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Pink and golden rhyolite hills streaked with the last of the snow on the Laugavegur trail in the Icelandic Highlands

Sample journey · 8–10 days

Across the Highlands on foot: the Laugavegur trail

Landmannalaugar, Hrafntinnusker, Álftavatn, Emstrur & Þórsmörk

Photo: Michael Hacker / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

The Laugavegur is a trail of about 55 kilometres through Iceland's uninhabited interior, from the hot springs of Landmannalaugar to the birch-covered valley of Þórsmörk. Over four days the landscape changes as if each day were a different country: pink and green rhyolite slopes, steaming vents between patches of snow, a blue mountain lake, plains of black volcanic ash and finally moss, birchwood and a valley ringed by glaciers.

This is a real trek, not a stroll: five to seven hours on foot each day, climbs and descents, cold river crossings and weather that can turn from sun to rain within the hour. Nights are spent in simple mountain huts, and we'd suggest travelling with a small group and an experienced guide. It begins and ends in Reykjavík, with a few days after the walk for the gentler south coast. It suits active travellers and groups of friends who already have some multi-day walking behind them.

The route

The journey

  1. Reykjavík
  2. Landmannalaugar
  3. Hrafntinnusker
  4. Álftavatn
  5. Emstrur
  6. Þórsmörk
  7. South coast
  8. Reykjavík
  1. Walkers on a ridge path above colourful rhyolite valleys in the Highlands

    01Days 1–2 · Reykjavík & Landmannalaugar

    Into the coloured mountains

    After the flight, a night in Reykjavík, a final kit check with your guide and time to buy anything missing. In the morning, about four hours by 4x4 or highland bus across lava fields and fords to Landmannalaugar. In the afternoon, a first short walk among rhyolite hills streaked pink, gold and green, and in the evening a soak in the natural hot spring beside the camp. The first night is spent in a mountain hut.

  2. Hikers with poles crossing a late snowfield past steaming geothermal vents in the Icelandic Highlands

    02Days 3–4 · Hrafntinnusker & Álftavatn

    Obsidian, steam and snow

    The first day on the trail climbs to its highest stretch: across fields of black obsidian, past steaming geothermal vents and patches of snow that in places linger all summer. The night is at the Hrafntinnusker hut, at around 1,000 metres, where evenings are cold even in July. The next day the path drops into green valleys and leads to Álftavatn, a quiet mountain lake where you can simply sit in the evening and watch the cloud drift over the hills.

  3. Two hikers with backpacks walking a black volcanic-sand track towards a green mountain on the Laugavegur trail

    03Day 5 · Emstrur

    The black desert

    The day begins with river crossings: the water is icy, but your guide shows the safest line, and sandals and poles make it easier. Beyond, the trail crosses wide plains of black volcanic sand between green mountains, a rest for the eyes after so much colour. The Emstrur huts stand near the deep Markarfljót canyon, worth a walk to see in the evening.

  4. A braided river winding through the broad Þórsmörk valley between green mountains under low cloud

    04Days 6–7 · Þórsmörk

    Down into Thor's valley

    The last day of the trail crosses the Þröngá river and enters Þórsmörk, where after days of grey you're suddenly met by birchwood, moss and flowers. Three glaciers ring the valley, and the braided river channels on its floor shift their course from day to day. Two nights here leave a day to rest, climb to a viewpoint or simply sit by the hut after the trek.

  5. A river in a deep rocky canyon in Goðaland, beside Þórsmörk, under a low evening sun

    05Days 8–10 · Fimmvörðuháls or the south coast, Reykjavík

    Between two glaciers, or gently home

    For those who want one more challenge, there's Fimmvörðuháls: a long day of about ten hours through the canyons of Goðaland, between two glaciers and past the craters of the 2010 eruption, then down beside dozens of waterfalls to Skógafoss. It depends on the weather and your legs, so it's an option rather than a plan. Others take the bus to the south coast, rest in a hot pool and return to Reykjavík, where a night or two leave room for the weather and an unhurried dinner to celebrate the walk.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    A soak at Landmannalaugar

    A hot spring between lava and rhyolite hills: the best possible start before four days on the trail.

  2. 02

    Fields of obsidian

    Black volcanic glass glinting underfoot near Hrafntinnusker, between snow and steam.

  3. 03

    Evenings in the huts

    Simple mountain huts, a shared dinner with your group and bright summer nights outside the window.

  4. 04

    The Þórsmörk valley

    Birch, moss and glaciers: a green finale after days of volcanic colour.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • A lighter pack

    Some guided groups arrange for bags to be driven to the huts, so you carry only what you need for the day.

  • Privately

    For a group of friends or a family with teenagers, a private guide and your own pace instead of a shared group.

  • Longer in the Highlands

    Two or three more days allow walks around Landmannalaugar before the trek, or a rest in Þórsmörk after it.

  • With the Westfjords

    After the trek, a week by car on Snæfellsnes and in the Westfjords, at a slower pace and with a proper bed each night.

Practical considerations

  • The trail is usually open only from roughly late June to early September, depending on snow and the highland roads; exact dates vary from year to year.
  • This is a physically demanding journey: four days of five to seven hours each, uneven ground, crossings of cold rivers and fast-changing weather. It needs good fitness and some multi-day walking experience.
  • Places in the mountain huts are in heavy demand in summer, so plan well ahead; the huts are simple, with shared dormitories.
  • Even in July it can snow in the Highlands: good waterproofs, warm layers and sturdy walking boots are essential. If you have any health questions, it's worth speaking to a doctor before you travel.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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