Last updated September 16, 2026

Höfn's harbor and low waterfront buildings on the Hornafjörður peninsula, with the Vatnajökull ice cap and mountains rising behind the town

Alexander Grebenkov / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

Iceland

Where to Stay in Höfn

Höfn í Hornafirði — usually just called Höfn — is a fishing town of around 1,800 people on a small peninsula in Iceland's southeast, about 458 km from Reykjavík by road. Founded in 1897 by the merchant Ottó Tuliníus around its natural harbor, it grew into the commercial center of the wider Hornafjörður district and reached municipal status in 1988. For visitors, Höfn is best understood as a road-trip waypoint rather than a headline destination in its own right: it's the natural second overnight stop on a Ring Road itinerary, the day most travelers spend the morning at Skaftafell and Svartifoss waterfall, then the afternoon at Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Beach — all well outside town, none within walking distance of it — before arriving in Höfn for the night. The harbor itself, ringed by fishing boats and framed by the Vatnajökull ice cap rising inland, is the town's visual signature, and Höfn is also Iceland's best-known source of humar (langoustine), landed and served locally by several restaurants around the harbor.

Quick facts

Best time to visit
Höfn has a cool, wet, borderline-subarctic climate — summer (June–August) highs average only around 12°C, and the town gets roughly 1,450mm of rain across about 180 days of measurable precipitation a year, so pack rain gear regardless of season. Summer brings the longest daylight and the town's Humarhátíð langoustine festival on the first weekend of July, along with the busiest hotel demand from Ring Road traffic. Shoulder season (May, September) sees thinner crowds and still-workable road conditions; winter (October–April) brings short days, a real chance of Ring Road closures in storms, and good odds for the northern lights given the town's dark, low-light-pollution setting.
Renting a car
The car you drove in on is the point of Höfn: it's the natural overnight after Skaftafell and Jökulsárlón, and what gets you back out to those sights, the glacier-lagoon boat tours and Diamond Beach on your own schedule. A seasonal Strætó bus does reach Höfn from Reykjavík along the South Coast in summer, but on too limited a schedule to plan around, and it can't stop at the roadside sights on the way.

Where to stay

Best for road-trippers who just need a walkable, well-placed base for one night between Jökulsárlón/Diamond Beach and the next leg of the Ring Road, and for anyone who wants to walk to a langoustine dinner, the harbor, and the short Ósland nature trail without moving the car again after checking in.

Fishing boats moored in Höfn's harbor with mountains rising in the background under a clear sky

Bernard McManus / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Höfn Town Center

Best for: Road trips, Nature lovers, First-time visitors

Our picks for Höfn

A handful of editorial calls across every neighborhood above, not just the highest star rating — see each hotel's own card further down for the full case for and against it.

💰 Best valueHótel HöfnHöfn Town Center📍 Best locationHöfn - Berjaya Iceland HotelsHöfn Town Center

A couple of hotels in Höfn Town Center

Höfn Town Center is the top-recommended area to stay in Höfn.

Höfn - Berjaya Iceland Hotels

★★★
  • 📍 Best location

Our take Right on Höfn's harbour with glacier views across the water — in a town where that setting is the main reason to stay.

Highlights

  • Sits directly at the harbor, an easy walk to the boats and nearby restaurants
  • Views across Hornafjörður toward the Vatnajökull ice cap from much of the property
  • Breakfast buffet included, useful given Höfn's limited early-morning dining options

What to know

  • Rooms are simple and functional rather than styled — the setting, not the interiors, is the draw
  • About an 8-minute walk from Höfn's supermarket and central shops on Víkurbraut
Check availability on Booking.com

Hótel Höfn

★★★
  • 💰 Best value

Our take A straightforward, dependable choice in a small town with limited options — nothing flashy, but a full-service hotel with its own restaurant and an easy walk to the harbor for a one-night Ring Road stop.

Highlights

  • On-site restaurant serving local langoustine, useful in a town with few places to eat
  • Central spot on Víkurbraut, a 10-minute walk to the harbor and Höfn's shops
  • Some rooms have glacier or sea views over the surrounding fjord

What to know

  • Rooms are functional rather than stylish — this is a practical overnight stop, not a design hotel
  • Sits on Víkurbraut, which also carries Ring Road through-traffic, so street-facing rooms pick up road noise
Check availability on Booking.com

Useful travel information

Iceland uses the Icelandic króna (ISK); cards are accepted almost everywhere, including small-town shops. Nearly all visitors reach Höfn by rental car as part of a Ring Road or South/Southeast Iceland itinerary — Route 1 detours into town via Route 99, a short spur off the main road. Höfn has a small domestic airport about 4 km outside town, a Nettó supermarket, a swimming pool, a filling station, and a cluster of restaurants around the harbor, several specializing in local langoustine. Gamlabúð, one of the area's oldest buildings, now serves as a Vatnajökull National Park visitor center with information on the glacier and surrounding nature reserves. The town's own beach and viewpoint walks are gentle; the area's serious sights — Skaftafell's hiking trails, Jökulsárlón, and Diamond Beach — all require driving.

Tips

  • Book a langoustine dinner or check restaurant hours ahead in peak summer — Höfn's few harbor restaurants specializing in local humar can fill up as Ring Road traffic arrives for the evening.
  • The langoustine catch has swung sharply from year to year in recent seasons — ask locally what's actually available before building an evening around it, rather than assuming it's guaranteed.
  • Pack for rain and wind in any season — Höfn is one of Iceland's wetter towns, with rain on roughly half the days of the year.

Frequently asked questions

How far is Höfn from Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Beach?
About 78 km (roughly a 1-hour drive) west of Höfn along the Ring Road. Both the lagoon and its adjacent Diamond Beach are separate stops on the way into town, not something within walking distance of Höfn itself.
How far is Höfn from Skaftafell?
About 85 km (a 1.5-hour-plus drive) west of Höfn — most Ring Road itineraries visit Skaftafell's trails and Svartifoss waterfall in the morning, then Jökulsárlón and Diamond Beach in the afternoon, before continuing on to Höfn for the night.
How many days do I need in Höfn?
One overnight is the norm. Most visitors arrive in the evening after a day spent at Skaftafell, Jökulsárlón, and Diamond Beach, and continue on the next morning — either further along the Ring Road toward the Eastfjords, or back west.
Is Höfn really known for langoustine?
Yes — Höfn is Iceland's best-known source of humar (langoustine), and several harbor-area restaurants specialize in it, with the town hosting an annual Humarhátíð langoustine festival on the first weekend of July. That said, catches have varied sharply from year to year in recent seasons, so availability isn't guaranteed.
Do I need a car to visit Höfn?
For nearly everyone, yes — Höfn is a stop on a self-drive Ring Road itinerary, and a car is what gets you to Skaftafell, Jökulsárlón, and Diamond Beach along the way. A seasonal public bus does reach the town, but on a very limited schedule.

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