Laugavegur Trail

Iceland’s premier trek, running from the Landmannalaugar hot springs to the birch woods of Þórsmörk through rhyolite mountains, obsidian fields, black-sand deserts and glacial rivers. Most hikers walk north to south, hut to hut.

Time to Hike: 3 to 4 days over 55 km (34 miles), sleeping in mountain huts along the way. Many add a day to extend over the Fimmvörðuháls pass to Skógar.

Best Time to Go: Late June to early September only, when the huts are staffed and the buses run. Snow lingers on the Hrafntinnusker pass even in July and the weather can flip to rain and fog within hours, so pack for four seasons in a day.

Getting there: Summer highland buses run from Reykjavik (about 3-4 hrs via Hella) to Landmannalaugar, with a daily service back from Þórsmörk. There is no road for ordinary cars; the trailheads sit on rough interior F-roads with unbridged river crossings.

Costs: Iceland is pricey. Hut bunks run roughly 70 to 90 euros a night and book out months ahead through Ferðafélag Íslands; camping beside the huts is cheaper. Budget for the buses (about 60 to 90 euros each way) and carry your own food.

Difficulty: Moderate. No technical climbing, but long days, a 1,050 m high point and cold, thigh-deep glacial river fords.

The Laugavegur is Iceland’s most famous long-distance walk, threading 55 km through the Fjallabak Nature Reserve between the geothermal oasis of Landmannalaugar and the glacier-ringed valley of Þórsmörk. Most hikers take three to four days, sleeping in a chain of mountain huts run by Ferðafélag Íslands (the Iceland Touring Association) or camping alongside them.

What makes the trek extraordinary is how quickly the scenery changes. The first day climbs through multicoloured rhyolite peaks and steaming fumaroles above Landmannalaugar to the snow-streaked pass at Hrafntinnusker, littered with obsidian. Beyond, the trail drops to the mirror-like lake at Álftavatn, fords glacial rivers, crosses the black-sand desert of Mælifellssandur, and finally descends through the canyons of Emstrur into the birch woods of Þórsmörk, beneath the Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull ice caps.

Many trekkers extend the walk by a further day over the Fimmvörðuháls pass to Skógar, threading between two glaciers past the still-steaming craters of the 2010 eruption.

• Stage 1: Landmannalaugar to Hrafntinnusker (about 12 km) - A sustained climb out of the rhyolite mountains and hot-spring area into more exposed highland terrain where snow can linger early in the season.
• Stage 2: Hrafntinnusker to Jökultungur area (about 8 km) - Descend from the highest, often windiest section into steaming vents and colourful geothermal ground, with wide views on clear days.
• Stage 3: Jökultungur area to Álftavatn (about 7 km) - Rolling paths and short stream crossings lead down to the lakeside camps and hut at Álftavatn.
• Stage 4: Álftavatn to Hvanngil (about 4 km) - A shorter leg that typically includes one of the more notable river crossings on the route, depending on conditions.
• Stage 5: Hvanngil to Emstrur (Botnar) (about 12 km) - A longer day across black sand and volcanic desert-like terrain, with sections that feel remote and exposed.
• Stage 6: Emstrur (Botnar) to Þórsmörk (about 15 km) - Mixed terrain on the approach to the greener valleys of Þórsmörk, with more vegetation and sheltered sections near the finish.

The trail is only reliably walkable from late June to early September, when the highland huts are staffed and the buses run. July and August are the most settled, though even then snow lingers on the Hrafntinnusker pass and the weather can turn to rain, fog and cold wind within hours.

Whenever you go, come prepared for four seasons in a day: waterproofs, warm layers and sturdy boots for the river fords are essential. Huts must be booked months ahead through Ferðafélag Íslands; camping is restricted to the official sites beside each hut.

Both ends of the trail are reached by highland bus in summer. Most walkers start at Landmannalaugar, roughly a 3-4 hour bus ride from Reykjavik via Hella; the finish at Þórsmörk has its own daily service back to the capital.

There is no road suited to ordinary cars - the approach follows rough interior F-roads with unbridged river crossings, so self-driving needs a high-clearance 4×4. Because both huts and buses book out, most hikers reserve well ahead and walk south (Landmannalaugar to Þórsmörk) to keep the prevailing weather at their backs.

No trekking permit is generally required to walk the Laugavegur Trail from Landmannalaugar to Þórsmörk.

If you plan to sleep in huts, you normally need to book ahead through the hut operator (commonly Ferðafélag Íslands). Camping is typically paid on site at the designated campsites near each hut.

Most walkers stay in the staffed huts and adjacent campsites at the classic overnights: Hrafntinnusker, Álftavatn, Emstrur (Botnar), and the huts in Þórsmörk. In peak summer, hut spaces can sell out well in advance, so reservations are advisable if you want to stay indoors.

Camping is the main alternative if huts are full. Plan to camp at the designated sites along the route rather than relying on wild camping, and carry a suitable tent and sleep system for fast-changing highland weather.