Iceland ➙ Laugevagur Trail YOYO – day 0

Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

Sept. 12, 2023

Hiking Interior Iceland.

Fantastic. But challenging. You need to be organized.

Do your research well in advance.

Click PLAY or watch my hike on YouTube. (4min)

After this page, check out TMB Complete Guide to the Laugavegur Trail.

I was probably making a mistake going so late in the season. Laugevagur could shut down any time after Sept. 11th due to weather.

All agree that Laugavegur is the best hike in Iceland. It’s fairly close to Reykjavik. There are a number of transportation options to get to the trailheads.

Cost

For me as a tourist, Iceland has been by far the most expensive nation. And I’ve been to over 90 nations.

Bring. Money. $$$$$

You probably don’t need any Icelandic currency as they accept credit card almost everywhere. The notable exception is local buses that only take cash or payment by their own app.

Food & Fuel

Knowing that food is expensive and limited in variety, I brought quite a bit of camping grub with me on the plane.

I bought the rest in Reykjavik. And bought a small canister of very expenisve fuel.

Of course there are hundreds of partial containers at the trailheads, but I didn’t want to risk not having fuel.

Fuel canisters left behind at Langidalur, Sept. 2023

Transportation

Deciding on this adventure last minute, I was excited to do it late in the season when there would be fewer hikers. Of course, bad weather is a greater risk.

What I didn’t realize until arrival is that bus service to the trailheads started shutting down Sept. 11, 2023.

Last bus to Landmannalaugar was Sept. 11, 2023.

Buses to Þórsmörk (Thórsmörk) ended Sept. 15, 2023.

There are 3 main bus companies:

I decided to take the Reykjavik Excursions bus to Þórsmörk on Sept 13.

I’d YOYO the Laugavegur — hiking it both ways back to my starting point. Then continue over the Fimmvörðuháls pass to Skógar on the coastal highway. From there it would be easy to find transportation back to Reykjavík.

I’d done Landmannalaugar to Skógar, August 2018, so knew what I was facing.

Navigation

I did carry a paper map as back-up, but mostly used the free Maps.me app offline whenever I wanted to check that I was on track. It’s excellent for Laugevagur and most major hikes worldwide.

The one time I really needed Maps.me was coming in to camp in the dark with headlamp. It’s very easy to get confused when you can’t see the next post in the distance.

Electronics

There’s no access to power on the trail. In order to keep your devices working, bring enough power bank batteries. I brought two 20000mah batteries on my hike.

Be sure to carefully store your electronics in waterproof ways. It’s difficult to keep the rain out.

September 12, 2023September 12, 2023

Ása Steinars- Epic Iceland

Travel photographer born and raised in Iceland.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

September 10, 2023September 9, 2023

Iceland Active Volcano – Camping & Hiking

Harmen Hoek is one of my favourite hiking videographers.

In July 2023 he spent 5 days hiking over 110km on the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland. At the time the most volcanically active area of Iceland.

Litli-Hrutur crater eruption started on July 10, 2023 around 30 kilometers (19 miles) from Iceland’s capital Reykjavik.

I’m headed to Iceland in September — but this particular eruption has been declared OVER.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (22min)

August 31, 2023August 16, 2023

BestHike #3 – Tongariro Circuit, New Zealand

Tongariro Northern Circuit is one of our top 10 hikes in the world.

Click PLAY or watch a 1 minute introduction on YouTube.

Tongariro Circuit

Our favourite multi-day tramp in our favourite hiking region of the world — glorious New Zealand.

AND our top volcano hike worldwide.

by Jeff Pang

AT A GLANCE

one of our top 10 hikes in the world
non-stop superb hiking
mostly volcanic & desert environs
34+km (19+mi) depending on route
3-days, 2-nights minimum
option to climb a volcano, or two
medium difficulty hiking, with challenging sections
wonderful variety of scenery
Dec – Mar best months
maximum elevation Red Crater 1886m (6188ft)
very crowded on the Tongariro Crossing section

June 12, 2023June 7, 2023

#5 best hiking region in the world is the …

Central Andes

Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia

Hiking holidays in Peru are hot right now. More popular than ever. Political stability since the leader of the Shining Path terrorist group was captured in 1992 resulted in a booming tourist industry.

The second highest mountain range on Earth is fantastic. Broad valleys and endless vistas. You are always above the tree line. Arid desert to the west, Amazon jungle to the east.

Our contributors have hiked most of the major treks in Peru the past few years. The peaks, glaciers and canyons are outrageous. Everyone is thrilled with the Andes.

Unfortunately, management of treks is atrocious, the Peruvian government seemingly bent on ruining their fantastic tourist draw. Do your homework before booking a flight to Lima. Or sign on with a trekking company with which you have had a strong, recent recommendation.

mountains — Ruminahui in Cotopaxi National Park, Ecuador

The weather in the Andes can be deadly, of course, but sometimes you get weeks of sunny blue skies, especially in the Cordillera Blanca out of Huaraz, Peru. The best weather for the high peaks out of Huaraz (the best jumping off point for hikers in the Central Andes) is the drier “Andean summer”: May-Sept.

In fact, there are good hikes somewhere in this region year round.

More information on our new Central Andes information page.

Our favourite hike in the Central Andes is the little known Ausangate Circuit in Peru, our #4 best hike in the world. Quite a few trekkers have decided on Ausangate (instead of the over-hyped Inca Trail) based on our recommendation. And all have been happy with that decision.

See our Ausangate Circuit Information page.

The best guidebook for the Central Andes, by far, is Lonely Planet:

Lonely Planet Trekking in the Central Andes

Note that Bolivia is not nearly as popular as it should be due to lack of infrastructure for tourism, security concerns and political instability. Honestly, unless you know the language and culture well, it’s better to hike Peru. Or much neglected Ecuador.

April 19, 2023April 8, 2023

Denis Barbas – Iceland by Drone

I really, really want to get back to Iceland.

Especially after watching this inspirational edit.

Magical.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

February 8, 2023January 22, 2023

#1 best hiking region in the world is …

New Zealand

There’s no debate.

The Land of the Long White Cloud Aotearoa is by far the single best hiking destination on Earth.

North Island? South Island? Both are great. And both much different.

The most compelling evidence that New Zealand has EVERYTHING a hiker could want is with photos:

Bealey Spur, Arthurs Pass — Bealey Spur, Arthurs' Pass

New Zealand is insanely great for hikers. It’s safe. It’s clean. Trails are not crowded. It’s terrific for kids.

There’s no risk of altitude sickness as the glaciated peaks are at low elevation.

Best months are mid-November through mid-April for most treks.

More information on our New Zealand information page.

Our favourite tramp in New Zealand is the volcanic Tongariro Circuit. You’ll feel like you’ve entered Mordor in Lord of the Rings.

See our Tongariro Circuit Information page.

Start planning your New Zealand hiking vacation right now.

January 24, 2023January 6, 2023

Best Hikes out of Pucón, Chile

It’s January in Canada. And I wish I was in Patagonia. 😀

One adventure town there is Pucón, 780 km to the south of Santiago. On the shore of Lake Villarrica. The Villarrica volcano located roughly 17 km to the south.

I’ve spent a fair bit of time there myself. And was pleased when our Villarrica Traverse page was linked from an excellent list:

Pucón, Chile: The Ultimate Hiking and Trekking Guide

Very comprehensive. Very well researched.

November 21, 2022November 18, 2022

Best Hikes in Mexico

The S.W. USA one or our favourite destination in the world for hiking — but Mexico is not nearly as good, in our opinion.

Lonely Planet did choose 6 great hikes:

Pico del Águila
Volcán Paricutín
Bacajipare Trail
Pueblos Mancomunados
Pueblo Fantasma
Cerro Don Lauro

The 6 best hikes in Mexico to explore volcanoes, canyons and ghost towns

See our list of best hikes in North America.

November 16, 2022

Hiking Cruz del Carmen to Hidalgo, Canary Islands

The specific trail is numbered PR-TF 10 Cruz del Carmen to La Punta del Hidalgo.

Definitely one of the best hikes on Tenerife island.

I caught 2 buses to get to Cruz del Carmen, off the main roadways.

From there it was 5.3km to Chinamada. And a further 4.5km to Punta del Hidalgo on the coast. A descent of about 916m on mixed surface, some sharp and volcanic. You need good shoes and plenty of water.

I had downloaded an AllTrails map, but never used it as trails here are very well marked.

It was warm in November. But not too hot.

Near the tourist information office at the start, there is a weird bug.

Even more surprising was this bouquet set into a tree near the start.

Dropping in elevation, the vegetation changes. Near Cruz del Carmen it’s relatively lush laurel forest. After Chinamada it’s arid brushwood and cactus.

The only wildlife I saw was birds and lizards.

I would say the Chinamada to Hidalgo section is the more spectacular half. Plenty of steep cliffs — though nothing dangerous.

My favourite parts were while approaching the Atlantic. That’s Punta del Hidalgo in the distance.

Indigenous people lived in natural caves on this part of the island. As did I. 😀

Once I got to town next morning, the main attraction is the Punta del Hidalgo Lighthouse, the strangest I’ve ever seen. Unequal and irregular columns of increasing height rising from a triangular base.

Built 1992, it’s 50-metres-high (160 ft).