Things to do in Skaftafell

No. 15 of Best Things to Do in Southern Region

Skaftafell

Skaftafellis located in southeastern Iceland. The park features a combination of glaciers, volcanoes, canyons, birch forests, and waterfalls, with a rare green valley nestled between the ice cap and the black sand plains, offering rich, layered views. The park's signature view is Svartifoss, surrounded by cliffs of neatly arranged black hexagonal basalt columns, with slender white streams of water cascading between them, creating a striking black-and-white contrast. This columnar basalt formation has inspired the design of many buildings in Iceland. The trail system here is well-developed; the route to Svartifoss is gentle and easy to walk, while another scenic trail leads to the tongue of the Skaftafell glacier, allowing for a close-up view of the blue-and-white ice. Those with more energy can challenge themselves on higher ridge trails or join a guided glacier hike.

Black Waterfall

Black Waterfall means "black waterfall" and is located in the Skaftafell area of Vatnajökull National Park in Iceland, known for its unique basalt column waterfall view. Clear water cascades down from between dozens of neat, black, hexagonal basalt columns, creating a striking visual contrast between the white curtain of water and the pitch-black rock columns. The roaring sound of the waterfall is quite spectacular. The basalt columns are a columnar jointing landform formed when large-scale lava flows slowly cooled and contracted. This unique structure has inspired the design of many well-known buildings in Iceland, including Hallgrimskirkja. Visiting this waterfall amidst the green mountains and valleys is one of the classic hiking experiences to enjoy the natural scenery of Skaftafell.

No. 2 of Best Things to Do in Vatnajökull National Park

Blue Ice Cave

The Blue Ice Cave is a natural ice cave that forms under Iceland's Vatnajökull Glacier every winter, serving as a unique and rare natural view during the Icelandic winter. The color and shape of the ice cave are ever-changing. Not only does the shape differ from year to year, but even within a single day, it can display varying shades of blue depending on the weather and light, making every cave one-of-a-kind. This mysterious blue color comes from the ice layer's special filtering and reflection of light: the denser the ice, the more thoroughly it absorbs red light, resulting in a deeper and purer blue. Sunlight refracts through the ice into the cave, illuminating the interior with a dreamlike, blue-purple view.

Svínafellsjökull Glacier

Svínafellsjökull Glacier is an outlet glacier of Vatnajökull, the largest ice cap in Europe, and is located within Vatnajökull National Park. The glacier is covered with deep crevasses and ice cliffs of varying heights, with natural ice sculptures of diverse shapes presenting a magnificent sight in shades of blue and white. This glacier is one of the filming locations for the "Beyond the Wall" scenes in the American TV series Game of Thrones. It is also known as the "Hollywood Glacier" and has appeared in several major productions, including Interstellar and Batman Begins. The blue ice layers contain clearly visible streaks of volcanic ash, which are natural records left in the glacier's geology by past volcanic eruptions.

No. 5 of Night Attractions in Iceland

Glacier lagoon

Glacier lagoon is located at the southern end of the Vatnajökull glacier. After the glacier began to retreat in the late 19th century, water gradually accumulated here to form a lake. Since then, as the glacier has continued to melt, the lake surface has kept expanding and is still growing and changing today. The lake water is a deep blue-green, and countless ice blocks of various sizes that have calved from the glacier's edge float on the surface. Their colors range from milky white to bright blue, with some ice bodies emitting a deep blue glow from within, presenting ever-changing appearances under different lighting conditions. Taking an amphibious boat to navigate through the floating ice is a unique way to tour the area. The boat enters the lake from the beach, allowing visitors to get a close-up view of the massive ice wall and the diverse shapes of the floating ice. Some ice blocks drift from the lake into the Atlantic Ocean, only to be washed up by the tide onto the black sand beach near the lake's mouth. Large patches of ice fragments scattered across the black sand, together with the floating ice on the lake, create an unforgettable scene.

No. 1 of Best Things to Do in Vatnajökull National Park

Diamond Beach

Diamond Beach is located in southeastern Iceland, right next to the Glacier lagoon. The ice blocks in the Glacier lagoon originate from the Vatnajökull glacier. After breaking off, they drift into the Glacier lagoon and are then washed onto the black sand beach by the tide, forming ice blocks of various sizes and shapes. Some are as clear and transparent as glass, some are milky white, and others display a deep blue color due to long-term compression of the ice layers. Under the light, these ice blocks look like scattered diamonds, which is how Diamond Beach got its name. The strong contrast between the black volcanic sand and the colorful ice blocks creates a visually striking view, and because the ice blocks constantly washing ashore vary in shape, every visit offers a different experience. Occasionally, you can see harbor seals climbing onto the ice blocks to rest, adding vitality to this magnificent glacial landscape.

Tjaldsvæðið í Svínafelli

2026 Global 50 - Hot Springs Attractions

Blue Lagoon

The Blue Lagoon is a geothermal hot spring on the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland, set amid a stark black volcanic lava field. Its water comes from the nearby Svartsengi geothermal power station—after deep geothermal water is extracted for power generation, the mineral-rich residual water flows into low-lying areas between the lava, gradually forming this geothermal lagoon. The water has a high silica content, and it is this silica that gives the lagoon its distinctive milky blue color, which stands out strikingly against the surrounding black lava. Steam rises from the surface year-round, and from a distance it looks like a glowing blue sapphire in the wilderness. The signature experience at the Blue Lagoon is to visit the in-water mask bar and apply silica mud to your face, enjoying a natural mud mask. This white silica mud is formed from minerals deposited from the geothermal water; it feels fine and silky to the touch and is a bathing ritual unique to the Blue Lagoon. The hot spring area also has a sauna, a steam room, and a steam cave, where you can alternate between steam bathing and outdoor soaking to experience the shift between hot and cold. If you happen to visit on a snowy day, soak in the warm water and look up as snowflakes fall onto the black lava—the contrast of ice and fire is unforgettable. The pale blue water of the entire lagoon, wreathed in steam, together with the rugged lava landscape, creates a scene full of Icelandic character.

Svínafellsjökull útsýnisstaður

Skeiðará Bridge Monument