Höfn Hostel
About this stay
Höfn Hostel, the town's Hostelling International hostel, stands at Hvannabraut 3 in Höfn, the fishing town on Hornafjörður where the south coast stretch of the Ring Road meets the East Fjords. It is open all year. Rooms range from family rooms to doubles, some with private bathrooms and some sharing, and linen is included. The common areas are generous, with a large guest kitchen, space for board games, laundry machines, security lockers, hairdryers and free Wi-Fi, and the building is wheelchair accessible. Parking is free. Check-in runs only from 16:00 to 21:00, which shapes the day if you are driving from the glacier lagoons. Jökulsárlón is 80 km to the west, the stone-carved hot tubs at Hoffell, with a view of the glacier, are a short drive inland, and the Lónsöræfi hiking area lies to the east. Every summer the town holds its lobster festival, named after the langoustine landed here.
- Open all year, Hostelling International member
- Family rooms, with private or shared bathrooms
- Large guest kitchen and common areas
- Laundry, lockers and free parking
- Check-in 16:00 to 21:00
- Rated 9.0 across 2,754 reviews
Our take
Check-in at Höfn Hostel closes at 21:00, and that single fact decides how you plan the day: Jökulsárlón is 80 km west, so linger at the lagoon until sunset and you risk arriving to a closed desk. Plan around it and this is one of the most dependable stops on the south-east Ring Road: an all-year Hostelling International hostel, rated 9.0 across 2,754 reviews, with family rooms, a big shared kitchen and laundry. I would book it for travellers who cook their own dinners and want to wash clothes halfway round the island. Light sleepers who want a private bathroom should check the room type carefully, as some rooms share.
Why we love it
- A kitchen big enough to cook a real dinner after a long drive
- Laundry at the halfway point of the Ring Road
- Hoffell's hot tubs and Lónsöræfi within easy reach
Why guests love itFamilies do well here. Höfn Hostel has dedicated family rooms, linen included, a large kitchen where you can cook for children on your own timetable, and common areas with board games for a wet evening. Free parking, lockers and laundry make a two-night stop easy halfway round the island, and the building is wheelchair accessible, which also helps with a pushchair. The 16:00 to 21:00 check-in is the one constraint: with children asleep in the back after a day at Jökulsárlón, 80 km away, it is easy to run late. I would plan the lagoon in the morning, arrive in Höfn mid-afternoon, and keep the evening for the hot tubs at Hoffell.
Guest reviews
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