Iceland · South Coast
On the route
- Time needed
- 1.5 h – 1 day
- Price
- Low cost — Camping 3,000 ISK per night for 12 and over; cabin 34,000 ISK a night (thakgil.is, read 2026-11-01). No day-visitor charge is stated.
- Season
- 1 June to 30 September, extended at either end by arrangement.
- Access
- Turn off Route 1 at Höfðabrekka, 5 km east of Vík, then 14 km of gravel on the pre-1955 line of Route 1; the operator says the road is passable for all cars.
- Checked
- 1 November 2026
63.531, -18.889 · Iceland
Þakgil
Photograph: Moss-covered crags above the flat grassy floor of Þakgil — Eric Marchese / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Þakgil is a canyon and summer campsite on the Höfðabrekka grazing land, between Mýrdalsjökull and Mýrdalssandur, 14 km up a gravel road from Route 1 just east of Vík. On a route it is a half-day detour from a Vík bed or a quiet night off the Ring Road; the walks start from the campsite.
The figures, read today on the operator's pages: open 1 June to 30 September, extended at either end by arrangement. Camping is 3,000 ISK per night for anyone 12 and over, with one shower per night; 12–16 year-olds pay for one night whatever the stay. The cabins, rented in summer, sleep four on a double bunk with sleeping bags, with a kitchenette, two gas rings, a fridge, a toilet and cold water only, at 34,000 ISK a night. There are toilets and showers on site, and the dining room is a natural cave with tables, a stove and a grill. Contact by phone on 893 4889 or by email.
The practical line: no shop or fuel at Þakgil; Vík, about 20 minutes away, has both. The road is gravel; the operator says any car can manage it, but its live status is on road.is and the 1777 line, worth reading before driving it early or late in the season.
Safety: the operator publishes trail maps but no distances or times. Safetravel's hiking advice, read today, is to carry a phone, hat, gloves and rain- and windproof layers on even short walks, leave a note in the car with your route, and cross rivers only when certain. Emergency number: 112.
Something changed here? Tell us; we re-check against the source and print the new date.
What you can do from Þakgil
- Buggy on the black beach at Vík
A one-hour guided buggy drive on the sand east of Reynisdrangar from a base in Vík, all year, from 25,900 ISK per person (Katlatrack, 1 November 2026).
experience · Iceland1–3 h · High costadds 1 h 30 to a day - Þakgil canyon walk and campsite
A green canyon below Mýrdalsjökull, 14 km up a gravel road east of Vík, open 1 June–30 September; campsite 3,000 ISK a night (operator, 1 November 2026).
hike · Iceland1.5–3 h · Price not publishedadds 3 h to a day
