Iceland’s geysers are among the island’s most famous natural wonders. It’s not called the land of fire and ice for nothing: from volcanoes and hot springs to glaciers and ice-cold snorkeling, you’ll find every extreme here. Iceland doesn’t even have the most geysers in the world, but it’s definitely the country most famous for them. The word ‘geyser’ even comes from Icelandic.
What is a geyser?
A geyser is a hot spring that regularly blasts hot water and steam into the air. It’s an amazing spectacle, and a pretty rare one too: natural geysers only exist in a handful of countries around the world.
Geysers form where underground water meets hot rock. You need volcanic activity for that heat, and Iceland has plenty of it. A handful of geysers here are still truly active, and you can easily see the best ones on your road trip around Iceland.
Fair warning: it smells strongly of rotten eggs here. That’s the sulfur, which you’ll smell at lots of Iceland’s hot springs.
Where are the geysers in Iceland?
The answer is simple: in the Haukadalur geothermal area, right in the middle of the famous Golden Circle. This route close to Reykjavík takes you past three of Iceland’s big highlights. The other two are Gullfoss waterfall and the tectonic plates in Thingvellir National Park.
Active and extinct geysers sit side by side in this geothermal area. Right from the footpath you’ll see steam rising everywhere, and the ground is so hot that every little stream turns into a kind of steam bath. There are lots of hot springs too, but they’re far too hot to bathe in.
#1 The Great Geysir
Geysir is the most famous geyser spot in the world; it even gave its name to every other geyser out there. The Great Geysir is right by the road through the Golden Circle and easy to reach. Sadly, it rarely erupts these days, so you probably won’t see its legendary 70-meter spout. But don’t worry, there’s another, very active geyser right next door.
#2 Strokkur geyser
Right next to Geysir is Iceland’s coolest geyser: Strokkur. It’s far more active than its famous neighbor, which is why people often mix the two up. Strokkur erupts roughly every 5 to 10 minutes. Usually the water shoots 15 to 20 meters high, but sometimes it reaches a whopping 30 meters. So you’re guaranteed to see it go off.
I expected the geysers to be much busier, but it was really quiet. I’d spent the night at a campsite nearby and only arrived late in the day, when the day tours from Reykjavík had already left. You know exactly what’s coming, and it’s still impressive every time Strokkur suddenly bursts into the air.
#3 Other geysers in the Golden Circle
There are more geysers in this active area, some of them a lot older. Litli Geysir (Little Geyser), for example, is now not much more than a bubbling hot spring. It was once Iceland’s third most active geyser, but that was well over 150 years ago.
Other old geysers include Blesi (now a hot spring with deep blue water), Fata (also a hot spring), Konungshver (no longer active after being artificially triggered too often) and Litli Strokkur (which used to erupt only after earthquakes).
There are also a few dormant or barely active geysers in the Golden Circle. We wouldn’t go out of your way for them, as you won’t really see any activity. Óþerrishola, or ‘the rainmaker’, only erupts very occasionally, and some others only go off when people throw stones or soap into them.
How do you visit the geysers in Iceland?
The easiest way to visit the geysers and the rest of the Golden Circle is with your own rental car or camper, and you can easily drive the route in a day from Reykjavík. You can compare rental cars on Discover Cars, for example. No transport of your own? Then book a guided tour that covers all the highlights.
→ Compare rental cars in Iceland on Discover Cars
I drove the Golden Circle in a small rented camper and deliberately took two days. That meant I was always at the highlights early or late, before or after the tour buses. In Iceland, you can rent a camper from Campeasy, for example.
→ Check out campervans at Campeasy
You can stay near the geysers at Skjól campsite or the Geysir Campsite, handy if you love camping. Prefer a roof over your head? Check out our tips for where to stay in the Golden Circle.
That also gives you plenty of time to see more than just the three big Golden Circle highlights. The Haukadalur geothermal area is well worth your time, for example. Take a walk past the blue hot springs and enjoy the scenery, but stick to the paths, as the ground can be hot.
Opposite the geysers, there’s a large parking lot with a restaurant, food court and souvenir shop.
More tips for your trip to the Golden Circle
Our pickHotels on the Golden Circle: stay at least one night, right between the waterfalls and geysers
The Golden Circle is an easy self-drive from Keflavík. Rent a car with Discover Cars and compare the big rental companies in one go.
Fancy doing it by camper, like we did? Rent a campervan from CampEasy near Keflavík airport, 4x4s included for the rougher roads.
Prefer everything arranged? Browse Iceland tours on TourRadar.
No flight yet? Compare flights to Keflavík, Iceland's international airport near Reykjavík.
Fancy snorkelling between two continents? Book a Silfra snorkelling tour with GetYourGuide.
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