Reykjadalur Hot Springs Hike in Winter: First-Timers Guide

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One of the highlights of my winter trip to Iceland was the Reykjadalur hot springs hike, a hiking trail to a natural thermal river surrounded by beautiful mountains and scenery, only a 50-minute drive from Reykjavik. It’s free to do the hike and bathe in the thermal river, so it’s a great activity if you’re travelling around Iceland on a budget.

To get to Reykjadalur Hot Springs, you need to hike a 7-kilometre round-trip trail through gorgeous mountains and valleys. You’ll find a large car park at the trailhead, next to the Reykjadalur Café.

I set out to hike to Reykjadalur on a rainy day in January. The rain and season meant fewer people on the trail, allowing me to enjoy the valley and thermal river in peace.

Keep reading for my guide to the Reykjadalur hot springs hike in winter, including a full route guide, what to wear, how to get there, where to park, and all the safety tips you need to hike this trail in winter.

Where to Park and Start

If you have a hire car and are driving around Iceland, head to the Reykjadalur Cafe, where you’ll find ample parking, especially in winter when the trail is much quieter.

The trailhead starts from the car park, across a wooden footbridge towards the mountains behind the cafe. From here, it’s about a 45-60-minute hike to the thermal pools, at an easy, slow pace.

Reykjadalur Hot Springs Hike Route Guide

After crossing the wooden footbridge, follow the well-worn path and continue up the hillside. The path inclines steadily uphill for the first 20 minutes. This is the hardest part of the hike but it’s over fairly quickly and the walk gets easier after the first climb.

The rest of the hike is fairly flat across rolling hills and through valleys, with incredible views the entire way. The landscape is truly spectacular. It was a rainy, very cloudy day when I visited. The low-hanging cloud, mist and rain gave the valley an eerie feel.

The steam from the bubbling geothermal pools rises into view, and the landscape sprawls out before you, getting more immense with every turn.

About halfway into the Reykjadalur hot springs hike, you’ll come across a huge waterfall called Djúpagilsfoss, a vast crater-like canyon ravine.

As you walk, you’ll pass bubbling geothermal pools of strong-smelling sulphuric minerals.

Be careful where you step and stay on the marked paths as much as possible. The ground is boiling under your feet and you could injure yourself if you step off the path and put your foot into a scalding mud bath.

The well-marked path continues through the valley and is very easy to follow. We didn’t have a map but we followed the path easily and found the Reykjadalur thermal river with no problems.

When you arrive at the river, you’ll want to head as far upstream as you can. The water becomes hotter the further you go, so find a place that feels good for you and enjoy!

Most geothermal springs in Iceland are far too hot to bathe in but the Reykjadalur hot springs are cool enough due to the cold water streams that meet the geothermally heated river, cooling it down enough for people to swim in.

I spent a couple of hours enjoying the warm water, with the beautiful mountain surroundings. In winter, there are far fewer people who venture here, so I got to enjoy the area mostly to myself, except for a couple of other people.

The trail back to the car is the same trail you walked on to get to the hot springs, so it’s easy to retrace your steps.

How to Get to Reykjadalur Hot Springs?

The best way to get to Reykjadalur Hot Springs is to drive with a rental car. I recommend using Discover Cars for the best prices on rental cars. I use Discover Cars regularly to compare prices and book hire cars in various countries.

There is no public transport direct to the Reykjadalur Hot Springs trailhead, but you can get a bus from Reykjavik to Hveragerði, which is the closest town. This would take about 1.5 hours each way.

What is Reykjadalur?

Reykjadalur valley is just outside the town of Hveragerði, which is approximately 45 km, or a 40-45 minute drive, from Reykjavik. Reykjadalur valley opens out onto a beautiful landscape of mountains, interspersed with steam rising from dozens of geothermal pools.

Reykjadalur is part of the Hengill area and a short hike into the mountains will have you stumbling across epic waterfalls, huge crater valleys, bubbling mud pools and finally, a geothermally heated river, which is the end destination for this hike.

This really is a must-do activity and one of the best things to do in South Iceland.

Facilities and Parking at Reykjadalur

There is a large car park situated at the start of the Reykjadalur hot springs thermal river hike. You’ll also find a cafe and public toilets there. The cafe was closed when I visited. I’m guessing this may have been because of bad weather.

There were only about five cars in the car park when I arrived, but it gets very busy in the summer. Other than this, there are no facilities along the hiking route, so make sure you use the toilets in the car park and ensure you have enough supplies (water and snacks) for 4-5 hours. The car park costs 250 ISK per hour.

At the river itself, you’ll find some basic changing facilities and a wooden walkway along the river banks. The changing facilities are a simple wooden board to stand behind, providing some privacy and somewhere to hang your clothes.

Are Reykjadalur Hot Springs Hike Dangerous in Winter?

In my experience, the trail was perfectly safe on a rainy, damp day in January. However, there was no snow on the ground, and I can imagine the trail would get slippery and precarious in icy conditions.

The path is wide and I felt safe at all times. The path is gravelly and very rocky underfoot, so it’s important to wear the right footwear, such as sturdy hiking boots with good grip. If you’re hiking in snow or icy conditions, I’d also recommend crampons or spikes for your boots.

Weather conditions can be unpredictable in Iceland in winter, so it’s important to be prepared when travelling around Iceland. Here are a few safety tips:

• Check weather conditions before you travel using the Iceland Met Office.
• Check road conditions before you travel using the Iceland Official Traffic Info website. In winter, some roads are permanently closed or marked as impassable on the map. It’s worth checking this to plan your route.
• Download the Safe Travel app, run by the Icelandic Association for Search and Rescue. They provide safety information based on current road and weather conditions.

What to Wear on the Reykjadalur Hot Springs Hike in Winter

It can be hard to know what to pack for your Iceland winter trip, as weather conditions in Iceland in winter can be very unpredictable. Make sure you pack plenty of layers that you can either add or remove as temperatures or conditions change.

A warm, waterproof coat, hiking trousers, hiking boots, and a backpack to carry water and supplies are a must for the Reykjadalur hot springs thermal river hike. Hiking poles may be useful in icy conditions.

Don’t forget your swimsuit and a towel to dry off. Microfibre towels are light and dry quickly. I recommend taking flip-flops so you don’t have to walk with bare feet on the snow!