Included:

• • An experienced, local woman hiking and sea kayaking guide with extensive knowledge of the area
  • 3-day women-only hiking and sea kayaking adventure in Hornstrandir Nature Reserve (3 days of hiking and kayaking)
  • Accommodation for 2 nights at a remote historic farmhouse lodge with a wood-heated sauna
  • All food during the trip
  • Passenger ferry from Ísafjörður to Hornstrandir and back
  • Guided sea kayaking in Lónafjörður, including the use of stable sea kayaks
  • Briefing in Ísafjörður before departure and a briefing on the history of Hornstrandir at the lodge

Add-ons (pricing shown at checkout):

• • Vegan or gluten-free diet (pescatarian free of charge)

Not included:

• • Transportation to Iceland
  • Travel to and from Ísafjörður before and after the trip
  • Food on the first day until the trip departs
  • Personal equipment and clothing
  • Anything not mentioned in the ‘Included’ section above
  • Travel insurance — mandatory, available to add at checkout
  • Guide gratuities — optional

In order to join this Hornstrandir hiking and sea kayaking tour, basic fitness is required as well as no previous hiking or kayaking experience. Across the three days you’ll cover 10-30 km (6-19 mi) in total, split between hiking in the mountains around the lodge and paddling in Lónafjörður.

The plan is flexible and built around the group. Your guide adapts each day to what everyone feels like doing, so you can go for a full day of hiking, a full day on the water, or simply slow down and enjoy the surroundings. The kayaks are stable and seaworthy, which makes paddling easy and comfortable even if it’s your first time.

The terrain is pathless and mixed, with wet grass, loose rock, snow patches, streams, and sand, so waterproof high-top hiking boots with ankle support are a must. If you have any concerns about the difficulty, get in touch beforehand and your guides will talk it through with you.

Want to see what else is there in the area? Discover our collection of Iceland hiking adventures!

Clothing & footwear:

• • Warm outdoor clothing, including hiking pants and warm upper layers (please avoid cotton, as it keeps you cold when wet and takes a very long time to dry)
  • Waterproof jacket and waterproof pants
  • Waterproof high-top hiking boots with ankle support (mandatory)
  • Hat and gloves
  • Slippers for inside the house
  • Towel and bathing suit for the sauna
  • Spare clothing

Gear:

• • Small backpack
  • Water bottle
  • Sunglasses
  • Binoculars for watching wildlife (optional)
  • Camera

Other:

• • Personal medical kit, including band aids, throat lozenges, lip salve, and seasickness tablets
  • Any personal medication you may need (e.g. an asthma inhaler, even if you don’t always use it)
  • Sunscreen and after-sun cream
  • Toiletries and personal items

A note on boots: the terrain here is a mix of wet grass, loose rock, snow, streams, and sand, so high-top boots give far better support than hiking shoes and keep your feet dry. Your guides recommend Scarpa leather boots or nylon versions with Gore-Tex, and rate La Sportiva, Mammut, Merrell, and Meindl as good options too.

Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season. Layers are best and don’t wear jeans.

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Group sizes and pricing:

• • It takes a minimum of 2 people for this Hornstrandir hiking and sea kayaking tour to operate. The maximum group size is set at 8 participants.
  • This is a special women-only departure, led by an experienced female guide.
  • Hornstrandir hiking and sea kayaking tour can be arranged for larger groups, so contact us to make arrangements.

Min. age requirements:

• • If you are older than 18, you’re good to go.
  • Minors older than 16 may be permitted to join the Hornstrandir hiking and sea kayaking tour on a case-by-case basis, but must be in the presence of a parent or legal guardian.
  • If your group has participants under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

The starting point of your Hornstrandir hiking and sea kayaking tour is Ísafjörður, in the Westfjords. To get there, most people fly into Keflavík International Airport (KEF), about 40 minutes from Reykjavík. From Reykjavík’s domestic airport there are 2-3 daily flights of around 40 minutes to Ísafjörður, and the Fly-Bus connects the two airports, so most of the time you can continue the same day. You can also rent a car and drive, which is an adventure in itself over mountain passes and through fjords: roughly 440-500 km (273-311 mi) depending on the route, normally 5-6 hours, fully asphalted since the Arnkötludalur road opened in 2009, with a tunnel between Arnarfjörður and Dýrafjörður added in 2020.

You will meet your guide at 8 am at the office on Aðalstræti 17, downtown Ísafjörður, for a briefing and final preparations. The passenger ferry leaves the harbour in Ísafjörður at 9 am and sails to Kvíar in Hornstrandir. If you’d like a hand arranging accommodation in Reykjavík or a few extra days in the Westfjords, your guides are happy to help.

Having insurance is mandatory for this adventure. To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, you’ll be offered to simply insure your trip with Redpoint at checkout.

Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner—tailors protection packages for adventure travel, offering a comprehensive travel program, even in remote locations! Trip cancellation, natural disasters, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, primary medical expenses—regardless of the travel interruption that may happen, Redpoint will have you covered.