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A massive caldera in the highlands with a crater lake you can swim in — Víti, meaning 'hell.' The water is warm and milky blue. Apollo astronauts trained in this area.
Getting here is an adventure — F-roads, river crossings, lunar landscapes. Then you're standing in a caldera, steam rising, bathing in 'hell.' Strange is an understatement.
A massive eruption in 1875 devastated nearby farms and triggered Icelandic emigration to North America. NASA sent astronauts here to train for the moon because the landscape looks so alien.
The lake is swimmable but the walk down is steep and can be slippery. Water temperature varies (usually 25-30°C). The main caldera lake Öskjuvatn is dangerously cold — don't confuse them.
Map of Askja
65.0304°N, 16.7469°W · North Iceland
Plan your visit
Elevation- 1,516 m above sea level
Nearest town- Vogar við Mývatn — 66.4 km away
Distance from Reykjavík- 267 km in a straight line
What else is close- 62 mapped places within 20 km
Tours that include Askja
Askja & Herðubreið Super Jeep Tourfrom 59.900 ISK · 12 h
Askja Classicfrom 34.900 ISK · 12 h
Askja Caldera & Herðubreiðarlindir - Super jeep day tourfrom 59.900 ISK · 12 h
Earth Exclusive - Earth lagoon Myvatnfrom 52.000 ISK · 4 h
Earth Essential - Earth Lagoon Mývatnfrom 7.900 ISK · 1 h 30 min
Earth Signature - Earth Lagoon Mývatnfrom 9.900 ISK · 1 h 30 min
Lake Myvatn and Dettifoss Waterfall (from Lake Myvatn)from 39.900 ISK · 6 h
Lofthellir Ice-Cave Exploration - Super Jeep Tourfrom 49.900 ISK · 4 h 30 min
Lake Mývatn 1.Hour Snowmobile Safarifrom 29.900 ISK · 1 h 30 min
Northern Lights 4x4 Tour from Akureyrifrom 34.799 ISK · 2 h 30 min
Lake Mývatn & Snowmobile Tour from Akureyrifrom 59.900 ISK · 9 h
Goðafoss and the Forest Lagoonfrom 26.400 ISK · 4 hAll 1,648 toursBy activity and regionAskja weather and conditions
Last updated
Cars & campers
KEF airport pickup 24/74.8
Transmission
Fuel
Seats
Drive
SleepsPhotos & videos
No verified videos yet — we only show footage confirmed to be Askja, no lookalikes. Search YouTube
Nearby
km column = your drive
- 1
Vikraborgir4 km - 2Kollóttadyngja23 km
- 3
Herðubreið25 km - 4
Heidarspordar38 km - 5Fremrinámar45 km
Waterfalls
Hot springs
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Fuel
Supermarkets
Tours
(Cruise Ships) Lake Mývatn and Goðafossfrom 25.300 ISK · 6 hours 30 minutes
(RS) Lake Myvatn & Godafoss Waterfall Day Tour from Akureyrifrom 25.900 ISK · 6 hours 
Adventure snowmobile tour Akureyrifrom 166.750 ISK · 5 hours
Frequently
asked
questions
Can you swim at Askja?
How do you get to Askja?
When is Askja accessible?
What does Víti mean?
Did astronauts really train here?
Data & sources
Everything on this page comes from the sources below. Live feeds refresh automatically.
Wikimedia CommonsHero & gallery photography · Wolfgangbeyer · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
OpenStreetMapVisitor access & practical facts
VegagerðinLive road status & cameras · Icelandic Road Administration
Open-MeteoWeather forecast · CC BY 4.0
NOAA SWPCAurora (planetary Kp) forecast · public domain
OpenStreetMapInteractive-map data · ODbL
Esri, Maxar & Earthstar GeographicsSatellite imagery for the 3D terrain render · GIS User Community
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