Walking and Trekking in Iceland

Map key
Location of walks

Introduction

Location
Geology and landscape
Wildlife
National parks
Getting to Iceland
Getting around Iceland
When to go
Accommodation
Food and drink
Money
Communications
Language
Tourist information offices
What to take
Health and safety
River crossings
Emergencies
Footpaths, waymarking and access
Maps
Using this guide

1 Reykjavík, Reykjanes and Hengill

Walk 1 Reykjavík and Seltjarnarnes
Walk 2 Þverfellshorn from Esjustofa
Walk 3 Keflavík to Grindavík
Walk 4 Grindavík to Vogar
Walk 5 Grindavík and Prestastígur
Walk 6 Krýsuvík and Krísuvíkurbjarg
Walk 7 Seltún and Kleifarvatn
Walk 8 Seltún and Djúpavatn
Walk 9 Þingvellir and Skógarkot
Walk 10 Hveragerði and Reykjadalur
Walk 11 Ölfusvatn and Ölkelduháls
Walk 12 Hellisheiði to Hveragerði
Walk 13 Nesjavellir and Vörðuskeggi
Trek 1 The Reykjavegur

2 Fjallabak and Þórsmörk

Walk 14 Landmannalaugar and Suðurnámur
Walk 15 Landmannalaugar and Bláhnukúr
Walk 16 Hvanngilshauser and Tangafoss
Walk 17 Þórsmörk and Valahnúkur
Walk 18 Fljótsdalur and Þórólfsfell
Walk 19 Vestmannaeyjar – Heimaey
Trek 2 Hellismannaleið, Laugavegur and Skógar Trail

3 Skaftafell and Vatnajökull

Walk 20 Sandfell and Hvannadalshnúkur
Walk 21 Svinafellsjökull and Hrútsfjall
Walk 22 Skaftafell and Kristínartindar
Walk 23 Skaftafell and Svartifoss
Walk 24 Skaftafell and Morsárdalur
Walk 25 Jökulsárlón – Glacier Lagoon

4 Snæfell and Lónsöræfi

Walk 26 Snæfellsskáli and Snæfell
Trek 3 The Lónsöræfi Trail

5 Egilsstaðir and the Eastfjords

Walk 27 Egilsstaðir and Fardagafoss
Walk 28 Neðri-Stafur and Seyðisfjörður
Walk 29 Litlanesfoss and Hengifoss
Walk 30 Hallormsstaðaskógur
Walk 31 Vatnsskarð and Stórurð
Trek 4 The Víknaslóðir

6 Jökulsárgljúfur

Walk 32 Ásbyrgi and Áshöfði
Walk 33 Svinadalur and Rauðhólar
Walk 34 Selfoss and Dettifoss
Trek 5 The Jökulsárhlaup

7 Akureyri and Eyjafjörður

Walk 35 Akureyri and Súlur
Walk 36 Eyjafjörður and Hrísey
Walk 37 Grímsey

8 Kverkfjöll and Askja

Walk 38 Kverkfjöll and Hveradalur
Walk 39 Herðubreiðarlindir
Trek 6 The Askja Trail
Trek 7 The Mývatn Trail

9 Sprengisandur and Kjölur

Walk 40 Nýidalur and Kaldagil
Walk 41 Nýidalur and Sprengisandur
Trek 8 The Kjölur Trails

10 Hornstrandir Peninsula

Trek 9 The Hornstrandir Trail

11 The Westfjords

Walk 42 Hnífsdalur, Bolungarvík and Ísafjörður
Walk 43 Suðureyri to Flateyri
Walk 44 Þingeyri and Kaldbakur
Walk 45 Helluskarð and Lómfell
Walk 46 Foss to Krossholt
Walk 47 Brunnaverstöð and Látrabjarg
Walk 48 Brjánslækur and Surtarbrandsgil
Walk 49 Flatey and Breiðafjörður

12 Snæfellsjökull and Snaefellsnes

Trek 10 The Snæfellsjökull and Snaefellsnes Trail

Appendix A Route summary tables
Appendix B Glossary of place-name elements
Appendix C Further information

November 2023

Walks 3, 4 & 5 and Reykjavegur stages 6 & 7

June 2022

2022 reprint route updates

April 2019

Update

I highly rate Cicerone guidebooks

I highly rate Cicerone guidebooks and the one I used for this trip, 'Walking and Trekking in Iceland' by Paddy Dillon, is of the usual high standard.

Trek and Mountain magazine

There's plenty of hiking potential in Iceland, and Paddy Dillon provides a good selection of what's available.

Inveterate guide-book author and hiker Paddy Dillon describes the wonderful diversity of Iceland's landscapes - it's geothermal areas, coastlines, glaciers, geysers, waterfalls and volcanic lava fields - in a series of 49 day walks and 10 multi-stage treks in and around the island, including the sometimes overlooked peninsulas in the west and north-west.

Most of the day walks are from the roadside, accessible by public transport, and these options would be ideal for a first-time visitor, but to get a real feel of the country you need to hike some of the multi-stage treks, for which you need to be self-sufficient: there are many huts- some are wardened, but none provide meals or sell food, and they can be full in popular areas- so it is best to camp, free of charge in the wild, but restricted in the national park.

Wear strong boots - volcanic lava is abrasive - long sleeves, long trousers and a midge net hat. If rivers are too high to cross during the day camp beside them and cross at night when flows are lower: with virtually 24 hours of daylight you can hike at any hour.

Paddy Dillon describes his walks and treks in a series of twelve sections, working his way round the island in a counter-clockwise direction. Each walk or trek, or stage of a trek, has a preamble describing start, finish, distance, ascent/descent and time, whether in hours or days. Terrain, facilities, maps, accommodation and transport are given, and each walk or stage of a trek has its own maps, but I found it annoying in having to refer to the map at the beginning of each section without a page reference to it. Dillon details 100 days of
walking and trekking, but omits several that I have done: only one walk from Akureyri, for example, from where I did a different hike each day for a week. There's plenty of hiking potential in Iceland, and Paddy Dillon provides a good selection of what's available.

Chris Wright, Fell and Rock Journal