Hveradalir hot springs in Kerlingarfjöll

From the car park go down the steps into Neðri-Hveradalir and cross the Ásgarðsá on a footbridge. Climb the steps on the far side and follow the marked path north-west up the side of the valley to its high point on the west rim, looking over the steaming dales. Then follow the path back down into the lower valley among the mud pots and steam vents, over a boardwalk and two footbridges, and climb the steps back to the car park.

It is 3.6 km round with 198 m of ascent; allow about 1½ hours. The grade is Moderate: steep steps and clay paths, slippery when wet.

Hveradalir is one of the hottest geothermal fields measured in Iceland, and new hot springs can open without warning, with boiling water under a thin crust: walking off the marked paths is not allowed. Above 900 m the weather can change suddenly in any season, and mobile coverage is patchy.

The way in is by F35 Kjalvegur and F347, F-roads for four-wheel drives only, then a steep track up to the car park. They open in summer once the snow has gone (here not until late July in 2026) and are not cleared in winter. We found no official parking fee. The summer bus to the Highland Base below has stopped.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.