Þakgil canyon walk and campsite

Þakgil is a canyon on the grazing land of Höfðabrekka, between the Mýrdalsjökull ice cap and the Mýrdalssandur outwash plain, with a campsite on its floor and walks up the side valleys. It is a summer detour from Vík: 14 km of gravel off Route 1, then as long on foot as you like. It suits walkers who want green ravines without a crowd, and campers looking for a night off the Ring Road. It does not suit a winter trip, when the site is shut, or anyone who needs a signed, measured trail; the operator does not publish distances.

The figures, read today on the operator's pages. Þakgil is open from 1 June to 30 September, extended at either end by arrangement. The turn is at Höfðabrekka, 5 km east of Vík, and the road climbs the moors on what was Route 1 until 1955, 14 km from the main road; the operator says it is passable for all cars. Camping costs 3,000 ISK per night for anyone 12 and over, with one shower per night included; 12–16 year-olds pay one night however long they stay. The cabins sleep four on one double bunk, sleeping-bag style, with a kitchenette, two gas rings, a fridge and a toilet, cold water only, at 34,000 ISK a night (all 2026-11-01). Toilets and showers are on site; the dining room is a natural cave with a stove and a grill. The operator answers on +354 893 4889.

#The arithmetic

From a Vík bed, Þakgil is 21 km and 22 minutes each way by OSRM on OpenStreetMap. This page plans two hours on foot, a canyon walk and back with time to stop, because the operator states no walking times; with a 15-minute buffer for the gravel, that is about 180 minutes. On day 2 of the seven-day and ten-day Ring Road journeys the turn is just after leaving Vík, so the cost is roughly the same, taken from an already long Vík–Höfn day. From Kirkjubæjarklaustur, where the five-day South Coast journey sleeps on day 4, it is 84 km and 75 minutes each way, about 285 minutes.

#What goes wrong

Season: outside June to September the campsite is closed; the operator does not say the road is, but a gravel road to the edge of Mýrdalsjökull is no winter drive, so read road.is or call 1777 first. Weather: the operator calls the canyon sheltered, as its name suggests, but the moors above it take the full weather off the ice cap. Safetravel's hiking page, read today, asks even short-walk hikers to carry a phone, a hat, gloves and rain- and windproof layers, and to leave a note in the car with the route and return time. Rivers: Safetravel advises crossing only when sure; on a canyon walk, turn back rather than wade a swollen stream. Emergency number: 112.

#Alternatives on the same road

The same canyon is also on a buggy tour from Vík, for those who would rather drive it with a guide. Back at Vík, the Reynisfjara beach walk is the short evening option. From Vík, the Katla ice cave goes onto the ice cap that Þakgil sits below.