Eastern fjords of Iceland are a unique place—crowds are non-existent, wildlife is thriving, and the area has seemingly been crafted for explorations on foot. And exactly here, where the North Atlantic collides with the lone land of Iceland, is where you’ll find Víknaslóðir—your home for this 5-day, all-women hiking tour. A vast network of trails meanders through the area, linking deep-cut fjords, desolate mountains, pinkish-hued ridges, epic lakes, black sand beaches, and so much more. With a seamless blend of lovely fishing villages and miles on end of tranquil wilderness, this guided tour will show you East Coast’s best-ofs in the company of like-minded women.
Close encounters of the Iceland kind—meet puffins, seals, eider ducks, wild horses, reindeer, and more
Retreat to the serene wilderness of Eastern fjords and get to know its history alongside a team of women
Demanding trails make you work just a bit harder to witness East Coast gems
The East Coast of Iceland is still quite unknown to the masses visiting this remarkable island. A 5-day, all-women hiking tour in Víknaslóðir lets you explore the mountains, the ocean, and everything in between—and there’s a lot of this, from enormous tuff boulders strewn across lakes to isolated coves and fjords. Apart from an incredibly knowledgeable guide, another perk of this trip is that all food is taken care of, as well as the accommodation! After a good night’s sleep in traditional, authentic hotels and huts, go out for the day and explore this unique, secluded area.
Catch the 8:30 am flight from Reykjavik’s Keflavík International Airport to Egilsstaðir Airport. Meet your guide and your group at 10 am at the Egilsstaðir Airport—be ready and dressed to go straight to hiking. You will hike to Stórurð, an area featuring enormous tuff boulders strewn across a seamless blend of meadows and lakes. Continue onto the Borgafjörður eystri fjord, a charming place with 100 inhabitants, a great variety of hiking routes, and a marina for observing puffins. The reward for today’s hard work is a local fish soup and other delicacies in Borgafjörður eystri. Settle into Álfheimar, your hotel for the night. There’s an option to go out and visit the puffins in the evening!
Meals: Lunch and dinner
Distance: 14 km / 8.7 miles
Hiking: 5-6 hours
Accommodation: Hotel Álfheimar
Begin today’s hike in the eastern part of Borgarfjörður in the town of Hofströnd. Walk to Brúnavík, the first inlet of the day, and enjoy the views of the North Atlantic along the way. From there, head to Breiðuvíkur, which is a farmstead nestled in the little cove of Kjólsvik. Keep walking towards Glettinganes, and watch your step since the trail gets a bit rocky. As the day draws to a close, enjoy your evening at a cabin near the beaches of Breiðuvík.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Distance: 15 km / 9.3 miles
Hiking: 5-7 hours
Accommodation: Breiðavík
Start your day by walking west from the cove and cross the Stóruá river via a good footbridge. As the trail turns south, a spectacular valley will reveal itself. Surrounded by Hvítuhnjúkur, Hvítafjall, and Hvítserk, mountains with mixed-in, deep blue lapis lazuli, the small valley is an ideal place for a leisurely stroll. You’ll also come across two lakes, Gæsavatn and Urðarhólavatn! Walk from the trail up to the road that leads you to Húsavík. You’ll soon reach your mountain hut located on the site of a small, old farm, deserted since the 1950s.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Distance: 14 km / 8.7 miles
Hiking: 4-6 hours
Accommodation: Mountain hut
Prior to today’s hike, feel free to explore Húsavík a bit, the largest cove in Víknáslóðir. Start walking to the Loðmundarfjörður fjord along an easy road. Once you walk over the Nesháls ridge and reach Loðmundarfjörður, it’s best to take a break so you can take in its beauty and the photos. On a clear day, you can see Loðmundarfjörður and Dalatanga from the ridge. Spend some time wandering around Loðmundarfjörður, a fjord that was once home to one of the most remote and inaccessible communities in Iceland. There’s a chance of spotting eider ducks, seals, reindeer, or even wild horses, all of them roaming the vast moorland of the area.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Distance: 12 km / 7.5 miles
Hiking: 4-5 hours
Accommodation: Mountain hut
Kick off the final day of your hiking tour by going up to Hjálmárdalsheiði, which lies at an altitude of around 600 m (1,970 ft). You’ll hike out of the fjord towards the old town site Hjálmárströnd, but before you get there, you’ll hit the road. The path you are walking is an ancient one between two fjords, and it is relatively easy. Once you arrive at the edge of Seyðisfjörður, you have to go through Kækjuskárð to descend down the fairly steep slopes. You’ll soon come down to the road in the charming Seyðisfjörður town. Use your free time to explore the town before heading back to Egilsstaðir Airport, which is only 30 minutes away. It’s advisable to take the last flight of the day, which is at 7:30 pm. Get back to Reykjavik or feel free to stay longer in the area!
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
Distance: 14 km / 8.7 miles
Hiking: 6-8 hours
What you get on this adventure:
Note: Some special dietary requirements can be accommodated. The lack of space and facilities in the huts make it difficult for your guide to prepare numerous dishes daily. We can cater to vegetarians and those with food allergies.
What’s not included:
In order to join this hiking tour in Víknaslóðir in Iceland, you need to be in great physical shape. Every day, you’ll be hiking between 12 and 15 km (7.5-9.3 miles) on varied terrain with significant elevation changes, 5 days in a row. You’ll also be carrying a daypack filled with things you might need throughout the day.
Keep in mind that hiking conditions can vary and that 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 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.
Looking for some other trips? Check out our fantastic offer of Iceland hiking tours powered by local, Icelandic hiking guides.
And if you’d love to join an all-women hiking adventure, you’ll love what we currently offer in Iceland: women’s great hiking voyage in Iceland, women’s winter hiking & sightseeing in Iceland, women’s hiking tour in Thorsmork, or women’s Laugavegur hiking adventure.
This is a list of things we recommend you carry in your daypack (around a 25-40L bag):
This is what your luggage should contain:
What to wear on the trail:
Your main luggage will be transported by transport vehicle, and you will not have access to it until you reach the huts in the afternoon. This also includes your sleeping bag. Everything needed for the day’s trek must be in your daypack.
You are allowed to take one piece of luggage on the tour. Your guide advises you not to bring a massive one, as the huts don’t have much room to spread out our stuff. There are luggage lockers at four centrally located places in Reykjavik where you can store your extra luggage.
For your own well-being and safety, we strongly suggest following the advice of this equipment list. This includes having good quality rain gear, tops, and bottoms. Cotton clothing is not appropriate for any strenuous outdoor activity – nor are jeans and cotton t-shirts. Modern outdoor clothing is far more comfortable and will greatly improve your experience.
Group sizes and prices:
Hiking in Víknaslóðir can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements:
If your group has hikers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
For regular dates, a 30% deposit to secure your place is due upon booking. Once the trip is confirmed by the guide, the 30% deposit is no longer refundable.
In the event that the minimum number of people to confirm the trip is not reached, your guide can cancel the departure at most 2 months before the start of the trip. In that case, 90% of the total amount is refundable. Please note the dates for this year and next year are expected to reach the minimum number of people soon, and the likelihood of trip not happening is very low.
Once the trip is confirmed, the cancellation policy below applies:
All policies regarding cancellation will be clearly laid out by your guide after booking your adventure.
To get to your hiking tour in Víknaslóðir, which is on the east of Iceland, you first need to reach Keflavík International Airport in Reykjavík. From there, you will catch a domestic flight to Egilsstaðir Airport in the morning of the first day of the hike (it’s the 8:30 am one—make sure to make this flight). Flight from Reykjavík to Egilsstaðir takes approximately 45 minutes. Once you get there, your guide will pick you up from the airport.
You’re welcome to fly to Egilsstaðir a few days earlier and meet the group at the airport in the morning of Day 1.
57hours is committed to providing safe outdoor adventure experiences. We require all guides using our platform to have a COVID-19 safety plan and to make the details of that plan accessible to travelers. In most cases, group sizes will be reduced, guides will avoid overcrowded locations, and other safety measures will be met depending on the location and activity.
We also expect clients to respect local regulations and take measures to protect themselves, their guides, and the communities they’re traveling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures in Iceland, please refer to the COVID-19 travel advice for Iceland.
Please contact us if you have any questions or require further information. We are happy to provide you with the most up-to-date information!
