On the morning of February 25, 2025, I left the car at Hótel Geysir and walked over to the Geysir Geothermal Area.

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The atmosphere changed before I reached the main attraction. Hot water ran through a shallow stream beside the path, and white steam drifted continuously above it. It felt unlike any ordinary morning walk before I had even reached the geyser itself.

Steam rising above a shallow hot-water stream near the entrance to the Geysir geothermal area
The steaming stream that made the walk from the hotel feel unusual from the start. Personal photo · 2025-02-25

A construction sign still stood near the entrance. Looking up the official information afterward, I found that the first phase of a new walking route had opened in autumn 2024, giving visitors access to parts of the geothermal zone that had previously been inaccessible, with later phases of the project still to follow.

A construction information sign showing walking-path works in the Geysir geothermal area
The walking-route construction notice that was still visible during my visit. Personal photo · 2025-02-25

The crowd waiting for Strokkur

A little farther in, the number of people suddenly increased.

A crowd had formed in a loose circle around one part of the geothermal field. Even before I read a sign, I had the feeling that this had to be the place everyone was waiting for.

The name Geysir gave English the word “geyser,” but the regularly erupting attraction here today is not the largely inactive Great Geysir. It is Strokkur, about 100 metres to the south. Official tourism information says Strokkur erupts roughly every ten minutes and can send a column of water as high as about 30 metres.

Visitors gathered around Strokkur as a large plume of steam rises in the Geysir geothermal area
The crowd made it obvious where everyone was waiting for Strokkur. Personal photo · 2025-02-25

I joined them and waited.

After a while, a small burst shot up. It was so modest that my first reaction was basically, “Was that it?” It felt like a firework that had failed to go off properly.

Nobody else moved, so I kept waiting.

Then the next eruption was completely different. Water and steam suddenly surged upward in one tall burst. The scale of it came across much better in motion than it did in a still photograph.

Strokkur suddenly erupting in a tall burst of water and steam
The larger Strokkur eruption that came after the first small burst. Personal photo · 2025-02-25

After waiting several minutes for that moment, it was strange to think that eruptions like this keep repeating throughout the day. I also understood why people often stay for more than one cycle. Traveler reviews frequently mention that the height varies from one eruption to the next.

More than one geyser

After Strokkur, I kept walking through the geothermal area.

I had expected the erupting geyser to be the whole experience, but the wider landscape became just as memorable. Hot pools appeared along the paths, some clear and some faintly blue, while steam rose from the ground in several directions.

A blue geothermal pool in the foreground with thick steam rising behind it at Geysir
Hot water and steam continued well beyond the main geyser. Personal photo · 2025-02-25
A pale blue geothermal pool surrounded by winter ground and steam in the Geysir area
Blue geothermal water standing out against the muted winter landscape. Personal photo · 2025-02-25

The Geysir area has been protected as a natural monument since 2020. Official guidance requires visitors to stay on marked walkways, both to protect the geothermal formations and for safety. Once I was there, that rule made immediate sense: hot water and steam were rising right beside ground that otherwise looked ordinary.

A slightly higher section of the route also opened up wider views across the geothermal field. Official trail information describes an accessible loop up nearby Laugarfjall, with viewpoints over the hot-spring area.

A steaming geothermal pool with the winter plains of Haukadalur visible beyond it
A broader view over the geothermal area after walking a little higher. Personal photo · 2025-02-25

Snow at the end of the walk

Snow began to fall while I was still walking.

The brown ground, blue water and white steam had already made the landscape feel unfamiliar. Once fresh snow began settling on the paths, the whole scene became even more distinctly Icelandic. Steam would hide the view for a moment, then drift away and reveal the plain again.

Fresh snow across a wide path in the Geysir geothermal area with several plumes of steam in the distance
Fresh snow arriving near the end of the morning walk. Personal photo · 2025-02-25

I had started the walk mainly because I wanted to see how high Strokkur would erupt. By the time I headed back, I was thinking just as much about the steaming stream, the hot pools and the time spent wandering between them.

I went to Geysir for one eruption and ended up remembering the whole geothermal walk.

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PRACTICAL INFO

  • Place: Geysir Geothermal Area, Haukadalur, Iceland
  • Visited: Morning of Feb 25, 2025
  • Strokkur: Current official tourism information says it erupts roughly every ten minutes and can reach about 30 metres. The exact interval and height vary from eruption to eruption.
  • Great Geysir: Great Geysir itself is now largely inactive; Strokkur is the regularly erupting geyser most visitors gather around.
  • Walking: The geothermal field contains numerous hot springs, pools and steam vents. Nearby Laugarfjall also has a moderate loop walk with viewpoints over the area.
  • Safety: Stay on marked walkways throughout the protected geothermal area. Bathing in the springs and throwing stones, coins or other objects into the water are prohibited.
  • Walking-route improvements: Official information says the first phase of a new scenic path opened in October 2024, adding access to parts of the geothermal area that had previously been closed to visitors.
  • My route: I was staying at Hótel Geysir, so I left my car at the hotel and walked over. This describes my route as a hotel guest, not general visitor parking guidance.
  • Winter: Snow, ice and heavy steam can change visibility and footing quickly, so on-site signs and closures should take priority.
  • Info checked: 2026-10-03