Icelandic Highlands: Tips for your First Adventure

Tips for Your First Adventure to Landmannalauger:

The Highlands are part of the unpaved F-Road System and require a 4×4 vehicle.
Check your rental car insurance for F-road coverage and gravel coverage if you plan on self-driving into the highlands
The Highlands are only accessible by car from July- September
The weather is variable- pack layers and rain gear and wear sturdy hiking boots
Bring lunch and snacks as this is remote territory without modern conveniences
Although a visit via tour can be done by any fit level- the hiking should only be done by those with sure footing and some experience hiking

Valerie: Hiking in the Highlands remained at the top of my MUST DOs after visiting Iceland in 2021. As part of our wedding adventure in 2024 we started our trip with a day long excursion into Landmannalauger. These are our Tips for Your First Adventure to Landmannalauger!

We used a Get Your Guide day trip by Kalman Tours for 3 important reasons: 1. The water crossings can be difficult to navigate and we didn’t want the stress about ruining a rental car or getting stuck (see below for the story about how we DID get stuck!) 2. Hiking Landmannaluger can be tricky and parking requires reservations- using a guide allowed us to park and offered the expertise for a safe hike. 3. We wanted a tour that would pick us up at our Hotel in Hvergerdi and that would fit all 6 of us in one vehicle.

We highly recommend this day tour: https://www.getyourguide.com/southern-region-iceland-l32352/private-tour-to-landmannalaugar-explore-the-highlands-t654961/

Lindsey: This hike was definitely my favorite part of the trip as it was the one thing we missed our first time visiting Iceland and the beauty did not fail to impress.

On any big adventure like this there’s always a few things I like to remind myself; the first and foremost is TAKE IT ALL IN. Make sure you put down the camera, stop walking, and just look. Moments can be fleeting and views like these deserve their space and time. Second is stay calm, which I know is easier said than done but like you’ll read below no day goes as planned and if you let stress takeover you will miss out on what exciting things may come from the mishaps. Finally, and my favorite, is to breathe in that incredible air cause man its fresh out there.

Our Trip to Lanmannalauger

We made base camp at The Greenhouse Hotel in Hvergerdi (See best places to stay in Iceland) and we arranged to be picked up at the hotel. The weather changes constantly in Iceland and our guide was determined to get us out there before a storm rolled in- you can see the storm in many of the landscape images. We made a few stops for photos on our way out as well as a few river crossings-but arrived in time to have lunch. Just as we were entering Fjallback Nature Reserve via van, we crossed a river and got stuck! This was an omen that we had made the right decision to adventure with a knowledgeable guide! Instead of spending time on the phone with a car rental company- the guide took care of getting us a new ride! After a quick lunch, we headed out on a hike. We crossed gorgeous fields before heading up into the rhyolite mountains!

Our hike (Brannisteinsalda Trail) had significant elevation gain and we crossed over the ridge line with some pretty wild winds. As we were hiking up the ridgeline we noticed that Pat seemed a bit distressed. We discovered that this was Pat’s first hiking excursion! Epic “soon to be mother in-law” FAIL! For reference, this hike is part of the famous Laugavegur Trail- ranked one of the best hikes in the world! Go big or go home… Pat went big! We discovered that adventure travel requires knowing your groups experience level and comfortability. Pushing out of our comfort zone can be scary but the experience can also bring a sense of accomplishment and a new appreciation for our natural world.

We got Pat down safely and a new man emerged- Hiking Pat! Despite the epic fail on my part for not knowing, Pat experienced something he might have missed, had I not made the mistake. Part of the adventure and the stories that evolve come from the mishaps- we recommend embracing them! After our adventures in Landmannalauger, the storm rolled in and we were back on the road to see the Valley Of Tears -Sigoldugljufur. Despite the rain and the wind- this valley is otherworldly and unlike anything we have ever seen. An easy pull off with easy parking- this is well worth the side trip! The water really is that turquoise as a result of the minerals in the glacier water! We arrived back at our hotel in time for dinner and the Greenhouse Hotel with its built in Food Court was the perfect ending after a perfect day.

Tips for Your First Adventure to Landmannalauger:

Let’s Pack! Here’s everything we would recommend for a day in the Highlands…

RAIN COAT- the weather changes quickly but there’s always a good chance of rain
Sturdy Hiking Boats
Water- rule of thumb is a liter for every 2 hours of hiking
Back Pack- we recommend a dry bag backpack so everything stays dry in case it rains
Sunglasses/hat for the sun that vitally comes after the rain
Layers- a wicking base layer, a layer for warmth and a wind/water layer
Picnic Lunch
Bathing Suit and Travel Towel for enjoying the hot springs after the hike