From Landmannalaugar to Thorsmork - Iceland’s Best Hiking Trail

discover iceland
Rainbow over Landmannalaugar
Gréta S. Guðjónsdóttir

One of the Best, Says Nat Geo

Iceland has some epic hiking trails. It is a humbling experience to hike through this mostly barren, desolate wilderness, to feel the elements and experience their power. You can peer out over unspoiled nature, glacier, volcanoes, canyons, basalt columns and a myriad of other formations.

Of all the places that you could choose to hike in Iceland, one place has to stand out above the rest, in terms of the diversity of terrain that you cover relative to the time, as well in copious amounts of sheer beauty. This is the Laugavegur, recently named one of the best in the world by National Geographic.

The Laugavegur hiking trail is the most famous trail in Iceland, and is where hikers earn their stripes. It starts at Landmannalaugur geothermal area and ends in the verdant kingdom of Þórsmörk (Thorsmork), Thor’s woods. Along the way, you will see volcanoes and lava fields, ice-capped mountains, steaming geothermal valleys, rivers and streams, waterfalls and many other exciting and colorful geological features. This incredible hike is punctuated by 4 huts along the way, where you stop in for the night before continuing on. There are many different ways to do the hike, and you can stay at all 4 or just 2 of the huts: we can give you the run down on all of it.

A sign in the Icelandic highlands that says Landmannalaugar to the left and Thorsmork to the right.
Craig Downing

From Landmannalaugar to Þórsmörk or Skógar!

Icelandic Mountain Guides offers a full range of options on this trail: the classic option is the Landmannalaugar to Þórsmörk trek, which is vehicle assisted, meaning that the bulk of your luggage is carried hut-to-hut while you carry a daypack on the main trail. This affords you the possibility of bringing some little luxuries that you might otherwise hesitate to bring with you out of concerns for the weight of your pack.

We also offer a 3-day Fimmvörðuháls Trek from hut-to-hut that can be combined with the classic 5-day Laugavegur trek for a 7-day trek from Landmannalaugar to Skógar.

Want to do it a bit faster? You can do the Laugavegur from Landmannalaugar to Thórsmörk in 3 nights instead of the usual 4. With only your gear strapped on your back, sleeping bags and supplies await you in the huts on this lightweight backpacking trip.

A hiker looking down at a glacier from a cliff in Laugavegur
Arnar Már Ólafsson

For a truly epic adventure, experience some of Iceland’s finest hiking, and then experience of Greenland’s finest hiking! Embark on the ultimate adventure combo by taking the classic Laugavegur hiking trail and then hopping over to Greenland to take our Sun Gate to Ice Fjord trekking tour. This back-to-back journey will give a unique opportunity to experience and juxtapose these two amazing countries. Which will you prefer? If you are anything like us, you will probably love both equally, for different reasons!

Jan Zelina

Passionate Mountaineering Experts

Our guides live and breathe the outdoor adventure life. For more than 20 years, our guide owned and operated company has been leading groups into vast, wild and untouched nature for unforgettable experiences. These tours include expert guides, food, and accommodation in comfortable mountain huts, as well as transportation at the beginning and end of the trekking tour.

Environmentally Responsible

Due to this trail's popularity, irreparable damage is being caused to the nature that we all enjoy. As environmental stewards in Iceland, we have taken steps to minimise our environmental impact, and to reverse the damage being done by the passengers of many thousands of people passing through the same area. We allocate a percentage of the tour price for each passenger on the Laugavegur and Volcanic Trails goes to our Environmental Fund, as well as 1% of the annual revenue of the entire company. With us, you get to experience this amazing trail and minimize your environmental impact.

Jan Zelina

About the Author

IMG Staff Writer

IMG Staff Writer

An anonymous but well informed member of our team that enjoys sharing their knowledge of Iceland & Greenland’s stunning nature.

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