22-02-2023
In a land with breathtaking scenery and natural wonders, it would be a shame if one could not immerse oneself in its beauty by hiking. Luckily, the opportunity to go hiking in Iceland can be found all across the island, and, not surprisingly, it is a favorite activity.
If you are an avid hiker or would like to take up the hobby on your trip to Iceland, this is everything you need to know. Fro what to wear, how to hike solo, when to go hiking in Iceland and much, much more. So, without further ado, let’s jump straight into the ultimate guide about hiking Iceland.
Although the landscape in Iceland is always beautiful and each season brings its own flare to the island, hiking is generally done in the summer. This is because of three reasons:
The reason why the wintertime offers the best odds to see the Aurora Borealis, is because of the amount of darkness the season has in store. In fact, mid-winter, you'll only have about 4 hours of daylight each day. How do you want to take on a hike that’s more than a couple of hours long when you’ll barely have enough time to drive to the trail in daylight?
It can be tricky to pack for a summer trip to a place that’s called Iceland. And it’s only made worse if you add physical activity into the mix. That’s why we created this handy packing list for a week’s hiking in Iceland in summer that you can use as a reference for your trip:
*In terms of multi-day treks, what to wear when hiking in Iceland in summer doesn’t change. Still, you will need to adapt the number of things such as shirts and pants to the number of nights/days you’ll be away. The same applies to the type of accommodation offered on the trail.
In terms of general personal safety, you don’t need to be concerned about going solo hiking in Iceland. As the (official) safest country in the world, the odds are very slim that you will be met with foul play when tackling a trail alone. In terms of general hiking safety, it’s not the recommended way to go. Still, there are certain things that can help mitigate risk if you don’t have any other choice:
It will be impossible to squeeze in every amazing hike the island has to offer – there simply are too many Iceland backpacking trails. So, if your time is limited, the following are considered to be some of the best hikes in Iceland divided into day hikes and multi-day treks:
Below you will find some of the day hikes in Iceland that come highly recommended by the Iceland hiking community. We'll include some of the best hikes near Reykjavík:
Distance: 7km (a 2-3 hour hike)
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Where: Close to Mosfellsbær (about 50 minutes from Reykjavik)
Distance: 7.1km (a 3-4 hour hike)
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Where: Hvalfjördur (about 1 hour north of Reykjavík)
Distance: 4km (a 3 hour hike)
Difficulty Level: Extremely challenging (best to take this one on with a guide)
Where: Kirkjufell Mountain in the Snæfellsnes Peninsula (about 2.5 hours from Reykjavík)
Distance: 9.7km (a 4-6 hour hike)
Difficulty Level: Challenging
Where: Landmannalaugar in the southern Highlands (about 4 hours from Reykjavík)
Distance: 16km (a 4-6 hour hike)
Difficulty Level: Easy
Where: Skogafoss (just over 2 hours from Reykjavík)
Below you will find some of the multi-day hikes in Iceland that come highly recommended by the hiking community in Iceland:
Distance: 67.6km (a 3-5 day hike)
Difficulty Level: Challenging
Where: Hornstrandir, Westfjords (43.2km from Isafjördur, but you will need to take the ferry)
Distance: 55km (a 3-4 day hike)
Difficulty Level: Challenging
Where: Fjallabak Nature Reserve, South Iceland (just over 3 hours from Reykjavík)
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Distance: 30km (a 1-2 day hike)
Difficulty Level: Challenging
Where: Skogar, South Iceland (just over 2 hours from Reykjavík)
Distance: 59.5km (a 5 day hike)
Difficulty Level: Moderate to Challenging
Where: Vatnajökull National Park, South Iceland (about 2.5 hours from Reykjavík)
Distance: 74km (a 4 day hike)
Difficulty Level: Challenging
Where: The East Fjords (about 1 hour from Egilsstadir)
Absolutely! In fact, with more tricky trails such as Kirkjufell it is recommended. But if you are traveling solo or just enjoy hiking as part of a group, you will find plenty of trekking tours in Iceland where you can book your spot. Just keep in mind that you’ll need to book well in advance if you’re planning on hiking across Iceland during the busy summer months. Some of the best-selling hiking tours in Iceland are:
As you can see, there are a wide variety of day and multi-day hikes available on the island. And irrelevant of your skill level or experience, you’ll be able to find one that suits you. So, now that you have all the answers to questions like “which are the best trails to tackle on the island”” and “what hiking shoes should I wear in Iceland?” there’s no reason put off the trip any longer. Book your flight, rent a car in Reykjavík and head out on your hiking in Iceland adventure!