Laugarvellir Hot Waterfall (Laugavallalaug)

What to expect

Laugarvellir is a small green valley in the empty, high moorland west of the Jökulsá á Dal (Jökla), about 20 km (12 miles) north of the Kárahnjúkar dam. Visit Austurland calls the valley Laugavalladalur, and you will also see the site written as Laugarvellir, Laugavellir or Laugavallalaug, which simply means “the pool at Laugarvellir”. All of these are the same place.

The attraction is a geothermal stream. Near the ruins of an old farm, warm water runs down the valley side and drops over a low cliff, making a natural hot shower. It lands in a stone-floored basin of about 20 square metres and around 50 cm deep, according to a 2026 guide, and then flows on into two larger pools before joining the cold main river below. You can stand under the falling water, sit in the basin, or move down to the cooler pools.

There is nothing commercial here. A local association has restored two traditional half-buried turf shelters near the car park, with tables, chairs and a picnic table outside. There are dry toilets at the second car park and simple outdoor changing rooms just before the pools. That is the full extent of the facilities.

The valley was farmed until the early twentieth century. A couple tried to settle here in 1900, but most of their sheep died in a storm in 1906 and they left soon after. The ruins are still visible.

Getting there

Laugarvellir is about 100 km (62 miles) from Egilsstaðir, and the last part needs a 4x4.

1. Egilsstaðir to the dam: Drive west along Lögurinn on Road 931, then join Road 910, which climbs onto the highlands toward the Kárahnjúkar dam and the Hálslón reservoir. Road 910 is paved to the dam.
2. The F910: Beyond the dam the road becomes the gravel F910 highland track. F-roads are closed to two-wheel-drive cars by law, and most rental agreements also ban ordinary cars on them.
3. The turnoff: About 7.5 km past the dam you reach a junction. A sign points east to Hafrahvammagljúfur canyon. Go the other way, west, and follow the side track for about 2 km down into the valley.
4. The river: A small river crosses the track roughly 200 m before the shelters. A 2024 hut listing called it a relatively easy ford for a 4x4, but a 2026 guide says driving through it is now forbidden and visitors must use the footbridge. Park before the river and walk.
5. The walk: From the footbridge a small path leads to the pools. Distances vary between sources, from about 100 m from the shelters to about 600 m from the car park. Either way it is a short, easy walk.

You can also reach the F910 from the north, via Road 907 from the Ring Road; check its condition before you commit.

When to go

This is a summer-only spot. The F910 is a highland road that only opens once the snow has melted and the surface has dried out, and it closes again with autumn snow. Opening dates change every year, so check umferdin.is and the Icelandic Road Administration’s highland road map before you go. In winter, Road 910 is usually kept open as far as the dam, and the only way on is on foot along the closed track.

July and August are the most reliable months. The site is rarely crowded, but what traffic there is tends to arrive around midday. For the best chance of having it to yourself, arrive mid-morning or in the evening.

Highland weather is fierce and fast-changing. Check vedur.is and safetravel.is on the morning you set out.

Rules and etiquette

• No camping. Camping in tents, vans or motorhomes is banned in the valley and in the car parks. Plan your night elsewhere.
• No entry fee, and no staff. Take all rubbish away with you.
• Do not drive through the river. Use the footbridge.
• Respect the shelters. A local shepherd may store equipment in one of them. Leave it alone and leave the huts tidy.
• Clothing: There are no posted rules on clothing. Bring a swimsuit; the outdoor changing rooms make changing easy.
• Do not dam or dig. Leave the stones and channels as you find them so the flow and temperature stay the same for the next visitors.

Where to stay nearby

There is nowhere to sleep at Laugarvellir itself. The nearest lodging is the Laugarfell highland lodge, 2 km off Road 910 north of Snæfell, which has rooms, a campsite and its own two hot pools from 1 June to 30 September. Below the highlands, Fljótsdalur and the Hengifoss area have farm stays, and Egilsstaðir has the widest choice of hotels, campsites and fuel.

Nearby stops worth adding

Hafrahvammagljúfur, the deep canyon of the Jökla below the dam, is signposted from the same junction on the F910. The Kárahnjúkar dam and the Hálslón reservoir are worth a stop on the way. On the way back down, Hengifoss is off Road 931 near the bottom of the valley.

Safety notes

• Scalding water: The water is not regulated, and Visit Austurland warns that it can be well above bathing temperature. Test every pool and the waterfall with your hand before getting in, and keep children out of the upper basin.
• Remoteness: You are about 100 km from Egilsstaðir with patchy signal in the valley. Bring food, water, warm clothes and a full tank, and leave your route with someone or on safetravel.is.
• River and footbridge: River levels rise after heavy rain. Do not wade if the water looks high.
• Footing: Wet rocks under the waterfall and around the pools are slippery.
• Water quality: Nobody tests this water. Keep your head above the surface and do not drink it.