Ranger program
Here you can find the interpretive program in Vatnajökull National Park for 2026. The Ranger program offers short walks accompanied by rangers and are free of charge. The walks are easy and suitable for most.
Skaftafell
Ranger program from June 15 - August 15
Melting glaciers
Skaftafellsstofa Visitor Centre
Daily at 10:30 AM
Duration: 1 ½ - 2 hours
Walk towards Skaftafellsjökull and the impact of glaciers on the landscape is discussed as well as what ipact we have on the glaciers.
Living among our glaciers
Skaftafellsstofa Visitor Centre
Daily at 2:00 PM
Duration: 1 ½ - 2 hours
Culture, history and the interaction of man and nature reflected in a walk through cultural monuments in Skaftafell.
Special events in Skaftafell
June 14 - Day of the wild flowers - interpretive walk at 13:00
July 19 - Glacier terminus measurements of Skaftafellsjökull with a local scientist, Svava Þorláksdóttir.
July 31 - World Ranger Day - Ranger Games at 11:00
August 8 - Pride Walk – Celebrating Diversity – 11:00
September 16 - Day of Icelandic Nature - 13:00
October 31 - Ghost walk - 17:00
November 16 - Day of the Icelandic Language - 13:00
December 12 - Yule Lads - 11:00
Bank Holiday Weekend
- July 31 - Disaster walk at 22:00
- August 1 - Scavanger hunt, suitable for everyone
- August 2 - Bonfire and music at 21:00
Jökulsárlón
Ranger program from June 1 - September 30
Jökulsárlón
Blue gold
The benches by the lagoon at the main parking lot at Jökulsárlón
Daily at 11:00
Duration: 1 hour
During a walk along the shore of the lagoon we examine the effect of glacier retreat on the landscape. The interaction between people and nature is explored and how Jökulsárlón has gone from being one of the least-visited places in the country to one of the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland.
Ranger program from June 15 - August 15
Fjallsárlón
About a mountain
Western beach on the walking trail at Fjallsárlón
Daily at 3:00 PM
Duration: 45 minutes
From 15th June until 15th August
We follow the path around Fjallsárlón and discuss the coexistence of man and nature in the area, as well as how water, glaciers and volcanic eruptions have shaped the landscape of Breiðamerkursandur. What was this remote area of Iceland like centuries ago? Who were the Kvísker brothers and what are they known for?
Special events at Jökulsárlón
July 31 - World Ranger Day - An interpretive walk at 11:00
September 16 - Day of Icelandic Nature at 11:00
October 11 - Reindeer Day at 11:00
November 16 - Icelandic Language Day at 11:00
Advent weekends in December
December 5th & 6th, 12th & 13th, 19th & 20th
10:00 - 12:00
Coffee and information by the fireplace at Jökulsárlón
Jökulsárgljúfur
Ranger program from June 15 - August 15
Ásbyrgi
Evening stroll
Campsite service house, unless otherwise advertised
Daily at 8 PM
Duration: Around 1 hour
An evening stroll with a ranger around the surroundings of Ásbyrgi where the focus is, for example, on the geology, flora and fauna of the area.
Gljúfrastofa visitor centre
The Key to the Canyons
Daily in July between 2 PM and 3 PM
A ranger welcomes visitors and introduces them to the wonders of Jökulsárgljúfur.
Vesturdalur
Stroll around Hljóðaklettar
Parking lot by Hljóðaklettar
Daily in July at 2 PM
Duration: Around 1 ½ hours
A walk with a ranger around Hljóðaklettar, examining the landforms, interesting geological formations, weathered pillars, and caves.
Special events in Jökulsárgljúfur
July 23 - Svínadalswalk at 11:00. Starting point: The ranger house in Vesturdalur.
Askja, Holuhraun & Herðubreiðarlindir
Ranger program from July 15 - August 15
Askja
Silence & forces of nature
Vikraborgir parking lot, 20 min from Dreki
Daily at 1:00 PM
Duration: 1-1½ hour
A walk to Víti (2,4 km) where we explore the geology of Askja and Dyngjufjöll, the mystery and surrounding forces - and the fateful visits of men.
Holuhraun
Land in the making
The hut in Drekagil
Daily at 9:30 AM
Duration: 45 min + 40 min drive
Standing on the very recent lava from 2014-2015 you see central volcanoes and active volcanoes all around. The lava brings a number of scientists with interesting researches every year, and living next to Bárðarbunga demands alertness. Guests follow rangers in their own car from the ranger hut.
Herðubreiðarlindir
An oasis in the highlands
Þorsteinsskáli hut
Daily at 9:00 AM
Duration: 45 minutes
Herðubreiðarlindir is an oasis amid the black lava fields of Ódáðahraun. We walk through these lush springs, where it is believed that Fjalla-Eyvindur took refuge, and explore the small things in nature as well as the forces that created the lava, the springs and the queen of Icelandic mountains: Herðubreið.
Special events in Askja & Herðubreiðarlindir
July 10 – Knebel’s walk, at 13:00 o’clock, 1- ½ hour, Vikraborgir (Askja parking lot). The Knebel Walk is held annually in memory of the German scientists Knebel and Rudloff, who disappeared while conducting geological research at Lake Askja on this day in 1907. During the walk, the story of Ina von Grumbkow, Knebel’s fiancée, is also told - she travelled to lake Askja in 1908 to search for her beloved.
July 31 – Rangers invite guests for coffee and conversation at the rangers' hut in Drekagil from 3–5 PM. A short walk with a ranger to the strýta formation near Drekagil starts at 6 PM (30 min). We explore the geological history and majestic mountains of the region.
August 1 – Space walk at 20:00, Drekagil, 2-3 hours. An evening walk through (astro)Nautagil, an area often compared to the Moon’s surface. The history of astronaut visits is revisited, and the area’s connection to outer space explored.
Snæfellsstofa & Hengifoss
Ranger program from June 15 - August 15
Hengifoss
Geology and history of Hengifoss
Hengifoss parking lot
Every weekday at 10:00 AM
Duration: 1 hour
A walk to Litlanesfoss emphasizing the geology and history of the area. Litlanesfoss is surrounded by basalt columns, while higher up in the gorge sits Hengifoss, one of the highest waterfalls in Iceland.
Hálslón
Ranger on site
Thursdays and Saturdays from June 15 - August 31 from 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Ranger gives information to visitors.
Snæfell, Kverkfjöll & Hvannalindir
Ranger program from July 15 - August 15
Snæfell
An evening with a ranger
Snæfellskáli hut
Daily at 8:00 PM
Duration: 1 hour
Rangers invite visitors for a chat about the diverse nature and history of highlands around Snæfell. The event takes place in the vicinity of Snæfellsskáli hut. If conditions allow, the fireplace is lit, and folklore related to the area is recounted — a true storyteller's fire
Kverkfjöll
Fire and Ice
Parking lot next to Kverkjökull
Daily at 10:00 AM
Duration: 50 minutes
A walk by Kverkjökull glacier margin, where the river Volga has created an ice cave as it flows under the glacier. The interplay between the Kverkfjöll volcano and the surrounding glacier is examined. Few places show the interplay between fire and ice as vividly. There is a 10 min drive from Sigurðarskáli hut to the parking lot.
Hvannalindir
Desert Oasis
Parking lot next to Kreppuhryggur
Daily at 1:00 PM
Duration: 1 hour
Visitors learn about the struggle for survival in this remote place and the ruins of 18th-century outlaws.
Special events in Snæfell, Kverkfjöll & Hvannalindir
July 31 - World Ranger Day (Event advertised on later date)
Kirkjubæjarklaustur
Interpretive program from June 15 - August 15
Skaftárstofa
The secrets of the rootless cones
Skaftárstofa Visitor Centre
Wednesdays and Fridays at 1:00 Pm
Duration: 1- 1½ hours
A walk into the Landbrotshólar (Landbrot Hills), where the diversity of nature and the potential uses of the craters are examined.
Fjaðrárglúfur
Tuff, moss and man
Fjaðrárgljúfur parking lot
Daily at 11:00 AM
Duration: 1 hour
Explore the surroundings of Fjaðrárgljúfur
Special events at Kirkjubæjarklaustur
July 31 - World Ranger Day. Come chat with the rangers and have some coffee.
August 8 - Story Walk through Kirkjubæjarklaustur. Stories about the history of Kirkjubæjarklaustur in a queer light.
Eldgjá, Hrauneyjar, Lakagígar & Nýidalur
Interpretive program from July 15 - August 15
Eldgjá
Formation of Iceland
Eldgjá Parking lot
Daily at 11:00 AM
Duration: 1 hour
A walk along the bottom of the gorge towards Ófærufoss
Nýidalur
Wilderness
By the FÍ hut in Nýidalur
Daily at 9:30 AM
Duration: 1 hour
A walk around the area with a conversation about the wilderness from different perspectives.
Lakagígar
Beauty and catastrophe - the impact of Skaftáreldar
Laki parking lot
Daily at 1:00 PM
Duration: 1 hour
Description: A walk to the top of Laki mountain and the impact and history of Skaftáreldar discussed.
Ranger Program of the Nature Conservation Agency of Iceland
A diverse Ranger Program is offered across protected areas throughout Iceland during the summer, with individual events held during the winter season.