Fagradalsfjall Volcano TripsVolcano Hike and Grindavík Visit from Reykjavík
The volcano hike and Grindavík visit from Reykjavík is a roughly 6.5-hour Reykjavik Excursions day tour costing $136, sold on Viator with a 4.8 rating from 175 verified bookings. It runs three stops in one day: the steaming Seltún geothermal area, a 45-minute guided hike to a viewpoint over the Fagradalsfjall lava fields, and a walk through Grindavík, the fishing town that was repeatedly threatened by eruptions on the Sundhnúkur crater row since 2023. Lunch in Grindavík is described in the itinerary but billed separately. This page breaks down the price, the day stop by stop, what the listing promises that it does not deliver, and which travellers should pick a different listing when they compare all Fagradalsfjall volcano tours.
About This Tour
This is a shared coach day from Reykjavík run by Reykjavik Excursions. The route drives out through the Reykjanes peninsula, stops at the Seltún geothermal area with its bubbling mud pools, then walks 45 minutes to a viewpoint over the Fagradalsfjall lava fields formed by the 2021, 2022 and 2023 eruptions. The final stop is Grindavík, where the itinerary walks past the tectonic rifts and the protective lava barriers built against the Sundhnúkur eruptions.
It is the shortest of the full-day Viator listings on our comparison at about 6.5 hours. The trade-off is scale: this is a coach tour of up to 53 travellers, not a small-group hike, and the fish and chips lunch the description promises is an extra you pay for in Grindavík.
$136 per person. No entrance fee exists because the hiking area is free public land. The one cost on top is the fish and chips lunch in Grindavík, which the listing explicitly excludes, so budget for that meal separately. Nothing else is stated as a mandatory extra.
About 6.5 hours in total (390 minutes per the listing's itinerary data), Reykjavík to Reykjavík. The listed departure option is titled Pickup at 09:30. A return time is not stated.
A 45-minute hike to a Fagradalsfjall viewpoint, per the itinerary. Total hiking distance is not stated by the listing.
Hotel pickup and meet-at-start-point are both offered. The main meeting point is BSI Bus Terminal in Reykjavík, at least 15 minutes before departure. Pickup guests must be at their pickup point at least 30 minutes before departure, because drivers make several stops and collection can take up to 30 minutes. No self-drive option exists.
Shared tour of up to 53 travellers per the listing's itinerary data, with on-board WiFi and air conditioning. This is a coach day, not a small-group hike.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the scheduled departure time for a full refund. Inside 24 hours there is no refund.
Check Dates and Availability
Live dates and the 09:30 departure are shown on the booking calendar. Cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before departure if your plans change.
You'll confirm the exact date and time on the secure booking page.
Quick answer Price, length and the honest catches
This volcano hike and Grindavík visit from Reykjavík costs $136, runs about 6.5 hours and includes a 45-minute hike to a Fagradalsfjall viewpoint plus a walk through Grindavík, with lunch excluded. It is a coach tour of up to 53 travellers, not a small-group hike.
Key takeaways
- If you want more time at the volcano, the 4-hour small-group Fagradalsfjall hike spends about 3.5 hours hiking at the volcano for $157.
- No lava is flowing anywhere on the peninsula right now. Read what you will actually see in the Fagradalsfjall status guide.
- The Grindavík fish and chips stop is not in the $136. See how the extras stack up in the Fagradalsfjall tour price comparison.
- For the full day list with prices and group sizes, open the Fagradalsfjall volcano trips catalog.
What the Price Actually Covers
The $136 buys the coach seat, the guide and the full three-stop route. It does not buy lunch, and it does not buy more than 45 minutes on the mountain. Here is the split, taken from the listing's own inclusions and exclusions.
What is in the $136
Reykjavik Excursions includes round-trip coach transport with on-board WiFi and air conditioning, the guided 45-minute hike to the Fagradalsfjall viewpoint, the Seltún geothermal stop, the Grindavík walk and the hotel pickup or meet-at-start-point service. There is no entrance fee to pay at the hiking area because it is free public land, and the listing states no mandatory extras beyond the meal.
What is not in the $136
Lunch is the listed exclusion, even though the itinerary description walks you into Grindavík and talks up a fish and chips meal from the freshest catch. Read that carefully: the meal is available for a fee, which you pay in the town. Drinks are not included either.
Bring your own snacks and water for the hike itself, since nothing is sold at the viewpoint. Hiking poles are not mentioned in the listing at all.
Where the money goes
You are paying for logistics and scale, not intimacy. This is a coach of up to 53 travellers, so $136 here buys a scheduled, WiFi-equipped bus and an English-speaking guide rather than a small group. Compare that with the geologist-led 4-hour hike at $159 and capped at 6 travellers, or the Reykjanes sightseeing minibus loop at $113 with about 1 hour at the Nátthagi viewpoint.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Round-trip coach from Reykjavík | Yes | On-board WiFi and air conditioning |
| Hotel pickup or BSI meeting point | Yes | Be at the pickup point 30 minutes early, BSI 15 minutes early |
| 45-minute guided hike to viewpoint | Yes | Fagradalsfjall lava fields, 2021-2023 eruptions |
| Seltún geothermal stop | Yes | Steaming vents and mud pools |
| Grindavík walk and lava barriers | Yes | Tectonic rifts and the protective barriers |
| Fish and chips lunch in Grindavík | No | Explicitly excluded, paid in the town |
| Entrance fee | None exists | The hiking area is free public land |
Sources: the operator's own listing on Viator, and Visit Reykjanes hiking and parking.
What the Day Is Really Like
The listing fixes the total at 390 minutes and gives one stated departure time, the 09:30 pickup option. The stop durations come from its itinerary data. Clock times after departure are not published, so the order below is exact but the hours are estimates from the stated 6.5-hour frame.
Pickup and the drive out
Pickup is timed for 09:30 on the listed option. Be at your hotel or pickup point at least 30 minutes before that, because the driver works through several stops and collection can take up to 30 minutes in total. If you skip pickup and meet at BSI Bus Terminal instead, arrive 15 minutes before departure.
The coach then drives the roughly 40 km from Reykjavík toward the Reykjanes peninsula through volcanic landscape.
Seltún Geothermal Area
The first stop is Seltún, where steaming vents, bubbling mud pools and mineral-stained hillsides show the geothermal heat that drives everything else on this peninsula. The listing does not publish a duration for this stop, so treat it as a short photo and walking break rather than a hike.
The 45-minute hike
This is the heart of the tour: a 45-minute guided walk to a viewpoint over the Fagradalsfjall lava fields. What you look at is the cooled output of the 2021, 2022 and 2023 eruptions, black flows and the crater country above Geldingadalir. No lava is flowing now.
The Icelandic Met Office confirmed no active eruption after the most recent one ended in early August 2025, so any operator photo showing orange lava is from the past. Walking on the lava itself is strictly forbidden because the crust can hide hot rock underneath.
Grindavík and the barriers
The coach continues to Grindavík, the fishing town evacuated because of the volcanic activity, with the Sundhnúkur eruptions running from December 2023 to August 2025. The listing walks you past dramatic tectonic rifts, lava formations and the protective barriers residents built against the flows, which is the most concrete piece of recent volcanic history on this whole route. The town is open to visitors, though conditions change with volcanic activity, so closures at short notice remain possible.
Lunch stop and the return
The itinerary frames the Grindavík stop around fish and chips, but remember the meal is an extra you pay for there. After the town the coach drives back to Reykjavík and the day ends where it started, at BSI or your pickup point. A precise return time is not stated in the listing.
Volcano Hike and Grindavík on Video
The defence walls around Grindavík, the town this tour stops in. Third-party video by WinD. We did not shoot it and have no relationship with the creator.
Who This Tour Rules Out
The listing states fewer hard exclusions than most hikes here, but the ones it does state, plus the coach format, rule out several traveller types. Each has a workable alternative in the catalog.
Under-10s
Age bands on this listing start at 10, so children younger than ten cannot join. Independent safety guidance also recommends against taking under-12s to the eruption area when volcanic gas is present. Families with small children should look at the Reykjanes volcanoes and Grindavík driving tour, a scenic circuit with no stated minimum age and no demanding hike.
Travellers wanting a real mountain hike
45 minutes to a viewpoint is a walk, not a hike, and the listing publishes no total distance. Anyone who wants hours at the volcano with real elevation should book the small-group Fagradalsfjall volcano hike, which spends about 3.5 hours at the volcano over roughly 8 km with 300 m of gain.
Low fitness and mobility limits
The listing requires at least a moderate level of physical fitness, and no wheelchair access is stated. The 45-minute trail crosses uneven lava terrain. If that rules you out, the Reykjanes volcanoes and Grindavík driving tour covers Grindavík with no stated hike, and the volcano helicopter flight involves no hiking at all.
Pregnant travellers and heart or lung conditions
The listing itself states no health warnings beyond the fitness requirement. Independent guidance, however, recommends that pregnant women and people with heart or lung disease avoid the eruption area when gas pollution is present, because volcanic gas is invisible and can collect quickly. Read the full picture in the Fagradalsfjall safety guide before deciding.
Grindavík is still a working fishing harbour as well as the closest town to the volcano field. Photo: Mark Gunn, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What to Settle Before You Book
Five things decide whether this $136 day works for you. All of them are checkable before you pay.
The cancellation terms
Cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time and you get 100 percent back. Cancel inside 24 hours and you get nothing. That window matters here because trails, roads and Grindavík itself can close at short notice if volcanic activity changes.
The listing also states the tour can be cancelled for bad weather.
Confirm the practical details with the operator
Before departure, confirm your exact pickup point and the pickup time, which trail and viewpoint the guide plans for that day, and what happens if gas pollution or a new eruption closes the area, since the Met Office names a new intrusion or eruption as the likely next step and nobody can predict the date. Crampons are not mentioned in this listing at all, so in winter ask directly what is provided for icy trails.
What to wear
Reykjanes weather is wind first, rain second and uneven black lava underfoot the whole way. Wear proper hiking shoes, dress in warm layers with a waterproof shell, and bring gloves and a hat even in summer. Jeans are a poor choice on a lava hike.
Full seasonal kit advice is in the what to bring guide.
The two rules that outrank the guide
Never walk on the lava, even the cooled 2021 to 2023 flows, because thin crust can sit over hot rock underneath. And check the live gas forecast at loftgaedi.is before heading out, because sulfur dioxide is odourless, invisible and can build up fast. Both rules come from Safetravel.is and apply to every guided group as much as to solo hikers.
Daylight in the darker months
On the 09:30 departure a 6.5-hour day lands you back in Reykjavík in mid-afternoon, which is fine in September when Reykjavík averages about 13 hours of daylight. In the darker months the same schedule runs into an early sunset, so check the sunrise and sunset times for your dates in the best time to visit guide.
The Day Step by Step
The order and the stated durations come from the listing's itinerary data. Clock times are only stated for the departure, so later steps are shown without them.
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09:30
Pickup in Reykjavík
The listed departure option is titled Pickup at 09:30. Be at your pickup point 30 minutes early, since drivers work through several stops and collection can take up to 30 minutes. Alternatively meet at BSI Bus Terminal 15 minutes before departure.
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Drive to the Reykjanes peninsula
The coach leaves Reykjavík and crosses roughly 40 km of volcanic landscape toward the eruption country. On-board WiFi and air conditioning run the whole way.
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Seltún Geothermal Area
First stop, with steaming vents and bubbling mud pools. The listing publishes no duration for this stop.
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45-minute hike to the Fagradalsfjall viewpoint
The guided walk climbs to a viewpoint over the black lava fields of the 2021, 2022 and 2023 eruptions. Remember nothing is erupting now, and walking on the lava is strictly forbidden.
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Grindavík: rifts and lava barriers
Walk through the fishing town shaped by the eruptions that began in December 2023, past tectonic rifts and the protective barriers built against the flows.
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Fish and chips stop, paid separately
The itinerary frames the Grindavík stop around a fish and chips lunch, but lunch is an explicit exclusion, so bring money for it or eat your own food.
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Return to Reykjavík
The coach drives back and ends the day at BSI or your pickup point. A return time is not stated in the listing.
Honest Pros and Cons
This listing wins on convenience and on the Grindavík story. It loses on time at the volcano and on group size. The figures come from the listing and the pack.
What we genuinely like
- A real guided hike paired with a walk through Grindavík and its lava barriers, at $136
- Hotel pickup from central Reykjavík plus on-board WiFi and air conditioning on a coach of up to 53 travellers
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure, with weather cancellations covered
- A 4.8 rating across 175 verified Viator and Tripadvisor bookings, the shortest Viator listing here at about 6.5 hours
The honest downsides
- Only 45 minutes of hiking at the volcano, with no total distance published, against 2 to 3.5 hours on dedicated hike listings
- Lunch is an explicit exclusion even though the itinerary text sells the fish and chips stop, so the real day costs more than $136
- A shared coach of up to 53 travellers is a very different experience from a 6 to 8 person small-group hike
- The listing's itinerary text talks of still-cooling lava flows and rising steam, while no lava has flowed anywhere on the peninsula since the most recent eruption ended in early August 2025, so judge the day on the cooled lava fields, not the marketing copy
Who it's NOT for: Anyone who wants hours at the volcano in a small group should look at the [4-hour small-group hike](/fagradalsfjall-volcano-hike-small-group/) instead.
Questions About This Tour
How much does the volcano hike and Grindavík visit from Reykjavík cost, and what is extra?
The tour costs $136 per person. The only stated extra is the fish and chips lunch in Grindavík, which the listing explicitly excludes even though the itinerary describes the stop, so pay for that meal in the town. Compare the real totals on the Fagradalsfjall price comparison page.
How long does the hike itself take?
The itinerary allocates a 45-minute hike to a Fagradalsfjall viewpoint, and the whole day runs about 6.5 hours door to door. The listing does not state a total hiking distance. If 45 minutes sounds thin, the geologist-led hike spends 2 to 3 hours hiking for $159.
Will I see flowing lava on this tour?
No. The Icelandic Met Office reports no active eruption, with the most recent one on the Sundhnúkur crater row ending in early August 2025, so this tour walks cooled lava from the 2021 to 2023 Fagradalsfjall eruptions. Some operator photos predate that. See exactly what the ground looks like now in the what you will see guide.
What does the Grindavík stop actually show?
The itinerary walks through the fishing town evacuated because of the Sundhnúkur volcanic activity that began in late 2023, past tectonic rifts, lava formations and the protective barriers built against the flows. The town is open to visitors, though closures at short notice remain possible. Read the background in the Reykjanes volcanoes, Grindavík and hot springs tour page.
Can children join this tour?
Age bands start at 10, so children under ten cannot book, and independent guidance recommends against taking under-12s to the eruption area when volcanic gas is present. The fitness requirement is at least moderate. See the full age and difficulty picture across listings in the Fagradalsfjall with kids guide.
What happens if the area closes or the weather turns?
Cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund, and the listing allows cancellation for bad weather. Volcanic gas or a new eruption can close trails, roads or Grindavík itself at short notice, since the Met Office expects a next event on the Sundhnúkur crater row without being able to date it. The full mechanics are in the weather cancellations guide.
Where does the tour start and how early should I be there?
The main meeting point is BSI Bus Terminal in Reykjavík, 15 minutes before departure, or you take hotel pickup and wait at your pickup point 30 minutes early because drivers make several stops. No self-drive option exists on this listing. For doing the same route on your own, see the Fagradalsfjall without a tour guide.
Prices, availability and terms are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
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