How to Hike the Laugavegur Trail Self-Guided

Iceland’s Laugavegur Trail is a spectacular trek that showcases some of the island’s most beautiful scenery. The 35-mile route connects the Landmannalaugar hot springs to the Þórsmörk river valley, with the option to add on the 15-mile Fimmvörðuháls Trail from Þórsmörk to Skogar. The trail packs in tons of diverse sights and landscapes- volcanoes, waterfalls, black sand deserts, snowy peaks-in a relatively short distance. Although the trek is pretty approachable for most hikers, it can be a bit daunting to take it on nonetheless.

Many hikers opt to use a guide to navigate the sometimes tricky logistics of planning a Laugavegur hike, but we’re here to tell you it is possible (and even fun!) to plan your own self-guided trip. We hiked the trail on our own, camping each night and navigating without a guide – and it was a truly amazing experience!

In this guide, we’ve compiled everything you need to know to plan your own self-guided Laugavegur Trail trip in the hopes it will inspire you to plan your own unforgettable Icelandic adventure.

In this Guide

• Self Guided Laugavegur Planning
  1. Pick Your Dates
  2. Set Your Itinerary
  3. Book Your Accommodation
  4. Arrange Transit
  5. Decide How You’ll Navigate
  6. Pack Your Bags
• Laugavegur Trail: Guided vs. Self Guided

Self-Guided Laugavegur Trail Planning

The Laugavegur Trail can be an intimidating trek to plan on your own. There are several factors to consider, including transportation, weather, accommodation, and timing. The Laugavegur Trail is located in a very remote area that can only be accessed in a 4X4 vehicle. It’s a point-to-point route, meaning you’ll start and finish in different areas. You’ll also need to account for Iceland’s notoriously temperamental weather and build in a backup plan if you need to wait out a storm.

Fear not, all of these challenges are easily solved with a bit of research, some advance preparation, and the right resources at your disposal.

Before starting, we recommend familiarizing yourself with the trail by reading our Complete Guide to the Laugavegur Trail. From there, you’ll have a good sense of what to expect, and some of the basics of preparing for a self-guided hike.

Next, you’ll jump into creating an itinerary, arranging transit to/from the hike, and booking your accommodation. Finally, you’ll want to be prepared to navigate on the trail, which can be notoriously difficult to do!

We’ll go through each of these steps and more to help you plan your perfect self-guided Laugavegur Trail adventure in the following sections.

Step One: Pick Your Dates

The most important first step is to determine the dates you plan to hike the Laugavegur Trail. The trail is best hiked in the summer season, which in Iceland is a pretty short window of time. Given the short season and the limited availability in the huts, it’s a good idea to determine your dates well in advance and be willing to be a bit flexible, if possible. To help you get a sense of what to expect, we’ve provided an overview of each month below:

• June: This is considered “early summer” in Iceland, meaning there’s usually lots of snow remaining on the trail. It will still be quite cold, especially in the first part of the month. If you plan on hiking in June, be sure to check with the huts in advance, as some don’t open until the end of the month. It’s advisable to pack crampons for early season hiking.
• July: This is peak season for the Laugavegur. Hikers will enjoy nearly 24 hours of daylight, and relatively milder weather. Expect more crowds on the trail, and be sure to reserve in advance if you plan on staying in huts. We hiked the Laugavegur in early July. The weather was mostly clear and it wasn’t overly crowded.
• August/September: The first half of August sees continued mild conditions and busy trails. During this time, the trail will be at its clearest in terms of snow, although large patches remain throughout the year. As the month wears on, the days get shorter and colder. The huts typically close for the season by the second week of September. 

Step Two: Create Your Self-Guided Laugavegur Itinerary

Setting your itinerary can be the most intimidating part of planning a self-guided trek. To start, we recommend familiarizing yourself with the typical stages of the trek. Read about what each day entails, how long it is, and your accommodation options. Use the standard itinerary we’ve provided below as a starting point and makes changes as needed from there.

In our Complete Guide to Trekking the Laugavegur, we’ve provided four different itineraries, ranging in length from two to four days. The Laugavegur Trail: A Hiking Companion to Iceland’s Famous Trek is rather outdated but remains the leading guidebook for the trek. Despite its age, it still contains plenty of useful information and is full of fascinating geological explanations, too.

Here is the standard self-guided Laugavegur Trail itinerary that most hikers will utilize:

• Stage 1: Landmannalaugar to Álftavatn
• Stage 2: Álftavatn to Emstrur
• Stage 3: Emstrur to Þórsmörk
• Stage 4 (optional extension): Þórsmörk to Skogar via Fimmvörðuháls Trail

There are transportation options back to Reykjavík from either Þórsmörk or Skogar, so it’s convenient to end your trek in either location. The Fimmvörðuháls Trail is typically completed in one long day, but it’s possible to split it across two days if you prefer.

Step Three: Book Your Accommodation

Once you’ve got your itinerary set you’re going to want to book your accommodation. Yes, that will likely lock you in to an itinerary and limit some flexibility, but there are a limited number of beds in the mountain huts along the route and they’re almost always fully booked in peak season.

The best starting point for this step is our Laugavegur Huts and Accommodation Guide. This handy post provides an overview of every accommodation option along the route, plus information about how to make reservations.

Most of the accommodation along the route is in mountain huts managed by Ferðafélag Íslands (FI). These huts provide basic dormitory-style sleeping quarters, communal kitchens, and bathrooms or outhouses. You’ll need to bring your own sleeping bag. Most offer hot or warm showers for an additional fee. It’s possible to purchase a few snacks from the huts, but meals are not provided.

The Laugavegur huts are situated in beautiful remote locations, and spending a few nights in them will likely be a highlight of your trek. Although they don’t offer much in the way of luxury, you’ll find lots of camaraderie with your fellow hikers. And when the fierce Icelandic wind is howling outside, there’s nothing cozier than hunkering down in these warm and welcoming shelters.

If you plan to camp on the route, you don’t need to worry about making advance reservations. You can camp outside of all of the huts and use their bathroom facilities for a rather modest fee. We chose to camp when we completed the Laugavegur Trail and we enjoyed the added flexibility that came with this option. Keep in mind that camping is only permitted in designated areas near the huts. Check out our Guide to Camping on the Laugavegur Trail for more information.

Step Four: Arrange Your Transit To/From the Trail

Once you’ve got your itinerary and accommodation figured out, it’s time to think about how you’ll get to and from the trail.

Accessing the Laugavegur Trail is relatively straightforward and you’ll have a few transportation options, depending on where you start and finish your trek. As the vast majority of hikers will be connecting through Reykjavik, we’ve provided information for transportation links from there.

Option #1: Highland Bus Pass

For those hiking the Laugavegur Trail from north to south, you’ll start in Landmannalaugar. There is no public bus service to Landmannalaugar so you’ll need to arrange private transportation. The best option in our opinion is the Reykjavik Excursions Highland Bus. The bus pass provides walkers with transportation to the start of the Laugavegur trail as well as back to Reykjavik from the finish.

You can take as much time as you need to complete the hike and can be picked from any of the three main access points on the Laugavegur: Landmannalaugar, Þórsmörk, and Skogar (for those also completing the Fimmvörðuháls). The bus picks up walkers at the Reykjavík City Hostel/Campsite as well as the BSI bus terminal.

Option #2: Trex Hikers Bus Pass

You can also book your transit through Trex, which you can check out here. This pass is very similar to the Highland Bus Pass in that it offers a single transfer service from Reykjavík to your chosen starting point (Þórsmörk, Landmannalaugar or Skógar) and back to Reykjavík at the end of your trek. In fact, it is also operated by Reykjavik Excusrions and has the same pickup/drop off points. We recommend checking both pass options, as prices vary slightly depending on your starting and ending points.

Option #3: Public Bus

If you choose to complete the Fimmvörðuháls and finish in Skogar, Straeto (the public bus company) picks up here via Route 51. Check Straeto’s website for more details and timetables. Alternatively, if hiking from south to north, you can take the public bus to start in Skogar. Keep in mind you’ll need to use Reykjavik Excusrions on the other end of your hike, as there is no public bus service to any other point along the trail.

Important Considerations

Keep in mind that all routes between Reykjavik and any of the three main access points for the Laugavegur take several hours. The journey between Reykjavik and Landmannalaugar takes about 4.5 hours, Reykjavik to/from Þórsmörk takes about 4 hours, and Reykjavik to/from Skogar takes about 3.5 hours. Therefore, you’ll want to plan the start and end of your hike accordingly to allow for enough time to complete each segment and also catch your return bus. 

Step Five: Decide How You’ll Navigate on the Trail

This is another potentially tricky aspect of planning a self-guided Laugavegur trek. Fortunately, the trail is relatively well-marked. Trail signs are located at all major junctions and intervals, with distances to the next hut provided in kilometers. In clear conditions, it is easy to navigate along the trail. However, storms, snow cover, fog, and other issues can make it frighteningly easy to lose your way. It is essential to carry a good map.

Many maps for the route are available locally in Iceland, although you can purchase a 1:100,000 scale map here. 

Even with a paper map, we highly recommend utilizing an offline GPS navigation application like Gaia GPS or Maps.me on your smartphone. This will allow you to see your precise location, as well as the overall trail map, next stopping point, and more, all without using cell service. This post explains how to set your phone up to work as a GPS for the Laugavegur Trail. 

If you want to learn how to make your own Laugavegur offline route (or a route for any other hike) check out our GPS Route Making & Navigation Course, which will teach you everything you need to know to build your own custom itinerary. We’ll show you how to map your route, create custom GPS files, sync routes to your phone, and even print your own maps.

Step Six: Pack Your Bags for the Laugavegur!

Hopefully by now you’ve got your itinerary set, accommodation booked, and a good understanding of the trail. All that’s left is to pack your bags and head to Iceland!

In terms of what to bring, you’ll want all the essentials for a multi-day hiking trip. Our Laugavegur Trail Packing List provides a comprehensive gear list so you can be sure you’re prepared with everything you’ll need.

There are a few key items that the self-guided hikers should ensure they pack:

• Good rain gear: It is essential that you’re prepared for wet and wild weather.
• Eye mask and ear plugs: Iceland experiences nearly 24 hours of daylight in the summer. Pack these items to ensure you get a good night’s sleep.
• Sleeping bag: This is required in the huts, and you’ll want a warm one to stay cozy during chilly nights.
• Water shoes: You’ll need sturdy sandals or other water shoes for river crossings. It is not safe to cross barefoot or in flip flops.

Laugavegur Trail: Guided vs. Self-Guided

Ok, by this point you likely have a good idea if a self-guided trip is for you. However, if you’re still not sure, we’ve highlighted some of the key factors to help you decide between a guided or self-guided Laugavegur trek.

If you don’t mind being more self-sufficient and doing a bit of route-finding in places, you’ll probably enjoy hiking on your own. This allows you more solitude and flexibility throughout your trip. You can still meet other hikers at the huts along the way. We hiked on our own and we were happy with our decision.

On the other hand, if you don’t want to worry about booking accommodation, navigating or other logistics and you enjoy the social aspect of hiking with a group, going with a guide might be a good choice. Additionally, most guided tours provide meals and baggage transfers, attractive services for many hikers. Check out some pros/cons for each option below:

Have a Great Adventure!

We hope this post has given you some additional insights into how to plan a self-guided Laugavegur trek. We had an amazing time when we hiked the trail on our own, and want to be sure that all hikers feel empowered to plan this trek themselves!

Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about planning your own trip, and be sure to check out the rest of our Laugavegur resources below:

• Guide to Camping on the Laugavegur Trail
• Laugavegur Trail Logistics: Don’t overlook the little details! 
• Laugavegur Trail Photo Gallery: Get inspired!
• Laugavegur Trip Report- Know what to expect on the trail!
• How Much it Cost Us to Hike the Laugavegur Trail – Make it work for your budget!
• Laugavegur Trail Packing List – Be sure you’ve got everything you’ll need!
• How to Train for the Laugavegur Trail: Get in shape for your trek!
• How to Navigate on the Lagavegur Trail