Summer · May–SepUp to ~20 h daylight
Long light, open roads
The busiest months. Come early or late in the evening for still water and soft light. Arctic terns nest nearby from late May: keep to the paths.
Plan your visit
Everything before you turn off Route 1
01 · Getting here
Turn off at the glacier sign
- 01Drive Route 1 east from Skaftafell towards Jökulsárlón.
- 02Take the first turn-off signed Fjallsjökull · Fjallsárlón, on the glacier side of the road, before the Fjallsá river bridge. CONFIRM SIGN TEXT
- 03Follow the access road to the car park. The lagoon is a short walk from there.
← ReykjavíkRoute 1 · heading eastHöfn →
1st turn-off
Fjallsjökull car park
Ours ✓
River
Fjallsá bridge
2nd turn-off
Frost restaurant · boat tours
Not ours
Crossed the Fjallsá bridge? Turn back. The turn-off after the bridge leads to a different car park, for Frost restaurant and the boat tours. It is not ours.
Coming from Höfn or Jökulsárlón: pass that turn-off, cross the bridge, and ours is the next one.
- From Reykjavík
- ~360 km · 4.5–5 h
- From Höfn
- ~90 km · 1 h 10
- GPS
- 64.0217, −16.3948 CONFIRM
Map © OpenStreetMap contributors
Open in Maps
02 · Parking
One thousand krónur a car. Walkers free.
The landowners built the access road and the car park. The fee pays for the road, the car park, the facilities and their upkeep, and it is how the site keeps improving.
The price shown is the final price. Nothing is added at payment.
Why there’s a parking fee →
Parking · FjallsjökullSingle source · edit once
Per car
ISK 1,000
Final price, VAT included
On foot or by bicycle
Free
No ticket, no app
- Paid period
- One payment covers your visit CONFIRM: HOURS · FREE MINUTES
- How to pay
- Parka app, parka.is or card. Your number plate is your ticket.
- Late payment
- Pay within 4 hours of arriving to avoid a surcharge CONFIRM RULE
What the fee pays for
The access road
The car park
Facilities
Paths and upkeep
There is no other funding; every króna goes back into the site.
Prices confirmed with Parka · date —
Pay parking
03 · Opening and seasons
Open year-round, different every month
Winter · Oct–Apr~5 h daylight in Dec
Blue ice, short days
The ice turns its deepest blue and the lagoon can freeze over. Route 1 may close in storms; check umferdin.is and vedur.is before you set out. The car park is not lit. CONFIRM
04 · Facilities
What’s here now
P
Car park
At the end of the access road
WC
Toilets
TO CONFIRM
i
Information boards
Map and safety TO CONFIRM
→
Marked paths
To the lagoon viewpoints
05 · Safety
The ice is beautiful and it moves
Icebergs roll without warning and calving sends waves onto the shore. Give the water and the ice room.
safetravel.is ↗- 01Never climb onto icebergs, and never walk onto the glacier without a certified guide.
- 02Watch for calving waves at the shore. Keep children close and away from the water’s edge.
- 03Weather changes fast. Bring a warm layer, even in July.
- 04Stay on marked paths. The moraine is loose and the moss takes decades to grow back.
- 05Drones: the lagoon lies within Vatnajökull National Park, where drone flights need a permit. CONFIRM RULES
06 · Questions
Before you ask
Which turn-off is yours?
Coming from Reykjavík, the first one, before the Fjallsá river bridge. The turn-off after the bridge is a different car park, for Frost restaurant and the boat tours, and is not ours. Coming from the east, cross the bridge and take the next turn-off. See the diagram.
Fjallsárlón or Jökulsárlón: which should I visit?
Both. They’re about ten minutes apart on Route 1. Fjallsárlón is smaller and quieter, and you stand closer to the glacier face. Jökulsárlón is larger, with Diamond Beach across the road.
How long should I stay?
Most visitors spend about an hour: the walk to the viewpoints, time by the water, photographs. Allow longer if you’re waiting for light.
Do I pay if I walk in?
No. Arriving on foot or by bicycle is free. The fee is for parking a vehicle.
Is it accessible?
The car park is level gravel. The path to the first viewpoint crosses uneven moraine. CONFIRM SURFACE · DISTANCE
Can I bring my dog?
Yes, on a lead. Birds nest on the moraine in summer. CONFIRM
Can coaches park?
Coach parking and rates are being confirmed. CONFIRM Until then, tour operators can write to hello@fjallsjokull.is.