There are no paved roads leading here, no information kiosks, and certainly no tour buses. To reach Víti—the iconic crater within Iceland’s Askja volcanic system—you must cross hardened lava fields, glacial rivers, and vast black sand deserts shaped by wind and ice. But for those who brave the journey into the Icelandic Highlands, the reward is an alien landscape of profound silence and strange, elemental beauty.
Víti, whose name means “hell” in Icelandic, was born from a massive explosive eruption in 1875. That event was so powerful its ash reached Scandinavia and caused widespread crop failures in eastern Iceland. Today, the crater contains a geothermal lake with milky-blue waters, colored by suspended minerals and heat from the volcanic forces still active below.
The surrounding Askja region sits within the vast Ódáðahraun lava desert—a barren, windswept expanse so otherworldly it served as a training ground for NASA’s Apollo astronauts. In the 1960s, Neil Armstrong walked these very rocks before setting foot on the Moon. It’s easy to see why: the ground is cracked and rust-red, littered with sharp lava formations and completely devoid of vegetation.
While technically possible, bathing in Víti’s hot waters is risky. The steep descent, unstable ground, and occasional build-up of toxic gases make it an adventure best approached with caution and respect. Some visitors still take the plunge, floating in the warm crater lake, surrounded by the echoes of deep time and volcanic silence.
Víti and Askja are inaccessible for most of the year due to snow and isolation. They can only be reached in summer, ideally with a 4×4 vehicle and knowledge of highland driving. This seclusion has kept the area remarkably untouched, preserving its raw, mysterious character.
Víti is not for the casual tourist. But for those who yearn for the extraordinary, who seek places that defy the ordinary and invite awe, this geothermal crater offers a rare communion with Iceland’s untamed spirit—a living reminder of the Earth’s restless soul.
