Laugavegur hiking guide: route map, stages & where to stay

The Laugavegur is Iceland's best-known trek: about 55 km through the southern highlands, from the hot springs of Landmannalaugar to the green birch valley of Þórsmörk. In a few days it crosses coloured rhyolite mountains, obsidian fields and steaming vents, snow patches, black-sand deserts, glacial rivers and moss-covered gorges. Most hikers take four days and sleep in mountain huts or at the campsites beside them.

The route

The trail starts at Landmannalaugar (580 m) in the Fjallabak Nature Reserve and climbs past Brennisteinsalda to Hrafntinnusker, the highest hut on the route at about 1,050–1,100 m, where snow can lie well into summer. From there it crosses the plateau and drops steeply from Jökultungur to the lake at Álftavatn. The third day leads over rivers and the black sands to Emstrur (Botnar), close to the Markarfljót canyon. The last day follows the gorges down to the river Þröngá and into the woods of Þórsmörk.

This guide follows the route as mapped on OpenStreetMap and splits it into the 4 classic hut-to-hut stages, about 13.2 km each. Walking times on the stage pages allow for snow, river crossings and loose ground.

Highlights

• Landmannalaugar: rhyolite mountains in every colour and a natural hot spring next to the campsite
• Hrafntinnusker: obsidian, steam vents and snowfields at the highest point of the trek
• Jökultungur: views over Mýrdalsjökull, Eyjafjallajökull and Tindfjallajökull, and down to Álftavatn
• The black sands: wide desert plains between Álftavatn and Emstrur
• Markarfljót canyon: a deep gorge, a short side trip from Emstrur
• Þórsmörk: birch woods, braided rivers and glaciers at the end of the trail

When to walk the Laugavegur

The huts are staffed and the trail is normally open from about late June to mid-September (Ferðafélag Íslands gives 25 June to 15 September on average). The opening depends on snow and on when the highland roads open. Even in summer, expect cold, wind, rain and fog, and snow on the high section; the weather can change within an hour.

How many days do you need?

Four days is the classic plan, with nights at Hrafntinnusker, Álftavatn and Emstrur. Fit hikers do it in two or three days. Many people add a fifth day and continue over the Fimmvörðuháls pass, between the Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull glaciers, to Skógar on the south coast (about 25 km); National Geographic once included this combined route in a list of the world's best trails.

Getting there and logistics

In summer, highland buses run from Reykjavík to Landmannalaugar (via Selfoss and Hella) and back from Þórsmörk, with stops at Húsadalur, Langidalur and Básar. The roads to both ends are F-roads that need a 4x4, and the rivers on the way to Þórsmörk should not be driven in a normal car.

Book a hut bed or a campsite for every night before you start; the huts of Ferðafélag Íslands (FÍ) are booked online, north to south. Bring a sleeping bag, food for the whole trek (there are no real shops on the way) and wading shoes for the rivers. There is no electricity in the huts and the phone signal is patchy.

Difficulty

The Laugavegur is not technical, but it is a serious backcountry trek. The paths are marked and well used, yet snowfields, steep loose slopes, fog that hides the markers and several cold rivers that must be waded make it hard in bad weather. Check the forecast every day, leave a travel plan at SafeTravel.is and ask the hut wardens about conditions before each stage.

History

The name, like Reykjavík's main street, comes from laug, a warm pool, here the hot springs of Landmannalaugar. Ferðafélag Íslands, the Touring Association of Iceland, built most of the huts along the route and still runs them, and the trail has become the most popular multi-day hike in the country.