Getting there
There are several ways to enter Vatnajökull National Park:
south Area
Iceland 's main highway (Road No. 1 - the Ring Road) runs along the Park's southern boundary. A number of tracks branch off the Ring Road to Lakagígar, Skaftafell and the peripheral areas of the glacier, all the way round to Lónsöræfi in the east. Some are passable for ordinary passenger cars while others require 4-wheel drive.
Information about the condition of roads is available at visitor centres or tourist information centres in Skaftafell, Kirkjubæjarklaustur and Höfn. Visitors are advised to refer to recent road maps and check the condition of highland roads before setting off (www.vegagerdin.is).
Regular coach services pass through this area (www.bsi.is) and scheduled flights serve the airport in Hornafjördur
(www.ernir.is).
East Area
Access for vehicles to the eastern part of Vatnajökull is by road from Fljótsdalur to the Kárahnjúkar area. A connecting track leaves the road for Snæfell.
However, most of the eastern part of the glacier and its surroundings can only be reached on foot as there are few other roads or tracks.
Scheduled coach services run to Egilsstadir (www.bsi.is), and the airport there is served by frequent flights (www.flugfelag.is).
Information about the condition of roads and tracks in the area can be obtained from visitor centres or tourist information centres in Jökulsárgljúfur (Gljúfrastofa), Húsavík or Lake Mývatn.
North Area
Good tracks run alongside the Jökulsárgljúfur canyon. They are passable during the summer months, branching off Road No. 1 along both banks of the River Jökulsá á Fjöllum, past the Dettifoss waterfall and down to the main road in Öxarfjördur. These roads are scheduled for improvement in the near future.
A good road connecting Húsavík and Raufarhöfn is open all year round.
The popular track to Herdubreidarlindir and Askja can only be driven using large, well-equipped 4-wheel drive vehicles because there are a number of unbridged rivers. The same vehicle requirements apply to the Gæsavötn track and connecting routes.
A mountain track runs from Kverkfjöll Mountains and onward to the east over bridged rivers, but again, only well-equipped mountain vehicles should attempt this route or the track to Hvannalindir.
Scheduled flights land regularly at Akureyri Airport (www.flugfelag.is).
Scheduled coach services operate to Herdubreidarlindir, Askja and Kverkfjöll throughout the summer. Information can be obtained on the internet (www.bsi.is), at Lake Mývatn visitor centre and elsewhere.
West Area
The area north of the River Skaftá is served by a number of connecting tracks, most of which demand well-equipped 4-wheel drive vehicles.
Information about the locations and condition of tracks is available at the visitor centre in Kirkjubæjarklaustur.
There is no regular coach service to the western part of the glacier. There is, however, a regular service along the Sprengisandur road during the summer
(www.bsi.is).