How to get to Oraefi

    The best way to get to Öræfi is by car. It takes about 4-5 hours to drive there from Reykjavik. Skaftafell National Park in Öræfi is 327 km east of Reykjavík, and Jökulsárlón (The Glacier Lagoon at the east side of Oraefi) is 384 km east of Reykjavík. Öræfi is on the southeast coast of Iceland and you drive road no. 1 (the ring road) through the town of Selfoss, and the villages Hella, Hvolsvöllur, Vík and Kirkjubæjarklaustur on the way there.

    Please note that there is no town or village in Öræfi. There are only farms, and the only shop open around the year is the Shell filling station in Freysnes. In the summer there are small coffee shops open in Skaftafell national park and at the glacier lagoon Jökulsárlón. Now in the summer 2010 Glacier Guides plan to open up a coffee shop in Fagurhólsmýri.

    If you don't have a car check out www.glaciercarrental.is or  www.route1carrental.is or www.budget.is - www.hertz.is - www.alp.is - www.avis.is - www.sgcarrental.is - www.atak.is f. ex. Here is also a page with more car rentals, and more info for self driving in Iceland.

    A good way to travel to southeast Iceland is flying with  www.eagleair.is to Höfn, and then drive back via the south coast. (Or drive the south coast and fly back). If you buy this packet from them you will get reductions from many accommodations and travel services along the way.
 

Click here to see the road conditions in Iceland right now!

And it is good to study the weather also, especially if you travel here in the winter...

Bus

    There is an bus from BSI bus terminal in Reykjavik to Oraefi (on the way to Höfn) 3 times a week in the winter until 31st of May. It leaves the bus terminal in Reykjavík at 14:00 on Fridays and Sundays and at 15:00 on Tuesdays. It goes back the same days. You can catch it at the Shell filling station at Hotel Skaftafell in Freysnes at about 13:30 on Fridays and Sundays and Tuesdays.

    Here is a link to their schedule. Schedule...

Maps

    The National Land Survey of Iceland have published a good map tool on the internet. The tool is only in Icelandic but it is easy to use. Hold down the left mouse button and drag your mouse over the part of Iceland that you want to see more close. http://kortaskjar.lmi.is/

    Vatnajokull is the biggest glacier in Europe (8400 km²) and it covers 8% of Iceland. Oraefi is on the south side of the middle of the ice cap Vatnajokull. All glaciers in Oraefi, including Oraefajokull, Iceland's highest mountain, are part of Vatnajokull.

Last edited: 13.01.2010