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Thingvellir National Park (Þingvellir) is one of the best geological wonders in Iceland. This UNESCO World Heritage Site and Game of Thrones film location is only a 45-minute drive from Reykjavík. Explore an epic Icelandic landscape, where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet!
Þingvellir means assembly fields and in the year 930 AD, Iceland’s historic democratic parliament – one of the first in the world – was founded there. Most Icelandic people regard Þingvellir as a sacred place, a place of great beauty and an incredible stepping stone in their history.
Around the year 1000 AD the great Law Speaker, Þorgeir Ljósvetningagoði Þorkelsson, declared Iceland’s peaceful conversion to Christianity right here at Þingvellir. A unique compromise was arrived at which made Christianity the official religion of Iceland.
Pagans were still permitted to worship the Norse Gods in private and the disaster of what could have been a violent civil conflict was mostly avoided.
A flag marks Lögberg e. the Law Rock where the Law Speaker or Chief Goði stood to proclaim the law in the olden days. You will be able to stand in the spot where history was made – what a magical photo opportunity!
The geological processes which shaped the land at Þingvellir National Park are every bit as remarkable as the great historical events which took place there. Since 2004 Þingvellir has been listed on UNESCO‘s World Heritage List for its geological the uniqueness and historical significance .
Thingvellir National Park is one of the highlights of the Golden Circle. Here you find all of our tours around the Golden Circle.
Þingvellir (Thingvellir) is in South Iceland, just 40 km (24,8 mi) from Reykjavík. Thingvellir National Park hours for the visiting centre is 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m, daily.
GPS Coordinates of Þingvellir: 64.2559° N, 21.1295° W
You just need to follow Highway 1 (the Ring Road) through the little town of Mosfellsbær before turning to your right onto the road numbered 36.
From Borgarnes, if you take the shortest route along Highway 1 and then the road numbered 52, the distance is around 89 km (55,3 mi).
There are many interesting places nearby, a few of which are Gullfoss (70 km or 43,5 mi), Geysir (60.3 km or 37,4 mi), and Selfoss (40.3 km or 25 mi).
The name Þingvellir has long been problematic to those visiting Iceland. First, it’s the letter Þ, that many refer to as “the long P” but actually is pronounced “TH” and then it is the double “L.” It requires you to make some kind of a click sound in the right side of your mouth to fully get it right.
Icelanders will fully accept you writing it Þingvellir (the proper Icelandic way) or Thingvellir but once you are writing it Pingvellir you are pretty far off, at least in pronunciation. We are not even quite sure how that started.
With pronouncing the word it’s best to split it up and try saying something more along the lines of “Thing-vetlir.” This is the quickest way to say it 98% right!
The Eurasian and North American tectonic plates meet at Þingvellir. For a long time, they’ve been slowly drifting apart, creating the dramatic and rugged rift valley which runs through the sight. Þingvellir is one of the most extraordinary geological sites in Iceland.
At Þingvellir you can so clearly and exquisitely see how the two continental plates drift apart. Iceland is one of the few places in the world where you can see this happening on dry land and very likely the most stunning one!
The plate boundaries can be seen so clearly at Þingvellir because by the end of the last Ice Age period, about 10-11 thousand years ago, great volcanic eruptions happened in the Þingvellir area.
These eruptions kept lava flowing reaching miles and miles and making the vast area more rugged and spectacular, creating heights and depressions.
For some reason, the lava didn’t manage to fill up the existing crack. With time it started to open up even wider, decreasing the possibility of it ever filling up. Now, with the additional drift of 2 cm every year it isn’t likely to ever do so.
This makes the Þingvellir the best place to view this astonishing natural phenomenon as the landscape before you will display the drifting of the tectonic plates in the traditional dramatic way Icelandic nature loves to do!
By foot
By standing at the Hakið viewing point you can get a view over the whole area, the gigantic valley and see very clearly how it drifts apart. The vista is absolutely stunning!
You can also walk down to Almannagjá – the rugged Thingvellir Rift Valley. You can walk a pathway between the North American and Eurasian continents as you explore the place where pivotal points in Icelandic history were lived out!
The higher side of the gorge is the edge of the North American continent, so if you look across towards Thingvellir Lake (Þingvallavatn) you will be looking at the Eurasian continent. The space between the tectonic plates is now quite wide and is increasing by over 2 cm per year. Unsurprisingly, with this movement, the area is somewhat prone to earthquakes.
By Snorkeling or Diving
Silfra is a fissure that sits right in the cut where the meeting of the continental places takes place. It formed quite recently in an earthquake and quickly filled up with water that had been filtering through the lava field for hundreds of years.
This means that the water, that originally comes from Langjökull glacier, is extremely clear and many say that the visibility for divers is the best in the world.
We offer both snorkeling and diving tours in the fissure, providing you with great dry suits so you will stay warm in the glacial waters. Silfra is often called the visibility wonderland and many take about feeling the ultimate zen-feeling.
The experience of floating in between the continental plates feels like you are looking right into the earth core, it is completely incomparable and truly awe-inspiring!
Do not litter! It’s very important that you don’t litter whilst exploring this great historic site. The park is very well kept but with all the visitors coming every day we need all the help we can get to keep it in good shape.
Do not wear sneakers or high wheels – especially not in winter! It’s very important to have sturdy boots while walking around in winter at Þingvellir, crampons might even be needed, you can buy them at any gas station for cheap.
Do not try to swim on Silfra without proper gear and a local guide! Swimming in Silfra can only be done in a drysuit as the water is extremely cold. Ther site is highly protected and you are obliged to use the service of a certified tour company to be able to swim here.
Do not fly drones. Thingvellir is a highly protected national park and as such, it is forbidden to fly drones in the area. Please respect the rules.
The continental or as they are also called the tectonic plates, move very slowly apart, only about 2 centimeters a year, so you can not see any real movement with bare eyes.
Nonetheless, the plates do move significantly over decades so if you visit with significant years apart you might be able to spot the difference!
The water in the lakes, Silfra, Drekkingarhylur, Peningagjá, and the others never freezes due to the fact that it maintains the same temperature all year round and has a constant flow of water coming in at all time.
The water’s temperature is about 3-5°c at the lower land and 2-3°c at higher land and stays at this stable temperature even on the coldest days!
The Visitor Centre by the footpath at the top end of Almannagjá gorge offers a 40-minute multimedia display, available in English, Danish, French, Icelandic, and German. Admission is free, and the Visitor Centre is open 1 September to 31 May from 9:00 to 18:30 and 1 June to 31 August from 9:00 to 19:00.
The Information Centre by the camping site at Leirar displays information about the National Park, as well as its history and nature. Maps of marked Thingvellir hiking trails and horseback riding trails are available, together with information about road conditions and places of interest. Open June to August from 9:00 – 22:00 and from September to May from 9:00 to 18:00.
Car Parking and Toilets
Some car parks charge a fee of 500 ISK (less than $5 US) for a regular car. For this price, you can park all day and also use the other fee-paying car parks at Þingvellir. All major credit/debit cards are accepted. The Pay and Display car parks are:
Toilets are located at the P1 car park by the Visitor Center. These are open from 09:00 am to 18:00 pm. A fee of 200 ISK is payable.
Hotels
Hostels
Guesthouse, B&B and Farmstays
Cabins and Cottages
There are two separate camping sites in Thingvellir National park. Facilities include showers, toilets, washing machines + dryers
Open: Vatnskot is open from the 1st of June to the 1st of September but Leirar all year round.
Please note that wild camping is forbidden along the entire South Coast. Campers of all types are obligated to use the designated campsites.
Photo: HBO
Thingvellir appears in the shows as the narrow path leading to the Eyrie and again as the location of Arya and Sandor Clegane’s journey. For the third time, it appears when Brienne and the Hound engage in a bloody battle in the 4th season.
Other Games of Thrones filming locations in Iceland include Mt. Kirkjufell, Svínafellsjökull, Grjótagjá Hot Spring and Cave, Námaskarð, Stakkholtsgjá inside Þórsmörk, Dyrhólaey Cape and Lake Mývatn.
