Explore the Uncharted Hiking Trails of Iceland

Iceland borders are opening on June 15th. Passengers arriving in Iceland need to choose between sitting in quarantine for 14 days or taking a COVID-19 test. Testing will be free of charge until the end of June, while a 15,000 ISK (about $115) will be charged afterwards. Children born in 2005 or later do not need to be tested.

Official COVID-19 updates by the Icelandic Government for travellers are available on this link: https://www.covid.is/announcements

With us, it’s all play and no work for you! 57hours is an open platform that connects you with trained and certified outdoor adventure professionals all over the world. Using our tech-savvy, we make it super easy to find and book adventures worth tackling, with guides worth booking, all gathered from the first-hand experiences of the locals who adventure in these amazing locations.

Cars just don’t do Iceland justice. Why view this breathtaking landscape passively through a window, when you can walk on the volcanic ground breathing beneath you and smell the rainbow of tiny arctic flowers scattered across the ink black ground? Hiking is undoubtedly the best way to enjoy Iceland’s striking terrain and experience the untouched nature around you.

This is what you’ll get on this adventure:

• Accommodations
• A local Amarok Adventures guide
• Entrance to tourist hotspots
• Meals
• Permits
• Transportation throughout the adventure
• Transfers to and from the airport

Not included:

• Country Visa
• Flights and flight taxes
• Sleeping bag & personal items
• Travel insurance

Hiring a local guide offers you the chance to experience Iceland’s beauty to the fullest. Local guides know all the hidden gems the area has to offer, will explain the history and geology during the hikes, and will transport you to and from the destinations. Iceland also has notoriously fickle weather, but your guide will know just what to do if the weather takes a turn or something unexpected happens.

Here’s a list of the equipment we suggest you bring:

• Day pack large enough to carry all the items listed (around a 40L bag)
• Water bottle
• Sleeping bag ( -10º comfort & hiking mattress)
• Hiking boots and sandals
• Spare warm clothes (thermal clothes, warm hat, waterproof gloves)
• Swimsuit & towel
• Compass & map
• Toiletries (sunscreen, first aid kit, toilet paper, etc.)
• High quality sunglasses
• Head lantern
• Trekking poles
• Camera — optional (but recommended)

Day One

• Arrive at Keflavik Airport
• Transfer to accommodations in Reykjavík
• Briefing with the guides and review of personal materials
• Explore Reykjavik

Day Two

• Transfer to Landmannalaugar — a geothermal valley surrounded by epic mountains
• Discover hidden craters and canyons
• Hike Mount Bláhnúkur
• Overnight accommodations in a mountain hut

Day Three

• Travel to Langisjór area
• Explore Iceland’s longest lake and Mt. Sveinstindur
• Climb the Fögrufjöll Mountains
• Overnight accommodations in a mountain hut

Day Four

• Drive to the South Coast
• Visit the small fishing village Vik i Myndir
• Hike under the Mýrdalsjökull Glacier
• Overnight accommodations in a mountain hut

Day Five

• Wake up in the middle of petrified lava fields
• Drive through the northern area of Myrdalsjökull Glacier
• Hike in black deserts, under green volcanoes
• Explore an obsidian valley below Maelifell
• Overnight accommodations in a mountain hut

Day Six

• Discover hidden spots surrounded by volcanic deserts and the moors between the
• Torfajökull and Mýrdalsjökull glaciers
• Visit the lakes of Álftavötn
• Overnight accommodations in a mountain hut

Day Seven

• Hike the area with Myrdalsjökull glacier tongues in the distance
• Travel to the north area of Eyjafjallajökull Volcano
• Overnight accommodations in a hotel

Day Eight

• Return to Reykjavík
• Transfer to the airport
• Say farewell to Iceland

You need to be able to hike for full days, carrying a full daypack. Each day you can expect to spend three to six hours hiking, sometimes with elevation gains of around 1000 meters. The volcanic terrain can be challenging and the weather unforgiving. That said, if you are looking for adventure and up to the task of a full-day of trekking, you’ll be rewarded immensely.

Everybody over the age of 16 is welcome on this hiking adventure.

Groups usually consist of 4 to 8 people with 2 qualified local guides.

Because this tour requires a minimum enrollment of four people, if you are booking alone, your reservation is subject to change up until the last day if the minimum enrollment is not reached (but fear not, as that is rarely the case!).

Iceland is home to infamously unpredictable weather, so you need to be prepared with the right gear. The same white cloud shielding you from sunbeams can easily turn into a stormcloud plummeting hailstones within minutes. Rest assured, your guide will know the correct course of action if the weather throws a curveball. Plus, you’ll get the chance to warm up in one of the area’s cozy mountain huts.

It’s highly recommended that you cover all your bases with travel and medical insurance. While hiking might seem like a low-risk outdoor activity, accidents can happen anywhere.

Global Rescue offers deals that cover everything from costly medical expenses, abruptly halted travel plans and even lost baggage. Make sure your insurance covers cancelations due to the pandemic.

All cancellations must be made by letter or e-mail. The guiding service reserves the right to keep fees to cover costs as follows:

100% of the trip price is refundable before you get the confirmation
50% of the trip price is refundable if canceled 30-59 days before departure.
25% of the price of the trip is refundable if canceled 16 to 29 days before departure.
0% of the price is refundable if the trip is canceled 15 days before departure.

Confirmation of 30% must be paid at booking and full payment must have arrived 9 weeks prior to departure.

The guiding service reserves the right to alter tours and itineraries due to weather or road conditions. All programs can be changed or cancelled at any moment during the trip to assure the safety of the clients and the staff. Clients takes full responsibility for meeting the physical fitness level requirement of the trip, and having all the required equipment that is described in the information provided to them. Clients that are physically unfit or not equipped for their tour can be dismissed from the tour at their own expense. No responsibility is accepted for losses or expenses due to delays, changes of flights or other services, as well as because of strikes, accidents, sickness, damage, negligence, weather, war, changes in schedules, or other similar causes. Guiding service does not assume responsibility for accidents or death that can be traced to the participant’s negligence, acts of third parties or exterior circumstances, such as weather, natural occurrences, war or other similar causes.

The meeting location is Keflavik Airport. From there, you’ll be transferred to your accommodation in Reykjavík, where you’ll begin your 8-day adventure.