The Laugavegur Trail – Is it Worth It?

The Laugavegur Trail is Iceland’s best-known multi-day hike, linking the colourful rhyolite mountains of Landmannalaugar with the lush valley of Þórsmörk. Covering just over 55 kilometres, most hikers take three- four days to complete it, though many extend the walk by continuing across the Fimmvörðuháls Pass to Skógar on the south coast.

The trail is famous for its variety of landscapes in a short distance; geothermal hot springs, obsidian lava fields, volcanic deserts, and glacial river crossings. It regularly appears on lists of the world’s top treks and has become a bucket-list route for hikers travelling to Iceland.

But with that reputation comes cost and logistics. Transport to the trailheads, hut reservations, and even camping fees make the Laugavegur Trail one of the more expensive short treks in the world. Add Iceland’s notoriously unpredictable weather and limited hiking season, and it’s a fair question to ask: is the Laugavegur Trail worth it?

This post looks at the trail objectively. The highlights, the challenges, and the realities of cost and access. Whether you’re planning to book huts, join a guided tour, or carry your own tent, this guide will help you decide if the Laugavegur fits your expectations and your budget.

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The Laugavegur Trail at a Glance

Laugavegur Trail Sections (SOBO)

Section 1: Landmannalaugar → Hrafntinnusker

• Distance: 12 km
• Ascent: ~470 m
• Hut: Hrafntinnusker Hut (Höskuldsskáli) – ~52 beds, very exposed location.
• Camping: Adjacent gravel/snow campsite, often windy and cold.
• Notes: Landmannalaugar itself has a large hut (75 beds) and popular campsite with facilities (toilets, showers, hot springs).

Section 2: Hrafntinnusker → Álftavatn

• Distance: 12 km
• Descent: ~490 m
• Huts:
  • Álftavatn Hut – 72 beds, beside the lake.
  • Hvanngil Hut – 60 beds, ~4 km further south, often preferred over Álftavatn due to better facilities for campers
• Camping: Both huts have campsites (Álftavatn is scenic but exposed, Hvanngil more sheltered in a valley).

Section 3: Álftavatn → Emstrur (Botnar)

• Distance: 15 km
• Undulating terrain, net descent ~40 m
• Hut: Botnar Hut (Emstrur) – 60 beds.
• Camping: Adjacent campsite, set in a canyon area with some shelter.
• Notes: Spectacular views of Mýrdalsjökull glacier.

Section 4: Emstrur (Botnar) → Þórsmörk

• Distance: 15 km
• Net descent: ~300 m
• Huts:
  • Langidalur Hut (FÍ) – 75 beds, main FÍ base in Þórsmörk.
  • Básar Hut (Útivist club) – 83 beds, larger hut area with woodland campsite, slightly across the river from Langidalur.
  • Volcano Huts (Húsadalur) – privately run lodge and cabins with a full-service campsite, restaurant, and sauna. Located in Húsadalur valley, about 30–40 minutes on foot from Langidalur.
• Camping: Available at all three hut areas. Langidalur is most convenient for FÍ buses; Básar is sheltered; Volcano Huts provide extra facilities like hot showers, meals, and Wi-Fi.

Optional Extension: Þórsmörk to Skógar (Fimmvörðuháls Trail)

Some hikers choose to continue beyond Þórsmörk on the Fimmvörðuháls Trail, linking the Laugavegur to the coastal village of Skógar. It’s a full day’s hike of around 25 km, with close to 1,000 metres of climbing out of Þórsmörk before dropping back down the same amount to the coast.

The route passes between two glaciers — Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull — and crosses the eruption sites from 2010, where new craters and lava fields are still raw and striking. The descent into Skógar follows the Skógá River past more than twenty waterfalls, finishing dramatically at Skógafoss.

There’s a small hut at Fimmvörðuháls (Baldvinsskáli Hut, 20 beds) for those breaking the walk into two days. Camping is possible here as well, but it’s very exposed. Most hikers either push through in a single long day or overnight in the hut if space is available.

Transport is straightforward from Skógar, with public buses along the Ring Road to Reykjavík.

Northbound or Southbound?

I'd heard almost everyone hikes southbound, starting in Landmannalaugar and finishing in Þórsmörk. Going this direction, the long climb out of Landmannalaugar is tackled on fresh legs, and from there the trail trends steadily downhill until the sheltered valley of Þórsmörk.

Hiking northbound is entirely possible, and we were surprised by how many people we met going that way. The main draw with hiking the Laugavegur NOBO, is finishing with the hot springs at Landmannalaugar. The compromise is that the hardest climb of the trek, from Álftavatn up to Hrafntinnusker, comes right at the end, before a long descent into Landmannalaugar and its exposed, often crowded campsite. For the record, almost all tours head southbound.

Safety & Navigation

The Laugavegur Trail is well waymarked with wooden stakes and painted posts. In clear conditions, it’s straightforward to follow, but fog, snowfields (common early season), or sudden weather shifts can quickly reduce visibility. On our second day leaving Hrafntinnusker, the fog was so thick, we couldn't see in front of us. Nigel and I made a group with 3 other solo hikers, and together we gingerly navigated the pass down towards Álftavatn.

If you are in this situation weather wise, it's wise to wait it out at Hrafntinnusker Hut and find companions to continue the journey past the fog. And it's not hard to find others to hike with you, the camaraderie is pretty good.

River Crossings

River crossings are unbridged and really do require careful judgment; these are often the trickiest parts of the trail. The rivers are not deep – but they are cold and they are fast flowing which makes it harder if you are new to river crossings. The hut will tell you in advance the best point to cross, which is great if you are inexperienced. Just remember to always unbuckle your pack (so you can quickly release yourself from it if you fall), and always keep 3 points on the bottom of the river. Oh ! and don't forget suitable footwear for river crossings.

GPS Apps

A GPX file is strongly recommended, and almost every hiker has one on their phones or GPS devices. Apps like Gaia GPS, AllTrails, or Mapy.com all have downloadable Laugavegur Trails. Download maps offline before setting out, since phone signal is limited in the Highlands. And it goes without saying, carry a power bank if you’re relying on your phone (see gear list).

Pro-Tip: When using GPS enabled apps, turn off the GPS and close the app when not in use. Constant GPS use drains your battery!

Topo Maps

Electronic devices can and do fail, or get dropped or lost. As with any hike, and especially the Laugavegur due to poor visibility near the high sections of Hrafntinnusker, it really is prudent to carry topographic maps and a compass. And goes without saying, know how to use them.

I recommend taking a navigational course. You can attend in-person training sessions in your area, but if you can't get to any of these or need to brush up on your skills, then the Columbia River Orienteering Club has excellent tutorials on YouTube. Alternatively, two excellent books on navigation include Wilderness Navigation: Finding Your Way Using Map, Compass, Altimeter & GPS and Map Reading and Land Navigation. If you're serious about hiking, it's a great skill to have.

Iceland doesn’t have the equivalent of UK OS Explorer maps, but the Ferdakort 1:100,000 series covers the Laugavegur region. The “Landmannalaugar – Þórsmörk” sheet is the most relevant.

Recommended Guidebook

I recommend Trekking Iceland's Laugavegur Trail & Fimmvorduhals Trail: by Andrew McCluggage (Knife Edge Press), and for anyone looking for a single, reliable source of trail information, it’s hard to beat.

The book includes detailed mapping in the style of OS Explorer maps, but tailored specifically to the trail. That means every junction and elevation shift is clearly laid out, without the bulk of carrying separate sheets. There are also GPX downloads, section breakdowns, estimated timings, and accommodation listings.

I’ve used other books in the Knife Edge series for the Alta Via 1, the West Highland Way, and the Tour des Combins, and they’ve consistently proved accurate, trail-relevant, and easy to use mid-hike. For those who prefer to walk with something physical in hand, this guidebook is more than enough. Plus they too, make an excellent keepsake!

Satellite Communication and SAR

Hiking the Laugavegur Trail is not a walk in the park – well technically it does run through a national park of sorts. But slips or falls resulting in a sprained ankle, or hypothermia, or getting lost due to poor visibility happen to hikers on this trail every year.

Having a satellite communication device for at least one person in your party is very important. It gives you the peace of mind that if the proverbial dirt hit the fan, you can call for help. There is no need for mobile reception as the communication device works on satellites to communicate with emergency rescue. We use a Garmin inReach Mini, which also allows us to send messages home to family and let them know we are safe.

The other thing that many people do not realise, is that many travel insurance policies do not include Search and Rescue coverage, and some only in the highest bracket. It's important to scrutinise your travel insurance policy carefully and check the wording.

I use and recommend Overwatch x Rescue. It includes helicopter rescue and repatriation to your home hospital, should you need it. For what it offers, it’s extremely well priced, and far more competitive than anything else out there. Please use my code SOUL15 for a 15% discount.

Accessibility & Transport

Getting to the Laugavegur trailhead is where the excitement starts! It isn’t complicated, but unfortunately it's not cheap. In summer, highland buses run daily from Reykjavík to Landmannalaugar at one end and Þórsmörk at the other. To catch the highland bus, you need to get from Keflavík airport to the city centre, which is relatively straightforward. From the Reykjavík bus terminal (BSÍ terminal), it's a 20 minute walk to the civic centre where the highland buses depart. And, it's along a paved path, so it is possible to drag a suitcase if you have to.

The highland buses also depart from Skógar for those completing the Fimmvörðuháls. There’s also a public bus departing from Skógar back to Reykjavík. It's slightly cheaper, but it's main appeal is that it takes 4 hours instead of 7 to return to Reykjavík.

These buses are purpose-built to ford the glacial rivers that block ordinary vehicles. For hikers, this makes logistics simple. You can arrive at the trailhead and know you’ll get picked up at the other end. The trade-off is cost and fixed timetable. On the positive side, there is some flexibility, and most companies will honour your ticket if you travel a day earlier or later, as we did.

Crowds and Solitude

The Laugavegur is no hidden gem and it’s also Iceland’s most famous trail, so the reality is you’ll share it with thousands of others. That number equates to around 75,000–100,000 people each summer, and it's a very short summer. The Laugavegur Trail does not have any restrictions on the number of hikers per annum, which to be honest I found strange considering the focus and emphasis on sustainability.

Huts need to be booked months ahead, but campsites work differently. They don’t take reservations, and there is always plenty of space for anyone who turns up. For some, this is part of the appeal, as you get to meet hikers from all over the world.

For others, it can feel crowded or overwhelming, especially at places like Hrafntinnusker where well over a hundred people squeezed into the small six-table cooking shelter, when the weather turned.

If solitude is what you’re after, there are quieter routes in the Icelandic Highlands, which are better suited to more experienced hikers. By contrast, trails like Sweden’s Kungsleden or Greenland’s Arctic Circle Trail offer a far greater sense of remoteness, but are still accessible to well-prepared hikers.

Is the Laugavegur Trail Hard?

Although the Laugavegur is often described as moderate, it is not exactly an easy stroll. Each day covers 12–15 kilometres across volcanic terrain, with steady climbs, loose descents, and some long, but breathtaking exposed ridgelines.

Snow patches can also remain well into July, particularly between Landmannalaugar and Hrafntinnusker, and several rivers must be crossed on foot. None of these are especially deep in normal conditions, but they can still be cold, fast-moving, and extremely daunting if it’s your first time.

It's a rewarding few days where the constant change in scenery keeps every effort worthwhile. But for those new to multi-day trekking, the conditions can feel more demanding than expected, especially if the weather turns. Even I, an experienced hiker, arrived in Hrafntinnusker wet and cold, and didn't want to go any further.

Moderate is the official grade, but many hikers find that certain sections, when combined with Iceland’s unpredictable conditions, feel tougher than the label suggests. If you are new to multi-day hiking, joining a guided tour can be a good way to experience the trail with added support and safety.

Environmental Rules

Iceland’s Highlands are fragile, and the Laugavegur passes through some of the most sensitive terrain in the country. Volcanic soils and moss can take decades to recover from a single footprint, which is why hikers are asked to stay on the marked trails at all times.

And this is one of the reasons why wild camping isn’t allowed along the route. All tents need to be pitched at the designated hut areas, which thankfully there is plenty of space! Rubbish also has to be carried out as there are no bins on the trail, and these rules are taken seriously. They aren’t unusual by global standards, but in Iceland the stakes are higher because the environment simply doesn’t bounce back quickly.

With so many people now walking the Laugavegur each summer, these measures are what make it possible for so many to experience this beautiful trail without leaving a permanent mark.

The Trail of Contrasts

Compared to other famous treks, the Laugavegur is short but intense. In four days you’ll see rhyolite mountains, obsidian lava, black sand deserts, and glacial valleys. By contrast, trails like the Tour du Mont Blanc or some of New Zealand’s Great Walks spread their drama over longer distances with more gradual shifts in scenery.

So the Laugavegur feels more concentrated; it's 4 days of wow factor. Each day brings a new landscape, but it also ends just as you’re settling into trail rhythm. For some, that’s perfect; for others, the short length and high cost per kilometre feel unbalanced.

Cultural Context

The Laugavegur trail is not only a walk through amazing landscapes but also a link to Icelandic tradition. Landmannalaugar has long been a gathering point, known for its geothermal rivers where people bathed and rested before travelling deeper into the Highlands. Þórsmörk, meaning “Thor’s Forest,” carries the name of the Norse god of thunder and has long been a place of shelter at the edge of the glaciers. These aren’t marketing names invented for tourists; they reflect a cultural relationship with the land.

Even the place names tell a story if you know how to read them. Hrafntinnusker translates to “obsidian ridge,” named for the shiny black rock scattered across the plateau. It’s just one example of how Icelandic naming traditions are closely tied to natural features and resources.

Cultural respect runs deep in Iceland, and it’s part of why the environmental rules are taken seriously. This land isn’t just dramatic, it’s storied. Hiking the Laugavegur gives you a glimpse of that heritage alongside the raw beauty.

Unique Extras

There’s something special about beginning or ending a hike with a soak in Landmannalaugar’s hot springs. Even if you’ve read about them before, slipping into that warm water with steam rising against a backdrop of painted hills is a bucket list experience that stays with you.

Continue over the Fimmvörðuháls Pass and you can walk between volcanic craters formed during the 2010 eruption, which is a vivid reminder of Iceland’s raw, shifting geology. And in June and July, the midnight sun adds another layer of magic. You can hike late into the evening without ever needing a torch, which gives the trail an almost timeless feel.

These extras don’t make the logistics easier or the crowds disappear, but they do give the Laugavegur something many trails can’t offer. Moments that feel otherworldly, even in the middle of a busy season.

How Much Does it Cost to Hike the Laugavegur Trail?

So Nigel and I made a decision at the start of the hike to do the Laugavegur Trail as cheaply as possible. We were headed straight for the Kingsleden the same day we finished, so our costs in Iceland were all intended for trail.

We camped, bought overnight oats and 3 freeze-dried meals from home, and bought the cheapest items we could from the supermarket in Reykjavík. We wanted to prove how much it would cost to do this hike on a budget.

So how did we do? Well, we didn't end up hiking the Fimmvörðuháls Pass due to foul weather, so we ended up staying 3 nights at Volcano Huts (totally recommend!). This blew out our budget slightly, however it was cheaper than accommodation in Reykjavík. The total euro spent for 2 people was €1703.81 and here is the breakdown:

Our Emergency Rescue Service isn't covered as we pay an annual fee with Overwatch x Rescue, which is really well priced at just $79USD per annum. Use my code SOUL15 for a 15% discount. It's a great service and fantastic value.

What to Pack for the Laugavegur Trail

Packing for the Laugavegur Trail is all about balancing warmth, waterproofing, and weight. The weather can change from calm sunshine to driving rain or sleet within hours, so every item needs to earn its place in your pack. Even if you’re staying in huts, you’ll still need reliable rain gear, warm layers, and good footwear that can handle wet ground and river crossings.

Campers will, of course, carry more, including a tent, sleeping pad, and stove. Hut-to-hut hikers using the luggage transfer can pare it down to a daypack but still need the full set of safety and weather essentials. The aim isn’t to travel ultralight for the sake of it, but to stay warm, dry, and self-sufficient in a landscape that doesn’t forgive poor preparation.

For a complete breakdown of gear, including pack size, clothing layers, and all-weather safety essentials, check out my detailed Laugavegur Trail Packing List. It’s designed for both hut-based and camping hikers and includes links to our free interactive checklist so you can customise it for your own trip.

How to Get to the Laugavegur Trail

Airport to BSI Bus Terminal

The easiest way to get from Keflavík International Airport (KEF) to the BSÍ Bus Terminal in Reykjavík is by the Flybus, operated by Reykjavík Excursions. Buses depart about 35–40 minutes after every flight arrival and take roughly 45 minutes to reach the city centre. You can buy tickets at the Flybus desk in arrivals or online in advance. In 2025, a return ticket to BSÍ costs around 7,300 ISK per person.

From the BSI Bus Terminal to the Civic Centre is an easy 20 minutes walk

Reykjavík to Trailhead

The Laugavegur Trail runs between Landmannalaugar in the north and Þórsmörk (Thorsmork) in the south. Most hikers walk north to south, finishing in Þórsmörk, though it can be done in either direction. The trailhead at Landmannalaugar isn’t connected by public transport, so the only way in during hiking season is by Highland bus or private 4×4.

There are two main Highland bus operators: Trex and Reykjavík Excursions. Both run daily summer services from Reykjavík, Hella, and Hvolsvöllur, with some continuing to Þórsmörk or even Skógar for those extending to the Fimmvörðuháls Pass. These buses are specially equipped for the rough gravel roads and river crossings of the Highlands.

The buses leave at 7.30am and 12.30pm and the journey to Landmannalaugar takes 4 hours, with a toilet stop at a gas station with a small mini mart. Hikers taking the early bus can make it as far as Hrafntinnusker, but most hikers arriving on the midday bus stay the night at Landmannalaugar and take off early the next morning.

If you’re hiking in the opposite direction, you can reach Þórsmörk by the same bus network, though note that timetables are limited later in the day. It’s also worth checking current road conditions before you travel, as heavy rain or snowmelt can temporarily close the F-roads into the Highlands.

Luggage Transfer Services

Luggage transfers on the Laugavegur Trail are handled by Southcoast Adventure, the only company that currently offers a full service between the main huts. If you’re hiking independently (not as part of a guided group), this is the option to use.

When you take the Reykjavík Excursions bus from Reykjavík to Landmannalaugar, it stops in Hella around 10 am. That’s where you hand your duffel over to Southcoast Adventure. From there, it travels by 4×4 truck between huts as you hike. Your bag will be waiting for you at Álftavatn, then moved the next day to Emstrur, and finally to Þórsmörk, where it usually arrives by around 4 pm.

Each bag must be a single waterproof duffel or soft-sided holdall, with a clear tag showing your name and route. Hard suitcases aren’t accepted, as they can’t be stacked or secured in the highland trucks.

Laugavegur Trail Tours

Is the Laugavegur Trail Worth It?

That depends on what you’re hoping to find. If you’re chasing solitude or want to disappear into wilderness for a week, this probably isn’t the trail for you. The Laugavegur isn’t remote in spirit, even though it runs through one of the wildest landscapes on earth. But if you want four days that capture everything Iceland is famous for: geothermal valleys, black sand deserts, glacial rivers and ever-changing light, then yes, it’s absolutely worth it.

We had two days of solid rain, and at the time, I wasn’t convinced. It felt like a long and expensive way to travel for four days of hiking in bad weather. But once we’d dried out and looked back on the trip, perspective shifted. Even in poor conditions, the landscapes were extraordinary; moody, alive, and constantly changing.

It’s not a perfect hike: the weather can turn, the costs add up, and solitude is rare. But if you can accept all that, the Laugavegur gives you a true glimpse of Iceland’s wild heart. For me, that makes it worth it, even if I didn’t feel that way at the time.

Frequently Asked Questions