Landmannalaugar
Rainbow rhyolite peaks, black obsidian lava fields and a natural hot river — the star of the Icelandic highlands.
Rainbow rhyolite mountains and hot river at Landmannalaugar
What to expect at Landmannalaugar
Landmannalaugar sits in a caldera in the central highlands where 1477 rhyolite lava flows painted the mountains in yellow, pink, green and purple stripes. A geothermal stream runs out of the base of the Laugahraun lava field and mixes with a cold stream — walk 5 minutes from the warden hut and you’re in a natural 36-38 C bathing river, no admission, no changing rooms other than a wooden shelter. This is also the trailhead for Laugavegur, the 54 km hut-to-hut hike to Thorsmork.
Access is the catch: F208 and F225 are highland gravel tracks with unbridged river crossings, so you need a 4WD with clearance and river-crossing insurance. If you don’t have that, Reykjavik Excursions and Trex both run daily highland buses from Reykjavik in summer ($95 return, 4 hours each way), leaving around 08:30 and returning at 15:30 — enough time for the hot river plus the 4-hour Blahnukur/Brennisteinsalda loop. Book huts (Ferdafelag Islands) months ahead if staying overnight.
Questions about Landmannalaugar
Free to enter and bathe. Parking $8, campsite $22 per person, hut bed $85. Highland bus from Reykjavik $95 return.
The area and hot river are free 24/7 during the summer season. Only sleeping and parking cost.
A full day minimum. Ideally 2-3 days to hike Blahnukur, Brennisteinsalda and part of the Laugavegur trail.
Roads are closed roughly October to mid-June depending on snowmelt. Check road.is for F208 and F225 status.
Yes for huts (6+ months ahead) and the highland bus in July-August (2-3 days ahead). Camping is walk-in.
There is no permanent settlement nearby. The Landmannalaugar warden hut is the drop-off point; the F208 turn-off from Ring Road 1 is 55 km east of Selfoss.
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