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Vatnajökull National Park - Dynamic Nature of Fire and Ice

Iceland

Background

World Heritage since
2019
Type of site
Natural
Of Iceland
14%

This volcanic region covers more than 1,400,000 hectares, nearly 14 per cent of Iceland. UNESCO counts ten central volcanoes, eight of them under the ice, and says the interaction of volcanoes and rifts beneath the Vatnajökull ice cap takes many forms, most spectacularly the jökulhlaup, a sudden flood when a glacier margin breaks during an eruption, which has built unique sandur plains, river systems and fast-changing canyons.

The park was established in June 2008, absorbing the older parks at Skaftafell and Jökulsárgljúfur, and was enlarged and inscribed in 2019. The ice is generally 400 to 600 m thick and up to 950 m, hiding Bárðarbunga, the largest volcano, and Grímsvötn, the most active. Wikivoyage says the Skaftafell visitor centre is open all year, and that beyond the car parks the only way around is on foot.

More on the UNESCO listing More on Wikipedia

  1. 1875Askja collapses after an eruption, leaving a 220 m-deep crater lake
  2. 1908Herðubreið, the Queen of Icelandic Mountains, is first climbed
  3. 2008Vatnajökull National Park is established
  4. 2019The park is enlarged to the north and inscribed as World Heritage

Find Your Way Around

The main parts of the site, in the order most visitors see them

  1. 1
    Skaftafell
    The hill between the glacier tongues, with marked paths to the viewpoints and waterfalls.
  2. 2
    Jökulsárlón
    The glacial lake where boats weave between the icebergs.
  3. 3
    Dettifoss
    The most powerful waterfall in Iceland, in the Jökulsárgljúfur canyons to the north.
  4. 4
    Morsárfoss
    Iceland's highest waterfall, dropping more than 240 m.
  5. 5
    Askja
    The collapsed volcano and its crater lake, off road F88.
  6. 6
    Múlagljúfur
    A canyon of winding rivers, moss and cliffs.

Know Before You Go

From Wikivoyage and the GoGo guides

Never Alone on the Ice
Wikivoyage: stick to the paths and do not go onto the glacier without a guide; it can be fatal.
Fuel Up
There are few petrol stations; one is a few kilometres east of the Skaftafell entrance on the Ring Road.
Visitor Centre Hours
Skaftafell's information centre is open every day of the year, from at least 10:00 to 16:00 and longer in summer.
On Foot Only
Beyond the roads, the park is explored by hiking; guided ice walks and climbs start from Skaftafell.

Skaftafell and the Lagoon

Not yet in a GoGo guide

  1. 09:00
    Skaftafell Visitor Centre30 min
    Maps and the state of the trails.
  2. 09:30
    Skaftafell Hill Walk3 hrs
    Viewpoints over the glacier tongues and the waterfalls.
  3. 14:00
    Jökulsárlón Boat Tour2 hrs
    Among the icebergs on the glacial lake.

Best Time to Visit

Best months: Jun. Freezing days in all year. Rainy season Jul–May.

Typical highs

Best monthsRain: wettest Jan (331 mm), driest Jun (130 mm)

Climate: NASA POWER

Sources
UNESCO World Heritage Centre, listing 1604 · Wikipedia: Vatnajökull National Park · Wikivoyage: Vatnajökull National Park (CC BY-SA 4.0) · UNESCO listing