Fagradalsfjall Volcano — Attraction in Iceland

Great experience! Would definitely recommend. Worth the hike, which is pretty steep in some places. My husband and I are average hikers in our late 20s, and it took us about an hour and a half to get up to the second viewpoint up the second mountain/hill. It was an amazing view!

The difficulty of the hike is heavily dependent on how far you go. There are 3 parking lots. If you park in the second one (when coming from Grindavik) you can take an easy 10-15 minute walk to the start of the hardened lava flow that goes down the entire valley, which is very interesting by itself. As you go up the main hiking path after that to see the volcano, there are several very steep hills to conquer. About half way up the first hill you can start to see the top of the volcano. If you’re tired, you can stop here and enjoy it. If you still have energy, go up to the first viewpoint at the top of the first hill. You can see the crater and part of the lava flowing down here. If you’re still motivated, go to the second viewpoint at the top of the second hill. This is where we stopped. We had an amazing view of both the crater and the lava flowing down the mountainside, as well as the lava all down the valley. If you are a very experienced hiker or have a lot of time and energy, there is a third hill/mountain that you can climb up to see even more of the volcano, but I did not go there, so I can’t specifically speak to the view there.

Also, the volcano goes through periods of activity and inactivity (every 12 hours I hear?), so keep checking the live webcam footage to determine how much lava you’ll be able to see, along with the weather conditions. We went on a very nice day, but it was still very windy at the top of the mountains. Honestly, we thought the hike to Svartifoss we did earlier this week was more difficult, but that was also on an unseasonably hot...

I did this hike on 7/14/21. I parked in the second parking lot (you need to pay about ~8USD) which was busy (30 or 40 cars) and it even had a food truck and some park rangers to answer questions. There was a very obvious line of hikers headed up the trail so no need to worry about where to hike. The trail (C I believe) is not marked but because it's so wide and well traveled it doesn't need to be.

The hike up the ridge (Langihryggur) was extremely windy and made the hike more difficult. To the radio tower (first spot you can really see anything) is about 45min-1hr depending on how fast you go. From there you can continue quite a bit further if you like.

As you can see form the photos (taken with a zoom lens) you are not close to the lava, but you do have a good view if you continue the hike past the radio tower. I hiked 5-6km (~1.5 hrs at a solid pace) to get the best view I could. I think you could continue further but you'd go downhill and lose sight of most of the lava. So for now if you want to see the best view plan on a fairly difficult and windy 5-6km hike each way (I'm just guessing distance based on time).

Overall highly recommended! Make sure you have water and water-proof clothing. I hiked into a cloud at one point and got nearly soaked from rain. The lava is amazing and was flowing constantly down one of the hills. Inside the vent lava would be quiet for 15-20 mins and then start boiling out and really flowing for 5-10 mins. So there is definitely still (as of a few days ago) activity to see.

Previous reviews really helped me in planning this, I hope this helps...

Hiked up trail B late afternoon on 11th Sept 21 and arrived to view the spectacular eruption in clear weather, stayed for half an hour to ensure I got back down before dark. My opinion that route B is quite a bit easier than getting to the high point on trail C. On B the authorities have helpfully carved switchbacks, single road width, that take you to the halfway point. Definitely worth using at least one hiking pole. The rocks on the next section were slightly tricky for a novice hiker like me to navigate. What greeted me after a 1.5 hr hike was absolutely spectacular, bubbling lava fountains. I’d say the main crater is a good mile away, but the nearest lava only 200/300 meters. I suggest taking a small rucksack to carry a drink and snack in, plus any camera equipment. I used a 70-300mm & 50mm prime, I wish I’d taken a wide angle lens with me too. The hike back down took 1 hr & when I arrived at car park B it was packed with around 200 vehicles. Parking is 1000 per day, payable by scanning a bar code attached to a sign near the entrance, park up first though. For info Grindavik is only 3 miles away, I stayed on a campsite there on 6 & 7 Sept but as all quiet move to more comfortable accommodation in Reykjavik 30 miles away. I’d highly recommend hiring a car, having the flexibility is essential to maximise your chances of seeing the volcano when it erupts. During my stay 6-12 Sept, it was only on the final day before I returned to the Uk that...