Laugavegur Trek - 4 Day Hiking Tour (Huts)

The tour starts by the Reykjavík tourist info at Reykjavik's City Hall (Ráðhúsið) by Tjörnin pond at 7.00 a.m. It's located in downtown Reykjavik and within walking distance from most hotels, hostels and guesthouses in central Reykjavik. You can also meet us at one of our other meeting points (see tour description). After introductions, we board the scheduled bus that takes us to Landmannalaugar. The drive takes about 3-4 hours, on the way we travel along the south coast and then turn inland and pass Iceland's most active volcano, Hekla. Our hike starts in Landmannalaugar as we walk through this geothermal wonderland and look at the colorful mountains and steaming hot springs. The trail takes us through the rough lava field, Laugahraun. From there we move to the slopes of Brennisteinsalda, which is known worldwide for its incredible spectrums of colors and photogenic looks. We walk by the beautiful hot spring Storihver before crossing into the obsidian desert by Hrafntinnusker. Storihver er one of the very few green grounds we will encounter on this day. We spend the night in the hut in Hrafntinnusker, one of the most remote huts in Iceland.(L, r, D). Distance: 12 km (7.5 mi). Walking time: 4-5 hrs. Ascent: 470 m (1540 ').

After a communal breakfast in the hut, we head out again and walk along the Reykjafjoll mountains and then descend into the Jökultungur area. The geothermal activity has turned these gullies yellow and red. We will leave the colorful rhyolite mountains and enter into an area with dark palagonite mountains and a breathtaking glacier view. If the visibility is good we hike up to Mt. Haskerdingur were the view greets you with countless glaciers, mountains and volcanoes. During the next steps, the landscape will be a lot greener and you might notice a considerable increase in vegetation. From the top of Jökultungur, there is a great view over the Fjallabak area and lake Alftavatn which is our next overnight stop. The trail down Jokulstungur is rather steep but once you are down you have landed in a fertile paradise on the banks of the river Grashagakvisl. Before reaching Álftavatn we cross an unbridged stream on foot. We spend the night in the hut by the lake.(B, L, r, D). Distance: 12 km (7.5 mi). Walking time: 4-5 hrs. Descent: 490 m (1610 ').

We start the day with another refreshing stream crossing as we make our way past the green volcano Stórasúla and into the black desert of Mælifellssandur. On our way, we will see Hattafell, a volcano with a strange flat top. We walk through this black glacial desert and into Emstrur where there is a chance to enjoy a view of Eyjafjallajokull and Myrdalsjokull glaciers. Emstrur is a lush region where farmers used to graze their sheep during the summertime. Just before reaching the huts in Botnar we turn of the path to look at Markarfljótsgljúfur, approximately 200 m deep canyon carved out by the glacial river Markarfljót. The hut in Botnar is in a little green oasis, a welcomed sight after walking through the black sands.(B, L, r, D). Distance: 15 km (9.5 mi). Walking time: 6-7 hrs. Descent: 40 m (130 ').