Borgarfjörður & Húsafell

A valley of glaciers and hot springs on the western stretch of Iceland's Ring Road, with lava-fed waterfalls, a man-made ice tunnel in Langjökull and Europe's most powerful hot spring; base yourself in Húsafell or Borgarnes.

Borgarfjörður lies in western Iceland, about 75 km from Reykjavík: head north on Route 1 (the Ring Road) through the undersea tunnel and in about an hour you reach Borgarnes, the small town at the mouth of the fjord. The region stretches roughly 80 km inland from the coast to Húsafell at the foot of the Langjökull glacier. The main sights line up along two routes. The first follows Route 518 up the Hvítá river valley, passing Deildartunguhver, Europe's highest-flow hot spring, and the neighbouring Krauma baths; Reykholt, home of the medieval historian Snorri Sturluson; Hraunfossar, where water seeps out from cracks in the lava, and Barnafoss; and finally Húsafell and the nearby Víðgelmir lava cave. The second runs along the northern section of the Ring Road to the Grábrók crater and Glanni waterfall. For the glacier, modified glacier trucks take you from Húsafell or the Klaki base at the foot of the ice into the man-made ice tunnel in Langjökull, open year-round. Summer (Jun–Sep) brings long days and good roads, and the Kaldidalur highland road opens, letting you loop to Þingvellir; in winter you can see the northern lights away from light pollution in Húsafell, but keep an eye on road.is for closures due to snowstorms. Plan on 1–2 days, staying in Húsafell, Reykholt or Borgarnes; driving yourself is the only practical way to get around. Most sights are free natural attractions, but the ice tunnel and lava cave require a guided tour at fairly high prices, so book ahead.

Top sights

• Hraunfossar – Clear water seeps out of gaps in the lava field and flows along a rock wall nearly a kilometre long, becoming dozens of thin waterfalls tha…
• Into the Glacier (Langjökull) – A man-made ice tunnel carved inside Iceland's second-largest glacier. Ride a giant glacier vehicle up onto the ice cap and walk into the de…
• Víðgelmir Lava Cave – Iceland's largest lava tube cave. Follow a guide along a boardwalk deep inside to see lava icicles and colourful rock walls.
• Barnafoss – A rushing gorge waterfall just upstream of Hraunfossar, where the White River churns through a narrow canyon, with a legend of two children…
• Deildartunguhver – Europe's largest hot spring by flow, gushing about 180 liters of near-boiling water per second, with steam rising everywhere.
• Krauma Geothermal Baths – A modern spa right beside Deildartunguhver that mixes hot spring water with glacier water, with five hot pools, a cold pool and saunas.
• Snorrastofa & Snorralaug, Reykholt – The former home of Snorri Sturluson, the medieval Icelandic historian, preserving the round geothermal bath he used and remains of a tunnel.
• Húsafell – A resort among birch woods at the foot of a glacier, with canyon hot springs, a stone-carving artist's studio and the starting point for gl…
• Grábrók Crater – A scoria cone beside the Ring Road that erupted about 3,000 years ago. Wooden stairs lead to the top in about a dozen minutes, and walking…
• Glanni Waterfall & Paradísarlaut – A wide little waterfall on the Norðurá River, said to be home to elves, with a hidden green pool called Paradísarlaut tucked among the lava…
• The Settlement Center, Borgarnes – A museum that uses multimedia to tell the story of Viking settlement in Iceland and Egil's Saga, with a popular restaurant on site.
• Borgarnes – A Ring Road town on a peninsula in Borgarfjörður, with a seaside church, a Saga heritage trail and fuel stops, and a transit hub for road t…
• Surtshellir – A long lava cave named after the fire giant Surtr, with no lighting or boardwalks, suitable for properly equipped adventurers exploring on…
• Kaldidalur (Kaldadalsvegur) – A summer highland gravel road linking Húsafell and Þingvellir, flanked by glaciers and passing the 'dead' Okjökull glacier.

Where to eat

• Hotel Húsafell Restaurant – Main restaurant of Hotel Húsafell, set between glaciers and lava fields, using wild herbs gathered locally with arctic…
• Krauma Hot Spring Restaurant – Restaurant at the Krauma spa beside the Deildartunguhver hot spring. Ingredients are sourced directly from Borgarfjörðu…
• Settlement Center Restaurant – Restaurant inside the Settlement Center museum in Borgarnes, with a popular vegetarian soup-and-salad buffet at lunch a…

Itineraries

• Classic Iceland Ring Road – Drive counter-clockwise around the Ring Road, connecting the Golden Circle, South Coast glaciers, East Fjords, Lake Mýv…
• Grand Iceland Ring Road & Westfjords Self-Drive – Add the Westfjords to the classic Ring Road, using the Baldur ferry to connect back to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
• Silver Circle & Snæfellsnes Peninsula – West Iceland short loop: Hraunfossar, Langjökull ice tunnel, geothermal hot springs, and a drive around the Snæfellsnes…
• Westfjords Slow Travel Loop – Loop around the Westfjords to see bird cliffs, red sand beaches, and waterfalls, then take the Baldur ferry back to the…