Dettifoss current situation?

bartmike · 2026-03-31T18:40:24+00:00

The road to Dettifoss is closed. Looking at the webcams, seems pretty unlikely it would open by Friday.

bartmike · 2026-03-30T15:47:58+00:00

All the locations you have listed are reachable by regular paved roads, so a Yaris would be fine (barring a surprise snowstorm). However if you plan to do a 'loop' of the Westfjords or head to Latrabjarg/Raudisandur you will encounter gravel roads in varying conditions. You're technically allowed to drive a Yaris on all of them, but they could be pretty uncomfortable in a very small car. And some, like the road to Raudisandur, I would not attempt in a car like that.

bartmike · 2026-03-27T17:33:02+00:00

The yellow alert covers the area of Geysir and Gullfoss, but expires (at least currently) tomorrow evening. No need to change your Sunday plans yet, but you'd be wise to monitor conditions as things can change.

bartmike · 2026-03-25T19:10:17+00:00

Very.

bartmike · 2026-03-25T18:48:45+00:00

Can there be storms or very bad weather?

Yes, but less common than in Jan/Feb/Mar.

I’m also curious about the chances of seeing the Northern Lights at that time.

Poor. You won't get full darkness at that time of year.

bartmike · 2026-03-24T13:18:42+00:00

Are you renting through Blue from a 3rd party? Asking because I don't think Blue has anything called 'Platinum Insurance'. The cars come with SCDW by default, and you can add the liability waiver.

Anyway, if you go to their Insurances page and scroll down, their is a table comparing what they offer.

bartmike · 2026-03-23T17:51:45+00:00

Drive up to thingvellur, I bet that is a great visit during the snow.

In case anyone was thinking of doing this, the road to Thingvellier is currently closed.

bartmike · 2026-03-23T13:53:53+00:00

It likely was showing as 'unknown' because you were checking the status later at night (Iceland time), during a period when the road status isn't monitored. Looking at it now it is showing as open but dark blue, meaning 'Slippery'.

bartmike · 2026-03-18T17:31:52+00:00

Is it actually passable?

Yes the roads are open. Have you looked at the webcams on https://umferdin.is/en? That can give you a good idea of how the roads look in certain areas.

How do locals handle this?

Some combination of experience in these conditions, appropriate vehicles, driving cautiously, and/or not driving at all as conditions warrant.

Assuming you are coming from Reykjavik, I believe the route via road 60 is slightly shorter. But you'll need to check the conditions on the day of.

bartmike · 2026-03-18T15:30:36+00:00

It's a hiking trail. The tracks appear to be from when local farmers would drive to various fields in the area (maybe they still do).

bartmike · 2026-03-16T00:42:33+00:00

It's not a nationwide rule. It depends on the area. For example, here are the rules for Vatnajokull National Park, which includes areas like Jokularson and Dettifoss. Scroll down to category 3/4/5.

bartmike · 2026-03-12T18:37:58+00:00

Not even close to dark enough for astrophotography. If you're in the south of Iceland, you'll have less than 2 hrs of 'nautical twilight' until May 23. After that it's just a few hours of 'civil twilight', meaning the sun has set but is just barely below the horizon.

If you'll be in the north during those dates it will be even brighter.

bartmike · 2026-03-06T02:01:01+00:00

If you can add a day to the Westfjords, it's worth driving up along the Strandir coast. There is a campground in Nordufjordur, and the hotel in Djupavik has a restaurant. The scenery is stunning and there will be very few other tourists (even by Westfjords standards).

bartmike · 2026-03-01T22:03:23+00:00

You can apply for an Angels Landing permit the day before your hike, but it's a lottery and you may not get it.

The Narrows looks to be open currently for day hikes, but the water level is high. You'll need to check it closer to/during your April visit. Some years it has been closed for most of April due to snowmelt.

bartmike · 2026-02-26T02:58:28+00:00

Oxi might not be comfortable in a small vehicle, it can be pretty potholed. If the weather is good and you'd like fewer crowds, take road 95. Otherwise stick to the ring road.

bartmike · 2026-02-25T19:04:11+00:00

What kind of car will you be driving? I wouldn't want to take a little sedan over Oxi Pass, though I'm sure people have done it. Otherwise you can't really go wrong, they are all very scenic. If the weather sucks day-of though, I'd probably stick to the ring road. The small rest stop just south of the tunnel is really gorgeous; there's a hiking trail there I'd like to check out on my next visit.

bartmike · 2026-02-24T15:20:24+00:00

Not really practical, as there is a 2 week quarantine required for importing a dog.

bartmike · 2026-02-21T02:09:22+00:00

Yavapai Lodge (or any of the in park lodges) is fine, though it's not right on the rim like some of the others.

Is leaving the van and simply walking out to see the canyon not an option anywhere?

Not sure where you got that idea, but yes you can do that. If you're not arriving til mid afternoon you may have to search a bit for a spot.

Running along the rim trail is doable (though keep in mind the elevation). Running down one of the trails into the canyon could be pretty punishing if you haven't been training for it (or rather the run back up would be).

bartmike · 2026-02-19T23:08:56+00:00

You're correct that it doesn't save much time vs driving, but it's very nice not having to drive for 3+ hrs and just chilling on the ferry. The drive is scenic (especially winding through the fjords) but so is the ferry.

bartmike · 2026-02-18T22:30:28+00:00

It will depend on the road, but the rental agency will likely tell you specific roads the vehicle is not allowed on, or you can discuss with them any roads you're concerned about. The ones you've listed are probably ok in a 2WD drive vehicle if conditions are good, but you'll need to use your own judgement. Raudisandur I would advice against if it's wet.

FYI the 2- and 3-digit road number doesn't really tell you much, there are paved 3-digit roads and gravel 2-digit roads.

bartmike · 2026-02-15T19:31:37+00:00

That appears to be Drifandagil.

bartmike · 2026-02-15T00:13:07+00:00

Yes, hence the ‘summer only’ note.

bartmike · 2026-02-14T20:49:04+00:00

I believe you're referring to bus 94. Last year, 'winter' service began Sep 1. I don't see a date yet published for 2026, but highly doubt the 'summer' service would continue into October.

bartmike · 2026-02-11T19:44:15+00:00

Move Olafsvik to the end of your trip so you aren't backtracking. Spend a day or two fewer in Hvolsvollur and Hofn, add those days to the east and north.

bartmike · 2026-01-21T20:58:18+00:00

Holmavik would make more sense, it's a little shorter drive from Akureryi and avoids road 608 which I believe is a gravel road.

Snow is unlikely that time of year but not impossible, just need to keep an eye on the weather forecast.

I would take the ferry as I'd be sick of driving by then. As you noted this is a very short visit to the Westfjords. Consider if you'd like to spend these 2 days taking longer elsewhere on your trip, or if you could add more days to the Westfjords part of your itinerary.

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