Trek through canyons, past waterfalls and across lava fields on this unique mini-expedition in Vatnajökull National Park
Cross the ice of the vast Skeiðarárjökull glacier surrounded by true wilderness and Iceland's tallest mountains
Camp in the wildest, most majestic spots imaginable, under Iceland's summer twilight and midnight sun
Day 1
Head to Iceland’s capital city, Reykjavik. After checking into your guesthouse, set off and explore this quirky city’s huge array of charming bars, cafes, art museums and churches.
Day 2
Start early today as you hop in the van with your guide to skip town, leaving Reykjavik at 7:30 AM for the four-hour drive through southern Iceland towards the enormous wilderness area of Vatnajökull National Park. You'll hit the trails as soon as you are dropped off at the trailhead, tackling a short climb until you reach the magnificent waterfalls of Tvílitihylur. Head further up, along the sculpted canyons of the lower part of the Núpsá River, before reaching the deeper section with walls up to 656 ft high. Your first wild camping spot is within the canyon, making for a unique and memorable night out in the Icelandic wilds.
Day 3
Wake up in the belly of the canyon and enjoy breakfast at camp before packing down and getting back on the trail. Make your way up and out of the canyon, the highland panorama revealing itself as you reach the lava fields of Sléttur. Embark on a steady ascent along the Eggjar Hills, with the mighty Vatnajökull icecap and enormous glacier tongue of Skeiðarárjökull gradually coming into view. Hike closer to the glacier and pitch up right beside it for a camp dinner, before bedding down.
Day 4
Today you have one mission: to cross the Skeiðarárjökull glacier. You'll need a whole day to traverse the vast expanse of ice through the Norðurdalur Valley, an area surrounded by high mountain ridges. Your guides will ensure the crossing is done safely, while teaching you about Iceland's relationship with glaciers and their importance on a warming planet. Reaching solid ground again, you'll step off the glacier in the Skaftafell area of Vatnajökull National Park – a magnificent camping area is the reward for a tough day. Enjoy the late light of Icelandic summer deep into the evening at camp, with views over glacial lakes with floating icebergs flanked by colorful rhyolite mountains.
Day 5
Set off away from the glacier this morning, climbing to a narrow mountain ridge with a panorama of rhyolite peaks of the Kjós valley on one side, and the imposing wall of Hvannadalshnúkur on the other – Iceland's tallest mountain. Descend into the Morsárdalur Valley where the vegetation becomes thick, green and lush. Pass through the beautiful Arctic birch forest of Bæjarstaðarskógur, before finding one last wild camping spot on the plains beside the forest.
Day 6
Wake up in the wilderness for one last time, grab a coffee and breakfast and bid farewell to the stunning backdrop. Hike further along the Morsárdalur Valley and past the epic waterfall of Svartifoss while making your way across the Skaftafell National Park, eventually reaching the road – your first sign of civilization in nearly a week. Hop on the bus back to Reykjavik, where you'll bid farewell to your guide and fellow adventurers. You are free to head straight to Keflavik Airport on the Flybus in time for any evening flights, or head to your accommodation in Reykjavik if you're staying on longer in the land of fire and ice.
Our trips do not include flights, trains or other travel to the start point and back from the end point.
This trip begins and ends in central Reykjavik, so you'll need to make your own way to and from the airport – see the 'Getting There' section for more information.
Tips are not included in the trip cost; these are entirely at your discretion. If you would like to tip, the amount should be reflective of your perception of service and quality.
You know your own spending habits best, so please budget an appropriate amount for things like optional meals and drinks, shopping, optional activities, and laundry.
Travel insurance is compulsory for all of our adventures, and you'll need to provide your policy details before departure. Your insurance should offer adequate cover for overseas medical treatment, evacuation/repatriation, your baggage and equipment, and the specific activities involved in your adventure. We also recommend ensuring your policy includes cancellation and curtailment cover, in case you're unable to join your trip due to unforeseen circumstances such as illness.
Standard travel insurance may not cover all the activities included in your adventure, so it's essential to check the details carefully. There are adventure-specific providers that many travelers have used in the past, such as True Traveller (opens in new tab) (for those based in the UK or Europe), or Rise + Shield (opens in new tab), both of which offer cover for a wide range of adventurous activities.
Please make sure your chosen policy meets your individual needs and covers all aspects of your trip.
Visa requirements often change, and you are responsible for obtaining any required visas for this trip. Please check with your nearest embassy or consulate for up-to-date advice.
During the trek, the emphasis will be on lightweight meals prepared by the trip leader with some help from the group. For dinner expect soups, pasta with smoked salmon, couscous, sausages and freeze-dried meals. Breakfasts will consist of muesli, oat…
Michelle E. August 2025
Kirsten O. August 2025
William G. July 2024
“Wow! What a trip! If you are looking for a challenging trip off the beaten path then this is the trip for you. Landscape and our Guide made this trip even better. Would recommend this trip to anyone who enjoys the outdoors.”
Phyatt June 2024
“Jon was an incredible. His knowledge of the landscape and ability to adapt went above and beyond. We were very lucky with group dynamics and with heavenly weather the sites were…. heavenly. Day three was particularly challenging but non the less rewarding. This really was the most amazing experience. Don’t hesitate. Book this trip. It’s a life changing experience.”
Alex C. June 2024
“This hike was amazing and equally difficult and beautiful. We lucked out with weather and Jon made this hike absolutely amazing. He was knowledgable about the area and taught us a ton.”
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For solo travellers wanting their own space, there is the option to upgrade to a private room if you would like to do so, subject to availability. See Optional Extras for prices. Please note, this only covers your night in Reykjavik – due to the remote and demanding nature of this expedition, your host does not offer solo tents as the weight of the food, camping and cooking gear needs to be distributed equally amongst the group.
If you'd like to extend your stay in Iceland your host can also help to arrange extra nights' accommodation in Reykjavik before or after the tour (subject to availability). Prices are available on request from your host.
To request any extras, message your host via your Much Better Adventures account once you have booked your trip.
All extras must be paid before your trip starts.
Yes. This is a wild camping expedition through the Icelandic wilderness. The group will be self-sufficient along with your guide from the moment you are dropped off at the trailhead on the morning of Day 2. You will need a trekking backpack with waist support to ensure you are comfortable hiking all day while carrying your own gear. The food and camping supplies will also be divided equally among the group; please leave 15-20 liters of free space in your backpack for this. A 60-75 liter backpack is generally fine on this trek.
If the hotel in Reykjavik does not have enough space to store your luggage, you can store it in the luggage lockers at BSI Central Station (the departure point for the bus to Landmannalaugar). Your host will meet you at your hotel at approximately 6:30 AM on Day 2 of the tour, and you'll be in the van to the trailhead by 7:30 AM, so there is a short window in which to store excess luggage in the lockers at BSI Central Station—it's much more convenient to do this the evening of Day 1 if possible, rather than the morning of Day 2. There are four other centrally located places in Reykjavik where you can store luggage. Speak to your host about the options, or you can pre-book here.
You'll be filling your water bottle from streams and rivers that flow from the highest mountains in Iceland and the glaciers in the valley that you're trekking through. The water is safe to drink and your guide will assist with advice on filling up from wild water sources. We recommend bringing two liters worth of carrying capacity, either with a couple of reusable bottles or a bladder system.
Sure can! Over 70% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.
Our team of Adventure Hunters co-create exclusive adventures which are run by highly vetted, specialist hosts. The trip is run by our trusted host partner in the destination. We only work with independent, local, in-destination experts who know the very best places to explore and how to stay safe. Read more information about the local teams we partner with. You’ll be introduced to the host straight after making a booking via the Much Better Adventures platform.
Much Better Adventures refer to the UK Government’s official travel advice when designing trips and monitoring trip operations. We recommend that all customers review the practical information available on the UK Government’s FCDO website, where you can find up-to-date advice by searching for your destination(s).
If you are based in the United States, you can also check the latest travel advisories from the U.S. Department of State.
For customers joining from other international locations, we recommend checking the official travel advice issued by your country of residence, as guidance may vary.
We recommend checking out the country-specific information and also talking to a travel nurse.
We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates daily, so prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.
If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.
All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. You must be over 18 to join one of our trips.
You're always in good company on one of our adventures.
Our trips typically consist of a mix of solo travelers and small groups of 2 or 3 friends, with most in their 30s-50s.
Our sociable adventures are solo-friendly by design and naturally attract outdoorsy people with a shared mindset; a love for adventure, a desire to push themselves, and meet awesome, like-minded people along the way.
It’s this camaraderie that has so often turned a great adventure into a life-changing one.
Don't just take our word for it:
See here for more info about the Much Better Adventures tribe.
As the old Icelandic saying goes, “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes.” Icelandic weather is famously fickle so you’ll need to prepare for anything – from balmy all-day sunshine in the mid-seventies (°F), to wind, rain and everything in between! This is all part of the adventure, but be sure to pack good waterproofs in case the rain gods come calling. Remember that in Iceland, summer means nearly 24 hours of daylight, so don’t forget your eye mask! The average daytime temperature in this part of Iceland from June to September is 50-55°F. A warm summer day could see temperatures reaching around 68°F.
We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre program, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity.
What's the number?
It works out on average at 86kg of CO2 emissions per person, including all local transport, accommodation, food, activities, guides, staff and office operations.
The only thing it doesn’t include right now is flights and travel to the destination. We do make an overall estimate across all our customers separately, but as we don’t book flights, have customers from all corners of the world, and no way of reliably knowing their travel plans, we simply can’t include an individual number in the figure on display here. We’ve got a goal to fix that, so that when you book, there is a way to measure and mitigate the carbon emitted by your flight too.
But what does the number mean?
Yep, hard to picture eh? To give you an idea:
What are we doing about it?
Our trips are relatively low-carbon by design, and we're working with all our hosts to develop long term carbon reduction plans. We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity, ensuring the protection of the reserve and its wildlife.
Want to know more?
Amazingly, no international travel company has ever publicly published their carbon measurements before, as far as we know. We believe that must change, quickly. So we’re openly sharing the method we used in the hope that other companies will be able to more easily follow suit and build on what we've done so far. You'll find it all here.
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