The Kerid Crater Hike

The Kerið hike is short: a path of about 0.8 km round the crater’s rim (measured along the mapped path) and wooden stairs from the rim near the car park down to a path along the lake. Allow 40 to 45 minutes for both, 20 for a look from the rim. The tours that leave time for it give about 45 minutes; EastWest’s Reykjavik: Golden Circle, Tomato Farm and Kerið Crater Tour is one, with admission included, from $144 a person (checked November 2026).

The calendar above is EastWest’s day, with 249 reviews (checked November 2026).

The rim path

From the ticket booth by the car park a gravel path runs right round the crater, about 0.8 km measured along the mapped path. It follows the crest, so you look down on the lake and the slopes of red volcanic rock and green moss the whole way. Kerið’s owners describe the crater as about 270 m long, 170 m wide and 55 m deep. Keep to the path and back from the edge in wind.

Down to the lake

Wooden stairs drop from the rim near the car park to a path along the water’s edge. The lake is shallow; Kerið’s own pages give its depth as varying between about 7 and 14 m as the water level changes. Down there the crater walls rise all round, which is the view the photographs from the rim do not give you. The stairs can be wet or icy, and you climb back the same way.

How long it takes

A tour that gives 20 minutes, like BusTravel Iceland’s *Reykjavik: Golden Circle Full-Day Tour with Kerid Crater*, covers the first line only, and its departures at 12:00 or later skip Kerið. For the whole walk, choose one that gives about 45 minutes.

Check dates for the 45-minute stop

What to wear

Shoes with grip: the rim is loose gravel and the stairs can be slick. A wind-proof layer, because the rim is exposed on all sides. In winter, the path and stairs can be icy; Kerið in winter covers what changes. Arctic Adventures’ own Kerið guide says flying a drone over the crater is prohibited.

Tours with time for the walk

Prices, ratings and review counts from the listings (GetYourGuide checked November 2026). Operators price by date and season, so treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote.