Krafla Volcano and Lava Fields in North Iceland

The Krafla volcano is an active volcanic system north of Lake Mývatn in North Iceland. Its broad caldera contains the turquoise Víti crater lake and the young lava fields formed in the 70s and 80s, where steam curls from cracks in the ground. Walk around Víti’s rim, follow marked trails through the Leirhnjúkur lava fields, and watch vapor move through pipes at the working geothermal power station. Allow 1–3 hours, check road and trail conditions before leaving, and combine Krafla with nearby Lake Mývatn stops for a full day in the region.

The Krafla volcano is an active volcanic system, not a single mountain. The Krafla caldera spans ~10 km (6.2 mi) and is crossed by a 90 km (55.9 mi) fissure swarm where crustal cracks allow magma to rise. Much of the surrounding lava fields formed during eruptions in the 1970s and 1980s, making this ground young by geological standards.

The volcano may be dormant, but it hasn’t gone cold. Fumaroles, or hot steam vents, hiss beside the walking trails, mud pots bubble nearby, and steam flows above the fields as heat escapes from below. Stay on the marked paths and follow all warning signs as you explore.

Krafla is located about 25 km (15.5 mi) north of Lake Mývatn, a shallow volcanic lake in North Iceland. From Reykjavík, the 485 km (301.4 mi) drive takes roughly six hours without stops and follows the Ring Road for most of the journey.

Plan your visit as part of a longer North Iceland or Ring Road itinerary, since Krafla is not a practical day trip from Reykjavík. Break up the six-hour journey with stops along the route rather than treating it as a single drive.

Base yourself in one of two northern towns for a shorter approach. Akureyri is about 98 km (60.9 mi) away, a roughly 90-minute drive, while the 70 km (43.5 mi) journey from Húsavík takes about one hour.

Víti is a 300 m (984 ft) wide explosion crater inside the Krafla caldera, now filled with a crater lake. Follow the path around the rim as it curves above the turquoise water; the full loop takes about 30 minutes.

The name Víti means “Hell” in Icelandic and refers to the violent eruption that opened the crater in 1724. Earthquakes shook the area before a glowing column of ash rose into the air, marking the beginning of the Mývatn Fires. More earthquakes and eruptions followed until 1729.

Iceland has two well-known craters named Víti. This one belongs to Krafla, while the other is part of Askja, a remote caldera in the Icelandic Highlands. Swimming is prohibited at Krafla. Bathing has sometimes been permitted at Askja when access, water, and landslide conditions are safe.

During the Krafla Fires, lava poured from fissures onto the valley floor in nine separate eruptions between 1975 and 1984, then cooled to form the Leirhnjúkur lava field beneath visitors’ feet today. 

While the volcanic system is dormant, geothermal heat still seeps up through the rock. Steam vents whistle beside the trail, mud pots pulse with thick bubbles, and sulfur sharpens the air. Stay on the marked route and boardwalks, since the fragile crust can hide thin, hot ground.

When you arrive at Krafla, set aside 1–1.5 hours for the 4 km (2.5 mi) hike from the parking lot. Marked paths and boardwalks take you past rust-red mineral deposits and fractured black lava, with steam rising through cracks along the way. Each plume reminds you that parts of this landscape have existed for only a few decades.

Krafla has 23 confirmed eruptive periods on record, covering both major rifting sequences and smaller eruptions within them. The two best-documented chapters in the Krafla eruption record are the Mývatn Fires (1724–1729) and the Krafla Fires (1975–1984).

The Krafla Fires (1975–1984) brought nine separate eruptions over nine years. Between each Krafla eruption, magma refilled a shallow chamber about 3 km (1.9 mi) below the caldera, lifting the surface around Leirhnjúkur. When magma drained into the fissure swarm, the swollen ground dropped again. This repeated rise and fall gave the caldera a slow rhythm, almost like a lung filling and emptying beneath the lava.

North of Leirhnjúkur, tectonic movement widened the fissure swarm by up to 8 m (26 ft) as the North American and Eurasian plates moved apart. Together, the nine Krafla lava fields cover about 36 km² (13.9 mi²) and contain roughly 0.25 km³ (0.06 mi³) of lava, forming much of the terrain surrounding the marked walking routes. The Icelandic Meteorological Office monitors volcanic activity throughout Iceland. Before setting out, read the latest official volcanic alerts and local trail updates to see whether conditions are suitable for a visit.

Underground steam drives the Krafla power station, converting volcanic heat into electricity using the same system that feeds nearby fumaroles and mud pots. Landsvirkjun, the National Power Company of Iceland,  draws steam from 18 boreholes to power two 30 MW turbines, giving the plant a total capacity of 60 MW and an annual generation capacity of about 465 GWh. Engineers have drilled 44 high-temperature boreholes throughout the wider geothermal field at Krafla.

Construction began in 1974, one year before the Krafla Fires started breaking open the ground nearby. Engineers continued working through earthquakes, eruptions, and changes in the geothermal reservoir, sending the first 7 MW of electricity to the national grid in 1978. A second turbine entered service in 1999, bringing the station to its current 60 MW capacity. 

Building the station during the Krafla Fires gave engineers new insight into how eruptions, earthquakes, and shifting underground conditions affect geothermal drilling and electricity production.

The visitor center normally opens during summer and usually closes for the season on August 30.

Follow the Ring Road to the signed junction for Krafla, then take Route 863, also called Kröfluvegur, north toward the volcanic area. The paved road continues for 9.1 km (5.6 mi), passing Krafla Power Station along the way. 

Turn left at the sign for the Leirhnjúkur lava fields and parking lot. Keep following Route 863 to reach the Landsvirkjun panoramic viewpoint over Krafla, followed by Víti crater and its parking lot. A standard 2WD car is suitable under normal summer conditions, but snow and limited road clearing can restrict winter access.

The drive to Krafla from Mývatn covers about 25 km (15.5 mi) and takes 25 minutes. Follow the Ring Road east from the lake, turn left at the Krafla sign, and continue along Route 863.

Drive east on the Ring Road for most of the 98 km (60.9 mi) journey, which takes 90 minutes. Continue past Lake Mývatn, then take Route 863 for the final approach.

Krafla is 485 km (301.4 mi) from Reykjavík, and driving takes 6 hours. Follow the Ring Road north from the capital, then take Route 863 at the signed turnoff beyond Lake Mývatn.

A 45-minute domestic flight can shorten the journey north. Icelandair flies year-round from Reykjavík Domestic Airport to Akureyri, with several departures each day. After landing, rent a car for the remaining 98 km (60.9 mi), which takes about 90 minutes. International travelers arriving at Keflavík Airport, Iceland's main international airport, must first transfer to Reykjavík Domestic Airport to catch their connecting flight to Akureyri.

Summer is the easiest season to visit Krafla. Roads are usually free of snow, trail markers remain visible, and long daylight hours give you more time outdoors. The power station visitor center normally opens during this season.

A winter visit to Krafla requires more caution. Snow can bury boardwalks and hide uneven ground or thin crust above geothermal heat. Ice makes the narrow Víti rim slippery, while strong winds often sweep over the exposed terrain.

Summer remains the best time to visit for most travelers, but winter changes the atmosphere as snow softens the sound of each step and steam rises through the cold air. Before leaving, read the latest road, weather, and trail updates, and turn back if you can no longer follow the marked route.

Several nearby stops make easy same-day additions to Krafla, some as close as 25 to 30 minutes away. Dettifoss, Goðafoss, and Húsavík take closer to one hour, extending the route to other North Iceland attractions. Stay up to date on weather and road conditions before deciding how many places to include.

Lake Mývatn: A 25-minute drive south, this shallow volcanic lake forms the hub of the region. Walking around the Skútustaðagígar pseudocraters is one of the main things to do around Lake Mývatn. Steam explosions created these formations when lava crossed wetlands about 2,300 years ago.

Hverir: This geothermal field lies right on the Ring Road between Mývatn and Krafla, where mud pools bubble and vents send up steam. A strong smell of sulfur hangs in the air, and minerals rising from below streak the ground yellow, orange, and rust.

Grjótagjá: Inside this small lava cave, a geothermal pool rests beneath a cracked rock ceiling. The cave provided establishing shots for Jon Snow and Ygritte’s scene in Season 3, Episode 5 of Game of Thrones, while most of the interior sequence was filmed in a studio. Unlike the TV show, you can’t enter the water.

Dimmuborgir: A 25-minute drive leads to this lava field on Lake Mývatn's eastern shore. Walk the marked trails beneath pillars and arches left behind when a molten lake cooled and drained.

Dettifoss: Roughly one hour east, this high-volume waterfall drops into Jökulsárgljúfur, a canyon carved by the Jökulsá á Fjöllum river. Its roar carries beyond the main viewpoint, with spray reaching the surrounding paths.

Goðafoss: An hour west, the Skjálfandafljót river pours over a broad, curved rock ledge. Paths on both banks lead close to the horseshoe-shaped waterfall and its rushing water.

Húsavík: Just under one hour away, this coastal town serves as the region’s main departure point for whale-watching trips into Skjálfandi Bay.