What you get on this adventure:

• • An experienced, local hiking guide with extensive knowledge of the area
  • A half day of hiking 

What’s not included:

• • Transportation to the trailhead
  • Lunch and snacks
  • Accommodations

The hike is around 3.7 miles (6 km) long in each direction and will take the average person about 1.5 hours to complete (about 3 hours of hiking in total). Despite the area generally being quite flat, there will be some up-hills and one particularly steep part. You can expect an elevation gain of around 1,180 ft (360 m). Apart from the fact that the weather and trail conditions may affect the difficulty, the hike should be easy to anyone with prior hiking experience and slightly tiresome to those without any hiking experience. Keep in mind endurance issues or knee problems make the hike significantly more strenuous.

Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:

• • Day pack large enough to carry all the items listed (around a 25-40L bag)
  • Hiking shoes and wool or fleece hiking socks
  • Long sleeve shirt (thermal underwear) 
  • T-shirt (thermal underwear)
  • Light sweater (2nd layer)
  • Gloves 
  • Windproof and waterproof jacket with hood (Gore-Tex or comparable)
  • Hiking pants/shorts, something strong and light that dries quickly 
  • Windproof and waterproof trousers 
  • Warm hat
  • Second skin, band-aid, elastic bandage and painkillers
  • Buff around the neck
  • Lunch box and some food
  • Hiking poles — optional
  • Water bottle or hydration bladder (2L capacity)
  • Spare clothes for layering
  • Toiletries (sunscreen, lip balm, hand sanitizer, bug spray, toilet paper, etc.)
  • Sunglasses
  • Camera — optional (but recommended)

Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season. Layers are best and avoid wearing cotton—choose clothes made of wool, fleece, or other synthetic materials. Don’t wear jeans.

Group sizes and prices:

• • For this private adventure, the maximum client to guide ratio is 14:1. 
  • The cost per person decreases as the group grows, so it’s the perfect opportunity to hike with friends and family! 

Hiking to the Meraldir Valley can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.

Min. age requirements:

• • If you are older than 18, you’re good to go.
  • Minors younger than 18 may be permitted to join the hike on a case-by-case basis, but must be in the presence of a parent or legal guardian.

If your group has hikers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

To get to the Meradalir Valley and the Fagradalsfjall volcano, most people fly into Keflavik International Airport, an hour drive from the trailhead.

From there, you can rent a car or take a shuttle service to the Fagradalsfjall Parking P2, a parking lot recently set up by Icelandic authorities. Here, you will meet up with your guide and start the hike.

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 the Meradalir Valley, Iceland, please refer to these official COVID-19 guidelines for traveling to and from 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!