Hiking The Laugavegur Trail | Iceland

I would like to start out with how overwhelmingly proud I am of my son for this HUGE accomplishment in completing this hike at 7 years old! The memories made will last a lifetime!

If you have been to Iceland before, then you know what I'm talking about when I say that this Island is STUNNING!.. And if you haven't been to Iceland, I strongly recommend that you add it your bucket list. They call it the land of fire and ice as you can explore glacier caves, snowy mountain and icy beaches... and the chances are growing increasingly possible to find yourself visiting an active volcanic eruption! How unbelievably diverse and cool is that!?

Looking for a big hike in Iceland?.. Well you're in luck as Iceland has some of the best hiking in the whole world, yes you read that right... THE WHOLE WORLD! The most notable and the hike that my son and I had hiked is the Laugavegur trail. A 55km hike through Icelands Highlands beginning in Landmannalauger and ending in Þórsmörk with the ability to extend the hike another 30km on the Fimmvörðuháls trail which passes by 26 waterfalls, 1 volcano and 2 glaciers concluding at the very famous Skógafoss. If you wish to hike even further than 85km... you guessed it! You can add to the beginning in Landmannalauger by beginning your hike on the Hellismannaleid trail which begins in Rjupnavellir and adds on another 58km which would create a total hiking distance of 143km. I do plan to hike this 143km trail sometime in the future, but only after I hike the other most notable and most remote hike in Iceland... Hornstrandir hiking along the famous Horn and Hornbjarg cliffs!

The Laugavegur Trail is a relatively moderate hike that I believe could be hiked by anyone in moderate physical shape who can hike for stretches of at least 16km. There are several steep climbs that aren't too strenuous overall. The campsites naturally break the hike up into very easy distances to complete with no campsites further than 16km. Even for the slowest of hikers including 7 year olds. The hike in total is 55km, which can be hiked in either direction, although the most popular would be North to South which is what we chose and hiked it over 4 days. Strong hikers can easily hike the Laugavegur trail in 2 days, and there is even an annual Ultra Marathon where people run the Laugavegur trail in as little as 4 hours... WOW!

Camping along the Laugavegur doesn't require picking up permits in advance if tent camping, although if you're trying to obtain a spot to sleep in the huts, this is required to be booked well in advance.. and prepare to cuddle up with a stranger as most huts are one big room with pads laid out side by side, so it is quite tight. Although this may be what it takes to help some hit the trail by not having to carry a heavy pack with extra sleeping gear and a tent weighing them down. There were plenty of people camping in each area that we stayed at, but there was still room to throw up tents. We did not hike the trail in the busiest season, so I cannot attest to the busiest times and how these sites are handled, but I am sure as tight as it may be a spot could be found! Every campground had access to water from the huts which made it very easy for cooking cleaning and hydrating.. and arguably the best part about this.. functional washrooms and some even had showers which you could pay to use (Landmannalauger, Álftavatn, Emstrur, Þórsmörk)

The terrain throughout this hike is unbelievably diverse.. from sandy looking rolling mountains, to rugged mossy mountains and lava fields, even a black sand desert. There were many wow moments with each and every new field of view and only 3 river crossings with one being of slight concern, although different times of year this could be different as most rivers flow from the melting glaciers. The trail is very well marked with stakes every 50m along the way and is heavily travelled, which makes it nearly impossible to find yourself off trail.

The trail has a total elevation gain of 1700m (5,577ft) according to my inReach mini 2 with the lowest point being around 200m elevation and the highest being 1,141m elevation.

Our Itinerary was as follows:
Day 1 - Bus Reykjavik - Landmannalauger - Hrafntinnusker 0km to 12km -Total = 12km
Day 2 - Hrafntinnusker - Álftavatn 12km to 24km - Total = 12km
Day 3 - Álftavatn - Emstrur 24km to 39km - Total = 15km
Day 4 - Emstrur - Þórsmörk 39km to 55km - Total = 16km
I cannot recommend this trek enough and it ticks off all of the boxes to create a world class hike!

I hope that this video serves as a trail guide for some and as motivation for all to get out and enjoy some waterfalls, mountains and hiking trails wherever you may be!

Happy Hiking 🥾
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