Gigjagja Cave sits at Hjörleifshöfði in South Iceland, on the black sand plain of the south coast. It is known for one thing: seen from inside, the cave mouth forms the profile of Yoda from Star Wars, and most people call it the Yoda Cave rather than by its Icelandic name. The cave stands on private farmland off the main road along the coast. The reason to go is that single view and the flat black expanse it frames.
Gigjagja Cave
Local name: Gígjagjá
Seen from inside, the mouth of the cave forms the profile of Yoda, and the Star Wars name has stuck: almost everyone calls it the Yoda Cave.
- Entrance
- No ticket for the cave. The only charge is for driving onto the private land, taken as a parking fee.
- Accessibility
- No wheelchair-accessible parking and no step-free entrance.
- Parking
- Paid car park on gravel, right beside the cave. The fee ran to roughly 1,000–1,150 ISK per car in mid-2026 and can be paid through the EasyPark app. A second paid car park lies about 750 m away.
- Transport
- No public transport to the site; it is reached by car.
- Hours
- Open 24 hours, every day.
- Address
- Hjörleifshöfði, 871
What makes it special
One view carries this place. Stand inside the cave, look back at the entrance, and the outline of the rock reads as Yoda's head in profile. That is the photograph almost everyone comes for, and it works best with a bright sky behind it. Outside the opening, black sand runs away towards the sea, and the cave mouth does a lot of the work as a frame. Arrive with the scale clear in your head: this is a stop, not an afternoon. Come for one good frame and the space around it, not for a set-piece.
Good to know
- You pay to enter the land: a camera reads number plates where the track leaves the main road, so the charge is for access rather than for the parking space.
- No toilets: there are none at the cave and none at the car park.
- The cave is a quick stop: it takes minutes to see. The drive in and back out is the longer part of the visit.
- Nothing to do here in the rain: the visit is one view out of a cave mouth, and rain takes it away.
Getting there
There is no bus. Access is by car: a gravel track leaves the main road and runs in across the black sand, about ten minutes' driving. A Viking boat and two huts stand along the way, put there by the landowners. The car park is at the cave itself, so there is no walk in — you park and you are looking at the opening.
Best time to visit
Better: late in the day, towards sunset. Avoid: heavy rain.
The view is a dark outline against a bright sky, so low sun does more for it than overhead light. At sunset the cave can be empty, and that changes the visit — the same opening with a crowd in it is a different thing. In rain there is nothing to do here but look out of the cave mouth and drive back.
Sun & daylight
Nearby Places
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Gigjagja Cave on the map
The track from the main road is rough gravel and can damage a car. Drive it slowly.
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Frequently asked questions
Why is it called the Yoda Cave?
Seen from inside, the opening forms the profile of Yoda from Star Wars. The Icelandic name is Gigjagja Cave, but the nickname is what people use.Do you have to pay?
Yes. There is no ticket for the cave itself, but the track in crosses private farmland and the charge for access is taken as a parking fee.Are there toilets?
No. There are no toilets at the cave and none at the car park. The nearest facilities are back on the main road.How long does a visit take?
The cave itself is a matter of minutes. Most of the time goes on the drive in from the main road and back out again.