Entry to Skaftafell and the surrounding Vatnajökull National Park is free — the only charge is a regional parking fee, starting at ISK 1,110 for a passenger car and valid until midnight on the day you pay. The park grounds never close, and the Skaftafellsstofa visitor centre keeps its doors open all year, from 09:00 to as late as 19:00 in midsummer.
Skaftafell never closes. The park grounds are open 24 hours a day, year-round, with no entrance gates; you simply pay the parking fee, which is valid until midnight of the day you paid. The Skaftafellsstofa Visitor Centre keeps longer hours in summer (09:00–19:00, June–August) and shorter ones in midwinter (10:00–17:00, January–February and December).
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| Day | Hours | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Monday–Sunday (park grounds, trails, viewpoints) | Open 24 hours | No gate or closing time; parking fee is per calendar day, valid until midnight. A 50% discount applies if you visit another Vatnajökull National Park fee area (e.g. Jökulsárlón) the same day. |
| Monday–Sunday (Visitor Centre, June–August) | 09:00–19:00 | Rangers, maps, exhibition and film; the best first stop before choosing trails. |
| Monday–Sunday (Visitor Centre, September–October) | 09:00–18:00 | Rangers can advise on current trail conditions. |
| Monday–Sunday (Visitor Centre, March–May and November) | 09:00–17:00 | Ice-cave season runs 1 October–30 April; combination tours depart around 9:00, 10:00, 13:30 and 14:00. |
| Monday–Sunday (Visitor Centre, January–February and December) | 10:00–17:00 | Daylight lasts only about 4–5 hours; plan trails around it. Guided glacier hikes still run year-round. |
There are no holiday closures — the grounds stay open every day of the year and the visitor centre opens on Icelandic public and religious holidays as well, following the seasonal hours above. The only calendar-dependent change is tour-related: blue ice-cave tours run roughly 1 October to 30 April, and winter departures can shift or cancel in storms, so confirm with your operator the morning of travel.
Entry to Skaftafell and Vatnajökull National Park is free — you pay for parking, not admission. A passenger car (5 seats or fewer) costs ISK 1,110, valid until midnight on the day paid, with larger vehicles paying more (up to ISK 9,400 for a 33+ seat bus). Camping and guided glacier hikes are extra.
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| Category | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Entry (all visitors) | Free | No ticket, permit, or booking needed for the marked trails |
| Parking — passenger car, up to 5 seats | ISK 1,110 | Valid until midnight; pay via Parka app, machines, or online after the automatic licence-plate photo |
| Parking — passenger car, 6-9 seats | ISK 1,440 | Same-day 50% discount if you also pay at another Vatnajökull fee area such as Jökulsárlón |
| Parking — bus, 10-21 seats | ISK 2,770 | Usually built into guided coach tour packages |
| Parking — bus, 22-32 seats | ISK 5,200 | Valid until midnight on the day paid |
| Parking — bus, 33+ seats | ISK 9,400 | Valid until midnight on the day paid |
| Parking — motorcycle | ISK 450 | Cheapest option on the fee schedule |
| Campsite — adult (17-66) | ISK 2,800 per person per night | Spots cannot be reserved; arrive early in July and August |
| Campsite — senior (67+) or disabled | ISK 2,300 per person per night | Reduced rate |
| Campsite — children 16 and under | Free | Electricity hookup ISK 1,500 per 24 hours if needed |
| Guided glacier hike (3 hours) | From ISK 13,126 per person | Minimum age 8; runs on nearby Falljökull, since Skaftafellsjökull now ends in a lake — crampons, harness, and helmet included |
| Winter ice-cave and glacier combo tour (4 hours) | Tour-priced individually | Runs roughly October 1-April 30; booking required, departures around 9:00, 10:00, 13:30 and 14:00 |
Entry is free every day of the year; the only breaks are the 50% same-day parking discount at a second Vatnajökull fee area (such as Jökulsárlón) and a parking-fee exemption for holders of the Icelandic P-parking card, who should email the park in advance.
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View All ToursJune and July are the best months to visit Skaftafell Glacier: daytime highs of 10–15°C, clear trails, lush birch woodland, and nearly 24-hour daylight around the June solstice, with July typically the warmest and the widest choice of guided glacier-hike departures. Expect crowds to build on the Svartifoss and glacier-viewpoint trails by late morning, so start early — or use the midnight sun for a late-evening walk when most tour groups have gone.
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| Period | Crowd Level | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Early morning (before 09:00) | Low | Trails and parking lots are at their quietest before the visitor centre opens at 09:00 (10:00 in January, February and December) — ideal for photographers and anyone wanting Svartifoss's basalt columns to themselves. |
| Morning (09:00–11:00) | Moderate | Guided glacier hikes begin departing from Skaftafell Base Camp and the first ice-cave tours leave around 9:00 and 10:00 in winter, so this suits hikers who want maps and ranger advice from Skaftafellsstofa before setting out. |
| Late morning to midday (11:00–14:00) | High | This is peak congestion on the S1 viewpoint loop and the Svartifoss path, with parking hardest to find — arrive early or accept the queues, and note the 13:30 and 14:00 winter tour departures add to the bustle. |
| Afternoon (14:00–19:00) | Moderate | Day-trippers start thinning out, leaving time for a 2-hour Svartifoss walk or the 4.1 km viewpoint loop before the visitor centre closes (19:00 in June–August, as early as 17:00 in midwinter). |
| Evening (after 19:00, June–August) | Low | The midnight sun keeps trails usable late into the night in summer, and some operators run late-evening glacier hikes — the best window for those who want the foreland's moraine landscape almost to themselves. |
Plan on 2–4 hours at Skaftafell Glacier. That covers the 4.1 km S1 glacier-viewpoint loop (1–1.5 hours) plus the 5.8 km round-trip walk to Svartifoss waterfall (about 2 hours). Add a 3-hour guided glacier hike on Falljökull — or a 4-hour winter ice-cave tour from October to April — and you're looking at a full day; the 18 km Kristínartindar circuit alone needs 6–8.
There's no entrance fee — you pay for parking, ISK 1,110 for a standard car, valid until midnight. If you're also going to Jökulsárlón (57 km east), hit both on the same day and the second fee area gives you a 50% discount. Pay via the Parka app, the machines, or online after your plate gets photographed.
By late morning in summer, the Svartifoss trail and the glacier-viewpoint car park are thick with tour buses. Get there early — cooler hiking, easier parking, and quieter photos at the 20 m basalt columns. The visitor centre opens at 09:00 from March through November (10:00 in January, February and December), so grab trail maps and conditions there first.
Guided walks depart from Skaftafell Base Camp, cost from about ISK 13,126 for three hours, and sell out regularly in summer. Note you won't actually step on Skaftafellsjökull — it's retreated into a lake, so tours use nearby Falljökull instead. Arrive 20 minutes before departure, and check in advance whether boots and rain gear are included or a rental extra.
Jeans are banned on glacier treks; you need hard-soled waterproof boots for crampons, plus a shell, gloves and a hat — even in July. The ice runs a few degrees colder and far windier than the car park. Sunglasses and sunscreen matter too, with glare bouncing off the ice.
October 1 to April 30 brings the blue ice cave tours — four-hour combos departing around 9:00, 10:00, 13:30 and 14:00 — and the current roofless, canyon-style cave is a good pick if you're claustrophobic. The trade-off: roughly 4-5 hours of daylight and temperatures that can drop below -10°C. Check the road forecast before driving the Ring Road, and keep your schedule flexible in case tours shift.
No, entry to Skaftafell and Vatnajökull National Park is free — you pay for parking instead. A passenger car with 5 or fewer seats costs ISK 1,110, a 6-9 seat car ISK 1,440, buses ISK 2,770-9,400 depending on size, and a motorcycle ISK 450. Payment goes through the Parka app, the machines, or online after the automatic licence-plate photo.
The park grounds are open year-round with no gate hours, and your parking fee covers the calendar day until midnight. The Skaftafellsstofa Visitor Centre is also open all year: 09:00-19:00 June-August, 09:00-18:00 September-October, 09:00-17:00 March-May and November, and 10:00-17:00 in January, February and December.
The marked trails — including the 4.1 km S1 glacier-viewpoint loop and the Svartifoss walk — need no permit or booking at all. Guided glacier hikes and ice cave tours do require reservations, and they sell out regularly in summer, so book ahead. Tours start from about ISK 13,126 per person for a 3-hour hike, with a minimum age of 8.
Yes, the campsite sits next to the visitor centre, within walking distance of both the glacier viewpoint trail and Svartifoss. It's ISK 2,800 per person per night for ages 17-66, ISK 2,300 for seniors 67+ and disabled visitors, free for children 16 and under, plus ISK 1,500 per 24 hours for electricity. Spots can't be reserved, so arrive early in July and August.
Parking is ISK 1,110 for a standard passenger car (5 seats or fewer), collected via the Parka app, payment machines, or after an automatic licence-plate photo. The fee is valid until midnight on the day you pay. If you also visit another fee area of the park that same day — Jökulsárlón, for example — you get 50% off the second one, so plan both stops together.
Blue ice cave tours run roughly October 1 to April 30, as 4-hour combination tours that visit a cave plus the glacier. Departures are around 9:00, 10:00, 13:30 and 14:00. The caves reform in a new spot each autumn, so exact openings depend on the ice each year.
Yes — Strætó route 51 runs from Reykjavík to Höfn via Vík and Skaftafell, with daily service in summer. The Reykjavík-Skaftafell fare is ISK 13,200 one way for adults, ISK 6,600 for ages 12-17, seniors and disabled travellers, and free for children 0-11. Timetables shrink outside summer, so check straeto.is before committing to a car-free trip.
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