National Parks in Iceland

According to the Nature Conservation Agency (Náttúruverndarstofnun), Iceland has about 130 protected areas, three of them national parks. For Þingvellir UNESCO gives 24,000 hectares, for Snæfellsjökull the park gives 183 km². For Vatnajökull National Park the park gives about 15 per cent of Iceland's area; the UNESCO World Heritage Site, including two adjoining protected areas, covers 14,820 km².

Snæfellsjökull National Park covers the glacier volcano and coast at the tip of the Snæfellsnes peninsula. When you park there you pay a service fee of ISK 1,100 per car (ISK 1,400 for 6 to 9 seats), via the Parka app, a QR code or the machine at the Malarrif visitor centre, which is open daily 11:00–16:00.

Parking fees instead of an entrance fee

None of the parks charges an entrance fee. You pay when you park, recorded by camera from your number plate: ISK 1,000 per car and day at Þingvellir, ISK 1,110 at Skaftafell and Jökulsárlón in Vatnajökull, ISK 1,100 in Snæfellsjökull National Park. You pay by app, online or at a machine.

Glaciers and ice caves only with a guide

Ice caves and glacier hikes in Vatnajökull National Park are offered only by operators with a contract; the model contract requires AIMG-trained guides. Ice caves are open only in winter – in autumn 2024 the park closed them until the end of October. Details in the rules.

Weather and highland roads

In the park you may drive only on marked roads; highland roads often have unbridged rivers. Vegagerðin reports road conditions on umferdin.is, safetravel.is takes travel plans, and the emergency number is 112.