Volcanic activity in Iceland - travel is not affected

Last updated 23rd August 2024

We understand that headline news, dramatic video footage videos and social media content on the recent volcanic eruptions in Reykjanes might have you thinking, is it really safe to travel to Iceland? The short answer is, yes!

• Keflavík International airport is open and operating as normal
• Air traffic has not been affected by the eruptions
• The volcanic area is closed off to the public
• The volcanic area is far away from Reykjavík and other tourist attractions (apart from the Blue Lagoon that has closed and opened up again on multiple occasions in line with National Civic Protection guidance)
• Iceland is no stranger to volcanic activities and both authorities and the public are very well prepared to tackle these situations

All Iceland is taking every precaution to make sure our guests are safe and holiday plans remain unaffected by the ongoing eruptions. We’re always on hand with 24/7 assistance during your stay and can alter travel plans at short notice.

What’s been going on?

Since February 2021, thankfully the seismic activity in Reykjanes Peninsula has been a localised event with no harm to the public and with the worst infrastructure damage in Grindavík caused by Earthquakes. Starting off with a series of earthquakes (over 37,000 to be exact!) followed by the initial volcanic eruption in the uninhabited area of Geldingadalur Valley, it posed no risk to the public. Many made a trip up to view it either on foot or via helicopter.

But in late 2023 a series of fissure eruptions got ever closer to Grindavík, a small town home to around 3,000 people. The town was immediately evacuated and has been largely empty since and closed off to the public along with nearby areas and roads.

Location of activity

Despite the relatively close proximity to the airport, Blue Lagoon and Reykjavík, air traffic has not been affected in the three years since the first activity, and the airport has been open and operating as normal. The Blue Lagoon however has been closed on a number of occasions and we therefore advise all our guests travelling to Iceland now or in the near future to swap the Blue Lagoon excursion for other nature baths such as Sky Lagoon or Hvammsvík Nature baths to minimise disruption to their holiday plans. Activities in Reykjavík, the Golden Circle, South Shore and further afield are not affected and the volcanic activity has had no impact.

Location of activity in relation to the rest of the country

What do the experts say about the volcanic eruptions in Iceland?

The experts at the Icelandic Meteorological Office recently published a great video that explains in a nutshell what’s been going on at the Reykjanes peninsula and why travel is operating as normal.

What about ash clouds?

You probably remember the chaos caused by Eyjafjallajökull in 2010, but the key difference between the two is the location of the two eruption sites. In 2010, the eruptions happened underneath a glacier. And when glowing lava and an ice cold glacier meet, huge explosions form equally large ash clouds, with all the travel disruptions that follow as a result.

The current volcanic activity is erupting from beneath an area that is covered with solid ground and no water, meaning this won’t happen, so the likelihood of disruptions on the scale of 2010 are next to none.

For the latest updates please visit:

Safetravel

Live webcams

Almannavarnir National Civic Protection

Icelandic Meteorological Office

Icelandic Road Authority

Visit Reykjanes