Iceland’s Laugavegur Extended Trek

• Accommodation: Hotel in Reykjavík

On this Iceland hiking tour, we provide you with a public bus shuttle (Flybus) voucher to get from Keflavík International Airport (KEF) to tonight’s hotel. After checking into our first night’s accommodation, you are free to explore the capital city on your own. Reykjavík’s city center is small, and you can travel everywhere on foot. Icelandic weather can be cold and rainy so be sure to follow the gear list closely! We’ll meet at 5:00 PM at our hotel for our orientation meeting. The orientation meeting is time to ask questions, meet the group, check over gear, and review the itinerary. After the orientation meeting, your guide will make suggestions for fantastic dinner spots in Reykjavík, as dinner is on your own this evening.

Please Note: If your flight lands in the morning, your hotel room will not be ready for you to check in. However, you will be able to store your luggage and start your city exploration.

• Driving Duration: 4 hrs.
• Hiking Mileage: 4-6 miles
• Elevation Gain/Loss: minimal
• Trekking Duration: 4-5 hrs.
• Accommodation: Hut in Landmannalaugar

This morning your guide will pick you up at the hotel and we’ll head to the local bus station. From there, you will have a 4-hour ride through the beautiful Icelandic countryside. You will have amazing views of the famous Hekla volcano and journey into the Fjallabak Nature Reserve. We will arrive at the stunning and busy Landmannalaugar around mid-day, where lunch will be served, and we will check into our rustic mountain hut. After check in, we will begin our first half-day hike. We will be immersed among colorful peaks and valleys, geothermal features and lava fields. Once we return from the hike, we will have time to soak in the geothermal hot creek which runs close to our hut. After we soak, we will enjoy the delicious dinner prepared by your guides. Typical Icelandic food consists of tender mountain lamb, delicious fish and lots of potatoes. Make sure you let us know if you have any dietary restrictions. After dinner, your guides will brief you on the plan for the next day and then the remainder of the evening is free for your enjoyment. Perhaps another soak in the hot creek or take a stroll around the encampment. In June and July, it does not get dark in Iceland, so make sure to bring a ‘buff’ or eye mask. From mid to late August, the luckiest might even catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights at night.

• Hiking Mileage: 7-10 miles
• Elevation Gain: 1600 feet
• Trekking Duration: 6-8 hrs.
• Accommodation: Hut in Hrafntinnusker

After a delicious breakfast we will begin our trek. We will encounter multi-colored mountains, obsidian lava fields, and geothermal features. The scenery today is unique to Iceland and usually surprises people by how “unearthly” it looks. Depending on our weather, we may have views of Mt. Hekla and several icecaps. Our hike will eventually lead us to the obsidian dome where the Hrafntinnusker Mountain Hut is located. Don’t worry if you can’t pronounce it, we’ll teach you! The hut itself is very rustic, but chances are you will be thankful for the simple basics offered by a warm and dry dorm in the harsh weather of the Icelandic backcountry.

• Hiking Mileage: 7-10 miles
• Elevation Gain: 50-700 ft.
• Elevation Loss: 1600 – 2000 ft.
• Trekking Duration: 7-8 hrs.
• Accommodation: Mountain Hut

We start today with a nutritious breakfast and then pack our gear and begin our day’s trek. We start by hiking across the Hrafntinnusker plateau with wide open views of geothermal formations, hot springs, and mud pools. Depending on the month, we may be hiking in snow. Reaching the edge of this plateau, the view opens up to green plains and moss-covered hills. Tonight’s hut is our favorite; while it’s quite simple, it is often less busy and cozier than the others, offering the perfect setting for a welcome rest, a big dinner prepared by your guide, and a good night’s sleep.

• Hiking Mileage: 8-14 miles
• Elevation Gain: 350-900 ft.
• Elevation Loss: 500-1150 ft.
• Trekking Duration: 5-8 hrs.
• Accommodation: Hut in Emstrur

This morning greets us with a trek out of the mountains and across a black sand desert. Soon enough the glaciers and moss of the lush mountains we’ve been in will disappear and we will be hiking across an amazing desert of black sand. This afternoon we have the option – if weather and conditions permit – to hike along the Makarfljotsgljufur, a very impressive canyon, while being exposed to the neighboring icecaps. We can also enjoy a n evening hike to the edge of the canyon after we’ve arrived at our hut if energy and time allow. We will be staying in the Botnar huts in the valley of Emstrur.

• Hiking Mileage: 10-11 miles
• Elevation Gain: 950-1800 ft.
• Elevation Loss: 1950 – 2800 ft.
• Trekking Duration: 7 hrs.

This morning, we hand off our bags to our 4×4 vehicle support to take back to Reykjavík, and we add a bit more weight to our backpacks as we will need to carry all the food and personal items we’ll need for the next 2 nights. We will not have the jeep support as we head off of the Laugavegur Trail and onto the more remote Fimmvordurhals mountain pass trail. We will witness amazing basaltic columns, green mossy gorges, and views of the large glaciers along the way. Eventually, we cross the Thronga glacial river and enter a native birch forest lush vegetation all around. Soon, the sounds of the river fade away and beautiful bird songs welcome us in a surreal world where life seems to thrive, sheltered by the majestic ice caps. We finally come to our mountain hut accommodation for the night at Langidalur in Thorsmork, where the view is absolutely stunning.

Note: Some guests on this trip may be leaving the trail today and returning to Reykjavík as part of our Iceland’s Laugavegur Trail trip.

• Hiking Mileage: 7-9 miles
• Elevation Gain: 2,950 ft.
• Elevation Loss: 540 ft.
• Trekking Duration: 8 hours

We begin today’s trek by crossing the valley of the Krossa glacial river. A couple of miles further, we begin our ascent towards the Fimmvordurhals Pass, which lies between two ice caps. As we go up ridges and traverse plateaus, the views get increasingly more dramatic. The two neighboring glaciers, Myrdalsjökull and Eyjafjallajökull, have carved a maze of gorges and valleys in the landscape. We will soon reach the edge of the 2010 volcanic eruption, where lava flowed down, cascading into the gorges. We will keep climbing up to the two recently created volcanic craters, Magni and Modi. After pondering the magnitude of the volcanic forces around us, we will continue trekking until we reach our small, rustic mountain hut for the night. We will cap off this amazing day with a hearty dinner and much deserved night of sleep.

• Hiking Mileage: 8 miles
• Elevation Loss: 3000 ft.
• Trekking Duration: 5-6 hrs.
• Driving Duration: 2.5 hrs.
• Accommodation: Hotel in Reykjavík

Assuming good weather, we will wake up to a spectacular view of the ocean. After breakfast, we will pack up and begin descending from barren mineral plateaus to greener, vibrant hillsides. Overlooking the south coast of Iceland we still feel the presence of the magnificent glaciers behind us. Eventually, we will reach Skoga creek and follow it until we reach the village of Skogar. There are many waterfalls along the way making the last day of our trek extremely beautiful and rewarding. Once in Skogar, we can relax in the café and wait for the bus to transport us back to Reykjavík. In Reykjavik, we will check into our hotel rooms and your guide will make suggestions for where to dine this evening, as dinner is on your own.

Today is the final day of our Iceland’s Laugavegur Extended Trek. We will ensure you get on the proper airport (Flybus) Shuttle for departure to Keflavik International Airport. Thank you for choosing Wildland Trekking!