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Backpacking the world-famous Laugavegur Trail is a promise of a true rugged adventure in Southern Icelandic Highlands. From the geothermal wonderland of Landmannalaugar to lush moss and forests of Thorsmork, you’ll see one natural marvel after another on this 34-mile trail. And you can join a fantastic local guide on this 4-day supported tour, which means that you won’t have to make the trek harder by carrying your camping gear—your extra luggage will be transferred to campsites! All food is taken care of, it’s just up to you to help with the prep, mingle, and bond with your group!
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Meet your guide and your team in Reykjavik. From there, drive 3 hours along the South Coast to Landmannalaugar. You’ll pass by Hekla, the most active volcano in Iceland, which has erupted every 10-15 years throughout the last century. Once you reach Landmannalaugar, the starting point of the Laugavegur Trail, make your way through the Laugahraun lava field and Vondugil canyon. Rhyolite mountains, most notably Mt. Brennisteinsalda, will offer incredibly vibrant colors. On your way back to the campsite, you’ll see Graenagil gorge and climb up the Blahnukur Volcano if time allows. Get to know each other in the evening while enjoying your delicious dinner.
Meals: Lunch and dinner
Distance: 8 km / 5 miles
Elevation gain: 470 m / 1,540 ft
Hiking: 4 hours
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After a hearty breakfast, the first stop of the day is the pitch-black obsidian desert Hrafntinnusker, after which you’ll reach Reykjafjoll rhyolite mountains and the Jokultungur area. Geothermal activity has turned these craggy gullies into vivid yellows and reds, which dramatically contrast pale sandy hues around them. The top of Jokultungur is a great place to enjoy views of the entire Fjallabak area and Alftavatn lake (Swan Lake), where you’ll be spending the night. To reach your campsite, you must ford a river, which is a fantastic experience for hikers.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Distance: 24 km / 15 miles
Elevation gain: 900 m / 2,952 ft
Hiking: 7-8 hours
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Begin by wading across another stream as you proceed onto Maelifellssandur and the volcano country. Pass by Storasula and Hattafell volcanoes on your way to Emstrur. Provided there’s good visibility, you’ll have a spectacular view of two very famous volcano mountain glaciers Myrdalsjokull and Eyjafjallajokull, with the latter one disrupting air traffic in 2010 and with the former one shrouding the much-feared Katla under its ice cap. On your way to Botnar, a green oasis in the midst of a black sand desert, you’ll see Markarfljotsgljufur, a 200-meter deep canyon, carved by a glacial river. Your campsite is in that area.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Distance: 15 km / 9.5 miles
Elevation loss: 40 m / 130 ft
Hiking: 6-7 hours
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After your final breakfast, leave the Emstrur area and continue along to Thorsmork. As you go through the Almenningar, a gorge by Mt. Einhyrningur (the Unicorn Mountain), you’ll still have a great view of the glaciers as you advance towards Thorsmork. As you get closer to it, the landscape and nature change. And once you reach it, you’ll see the characteristic dense birch forest for which Thorsmork is famous. Celebrate your completion of the Laugavegur Trail! On the way back to Reykjavik, you’ll get a glimpse of the powerful waterfall Seljalandsfoss. Arrive back in Reykjavik at around 9:30 p.m., drop-off is at the BSI bus stop in town.
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
Distance: 15 km / 9.5 miles
Elevation loss: 300 m / 985 ft
Hiking: 6-7 hours
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What you get on this adventure:
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- An experienced, local hiking guide with extensive knowledge of the area
- 4-day backpacking adventure in Laugavegur
- Accommodation in tents
- All meals from lunch on day 1 to lunch on day 4
- Luggage transport
What’s not included:
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- Transportation to Iceland
- Sleeping bag — let us know if you need one
- Showers (usually cost $3.50)
- Guide gratuities — optional
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In order to join this supported backpacking tour in Laugavegur, Iceland, you need to be able to hike for 4 full days, carrying just a daypack with things you’ll need throughout the day. Every day you will hike between 6 to 8 hours, which means great fitness is required. On top of that, volcanic terrain can be challenging. If you are looking for adventure and are up to the task of multiple days of full-day trekking, you’ll be rewarded immensely!
In terms of daypack weight, you will only need to carry a smaller daypack with your lunch, water bottle, medication, sunglasses, river crossing shoes, rain gear, and other items or clothing you might need for the day. The rest of your luggage will be transported by the guide from camp to camp.
If you’d like to stay in mountain huts, check out this hut-to-hut hiking tour of the Laugavegur Trail. If you’d like to focus on Thorsmork, this hiking tour of Thorsmork might be for you. There’s also an all-female version or a co-ed tour of Thorsmork for over 50s. If you’d like a bit more flexibility with duration, check out our hiking tour of Laugavegur and Iceland’s South Coast.
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Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:
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- Day pack large enough to carry things you’ll need throughout the day (around a 25-40L bag)
- A travel sack for the transport of your overnight gear (up to 20 kg)
- Waterproof hiking boots
- Water bottle or hydration bladder (2L capacity)
- Spare clothes for layering
- Sleeping bag — possible to rent (let us know in advance)
- Travel pillow
- River crossing shoes (old sneakers or similar for fording rivers)
- Thermal underwear (top & bottom), at least 2 sets of shirts
- Gaiters — optional, but recommended
- Wool or fleece thermal mid-layer
- Hiking pants
- Waterproof and breathable pants and jacket
- Wool or fleece hat
- At least one pair of gloves
- 2-3 pairs of thick socks
- Personal medical kit, including personal medication
- Towel
- Hiking poles — optional
- Sunhat
- Toiletries (sunscreen, hand sanitizer, toilet paper, etc.)
- Headlamp or flashlight
- Portable charger — optional, but recommended as access to electricity is very limited
- Sunglasses
- Camera — optional (but recommended)
Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. Iceland is home to infamously unpredictable weather, so it’s best to be prepared with the right gear. It is recommended to dress in layers. 3 or 4 upper layers are highly recommended such as a light T-shirt (preferably wool) next to the skin, then a fleece or heavy wool garment, topped off with a waterproof windbreaker.
There is a limit of 1 piece of luggage per participant that can weigh up to 20 kg (+your daypack). Since there is limited space on the luggage trailer, try to pack light out of consideration for other passengers and use a waterproof duffel bag which is easier to store. If you have extra luggage that you would like to leave, we recommend storing luggage at the BSI Bus terminal (fees apply) or another luggage storage space in Reykjavik.
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Meals will be prepared by all participants, guides, and the team—make food and friends at the same time!
Special dietary supplements, such as vegetarian, pescatarian, vegan, gluten-free, or other supplements, can be ordered at some extra cost. It is suggested that you purchase the special food extra. This will help your guides in supplying the best meals possible for everyone. If you have any special dietary requirements, please let us know prior to booking to make arrangements.
Bring a water bottle that you can then fill with the tap water at the huts/campsites. Iceland’s water is perfectly safe to drink. There are also several streams along where people tend to get more water from!
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Group sizes and prices:
- For this backpacking tour in Laugavegur, the maximum number of people is 14 with one guide.
- The cost does not decrease as the group grows.
Backpacking in Laugavegur, Iceland 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 older than 14 may join the hike, 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.
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To get to Laugavegur Trail, you’ll fly into Keflavik Airport (KEF). From there, you can rent a car, take a taxi or hop on a bus. It takes about 45 minutes to reach Reykjavik.
It is recommended to arrive at least one day before the tour. If you’re flying in from the US or will be landing early (4-6:30 am) you should be able to join the tour, but some risks would follow (i.e if the flight gets delayed) and could, therefore, miss out on the tour.
You’ve got several options regarding the meeting location. If you’re getting picked up from the Reykjavik City Hall, Hallgrimskirkja, or Reykjavik Campsite in Reykjavik, you should be at the station at 7 a.m. You can expect the bus to be at Selfoss N1 Gas Station at 8:15 a.m. or if you’ll be waiting at Hella Bus Stop, the bus should be there at 9 a.m. Note that it can take up to 30 minutes before the bus departs the given locations. After joining your guides, a scenic 4-hour drive is the only thing separating you from your hiking adventure!
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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 Iceland’s COVID-19 information.
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!
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Iceland, the “Land of Fire and Ice”, has forever lived with volcanic activity. Minor and major eruptions have occurred every few years since the island was formed. Some of Iceland’s appeal, aside from sheer natural beauty, surely stems from this very fact.
However, every new eruption, such as the recent Reykjanes Peninsula fissure, will make some travelers, tourists, and adventurers uneasy, especially given the fact that sensationalist media is not immune to misinformation and speculation.
Since we work with a number of expert local guides in Iceland, we thought we’d share their input and fill you in on what’s actually going on.
First of all, air traffic has not been affected. Flights to and from Keflavík International Airport and Reykjavík Domestic Airport are operating as they always do.
Second, the effects of volcanic activity have been localized, with some roads closed, and all services in Iceland are operating as usual. Reykjavik, the capital, is around 40 km (25 miles) away from the volcanic fissure, and life there is as normal as ever.
And third, trips offered by 57hours are taking place much further away, and are thereby even less likely to be affected by the volcanic activity, being perfectly safe for adventurers. Naturally, the authorities (and guides) are monitoring the situation and doing everything possible to keep both local residents and visitors safe and well informed.
In case you have any additional questions or dilemmas, feel free to get in touch with either your guide or 57hours. For more information, please visit:
https://safetravel.is/
https://www.visiticeland.com/article/volcano-infoOr watch the video with Dr. Matthew Roberts from the Icelandic Meteorological Office explaining the recent volcanic activities in Iceland:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA3-BXYuYrw
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