About This Experience

Hverir sits on the eastern flank of Námafjall ridge, just off Route 1 near Lake Mývatn. There's no visitor centre, no ticket booth, no gift shop — you pull into a gravel car park and walk straight into one of the most active geothermal fields in Iceland.

The landscape is immediately disorienting. Ochre, grey, and pale yellow sulphur deposits cover the ground in every direction. Fumaroles hiss from cracks in the earth, sending columns of steam into the air. Mud pots — some small and gently plopping, others a metre across and violently boiling — are scattered across the hillside. The smell of sulphur is strong but you stop noticing it after a few minutes.

What makes Hverir special is how exposed it all is. There are no boardwalks through the most active areas, just roped-off zones and common sense. You can get remarkably close to features that in most countries would be behind three layers of fencing. The ground is warm underfoot in places, and you can feel the heat rising through your shoes near the vents.

What to Expect

From the car park, a rough path leads into the main geothermal field. The flat area at the base has the largest mud pots — some are vigorously boiling, throwing grey mud a foot into the air. Further up the hillside, fumaroles vent steam through sulphur-stained cracks in the rock.

The main area can be explored in 30 minutes, but it's worth walking up the Námafjall ridge for the panoramic view over the geothermal field and Lake Mývatn beyond. The ridge trail adds another 20-30 minutes and gives real perspective on the scale of the geothermal activity.

We visited in the late afternoon and had much of the area to ourselves. Tour buses tend to arrive mid-morning and early afternoon, so timing your visit outside those windows makes a noticeable difference.

Practical Tips

• Free to visit — no entrance fee, open 24 hours
• Located directly on Route 1, about 8 km east of Reykjahlíð (the main village at Mývatn)
• Stay on marked paths and behind roped areas — the ground near active vents is thin and scalding
• Wear sturdy shoes with good grip; the ground is uneven and can be slippery when wet
• The sulphur smell is strong — leave your freshly washed jacket in the car
• Wind direction matters: position yourself upwind of the steam vents for clearer views and photos
• Late afternoon and evening light makes the colours more dramatic
• Combine with nearby Mývatn Nature Baths (3 km away) for a soak afterwards
• The Krafla volcanic area and Víti crater are a 15-minute drive further east — easy to combine
• Allow 30 minutes for the main field, or a full hour if you hike up Námafjall ridge