Fimmvörðuháls Hike with accommodation before and after the trek (4 days)

Duration: 4 days
Trails: T1 trails
Distance: 15 - 20 km / 9 - 12 mi per day
Ascent per day: 0 - 250 m / 0 - 820 ft ascent per day
> Complete Iceland's most beautiful hike in 2 days
> Enjoy everything Iceland has to offer
> Accommodation before, on, and after the Fimmvörðuháls Hike included

The Fimmvörðuháls Hike is located in the southwest of Iceland - one of the busiest tourist regions in Iceland. The highlight of this hike is the opportunity to walk through a wide variety of landscapes in one day, or rather two days: starting at the ocean, past 26 waterfalls to tundra grasslands, then cross a volcanic plateau where some of the world's most recent volcanic activity has taken place. If you are already struggling with pronunciation, let us help you a bit, Fimveurdihols.

On this 4-day trek, you will walk the Fimmvörðuháls Hike in 2 stages, starting in Skógar and ending in Þórmörk. During the trek, you will enjoy the variety of Iceland. You will walk past 26 waterfalls, cross tundra grasslands, past a volcanic plateau, and through the glaciers of Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull. The immvörðuháls Hike is 30 kilometers, or 18.6 miles long. Before and after the trip, we will arrange accommodation in a hotel or B&B in Reykjavik for you. During the trip, we will arrange the accommodation for you and we will provide you with the walking notes necessary to complete the trail. Are you ready?

Itinerary

Day
1

Arrival in Reykjavik

Today you will have to make your way to Reykjavik. Here, you will spend the night in a hotel or B&B, preparing for your Laugavegur Trail adventure.

Hotel Frón

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Hotel Frón
Day
2

Fimmvörðuskáli Hut / Baldvinsskáli Hut

Duration: 05:00 h
Distance: 14.5 km / 9 mi
Ascent: 980 m / 3215 ft
Descent: 20 m / 66 ft

The hike starts with climbing up the stairs on the left side of the waterfall Skógafoss. When you walk up the first hill, the path is very clear and lies on the east side of the Skógá River. Make sure you don't miss the spectacular waterfalls you have in front of you on the way up. When you reach the bridge over the river Skógá, you have walked about eight kilometers.

From the bridge, most hikers choose to walk up the gravel road to Baldvinsskáli hut, just over four kilometers. Alternatively, you can hike along a marked path to the west (left) of the gravel road (Landnorðurstungur) to the other hut, Fimmvörðuskáli, a distance of just under seven kilometers.

In Baldvinsskáli you can find an outhouse and facilities to eat your provisions. There is no drinking water.

Baldvinsskáli

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Baldvinsskáli
Day
3

Fimmvörðuskáli Hut / Baldvinsskáli Hut - Þórsmörk

Duration: 05:30 h
Distance: 15.3 km / 9.5 mi
Ascent: 160 m / 525 ft
Descent: 940 m / 3084 ft

From Baldvinsskáli, the path across the Fimmvörðuháls itself is largely covered with snow, but it is marked with posts. The path becomes clearer and clearer in late summer when more people have walked through it. After walking about three kilometers, you come to the lava field (Goðahraun) that was created during the volcanic eruption in spring 2010. During the same eruptions, the mountains Magni and Móði were formed. It is highly recommended that you hike to their summits. An information board about the eruption stands next to the mountains.

Shortly after the lava field, you will pass a stone tomb with three names. It is a memorial to the people who died there in 1970 from exposure to the sun. A short road now follows to the hill Brattafönn (fönn = snow), which in contrast to its name and due to recent climate changes, is usually snow-free in summer. Careful walking is necessary, however, as the tuff under the snow can be very slippery and gives a risk of falling. Next, you cross Heljarkambur, a short ridge that connects Fimmvörðuháls and Morinsheiði (morins means a rusty red sheep). To make the path over Heljarkambur safer, a support chain is installed.

The flat Morinsheiði is next. The view from the eastern edge of Morinsheiði is very picturesque. From there, you look over glacier Mýrdalsjökull with the volcano Katla on top. The view from the northern part of Morinsheiði called Heiðarhorn is also very nice. There are at least two alternative routes down from Morinsheiði. One route is down through the Hvannárgil ravine, which is recommended only for experienced hikers with relatively good hiking conditions. It is also possible to go via the summit of Útigönguhöfði Mountain. The traditional path, however, runs straight ahead with markers and a clear path.

Shortly afterward, you will reach the Kattarhryggir which may be a bit difficult to cross for those who are afraid of heights. The path has been improved to make it safer, but you still have to be careful. The last part of the path is partly steep and in some places a line has been attached to the cliffs for safety. To reach the hut in Langidalur, which belongs to Ferðafélag Íslands, we have to descend two kilometers and cross a footbridge over the river Krossá.

Hotel Frón

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Hotel Frón
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Included

  • Booking the huts

    We will take care of arranging accommodation on the Fimmvörðuháls Hike for you. We will also provide you with a detailed itinerary for every stage and instructions on how to get to the trailhead.

  • Full travel guide

    We will send you on your way with a digital travel guide that includes a route description for the Fimmvörðuháls Hike, interactive hiking maps, and the most important information applicable to your trek

  • Accommodation

    During your Fimmvörðuháls Hike, you will spend your nights in mountain huts. In the mountain huts we normally only book dormitories, but we can look into private rooms on request. If the private rooms are fully booked or not available in the hut, we automatically book a bed in dormitories for you. Please note that private rooms are more expensive and there will be an additional charge for this.

Excluded

  • Traveling to and from

    You have to make your own way to the starting point. The total amount does not include personal transport.

  • Transfers

    Should you need any form of (public) transport on location, this is not part of the trekking package. This includes the use of taxi, bus, cable cars, gondolas etc.

  • Travel Insurance

    Your international travel insurance is your own responsibility. Discuss your itinerary with the insurance company before your trek.

  • Personal expenses

    Personal expenses on such as souvenirs, drinks, and other similar expenses are for your own account.

  • Meals

    Meals are not included in the price on the Fimmvörðuháls Hike. You can get something to eat at the mountain huts along the way or you can get food from the towns below the trail. If you want to have a warm dinner at the hut, remember to ask for it as soon as you get to the hut.

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