Iceland’s Game of Thrones Cave: The Part You Might Miss

The opening we could have walked past

At the obvious viewpoint, a rope marked the boundary and we could look down toward the pool. From that angle, it would have been easy to think that was the whole visit.

We kept walking to the left and found a separate, low opening partly hidden among the rocks. That entrance was open to visitors, with no rope across it, when we returned in September 2026. We crouched and climbed down over the uneven rock.

Once inside, the blue water was right in front of us, with huge pieces of volcanic rock overhead. We could see into the pool and along the cave. Already, it felt completely different from looking down through the first opening.

And then we found the part nobody else there was seeing

The cave kept going. Behind the rocks to our right, there was more of the pool stretching farther back. We went a little farther along and found the back side of the cave—and it was incredibly beautiful.

What made it so exciting was realizing that nobody else there seemed to know this part was here. Everyone we’d seen had stopped at the entrance. We were sitting inside with the geothermal water continuing between the rocks, and we had that whole part to ourselves.

That was the discovery. We hadn’t arrived at some unknown place; we were at a famous filming location. But there was still something to find once we were inside. The back of the cave was the part I was most excited about, and the part I’d have missed if we’d left after the first look.

It gets darker farther back, and the footing is uneven. I’m describing what we found on our visit, not a maintained route through the cave. For your own visit, follow the current signs and barriers and stay within the areas open to visitors.

You don’t need to be a Game of Thrones fan

If you are, the connection is fun: Visit Mývatn identifies Grjótagjá with Jon Snow and Ygritte’s cave scene in season three. It gives you an extra reason to recognize the place when you arrive.

But I’d still come for the cave. The clear blue water, the enormous pieces of rock and the chance to see how the pool continues inside were plenty for me. Expect a small, rough lava cave with a low opening. Its size doesn’t tell you how interesting it is once you’re looking around.

About that very inviting blue water

The pool is geothermally heated, and Grjótagjá was once used for bathing. North Iceland’s visitor guide explains that volcanic activity between 1975 and 1984 raised the temperature too high for bathing. Swimming is prohibited today, so save a soak for a bathing facility that permits it.

There’s plenty to look at from the rocks: the water is clear enough to see the shapes beneath the surface, and the light coming through the opening catches the walls and reflects on the pool. Give yourself a moment to enjoy that once you’ve got your photo.

How to make this stop part of your own trip

Grjótagjá works well as a stop while you’re exploring the Lake Mývatn area in North Iceland. You don’t need to plan a whole day around it, but I wouldn’t make the next part of the day depend on taking one quick photo and leaving.

• Save the right place: Grjótagjá Cave on your map. Follow the parking and access instructions at the site.
• Look left at the first viewpoint: that’s where we found the separate entrance in September 2026. We didn’t cross the rope. Access can change, so use it only if it’s open when you arrive.
• Choose it with the footing in mind: our entrance involved crouching and climbing over rock. Wear shoes with grip; the local visitor guide notes that the ground can be slippery. If that approach doesn’t suit you, enjoy a view you can comfortably reach.
• Check before driving: use SafeTravel Iceland and the official road conditions for the day’s travel information.

Personal observations from visits in 2023 and September 2026. Destination details checked against the official regional and local visitor guides on September 22, 2026.