decided to take it slowly and stop a few times along the way to enjoy the view from different levels.

Once we were at the top, we chose to do the rim counterclockwise. In total, it took us approximately two hours to complete the crater but we stop constantly to take photos and eat our sandwiches enjoying the magnificent views.

As you turn around the crater, you get to enjoy 360º views of the area. This includes the beautiful lake Myvatn, Dimmuborgir caves, and Hverir Sulfur Fields.

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Hverfjall Crater Hike

Interesting Facts About Hverfjall

Getting to Hverfjall

Accommodation near Hverfjall