Explore the land of fire and ice by hiking the volcanic trails, soaking in geothermal springs, basking in the midnight sun, and visiting jaw-dropping waterfalls.
Highlights
- Walking between tectonic plates at Thingvellir National Park
- Rich cultural heritage from traditional fishing villages to the vibrant arts scene
- Majestic waterfalls including Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss
- Wilderness hikes through volcanic landscapes like Eldgjá, the Canyon of Fire
Iceland Hiking Tours
Explore the land of fire and ice by hiking the volcanic trails, soaking in geothermal springs, basking in the midnight sun, and visiting jaw-dropping waterfalls.
Highlights
- Walking between tectonic plates at Thingvellir National Park
- Rich cultural heritage from traditional fishing villages to the vibrant arts scene
- Majestic waterfalls including Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss
- Wilderness hikes through volcanic landscapes like Eldgjá, the Canyon of Fire
Why Visit Iceland on a Hiking Tour?
Iceland, a land of fire and ice, is a breathtaking landscape of contrasts sculpted by nature's raw forces. The island is a true hidden gem combining strong tradition, vibrant art, and music culture.
From the vibrant city life of Reykjavik to the tranquil lakes of Álftavötn, it offers a journey into a world where every element tells a story of the planet's dynamic history.
Each trail will take you through dramatic landscapes, from the moss-clad volcanic rocks of the highlands and legendary geysers to the serene coastlines of the Reykjanes Peninsula and jaw-dropping waterfalls. Along the way, you'll encounter traditional fishing villages and historical sites that glimpse Iceland's Viking past.
As you traverse Iceland's remote paths from late June to September, you will bathe in continuous daylight provided by the midnight sun. Despite the mesmerizing views in the middle of the night, sleep is still important, and you will find that Icelandic hospitality has no limits.
Staying in family-run lodgings and local inns will give you an intimate look at Icelandic life, where you can share meals prepared with local ingredients, and the rustic mountain huts will offer an experience of complete connection with nature.
Though reaching Iceland's remote corners may require a spirit of adventure due to limited transportation options, this only enhances the allure of your journey, the paths less traveled leading to the most extraordinary discoveries.
About Hiking in Iceland
Iceland is the one country in Europe where the walking is done on the seam between two continents. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge runs the length of the island, and the ground on either side of it steams, cracks and changes colour from rust to grey to green within a single hour.
No trees block the view and almost nothing interrupts it. The highland season lasts barely ten weeks, which packs midnight sun, rhyolite mountains and glacier rivers into a very short window.
Read our full guide to backpacking in Iceland →
Iceland’s national parks explained →
The southern highlands hold the routes people come for. These are the ones we run.
Laugavegur, six days, 55 km from the hot springs at Landmannalaugar to the birch woods of Þórsmörk.
Laugavegur and Fimmvörðuháls, seven days, adding the pass between two icecaps, finishing at Skógafoss.
Fimmvörðuháls in two days, over the craters left by the 2010 eruption.
Víknaslóðir, four days in the deserted east fjords, with puffins at Borgarfjörður Eystri.
Þórsmörk, five days of day walks from the glacier valley, no pack to carry.
The highland F roads and the huts open only once the snow has gone and shut again the moment it returns, so the season runs late June to early September and not a week longer.
June reopens the highlands under the midnight sun, with snow patches still on Hrafntinnusker;
July is the warmest and the busiest, and the only month huts are reliably fully staffed;
August has the lowest river crossings and the most settled ground underfoot;
September turns the birch gold and brings the first aurora, but the window closes fast.
Nights on the Laugavegur are spent in Ferðafélag Íslands huts: a shared sleeping platform, a warden, a gas ring and no electricity. Beds are released months in advance and sell out within days, which shapes an Icelandic itinerary far more than fitness does.
The compensation arrives at the end of each stage. Landmannalaugar has a hot river fed straight out of the lava field, warm enough to sit in while the weather does whatever it likes above you.
Reaching the start is the genuinely hard part. Highland buses run in season only, on F roads that ford unbridged rivers, and no ordinary hire car is insured to follow them. Landmannalaugar is roughly four hours from Reykjavík on one of them.
That is why transfers are booked alongside the hut beds rather than improvised on arrival, and why driving and walking work best combined along the south coast, where the waterfalls sit beside the road.
Our seven day drive and hike itinerary →
Iceland’s South Coast Highlights →
The hazards here are specific rather than general: unbridged river crossings, weather that turns in minutes and total exposure. The Þröngá and the Bláfjallakvísl are waded, not bridged, and glacial meltwater runs highest on warm afternoons, so both are crossed early in the day.
Between huts there are no trees, no shelter and often no signal. Horizontal sleet is possible in July, so full waterproofs and a warm layer are carried every day rather than packed for emergencies.
Mountain safety 101 →
Surviving extreme weather on the trail →
Hiking Iceland solo →
Frequently Asked Questions
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