Þingvellir travel guide

Plan Þingvellir as a half day in the national park, and whether you drive or join a tour, check the parking fee first.

Cars with up to 5 seats pay 1,000 krónur a day, and 6 to 9 seats 1,200 krónur. One payment covers P1 Hakið (with the visitor centre), P2 Efri-Vellir and P5 Valhöll for the whole day.

Payment works by number-plate recognition, at machines at the visitor centre, P2 and P5 or on the Checkit website. UNESCO listed the park as a cultural landscape in 2004. Prices are as of 23 October 2026, so recheck before your visit.

Visa and entry requirements for Iceland

Whether you need a visa, how long you can stay and which pre-arrival forms apply all depend on your nationality and the purpose of your trip. Check the official source below, and your own government's travel advice, before you book.

• Entry requirements to Iceland (Government of Iceland (Ísland.is))
• Do you need a visa? (Government of Iceland (Ísland.is))
• Visa to Iceland (Government of Iceland)
• ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) (European Union)
• EES (Entry/Exit System) (European Union)

Þingvellir National Park's official parking fees are 400 krónur for motorcycles, 1,000 krónur for cars with up to 5 seats and 1,200 krónur for 6 to 9 seats. Buses with 10 to 19 seats pay 2,200 krónur, 20 to 32 seats 3,800 krónur, and 33 or more 4,200 krónur.

One payment lets you park at P1, P2 and P5 in the park on the day you paid. Four people in one 5-seat car pay 1,000 krónur, or 250 per person. Two days in a row means paying each day: 2,000 krónur.

Based on Þingvellir National Park's official information, checked on 23 October 2026.

P1 Hakið is at the top end of Almannagjá, where the national park visitor centre is. P2 Efri-Vellir is below Öxarárfoss to the east. P5 Valhöll is the car park closest to Þingvellir Church and the Silfra fissure.

Payment machines are at the visitor centre and the toilet building next to it, at P2 and at P5; you can also pay on the Checkit website. Cameras read number plates, so enter your plate number exactly when paying.

UNESCO listed Þingvellir National Park as a cultural landscape in July 2004, Iceland's first World Heritage site. The site of the Althing assembly and its surrounding landscape were recognised. Read the geology and history panels on site too.

Almannagjá, by the visitor centre car park, is a rift landscape with continuous walking paths. Paths can be slippery in rain, so waterproof shoes suit. There's no separate admission ticket to the park, so your cost is the parking fee.

For half a day, start at the P1 visitor centre and walk Almannagjá. See the rift in the morning, then move towards P2 to see Öxarárfoss. One parking payment covers all three car parks, so you don't pay again when you move.

For a full day, move in the afternoon to P5 by the lake and walk near the church and Silfra. Without a car you can go on a tour; we don't set tour prices here. Days are short in winter, so arrive early.

Plan meals on a Þingvellir day around lamb soup, skyr and Icelandic hot dogs. Lamb soup is cooked with lamb and root vegetables; skyr is a thick cultured dairy product; the hot dogs are a snack made partly with lamb. We don't pick restaurants or prices here. Bring snacks and a warm drink on park walking days.

Iceland is in the Schengen Area; check entry requirements for your nationality on the official Icelandic government site. Disabled parking permit holders don't pay, but must have their plate registration cleared at the visitor centre or email the park. In winter, check road information and the weather first. The local emergency number is 112.