Landmannalaugar - Peral of the highlands

Landmannalaugar is where you go to experience the pristine and breathtaking beauty of the Icelandic Highlands. Your journey to this amazing destination begins in Reykjavik from the various bus stops. Once you go off the highway, you will notice the raw power of nature, the roads become tough to navigate but the visuals just keep getting better!

As you traverse the countryside you will also go along the foot of Mt. Hekla, Iceland’s most active volcano. The mountain that looks like an upturned boat, covered with snow, was referred by ancient Europeans as ‘Gateway to Hell’. From Mt. Hekla, your journey will continue till you reach Landmannalaugar.

The first thing that you notice is the high rolling hills that are surprisingly colorful. As the sun shines upon these hills, they turn hues of red, pink, green and yellow. This is because these hills are windswept rhyolite mountains that create these amazing colors in the mountains. The area is a popular hiking destination and a photographer’s delight.

The area’s name roughly translated to ‘The People’s pools’ refers to the hot thermal springs that are found in Landmannalaugar. A remnant of the volcanic activity of the region, these springs are ideal for a nice hot soak after a rigorous hike. The bus tour takes about 3 hours from Reykjavik and you will have the next 6 hours at your own disposal, to go on a hike to explore these spectacular mountains and also to soak in at the geothermal baths to relax those weary muscles.

You can pick up a hiking map on the bus and there are many interesting and popular hiking trails including to Mt. Brennisteinsalda and the Mt. Blahnjukur volcano. The Blahnjukur or ‘Blue volcano’ trail is the best; it is short and takes about an hour to offer sweeping views of the entire Landmannalaugar region. A trip to these spectacular mountains will be the highlight of your Icelandic trip!