Hveradalir
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5 within 6 miles

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.


4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles207 reviews
Excellent
150
Very good
44
Average
6
Poor
4
Terrible
3

biebie
Stevoort, Belgium23 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021
The river itself is still amazing to go to, despite the large number of visitors. The commercializing at the start of the walk (parking to be paid, restaurant) makes it less natural and gives a feeling of 'attraction park amusement' instead of 'visiting awsome nature'. Parking fee needs to be paid via app which is very difficult. camera's at entrance/exit to check if you've paid.
Written September 29, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ExplorerOne
Minneapolis, MN270 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2015 • Solo
For clarification, Hveradalir is the name of the valley where the bathing area is located (it was clarified to me by a local). And the name of the bathing area is Reykjadalur-Klambragil. (That makes me wonder how Tripadvisor got it wrong.)

Now the review:
In order to enjoy this popular bathing area, you'll have to hike there. The trail is relatively easy 3.5 km long (2.2 miles) one-way with even terrain for the most part. From the parking lot, proceed to the very obvious trailhead where there's informations boards with maps of the general area. There are no trailmarkers...because the trail is well-trodden and doesn't need them. The map shows the trail system in the area and points out exactly where Hveradalir is. On our hike up (and down), you'll be accompanied by beautiful vistas, as well as the smell of horse dung, unfortunately. The trail is apparently also used by equestrians, and it's permitted. You'd know that you have arrived to your destination once you caught a glimpse of the boardwalk. There won't any people noise to warn your, or to greet you. And that's absolutely fantastic that everyone knows to be quiet and to just relax and enjoy the calming hot waters of the river. There are privacy dividers for you to change clothes on. Once you have changed, you got three choices: start at the hottest part of the river (at the end of the boardwalk by the confluence of two small "rivers,"), at the "pretty warm" part (around mid-boardwalk), or at the "just warm" part (the other end of the boardwalk closest to the trail.) So, technically, you could pretend to be on a Turkish bath by jumping from one site to the next.

When I went, a few people have camped out along the trail. I have no idea if that's allowed. But, if you're thinking of camping, you might want to consider camping here. Like I said, the scenery here is beautiful...and surprisingly not windy. Remember that if you do camp, you'll be pretty much boondocking and be prepared for it.

Last but not least, there are no concession stand here nor a bathroom.

How to get there:
From Hwy 1 (aka: "the Ring Road"), go to Hveragerdi. Upon exiting the roundabout towards Hveragerdi you'll be at Breidamork (name of the street and is the main drag of the town). Continue driving Breidamork all the way to the very end which is the parking area for Reykjadalur-Klambragil (Hveradalir).
Written July 19, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

gdytor
Gdynia, Poland3 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2015 • Couples
While we managed to stay one night in our car (in the carpark) peacefully, when we returned later in our trip we were confronted with an unpleasant woman late at night claiming to be from the town's campground who wanted to extort money from us and others staying there for a ticket to her campground if we wanted to remain in said carpark any longer. It is just a carpark with a basic WC.
Written September 5, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

never_too_serious
Lausanne, Switzerland36 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2014 • Friends
We found a reference to the "hot river" on one of the blogs prior to our visit to Iceland (well, we had a map of hot springs we wanted to test all over the Ring Road). Our afternoon in Hveradalir was the best hot springs experience in the whole Iceland (and we've been to 10+ hot sources).

The surroundings are absolutely amazing, it takes roughly a 40-min walk to get there (some people would think it's annoying, I say it's a cut-off for crowds) and you get to pass by many mudpots.Once you arrive there, the first thing you see is people sitting in the river (and probably drinking beer). It definitely felt weird at first but we quickly joined them. The whole bathing area is about 100m long and starts where a really hot source joins the ice cold one from the mountain, creating a comfortable temperature. The lower you are, the colder the water, the warmest area being just beneath the junction. We spend there an hour or so and it felt surreal. Downside - obviously, no changing rooms/bathrooms etc, bring everything you need, especially warm layers and water. We were there at the end of May and there was a group of people every 10m or so. I can't quite imagine how it would be like during the high season but I know that this was truly an unique experience.
Written January 27, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Seven W
Washington DC, DC369 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2015 • Couples
I know it's apple and orange to compare Blue Lagoon and Hveradalir Hot River, but people it's free. You need to park at the parking lot by the restaurant after Hveradalir town and golf course. When we arrived around 11am, the parking lot was almost full. People parked on the road leading to the parking lot.

From parking lot, it's about 1H hike through scenic trail. You'll see a nice waterfall on the way. The trail is well-marked, and there're lots of people. You'll find the hot river easily. The river itself is very large area. Wooden path and changing walls were installed for river access. The further you go, the hotter water gets. Before you commit to the spot, check the water temperature. We changed places a couple of times before we settle down. Then, find a nice spot to lay down comfortably. As the river isn't deep, you'll have to lay on your stomach or back.

Even my husband who spent only 30min whenever we went to a paid hot pod/lagoon stayed in hot liver well over an hour. It's very relaxing after long hike. Again it's free.

There's a restaurant in Hveradalir town which cooks with geo-thermo oven, but it was closed on Sunday when we visited.
Written October 3, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Megaboom2005
New York114 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2014 • Friends
Like many people, we had read about this hot river on an Iceland travel blog, and followed the directions to drive all the way through Hverager∂i to the cafe, park in the lot, and follow the trail. We were there in August and had great weather, but man it got warm quickly hiking in the sun! Definitely bring food/snacks, water, change of clothes, and wear your bathing suits under your clothes for the way there. It's about a 45 minute hike, and it's not super easy, BUT it is well, well worth it. You just keep walking and thinking, ok it's totally over that hill, ok fine it's around that bend, but then finally you find it, and man - there's nothing better than a hot river in the middle of nowhere. Pick a spot, strip (you've worn your bathing suit under your clothes, right?) and hop on in. It's pure heaven. True, there's nowhere to hide to change back into your clothes, but hey when in Rome, right? A simple must-do on any Iceland road trip!!
Written February 20, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Cheezee
Ontario72 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2018 • Friends
First; the sign says 3.2km hike.... haha, yeah - uphill the whole way. It was a beautiful hike, but we were all a bit underwhelmed by the thermal river. That is not to say that it isn't worth it, but plan your trip accordingly as this will take up most of your day at times when daylight is limited. We went near the end of October 2018 and changing out in the wind and cold, when wet - was also a bit to be desired! All depends on what sort of trip you are looking for. Just keep in mind that this hike is not for the weak. It is quite the workout.
Also make sure you check before going there to see if it is open -- we also went in April 2018 and drove out here and it was closed to the public. (Due to damage caused by people leaving the trails etc)
PLEASE respect the country and land, and pick up what you bring in.
Written January 9, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Amy F
Rockwall, TX18 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2018 • Family
The hike in is 90% uphill for 2.3 miles; it’s a workout. But well worth it! You will see hot muddy springs and hot clear springs along the hike. And sheep too! And the great plus is the Hot River is free. Because you are in a flowing river, there’s no stagnant algae. Not very busy at 9pm. A real gem of a find!
Written July 10, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

emillisecond
Tokyo, Japan55 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2017 • Friends
The hike from the basin of Hveragerdi thermal river to the top is filled with such a vast variety of landscapes, friendly locals and was one of the top experiences we had in Iceland. We didn't really know what we were in for - I wore flimsy sneakers that are still caked in mud (don't do that) - when we kicked off. It was around an hour, maybe 90 minutes. Not exactly the leisurely stroll one of the locals had described it as, but again, it was worth it as every turn was filled with extra terrestrial rock formations and the earth bubbling and exploding in every which way. And then: the most rewarding ending! A thermal river that has had wooden planks lining it for changing. Everyone was bathing, drinking beers and just relaxing. It was free of tourists, all locals and students from a university nearby. It felt like really experiencing a real bit of the Icelandic life, a bit difficult in a country more overrun with tourists every day.
Written February 17, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Cynthia V
Linköping, Sweden103 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2017 • Friends
This is a nice hike of 45-60 min up the mountain. The hike is fairly easy, just the first bit is a somewhat steep. Once up the mountain, you can relax in the warm/hot river. If you're a bit shy, make sure you have your swimmers under your clothes, otherwise, there are some fences you can stand behind. Recharge your battery (tip, bring a beer!) and walk back down. The roughness of nature is, unfortunately, a bit lost because of the wooden jetty-structures next to and over the river.

How to find the place: drive to the town Hveragerði and follow the main road towards the mountains. Follow this road, past some houses, until you come to the end of the road and onto a carpark. Here you park your car and continue on foot. You will have to cross the water and just follow the path up the mountain. Can't go wrong!
Written September 13, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Hveradalir - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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