Best of Iceland's Highlands and Westfjords: Landmannalaugar, Laugavegur Trek, Thorsmork, Askja, Fjadrargljufur Canyon and the Deep Interior, A 2026 First-Person Guide

Best of Iceland's Highlands and Westfjords: Landmannalaugar, Laugavegur Trek, Thorsmork, Askja, Fjadrargljufur Canyon and the Deep Interior, A 2026 First-Person Guide

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Best of Iceland's Highlands and Westfjords: Landmannalaugar, Laugavegur Trek, Thorsmork, Askja, Fjadrargljufur Canyon and the Deep Interior, A 2026 First-Person Guide

I have spent three separate Icelandic summers driving the F-roads in a high-clearance 4WD, sleeping in mountain huts, and watching the weather flip from sun to sleet inside a single hour. The Highlands and the Westfjords are the parts of Iceland that most first-time visitors skip because they pick the seven-day Golden Circle plus south coast loop and call it done. I understand the impulse, but the country's real character lives in the rhyolite ridges of Landmannalaugar, the glacier-walled bowl of Thorsmork, the lunar caldera at Askja, and the empty fjord roads west of Isafjordur where you can drive forty minutes without seeing another car. This guide is the one I wish I had on my first attempt, when I underestimated the river crossings, the wind, and most of all the price of a basic sandwich at a Highland hut.

TL;DR

Iceland sits at 103,000 square kilometres with a population of roughly 376,000, of which more than 240,000 live in the Reykjavik capital area. The interior Highlands cover around 40,000 square kilometres, almost 40 percent of the country, and they are essentially uninhabited. Access is limited to roughly mid June through early September, when the F-roads (the "F" stands for fjall, meaning mountain) thaw enough for 4WD traffic. Outside this window, the interior is closed.

Landmannalaugar sits at about 600 metres altitude inside the Fjallabak Nature Reserve at GPS 63.9930 N, 19.0608 W. It is the trailhead for the 55 kilometre Laugavegur Trail, a four to five day point-to-point trek to Thorsmork. The Iceland Touring Association (Ferdafelag Islands, abbreviated FI) operates the mandatory hut network at Landmannalaugar, Hrafntinnusker, Alftavatn, Hvanngil and Emstrur, charging around USD 80 to 95 per bunk per night in 2026.

Thorsmork, the "Valley of Thor", lies wedged between three glaciers (Eyjafjallajokull, Myrdalsjokull and Tindfjallajokull) at GPS 63.6829 N, 19.5061 W. Eyjafjallajokull erupted in April 2010 and shut European airspace for six days. Askja Caldera, formed by the explosive 1875 eruption, holds lake Oskjuvatn at 220 metres deep, the second deepest lake in Iceland, at GPS 65.0333 N, 16.7833 W. Apollo astronauts trained here in 1965 and 1967 for the lunar landings.

Fjadrargljufur Canyon, two kilometres long and 100 metres deep, is pre-Roman in age and went viral after a 2015 Justin Bieber music video. Damage from over-tourism forced a full closure in 2019, with managed reopening from 2020. The Westfjords peninsula covers 22,200 square kilometres, holds Dynjandi waterfall (100 metres tall, 30 metres wide at the base), and contains Latrabjarg, a 14 kilometre cliff that is among Europe's longest seabird cliffs.

Budget cold reality for 2026: a Reykjavik hostel bed costs USD 55 to 85, a basic restaurant meal USD 30 to 50, a 4WD rental with F-road insurance USD 150 to 250 per day, and a guided four-day Laugavegur trek USD 1,500 to 2,000. Iceland is genuinely expensive, but the Highlands themselves are free to enter, and a self-catered hut trek can keep daily spend at USD 120 to 180 once the car is paid for.

Best window: late June through early September for full Highland access; July and August for warm weather and reliably open F-roads; September for shoulder light, fewer crowds and the first aurora chances. Avoid May, October and winter for the Highlands unless you are joining a guided super-Jeep tour with experienced operators.

Why Iceland's Highlands Matter in 2026

The country has been on every travel list since 2010, but the visitor flow is wildly lopsided. Roughly 2.3 million international visitors arrived in 2024, and the overwhelming majority circulated on a tight loop: Reykjavik, Golden Circle, south coast to Jokulsarlon, occasionally the full Ring Road. The Highlands see a small fraction of that volume because the F-roads scare off rental customers, because most operators discourage interior driving in standard SUVs, and because the season is genuinely short.

Climate change is rewriting the playbook. Glaciers are retreating fast enough that the photos from a 2014 trip no longer match what you will see today. Sólheimajokull alone has lost more than a kilometre of ice in two decades. Vatnajokull and Langjokull are shedding mass every season, which is grim from a climate standpoint and also a reason that 2026 is a more interesting moment to walk the ice margins than 2036 will be.

Volcanism is also reshaping the south. The Reykjanes peninsula, dormant for roughly 800 years, woke up in 2021 with the Fagradalsfjall eruption and has produced repeat fissure events through 2023 and 2024, with the town of Grindavik partly evacuated. The Highlands themselves sit on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge spreading zone, which is precisely why you can stand at Askja and look at a fresh basalt sheet from the 2014 to 2015 Holuhraun eruption, the largest lava flow in Iceland since 1783.

Tourism management has matured. The Environment Agency closed Fjadrargljufur in 2019 to repair erosion, and the reopening since 2020 uses raised walkways and seasonal access controls. The Touring Association has tightened hut booking systems so Laugavegur huts now book out months ahead for July and August. None of this is bad news for the careful traveller; it just means you cannot show up at Landmannalaugar on a Wednesday in late July and expect a hut bed.

The practical case for the Highlands in 2026 is straightforward. The Ring Road is busier than ever. Reykjavik weekends are loud. The Golden Circle still works as a sampler, but the deep interior is where the country feels unmoderated, where you can walk for six hours without crossing another party on a quiet trail variant, and where the geology is so raw that it reads like a textbook diagram come to life.

Background: Settlement, Republic, Modern Iceland

The historical sweep is short and dense. Norse settlers, principally from western Norway, arrived in the late ninth century. Ingolfur Arnarson is the conventional first permanent settler, landing in 874 CE at what is now Reykjavik (the name means "smoky bay" for the geothermal steam). By 930 CE the settlers had organised the Althing at Thingvellir, often described as the world's oldest surviving parliament, meeting outdoors in a rift valley that is itself the visible edge of the North American and Eurasian plate boundary.

Christianity was adopted by Althing decree around 1000 CE in a famously pragmatic compromise designed to avoid civil war between pagan and Christian factions. The Reformation reached Iceland in 1550, with the last Catholic bishop, Jon Arason, executed at Skalholt. Iceland came under Norwegian rule in 1262, passed to Denmark in 1380, and remained a Danish dependency for nearly six centuries. The Republic of Iceland was declared on 17 June 1944, while Denmark was still under German occupation, and that date is now the national day.

Modern Iceland declined EU membership (the country voted to stay out in 1994 by joining the EEA instead), joined the Schengen area in 2001, weathered a brutal financial crash in 2008 when three major banks collapsed within a week, and rebuilt the economy through fisheries, aluminium smelting, geothermal energy export of know-how, and a tourism boom that took the country from 488,000 visitors in 2010 to a peak around 2.3 million by the mid 2020s.

Key facts I keep in mind when planning a trip:

  • Iceland is 103,000 square kilometres, the smallest Nordic country by area, with about 376,000 residents and the lowest population density in Europe.
  • The Highlands interior covers around 40,000 square kilometres, roughly 40 percent of the landmass, and is essentially uninhabited; F-roads open only mid June through early September.
  • Landmannalaugar sits at 600 metres altitude with rhyolite peaks that glow orange, pink, yellow and green; the natural hot spring at the campsite stays at a swimmable temperature year round.
  • The Laugavegur Trail is 55 kilometres point to point from Landmannalaugar to Thorsmork, typically walked over four to five days, with FI huts at Hrafntinnusker (the high pass), Alftavatn, Hvanngil and Emstrur.
  • The Westfjords cover 22,200 square kilometres in the far northwest, hold less than 7,000 residents and contain some of the steepest cliff coastlines in Europe; tourism here is roughly a tenth of Ring Road density.
  • Reykjavik and the capital area concentrate more than 60 percent of the national population, which is why the rest of the country feels so empty.
  • Eyjafjallajokull volcano (1,651 metres) erupted from 14 April to 23 May 2010, halted roughly 100,000 European flights, and made Icelandic pronunciation a global joke.

Five Tier-1 Destinations

1. Landmannalaugar and the Laugavegur Trail

Landmannalaugar (GPS 63.9930 N, 19.0608 W) is the gateway to the southern Highlands and the single most photogenic patch of ground in Iceland for my money. The campsite and FI hut sit at about 600 metres altitude on the edge of the Laugahraun lava field, a jagged sheet from a thirteenth century eruption. Around the hut, rhyolite ridges glow in colour palettes that look impossible until you walk them. The classic short circuit climbs Brennisteinsalda (855 metres, the "Sulphur Wave") for the steam-vent foreground, then drops to a rhyolite saddle and ascends Blahnukur (940 metres, the "Blue Peak") for the long view across the Fjallabak Nature Reserve. Plan four to five hours including stops; the loop is roughly 6.5 kilometres but the altitude gain is honest.

The natural hot pool at the campsite, fed by a stream where cold and geothermal water mix, sits around 36 to 40 degrees Celsius depending on the season. Wooden boardwalks let you cross the boggy ground in trail shoes; bring a small towel and water shoes because the bottom is rocky. The FI hut sleeps about 78 people in bunk dorms and a smaller cottage, with a shared kitchen and communal long tables.

Access from Reykjavik is via F208 from the north (via Hrauneyjar) or F225 plus F208 from the west (via Sigalda), both 4WD-only routes with river crossings that swell in afternoon meltwater. Reykjavik Excursions and Trex run scheduled buses for around USD 95 to 110 round trip in summer if you do not want to drive yourself.

The Laugavegur Trail is the four to five day point-to-point from Landmannalaugar south to Thorsmork, 55 kilometres long with around 1,100 metres of cumulative descent. Day one is a steep haul up to the Hrafntinnusker hut (1,027 metres, the highest point and the coldest night). Day two drops to Alftavatn ("Swan Lake") through a moonscape of obsidian and ash. Day three crosses Hvanngil and the longest river ford of the route to Emstrur, with side trips into the Markarfljotsgljufur canyon. Day four follows the Markarfljot river down to Thorsmork. Many trekkers extend by one day on the Fimmvorduhals add-on, which climbs from Thorsmork over the saddle between Eyjafjallajokull and Myrdalsjokull and ends at Skogafoss waterfall.

Costs for 2026: FI hut bunks USD 80 to 95 per night, prebook through fi.is months ahead for July and August. Camping next to the huts USD 25 to 30 per person per night. Guided trips USD 1,500 to 2,000 for four days including hut fees, hot meals, baggage transfer and a certified guide. Self-guided with baggage transfer between huts USD 600 to 900. Truly self-supported, carrying your own food and tent, USD 200 to 300 plus food.

Practical notes that saved me a bad day: rivers are coldest and lowest in the morning, so cross early; bring proper river-crossing shoes (neoprene booties or sturdy sandals with heel straps), and trekking poles are not optional for the fords. Weather is wildly variable; pack a four-season sleeping bag rating and assume one rainy day in four even in midsummer.

2. Thorsmork ("Valley of Thor") and Eyjafjallajokull

Thorsmork sits in a green bowl between three glaciers (Eyjafjallajokull 1,651 metres to the south, Myrdalsjokull which sits atop Katla volcano to the east, and Tindfjallajokull to the north) at GPS 63.6829 N, 19.5061 W. The valley name honours the Norse thunder god Thor. The Krossa river, a glacial braid that shifts course every season, is the famous obstacle: even on the so-called "highland buses" with raised chassis, drivers stop, study the current, and pick a line. Standard rental cars are emphatically forbidden, and your insurance is void if you try.

Once inside, Thorsmork rewards you with birch forest, mossy lava and steep ridges. The classic short hike is Valahnukur (458 metres), a 90 minute up-and-back from Husadalur with 360 degree glacier views. Tindfjoll ridge and the Stakkholtsgja Canyon, a slot carved by a single waterfall, both make excellent day options.

The Fimmvorduhals trek, 25 to 30 kilometres depending on the variant, climbs from Skogafoss waterfall on the south coast up the Skoga river past 26 named waterfalls, crosses the saddle at around 1,000 metres between Eyjafjallajokull and Myrdalsjokull, and descends into Thorsmork. The saddle holds the 2010 lava fields from the Fimmvorduhals fissure eruption that preceded the main Eyjafjallajokull blast by a few weeks; the rock was still warm to the touch in 2011 and remains stark and fresh today. This is a long day for fit walkers and a two-day option with the small Baldvinsskali hut at the pass.

Accommodation options inside Thorsmork: Volcano Huts at Husadalur (private rooms, dorms and a small hot tub, USD 90 to 220 per person depending on category) and the FI Langidalur and Basar huts (dorm bunks USD 80 to 95). The Volcano Huts shuttle from Reykjavik runs USD 75 to 90 each way.

Eyjafjallajokull itself is best appreciated from the south coast. The visitor centre at Thorvaldseyri farm tells the 2010 story honestly, including how the local family fed and watered livestock under ash fall. The crater is accessible on guided glacier-walk and snowmobile tours from Solheimajokull or Myrdalsjokull, typically USD 200 to 350 for a half day.

3. Askja Caldera and the Northern Interior

Askja (GPS 65.0333 N, 16.7833 W) is the most lunar landscape in the country. It is a complex of nested calderas within the Dyngjufjoll massif in the Vatnajokull National Park. The largest caldera, formed in the catastrophic 1875 eruption that drove waves of Icelandic emigration to North America, holds lake Oskjuvatn at 220 metres deep, second only to Jokulsarlon in Iceland's lake depth ranking. Next door sits Viti ("Hell"), a smaller maar crater with a milky blue-green geothermal pool you can swim in if you are brave about the sulphur smell and the slick descent path.

The NASA Apollo astronaut training programme used Askja in July 1965 and again in 1967, with crews including Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin practising basalt-field geology and sample collection on terrain that genuinely resembles parts of the lunar maria. Photographs from those visits hang at the small Reykjahlid museum near Lake Myvatn.

Access is the hardest of the five Tier-1 sites. The F88, F894 and F910 are all unbridged, with several deep river crossings including Lindaa, which can be impassable after rain. Most visitors arrive on guided super-Jeep day tours from Lake Myvatn or Akureyri, USD 280 to 420 for the full day. Self-driving requires a high-clearance 4WD with confirmed F-road and river insurance, plus the ability to gauge ford depth honestly (the rule I follow: never cross water deeper than the bottom of the rear differential, and always wait for another vehicle to cross first).

Holuhraun lava field is the northern extension of the Askja story. The Bardarbunga subglacial volcano fed a 2014 to 2015 fissure eruption that produced 85 square kilometres of fresh lava in the Holuhraun plain, the largest Icelandic eruption since Laki 1783. Walking the edge of Holuhraun, with the lava still cracking and venting steam in places years later, is one of the closest analogues to "another planet" that I have experienced in any country.

The Dreki ("Dragon") hut at Drekagil canyon (GPS 65.0431 N, 16.5942 W) is the standard base for Askja. Bunks USD 75 to 90, no electricity past the lounge, very cold nights even in July, and the toilets are an outhouse. Bring a pillow case; bring snacks; do not expect a phone signal.

4. Fjadrargljufur Canyon and the South Coast

Fjadrargljufur (GPS 63.7716 N, 18.1715 W) is a two kilometre long, 100 metre deep canyon carved by the Fjadra river through palagonite tuff over the past two million years, with much of the present shape dating to the end of the last ice age around 9,000 years ago. It is one of the most beautiful slot canyons in the North Atlantic, and it is also the canyon that taught Iceland a hard lesson about social media tourism. After Justin Bieber's 2015 "I'll Show You" music video featured the canyon prominently, visitation jumped from thousands to hundreds of thousands per year, and unmanaged foot traffic damaged the moss and vegetation on the rim. The Environment Agency closed the canyon in 2019 for restoration, and since 2020 reopening it operates with a raised viewing platform, designated paths and seasonal closures during the muddiest weeks.

Combine Fjadrargljufur with the broader south coast on a single drive. Working east to west from Vik: Reynisfjara black-sand beach with its basalt column sea-stacks of Reynisdrangar offshore, where sneaker waves have killed unwary visitors and the signage is genuinely necessary; Dyrholaey, a 120 metre headland and lighthouse with puffin colonies from mid May to mid August; Vik i Myrdal village itself, the southernmost mainland settlement; Skogafoss, a 60 metre curtain waterfall with a stair to the top and the head of the Fimmvorduhals trek; Seljalandsfoss, also 60 metres, with the famous walk-behind path (wear waterproofs and expect to get wet anyway); and the Thorvaldseyri farm visitor centre for the 2010 Eyjafjallajokull story.

The south coast can be done as a long day trip from Reykjavik (roughly 12 hours by tour bus, USD 95 to 150 per person), but I much prefer a self-driven two or three day plan that includes a night in Vik or at a farm guesthouse east of Skogar.

5. Westfjords and Dynjandi

The Westfjords are the part of Iceland that the standard Ring Road skips entirely. The peninsula covers 22,200 square kilometres of glacier-carved fjords, separated from the rest of the country by a narrow neck of land at Brjanslaekur. Population is roughly 7,000, with Isafjordur at about 2,700 as the regional capital. Distances feel longer than they look on the map because the road clings to fjord walls; budget at least four days, ideally six to eight.

Dynjandi ("the Thunderous", GPS 65.7339 N, 23.2055 W) is the signature waterfall, a 100 metre cascade that spreads from 30 metres wide at the top to 60 metres at the base. The approach is a 600 metre walking path past six smaller waterfalls. Standing at the base in the spray, you understand the name; the ground rumbles audibly.

Latrabjarg cliff (GPS 65.5008 N, 24.5333 W) is a 14 kilometre wall on the westernmost tip of Europe (technically the westernmost point of mainland Europe excluding small islets), and one of the largest seabird cliffs in Europe by population. Puffins nest within arm's reach of the cliff edge from late May to mid August, along with razorbills, guillemots and northern fulmars. The unpaved approach road is long and pothole-heavy but worth the effort; just do not lie down at the edge for selfies (the cliff is undercut and people have died here).

Hornstrandir Nature Reserve, the abandoned northern peninsula, has been uninhabited since the last residents left in 1952. It is now a protected wilderness famous for Arctic foxes that have never been hunted and so are remarkably tame around respectful hikers. Access is summer only by scheduled boat from Isafjordur (around USD 90 to 140 round trip), and trekking here is fully self-supported with no road infrastructure.

Other Westfjords highlights: Raudisandur, a ten kilometre red-and-pink sand beach on the southern coast; Drangsnes hot pots, three free public soaking tubs by the seawall; Hellulaug natural hot spring in Vatnsfjordur, also free; and the small Museum of Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft in Holmavik for one of the strangest single-room museums I have ever seen.

Tier-2 Picks Worth Adding

  • Hveravellir: a geothermal highland oasis on the Kjolur route (F35) between Langjokull and Hofsjokull glaciers, with a hot soaking pool, a small hut and 24 hour daylight in midsummer.
  • Kerlingarfjoll: a rhyolite mountain range east of Hofsjokull, with the Hveradalir hot spring valley delivering steaming colours that rival Landmannalaugar; the new mountain lodge here is one of the best Highland sleeps in the country.
  • Veidivotn and Laki: a chain of crater lakes and the fissure system whose 1783 to 1784 eruption killed roughly a fifth of Iceland's population and triggered Europe-wide famine; remote, sobering and almost empty.
  • Vatnajokull National Park: 14,000 square kilometres, UNESCO World Heritage since 2019, covering Europe's largest glacier and around 30 active volcanoes; Skaftafell and the Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon are entry points I cover in detail in my dedicated Ring Road and Vatnajokull guides.
  • Snaefellsnes peninsula: "Iceland in miniature" with glacier, lava field, fishing villages and black-sand beach all in a 90 kilometre loop; I cover Snaefellsnes in depth in my Iceland Ring Road piece.

Cost Table for 2026 (ISK, USD and INR)

The Iceland krona (ISK) trades roughly 138 to 142 to 1 USD in early 2026. Prices below are typical 2026 mid-season ranges. INR is calculated at USD 1 = INR 84.

Item ISK USD INR
Reykjavik hostel dorm bed per night 7,500 to 12,000 55 to 85 4,600 to 7,100
Reykjavik mid-range hotel double 24,000 to 38,000 170 to 270 14,300 to 22,700
Countryside farm-stay double 18,000 to 28,000 130 to 200 10,900 to 16,800
FI Highland hut bunk per person per night 11,000 to 13,500 80 to 95 6,700 to 8,000
Highland campsite per person per night 3,500 to 4,200 25 to 30 2,100 to 2,500
4WD rental (F-road licensed) per day 21,000 to 35,000 150 to 250 12,600 to 21,000
Diesel (95 octane equivalent) per litre 290 to 320 2.05 to 2.30 172 to 193
Basic restaurant meal 4,200 to 7,000 30 to 50 2,500 to 4,200
Mid-range dinner with one drink 8,500 to 13,000 60 to 95 5,000 to 8,000
Supermarket lunch (Bonus or Kronan) 1,400 to 2,500 10 to 18 840 to 1,500
Skyr (500g tub) 350 to 500 2.50 to 3.60 210 to 300
Coffee (filter, not specialty) 600 to 900 4.30 to 6.40 360 to 540
Beer at a pub (500 ml) 1,400 to 2,200 10 to 16 840 to 1,300
Reykjavik to Landmannalaugar bus round trip 13,000 to 16,500 95 to 120 8,000 to 10,100
Guided Laugavegur 4-day trek 210,000 to 280,000 1,500 to 2,000 126,000 to 168,000
Self-guided Laugavegur with baggage transfer 85,000 to 125,000 600 to 900 50,400 to 75,600
Highland super-Jeep day tour (Askja or Thorsmork) 35,000 to 56,000 250 to 400 21,000 to 33,600
Lopapeysa wool sweater (handknit) 28,000 to 45,000 200 to 320 16,800 to 26,900
Icelandair Reykjavik (KEF) to London round trip 28,000 to 75,000 200 to 540 16,800 to 45,400
Wizz Air or PLAY budget round trip to Europe 14,000 to 42,000 100 to 300 8,400 to 25,200

Reality check: Iceland is the most expensive country I have ever travelled in, ahead of Switzerland and Norway. A two-person, two-week self-driving Highlands trip with car, fuel, a mix of huts and guesthouses, mid-range groceries and a few restaurant meals will land around USD 6,000 to 9,000 all in, excluding international flights. Travellers who tent, drive a low-cost 4WD, cook every meal and avoid guided tours can cut that to USD 3,500 to 4,500.

How to Plan a 7 to 14 Day Iceland Highlands Trip

When to go. F-roads typically open between 10 and 25 June and close between 5 and 20 September, depending on snowmelt and early autumn storms. Vegagerdin (the Icelandic Road Administration) publishes daily F-road status at road.is, which I check every morning during a trip. Peak weather and reliability is mid July to mid August. Shoulder season (very late June, early September) brings fewer crowds, lower prices and the first chance at aurora, but expect at least one F-road to be closed when you want it open.

Getting around. A 4WD rental with proper F-road and river insurance is essential for the Highlands. The cheapest car you see on a comparison site is almost certainly not F-road licensed; check the rental contract carefully, and confirm that "gravel protection", "sand and ash protection" and "river crossing" coverages are included. I have used Lava Car Rental, Blue Car Rental and Reykjavik Cars in different years and would book the smallest acceptable 4WD (Suzuki Jimny, Dacia Duster, or Toyota RAV4 for two people; a Land Cruiser or Hilux only if you are tackling Askja, the F26 Sprengisandur or the F261 to Emstrur self-driven). Always carry a paper map; mobile signal disappears in the interior.

Accommodation. Highland huts (FI network at fi.is, plus independents like Volcano Huts and Kerlingarfjoll Highland Base) book months ahead for July and August. Reserve hut nights first, then build the rest of the itinerary around those fixed dates. In Reykjavik, base near Hlemmur or Laugavegur street for walkability. In the countryside, farm guesthouses are typically cheaper, friendlier and quieter than hotels.

Food. Eating out daily is a fast way to vaporise the budget. The two big supermarket chains, Bonus (yellow pig logo) and Kronan (red flag), are the cheap option; closing times vary but most are open 11:00 to 19:00. Skyr (cultured dairy, much higher protein than yoghurt) is the breakfast workhorse. Hardfiskur (dried fish strips) and rugbraud (rye bread) keep on the trail. I cook two meals a day in huts and eat one mid-range restaurant dinner every three or four days for sanity.

Weather and safety. Conditions change in fifteen minutes. Pack Gore-Tex shell jacket and trousers, fleece mid-layer, merino base layers, warm hat, gloves, buff, sturdy waterproof hiking boots, and gaiters. Use the SafeTravel app (safetravel.is) to file your trip plan and check daily warnings. Register your route for any multi-day Highland trek; the search-and-rescue service (ICE-SAR) uses this information when storms hit. Carry an offline GPS map (Gaia GPS or Topo Iceland by ja.is). My personal rule for river crossings: if you would not walk it on foot, you should not drive it.

Photography. Midnight sun runs from late May to mid July; expect a "golden hour" that lasts roughly four hours from 22:00 to 02:00 in early July. Aurora season runs late August to mid April, with peak activity around the equinoxes. Bring a small tripod, a circular polariser, and far more SD card space than you think you need. The Highlands eat memory cards.

Eight Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do I really need a 4WD for the Highlands?

Yes. F-roads are legally restricted to 4WD vehicles, and standard insurance is void if you take a 2WD onto an F-road. Beyond the legal issue, the surfaces are gravel, washboard, deep ruts and unbridged rivers; a 2WD will struggle within the first kilometre and will be undrivable at the first ford. I have seen the consequences in tow bills that ran to USD 8,000 for a single rescue. The cheapest "F-road licensed" rental is a Suzuki Jimny or Dacia Duster, which is fine for the lighter routes like F208 to Landmannalaugar; for the heavier F-roads (F88 to Askja, F26 Sprengisandur) you want a Hilux or Land Cruiser.

2. Is the Laugavegur Trail too hard for a first-time multi-day trekker?

It is the most accessible classic multi-day in the country, but it is still a serious undertaking. The distances are moderate (10 to 15 kilometres per day) and the terrain is well marked, but weather swings, cold rain, river crossings and the altitude at Hrafntinnusker (1,027 metres) make this a real expedition. If you have done other multi-day hikes (Tour du Mont Blanc, West Highland Way, Annapurna teahouse trek) you will be fine. If your hiking has been day-walks at sea level, hire a guide or pick a shorter Highland day-trek instead.

3. Can I do the Highlands without renting a car?

Yes, but with constraints. Reykjavik Excursions and Trex run scheduled buses in summer to Landmannalaugar, Thorsmork, Skaftafell and a few other gateways, typically USD 95 to 120 round trip per route. Schedules are limited to a few departures per week, so you build your trip around the bus calendar. For Askja and the northern interior, you essentially must join a guided super-Jeep tour from Lake Myvatn (USD 280 to 420 per day).

4. How expensive is a typical Iceland Highlands day, all in?

For a couple sharing a 4WD and groceries: roughly USD 220 to 340 per day all in (car USD 180 to 250, fuel USD 30 to 50, food USD 40 to 80, hut or campsite USD 60 to 120, miscellaneous USD 20 to 30). For solo travel using buses and self-cooked meals: USD 160 to 240 per day. The Highlands themselves are free to enter; the cost is in transport and accommodation.

5. Is Iceland safe for solo female travellers in the Highlands?

Yes, with normal hiking precautions. Iceland consistently ranks at or near the top of global gender-equality and personal-safety indices. The greater risks are environmental (weather, river crossings, falling rocks) rather than personal. Solo trekkers should still file route plans on safetravel.is and carry a satellite communicator (Garmin inReach or similar) for the deep interior where mobile signal is unreliable.

6. What is the deal with Icelandic horses and where do I ride them?

The Icelandic horse is a pure-bred descendant of the Norse horses brought by ninth-century settlers; the country has banned import of foreign horses since 982 CE to keep the breed isolated. Riding stables offer one-hour to multi-day treks; expect USD 75 to 110 for a 90 minute beginner ride, USD 220 to 380 per day for multi-day. Eldhestar near Hveragerdi, Islenski Hesturinn near Mosfellsbaer and Hestasport near Varmahlid in the north are well-regarded operators I have personally used.

7. Can I see the Northern Lights from the Highlands?

Yes, from late August through early April when the F-roads are mostly closed. The Highlands offer almost zero light pollution, which is ideal aurora viewing. The trade-off is logistics: most Highlands roads close from mid September, so practical aurora trips usually run from Reykjavik or from Lake Myvatn rather than from Landmannalaugar. Late August into early September gives you the only window when Highland access and aurora chance overlap, though the nights are still relatively short.

8. Do I need cash in Iceland?

Almost never. Iceland is the most cashless country I have visited. Credit and debit cards work everywhere, including small huts, public toilets, parking machines and remote fuel pumps. The only exception is some tiny rural museums and the Drangsnes hot pots, where a small ISK donation in a jar is appreciated. Bring a credit card with no foreign transaction fee and a backup card; you can travel two weeks without ever needing physical currency.

Useful Phrases and Vocabulary

Icelandic is a North Germanic language descended from Old Norse, and it has preserved the grammar so faithfully that modern Icelanders can read the medieval sagas without translation. English is universal in tourism, so you will rarely need Icelandic, but a few words go a long way and help with reading road signs.

  • Hallo ("HAL-loh"): hello.
  • Goodan daginn ("GOH-than DA-yinn"): good day, the more formal greeting.
  • Takk ("tahk"): thanks.
  • Takk fyrir ("tahk FEER-ir"): thank you.
  • Ja / Nei ("yow" / "nay"): yes / no.

Geography vocabulary on road signs (priceless for reading the landscape):

  • Fjall: mountain. Fjoll: mountains plural.
  • Foss: waterfall.
  • Jokull: glacier.
  • Vatn: lake, also "water".
  • Vik: bay.
  • Eyja / Eyjar: island / islands.
  • Hver: hot spring.
  • Hraun: lava field.
  • Gljufur: canyon.
  • A: river.
  • Dalur: valley.
  • Sand: sand or beach.

Cultural words:

  • Skyr: cultured dairy product, central to Icelandic diet for a thousand years.
  • Hardfiskur: dried fish, the original Icelandic trail snack.
  • Lopapeysa: the renowned wool sweater with circular yoke pattern.
  • Hakarl: fermented shark, the famous acquired-taste delicacy.
  • Brennivin: caraway-flavoured schnapps, traditionally drunk with hakarl.

And finally, the volcano name that broke global newsreaders in 2010: Eyjafjallajokull, pronounced roughly "AY-ya-fyat-la-yer-kutl", literally "the glacier of the island mountains".

Cultural Notes I Wish I Had Known Earlier

Swimming pools and hot springs are a national institution, and the rules are firm. You shower fully naked with soap before entering any public pool or spring, including the geothermal pools at Landmannalaugar and the small ones in the Westfjords. This is non-negotiable and is enforced by attendants in commercial pools; learn this before you arrive to avoid awkward signs and pointed conversations. The cultural logic is straightforward: pools use less chlorine than elsewhere in the world, and the cleanliness convention is what makes that possible.

The country celebrates 17 June as Independence Day with parades, the fjallkona ("lady of the mountain") in national costume, and small-town events that locals attend in person rather than scrolling through online. If your dates coincide, lean in; the Reykjavik parade is small but warm.

Christmas runs for thirteen nights from 12 December, with the Yule Lads (jolasveinarnir), thirteen mischievous brothers descended from Icelandic folklore trolls, arriving one per night to leave small gifts in children's shoes on the windowsill. Each has a name and a personality (Stubby, Sausage Swiper, Door Sniffer and so on). This system predates and persists alongside the modern Santa Claus story.

Social norms run informal. First-name address is universal; Icelanders use patronymics rather than surnames (Magnus Erlingsson is Magnus son of Erling, and Maria Erlingsdottir is Maria daughter of Erling), so the phonebook is alphabetised by first name. Tipping is genuinely not customary at restaurants; service is included, and rounding up to the nearest 100 ISK is appreciated but not expected. Haggling does not exist in any commercial context; the price on the tag is the price.

Driving culture is calmer than mainland Europe but stricter on rules. Headlights on day and night by law. Speed cameras are common. Off-road driving (any tyre off the marked surface) is a serious offence with fines from 350,000 ISK and possible criminal charges; the moss takes decades to recover from a single tyre track, which is the reason for the law.

Pre-Trip Preparation Checklist

Visa. Iceland is in the Schengen Area; most visitors get a 90-day-in-180 visa-free or visa-on-arrival entry. Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Indonesian and many other passport holders need a short-stay Schengen visa, which is applied through the VFS centre in your home country with biometric capture, travel insurance proof, accommodation bookings and a return ticket. Allow eight weeks for processing.

Highland permits. None required for general access. Hut bookings (which function as your permits in practice) are essential for the Laugavegur huts and strongly recommended for Askja, Kerlingarfjoll and Hornstrandir. File your route plan free at safetravel.is.

Car rental and insurance. Confirm the rental includes (a) gravel protection (b) sand and ash protection (c) river crossing coverage (d) theft and (e) collision damage waiver with low deductible. Standard zero-deductible policies are expensive but worth it in the Highlands. Photograph the car at pickup including all four corners and the underside if possible.

Clothing. Hard-shell Gore-Tex jacket and trousers, fleece or down mid-layer, two sets of merino base layers, warm hat, gloves, buff, sturdy waterproof hiking boots, river-crossing shoes (neoprene booties or sandals with heel straps), trekking poles, sun hat (the midnight sun is genuinely strong), sunglasses, swimsuit (every fourth stop has a hot pool), small fast-drying towel.

Technical. Offline maps (Gaia GPS or ja.is), the SafeTravel app, a Garmin inReach Mini or similar satellite communicator for the deep interior, headlamp (relevant only in shoulder season; midsummer is bright 24 hours), spare batteries, power bank, EU two-pin Type C/F plug adapter, paper road map (Ferdakort 1:500,000 is the standard).

Health. Iceland has excellent public healthcare. Bring a basic first-aid kit including blister plasters (Compeed or equivalent), painkillers, electrolyte sachets, and personal prescription medication for the full trip plus a few days buffer. The national emergency number is 112; the SafeTravel and 112 Iceland apps both have an SOS button that sends GPS to ICE-SAR.

Three Recommended Trip Plans

Plan A: Reykjavik plus Highlands classic, 4 days. Day 1 Reykjavik arrival, walking tour of Hallgrimskirkja, Harpa concert hall, Laugavegur shopping street, dinner at Grandi harbour district. Day 2 self-drive Golden Circle (Thingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss) and on to Hella for the night. Day 3 F208 to Landmannalaugar, Brennisteinsalda and Blahnukur loop hike, hot spring soak, FI hut overnight. Day 4 morning drive out via F208 to Hella, dinner in Selfoss, evening return to Reykjavik. Cost target: USD 1,400 to 2,200 per person all in.

Plan B: Highlands plus Westfjords loop, 8 days. Day 1 Reykjavik. Day 2 Snaefellsnes peninsula loop. Day 3 cross to Stykkisholmur, ferry to Brjanslaekur, drive into the southern Westfjords, sleep at Patreksfjordur. Day 4 Latrabjarg cliffs, Raudisandur beach, Dynjandi waterfall, sleep at Thingeyri. Day 5 Isafjordur, Hornstrandir day boat. Day 6 cross out via the Strandir coast, sleep at Holmavik. Day 7 drive to Hveravellir via the Kjolur F35, Highland geothermal soak. Day 8 return south via the western F35 and Geysir, back to Reykjavik. Cost target: USD 2,800 to 4,200 per person all in.

Plan C: Grand 14-day Highlands and interior. Day 1 Reykjavik. Day 2 to 6 Laugavegur Trail Landmannalaugar to Thorsmork, four nights in FI huts, plus Fimmvorduhals extension to Skogafoss. Day 7 south coast Vik, Reynisfjara, Fjadrargljufur. Day 8 Skaftafell and Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon. Day 9 east fjords drive to Egilsstadir. Day 10 north to Lake Myvatn. Day 11 to 12 Askja super-Jeep tour, Holuhraun lava field, Dreki hut. Day 13 Akureyri, Kerlingarfjoll. Day 14 Hveravellir to Reykjavik. Cost target: USD 5,500 to 8,500 per person all in.

Six Related Guides

Five External References

  • Visit Iceland (official tourism board): visiticeland.com, primary resource for road status, seasonal closures and official event calendars.
  • Ferdafelag Islands (Iceland Touring Association): fi.is, the operator of Landmannalaugar, Hrafntinnusker, Alftavatn, Hvanngil and Emstrur huts; the only way to book the official Laugavegur huts.
  • Vatnajokull National Park: vatnajokulsthjodgardur.is, ranger contacts, route restrictions and Askja area updates.
  • SafeTravel Iceland: safetravel.is, daily road and weather warnings, trip plan registration, and the official SOS resource for the ICE-SAR search and rescue service.
  • Reykjavik Excursions (Reykjavik buses and Highland tours): re.is, scheduled Highland bus timetables and packaged day tours to Landmannalaugar, Thorsmork and the south coast.

Last updated: 2026-05-11.

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