Southern Highlands, Iceland
Laugavegur Trail Classic
Route detail
About this route
Five days across rhyolite mountains, black-sand deserts and green valleys, sleeping in huts with an Icelandic trekking guide.
Daily activity
4–7 hr/day.
Terrain
Rhyolite hills, geothermal ground, black sand, river crossings and hut-to-hut trails.
Best season
June to September
Your guide office
Icelandic Mountain Guides
Based in Reykjavík, Iceland
What's included
Guide, mountain huts, meals, public bus transport and luggage support where available.
Not included
Flights to Iceland, personal snacks, sleeping bag liner, travel insurance.
Itinerary
- 1
Landmannalaugar
Time: 4–5 hrDistance: 10 km
Bus to the highlands and a warm-up walk among steaming rhyolite slopes.
- 2
Hrafntinnusker
Time: 5–6 hrDistance: 12 km
Cross snow patches, obsidian fields and geothermal vents to the first hut.
- 3
Álftavatn
Time: 4–5 hrDistance: 12 km
Descend from the high plateau to the lake country, with river crossings en route.
- 4
Emstrur
Time: 6–7 hrDistance: 16 km
Traverse black volcanic desert and visit the Markarfljót canyon viewpoint.
- 5
Þórsmörk
Time: 5–6 hrDistance: 15 km
Walk into birch forest and the green valley below the glaciers before the return bus.
What to pack
Built for this route's terrain, altitude and number of days. Tick items off as you pack — without the right footwear or hard shell, a guide can refuse to take you up.
0 / 29 packed
Footwear and pack
Broken in before the trip — new boots are the most common cause of an abandoned day.
Clothing layers
Three layers, no cotton. Temperatures can swing 20 °C between valley and summit.
Sun, health and altitude
UV rises roughly 10% every 1,000 m of altitude.
Hut and overnight kit
Mountain huts supply blankets and pillows, never sheets.
Boots, crampons, ice axe and harness can usually be rented from Icelandic Mountain Guides in Reykjavík, Iceland — confirm sizes when you agree your dates.
Traveller feedback
Ratings collected from travellers who completed this route with Icelandic Mountain Guides.
4.9
★★★★★198 ratings
Written reviews for this departure are still being collected. Ask us for references from previous groups before you pay — we will forward them from the guide office.
Questions about this route?
Talk to the guides who run it — gear, fitness, weather windows, private dates. We answer within one working day.
€2,162
per person
Guide, mountain huts, meals, public bus transport and luggage support where available.
Next departure · 7 July 2027
16 of 16 spots left
Live availability updates daily and after every booking.