Kerlingarfjöll is a wilderness paradise located right in the heart of Iceland. It is full of steaming hot springs (you can even bathe in some!), impressive rhyolite mountains with ice caps, and gushing glacial rivers. Explore all of it and more on this thrilling day hike through the Icelandic highlands!
From
Our adventure will begin with a pick-up from Reykjavik at approximately 8 a.m. Once the group is gathered, we’ll drive away from the city towards the remote Icelandic highlands. Kerlingarfjöll, the destination we are heading to, is a volcanic mountain range located in the central part of Iceland. It is a picturesque paradise filled with steaming geothermal valleys, gushing glacial rivers, and amazing panoramic views.
At the beginning of our journey, we’ll make a quick stop to admire the powerful Gullfoss Waterfall. Right after that, we’ll continue our adventure, moving to the mountain roads of the scenic highlands. Along the way, you’ll be treated to spectacular views of the vast lava fields and glacier-topped mountains before arriving at the vibrant area of Kerlingarfjöll.
We’ll stop to rest and stretch our legs at the Highland Base in the Ásgarður Valley, right at the edge of Kerlingarfjöll.
Finally, our journey will lead us to Hveradalir Valley. Hveradallir, meaning ‘the Valley of the Hot Springs,’ reflects its name by being one of the largest geothermal valleys in the country. Some of these natural hot springs are suitable for bathing, but some are so powerful that they should only be admired from a safe distance. The area is surrounded by the picturesque rhyolite mountains that are part of the Kerlingarfjöll mountain range.
We’ll spend some time exploring the area and soaking in the views before heading back to Reykjavík for an evening arrival.
Pick-up from Reykjavik starts at 8 a.m. We’ll pick you up from your preferred pick-up location, which you have to choose upon booking. After the hike, we’ll return you to the same spot.
Please note
The duration of the hike is highly dependent on the road and weather conditions.
This is a great question. We ask all participants to be ready from the start of the pickup time indicated. This is because you may well be the first pick up of the day. Please be at your assigned location at the start time that you chose when booking the tour.
Here you should wait for your guide.
Have your email and phone number listed with us so we can contact you if we run into any trouble finding you.
View our pick-up locations in Reykjavík.
Before and during activities on the multi-day tours consumption of alcohol is prohibited. If we suspect that a participant is intoxicated, we will prohibit them from joining the activity.
After the activities of the day are finished, you are welcome to have a drink and relax.
Yes, we do. Langjökull Ice Cave is a magical experience, the tour has no minimum age and is a wonderful option for the whole family. Whale Watching with our partner company Elding has been a favourite with families traveling with young children, these guys have a great success rate in seeing whales (upwards of 98% in the summertime).
Another option would be the Landmannalaugar Safari on this tour you get to explore parts of the Icelandic highlands and bathe in natural hot springs. Most of our super jeep tours are also suitable for children over the age of 6 years old. If you would like a nice and relaxing experience we would also recommend the Golden Circle & Secret Lagoon tour.
Your safety is our number one priority! Keeping this in mind, Arctic Adventures reserves the right to adjust the itinerary and/or take different routes depending on conditions. Please read more information in our cancellation policy.
Yes, there is a specially trained and certified guide on each of our tours. The only exception to this is for our self-drive tours.
All of our tours are guided in English.
No, for all your questions and concerns you would need to contact our customer service.
Our tours are split into four different categories that help participants to understand what to expect from the tour. The categories are Easy, Moderate, Challenging and Demanding. Each tour is rated making it easier to find tours that suit you.
For further information about the difficulty ratings and descriptions.
We’ve partnered with the Kolviður Fund in a new carbon offsetting program, which passengers can select to participate in at the time of booking.
The Kolviður Fund is the oldest, most respected carbon offsetting program in Iceland. With your support, one tree will be planted in special Kolviður forests in Iceland to carbon offset your tour with us.
Kolviður forests are strategically planted to absorb the maximum amount of CO2 and the forests are protected for a minimum of 60 years. During their lifetime the trees absorb carbon and store it in their root system, trunk, and branches. Trees also prevent soil erosion and maintain storage of carbon in the soil.