Hiking in Stunning Landmannalaugar Offers You some Mind Blowing Views

Hiking in Landmannalaugar in the Icelandic Highlands is something else. Simply out of this world. I went on my first real hike in the area in the fall of 2020 and I’m telling you, that hike will not be topped. I’m sure of that. I’ve been to many extraordinary places here in Iceland and I still have many yet to explore. But I’m certain that nothing will top this day I had in this first weekend of September 2020. The area blew me away. It left me speechless. And believe me. That’s not an easy task.

Part of the reason for I’m sure this hike will never be topped is that I was extremely lucky how the weather turned out. First of all there was no wind which is very rare here on our almost always windy island. Second of all, the sun was shining. The whole time. The conditions simply couldn’t have been better. In any way. It was a perfect day.

Make Sure Your Camera/Phone Is Fully Charged when Hiking in Landmannalaugar

I took a day trip to Landmannalaugar with a group of friends. We started by hiking through a gorge called Halldórsgil and then ended the hike at the camping site at Landmannalaugar. As we didn’t hike in a loop we left one car at the starting point and another one where we ended the hike.

We hiked about 19km/11.8mi and it took us around 7 hours and 45 minutes with rest and photo stops. Which there were plenty of by the way. In an environment like this you constantly feel like you’re missing the perfect photo opportunity. So you better check your battery before you start hiking. Believe me, the last thing you want to do is run out of batteries in an environment like this.

We didn’t hike a marked trail but two of our group members had been to the area numerous times before and knew the area well. They were our guides and used a GPS handheld to ensure we wouldn’t get lost.

The hike led us up and down some colorful mountains and hills, through valleys and narrow gorges. We waded some rivers and admired the views. Oh, the views. As I hope you can see from the pictures, the views were absolutely stunning. So different from everything else I have ever experienced in Icelandic nature. Like a different world. A different planet even. As I said before, I was totally blown away by the magic of this area.

Be Prepared for Sudden Change in Weather

Even though my group and I were extremely lucky and got the perfect weather the whole day, that is most certainly not always the case. It’s important to realize that here the weather can change in an instant. Suddenly a fog hits, it starts to rain heavily and or the wind gets strong. Therefore it’s extremely important to check the weather forecast beforehand and to be well equipped when hiking in this area. Not only when it comes to clothing but also equipment used to help you find your way. You don’t want to get lost in the middle of nowhere. Because that’s where you are. In the middle of nowhere.

The thing is, I would never recommend a long hike in this area without a guide that knows it well. Here you are up in the highlands, faraway from any inhabited areas. Just endless mountains and valleys with some rivers without bridges. Some of the trails can be poorly marked or even not at all which makes it easy to get lost if you’re not careful and/or if the weather changes suddenly. The water level in the ice cold rivers differs a lot and sometimes the water level and possibly strong current of the rivers might require a rope or something to help you and your hiking partners to wade them.

That being said, Landmannalaugar is one of a kind. A hiker’s dream destination. No doubt about it. You just have to be well prepared and careful. There are a number of amazing shorter hikes in the area you can explore on your own. And if you ever get a chance to hike there, you really, really should. You will not regret it. That I can promise you.

Shorter Hikes in Landmannalaugar

After this experience of mine in 2020 I couldn’t stop thinking of this area. I really wanted to go back there and explore it some more. And so I did this summer (2022). So far I’ve been there once with my husband and hopefully I will go again later this summer with a good friend of mine who also loves hiking.

This time around I explored a shorter trail (6,5km/4mi) that starts at the camping ground in Landmannalaugar. There are actually quite a few well marked trails that start from there so you’ll have plenty to choose from if you use the camping ground as a base for your hikes in the area.

I chose to hike to the top of Brennisteinsalda which is a colorful mountain behind the camping ground. And OMG what an amazing hike! Stunning environment the whole way. Absolutely breathtaking. Landmannalaugar did certainly not disappoint this time around either. I will write all about this hike soon. Tell you all about where to go and what to expect.

Examples of Guided Hiking Tours in Landmannalaugar

Here is an example of a guided hiking tour in Landmannalaugar. I haven’t been on a hike with this company called Adventures myself but see they get some great reviews on Tripadvisor. This is great way to visit Landmannalaugar if you don’t have a car or don’t have a car that you can drive in the higlands.

One day guided hike in Landmannalaugar

While I was browsing, I also stumbled on a tour company called Hit Iceland, which I found very interesting. It’s a small, family run company where you travel with a very small group of people. It’s a day trip to the highlands from Reykjavík where you stop at various beautiful places. At the end of the trip, you get a chance to go on a relative short hike in Landmannalaugar and to get soaked in the geothermal hot springs you’ll also find there. 

This may not be a hiking trip as such but it sounds as an awesome introduction to the stunning highlands. I for one would love to go on this tour!

You can check out Hit Iceland here (scroll down to the bottom to read some reviews)

Can You Drive Yourself to Landmannalaugar?

Yes you can, but not whenever or in whatever vehicle.

To get to Landmannalaugar you need to take route F225 or F208 which are so-called F-roads. F-roads are roads that access the Icelandic Highlands. They are no ordinary roads. They aren’t paved and are often challenging to drive on. Their condition varies but you can expect a lot of loose gravel and holes in all forms and sizes. Often you even need to cross some rivers where there are no bridges.

As you can read from this description, the F-roads aren’t for inexperienced drivers. They also require you to be driving a 4×4 vehicle. Sometimes even a raised 4×4 vehicle. For the drive to Landmannalaugar the latter isn’t necessary though. You will have to cross a small river though. One without a bridge.

It’s important to note that the F-roads aren’t open year round. When they open depends on the weather and the roads’ condition each year. That means the opening date can vary from one year to the next. It also varies from one F-road to another. Usually they open sometime in June and close again sometime in September.

You can read more about Icelandic F-roads here

If you think driving on a F-road is a bit much for you and your driving skills, you should consider taking the bus to Landmannalaugar. Or buy a tour like those I told you about earlier in this post.

You can book a ticket with the Highland Bus here

Whatever transportation method you choose to get to Landmannalaugar, a scenic and memorable trip is guaranteed.

Please note that from summer 2024 it’s necessary to book a parking space beforehand if you are planning on being in Landmannalaugar between 8 am and 15 pm any day from June 20th to september 15th (both days included).

Click here to book a parking space online.

Accommodation when Hiking in Landmannalaugar

If you plan to stay overnight in Landmannalaugar you have three options:

• Set up a tent
• Sleep in a camper van
• Stay the night in a mountain hut

You can bring a tent and stay at the camping site. I will have to warn you though. It’s pretty hard to put up a tent in Landmannalaugar. Let’s just say the ground isn’t exactly as soft as you would like it to be and therefore it isn’t especially easy to hammer the stakes into the ground. But people manage to do it so it is possible.

The second option is to rent a 4×4 camper van. That way you can just sleep in the car. No tent needed. Very practical.

There are several car rental companies that offer camper vans here in Iceland. One of them is called Cozy Campers. I haven’t used their services (or any of the camper van companies for that matter) but I’ve heard and read very good things about them.

You can see the camper vans Cozy Campers offer to explore the highlands here

The third option is to stay the night at the FÍ mountain hut that is located at the camping site. If you’re interested in choosing this option, you can read about the terms and conditions here down below.

You can’t book your stay on the website or see what dates are available. To send an enquiry about availability, press the button that says “Book hut” on this website here: 

The mountain hut in Landmannalaugar About FÍ’s mountain huts in general Terms and conditions of FÍ’s mountain huts

Landmannalaugar is One of the Must See Places in Iceland

If I haven’t been clear up till now, I want you to know that I think Landmannalaugar is an utterly amazing place. A place that’s truly worth the effort to get to. At least if the weather is a bit cooperative. There is no coincidence that the world famous hiking trail, Laugavegur, starts here. A trail, National Geographic has listed as one of the most beautiful trails in the world. If I haven’t been able to convince you, maybe National Geographic can.

You can read all about the Laugavegur trail here

There are so many gorgeous places in Iceland that are a must see. So many, that it’s impossible to cram them all in on a single visit. That’s why you need to visit more than once 🙂

In my opinion, Landmannalaugar should be on your top list for places to visit. No doubt about it. If not for your first visit, then at least for your second.

Well, that’s it for now. If you liked this post and think some of your friends might be interested in reading it too, please help me spread the word. I’d really appreciate it if you’d share it on social media or just send it directly to a friend.

Until next time!