This two-day hiking tour will take us on a journey of exploration through Iceland’s wild interior – an untouched natural paradise, replete with magnificent waterfalls, fascinating flora and fauna and gushing rivers that crisscross the landscape. It will take us out of our comfort zone and allow us to reconnect with the natural world – giving an authentic insight into how people used to live in the land of fire and ice. We’ll be accompanied by loyal packhorses, who will carry our provisions and a knowledgeable local guide who will tell us all about this diverse untamed landscape. If you want to push yourself and try something different, then this is the perfect tour for you.
This two-day hiking tour will take us on a journey of exploration through Iceland’s wild interior – an untouched natural paradise, replete with magnificent waterfalls, fascinating flora and fauna and gushing rivers that crisscross the landscape. It will take us out of our comfort zone and allow us to reconnect with the natural world – giving an authentic insight into how people used to live in the land of fire and ice.
We’ll be accompanied by loyal packhorses, who will carry our provisions and a knowledgeable local guide who will tell us all about this diverse untamed landscape. If you want to push yourself and try something different, then this is the perfect tour for you.
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BOOK WITH 10% DEPOSIT
Worried that your travel plans might change? Book your tour more than 21 days in advance with a 10% deposit & pay the rest 14 days before departure. Alternatively, you can pay full price and get a 5% early bird discount! Choose the deposit or full payment option in the third step of your checkout.
Our adventure begins when we all meet up at the Wilderness Center to discuss the order of the day and answer any questions that you may have. We’ll then load up our trusty packhorses and venture out into the wilderness for two-days of fun in the wilderness.
We’ll begin at the abandoned farm of Kleif – a charming place that will show you what rural life was like in Iceland in days gone by. Our expert guide will tell us the stories of the people who lived and worked there over the centuries and the many things that they did to survive in this extreme environment.
Our next stop will be the Jökulsá River, whose icy-clear waters journey all the way from the peak of the Vatnajökull Glacier to the Sea of Greenland. There are no bridges in the area, meaning that we will cross the river using our restored cableway – a heart-pounding experience that delivers stunning vistas over the surrounding area.
Once on the other side, we’ll hike along Jökulsá’s banks to the spectacular Jökulsá Canyon – famed for the fascinating rock sculptures that populate its sides. The river is populated by a series of cascading waterfalls and we’ll stop at each one of them as we push deeper into the wilderness. We’ll also see plenty of amazing flora and fauna, including the famous Kleifarskógur birchwood bushes, which our guide will tell us all about.
We’ll continue down the river passing some of the most famous waterfalls in the entire of Iceland - Faxi, and Kirkjufoss (the church waterfall). Kirkjufoss is the most photogenic spot in the entire country – comprised of a deep blue waterfall, nestled beneath the emerald Mt. Kirkjufell – a truly breathtaking place that will inspire awe and wonder in equal measure.
We’ll hike on to our camp at Hrakströnd, for a delicious Icelandic dinner near to the old shepherd’s hut. We’ll then take a look around the surrounding area, which includes the picturesque Hrakstrandarfoss falls and the snow-topped peak of Mt. Snæfell in the distance. There is a small pond contained within the campsite – where we can take a relaxing soak if the weather is nice.
We’ll start the second day of our adventure with a hearty Icelandic breakfast and then hike towards Mt. Mulinn – a serene paradise that is totally devoid of human influence. Its slopes are covered in volcanic vegetation, interrupted by the occasional...)
We’ll start the second day of our adventure with a hearty Icelandic breakfast and then hike towards Mt. Mulinn – a serene paradise that is totally devoid of human influence. Its slopes are covered in volcanic vegetation, interrupted by the occasional patch of dark lava rock, where the glacier has ground away the soil.
It’ll take us around two hours to cross Múlinn, passing through the Þorgerðarstaðadalur Valley, before we arrive at the Suðurdalur Valley. It is dominated by a lonely rock formation that is perched on top of a hill – standing like a dramatic volcanic fortress above the valley. From there we’ll move onto to the picturesque Lake Dimmavatn that leads to the river Tunguá. We’ll continue along it until it joins the Kelduá river – a beautiful spring-fed river that is the polar opposite of Jökulsá.
We’ll continue down its shores, enjoying the serenity of the area – eventually arriving at the Þorgerðarstaðir Woods. They are mostly populated by birch trees and our guide will talk about them and point out other types of vegetation. By then we’ll be nearing the end of our journey – passing some abandoned sheds and pens where farmers would graze their animals in the summer.
We’ll look for a spot to ford the river and then continue up the slopes of Mt. Kiðafell – ending our time in the wilderness and returning to some semblance of civilization. We’ll hike on to Sturluflöt farm and be collected by someone from the Wilderness Center – after a rewarding two-day adventure that will have pushed us to our limits.
Please note – this trip will arrive and depart from the Wilderness Center and we recommend staying as close to it as possible. The trip starts early in the morning and the Wilderness Center is fairly isolated. If you book an overnight stay in the Wilderness Center, you will enjoy a special discount.
