In shortParking at Jökulsárlón costs 1,110 ISK for a car with up to five seats and is valid until midnight. There is no barrier: a camera reads your number plate, and you pay at the machines in the car park or online through Parka. Walking along the lagoon is free, and Vatnajökull National Park marks four routes, two of them short and easy.
1,110 ISKcar, up to 5 seats
till midnightone fee for the whole day
50% offif paid at Skaftafell the same day
4marked walking routes
What parking costs
Jökulsárlón lies inside Vatnajökull National Park, which runs the car parks and the paths. There is no entry fee to the lagoon; the park's regional fee is charged per vehicle.
| Vehicle | Regional fee |
|---|
| Car, up to 5 seats | 1,110 ISK |
|---|
| Car or van, 6–9 seats | 1,440 ISK |
|---|
| Bus, 10–21 passengers | 2,770 ISK |
|---|
| Bus, 22–32 passengers | 5,200 ISK |
|---|
| Bus, 33+ passengers | 9,400 ISK |
|---|
| Motorcycle | 450 ISK |
|---|
How you pay, and why you might not notice
There is no barrier and no ticket. When you drive in, a camera photographs the number plate on behalf of the park, and the fee is raised against the vehicle's owner. You can pay on the spot at the payment machines or online through the park's service provider, Parka. One payment covers the rest of the day until midnight, so you can leave and come back.
- Drive in
The camera records your plate; nothing to collect. - Pay the same day
At a machine in the car park or online with Parka, using the plate number. - Come and go
The payment is valid until midnight on that date.
Rental cars: pay on the day
If nobody pays, the fee goes to the vehicle's owner, which for a hire car is the rental company. Paying at the machine or online before you leave keeps the bill with you, where it belongs.
Discounts and exemptions
- Half price the same day: if you paid the full fee at another fee-based area of the park on the same date, such as Skaftafell, the fee at Jökulsárlón is 50% off.
- P-sign holders: drivers with a disability parking card can ask to be exempted. E-mail the park in good time before arriving, with the registration number and the P-sign as the reason; the address is on the park's payment page.
- Accessible parking spaces are next to the café.
Walks from the car parks
The park has marked four routes on Breiðamerkursandur, the plain around the lagoon. The first two are short and easy; the last two are for people with time and good boots.
| Route | Length | Time | Difficulty |
|---|
| B1 Jökulsárlón, along the lagoon shore | 1.2 km | 15 min | easy |
|---|
| B2 Eystri-Fellsfjara, along the black beach | 1 km | 40 min | easy |
|---|
| B3 Breiðármörk | 15 km | 4–5 hours | challenging |
|---|
| B4 Fjallsárlón | 1.5 km | 45 min | challenging |
|---|
Diamond Beach from the car park
The black-sand beach across the road, where ice from the lagoon washes up, is Fellsfjara, the place most visitors call Diamond Beach. Route B2 follows its eastern part. To cross between the lagoon and the beach on foot, use the pedestrian passage under the bridge; it has information signs about the area. There is also a photo exhibition at the Eystri-Fellsfjara car park.
Diamond Beach →
Toilets, food and opening
The area is open all year. There are flushing toilets at Jökulsárlón and at Fjallsárlón, and food is sold by private operators at the lagoon. The café by the boats opens at 9 am all year and closes between 5 pm in winter and 7 pm in summer.
Birds: watch where you walk in summer
Breiðamerkursandur is an important nesting area for great skuas, red-throated divers, greylag geese and barnacle geese. Keep to the marked routes, especially in the nesting season.
Who to call
The park rangers at Breiðamerkursandur can be reached on 842-4355; the park's main office in Höfn answers on 575 8400 between 8am and 4pm. Skaftafellsstofa, the visitor centre at Skaftafell, is open all year. In an emergency anywhere in Iceland, call 112.
Free guided walk with a ranger
The park adds a guided option to the marked routes in summer. Every day at 11:00, 1 June – 30 September, a ranger leads the free one-hour Blue gold walk from the benches by the lagoon at the main car park; at Fjallsárlón a 45-minute walk starts at 3 pm daily between 15 June and 15 August.
Day trip with the boat ride included
Transport from Reykjavík and a 30-minute boat ride on the lagoon.
14 hours · from $292 · ★ 4.7 (450 reviews)
South Coast day tour, parking fees included
Driver-guide and parking fees included; the boat ride can be added for an extra price.
14 hours · from $235 · ★ 4.7 (762 reviews)
Guided Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Beach day trip
The lowest price from Reykjavík; the boat ride is not included.
14.5 hours · from $185 · ★ 4.7 (678 reviews)
Without a car: tours that take care of it
Coming from Reykjavík on a tour removes parking, fuel and winter driving from your day. One of the tours below even lists the parking fees as included.
Questions about parking
Is there an entry fee at Jökulsárlón?
No. Only parking is charged, by vehicle class; walking along the lagoon and Diamond Beach is free.
I drove in and out without paying. What now?
Pay online through Parka with your plate number on the same day. Otherwise the fee is sent to the vehicle's owner, which for a hire car is the rental company.
Is parking cheaper if I also visit Skaftafell?
Yes: after paying the full fee at another fee-based area of the park on the same date, the fee at Jökulsárlón is half price.
Fees, payment, discounts, P-sign exemption, routes, facilities, birds and the ranger phone: Vatnajökull National Park (vatnajokulsthjodgardur.is). Café hours: icelagoon.is. Tours: Viator listings 16698P9, 16698P1, 24308P21. 4 October 2026.
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