Spend a week in the remote and uninhabited Icelandic Highlands. Complete the iconic Laugavegur and Fimmvörðuháls Trail, see the wonders of the South Coast, hike on a glacier, and explore the Golden Circle! This 8-day tour is a trekking adventure without compare, the complete Icelandic experience for those who want to test their limits.
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This incredible 8-day tour is ideal for anyone who wants a true Icelandic adventure. Spend 6 days trekking the iconic Laugavegur Trail, seeing vast obsidian deserts and colorful mountains. It ends in the lush valley of Thor, where we’ll spend a whole day walking to the Fimmvörðuháls Pass.
We’ll leave the deserts behind on the seventh day and venture into the South Coast. You’ll see cascading waterfalls and even walk on a glacier with fellow travelers. The 8-day tour ends with a drive through the Golden Circle, where you visit the most iconic Iceland landmarks like Thingvellir, Gullfoss, and the Geyser Geothermal Area.
If you want an 8-day adventure that offers a complete Icelandic experience, this is the tour for you!
The trip begins at 7 - 7:30 a.m., with pick-up from your selected location in Reykjavik. The scenic 3 - 4 hour drive to the Highlands takes us past some incredible attractions, including one of Iceland’s most active volcanos, Hekla. It has erupted every 10 - 15 years, making the surrounding volcanic landscape one of the most interesting places in Iceland.
We’ll be dropped at the Landmannalaugar base camp in the heart of the Fjallabak Nature Reserve. We’ll start our Laugavegur journey by trekking through the Laugahraun lava field and Vondugil Canyon. Along the way, we’ll enjoy the sights of rhyolite mountains, like Brennisteinsalda, soaking in the vibrant colors. If we have time, we’ll also visit the Graenagil Gorge and Blahnukur Volcano.
We'll start day two with a filling breakfast. We’ll trek through the black volcanic oasis of Hrafntinnusker. We'll pass the colorful Reykjafjöll Mountains and the mesmerizing Jökultungur area, famed for the stunning contrasts of the mineral deposits against its sandy sloped mountains. From here, we’ll get a good look at the Fjallabak and Álftavatn Lake.
Our next hut is perched right on the edge of the lake and surrounded by rolling green meadows, giving it a peaceful ambiance. We’ll cross a small stream to reach it. We’ll enjoy a traditional Icelandic meal together in the evening, explore the picturesque scenery around the hut, or relax.
Today, a part of the trek consists of walking through Mælifellssandur, a mesmerizing black sand beach. The stunning sights of the Stórasúla and Hattafell volcanoes will dominate our view throughout the journey. Each is usually covered in verdant moss, making them stand out from the rest of the landscape.
As we approach Botnar, we’ll push deeper into the ominous volcanic desert, which offers truly magnificent views of Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull. Nearing our hut in Emstrur, we’ll find ourselves in a beautiful green oasis contrasting with the seemingly never-ending expanse of black sand. It’s perched on the edge of a huge 656 ft (200m) deep river canyon, carved into the earth's surface by glacial meltwaters over the centuries.
Today is the final part of the iconic Laugavegur Trek. It starts as we walk along the dramatic Almenningar Gorge, passing Mount Einhyrningur, ‘the Unicorn Mountain.’ From some angles, it actually does look like a unicorn!
We’ll soon make our way out of the desert and begin to see vegetation again, continuing until we reach the birch forest that marks our arrival at Thórsmörk. It's a remarkable place, which feels a bit like the Garden of Eden compared to the barren landscape of before. Our hut rests right in the valley, surrounded by Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull. We’ll eat a mouthwatering dinner and celebrate the completion of the legendary Laugavegur Trek!
Day five will take us on a challenging trek up the Fimmvörðuháls Pass, which is nestled between the Mýrdalajökull and Eyjafjallajökull, which erupted in 2010. Along the way, we’ll see the beauty of this ever-changing volcanic landscape, including Magni and Móði, a pair of craters created during the eruption. They’re named after the sons of Thor, Mighty, and Wrath.
Once we reach its summit, spectacular mountain ranges and vast glaciers appear in the distance, reaching far beyond our sightline. Our descent takes us back the same way, allowing us another glimpse of this epic landscape. Back at camp, we’ll relax and mark the end of the Fimmvorduhals trail.
Our final day in the Highlands is more flexible, allowing us to visit what you and the rest of the group want to see.
We might head to the volcanic landscapes around Katla and Eyjafjallajokull. Or, climb to the summit of Valahnukur Mountain for yet more incredible vistas over the Highlands. We could also explore Thorsmork in more detail or divide into smaller groups and do different things.
Then, it’s time to leave the Highlands and head to a cozy countryside hotel in Hella. Here, you can grab a warm shower and enjoy a night before our South Coast and glacier expedition on day 7!
We’ll eat breakfast in the hotel and then leave for the South Coast in the morning.
Our first stop will be Seljalandsfoss, a remarkable 196 ft (60 m) waterfall, where you can walk behind the roaring cascade. Our final morning stop will be Skogafoss, where you can climb stairs for a stunning view over the steep waterfall and surrounding area.
The final adventure of the day will take place on the surface of a glacier as we strap on our crampons and prepare for a glacier hike. Expect to see a maze of deep crevasses, moulins that bore into the glacier's heart, and some stunning frozen icefalls.
An expert local guide will explain how glaciers have shaped Iceland and give us a glimpse into its uncertain future. We’ll then return to Reykjavik and spend the night in a charming hotel.
The last day of our epic adventure will take us to the Golden Circle. Our small group minibus tour will start at 8 a.m. when we collect you from the hotel in Reykjavik.
The first stop will be Thingvellir National Park. It holds a special place in all Icelanders' hearts due to its historical and geological significance. It straddles the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, hosting a rugged valley where you can see the gap between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates.
The next stop will be the Geysir Geothermal Area, a place of intense geothermal activity where plumes of steam rise from hot springs and geysers erupt regularly. The most famous of these is Strokkur, which tosses boiling torrents of water up to 131 ft (40 m) into the air every 5 minutes or so.
Our Golden Circle adventure ends at Gullfoss (the golden waterfall), which crashes more than 105 ft (32 m) into a dramatic canyon below. The World of Waterfalls rated it one of the best waterfalls in the world, and it is breathtakingly beautiful. On sunny days, rainbows form above its golden cascade.
We’ll finish the adventure with a relaxing soak in a natural hot spring called the Secret Lagoon. It’s located in a lava field and is the perfect way to finish our 8-day tour. You’ll return to Reykjavik with memories that you can share with others!
Pick-up times and places in Reykjavik:
Between 7:00 - 7:30 AM
Get ready for the adventure through the highlands of Iceland with our Laugavegur Trek Information Package.
The scenery on the tour is full of stunning, breathtaking views that you’ll almost definitely want to capture forever, so you should definitely bring your camera along. Your tour guide will also be happy to take your photo.
This is surely a personal choice, we do not deny pregnant women on our glacier trips but we highly recommend you to take a closer look at our trip description and difficulty ratings, they will hopefully give you a better idea. We also recommend you to contact your physician, as pregnant women’s health can be quite different. If you have any further questions or concerns then feel free to contact us.
Crampons enable you to walk on the glacier ice without slipping. They are metal spikes that we attach to the soles of your hiking shoes.
Yes, we have specially trained and certified glacier guides on every glacier tour that we offer. And for our 3rd party tours we only partner with operators that meet our quality and safety standards.
Yes, we provide you with all the necessary glacier gear for our glacier hiking tours. Ice axes, crampons, harnesses, and helmets are provided. This will help you to complete the tour safely. The minimum shoe size to attach crampons is EU 35.
Rain is common in Iceland but we never let the rain be in our way to go forward with our tours.
That’s why we highly recommend appropriate clothing so you can stay warm and dry.
Nature is out of our control and therefore we need to adapt to the weather. Your safety is our priority so if your safety is compromised by going on the tour then we will cancel it and you will get full reimbursement.
The guide on your glacier hiking tour will provide you with all the information you might need when preparing for a glacier hike.
