No need to love geology to be impressed by the well preserved volcanic craters of Grabrok Iceland. Just off the Ring Road, the site offers nice walks up to the Rim or through the lava filed… well, nice until the wind starts blowing and you almost fall in the crater!
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About the Grabrok Craters
The Grabrok craters (also called Grabrokargigar) were protected as natural monuments in 1962 to preserve the 3 scoria cones which belongs to the Snaefellsnes volcanic zone. They are believed to be somewhat younger than 3600 years.
- Stora (big) Grabrok
- Litla (small) Grabrok (mostly disappeared due to mining before the area was protected)
- Grabrokarfell
Grabrok Hike Map
Below is the map of the trail allowing you to hike up the first cone of Grabrok and to walk in between the 2 major craters:
PLANNING TIPS - Grabrok Iceland
How to get to Grabrok
- 33 km north of Borgarnes right along Ring road no. 1
- Not far from the Glanni Waterfall
- Just next to the town of Bifrost – small carpark that you cannot miss with the big volcanic cones
Grabrok, along with many other beautiful places, is included in my eBook: The Road Trip Guide - Iceland.
It is a practical tool to plan your trip with maps, photos, planning tips, GPS coordinates...
Visiting the Grabrok volcanoes
- Even if you don’t have much time I recommend a stop as you do not see many volcanoes so perfectly shaped.
- Hike up to the crater: a little bit steep but good steady path with stairs for the most difficult parts. 10 min to get to the crater;
- Best view of both cone shaped volcanoes: Just walk 10 min into the path that goes in between
- No amenities
Where to stay near Grabrok
Located right by Road 1 it is a really great place to stay for the night. The landscapes are enjoyable.
There is a really great country hotel just a bit North on a working Farm: the Hraunsnef Country hotel - Check out latest prices and availability
Climbing to the rim of Grabrok crater
During the climb to Grabrok’s crater, you get some really nice views of the valley and discover very rugged lava fields.
Stuck on the rim
Once at the rim, I got a very nice views of the inside. Although nothing bubbling 
. It is not the most impressive crater but it is a nice walk with good views and easy enough for most people to reach it.
The path allows you to walk all the way around the crater. I started anticlockwise and after a few meters I got blown away by the wind. What a scare! The Icelandic wind can be really strong. I almost fell into the crater. So I just folded on my knees and waited. The wind did not stop and I came back down on my bottom until I was protected from the wind. Fun memories!
Nice panoramas with both Grabrok volcanoes
As you see on the map above, there is a path that deviates from the one up to the crater. It goes in between both craters. I really recommend walking the beginning of the path to admire the beautiful shape of those volcanic cones. Here are 2 panoramas:
Want to see more of Iceland's beauty?
Discover more things to do and places to see in Iceland in my online Iceland Destination Guide.
Have you ever climbed a volcanic cone?
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Wow…that is very rugged scenery. I don’t think I’ve ever climbed a volcanic cone, but I have walked up Hanging Rock…which, I recall is the lava of an ancient volcano.
I did not know about Hanging Rock. I looked it up and I have now a new place on my list! Thanks
Amazing scenery, Claire and great photos. It must have been a scary moment when the wind blew you – glad to hear you didn’t end up in the volcano!
Iceland is on my bucket list so I’ll be bookmarking this page for future reference.
Thanks Carolyn. My 2 weeks in Iceland were amazing. I can’t recommend it enough.
Love this, we fell in love in Iceland when we went in the winter. Would love to go back and explore in the summer!
Thanks Becky