Reykjadalur Hot Spring Thermal River

Hiking area · South

Reykjadalur Hot Spring Thermal River

Hiking area · South

Reykjadalur 816, 816, Iceland

Highlights

A picturesque 2.5-mile hike winds through steaming geothermal wonders to reach naturally warm hot springs perfect for a refreshing soak.

Reykjadalur 816, 816, Iceland Get directions

@cntraveler

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"A remote hot spring accessed via a scenic hike, with water warming as you go up the boardwalk."

https://www.cntraveler.com/story/best-things-to-do-in-iceland

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@afar

"Reykjadalur means "Steam Valley"—a perfectly apt description of this pleasant geothermal area close to the town of Hveragerði, a 40-minute drive south from Reykjavík . Formed from a now extinct volcano (Mount Hengill), the valley is best experienced via a two-mile walk along a gravel road, which leads into the hot springs. The hour-long stroll—fairly easy but quite narrow in places—is highly photogenic thanks to the presence of boreholes, waterfalls, and springs, so bring your camera as well as your swimming gear. Be sure also to use only the official bathing pools, since although the light-blue water may look innocent, some pools are hot enough to cause severe burns. If you don't have a car to get to the site, you can visit the springs via an official tour, which can be donein combination with some horse riding. There is also a restaurant close to the parking lots and bathrooms."

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View Postcard for Reykjadalur Hot Spring Thermal River

Mixed up Outdoor Adventures

Google

The hike was beautiful. I didn't really care for the gravel on the trails but the views were absolutely incredible. When you get up to the hot springs river it's cooler farther down the river. The springs are pretty hot up top. I did find one spot where this cool Creek was coming into the hot part and there was a nice little warm pool , just the right temperature after the hike to get up there. The water is really hot so be prepared for that. Probably best in the winter. They have little t-shaped changing spots but you will be exposed. If you walk farther up past where everyone is a little more comfortable to change in or out of your swimsuit. Overall it was an amazing experience. The water was just too hot and I slipped on the gravel a couple times coming down.

Saeed Soltanali

Google

The actual location of the hot springs was about 3 km away from the spot marked on Google Maps, so we decided not to go. In summer, there are also a lot of flies and insects in the area, which can be quite annoying.

Sofie Bates

Google

Amazing thermal river hot spring! It’s about 2.5 miles of hiking to get to the part where you can soak. The first mile or so is straight uphill, but after that it’s a more manageable, rolling incline. The way up took us about 1-1.5 hours. Gorgeous views on the way up. We loved seeing the steam billowing from the mountains, streams, and small pools. The pools are really nice and warm. They get hotter as you go up, but even the lowest pool is nice. Mostly shallow, but there are some deep pockets where you can submerge up to your neck while sitting. Water is a bit dirty and mossy, but it’s a natural river so that’s expected. There are stairs to get in the water, but bring water shoes because the riverbed is rocky. Changing dividers offered a bit of privacy but not much.

Daniel àWengen

Google

Exciting experience! Swimming in hot springs. But beware: in the uppermost part it is 50 degrees C. So go in 20 m below. Take swimwear and towel along. There are only a few wooden boards and no cabins there. The hike upwards takes 90 min and is quite strenuous and slippery. Only for the fit ones! Nevertheless: I would not have missed it. 😊

Sirpa West

Google

One of my favorite hikes in Iceland! It took about an hour to reach the hot spring river. The first half of the hike is mostly uphill, but don't give up, it gets easier after that. Don’t forget your swimwear, getting into the hot river is amazing! I would also recommend bringing something to drink and a snack.

Zoltán Nagy

Google

It has it's pros and contras. But generally we enjoyed it. The water was not that clear, but full of sediments. Have proper hiking shoes, waterproof layers (raincoat, raintrousers, gloves, hat) with you. Do not forget your rubbish there! Take your litter with you.

Akiko Ujiie

Google

Of all the places we visited in Iceland, this was the only place I wished it wasn't raining. All the other places, I didn't feel discouraged. But changing into bathing suit and back into dry clothes in the pouring down rain was challenging. It was crowded and wet everywhere, so we didn't explore as much as we would've liked to find the spot that was good temperature and depth. Our spot was not quite warm enough, close to other people, and very shallow. We were drenched from the rain water, and we didn't feel like we were able to taken in the experience and enjoy the thermal river as we had hoped... but the hike itself was very pretty. Long-ish and a decent amount of climb, but the trail was wide and maintained. Steaming rivers along the way was very picturesque.

Enija Krista

Google

What an experience, soaking in natural hot spring river! Wou! Trail is 3km one way, it took us approximate 1h to get up there, because it’s mostly up to hills, but when we came back from river to parking lot it was way more quicker and easier. The water temperature is perfect, it’s around 42 degrees celsius. However I recommend to get there around 8AM and start hike, otherwise it will be hard for you to find nice spot where to chill in the river. On the way back we passed around 150 people in total, which means river was so full! But when we visited the river there was maybe 20 people, so I would say we choosed perfect time! Yes, it was early morning, but it was 100% worth it! 💯 recommend! This is must do in Iceland in my opinion! And it’s for free! Well you need to pay for parking, which was approx 1,000ISK for 4 hours.