In this episode:
- How Saga became a “nature kid,” and her first Laugavegur hike at 20
- Starting a company in the middle of the pandemic
- Vigdís Finnbogadóttir: “Start your own thing. Don’t work under any man.”
- Where the Laugavegur Trail actually is
- Why women-only groups click so fast with total strangers
- How to book women only adventure in Iceland with Saga
- The summer she guided six six-day treks back to back
- Who actually shows up on a women-only trip
- Advice for women who don’t think of themselves as hikers
- What makes Iceland Iceland — eruptions, 70-year-old moss, midnight sun
- Beyond hiking: wellness tours and the Knitting Tour
- Building a team of Viking Woman guides
- This year’s firsts: Greenland and the total solar eclipse
- The very first women-only trip
- What “Viking woman” actually means
You don’t need to call yourself “a hiker” to do this. Saga didn’t, either, the first time — she was 20, wearing sweatpants, carrying a backpack from when she was 13.
Nika sits down with Saga, founder of Viking Woman, to talk about what actually happens on a women-only hiking trip in Iceland: strangers who become friends within a day, the six-day Laugavegur trail from the Highlands to Þórsmörk, and the moment Iceland’s first female president told her, hand on her arm, to start her own company and never work under a man. It’s a conversation about nature, community, and the version of yourself that shows up when you stop overthinking it and just go.
If you’ve been curious about traveling to Iceland but weren’t sure a women-only group was the right call, or whether you’re “fit enough” for it, this is the episode to watch first
Podcast hosts
A self-described nature addict, Saga has always been drawn to the beauty of Iceland’s natural world. She became a guide to help other women unleash their inner Valkyries and make meaningful connections through awe-inspiring adventures. Saga is the CEO and trekking guide of a company that focuses on all-women trips in Iceland and Greenland, sometimes combining wellness with the counties’ otherworldly landscapes.
Nika Marohnić leads the company’s adventure travel partnerships. She’s been part of 57hours since its founding — working closely with guides around the world to build the kind of experiences that are hard to find anywhere else. Based in New York, she hosts After Hours because she believes the people behind these adventures have stories worth telling properly, not just in a booking description.