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Landmannalaugar is a geothermal area in Iceland's southern Highlands, inside the Fjallabak Nature Reserve. It's known for rhyolite mountains streaked red, pink, and green, over 30 hiking trails, and natural hot springs warm enough to bathe in.
The name means "People's Pools," after the geothermal pools that have drawn travelers and sheep herders across the Highlands for centuries. Landmannalaugar is also the starting point of the Laugavegur trail, Iceland's best-known multi-day trek. Bring a swimsuit and towel if you plan to soak.
Arctic Adventures runs Landmannalaugar tours from Reykjavík, from short guided hikes to Super Jeep trips and multi-day treks, so you can reach the area without driving the Highland F-roads yourself.
The rhyolite slopes shift color with the light, so clear days show the boldest reds and greens.
The best time to visit Landmannalaugar is summer, from June to September, when the Highland F-roads are open and the trails are clear of snow. This is the main window when the area is reliably accessible, and it's when our Landmannalaugar tours run, with Super Jeep trips running into October.
Daylight stretches to about 21 hours near midsummer, so there's time for a full day of hiking and a soak in the hot springs without rushing. June and September are noticeably quieter than peak July and August.
Guided tours drop you right at the trailhead, where the paths winding through here begin.
You can reach Landmannalaugar from Reykjavík in three ways: by self-drive, by bus, or on a guided tour. The drive takes about 3.5 hours.
To self-drive, you need a 4x4. The route runs on the unpaved Highland F-roads (F208 and F225), which can involve river crossings and are open only in summer. If you'd rather not drive, a summer bus links Reykjavík and Landmannalaugar, and the bus back to Reykjavík can be booked online; otherwise, join one of our Landmannalaugar tours.
Staying overnight at the campsite lets you start the longer trails early, before the day-trip crowds arrive.
You can stay overnight in Landmannalaugar in a mountain hut or a tent. The hut, run by Ferðafélag Íslands (the Iceland Touring Association), has bunk beds and a kitchen. The campsite beside it has toilets, showers, and running water, and the bathing hot spring is a short walk away. Hut beds and campsite spots must be booked in advance, and huts fill up months ahead for July and August. If your Landmannalaugar tour includes camping, bring a sleeping bag, warm layers, and sturdy shoes.
The hiking and Super Jeep day tours run from Reykjavík and return the same day.
Our Landmannalaugar tours range from short guided hikes to Super Jeep trips and multi-day treks. Here's how to choose.
For a beginner-friendly hike, the Landmannalaugar Hiking Day Tour from Reykjavík crosses the Laugahraun lava field and climbs the colorful slopes of Brennisteinsalda. To cover more ground without the long walk, the Landmannalaugar Super Jeep tour reaches the area's highlights by 4x4. The area's best Landmannalaugar hikes range from one-hour canyon walks to full-day summit climbs.
For a deeper trip into the Highlands, the 3-Day Landmannalaugar Trek spends nights in mountain huts and centers on Grænihryggur, the blue-green Emerald Ridge hidden deep in the Fjallabak Nature Reserve. Along the way you climb Brennisteinsalda, soak in the Landmannalaugar hot springs, and on the drive back stop at Háifoss, Iceland's second-tallest waterfall.
To see Landmannalaugar as part of a full lap of the country, the 8-Day Iceland Highlight Hitter circles the Ring Road from Reykjavík and reaches Landmannalaugar by super jeep on summer departures (mid-June to the end of September). Winter departures swap that day for snowmobiling on Langjökull glacier.
The Laugavegur trail starts in Landmannalaugar and runs 55 km (34 mi) south to Þórsmörk, usually over four days with nights in mountain huts. The classic guided option is the 4-Day Laugavegur Trek (Huts). The 6-Day Laugavegur and Fimmvörðuháls trek walks the same trail, then adds a day hiking the Fimmvörðuháls trail to the Magni and Móði craters left by the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption. Hut spaces book out months ahead for July and August. Browse all trekking tours for tent departures and routes that add the South Coast and a glacier hike.
