My Amazing Hike on the Laugavegur Trail – July 2023

In July 2023, I joined three friends on a guided five-day hut-to-hut hike on the Laugavegur Trail in Iceland. Our trek involved hiking 35 miles from Landmannalaugar to Thórsmörk, spending four of those nights in different mountain huts.

I took a direct flight on Iceland Air from Seattle, WA to Reykjavik, IS, departing at 6:55 p.m. and landing in at the Keflavik International Airport at 9:20 a.m. Iceland time is seven hours ahead of Seattle, so my flight time was around 7.5 hours. 

After arriving in Iceland, I took a Flybus Airport Transfer which landed me at the BSI Bus Terminal in Reykjavik 45 minutes later. I had purchased a flexible Flybus ticket online from Reykjavik Excursions prior to my trip; however, you can easily purchase a ticket upon arrival at the airport. 

After landing at the BSI Bus Terminal, I walked a few blocks to my lodging at the Freyja Guesthouse. I was too early for check-in so I dropped off my backpack with the host. I had reserved a single bedroom on Expedia.com three months earlier. Then, I happily went to explore the city.

My accommodations were a block from Hallgrímskirkja, which is Iceland’s largest church and is also a national monument.  After photos there, I explored downtown on foot, walking down Skolavoroustigur and Laugavegur streets, among others, and perusing shops. I enjoyed the beautiful views along the waterfront. I even stopped in a pub to enjoy a cold glass of cider!

Shopping was an absolute delight! However, I limited my spending to a set of teacups, postcards, Icelandic chocolate bars, and flavored salts. My additions needed to fit in the lone backpack I had brought on this trek!

I returned around 6:00 p.m. to check into the Freya Guesthouse. Upon arrival, the host had a smoothie waiting for me in the kitchen refrigerator, and he’d also placed a chocolate cake out for all guests. The combination made the perfect evening dessert! The accommodations were very clean, modern, and quiet.  I shared the kitchen and bath with two other rooms on the first floor, which was not a problem. It was neat waking up at midnight to gaze at the church and see the sky was still light!

Distance 7.5 mi.; Time 4-5 hrs.; Elevation Gain 1,540 ft

The next morning, I met my friends and other travelers at the BSI Bus Terminal.  We departed at 6:30 a.m. for a five-hour drive to Landmannalaugar, where we’d begin our hike on the Laugavegur Trail.  We stopped along the way to refuel our bus, eat, and souvenir shop. At this stop, I purchased a fleece-lined headband and an ornament for my small Christmas tree!

Once we arrived at Landmannalaugar, several of us donned swimsuits to relax in the nearby thermal spring. After showering and munching on our lunch, we were ready to begin our trek!

Most of our day was spent hiking uphill. However, we reaped the benefits of our efforts once we came across several geothermal hot springs. It was thrilling to view the springs and the surrounding mountains, some with snow! It was also exciting to arrive at our first mountain hut, since this was a new experience for all of us!

There were fifteen hikers in our group, including our wonderful guide. He was employed by Icelandic Mountain guides, along with another man who couriered our luggage and food from hut-to-hut with one enormous truck. Fourteen of us shared a room with single and double bunk beds on the main floor.  Our guide and courier stayed elsewhere.

For this hut, the entrance and kitchen were right outside our room, and the latrines were outside. Since there was also a campground at this location, we shared bathroom sinks and stalls with other hikers, which made for a busy place! 

It was fun to have dinner with newfound friends! We assisted our guide in preparing the meal, feasting on salad, fish, and rice. We enjoyed Skýr (Icelandic yogurt) with cream and fruit for dessert. After dinner, we cleaned up and chatted a bit more before turning in. We were feeling somewhat exhausted after our first big day on the trail!

I was pleasantly surprised how respectful everyone was to one another at bedtime.  Lights were typically out by 9:00 p.m., and waking time was officially 7:00 a.m. every day. Of course, many of us were up with our guide having coffee before then! Given we had a large group sleeping in a fairly small room, earplugs were helpful. A couple nights I even took melatonin (a new experience for me), which worked like a charm!

Distance 7.5 mi.; Time 4-5 hrs.; Elevation Gain 1,610 ft

We all pitched in helping our guide prepare a hearty breakfast and cleaning up. Breakfast generally consisted of porridge, muesli, yoghurt, bread, crispbread, jam, honey, Nutella, hot chocolate, tea, and coffee. After eating, we each made our own sandwiches and gathered snacks for our lunches.

On our trek, we descended down to the gullies of Jökultungur. It was fascinating to come across hundreds of steaming hot springs and mud pools! We had wonderful views to the south towards the Álftavatn area, including the Swan Lake, and the Mýrdalsjökull and Eyjafjallajökull glaciers.

It was exciting to arrive at next hut we would be staying in! We relaxed before dinner, chatting at the table. Then, we dined on Icelandic meat soup with lamb meat and vegetables. We had cakes for dessert – delicious! We spent time after dinner winding down and relaxing in our bunks.

Distance 10 mi.; Time 6-7 hrs.; Elevation Gain 130 ft

Once awake, we enjoyed a filling breakfast and prepared our lunches. We hiked in rain for the earlier part of our hike, passing by the foot of the green conic volcano of Stórasúla and coming across the black deserts of Mælifellssandur. We hiked towards the Hattfell volcano and then entered pastureland on our descent to the next hut.

After putting our things in the Botnar hut, our group hiked to see the stunning Markarfljót canyon! That evening we dined on salad, grilled salmon with rice and vegetables. Our guide spoiled us further with delicious chocolate pudding and fruits for dessert!

Distance 10.5 mi.; Time 6-7 hrs.; Elevation Gain 985 ft

Our fourth day was my favorite day of our hike on the Laugavegur Trail, with stellar weather and dramatic scenery. After enjoying another wonderful breakfast and preparing our lunches, we hiked through the small valleys and gullies of Emstrur. Later in the hike, we descend toward Þórsmörk, with the landscape consisting of arctic birch forests and colorful wildflowers!

We came across another desirable hut prior to our river crossing, pausing to use the separate latrine there and to soak in the great weather. Then, we crossed over a metal bridge on the approach to our final and remarkable hut!

Our last digs were the best! We slept upstairs, with the downstairs being the dining hall. I visited the separate shower facility before paying a visit to the small bar to purchase a glass of wine!

Our large group relaxed at the picnic table, laughing and sharing our favorite memories about the past four days. The evening got even better when we barbequed on the grill, with sides of potatoes and corn. We feasted on a hodgepodge of desserts! It really was a wonderful evening!

The last morning of our trek, I rose early, grabbed a cup of coffee, and walked around camp. It was the dawn of another wonderful day! After having a delicious breakfast and preparing lunches, we packed up our things for the trip back to Reykjavik.

Before leaving for good, we enjoyed hiking to the Sönghellir cave (Song cave) famed for its acoustics. The highlight of the morning was climbing up the small mountain of Valahnúkur where we experienced amazing views! Once we returned, we boarded a bus back to Reykjavik.

We arrived back at the BSI Bus Terminal in Reykjavik around dinner time. It was bittersweet to part with newfound friends from Great Britain, Arkansas, and California. My San Diego friends and I walked a few blocks to Freya Guesthouse, my accommodation for the night, to drop off our bags. We headed downtown to enjoy sushi dinner, before we took once last stroll around this amazing city. After dinner, we returned to my lodging so my friends could retrieve their bags, and we parted ways for the evening.

The following morning, I rose early, grabbed a cappuccino, and strolled around town taking photos before the streets became busy. It was a beautiful last day in Reykjavik!

I checked out of the Freya Guesthouse and walked the few blocks to the BSI Bus Terminal. From there, I purchased a ticket for a bus to The Blue Lagoon, where I would be meeting my friends at 10:00 a.m. Before leaving home, I had purchased a “comfort” ticket at the lagoon, which entitled me to a robe, a drink, and three face masks.

It was such a pleasure to relax in the thermal waters with my friends! We donned facemasks three times and washed them off in the water, while sipping assorted cocktails from the pool bars. Our group gathered for one last photo with other California and Arkansas friends in the Sauna. We posted for the camera wearing face masks – a sight to behold!

After three hours of fun, I reluctantly showered and caught another bus to the nearby Keflavik International Airport. I took a direct flight on Iceland Air, departing at 4:50 p.m. and arriving in Seattle at 5:40 p.m. It was exciting to arrive home, pick up my furry friend Sophie Mae from the sitter, and really relax!

Visiting Reykjavik, IS and completing a hike on the Laugavegur Trail with old and newfound friends was a trip of a lifetime! I will always cherish these memories!

Have you visited Iceland or are you planning a trip there? If so, I’d love to hear from you!