Choose huts or camping
Reserve each night before departure. Camping requires your own tent and equipment; a camping reservation is not a hut bed.
Check hut & campsite availabilityLaugavegur: Map section 1
Southern section · Þórsmörk towards Emstrur
20.0kmMapped section
4daysWalking itinerary
2Map sections
Best season: Late June–early September. July and August are the core hiking months. Match your walking dates to hut openings, highland buses and current trail reports. Plan your visit
Loading topographic map…
Flat (<5%) Gentle (5–10%) Moderate (10–15%)
Green: selected map section.Grey: rest of track. Elevation follows this same track, from map start to finish.
Southern section · Þórsmörk towards Emstrur
Open this section pageChoose overnight stops & get daily GPX
New connected Landmannalaugar–Langidalur route: 4-, 3- and 2-day plans, adjustable nights and offline trip preparation. The older reference map above is unchanged.
Make it your trip
Choose your walking days
The usual hut-to-hut rhythm, with three overnight stops between the trailheads.
North to south, using FÍ’s approximate stage distances. These are overnight itineraries, not the two map sections above. Arrival and departure stays are additional.
Compare with the official itinerary Check hut & campsite availability- 112km
Landmannalaugar → Hrafntinnusker
Climb through geothermal terrain to a high, exposed overnight stop.
- 212km
Hrafntinnusker → Álftavatn
Descend towards the lake; snow and visibility can affect the high ground.
- 317km
Álftavatn → Emstrur
Pass Hvanngil and cross open volcanic plains, with unbridged rivers.
- 415km
Emstrur → Þórsmörk
Finish in the valley. Match your final hut or campsite to your bus pickup.
Weather this week
Loading the forecast for low point (219 m) and high point (583 m)…
Weather by month
Typical weather on this stage: at the lowest point (219 m) and the highest point (583 m). Select a month to see why it is rated as it is.
| Month | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weather | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Good | Good | Good | Good | Mixed | Poor | Poor |
| High point, day / night | 0°/-4° | -1°/-5° | 0°/-4° | 2°/-2° | 6°/1° | 11°/5° | 13°/7° | 12°/6° | 8°/4° | 4°/0° | 1°/-3° | 0°/-5° |
| Low point, day / night | 2°/-3° | 2°/-3° | 3°/-2° | 6°/0° | 10°/4° | 13°/7° | 14°/9° | 14°/8° | 10°/6° | 6°/2° | 4°/-1° | 2°/-3° |
| Rain, mm | 142 | 148 | 140 | 115 | 98 | 98 | 121 | 138 | 170 | 170 | 152 | 147 |
| Snow at high point | Likely | Likely | Likely | Likely | Likely | – | – | – | – | Possible | Possible | Likely |
| Daylight | 5 h 29 | 8 h 35 | 11 h 36 | 14 h 55 | 18 h 08 | 20 h 42 | 19 h 37 | 16 h 27 | 13 h 10 | 10 h | 6 h 44 | 4 h 28 |
Source: TerraClimate 1991–2020 monthly averages. Averages for the area at each point’s elevation (4 km grid, corrected for height). Not a forecast or a report of current trail conditions. Snow at the high point is estimated with a simple snowpack model from these temperatures and precipitation, not observed; steep islands and high summits can hold more snow than it shows. Daylight is for the 15th of each month. Hut, transport and park seasons are separate: check them for your dates.
Before you go
Prepare for the highlands
Start with overnight stays and transport, then check conditions and pack for an exposed mountain journey.
Iceland is outside our current snow-mosaic regions. Use the Icelandic forecast and local reports; satellite landscape imagery is not a live snow assessment.
Check rivers and trail alerts
Several rivers are unbridged. Ask hut wardens about current crossings and check alerts again before setting out. A mapped line or an empty closure layer does not establish a safe crossing. Keep a spare day: snow, fog and high rivers can hold walkers at a hut.
ICE-SAR travel alerts & trip planningPlan for wind, rain and snow
Carry waterproofs, warm layers, navigation backup and reserve power. Check the mountain forecast before each day; summer dates do not rule out snow.
Icelandic Met Office forecast & warningsArrange food before the bus
Plan your meals and cooking arrangements before entering the highlands. Confirm supplies and facilities with each host instead of expecting a shop at every overnight stop.
FÍ food, drinks & snacksGetting there
Book both ends of the hike
Plan the walking itinerary and your highland bus tickets together. Operator timetables are more useful here than nearby map stop names.
Bus seasons differ from hut seasons. Follow the operator links for your travel dates; no departure or connection is guaranteed here.
Start: Landmannalaugar
Compare seasonal highland buses from Reykjavík and southern pickup towns. Check whether your arrival leaves enough daylight for the first walking day, or stay at the trailhead first.
Reykjavík Excursions highland busesFinish: Þórsmörk
Langidalur, Húsadalur and Básar are different stops, not interchangeable names. Match your accommodation and walking finish to the operator’s actual pickup point.
Trex routes & seasonal bus datesDriving into the highlands?
Check road status, vehicle requirements and any parking reservation before departure. A road on the map is not evidence that a rental car can use it.
Official road conditionsTake your trip with you
Offline maps
Use the new connected walking plan for daily GPX and whole-trip downloads. The older reference track above still has gaps and is not enabled for navigation. Saving this guide alone is a bookmark, not an offline walking route.
Choose your days and keep the tripPrepare in the installed app
Keep your selected itinerary as a trip, open it in the installed TrailSplits app and choose Download whole tour offline. Check every day is ready, then test reopening the trip without a connection before you leave.
FÍ maps and preparation adviceAbout these maps
Route & sources
Use the named journey guide for overnight planning, and the map sections for terrain exploration.
Sources checked 14 September 2026. Confirm current availability and conditions before departure.
Why do the distances differ?
FÍ’s named four-day itinerary totals about 56 km. The map here measures 53.5 km and has an unresolved gap near Hvanngil. The two map sections are viewing sections, not suggested overnight stages. Field downloads remain paused until the track is repaired and checked.
FÍ trail guide & walking stagesWhich direction should I plan?
The itinerary above follows FÍ’s Landmannalaugar-to-Þórsmörk direction. The reference map and its elevation run south to north. Follow the start and finish labels when inspecting the profile.
FÍ trail guide & walking stagesWhat about Hvanngil or Skógar?
Hvanngil is an alternative overnight stop. Continuing to Skógar via Fimmvörðuháls is a separate mountain crossing with additional days and its own conditions, not part of this map.
FÍ trail optionsMap data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Source relation
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