64°46′N 23°37′W
Snæfellsnes Guide
Menu
Compare tours

Places · National park

Snæfellsjökull National Park

The western tip of Snæfellsnes, from the glacier down to the black beaches. What it costs to park, when the visitor centres open, and the stops worth your time.

Updated 5 min read

Snæfellsjökull reflected in a lake
Axel Kristinsson from Reykjavík, Iceland, CC BY 2.0

The service fee

Since 2025 the park charges a service fee with parking. It is one payment per vehicle per day, valid until midnight at every paid car park in the park, so you do not pay again at the next stop.

Car, up to 5 seatsISK 1,100
Vehicle with 6–9 seatsISK 1,400
MotorcycleISK 450
Bus, 10–21 seatsISK 2,700

Rates charged by Parka on 19 October 2026, plus an ISK 89 transaction fee. An April 2026 tariff from the park lists slightly higher figures (ISK 1,110 for a car); pay what the app shows.

Pay in the Parka app, by scanning the QR code on the car-park signs, or at the payment kiosk at Malarrif. Cameras read number plates, and you can pay online for up to 24 hours afterwards. If you join a tour, check whether the listing says parking fees are included.

What to see in the park

Road 574 runs right round the park. Driving clockwise from Arnarstapi, the stops below come roughly in this order.

Visitor centres

The park has two, both open all year:

  • National Park Centre, Hellissandur: opened in 2023 on the north side. Daily 09:30–17:00 in summer, 10:00–16:00 from 31 October 2026. Elja kaffihús, a café, opened inside in September 2025.
  • Visitor Centre, Malarrif: in old sheepfolds by the lighthouse on the south coast. Daily 11:00–16:00. Toilets inside and out, and the park’s payment kiosk.

The toilets at Djúpalónssandur close for the winter (from 13 October in 2026) and reopen in spring; Malarrif’s are the nearest.

The glacier

Snæfellsjökull is an active stratovolcano, built up by eruptions over hundreds of thousands of years; it last erupted about 1,800 years ago. Its ice cap reaches 1,446 m, and on a clear day you can see it from Reykjavik across Faxaflói bay. Jules Verne made it the entrance to the underworld in Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1864).

Two mountain roads climb towards it, 570 and F575; neither is open all year, and the F road is for four-wheel drives only. From Jökulháls it is about 3–4 hours on foot onto the ice, but crevasses open in summer and the park advises checking conditions first. For most people the way up is a guided tour from Arnarstapi: a snowcat (season March to July) or a guided summit hike.

The stairway up Saxhóll crater
krakel63, CC BY-SA 2.0

Questions people ask

Is there an entrance fee for Snæfellsjökull National Park?

There is no entrance fee, but a service fee is charged with parking: ISK 1,100 for a car with up to 5 seats in 2026, plus an ISK 89 transaction fee from Parka. One payment covers every paid car park in the park until midnight.

How do I pay the parking fee?

In the Parka app, by scanning the QR code on the signs at the car parks, or at the kiosk at Malarrif. Number plates are read by camera, and you can pay online up to 24 hours after you leave.

Do I pay at Arnarstapi or Ytri Tunga?

Not the park fee: Arnarstapi and Hellnar are outside the park. Ytri Tunga is a private car park with its own charge (ISK 900 for a car, visits under 10 minutes free).

When are the visitor centres open?

The National Park Centre at Hellissandur is open daily 09:30–17:00 in summer and 10:00–16:00 from 31 October 2026. The visitor centre at Malarrif is open daily 11:00–16:00. Both have outdoor toilets open around the clock.

Can I camp in the park?

No. There are no campsites in the national park and you may not sleep in a vehicle in its car parks. The nearest campsites are at Arnarstapi, Hellissandur and Ólafsvík.

Can I climb Snæfellsjökull?

Only with a guide unless you are experienced on glaciers: crevasses open in summer and can make the ascent impossible. From the Jökulháls road it is about 3–4 hours onto the glacier. Guided snowcat and hiking tours leave from Arnarstapi.