Igor

Igor has spent months exploring every inch of Iceland over several years. He specializes in the Highlands, F-roads, hiking, hot springs, and less touristy places. He loves Iceland and keeps coming back.
Igor has spent months exploring every inch of Iceland over several years. He specializes in the Highlands, F-roads, hiking, hot springs, and less touristy places. He loves Iceland and keeps coming back.
Landmannalaugar Full Hiking Guide

Landmannalaugar Full Hiking Guide

What is the best hike in Landmannalaugar? When to visit it and how to get there? These are the question we asked when visiting Landmannalaugar for the first time. Below we describe what we think are the most beautiful hikes in Landmannalaugar.

We have visited Landmannalaugar many times and explored all the hikes. That’s why we decided to create the most detailed guide for first-time visitors you can possibly find. Let us know in the comments if we were successful!

How to get to Landmannalaugar?

Landmannalaugar is located in the Fjallabak Nature Reserve, in the southern Highlands of Iceland.

You can get to Landmannalaugar by car, by bus, or by a super jeep tourBuses run (10% discount code: EPIC-ICELAND-HB) only during the main season, typically from mid-June until mid-September. Outside of the main summer season, it’s highly recommended to take the super jeep tour instead. The roads leading to Landmannalaugar are often full of snow and impassable at that time. 

Landmannalaugar by car

f208 landmannalaugar iceland

Amazingly beautiful roads around Landmannalaugar

How to get to Landmannalaugar by car? You have 3 options on how to reach Landmannalaugar. You can either take the southern route (the most beautiful and difficult),  the western route (something in between), or the northern route (easiest). 

Firstly, you can drive to Landmannalaugar only when the roads leading there are open. Roads to Landmannalaugar typically open in June and usually close in September. This can vary depending on the toughness of the past and the upcoming winter. Secondly, you need to rent a 4wd car to reach Landmannalaugar.

1. From the south (Road F208)

The southern road to Landmannalaugar is the most difficult and also the most beautiful one. The route leads via an F-road called Fjallabaksleið Nyrðri, or southern F208. This is one of the most beautiful F-roads in Iceland. There are several small and medium-sized river crossings along the way. Dacia Duster or a medium-sized 4wd car is a minimum for this road.

F208 south is our favorite road to and from Landmannalaugar. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience to drive it. There are also multiple wonderful detours along the road like Eldgjá or F235 towards lake Langisjór. Take a proper car, study the proper river crossing techniques, and go for it! If you don’t feel like doing these things then take an easier road or a guided tour. 

2. From the west (Road F225)

The western route to Landmannalaugar is a good compromise between the beauty of the surroundings and the difficulty of the road. To get to Landmannalaugar from the west, you have to take the paved road 26 and then turn east to an F-road called Landmannaleið or just F225. This is one of the easiest F-roads with one small-to-medium river crossing. This river crossing is great for practice because it’s quite easy to pass. 

The road F225 is also the quickest option to drive to Landmannalaugar. The road is shortest by distance and the quality of the road is alright, with no major obstacles. Even Icelandic buses use F225 to drive to Landmannalaugar! The surroundings of Landmannaleið are picturesque and much nicer compared to northern road 208. 

3. From the north (Road 208)

The northern road to Landmannalaugar is the easiest and the most boring one. There are no river crossings on this route, just the one final river crossing right before the Landmannalaugar campsite. Officially, you don’t even need a 4wd car for the majority of the route, only for the last part – road F224

This route consists of driving via road 26, road 208, and road F224. Road 26 is paved and road 208 is a bumpy gravel road with pretty monotonous surroundings. We recommend taking this route only if you are really afraid about driving to Landmannalaugar.

4. Road F224

The last part of the road to Landmannalaugar is a short F-road Landmannalaugavegur or F224. It’s very bumpy and full of potholes, and there is one medium river crossing right at the end of the road, before the campsite. There’s also a car park before the crossing, so you may leave your car there and continue by footbridge to the campsite.

Landmannalaugar by bus

You can get to Landmannalaugar by bus from Reykjavik, Selfoss, or Hella. Buses run only during the main summer season, typically from 15th June until 15th September. See Landmannalaugar bus schedules below. Two main Landmannalaugar bus companies are running the so-called Highlands buses:

The main disadvantage of the buses is that they typically arrive at Landmannalaugar at lunch and leave around 4 pm or 6 pm at the latest. This means you will have only around 4 to 6 hours to explore the area if you want to come back the same day. 

Don’t want to go on your own? Take an epic Landmannalaugar super jeep tour! 10% discount code: EPICICELAND10

Landmannalaugar by guided tour

landmannalaugar super jeep tour

Landmannalaugar super jeep tour by Midgard Adventure, 10% discount code: EPICICELAND10

There are 3 types of guided tours going to Landmannalaugar:

So which one is our personal choice number one? The most authentic way to reach Landmannalaugar is to take a super jeep tour. The experienced local driver will take care of everything and you can just sit and take pictures on the seat of a huge super jeep with a snorkel. 

There are many Landmannalaugar super jeep tours, but if we have to recommend just one, it would be a super jeep Landmannalaugar tour by Midgard Adventures. They are a small, local, family company, with 5* reviews only. Their guides are funny, personal, and knowledgeable and their jeeps are majestic. Our readers can also enjoy a 10% discount on all tours by Midgard Adventure with the discount code: EPICICELAND10

There are also many stunning places in the Highlands that are lesser-known than Landmannalaugar.

Parking in Landmannalaugar in 2024

Beginning June 20th, 2024 there’s a new parking reservation system in place in Landmannalaugar. You have to reserve your parking spot in advance when arriving at Landmannalaugar between June 20th and September 15th, 2024, between 8AM and 3PM. Otherwise you may be denied parking.

Landmannalaugar parking reservation

You have to reserve your parking spot in Landmannalaugar between 8AM and 3PM.

You can reserve your Landmannalaugar parking space here.

The reservation is compulsory for any type of a private or rental car. It’s not necessary for guides and bus tours.

This system is a pilot program and has been introduced only very recently (spring 2024) due to parking chaos that ocurred during the summer season of 2023 in Landmannalaugar.

When to go to Landmannalaugar?

The best time to visit Landmannalaugar is during summer. More specifically, from mid-June until mid-September. This is when roads and hiking trails are typically open. If winter is too strong, roads can sometimes open as late as the beginning of July. On the other hand, if the winter is really mild, roads can open as soon as the end of May. Then they typically close anytime between the beginning of September and mid-October. 

landmannalaugar from blahnukur

Sunny summer view over Landmannalaugar from the peak of Bláhnúkur

Landmannalaugar in summer

Summer is the only time when you can drive to Landmannalaugar on your own or catch a bus to Landmannalaugar. It’s also a time when you can safely hike in Landmannalaugar because the hiking trails are snow-free. Last but not least, the colors of Landmannalaugar are most beautiful exactly in summer, or on the edge of spring/summer or summer/autumn. 

Summer weather in Iceland is usually the most merciful. There’s much more to say about Icelandic weather though. In very short words – never underestimate the harsh Icelandic weather and overestimate your physical condition.

Landmannalaugar in winter

private super jeep tour

Private super jeep tour to Landmannalaugar in winter

It’s possible to visit Landmannalaugar also in winter, but only by a super jeep tour. Winter conditions in Icelandic highlands are very harsh and often life-threatening. This is where you simply need a super jeep and the experience of the local driver. Even they may decide not to go if the weather and road conditions are unfavorable. 

That being said, visiting Landmannalaugar in winter is a very unique experience and you will 100% be alone there only with your tour guide. We can highly recommend the winter Landmannalaugar super jeep tour by Glaciers and Waterfalls, for which you can enjoy a 10% discount with the discount code: EPICICELAND

10 best hikes in Landmannalaugar

There are many beautiful hiking trails in Landmannalaugar. If you are really into hiking then Landmannalaugar is a place where you should spend more than just a few hours. Hiking trails in Landmannalaugar range from as short as 30 minutes to as long as 3-4 days. Below are summarized the 10 most popular hikes in Landmannalaugar.

Note: In this article, we list only the best 10 Landmannalaugar hikes in the main area around the Landmannalaugar campsite. There are many other hikes in a wider area called Fjallabak nature reserve and also around Hekla volcano! Be sure to read our articles on these too!

Landmannalaugar hiking map

landmannalaugar map

The most important slice of the Landmannalaugar map for your 1-day trip

Above is the map of the most popular hikes in Landmannalaugar – Blahnukur, Brennisteinsalda, and Laugahraun. These are the hikes accessible right from the Landmannalaugar campsite. This Landmannalaugar map helped us a lot with orientation. I wonder why it’s so hard to find this map online, but this map is basically all you need to know. 

1. Brennisteinsalda

pointing at brennisteinsalda

Pointing at Brennisteinsalda from the Bláhnúkur hiking trail

Distance from the car park: 5/10 minutes (to the start of the trail, from camping/car park in front of the camping)
Hiking time: 1 hour to the top (one-way)
Worth visiting in bad weather: depends
Difficulty: moderate
Hiking trail: Brennisteinsalda hiking trail

There are two main, most beautiful, one-day hikes you can do from the Brennisteinsalda campsite. And it can be a bit confusing to understand the difference between them and how to get to each trail. At least for us, it was in the beginning. So let’s get to the point.

The first of the hikes, the easier and quicker one, is the hike ending at the top of the Brennisteinsalda volcano, or “orange mountain”. It takes about an hour to reach the top and some 30 minutes to come back. The ascent is of normal difficulty and everyone should be able to make it.

2. Bláhnúkur

brennisteinsalda top view

View from the top of Brennisteinsalda towards Bláhnjúkur

Distance from the car park: 15 or 40 minutes (if you want to go only for Blahnukur or if you first want to go for Laugahraun lava field)
Hiking time: 1 hour to the top by the eastern trail, 2 hours by the western trail (both one-way)
Worth visiting in bad weather: no
Difficulty: moderate
Hiking trail: Bláhnúkur hiking trail

The second hike, for me even more beautiful, is the hike to the Bláhnúkur peak or “Blue peak”. It’s a bit longer hike, it took us 1,5 hours to get to the top and some 1 hour to get back to the campsite and you should be in good physical condition to make it, at least compared to other places in Iceland where you just step out of your car and make a 5-minute walk. But it’s definitely doable for everybody and more than just worth it as it’s one of the most beautiful views in entire Iceland. Just be prepared for a mountain hike.

If you are in good physical condition and the weather is good, I definitely do recommend you to go for both peaks – Brennisteinsalda and Bláhnúkur as well. It’s a beautiful loop trail, so you don’t go twice via the same trail and all the views around it are breathtaking. On halfway to Brennisteinsalda, you’re going to cross a lava field called Laugahraun which is interesting as well, although compared to the other peaks it’s not that special.

3. Brennisteinsalda Bláhnúkur loop

blahnukur view over landmannalaugar

View from Bláhnúkur over Landmannalaugar

Distance from the car park: 5/15 minutes (to the start of the trail, from camping/car park in front of the camping)
Hiking time: 4-6 hours round-trip depending on your pace
Worth visiting in bad weather: usually no
Difficulty: moderate to difficult
Hiking trail: Brennisteinsalda Blahnukur loop hiking trail

If we had only 1 day in Landmannalaugar, and if we had to choose just 1 hike, then the single best hike in Landmannalaugar is undoubtedly the Brennisteinsalda Bláhnúkur loop hike. Why? Because you can see the majority of the most beautiful parts of Landmannalaugar from the peaks of Brennisteinsalda and Bláhnúkur and the hike is nicely doable in just one day. 

Bláhnúkur Brennisteinsalda loop, or the “orange mountain – blue mountain” loop, is not for the elderly or small children, but you can surely do it if you are at least in average shape. Reserve a whole day for this hike and don’t go if it rains considerably or if the wind is too strong. Some parts of the hike are rather steep. We wrote a step-by-step guide to hiking Brennisteinsalda Bláhnúkur loop below.

4. Grænihryggur

Graeihryggur hike

Epic Grænihryggur hike almost nobody knows about

Distance from the car park: 5 minutes (to the start of the trail, from the roadside car park)
Hiking time: 6-8 hours round-trip depending on your pace and how far you go
Worth visiting in bad weather: usually no
Difficulty: moderate to difficult
Hiking trail: Grænihryggur hiking trail

Our personal favorite in Landmannalaugar is the Grænihryggur hike. This is a true hidden gem almost nobody knows about. Yet, it offers some of the most beautiful views in Landmannalaugar with almost no co-hikers! The hiking trail is official and is no secret, and despite this fact, typically only locals hike Grænihryggur, the green ridge.

To hike Grænihryggur you need a full day and preferably no rain and no strong wind. Some parts of the Grænihryggur hiking trail are a bit steep and slippery. It is a one-way there and same-way back hike. Nevertheless, the surrounding landscapes are more than just worth being seen twice! We recently wrote a brand new detailed guide to the Grænihryggur hike. Hope it helps you plan your trip!

5. Laugahraun

brennisteinsalda peak view

View from the top of Brennisteinsalda towards Laugahraun

Distance from the car park: 5/10 minutes (to the start of the trail, from camping/car park in front of the camping)
Hiking time: 15-20 minutes (one-way)
Worth visiting in bad weather: yes
Difficulty: easy

Laugahraun is a lava field with interesting rock formations formed from volcanic lava eruptions. It takes some 30-40 minutes to hike it from the campsite and it stands halfway to Brennisteinsalda mountain. It’s a nice place to see but it was not that amazing for us compared to other sights like the peaks of Bláhnúkur or Brennisteinsalda.

6. Ljótipollur

ljotipollur

Ljótipollur

Distance from the car park: right next to it
Hiking time: 10 minutes (one-way)
Worth visiting in bad weather: yes
Difficulty: easy

Ljótipollur is a red crater lake with amazingly colored water situated in the moon-like highlands of Landmannalaugar. It’s a nice and short stop close to the campsite. Unfortunately, the place has become pretty popular recently, because it’s very easily accessible and doesn’t require a huge jeep or a long hike to reach. We wrote in detail about our visit to Ljótipollur

There’s a short F-road leading to Ljótipollur, suitable for almost any 4wd car. At the end of the road, there’s a little black-ash car park. From the car park, it takes just about 5-10 minutes of uphill walking to reach some of the best viewpoints of Ljótipollur. It’s possible to hike even further around the area, but most of the visitors turn back after seeing the crater from above.

7. Hnausapollur

hnausapollur blahylur iceland

Hnausapollur, or Bláhylur volcano lake in Landmannalaugar

Distance from the car park: right next to it
Hiking time: 1 minute
Worth visiting in bad weather: yes
Difficulty: easy

Hnausapollur, or Bláhylur, is another crater lake that looks like from another planet. It is located right next to road 208 north of Landmannalaugar. It’s possible to drive and park your car right at the edge of the Hnausapollur crater lake. You can then either admire the lake from the viewpoint next to the car park, or the more adventurous souls may take a long walk around the crater. It is almost guaranteed you will be alone throughout your walk. This can’t be said about the main car park, though, where even tour buses stop.

8. Stútur

road to ljotipollur

Stútur volcano hike to the left

Distance from the car park: right next to it
Hiking time: 10 minutes (one-way)
Worth visiting in bad weather: yes
Difficulty: easy to moderate

What about hiking a little volcano in 10 minutes? Well, go and hike Stútur then! Stútur is a little old volcano covered by moss, located just a short drive north of Landmannalaugar. There’s a tiny car park with a place for 2-3 cars and a little sign indicating a hiking area. All-in-all, the Stútur hike is nicely hidden from the crowds. Even we didn’t spot it when we visited Landmannalaugar for the first time. 

It takes just a short uphill hike to reach the top of the Stútur volcano. Once at the top, you can admire both the 360° views of the area around and also the inner part of the volcano. This is an easy hike that even a family should be able to do. The same can be said about the harsher weather – Stútur can be typically visited even if the weather isn’t ideal. 

9. Hrafntinnusker

hrafntinnusker hut iceland

Hrafntinnusker hut in the heart of the highlands

Distance from the car park: 5-10 minutes from the campsite/car park
Hiking time: 4 hours (one-way)
Worth visiting in bad weather: no
Difficulty: moderate to difficult
Hiking trail: Hrafntinnusker hiking trail

Hrafntinnusker is a geothermal area close to Landmannalaugar with an ice cave, a mountain hut, and a lot of hiking trails everywhere around. The only catch is, Hrafntinnusker is a very hard-to-access place. One of the options is to grab a super jeep and drive there. Yes, you need a super jeep to reach Hrafntinnusker even in summer. Don’t even think about winter! Impossible!

The other option is to get to Hrafntinnusker by hiking. Hrafntinnusker is actually a part of the famous Laugavegur trek (see below). The shortest hiking trail to Hrafntinnusker starts at Landmannalaugar campsite and takes about 4 hours (one way) to complete. Once there, you will be rewarded with one of the most remote and highest-altitude corners of Iceland.

10. Laugavegur trek

best laugavegur hike guided tour

By far the best Laugavegur hike guided tour by Icelandic Mountain Guides, 5% discount code: EPICICELAND24

Distance from the car park: 5-10 minutes from the campsite/car park
Hiking time: 3-7 days (one-way, depends if you include also connecting Fimmvorduhals hike)
Worth visiting in bad weather: no
Difficulty: difficult
Hiking trail: Laugavegur hiking trail

The most epic hike in Iceland is the Laugavegur hike, many would say. The Laugavegur trail typically takes about 4 days to complete. Hikers spend their nights at the mountain huts or at the campsites located right next to the huts. The hike is difficult mainly due to the length and unpredictable weather, but the trail is doable for anyone who is fit and used to hiking.

Laugavegur hike is the most legendary hike in Iceland and even many Icelanders are still taking it every year over and over. During the 4 days of hiking Laugavegur, you will be guaranteed to see the best Iceland has to offer. Little volcanoes, out-of-this-world canyons, magnificent valleys, adventurous river crossings, snow spots even in summer, waterfalls, and hot springs. This is just a very short glimpse of all the spectacular things you will see along the Laugavegur trek.

Hiking the Brennisteinsalda Bláhnúkur loop

We had only 1 day in Landmannalaugar, so we decided to go for the best 1-day hike in Landmannalaugar, the Brennisteinsalda-Laugahraun-Bláhnúkur loop. We first climbed the orange mountain, or Brennisteinsalda, coming from the campsite. Then we turned back towards Bláhnúkur and traversed across the Laugahraun lava field to the blue peak of Bláhnúkur.

Brennisteinsalda hike

brennisteinsalda hike start

This is how the start of the hiking trail toward Brennisteinsalda looks like

Hike for Brennisteinsalda volcano is quite easy and takes around 1,5 hours round trip. If you either don’t have much time or weather is worsening or you simply aren’t into hiking that much, you can definitely make Brennisteinsalda hike. The trail to the top and the view from the top itself is definitely worth it. We experienced it in slightly foggy weather and it was still beautiful.

You start at the main building of Landmannalaugar/Brennisteinsalda campsite where there are red signs pointing to two opposite directions. When coming from the river crossings facing the campsite, the one pointing left is the one for Bláhnjúkur and the one pointing right is the one for Laugahraun lava field and Brennisteinsalda.

brennisteinsalda hike

Views from the Brennisteinsalda hike

The other way how to orientate yourself is simply to go in the direction of the mountain (you can see it throughout almost the entire trail) and use common sense. Although the trail is well marked, the signs are not very helpful because they contain just the name of the entire trail and they don’t point specifically to Brennisteinsalda. It’s important to stick to the marked trail to not destroy Icelandic untouched nature and not get yourself fined heavily.

Your first checkpoint would be crossroads with the Laugahraun lava field where you will continue to the upper right, i.e. above the field. Then you will eventually arrive at another crossroad just below Brennisteinsalda where you should turn right, to face the only little steeper part of the hike right towards the peak. Once you reach the peak, you can enjoy 360° views of surrounding landscapes, Laugahraun field from a bird-eye view, and also majestic Bláhnjúkur peak nearby.

brennisteinsalda top

View from the top of Brennisteinsalda on a slightly foggy day. Still very windy at the top, despite a calm day.

There was no wind below Brennisteinsalda at the time of our visit, but at the peak, the wind was blowing like crazy. So be prepared for this. After Brennisteinsalda you may either come back to the campsite or continue for the Bláhnúkur peak – as we did. If you have enough energy and the weather is alright I definitely do recommend going for Bláhnúkur as well because the views surrounding that route are even more amazing.

Laugahraun hike

Laugahraun hiking trail

Easy Laugahraun hiking trail

We didn’t go particularly for the Laugahraun hike, but we stumbled upon it on our way back from Brennisteinsalda peak and on our path further towards Bláhnúkur mountain. Laugahraun is a nice and easy family walk through the old black lava field. Coming from Brennisteinsalda, if you leave the Laugahraun field at its top-right part, you will find yourself at the beginning of the trail for Bláhnúkur, the Blue peak.

Bláhnúkur hike

blahnjukur hiking path

Slippery clay slope at the start of the hike to Bláhnjúkur or Blue peak

For us hike to the Bláhnúkur, or the Blue peak was the most beautiful, the most rewarding, and the most difficult part of our one-day visit to Landmannalaugar. We had to find the beginning of the trail, we had to ford the small river, we had to climb the steep muddy hill and then we had to cope with a strong cold wind at the top.

All of these were definitely worth the experience. Views encompassing the route are amazing if you are lucky with the good weather and the view from the peak is even more breathtaking. So how do you reach Bláhnjúkur?

You have three options on how to reach the top (including the circular round trip we did, starting with Brennisteinsalda and continuing to Bláhnúkur or vice versa). Arriving from river crossings before Landmannalaugar you may either:

  1. turn left and go directly for Bláhnúkur or
  2. you may turn right, reach the Laugahraun lava field first and then continue for the Bláhnúkur hike or
  3. of course, you may choose the order we chose, i.e. after reaching Laugahraun continuing for Brennisteinsalda peak, then coming back to Laugahraun, and then going for Bláhnjúkur.

I recommend the way we did it, i.e. the circular route so that you can see everything.

blahnjukur hike views

Spectacular views right from the beginning of the hike on Bláhnjúkur and even on the slightly foggy day

After you leave the upper right part of Laugahraun field (coming from Brennisteinsalda trail), you will arrive at the small river. Despite the river being small, there’s no bridge or designated place where the river should be crossed. We spent almost 30 minutes searching for a spot where to cross the river to not get our feet wet in this cold weather. And up to this day, I don’t know where was the “official” spot meant for this Landmannalaugar river to be crossed.

What we finally did was go almost 10 minutes to the right along the bank of the river coming to the place where the river was shallow enough with enough pebbles to jump on and pass. Then we had to come these 10 minutes on the other side of the river back again to reach the yellow marks marking the trail towards Bláhnjúkur. So, after 30 minutes of struggle, we managed to ford the river without getting wet, although I’m not sure whether this was the way meant for crossing. Probably no.

blahnjukur hike near top

Bláhnjúkur hike near the top

Afterward, for us, the most dangerous part followed. The trail is well-marked with yellow sticks so you shouldn’t get lost. You will shortly arrive at the steep clay slope going up closer to Bláhnúkur. The ascent is not hard or anything, but it’s quite steep and you don’t have a good grip on the ground because of the clay. So with each step, you feel like slipping on the smooth clay. I was equipped with high-quality La Sportiva hiking shoes and those didn’t help either.

There are neither stairs nor chains so you can only help yourself by going slowly zig-zag to the top. Fortunately, this part is not too long and takes some 10 minutes to complete. What follows next is just a typical gravel hiking trail and you shouldn’t have any problems continuing up the trail. Magnificent views will shortly emerge and will accompany you all the way to the top.

blahnjukur peak view

One of the views from the peak of Bláhnjúkur towards Landmannalaugar and 2nd (steeper) hiking trail

We had a semi-clear sky with partially sunny, partially cloudy weather, and light fog. This is still supposed to be good weather so we enjoyed every moment of it. Visibility (although not perfect) was fine and the views were, as I already mentioned, breathtaking. We met just a single-digit number of visitors at the peak, so at the time of our visit, the peak being crowdy wasn’t an issue.

It was really windy and the temperature felt like 5°C even on a sunny summer day like ours, so be prepared for that. Once reaching the top, you will be rewarded with the best views over the area.

blahnjukur top view

Another view from the peak of Bláhnjúkur towards Landmannalaugar camp, Laugahraun, and 2nd (steeper) hiking trail

The way back

We started our descent from the other side of the mountain (the one where you may access Bláhnjúkur right from the campsite), which was supposed to be much steeper, according to guides I’ve read. That definitely wasn’t true and compared to the steep clay part we had to overcome before, this was a piece of cake. I wonder what’s worse – to ascent the clay part or descent? I guess descent would be worse. The path continued without any obstacles until we reached the point where we could see the small river we’d forded before from above.

At this point we’d also seen the campsite from above already, so we continued pursuing that direction. The entire descent wasn’t hard and it took us some 1 hour at maximum to reach our campsite again. We went for a hot chocolate at the nearby snack bar, ate a little, and it was still only before 3 pm so we had enough time to continue with our journey.

Landmannalaugar hot spring

landmannalaugar hot spring

Landmannalaugar hot spring

The hot spring in Landmannalaugar is one of the most popular wild hot springs in Iceland. Landmannalaugar hot spring is located next to the Landmannalaugar campsite and it takes about 5 minutes of walking to reach it. The hot spring is quite big and it forms sort of a hot river. 

There are two little caveats, though. The first one is, the Landmannalaugar hot spring is quite shallow, just around 50cm / 1.5 feet. The second catch is, the temperature varies considerably around the hot spring. There are parts, where the water is actually cold (close to the clothes-changing deck), and parts where it’s very warm (next to the spring itself). This means all the people try to come as close to the little spring as possible.

There’s a wooden clothes-changing deck, where you may leave your clothes. It is uncovered, hence, if it rains, be sure to use a rain cover for your clothes. Landmannalaugar hot spring is free of charge and it’s a great way to relax after a long day full of hiking. It is not our favorite hot spring, we think there are many other, much greater hot springs. Anyway, it’s definitely nice, unique, and worth trying. 

Landmannalaugar campsite

Landmannalaugar Brennisteinsalda campsite

Landmannalaugar Brennisteinsalda campsite on a summer evening

Landmannalaugar campsite is one of the most beautiful campsites in Iceland. It sits right in the middle of the colorful rhyolite rainbow mountains of Landmannalaugar. On a nice day, even the pictures of the tents at the campsite are lovely. The camping costs 2500 ISK per person (as of summer 2023).

Many come to the Landmannalaugar unprepared for the weather. The campsite is located in the heart of the Icelandic highlands and especially the night temperatures even in summer may reach freezing. Not to mention, if a strong wind and/or rain arrives, the fun begins (hint: irony; the campsite is very uncomfortable in bad weather). Keep track of the weather forecast closely!

There are also mountain huts at the Landmannalaugar campsite, where you may spend the night under the shelter. It is highly recommended to book them in advance due to the huge demand in summer. They are of course much more expensive (11 000 ISK per person as of summer 2023). 

Weather, Roads, and Trail conditions

Below are the useful links for Icelandic weather forecast, road conditions, trail conditions and many more:

F208 after F235 junction

Road F208, or Fjallabaksleið Nyrðri, the southern F-road to Landmannalaugar

FAQ

Below are the most frequently asked questions about Landmannalaugar with the current, up-to-date answers for all of them.

Do you need a 4X4 car to get to Landmannalaugar?

Yes, you need a 4wd car to get to Landmannalaugar. You can get to Landmannalaugar on 3 different roads:

  • Northern route (26, 208, F224) – 4wd is compulsory for the last 2km (F224), and road 208 is very bumpy anyway
  • Western route (26, F225, F224) – 4wd is compulsory
  • Southern route (F208, F224) – 4wd is compulsory, and better take at least a medium-sized vehicle

Do you have to cross the river to get to Landmannalaugar?

Yes, you need to cross the river right before the Landmannalaugar campsite. However, you don’t have to cross the river in your car. You can leave your car at the car park before the river crossing and use the footbridge to walk the last 10 minutes to reach the campsite. To cross the river, it is recommended to drive at least a medium-sized 4wd car.

Below is a video of how NOT to cross the Landmannalaugar river in your car:

What is the easiest road to Landmannalaugar?

The easiest road to Landmannalaugar is the northern route. First, you have to drive the paved road 26, then the unpaved road 208, and finally the gravel road F224. There are no river crossings on this route, but it’s bumpy and rather boring. The only river crossing is located right before the Landmannalaugar campsite and you may leave your car in front of it. 

What is the most beautiful road to Landmannalaugar?

The most beautiful road to Landmannalaugar is called Fjallabaksleið Nyrðri. It is an F-road leading to Landmannalaugar from the south. The other name of the road is F208. The landscapes around the road are amazingly beautiful and unique. Southern road F208 is also the most difficult way to reach Landmannalaugar. There are several medium-sized rivers that need to be crossed. You need to drive a medium-sized 4wd car or bigger to safely pass this road.

What are the best hiking trails in Landmannalaugar?

The best hiking trails in Landmannalaugar are:

This list is of course highly subjective, but the hikes above are otherworldly beautiful and there is no doubt they belong to the most beautiful hikes in Iceland.

landmannalaugar Grænihryggur hike iceland

Grænihryggur hike

What is the easiest hike in Landmannalaugar?

The easiest hike in Landmannalaugar is the short walk around the Laugahraun lava field. It takes only around 30-40 minutes to complete it. One of the easiest and also the most beautiful hikes in Landmannalaugar is the Brennisteinsalda hike. Brennisteinsalda is the orange mountain and the views from the top of it are picturesque. It takes about 1-hour (one way) to complete the hike.

Besides the two hikes mentioned above, there are also many easy and short hiking stops around Landmannalaugar. They involve almost no hiking because you just get out of your car and walk anywhere between 1 minute to 10 minutes to reach your destinations. These include the Stútur volcano, the Ljótipollur crater lake, and the Hnausapollur crater lake. 

I arrive by bus, will I have enough time?

You will have around 4 to 6 hours to explore the area if you want to come back the same day. This is enough time to complete only one hike of your choice, like Bláhnúkur or Brennisteinsalda, but no more. If you want to come and leave by bus on the same day, you will definitely be in the rush. It is advised to spend a night and come back by bus the next day. 

How much time do you need for Landmannalaugar?

If you want to fully enjoy Landmannalaugar you need to spend there at least one full day. Avid hikers will not make a mistake by devoting 2 or more days to Landmannalaugar. There are enough beautiful hiking trails to fill your schedule. But to have a good overview of Landmannalaugar, one day with nice weather is usually enough. 

Landmannalaugar Videos

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Posted by Igor in Guide, Highlands, 35 comments
Best car rental insurance in Iceland: 2024 guide

Best car rental insurance in Iceland: 2024 guide

This is the preliminary version of the article. We hope to add more insurance providers in the near future, especially for our US-based friends. Share with us what you find to be the best value-for-money car rental insurance for Iceland in the comments, in our FB group, or write us an email!

Me, you, and probably 99.9% of other Icelandic visitors have already wondered, how to choose the best insurance for their car rental in Iceland. The task is not easy, because insurance options vary widely and are not unified across car rental providers. There are, however, multiple common features for every car rental insurance. The same applies to common threats. So let’s summarize all of these and then look at the available options.

This website may contain affiliate links and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps us cover running costs of this website.

TLDR – tell me the best insurance!

To simplify it the most, if you prefer full coverage, I suggest the following:

Compare the price and the content of the full (a.k.a. “platinum”) insurance offered by your Icelandic car rental company to Lotus and RentalCover below and choose for yourself. Personally, we always use Lotus or RentalCover. These two offer the best level of insurance for a price (usually) comparable with anyone else:

  • Lotus car rental with their Platinum insurance covers EVERYTHING including river crossings. You can support us by using a 5% discount for Lotus with promo code: epicicelandd5
  • RentalCover, a top-notch external insurer insures you against everything except river crossings, usually for a much lower price compared to the car rental companies

Beware! Even full platinum insurance packages most of the time don’t cover water damage / river crossing (we know only of 2 companies that do – Lotus and Blue car), and even many other damage types like undercarriage or doors and windows.

For example, as of 1.6.2022, one of the most popular car rental companies in Iceland offers platinum insurance for a 7-day Dacia Duster trip for 300USD. However, their platinum insurance does NOT cover:
-undercarriage, wind, tires, windows, water damages

You can have a better level of coverage for a lower price with RentalCover. RentalCover’s 4×4 insurance (for non-US citizens) covers everything except river crossings for, in this example, 240USD / 200Eur. 

iceland car insurance

A full picture is not that easy though, there are more things to consider. Don’t want to buy full Icelandic car rental insurance? Or do you just want to understand the details? Well my friend, then read below…

What are the risks of a car rental in Iceland?

  1. Collision – damages to your car
  2. Collision – damages to someone else’s car
  3. Someone steals your car
  4. Loose gravel hits your car
  5. Sand or ash damages your car (engine or anything else)
  6. You damage the undercarriage / chassis of your car
  7. You damage the tire
  8. You damage the windows
  9. You damage the doors (e.g.: wind overthrows them)
  10. Water damages your car (engine or anything else)
  11. Animals damage your car
  12. Car can’t move and you need towing

Yes, all of this can actually happen when you drive in Iceland. Yes, all of this is usually charged separately (excluded from the basic insurance). Is it likely it will happen? Well, most of the time no, but this obviously depends on your driving skills. One thing is certain – there are more threats on Icelandic roads than on a typical American / European road (I said typical, for sure there are some more dangerous roads).

Important: How to choose the best car for Iceland?

So do we just want to scare you so that you buy our insurance? No 🙂 It’s just good to be prepared and set the expectations right so that you can choose for yourself.

What types of insurance are in Iceland?

Rule number one – always check the insurance conditions of your car rental company! Too difficult to understand? Well, obviously… But, what you can generally expect is the following:

  • What’s included in the basic price is usually only the compulsory insurance (see below)
  • For some of the damages not included in compulsory insurance, you may buy an optional insurance

Compulsory insurance

There are two types of insurance that are compulsory for every car rental company in Iceland. This basically means you will always get these two included in the basic price:

  • Collision damage waiver
  • Third-Party Liability Insurance

1. The collision damage waiver (CDW)

The CDW covers costs for case (1) – damages to your car if there’s a collision. BUT. Almost always you have to pay as well. This is called “the deductible”, “the driver’s liability” or “the excess”.  So the usual example goes like this: there’s a CDW with 300 000 ISK deductible, which means, you will pay ALL damages up to 300 000 ISK (2350 USD). If the damage is bigger, you will not pay the rest.

Secondly, the CDW will usually not cover many types of damages. Usually, all of the bullet points (3) to (12) above are not covered. To insure against them, you have to either buy optional insurance or buy completely different insurance.

2. The third-party liability insurance (TPL)

The TPL covers costs for case (2) – damages to someone else’s car if there’s a collision. You don’t pay anything in this case. These damages are covered by TPL.

car rental iceland insurance

Optional insurance

Well, we’ve covered 2 cases out of 12 so far, what about the rest? Car rental companies offer to cover SOME of those as optional insurance. The word “some” is very important here because only very few companies cover most of them and we know only of Lotus and Blue Car.

What are the typical optional insurance options in Iceland?

1. The super collision damage waiver (SCDW)

Do you remember how we talked about “the deductible”, “the driver’s liability” or “the excess”? That’s the money you may pay if you damage your rental car. The SCDW lowers this amount. If you buy this optional insurance, you will pay a lower (sometimes even zero) deductible in case of an accident.

3. The theft protection (TP)

This covers costs for case (3), i.e. someone stealing your car. Usually, there is no deductible, so you usually don’t pay anything if it happens. It’s worth mentioning, though, that car thefts are very rare in Iceland.

4. The gravel protection (GP)

If I had to take just one optional insurance in Iceland, it would be gravel protection.  Gravel is everywhere in Iceland. And most of the gravel is on F-roads. Which you should see because they are beautiful! This is the type of damage that happens almost always. So better be insured against it 🙂

5. The sand and ash protection (SAAP)

Although this sounds like insurance against volcanic ash, that is not its main purpose. There are several sand fields in Iceland, most of them in the South. They are mostly exposed to the wind after the snow thaws, i.e. in February, March, and April. Now imagine what happens if the wind blows enough sand into your engine? Nothing good 🙂 That’s where the SAAP comes in. Do you need it in summer? Usually no, but no one can rule out that sand will get into your engine in some cases.

Some car rental companies offer more optional insurance, but for the typical company, the list usually ends here. So, we’ve covered 5 out of 12 cases now! What about the rest?

Important: How to choose the best car for Iceland?

These are the less typical optional insurance options in Iceland:

6. The undercarriage / chassis insurance

Imagine driving over big rocks on some of the F-roads, for example when heading to Askja. It’s not that hard to hit the undercarriage, a.k.a. chassis of your vehicle and to damage it. Most of the insurance packages do not cover this! You have to either buy the optional undercarriage insurance or buy different insurance that will cover that.

7. The tire insurance

Unfortunately, even damage to tires is excluded from basic insurance packages most of the time. This means, should anything happen to your tire (or sometimes even a wheel), you will be fully responsible for that. Unless you buy optional insurance or different insurance which will cover all of these.

8. The window insurance

The same applies to windows. This is usually a separate “insurance item”. That means, anything happens to windows – you are fully responsible for that and will pay for that. Unless you buy optional insurance or different insurance which will cover all of these.

9. The door insurance

Even doors are usually excluded from basic insurance and even many optional insurance packages. The damage to doors is pretty common in Iceland, mostly due to strong wind and people not taking enough care when opening and closing their doors. You may insure against the door damage by buying optional insurance or different insurance which will cover all of these.

10. The water insurance

If you want to drive F-roads with river crossings, this is one of the most important points. Car rental companies don’t cover water damage, not even in their platinum packages! As of now, we know only about Lotus car rental, which does cover water damage. Recently Blue car also joined to become the second company to cover river crossings.

A PROMO CODE epicicelandd5 will get you a 5% discount with Lotus and us a small commission at no extra cost to you.

What does this mean? Well, if you cross the river on an F-road, and let’s say the water gets into your engine, your engine may die. And you may remain stuck in the water. And you will be paying for towing + new engine. How much can a new engine cost? Well, easily even 10 000 USD!

A 5% Blue car discount link will save you money on your car rental and earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you. *if it doesn’t work, please copy-paste the link into a different browser or into the private/incognito window of your browser

“So what should I do??” Well, either go for Lotus with water insurance (and, please, even in this case study carefully the river crossings!!) or take special caution and try to avoid bigger river crossings. We wrote a list of all F-roads with the size of their river crossings described (this may change in time though! always check conditions at the time of your trip).

road 63 bildudalsvegur

Road 63 Bíldudalsvegur

11. The animal encounter insurance

Yes, this doesn’t happen often, but seldom it does. During our trip, we’d actually met more sheep than tourists 🙂 And sheep often don’t act logically, some being really stubborn getting at the road at the most inconvenient time. This, in the first place, means, take special care not to harm animals in Iceland!

If, in any case, an animal damages your car somehow (hopefully nothing happens to the animal, let’s rather picture a scenario of an angry sheep scratching your car), you will be fully responsible for that. Unless you buy optional insurance or different insurance which will cover all of these.

12. The towing insurance

Got stuck in the river? Stuck on the rock? Stuck in the sand? Is your engine dead? Did you collide and your car can’t move? You will need towing. And towing isn’t cheap. And is charged separately. Unless you buy optional insurance or different insurance which will cover all of these.

iceland car rental insurance

What insurance should I choose?

The most common damages

Now, if you read all of this, here’s a little reward for you 🙂 What is in our opinion the most common damage happening to rental cars in Iceland? Well, if I had to pick Top 3, it would be 1) gravel damage, 2) water damage (if you go for F-roads with river crossings), 3) classical collision of any kind.

What happens less often, but still happens are the door damage (due to wind), tire damage (of course tires are under pressure on Icelandic roads, though this isn’t that expensive damage), and damage to the undercarriage of your car (if you aren’t careful enough).

What usually does not happen are thefts, animal encounters or window damages, and sand/ash getting into your engine outside of spring. 

Trip scenarios

Reykjavik and south 

Going just around Reykjavik, golden circle, and the south? Well, then you don’t need the water damage insurance. Also, gravel hitting your car, you damaging the undercarriage, or animals damaging your car are not very likely. Of course, anything may happen, though.

This means that usually, just basic compulsory insurance is enough. For peace of mind, you may take Gravel protection, Sand and Ash protection, and/or Super collision damage waiver if you feel unsure. Look at RentalCover how much they charge for insurance – it may be cheaper than buying insurance from your car rental company and cover you better.

Usually cheaper RentalCover will cover everything except water damage.

Ring road or winter trip

The ring road is long and winter is more dangerous, so I would generally recommend slightly better insurance. It’s better to have Gravel protection, Sand and Ash protection, and Super collision damage waiver. Some other options like Tire insurance, Window insurance, Door insurance or Towing insurance may be viable for your peace of mind as well, not necessary though. If you are not going for F-roads, water insurance is unnecessary.

Highlands with simple F-roads 

Going for highlands, F-roads, and gravel roads with no or just small river crossings? Well, then you probably need to be insured against everything mentioned in the article, except river crossings (water damage).

I suggest you first read well full/platinum insurance conditions of your car rental company. If they include all of the damages I mentioned in the article (usually they don’t), then compare their price against RentalCover. This external provider covers everything except water damage for a very good price.

Want to have covered everything, including water damage? Lotus car rental will cover it with their platinum insurance!

Highlands with more difficult F-roads

Going for highlands, F-roads, and gravel roads with medium river crossings? Get all available insurance, especially the one for water damage, undercarriage, and gravel!

There’s only 1 car rental company which we know about, that covers you against everything mentioned in this article, including river crossing. That is Lotus car rental. You can have a 5% discount for booking with them with our promo code: “epicicelandd5

Alternatively, you may take special caution, avoid big river crossings and go for an insurance package without water insurance. In that case, I suggest you first read well full/platinum insurance conditions of your car rental company. If they include all of the damages I mentioned in the article (usually they don’t), then compare their price against RentalCover. This external provider covers everything except water damage for a very good price.

How to find out which roads have difficult river crossings? We’ve made a list of F-roads for you!

How does RentalCover work?

RentalCover is, in our opinion, the best 3rd party insurance provider for car rentals around the world, who will insure your Icelandic car rental. 

You need to buy insurance any day BEFORE the trip. If any accident or damage happens during your trip, this is the procedure to follow:

  1. Create documentation of the accident (photos, notes)
  2. Notify your car rental company immediately
  3. Pay for the damages to your car rental company – require confirmation for that!
  4. Send the documentation (photos, notes, your written communication with car rental company, confirmation of your payment) to RentalCover
  5. RentalCover will pay you for the damage

The main advantage of a third-party provider like RentalCover is most of the time the better price and better insurance coverage. 

The main disadvantage is that you have to pay for the damage first, and you will get the money back afterward. 

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Posted by Igor in Guide, Roads, Tips, 52 comments
Ultimate Epic Iceland Map 2024

Ultimate Epic Iceland Map 2024

  • All amazing places in Iceland in one interactive map!
  • Hot springs, waterfalls, hidden gems and places only locals know about.
  • More than 2000 spots around Iceland.
  • Highlands, F-roads, Canyons, Beaches, Movie filming locations, Museums, Churches, Hikes. Toilet locations, Gas stations & supermarkets.

Buy a 3-month access:

Buy a Lifetime access:

This is an early-bird offer. We plan to increase the price soon.

*If the payment buttons above don’t work, please USE DIRECT LINKS BELOW or send us an email with a subscription you would like to buy:


All the GPS points on this map are under strict copyright and are being tracked for an illegal use. You can’t copy any content without our consent.

What is included

Map of every interesting or important place in Iceland for the price of one pizza 🍕

3000 hours of our Icelandic research in one map:

  • ALL places mentioned on our website
  • 2000+ pins to all exciting and essential places in Iceland
  • 60+ Hot Springs
  • 500+ Waterfalls and 130+ Best ones
  • 50+ Highlands spots and hikes
  • 80+ F-roads and Tracks
  • 500+ Canyons, Beaches, Museums, Churches, Hikes, Swimming Pools, etc.
  • 100 Movie Filming Locations
  • 200 toilet locations
  • 200 campsites and mountain huts
  • 400 gas stations and super markets
  • Bonus: 100 Favorite Epic Iceland Spots
  • Regular updates
  • Pins in real time around you (with internet connection)

map iceland best spots

We include a photo, a link with information and sometimes also a short description for every place.

How it works

  • The Map works on Google Maps Only!
  • You MUST HAVE Gmail OR Google account!
  • You will receive access and instructions to the map within 24 hours by email!
  • No refunds can be provided, sorry for that.
  • The Map can only be used by a person who purchased it. If you distribute the content of the map to someone else, your map access will immediately be removed with no refund.

Buy a 3-month access:

Buy a Lifetime access:

map iceland hidden gems

All hidden gems and off-the-beaten-path places are included.

FAQ

Can I pay in a currency other than Euros?

Yes, of course! You can pay in any currency you like. The payment will be automatically converted to euros.

Does the map work on a mobile phone?

Yes, of course! On every mobile phone with Google Maps.

How to BEST use the map?

There are two main use cases we recommend:

  • Plan your trip in advance, thanks to the unique database of 2000+ places
  • Once in Iceland, check out what is nearby in real time!

If I buy 3-month access, what happens after 3 months?

Your access will be removed.

map all places iceland

We have included all the amazing spots from our website in our Map of Iceland.

When can I get a refund?

Refund will be issued only and only if an error during the payment process occurs on our side. We are unable to issue refunds if you mistakenly enter the wrong email address or if you don’t have a Gmail account. Sorry for that!

Is the Payment process Secure?

Of course! The payment process is fully handled by Stripe – one of the largest payment providers in the world.

Does the map contain restaurants and hotels?

As of now it does not. We may add them in the future, though. If you buy a lifetime access, any future map upgrade will be included for no additional charge.

What will be the new increased price?

We are thinking about double the current price. Which is still a VERY LOW price (one lunch?) given the value contained in the map.

iceland map best places

All F-roads and Tracks are part of the map.

Can I copy or modify any part of the Map once I buy it?

No. All the GPS points on this map are under strict copyright and are being tracked for an illegal use. You can’t copy any content without or consent.

Can I use the map on multiple devices (phone, notebook, etc.)?

Yes, of course you can. They all have to be logged into the same Google account you purchased the map with, though.

When will I receive the map access?

Typically within a few hours after the purchase. At maximum, within 24 hours.

Map Reviews

epic iceland map review

epic iceland map reviews

 

epic iceland map experience

ultimate epic iceland map review

 


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Posted by Igor in Top Places, 28 comments