Iceland
Mývatn
Give Mývatn a full day for the lake loop of craters, lava and vents, finishing with an evening soak. We have mapped 1 sight, 2 activities and 5 outdoor spots here, each with a reason to go.
- Places
- 10
- Curated routes
- 1
- Best season
- Jun – Sep
- Warmest month
- July
- Coolest month
- January
- Wettest month
- September
1 See · 2 Do · 5 Outdoors · 2 Eat
Iceland Ring Road
from our route notes
10°C / 50°F avg high
-2°C / 29°F avg high
about 106 mm rain
Climate: NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages.
Things to do in Mývatn
10 places from our curated routes, grouped by what you will do there. Each one has its own page with the address and full notes.
See
1 sight worth building a day around.
Photo: Chmee2 · CC BY 3.0SeeGrjótagjá
Small lava cave with a geothermal pool seen in 'Game of Thrones'.
Tip Bathing not allowed; quick look only.
Do
2 activities for when the group wants to do more than look across Mývatn and Jarðbaðshólar.
Photo: Andreas Tille · CC BY-SA 4.0DoHverfjall
Tephra crater with a steep path to the rim and lake views.
Tip Allow 1 hour to hike up and around the rim.
Photo: Giuseppe Bassi · GoogleDoMývatn Nature Baths
Milky-blue geothermal lagoon with views over the lava fields.
Tip Now called Earth Lagoon Mývatn (reopened July 2026, expanded). Open 10am-11pm; book ahead.
Outdoors
5 outdoor spots for fresh air across Þingeyjarsveit, Skútustaðir and Mývatn. All 5 are free to visit.
Photo: Riccardo Widera · Google
Photo: Emiliano S. · GoogleOutdoorsSkútustaðagígar
Pseudocraters along the southern lake shore with an easy path.
Tip 30-minute loop walk.
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Gesturpa~commonswiki assumed (based on copy · CC BY-SA 3.0OutdoorsDimmuborgir
Lava field of towers and arches with marked trails.
Tip The Church circle walk takes about an hour.
Photo: Ann J · GoogleOutdoorsHverir
Steaming vents and bubbling mud pots on an orange geothermal field.
Tip Stay on marked paths.
Photo: Marco Pieri · GoogleOutdoorsKrafla and Víti crater
Volcanic area with the turquoise Víti crater lake and Leirhnjúkur lava fields.
Tip Combine with Hverir; road may close in winter.
Eat
Where we would book a table in Mývatn across Vogar and Reykjahlíð.
Photo: Judy · GoogleEatVogafjós Farm Resort
Café in a working cowshed serving geyser bread and smoked trout.
Tip Watch the milking from the dining room.
Photo: Andròs C · Google
How to fit Mývatn into a trip
Mývatn is stop 4 of 4 on our Iceland Ring Road route. Follow it as-is or lift Mývatn into your own plan.
Stop 4 of 4
Iceland Ring Road
Waterfalls, black sand & glacier lagoons
- Trip length
- 10 days
- Best season
- Jun – Sep
- Pace
- moderate
- Before: Jökulsárlón
Getting here and onward
- Jökulsárlón to MývatnJökulsárlón is about 173 km / 108 mi away in a straight line
Distances are straight-line estimates between destination centers, not road distances.
Mývatn month by month
Average daily highs run from -2°C / 29°F in January to 10°C / 50°F in July. September is the wettest month, with about 106 mm of rain. Outlined months fall in the best season on our routes.
- Jan-2° / 29°F average high
- Feb-1° / 29°F average high
- Mar-1° / 31°F average high
- Apr2° / 35°F average high
- May4° / 40°F average high
- Jun9° / 48°F average high, in our recommended season
- Jul10° / 50°F average high, in our recommended season
- Aug9° / 48°F average high, in our recommended season
- Sep6° / 43°F average high, in our recommended season
- Oct2° / 36°F average high
- Nov-1° / 31°F average high
- Dec-2° / 29°F average high
Average daily highs, NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages. Mývatn weather and the best time to visit →
Near Mývatn
3 other destinations from our guides within about 300 km (186 mi), measured in a straight line.
Mývatn questions, answered
How many days do you need in Mývatn?
Our route notes suggest a full day in Mývatn. On our Iceland Ring Road route it is stop 4 of 4 in a 10-day trip. The listed visit times for our 10 places add up to roughly 10 hours, before travel between them, so you will need to choose.
What is Mývatn best known for?
Give Mývatn a full day for the lake loop of craters, lava and vents, finishing with an evening soak. Standouts on our list: Grjótagjá (Small lava cave with a geothermal pool seen in 'Game of Thrones'); Goðafoss (Horseshoe-shaped falls on the Skjálfandafljót river); Skútustaðagígar (Pseudocraters along the southern lake shore with an easy path).
When is the best time to visit Mývatn?
Our Iceland Ring Road route is best Jun – Sep. NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages put the warmest highs in July (10°C / 50°F), the coolest in January (-2°C / 29°F) and the most rain in September (about 106 mm).
What are the best things to do in Mývatn?
Start with Goðafoss, Skútustaðagígar, Dimmuborgir, Hverfjall and Grjótagjá. Our guide lists 10 places in all, from 1 sight, 2 activities, 5 outdoor spots and 2 places to eat.
Where should a group eat in Mývatn?
Our picks: Vogafjós Farm Resort (Vogar); Daddi's Pizza (Reykjahlíð). Watch the milking from the dining room (Vogafjós Farm Resort).
What is near Mývatn?
The closest destinations in our guides are Jökulsárlón (about 173 km / 108 mi), Vík (about 261 km / 162 mi) and Reykjavík (about 284 km / 177 mi). Distances are straight-line estimates, not road distances.
Plan Mývatn with your crew
Open the Iceland Ring Road route in TripsCircle, invite friends with a link, settle which of these 10 places make the cut with a quick poll, then split costs and share one packing list.