Champagne Tastes®

  • About
  • Travel
    • Food Travel
    • Outdoor Adventure
  • Recipe Index
    • Garden To Table
    • Seafood
    • Camping Recipes
    • Ferment
    • Backyard Foraging + Wild Game
    • Cooking Basics
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • Garden To Table
  • Seafood
  • Ferment
  • Foraging + Wild Game
  • Cooking Basics
  • Camping Recipes
  • Outdoor Adventure
  • Food Travel
  • Lifestyle
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Travel » Outdoor Adventure » Iceland

    Hiking the Laugavegur Trail (Iceland)

    Published: Aug 20, 2024 · Modified: Apr 5, 2025 · Leave a Comment

    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    This guide to hiking the Laugavegur Trail in Iceland will help you get familiar with the route and challenges of this highlands multi-day trek.

    Man dressed for cold-weather backpacking posing with Icelandic mountains just visible below cloud cover in the distance.

    Iceland’s Laugavegur Trail is on multiple lists of the best hiking trails in the world (and the most epic trails), and it’s easy to see why!

    The trail begins with rhyolite mountains (multicolored geothermal peaks), and continues through black lava fields, stunning green peaks, and views of multiple glaciers.

    The trail is 55 kilometers long (32.4 miles), and is often combined with the Fimmvörðuhals Trail to make a 50-mile long epic hike through Iceland’s South Highlands.

    If you're planning on a self-guided camping trip, see my posts on food and preparation ideas for Laugavegur. My guide on how to pack for backpacking when flying will likely also come in handy.

    Now, let's get into some Laugavegur trail details.

    How Difficult Is This Trail?

    Hiking the Laugavegur Trail is difficult. Most sections are probably "moderately" difficult, but it does involve snow crossings, river crossings, and steep ascents and descents across loose, rocky paths.

    The real difficulty comes from the weather. Iceland is prone to volatile, windy conditions, and this trail is no exception.

    Before beginning your hike, check Veður (the Icelandic weather app) to make sure there are no yellow or red weather warnings. It’s good to check the weather for specific huts along the trail, not just for the trailheads.

    Additionally, you can check with hut wardens to ensure that no last-minute weather issues have popped up.

    Hiking the Laugavegur: Landmannalauger to Hrafntinnusker

    Our bus arrived at Landmannalauger around lunchtime. We checked in with the hut warden to ask about weather warnings at the next hut, and then got onto the really important task: visiting the hot springs!

    Landmannalauger has a natural hot spring that you can visit for free, so we made sure to take advantage for a few moments before hiking. (Much more low-key than the crowds at the beautiful Blue Lagoon!)

    Wooden walkway, platform and shelter next to natural hot spring at Landmannalauger.
    Hot Spring at Landmannalauger

    After a quick stop for a snack at the Mountain Mall, we started our hike.

    Grocery store and coffee shop inside a green bus.
    A man and woman wearing coats and hats in front of Laugavegur Trail sign.
    Laugavegur Trailhead

    Things got pretty really quickly! The multi-colored mountains were visible almost right away.

    Laugavegur Trail stretching towards green and brown highlands.
    Rhyolite Mountains

    Things also got extremely windy right away, to the point that I felt like I was being pushed a bit off the trail. I was beginning to wonder if we’d made poor choices by deciding to hike, but the pretty views were hopefully going to make it all worth it.

    Backpacker with beanie hat, sunglasses, and weatherproof jacket zipped up past the nose for cold weather on the Laugavegur Trail.

    At this point I also feel like I should mention that there were no weather or wind warnings this day, and I can’t imagine hiking here if the wind was bad enough for a warning. Make sure to talk to the hut wardens before hiking!

    Happily, this trail did show off for us, despite poor weather.

    There were so many gorgeous views, plus hot springs all over the place sending steam up. It felt a little like visiting Yellowstone National Park — with no safety boardwalks. Yellowstone unhinged, if you will.

    Woman wearing large backpack and focusing a camera on scenery on the Laugavegur Trail.
    Man standing on trail next to stream and small hot spring.
    Hot Spring Along Trail

    The trail in this section goes up, up and up some more.

    Wooden rod with blue tip to mark Laugavegur Trail, with several backpackers climbing hill beyond it.

    Eventually we reached a snow field. (It didn’t look much like late July!)

    Backpacker trekking uphill on icy portion of Laugavegur Trail.

    Snow Safety Check: Microspikes + Snow Bridges

    We didn’t need microspikes because the snow was fairly soft, not hard and icy.

    Anytime you cross a snow field, make sure to look around for snow bridges, where the snow is thin over water. If you step on a thin snow bridge, your foot could go straight into icy water. This happened to another hiker we met on the same day.

    When we reached the hut at Hrafntinnusker, we checked to see if there were still stone camping rings available. Thankfully there were plenty.

    Initially we thought about pushing on to the next hut campground, but the hike so far had been more exhausting than anticipated because of wind.

    We’d also gotten fairly wet walking through dense fog. We realized too late that that the fog was making us just as wet as a rainstorm, and we hadn’t put on the rest of our rain gear.

    My husband fought with our tent for a while and finally got it pitched, although the wind was definitely making the tent a little unhappy.

    Tents pitched on black sand, each surrounded by a low wall of black rocks to block the wind.
    Making Camp at Hrafntinnusker

    The rest of the evening, we huddled in the wooden (unheated) camping shelter and commiserated with other cold, wet hikers.

    I made the painful decision to continue wearing my wet clothes for the moment, because I knew the best way to dry clothes is to wear them. Also I couldn’t bear the thought of walking through the wind to the tent.

    We also cooked soup and some hot drinks.

    Hikers waiting inside wooden camping shelter with wet clothes hanging from the rafters to dry.
    Hut at Hrafntinnusker

    After dinner, we crawled into our tent, changed into dry wool clothes, and attempted to sleep. My attempts to sleep were mostly unsuccessful, and around 4 a.m., we decided it was time to start moving again.

    Happily, the trail (and weather!) would be nicer to us from here on out.

    Hiking to Álftavatn on the Laugavegur

    Day two started off looking a lot like day one — snowy and cold, but thankfully less wind. This time we bundled up better!

    Woman bundled up for cold weather with foggy, glacial landscape in background.
    Laugavegur Trail interspersed with areas of glacier and brown hillside.

    I admit that I was feeling a bit glum at this point, and cold. The steep pass pictured below (the thin lighter brown path going straight up the mountain) did not cheer me up.

    Dark brown mountainside with glacier patches.

    And then suddenly, we exited a cloud of fog and saw a green oasis down below. This view got me smiling again!

    View of valley and surrounding mountains from Laugavegur Trail.

    It was a steep descent but incredibly exciting!

    Backpacker hiking downhill with long-distance view of valley and mountain.

    When we entered the green valley, we were close to camp! That was exciting for two reasons: One, it meant we were done for the day. And two, there’s a restaurant at this camp!

    We had our first river crossing close to camp. This one was fairly easy and had a cable to hold onto.

    Thin cable stretched across stream for hikers to cross.
    River Crossing Near Álftavatn

    When we arrived at Álftavatn, we stopped at the restaurant for the best bowl of cauliflower soup I’ve ever eaten and a cold beer.

    Bowl of cauliflower soup.
    Cauliflower Soup

    We also set up camp in a really gorgeous spot close to a small creek, with views of the icy cold lake.

    Backpacking tent pitched in view of stream and mountain.
    Camping at Álftavatn

    Hiking Past Hvanngil to Emstrur

    The next morning, I again woke up with the sun at 3 a.m., and we decided to get an early start. When I crawled out of the tent, I was surprised to see that we were now surrounded by other tents, most of which arrived after I went to bed. (I counted 75 tents while I waited on my breakfast to cook.)

    Back on the trail, we had some questionable bridges to cross and then another river crossing.

    Small wooden bridge crossing stream on Laugavegur Trail.
    Bridge With Missing Planks
    Backpacker preparing to cross glacial stream with mountain peak in background.
    River Crossing

    Before long, we passed Hvanngil, another hut and campground.

    Backpacker crossing small wooden bridge over stream on Laugavegur Trail.
    Tent pitched inside low wall of black rock.
    Hvanngil Campground

    Next, another (larger, deeper) river crossing, where the hubs carried my pack and my hiking pants across (I opted for a rain skirt during these crossings).

    Woman wearing weatherproof jacket and skirt, standing in calf-deep glacial stream and smiling at camera.

    Next was a longer easier stretch over black lava fields.

    The views of the green mountains and glacier in the distance were beautiful.
    I was pretty thrilled to see the next hut, Emstrur, in the distance.

    View of Iceland's highlands mostly covered in black lava rock.
    Lava Fields

    We set up camp and relaxed, then headed to the camper tent for dinner (a Backpacker's Pantry Pad Thai meal).

    Dehydrated pad thai meal package, two candy bars, and a can of beer.
    Backpacking Meal

    One of the campers in the tent decided to make tonic water from scratch, and then shared gin and tonics with the group. It was both hilarious and amazing.

    Hiking to Thórsmörk

    The next morning we set off for our final day hiking on the Laugavegur Trail. Quite honestly I didn’t think anything could top the views we’d already had, but this day was phenomenal.

    We walked on towards the glacier looming in the distance before turning away from it.

    View of barren black hillsides and glacier beyond.
    Glacier View

    Next we arrived at another (bridged) river crossing with some phenomenal views into the canyon.

    Backpacker climbing wooden ramp alongside stream.

    There’s a chain on this section, but it didn’t seem fully necessary. (Although if this day had the winds we had on day 1, I would’ve been grateful for a chain.)

    Chains affixed to rock alongside Laugavegur Trail.

    We climbed up, up and up some more, then were rewarded with the view pictured below. (Photos really don’t it justice, this was breathtaking.)

    Black, green and brown mountainous terrain with stream running through it.

    The gorgeous views continued, and we even got to see quite a few sheep in this section!

    Sheep grazing in field along Laugavegur Trail.

    Eventually we reached our final river crossing. This one was the biggest of all, and one of our hiker friends (who we’d been passing on and off all day) was waiting for us to make sure we crossed safely.

    Man with backpacking gear and a trekking pole in each hand in calf-deep water of a glacial stream, with woman beginning to cross at ankle-deep edge of stream.

    Once we crossed the river, it was easy hiking to our final stop on the Laugavegur Trail: Thórsmörk.

    At Thórsmörk, we stayed at one of the Volcano Huts glamping tents (with a real bed!), and enjoyed some meals in their restaurant.

    Interior of glamping tent with cushioned chairs, table, bed, and carpeting.
    Glamping Tent at Thórsmörk
    Veggie burger and fries on tray next to glass of beer.
    Veggie Burger, Fries + Beer at Thórsmörk

    Most of the campers we’d been hiking with took the bus back to Reykjavik at this stop, and it is a great stopping point if you don’t want to carry on (or if the weather isn’t cooperating).

    Five hikers posing for group picture at Thorsmork.

    We said goodbye to our new hiking friends and then got ready to continue hiking — on the Fimmvörðuhals Trail — the next day!

    More Iceland

    • Town of Akureyri, with brightly colored sidewalks, dark red and cream colored buildings, and views of the water and distant cliffs.
      Things to Do Near Akureyri (North Iceland)
    • Wooden sided steam room with large picture window overlooking Forest Lagoon pool.
      Forest Lagoon (Akureyri, Iceland)
    • Pools bordered by large stones at Hvammsvík Hot Springs, with view of the nearby sea.
      Hvammsvík Hot Springs (Iceland)
    • Pool at Sky Lagoon with large black volcanic rocks enclosing it.
      Sky Lagoon (Kópavogur, Iceland)

    About Sarah Trenalone

    Sarah is the primary creator at Champagne Tastes. She's a photographer, food writer and traveler, and is certified in Backcountry Kitchen and Backcountry Navigation from the Colorado Outward Bound School and Identifying Wild Plants from Backpacker.

    Leave a Comment: Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    bio

    Hi, I'm Sarah! I'm a traveler who loves to eat.   Follow along to join me on my next adventure-- in food or on the road.

    Learn More →

    Currently Trending

    • langostino lobster rolls on a serving tray.
      Langostino Lobster Rolls
    • pan-seared rockfish on a plate
      Pan-Seared Rockfish
    • pan-seared red snapper on plates
      Pan-Seared Red Snapper
    • crab butter sauce on a platter with crab legs
      Crab Butter Sauce

    Footer

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Supplemental Privacy Notice For California Residents
    • Supplemental Privacy Notice For Nevada Residents

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Recipe and Photo Reuse Terms + FAQ

    Copyright ©2015-2025 Champagne Tastes
    All Rights Reserved.