Skaftafell: a place to slow down and explore

Start with the landscape

Skaftafell gives you several ways to spend a day outdoors without building your entire visit around one activity. Walk towards a glacier, follow the hillside to Svartifoss or allow more time for a longer route. The experience changes with your choice of trail, the weather and how much time you leave yourself.

The area became a national park in 1967 and joined Vatnajökull National Park in 2008. It is accessible from Route 1 in southeast Iceland. Skaftafellsstofa, the visitor centre, is a useful first stop for local information and current trail advice. [1]

Choose your walk

Start with what you want from the day. For a first visit, the lower routes give you a clear introduction to the landscape. Longer mountain walks need a separate plan, suitable conditions and enough daylight.

These are the national park’s published route figures, not a promise about your walking time or current access. Add time for photographs, stops and any slower sections. [2] [3]

Skaftafellsjökull and the S1 trail

The S1 route starts by the visitor centre and leads towards views of Skaftafellsjökull. Signs along the way explain the landscape left behind by the retreating glacier. Stay on the marked route, read the warnings at the end and respect barriers. [2]

Svartifoss and the S2 loop

Choose S2 for the waterfall and a longer hillside circuit. Svartifoss is surrounded by dark basalt columns, while the wider loop includes Sjónarsker and the old turf house at Sel. The park lists about 250 metres of elevation gain, so this is more than a flat stroll from the car. [3]

Read our guide to the Svartifoss walk →

Make room in your day

If you have a short stop, pick one walk and give it your attention. Trying to squeeze both a trail and a glacier tour into a tight travel day can leave very little room for a delayed arrival or a change in weather.

With a full day, choose one main activity first. A booked glacier walk has a fixed meeting time; a walk on a marked park trail is easier to fit around it. Confirm the tour’s complete duration before adding anything else. Keep some time free for food, changing clothes and the drive to your next overnight stop.

If your main interest is photography, a slower visit to one viewpoint may suit you better than collecting several stops. If you want to spend time on the ice, start with our glacier walk guide and work backwards from the meeting instructions.

Before you go

• Check the park’s current notices. A published trail description is not confirmation that every section is open today.
• Read the weather forecast and road information. Plan your drive and your walk together.
• Bring layers and protection from rain and wind. Keep a hat, gloves, water and something to eat in your day bag.
• Use your booking confirmation for tour directions. A tour described as being in Skaftafell may have a different meeting point from the visitor centre.
• Keep the landscape intact. Stay on established paths and take your rubbish with you.

Check national park updates, the weather forecast and road conditions before setting off. Safetravel also has practical advice for short hikes. [5]

Common questions