Meradalir Recently Erupted Volcano Hike & Northern Lights | IS-LAVA03

Scientists and the Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management are always monitoring the area closely and informing the public if there are any updates. The area is open to the public but that can of course change with little notice. The safety of our passengers is our number one priority therefore we will follow the instructions coming from the authorities but as of right now the area is open and is not considered to be dangerous to the public.

Also, we recommend visiting the volcano to follow these steps in the area:

• Keep your distance and don't step into the lava from the eruption
• Due to the risk of gas exposure do not go down into the valleys. Instead, observe the eruption from the hills and mountainsides
• Be aware of the wind direction
• Avoid standing directly against the wind

There are no restrooms at the area just nature 😊 We do recommend that people use the restrooms in Grindavík where we stop for lunch before we start the hike.

You can bring it with you, but we do also stop for lunch in Grindavík where you can buy snacks as well for the hike. Please note though that food is not included in the tour.

The best and safest way to visit a volcano is with a guided tour. Expert guides will be able to lead you to the eruption site, choosing the most secure paths and the optimal distance to observe the newly formed lava fields so you can get the best, safest, and most enjoyable experience. You can choose to book the hike to the eruption site or book a helicopter tour and see the volcanic eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula from above.

Make sure that you are prepared before heading out to the volcano. We recommend wearing hiking clothes and packing a backpack with:

• Extra layers, gloves and headwear
• Good waterproof hiking shoes
• Waterproof jacket and pants
• Snacks for the hike & water
• Sunscreen
• Camera and extra batteries

The site is open 24/7, but be mindful that it can be restricted for visitors due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances. We advise checking the Safe Travel page for any changes.

It is not obligatory to be accompanied by a professional guide to visit the site. However, taking a guided tour is safer than visiting the eruption site as fellow travelers will accompany you, and a local professional guide will ensure your safety. Get to know more about hiking to Meradalir volcano from a local Arctic Adventures guide.

According to the Environmental Agency of Iceland, walking on the lava is forbidden and can be very dangerous. The top layer can easily break when stepped on, causing hazards to people. The lava at Fagradalsfjall Volcano is a unique geological monument that we must respect and protect. It is important for visitors to leave no traces such as throwing stones at the lava or making inscriptions on it. Lavas are under special protection according to art. 61 of the Nature Conservation Act. One of the biggest risks of walking on new lava is breaking the top layer over an unknown lava tube. Falling into a lava tube that's still several hundred degrees Celcius can lead to injuries. 

A new eruption started on the 3rd of August 2022 in Mt. Fagradalsfjall after being officially declared over on December 18th, 2021.

Since August 21st, 2022 there has been no visible activity in Meradalir Volcano. No flowing lava can be seen at the moment, but the hiking path remains open.

Yes, the weather can make all the difference and determine whether you can reach the eruption site or if you will enjoy the journey or not. You can find Weather information here and a gas forecast here.

The Meradalir Volcano is located on the Reykjanes peninsula close to Grindavík.

Yes, if you are not joining a guided tour and driving to the eruption site on your own, the parking fee is 1000 ISK (≈ 8 USD) and can be paid electronically at Parka.is. The payment is valid for 24 hours. There are signs at the parking lots with instructions.

There are currently two parking lots that you can choose from, Parking P1 or Parking P2. You will need to pick the correct payment site accordingly:

Parking P1: https://www.parka.is/pay/geldingadalir/

Parking P2 (Stóri-Leirdalur): https://www.parka.is/pay/volcanoskali/

According to a parka.is, the payment is necessary to pay for the infrastructure on-site and maintenance of it. The intention is to make access better and increase people's safety. The parking lots are monitored with cameras and if parking is unpaid, an additional fee is added and a bank claim is created. The claim usually goes out one day later, so if you have trouble paying on-site, you are able to finish the payment when you arrive back at your hotel.

The Northern Lights are natural phenomena and we unfortunately cannot promise you will see them. Their appearance depends upon atmospheric and weather conditions.

For more information on the Northen Lights, please have a look at our Northern Lights information.

Unfortunately, there isn’t just one simple answer to this question.

There isn’t just one single setting for your camera that ensures great photos.  But if you have manual options, you are probably best served with experimenting with various combinations of ISO, aperture, and exposure settings. As a rule of thumb, ISO setting between 800 and 3200, aperture between f/2.8 and f/5.6, and shutter speed at between 15 seconds and 30 seconds have proven effective.

A good thing to keep in mind, ISO setting between 800 and 3200, aperture between f/2.8 and f/5.6, and shutter speed between 15 seconds and 30 seconds have given great results.

Different combinations may give very different results. Higher ISO setting will allow you to capture faster exposures, but the downside to this might be for example grainier images.

If the shutter speed is above 15 seconds it will result in a slight star movement.

Wider angle lenses are usually more versatile in low light settings, but longer lenses give you different options for compositions. Make sure that you remove all lens filters, as they may distort images. You will probably get the best results with manual setting for infinite focal length

A refund is not available if the northern lights tour goes ahead and no northern lights are seen but we do offer you the chance to join a Northern Lights Minibus tour free of charge.

Please contact our Customer care to re-book your tour.

When Northern Lights tours are cancelled it’s usually due to unfavourable weather conditions.

In that case, your options will be to:

1. Reschedule for another day.

2. Find another tour to do and use the deposit for it.

3. Get fully refunded.

Please contact our Customer Care to re-book your tour.

Like you might have heard, the northern lights are a pretty difficult thing to predict. You can check en.vedur.is to see the forecast and if the level is high and the skies are clear then it’s very likely that the tour is going. We do update our website’s tour departure sheet with the information at 17:00 pm the latest. If the tour is cancelled, you will receive an email from us.

If we think there is no chance at all of seeing the lights we will cancel the tour. We don’t want to bring you out and disappoint if there is no chance to see the lights.

Yes, the guide will take a photo of you with the northern lights behind you. These can be single or group photo’s and free of charge.

The Northern Lights season is said to be from late August until mid-April. However, if you want to increase your chances of seeing them, it is best to wait until the clear winter months of mid-September until March.

If luck and weather are on your side, then you will be able to see the Aurora Borealis above the inviting streets of Reykjavik. Whether you see the lights or not are dependant on two different factors. The first being the weather. If the sky is clear, no clouds, then you are halfway there to seeing the astonishing spectacle that is the Northern Lights (although light pollution can sometimes be a problem). Increased solar activity is the second half so, if these two merge together you may well be able to see the Northern Lights from Reykjavik.

The first step is to make sure your credit card provider allows you to make payments in Canadian Dollars (CAD) or American Dollars (USD) if you have selected.

In some cases, your credit card company would need to pre-authorize the transaction for you before you can process the transaction online.

If you are still having problems booking through Arctic Adventures website www.adventures.is then please contact our Customer Care Team