Sight · Vatnajökull National Park
Remote crater chain with big views and a serious 4x4 approach
Overview
Lakagígar is the famous Laki crater row in the Highlands: a long volcanic fissure dotted with mossy cones and sweeping lava fields. It sits in a remote corner of the park, and that remoteness is part of the charm—wild, quiet, and otherworldly. From the top of Mount Laki you get big-picture views across the crater chain and, on clear days, toward nearby glaciers.
This landscape was forged by the 1783–1784 Skaftáreldar eruption—one of Iceland’s most consequential events. The fissure produced enormous lava flows and prolonged gas emissions that devastated Icelandic agriculture and drove a deadly famine, with reverberations felt across Europe and beyond. Standing here connects you directly to that history, with the crater row laid out beneath you.
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Local know-how
Refuel and stock up on food and water in Kirkjubæjarklaustur before heading in.
Aim for early July–September; F-roads may not open until late June.
Wear sturdy boots—expect steep, loose gravel and uneven lava terrain.
If river crossings make you nervous, book a super-jeep tour instead of self-driving.
Consider a short stop at a waterfall along the approach to break up the long day.
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Vatnajökull Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Vatnajökull National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this area
The Laki Eruption: A Volcano That Changed the World“The vast, mossy lava fields you're seeing are from one of the biggest volcanic disasters in recorded history.”
Plays on the road 1.1 km from Lakagígar in the Parkwolf Vatnajökull Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Most visitors hike up Mount Laki for the signature view. The main trail is well-marked, includes some steep, loose sections, and is roughly 3.5 km. Underfoot can be gravelly and slick on the lava and moss margins, so sturdy footwear matters. The terrain and vantage points make this a rewarding stop for landscape photographers and geology fans alike.
Plan for minimal infrastructure. There’s a small car park and basic toilets reported at the site in season, and a ranger is often present to share local guidance. That said, this remains a remote Highlands destination—treat services as limited and bring your own water and food. Parking is typically informal and unpaved.
The drive in passes scenic stops in the Highlands; many visitors add a waterfall stop along the way, making the long day even more rewarding.
Wildlife
22 sightingsGrey SealMost seen around 5 AMSighting map
258 sightingsHarbor SealMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
184 sightingsCaribouMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
62 sightingsArctic FoxMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
168 sightingsWhooper SwanMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
68 sightingsAtlantic PuffinMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Vatnajökull. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Parkwolf’s Vatnajökull ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
