Description
Summary
Description
Buy your admission ticket to the Reindeer Park near Egilsstadir and meet four rescued reindeer in the heart of East Iceland. This 30-minute wildlife experience is for travelers who want to see reindeer in Iceland up close, feed them by hand, and take photos you can’t get in the wild.
Reindeer were brought to Iceland from Norway in the 18th century, and the wild herds that descend from them now roam only the eastern half of the country. Seeing one up close in the wild is close to impossible, which makes this small park a rare opportunity.
The park opened in 2021 after two young males, Garpur and Mosi, were found alone and helpless. Their caretaker fed them every two hours, day and night, for roughly two months until they were strong enough to thrive on their own. Two younger females have since joined them, and all four now live together in a large enclosure beside the Vinland Guesthouse in Fellabaer, the small village just across the river from Egilsstadir.
The Reindeer Park is about a two-minute drive over the bridge, right by the Ring Road, so you don’t need to go out of your way or drive any gravel to reach it. Put “Reindeer Park” or the guesthouse into your map app and it takes you straight there. The park is open daily from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.
During your visit, the staff hand out a special feed so you can offer it to the reindeer yourself. Their diet is carefully managed, so please leave your own snacks in the car.
Children are usually the ones who remember this stop the longest. The enclosure sits at ground level, the animals are calm around people, and nobody hurries you along, so younger visitors can take all the time they want.
Reindeer are stranger animals than they look. Each hair is hollow, which traps air and turns them into powerful swimmers, and while their eyesight is poor, their sense of smell is sharp enough to find lichen buried under deep snow.
Both males and females grow antlers, and they shed and regrow them every single year. In summer, the new antlers are still wrapped in soft skin and the animals are more delicate, so the team will show you how close you can safely come.
Someone from the park is on hand throughout the day to answer questions and tell you the story behind each animal, so you leave knowing all four by name.
The park sits minutes from Lagarfljot Lake and the center of Egilsstadir, the largest town in East Iceland. That makes it an easy stop on a Ring Road trip, and a welcome break for children after a long drive.
Spend half an hour feeding four friendly reindeer and give your family a stop they’ll still talk about at the end of the trip. Check availability now by choosing a date.
