Hiking the Hidden Trails of Iceland

What you get in this adventure:

• • A local certified guide from Amarok Adventures
  • A professional & licensed driver from Amarok Adventures & 1 private 4×4 vehicle for the group for getting into the Highlands and returning from Thórsmörk
  • Accommodation in mountain huts in multiple rooms
  • Accommodation in quadruple rooms in hostel in Reykjavík with breakfast
  • Every meal during the hiking days
  • Vehicle fuel
  • All the cooking equipment
  • Agency support 24/7

What’s not included:

• • International flights
  • Dinner in Reykjavík
  • Transfers from/to the airport
  • Showers in the mountain huts
  • Lockers in Reykjavík to leave remaining luggage not needed during the trip
  • Sleeping bag & personal mountain equipment
  • Trip insurance
  • Everything not specified under “what’s included”

*Important: the price of the showers is not included in the price.

This tour is for experienced hikers. You need to be able to hike for full days, carrying a full daypack. Each day you will hike between five and seven hours, between 7-23 km (4-14 miles) per day for a total of 130 km (81 miles) over 12 days. The volcanic terrain can be challenging and the weather unforgiving. That said, if you are looking for adventure and up to the task of multiple days of full-day trekking, you’ll be rewarded immensely.

Suitcases or duffel bags are not allowed on this tour as you will be hiking with the backpack. If you want to bring extra clothing and luggage in a suitcase or duffel bag, you will have to leave them in Reykjavík and store them in lockers (not included in the price).

Ensure that all items fit securely within your backpack without anything protruding, keeping everything dry during the hike. The recommended maximum weight for your backpack is 10kg/22lbs, with an optimal limit around 8kg/17.6lbs. The quantities listed for specific items are indicative and based on guides’ recommendations.

Here’s a general list of personal gear you need to bring:

• • Backpack (35-40 L)
  • Sleeping bag with comfort temperature of 40ºF to 50ºF / 5ºC to 10ºC (for mountain huts)
  • Waterproof bag for clothes
  • Rain cover for your backpack
  • Swimsuit and towel
  • Personal toiletries
  • Personal first-aid kit (make sure to take all you need with you)
  • Sunscreen and sunglasses
  • Earplugs — recommended
  • Headlamp + batteries
  • Camera — optional
  • Power bank (as there’s no power in the huts)
  • Hiking poles — highly recommended
  • Water bottle and thermos

Here’s a list of clothing you need to bring:

• • Waterproof hiking boots with a sturdy sole
  • Warm clothes
    • First layer: bottom / upper base layer (Merino wool recommended, 1-2 units)
    • Second layer: fleece jacket (1-2)
    • Third layer: down jacket (1)
  • Waterproof jacket & pants (GoreTex recommended, 1)
  • Hiking pants (1-2)
  • Short sleeve t-shirts (3-5)
  • Long sleeve t-shirts (1-2)
  • Underwear and hiking socks
  • Warm beanie
  • Gloves / mittens
  • Hiking buff
  • Sandals or crocs (for river crossing)

Prior to the start of the route, the guide will do a comprehensive gear check with each traveler to ensure that everything necessary is brought.

While your guide carries a first-aid kit, each traveler should carry their own necessities based on personal requirements, including any specific pathologies or risks.

Please note that drones are strictly prohibited.

All mandatory gear can be rented if you don’t have your own. You can rent all personal hiking gear from Iceland Camping Equipment in Reykjavik. Gear should be picked up prior to the first day of your hiking tour. It is not necessary for the traveler to bring any kind of extra technical material. If you need to rent gear, let us know and we can help make arrangements.

Hiring a local guide means getting a chance to see trails as equally alluring as tourist fave, the Laugavegur Trail, but much less known to the public — you’ll be getting half the hype and twice the experience of Iceland’s beauty. Iceland has notoriously fickle weather and the hidden trails on this adventure are remote, but your guide will know just what to do if the weather takes a turn or something unexpected happens.

You will stay in rooms of four without distinction of gender and with shared bathrooms. During the days in the Highlands, you will stay in a mountain hut that has multiple rooms shared between all the guests without distinction of gender. There’s a kitchen inside the same building, and showers & toilets outside of the main building.

The accommodation in Reykjavík has quadruple rooms with bunk beds and without pillows. The possibility of having double or single rooms in any accommodation is impossible, since they do not have them.
Many accommodations in Iceland do not have blinds, so due to the polar day, we recommend using a mask.

The diet of the trip is conceived as a full board (breakfast, lunch and dinner) every day that you are in the Highlands. The only meals not included are the dinner on day 1 & any food after breakfast on day 12. The lunch at noon will be picnic style to take full advantage of the daily trekking route, and will have to be carried by travelers in their backpacks during the route.

Breakfast and dinner will be held in the mountain hut itself and will be elaborate meals. Every day, the guides will prepare dinner and the travelers will participate in the cleaning. The guides will be in charge of coordinating the different group tasks among all the travelers.

In case of special dietary needs, please contact us and we can make arrangements.

You will be joining a group that usually consists of 5-13 people. Pricing is per person.

A 10% deposit to secure your place is due upon booking. 30% of the full amount needs to be paid 3 months before the trip. The balance of payment is due one month prior to the departure date.

If you are an individual traveler, you can join the group. The guide will be adding travelers until the minimum group size to confirm the trip can be guaranteed. There are no supplements to individual travelers, as they will share a room.

• Everybody over the age of 16 is welcome on this hiking adventure.
• Minors may be permitted to join private tours on a case-by-case basis. If you plan to hike and sail with anyone under the age of 16, please contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

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.

We highly recommended that you cover all your bases with both emergency medical and travel insurance. With medical insurance, if you have an accident or medical emergency on or off the mountain, you’ll avoid paying out of pocket for costly expenses. This covers everything from hospital treatments to emergency air transportation and more.

As we’ve recently seen, travel plans can be abruptly halted, so it’s a good idea to purchase travel insurance that covers cancelled flights, natural disasters and other scenarios that may interrupt your travel plans. For peace of mind, we suggest you consider both options of insurance.

If you need assistance selecting the right insurance for your group, let us know and we will be happy to help!

The meeting location is Keflavik, a 45-minute drive from Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland. After you land in Keflavík International Airport (KEF), you’ll be transferred to your accommodation in Reykjavík, from where you’ll begin your 12-day adventure.

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, guides and the communities they’re travelling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures in Iceland, please refer to the Official Information about Covid-19 in 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!