Iceland South Coast tour

Iceland’s South Coast & Laugavegur Tour

No need to rocket off to Mars or the Moon—extraordinary, otherworldly landscapes are right here in Iceland. Born from millennia of volcanic eruptions and sculpted by glaciers, this isolated island harbors wonders and raw beauty that sound made up. But they’re not.

They don’t call Iceland The Land of Ice and Fire for nothing. Sizzling geothermal vents, vibrant polychrome mountains, jet-black volcanic deserts, electrically green valleys, lunar-like landscapes… All of this (and a lot more) awaits you on our South Coast of Iceland tours.

Epic South Coast Trip in Iceland

The moment you set foot in Iceland, it’s easy to see why it’s been the setting of so many sci-fi films. Its South Coast is the real star here, bursting with natural wonders and overflowing with postcard-perfect sights.

But venture inland, and there’s even more to make your jaw drop—weaving its way through the Southern Highlands, the iconic Laugavegur Trail reveals some of Iceland’s most striking terrain.

Calling Laugavegur one of the world’s greatest hikes is no exaggeration. It’s a 35-mile (56-km) trail meandering through visceral landscapes, with rustic huts marking each stopping point. The stark contrasts of ice and fire, coupled with the camaraderie of fellow adventurers encountered along the way, make this journey profoundly humbling.

  • Glaciers cover 10%
  • 130 volcanoes
  • 10,000 waterfalls
  • 50 hot springs
  • 24 hours of daylight
Woman hiker, Landmannalaugar
The location of the Laugavegur trail on the full map of Central and North Europe.
The Laugavegur trail on a zoomed map of Iceland.

Hike under the glow of the Midnight Sun

Laugavegur Trail — Discover Iceland’s wild heart

Nestled on the geologically active border between North America and Europe, Iceland—particularly the renowned Laugavegur Trail—offers a unique opportunity to experience the planet’s most extraordinary natural phenomena, many of which exist nowhere else on Earth.

The Laugavegur Trail is an epic multi-day journey from Landmannalaugar to Thórsmörk, and everywhere in between. It’s safe to say that it’s one of the most gorgeous trails in the world, and it’s no wonder that it’s on top of any serious hiker’s wishlist.

Laugavegur hikers
Skogafoss waterfall in Iceland

South shore of Iceland

While the Laugavegur offers an intimate exploration of Iceland’s interior, the South Coast is just as inviting, creating a dramatic fusion of land and water. Lined with massive glaciers, thundering waterfalls, and active volcanoes, the South Coast delivers an all-star lineup.

Picture standing beneath the thundering Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss waterfalls, or spending the afternoon climbing a glacier, exploring its surreal icy formations. And then it’s maybe on to the erupting Strokkur Geyser, the gigantic Gullfoss waterfall, and the soothing hot waters of the Secret Lagoon. Each thing better than the last—and with these Iceland’s South Coast tours, so easy to discover.

Strukkur geyser in Iceland
Glacier Iceland hike

Authentic experience in remote huts

Get a taste of life in the north

The huts along the Laugavegur Trail are cozy, communal, and refreshingly rustic. They are a true treat after a day of hiking—all nestled in scenic spots, it’s there that you can enjoy delicious Icelandic meals or maybe even go out to relax in steaming natural hot springs and mud pools.

These traditional mountain huts allow you to immerse yourself in Iceland’s ancient traditions, reconnect with nature, and rejuvenate your mind and spirit, in serene and awe-inspiring surroundings like nowhere else on Earth.

Landmannalaugar huts

Bonding beyond the trail

Hikers from all corners of the globe gather around communal tables, oftentimes exchanging fun anecdotes about the day’s challenges. And being with your travel buddies and fellow hikers in huts in the middle of Icelandic wilderness creates unbreakable bonds.

There’s a spirit of encouragement and camaraderie here, whether it’s lending a hand with cooking, sharing supplies, or simply offering a few words of advice for the trail. You’ll start to feel like you’re part of one big, adventurous family!

Hikers traversing the river crossing in Iceland.

Step into Iceland’s untamed wilderness

Iceland’s South Coast itineraries

Not your typical hike

Coming to Iceland isn’t just about seeing Iceland. It’s about experiencing its raw spirit, embracing authentic moments, and feeling the immaculate vibes of The Land of Ice and Fire.

Whichever adventure you choose to go on, you can’t miss. Warning: leaving Iceland will feel like Mission Impossible, and you’ll be left with an endless longing to return to its wild beauty!

  • Climb up a glacier
  • Secret Lagoon swims
  • Tour young craters
  • Full Laugavegur trek
  • Solid lava fields walks

Meet your guides

The Arctic Adventures team is a vibrant community of outdoor enthusiasts from around the globe, united by shared values: professionalism, a passion for the outdoors, and deep respect for nature.

Since its beginnings in 1983, Arctic Adventures has grown to offer a diverse range of experiences, from hiking and kayaking to snorkeling, snowmobiling, and more, each designed to showcase Iceland’s breathtaking beauty.

Sustainability is at the heart of everything they do, striving to work in harmony with nature, local communities, and the people who call them home. No matter the adventure, their mission is simple: to provide unforgettable experiences in a safe, supportive environment.

Liz Gaiger

Aron was an excellent guide – he led the group effectively and was very kind and genuinely concerned for the welfare of each individual. He told Icelandic stories and gave a thorough history of the areas in which we were hiking.

Diana Hoff

Dave was the best! Patient and so capable with all the different ages and hiking skill levels in the group. Also an amazing chef and fun guy!

Terry Whaley

Our giude Mikko was fantastic. He was professional, kind, and knowledgable of the area we were in. He saw to our needs without being overbearing and kept a well trained eye on us.

Terry Mills

Arctic Adventures, and specifically Krista our guide, did a fantastic job!

Stuart Hoiness

Helpful, friendly and fun!

Melissa Martin

Dayen was very observant. Always watching out for our safety. Very knowledgeable about the trail. Chose beautiful spots for lunch breaks and pictures. I felt very safe with him as our guide

LuAnn Forbes

Dyen was a wonderful guide. I felt he made sure we were safe while hiking and to the care of the water and hut conditions.

Mark Kaasa

Hjalti was fantastic! He combined great knowledge of the area with a cool demeanor that helped to balance out the personalities of all 16 travelers in our group (not an easy task at times).

Cam Caldwell

Our guide was AMAZING! Kjelti!

Sara Colella

Andrea was extremenly nice, friendly and knowledgeable. He ensured that the whole group was always filled in on the upcoming challenges of the trek, and was a very good cook as well!

Sarah Wladyka

Aron was a wonderful guide! Full of knowledge and fun facts. He motivated the group and ensured we were all on the same page! Ðisney sing alongs also made for a grand adventure!

Kristin Zec

Arun was a great guide! He was very attentive to everyone in the group and the different needs of the hikers, especially in the more technical aspects of the hike. A great motivator, great storyteller, and a great knowledge of Disney songs.

Jessica Lawrence

HD was confident, capable, knowledgable and personable. The pace was guide’s pace and comfortable for most of our group. He gave lots of instruction.

Tina LeJeune

Hakon was amazing!! He is a guide I wish everyone could experience. He was extremely kind, knowledgable and took the time on the trail to hike with everyone, one on one, to get to know each person and share his life with us as well. You can tell he really enjoys what he does. The hike would not have been the same with someone else. My son and I did this trip to see Iceland and we got so much more out of this adventure having Hakon as our guide. He gained a brother and I gained a son…:)

Daniel Haas

Volpi was delightful the entire trip. True professional with a great sense of humor and style.

Roberta Drell

We were so lucky to have Volpi from Artic Adventures as our guide. He was a great guide and quite the chef. Our meals were excellent as well as his guiding. Everyone in our group of 16 had a fabulous experience and a fair amount of that was due to Volpi. He is a treasure.

Matthew Colloby

Would highly recommend Arctic Adventures, the trek was very well organised. Our Guide Arun was fantastic, very professional and knowledgeable, good fun, always engaging with the whole group, to ensure we were all getting the most out of the trip, he really made our trek through the Southern Highlands of Iceland extremely memorable.

nikhilsharma10

We were in Iceland for celebrating our marriage anniversary and Extreme Iceland/Arctic Adventures didn’t disappoint us. It was a very well planned 5 days tips covering almost everything we wanted to see in Iceland. Our tour guide (Vik) was very friendly, helpful and awesome person. He showed us the right locations for northern lights and we got amazing pictures too. The glacier hiking was an amazing experience with Chris.

Highly recommend and thank you Arctic Adventures for a memorable trip.

Hayley M
We did the Laugavegur tour with Caroline as our guide. I was supposed to be doing this tour with a friend and last minute they couldn’t not attend so I was a bit anxious about going alone with a group. Caroline was great, I immediately felt at ease and the group itself were super nice. The scenery was absolutely stunning. Highly recommend.
fudo81

Wonderful experience with a small group (16 people) and an experienced guide, Hjalti (and others). We could not go to the Fimmvörðuháls pass because of unfavourable weather; nevertheless, I will never forget this tour.

I would have liked to know in advance that this tour is actually made up of the 6 day Laugavegur Trek tour plus two day tours (Glacier Experience, and Golden Circle & Secret Lagoon); I was instead expecting to be with the same group for the whole time.

Cak5181
The glacier hike was amazing! Marco was the best—he was extremely knowledgeable and attentive. He made us all feel extremely safe. The arctic team made sure all of the equipment fit appropriately and their attention to each person was excellent. I would use them again. A great company.
Cyndi Maupin

We had Aaron with Artic Adventure guide us for the Languvegur Trek. He was very knowledgeable and kept us on track. I would highly recommend Aaron. The trek was amazing and beautiful. When I signed up for a 4 day trek I didn’t realize the first day was just getting to the trailhead with a 5 mile loop to base camp. The actual trek we did in 3 days which made that 1st day very long and hard. This probably needs to be spelled out better in your information explaining the trek.

Nicole Howard

Aaron was an incredible guide! Not only was he knowledgeable and kind, he stayed positive and encouraged me when I felt like giving up. He was really more like family and I would recommend him as a guide over anyone I have ever worked with.

Anthoiny Edwards

Hokan from Arctic Adventure was the guide on my trip. He was incredible and made it a very special experience. He was knowledgeable, hard working, thoughtful and allowed all group members to get the most out of it; allowing for varying levels of fitness and ability. His knowledge of the landscape and Iceland history and folklore made it even more interesting

The trek is a very special place

MICHAEL MARLEY

I had an amazing trip to Iceland. Our guide Matthew was excellent and kept the group motivated, cheerful and well fed!

Stanton Koch

Louis is a wonderful guide which, as a geologist, he compliments with geology highlights which, being iceland, there are many. It is iceland so it came be windy, cold, and wet. But it is also beautiful and very painterly. The food was good for camp food and the accommodations were, well, huts. Overall a classic hike and well run.

paul woolson

Sara really “made” this trip. Her knowledge of the area could not be stumped (and we actually tried).
She did an amazing job of moving quickly enough so faster hikers didn’t get bored, yet never leaving anyone too far behind. A very delicate balance that she has mastered. Breathtaking beautiful hike. We tacked on two extra days to do touristy stuff. Though I’m glad I got to see the south coast and golden circle, dealing with people is challenging after an isolated hike like that.

Tracy Counihan

Louis made the trip exceptional

Stephanie IrlbacherFox

Arvid was the best guide. Thoughtful, well-organized, congenial, and was constantly attuned to the present and anticipated needs of the group. His energy was inspiring and his passion and excitement for hiking and Iceland, and sharing it with others, was infectious. We felt very lucky to have had the benefit of his energy, knowledge, leadership, and amazing cooking skills. Thank you for an amazing vacation! One of the best hikes we have done. The weather was amazing, the scenery breathtaking, the group was collegial and pleasant, and no predators or insects to worry about. Definitely worth a repeat trip to Iceland.

Jodie Brewer

Orri was great! Awesome guide, educational and an exceptional cook!

Marina Aviles Olmos

A great guide: patient and assertive, giving attention to all members in the group, very friendly and keeping us all together. Amazing views over the landscape, great group of participants and a super friendly guide. All the best!

Jeffrey Scott Harpell

Aaron was knowledgeable and friendly. He also made sure slower hikers were in his sight and never pressured any hikers to overextend themselves. I always felt safe and out of danger even though some parts of the trail might seem intimidating. Good sense of humor and all around expert guide. Mind boggling panoramas that seem like you’re on another planet. From barren lava fields to lush green peaks and valleys. The changes in landscapes are stunning. Mineral deposits create an artist’s palette in the lower mountainous regions.

Fenny Kirmil

Orri is the best guide. Not only he knows the trails well, he is always honest about the challenges along the trails and I appreciate that. His cooking is the best and I enjoyed all the meals he made. It’s quite challenging adventures but it teaches me how to overcome my fears. Breathtaking view from day 1 to end. I would do it again next year and more prepared

Michael Taylor

Aaron was fantastic! Very fun, informative and kept the group motivated with some challenging days physically for some. Was very polite, kind and sincere in sharing Iceland with us all.

Evelyn Alton

Our guide Matt was fantastic and very encouraging for me on the trail. Fantastic cook, I ate VERY well

Definitely a tougher trail than was anticipated per the description and we were very fortunate to have zero rain.

Jennifer Palmer

Zach was amazing! He was very knowledgeable about the area, extremely patient, fun to joke with, and very punctual! Once in a lifetime experience!

Dianne Nestor

Zac was knowledgeable, personable, and motivating. Also a great cook. Much more difficult than I imagined, but I am so glad that I did it! Once in a lifetime experience.

Samantha Orneallas

Deyan was an incredible guide. He was very patient and kind and funny. And was an excellent cook.

There were several people on our trip that were not the easiest to deal with, and were very disrespectful towards him and the rest of our group but he handled it all with grace.

The Laugevegur Trek was amazing. And I did the 8 day with 4 days added on.

It was incredibly beautiful and such an easy way to see so much beauty of the south.

Laurie Spence

Prostur Sverrisson was amazing we al loved him. He made our 6 day hut to hut adventure incredibly fun and definitely worth every penny. Hiking with him was awesome.

Also our 1 day guide to glaciers and waterfalls . Vjeran was fun and enthusiastic.

Loved every step of the Laugavegur trail.

Silvina Spatocco

My hiking group could not have asked for a better guide! He is very knowledgeable of the area, great source of information and he wasable to accommodate everyone\’s needs or concerns. It was six days of hiking hut to hut in Iceland and I will do it all over again! Our guide was Thrustur Sverrison. My hiking group are thinking of doing another trip in Iceland and requesting to have him again as our guide!

From start to the end of the Laugavegur trail, the scenery was breathtaking, we saw all kinds of wonderful terrain and felt we were part of a movie set!
The huts were rustic but functional, the food was great and we had beautiful weather except for a couple of days.

Jeri Turner

Jamie was great! epic

Stephanie Dow

Thrustur was our guide on our 6 day hike along the Laugavegur Trail. Full of history and stories and fun. Vjeran was our guide from the waterfall and glacier hike. Very dynamic personality and also full of history, stories, and fun. Highly recommend Arctic Adventure Guides Thrustur and Vjeran. Had a great 7 day Laugavegur Trail hike and waterfall and glacier tour. Our guides were excellent, the food was great, and had a great group. The hike was as described in the itinerary. Definitely recommend.

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