Kerið crater

5 min read Updated November 2026 Compare all tours

Kerið lies in Grímsnes, in the Western Volcanic Zone, south of the main Golden Circle sights. The crater is about 55 metres deep, 170 metres wide and 270 metres across, according to its operator, which dates it to about 6,500 years ago; other published estimates differ. Its slopes are red-brown and at the bottom sits a small lake. Visit Iceland counts it among the regular stops on the Golden Circle, next to Þingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss and the old bishop’s see at Skálholt.

Around the rim and down to the water

Walkways run around the rim, and a path leads down to the lake. Both are short, which makes Kerið one of the quicker stops of the day. The operator charges a small service fee at the site. There are toilets, the parking is free, and the ticket listing mentions a food truck. We leave the amount out, because the published figures disagree.

The opening hours are vague. The operator’s site says only that the crater is open “when the sun is shining”, which in practice means daylight. That matters in midwinter: on 21 December the sun is up for only about four hours on the Golden Circle. One travel guide also warns of ice on the rim and on the steps in winter, so shoes with grip or ice cleats help.

Kerið on a day tour

This is where the tours differ most. The large coach tour by BusTravel Iceland includes Kerið, but not on departures at 12:00 or later. Icelandia’s tour includes the crater only on the 08:00 departure. Reviewers of the afternoon tour were surprised to find three stops instead of four. The Gray Line classic does not go to Kerið at all.

If the crater matters to you, choose a tour that lists it in every departure and check the stop list when you book. The small-group tour by Nicetravel, limited to 19 people with hotel pickup, includes the Kerið entry fee, and so does the private tour from Keflavík Airport or Reykjavík hotels, which suits a first day straight off the plane.

Kerið also appears on several longer days. The Secret Lagoon tour includes a walk around the rim and down to the lake, and the Blue Lagoon tour by Nicetravel includes the crater entry as well. Two tours add Friðheimar, the tomato greenhouse at Reykholt: one of them runs in a minibus, where a reviewer counted 15 guests, and reviewers mention a return almost two hours later than planned because of extra stops for other guests. Lunch at the greenhouse is at your own cost. The other runs about nine hours and adds a waterfall stop.

With a lagoon or straight from the airport

The two lagoon tours are long days. The Secret Lagoon tour takes about ten hours with an hour and a half in the water, and towels are rented separately. The Blue Lagoon tour runs about eleven hours in a minibus, spends roughly two hours at the lagoon and includes the entry ticket, with the type of admission chosen at booking; it is not suitable for children under 5. Both give Kerið a fixed place in the day rather than making it depend on the departure time.

The private tour from Keflavík Airport or Reykjavík hotels lasts seven or eight hours and covers Þingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss and Kerið with a private driver-guide. It includes the crater entry, Wi-Fi and a hot drink, and the guides speak English and Arabic.

Driving to Kerið

For drivers, Kerið fits on the way back from Gullfoss. Our route calculation gives about 55 km and 50 minutes from Gullfoss to the crater, and about 69 km and 65 minutes from there to central Reykjavík, without stops. From Flúðir and the Secret Lagoon it is about 41 km. That makes it a good afternoon stop after Geysir and Gullfoss.

If your trip continues east along the south coast, vik-iceland.com covers Vík, its beaches and the tours there.

A short stop at Kerið rarely changes the timing of the day. What does change it is the daylight in winter and the state of the roads, which Safetravel says can change quickly. Check the road conditions at umferdin.is or by calling 1777 before you set off.