Laugavegur Trail
Laugavegur Trail
4-Day Laugavegur Trek (Huts)
The classic Landmannalaugar to Þórsmörk trek in four days — mountain huts, a certified guide, and your luggage carried between huts.
Tour code: IMGQ31
Trek the Laugavegur Trail in Four Days, Hut to Hut
The rumors are true. Trekking Iceland’s southern highlands, from the geothermal hot springs of Landmannalaugar to the green valley of Þórsmörk, is even more spectacular in person. Over four days your experienced trekking guide leads you between vivid rhyolite mountains, across vast black sand deserts and past the great Markarfljót canyon, on the trail National Geographic named one of the 20 best in the world.
This is the shorter version of our classic Laugavegur trek — the same trail and the same mountain huts, with the return to Reykjavík on day four instead of day five. Your main luggage is transferred between the huts, so you walk with a daypack while the long, bright Icelandic summer days do the rest. Along the way your guide points out the trail’s landmarks and its quieter corners, and shares the stories and folklore behind them.
In the evenings you settle into cozy mountain huts, where a hot meal and a good night’s rest are waiting. On the fourth day you descend through birch woods into Þórsmörk and finish at Húsadalur, where the Highland Bus carries you back to Reykjavík — and one of the world’s great treks is behind you.
Tour Overview
- Meeting Point
- BSI Bus terminal at 6:30
- Group Size
- 6 - 14 participants
- Language
- English
- Accommodation
- Mountain hut
- Transport
- Highland bus
- Walking per day
- 4 - 7 hrs
- Total Distance
- 56 km (35 mi)
- Max. Ascent
- 600 m (1900 ft)
- Minimum age
- 14 years
- Duration
- 4 days
- Difficulty
- Suitable for those who are physically active and have some background in traveling in mountainous terrain. You walk 6-7 hrs per day carrying a daypack; your main luggage is transferred between the huts.
14
Customer Reviews
4 days trekking through the wild highlands carrying kit and food. This is not a tour that provides a snapshot of a special country, it completely immerses you in the wilderness around glaciated peaks. Each of the four days is different as the route first climbs to a snow covered peak through volcanic turmoil, then follows the ground downhill to within sight of the sea. Along the way there are fumaroles, glaciers, lava flows, ash deserts and verdant green lands before finishing in Thor's forest. The trek involves steep uphill sections, traversing snow fields, walking ridges, visiting steaming vents and boiling springs and river crossings (without the aid of bridges). This is made enjoyable by the quiet, confident leadership of a guide who manages all of the administration at the mountain huts, organises the cooking and cleaning, and supports the group by listening to our aspirations, adjusting pace and stops to match and directing through the landscape whilst teaching new outdoor skills. The accommodation is basic but adequate...My views on finishing this tour were that neither words nor photographs (and I have many) can convey the splendour of this tour. I can only summarise by saying that if you enjoy outdoor adventure and get the opportunity to do this tour - do it.
Tour Highlights
Included
- Experienced and qualified guide
- Transport at the beginning and end of trek
- Breakfast (3), Lunch (4), Dinner (3)
- Mountain hut sleeping bag accommodation in dormitories
- Transfer of luggage between huts
Not included
- Showers in huts (payable on site)
Tour Map and Itinerary
Click map for detailed itineraryMap & Itinerary
4-Day Laugavegur Trek (Huts)
Reykjavík - Landmannalaugar - Hrafntinnusker
Day 1
We meet at BSÍ bus terminal in Reykjavík at 6:30 and board the Highland Bus into the interior. Arriving in Landmannalaugar around midday, we have lunch among the steaming rhyolite hills before heading south into the mountains. The trail climbs past narrow gorges, hot springs and ochre ridges, and we reach the Hrafntinnusker hut in the late afternoon.
Distance: 12 km (7.5 mi)
Walking time: 4 - 5 hrs
Ascent: 470 m (1540 ft)
Hrafntinnusker - Álftavatn
Day 2
We drop down through the gullies of Jökultungur, past hundreds of steaming vents and bubbling mud pools. The Álftavatn basin — Swan Lake — opens up below, with the Mýrdalsjökull and Eyjafjallajökull glaciers filling the southern horizon. We reach the Álftavatn hut in the afternoon.
Distance: 12 km (7.5 mi)
Walking time: 4 - 5 hrs
Descent: 490 m (1610 ft)
Álftavatn - Emstrur
Day 3
We pass the foot of Stórasúla, a green volcanic cone, then cross the black sands of Mælifellssandur toward the old volcano of Hattfell. This is Emstrur, where farmers once grazed their sheep through the summer. Before reaching the Botnar hut we walk out to the Markarfljót canyon, cut almost 200 m down into the rock.
Distance: 16 km (10 mi)
Walking time: 6 - 7 hrs
Descent: 40 m (130 ft)
Emstrur - Þórsmörk - Reykjavík
Day 4
The trail rises and falls through the small valleys of Emstrur, with Mýrdalsjökull glacier only a few kilometers away. As we descend the vegetation thickens into Þórsmörk — the woods of Thor — with its arctic birch forest and summer flowers. We finish at Húsadalur, where the Highland Bus takes us back to Reykjavík in the evening.
Distance: 17 km (10.5 mi)
Walking time: 6 - 7 hrs
Descent: 300 m (985 ft)
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Practical Information
FAQ
Equipment List
Can I charge my phone/camera in the hotels/huts?
We recommend bringing a power bank to charge your electronic devices. The huts do not have electricity. There is a slight chance the wardens will be able to charge for you for a fee of ISK 500.
Do the mountain huts have dormitory rooms/private rooms?
The mountain huts have no private rooms available, all rooms are dormitories.
Will the huts have running water?
There will be running cold water in all the huts. You will need to heat water to get hot water.
I am a vegetarian/vegan/gluten intolerant, will there be a food option for me, what is it?
Vegan meal plan can be ordered upon booking the tour for a small additional fee. We don't offer gluten free supplements so we advice participants to bring their own gluten free items if needed.
How are the toilet facilities?
Some huts have flushable toilets others have outhouses.
Do I need to bring my own cooking equipment?
No, the huts have a fully equipped kitchen.
What are your terms of payment when booking online?
You can find all our terms of payments for day or multi-day tours here.
Will we be able to shower on the trek?
You can shower in the huts that have showers available, some huts do not have any shower facilities. Where showers are available there is a small fee to use them.
The date I want to book is not available, can I still request to book?
If a date is not available, it is either fully booked or not offered on that date. Due to hut allocation, we may not be able to add additional spots, but you are welcome to contact us via email: incoming@mountainguides.is
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