Hengill Geothermal ATV Tour Near Reykjavík – 1.5 Hours

Your adventure begins at Litla Kaffistofan base, just 20 minutes from Reykjavík. After a short safety briefing and gearing up in insulated overalls and helmets, you head out into one of Iceland’s most dynamic landscapes.

This tour takes you across Hellisheiði plateau and into the Hengill volcanic system, an area where geology, history, and modern innovation meet.

We will drive across the dark lava fields of Svínahraun, also known as Kristnitökuhraun or “The Lava of Christianization.” As you cross the plateau, you pass several world-leading climate and sustainability projects.

Hengill rises 803 meters above sea level and sits directly on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates slowly drift apart. This makes the area one of the most geothermal-rich regions in Iceland.

As you ride higher, steam vents and geothermal formations begin to appear. On clear days, you may see Lake Þingvallavatn to the north and the Reykjanes Peninsula stretching toward the Atlantic Ocean to the south.

At higher elevation, we stop near an active geothermal borehole, where you can safely witness powerful steam rising from deep underground, a vivid reminder that Iceland is very much alive beneath your wheels.

You will pass Hellisheiði Power Plant, one of the largest geothermal plants in the world. Here, natural heat from deep below the surface is used to produce electricity and hot water for Reykjavík and surrounding towns.

Your final stop is Skíðaskálinn in Hveradalir, a historic mountain lodge built in 1934 in a steaming geothermal valley. Here you will taste traditional Icelandic hverabrauð, or “hot spring bread,” a sweet rye bread baked underground using geothermal heat. The dough is buried in warm earth near a hot spring and slow-cooked for hours.

Tour highlights

• 90 min guided ATV ride on Hellisheiði
• Ride through historic Svínahraun lava field (from 1000 AD)
• Get amazing views of Hengillvolcano and surrounding geothermal valleys
• Visit an active geothermal borehole
• See Hellisheiði Power Plant and Iceland’s renewable energy landscape
• Stop at historic Skíðaskálinn in Hveradölum
• Taste traditional geothermal-baked hverabrauð