Rainbow over moss-green slopes in the capital region

FEATURED PLAN · DAY TRIPS FROM REYKJAVÍK

7 hikes in 7 days

He hath need of his wits who wanders wide,
aught simple will serve at home.
HÁVAMÁL, ST. 5 · TR. OLIVE BRAY, 1908

Iceland rewards the walker. Within an hour of the capital there are empty ridgelines, steaming geothermal valleys, and fjord-top plateaus. This plan is for travelers who want the quieter side of the island - the majestic, less discovered one - without giving up a comfortable base.

Treat it as a suggestion, and swap days freely. All seven trailheads sit within roughly an hour’s drive of Reykjavík. We picked the set for wide appeal: it starts easy, then works through a variety of terrain and effort - lava fields, a rhyolite ridge, hot ground, sea cliffs - and finishes on a canyon classic. Each day links to the full route, mapped and photographed as we hiked it.

DAY 1 Búrfell – Helgafell The easy opener A gentle loop through the Heiðmörk lava fields to a small crater and Helgafell’s rounded summit. Long on distance but light on climbing, and a good first read of Icelandic terrain fifteen minutes from the city. PEAK 338 M 13.7 KM 5 H DAY 2 Móskarðshnjúkar The pale peaks The bright rhyolite summits on Esja’s eastern end. A steady climb to a pale ridge with the whole capital region below - moderate effort, outsized reward, and quiet once the main Esja path is behind you. PEAK 807 M 9.6 KM 5 H DAY 3 Vörðuskeggi The geothermal day Hengill’s high point, approached from the Hellisheiði side. Steam vents, warm ground, and a rocky crown make it the most otherworldly walk of the week, with the effort creeping up a notch. PEAK 815 M 14.5 KM 6 H DAY 4 Þyrill The breather A short old pilgrim path onto a flat-topped fortress above Hvalfjörður. Modest climbing, big fjord views, and most of the afternoon left over for the drive around the fjord it sits on. PEAK 393 M 8 - 8.5 KM 3.5 H DAY 5 Hafnarfjall The mountain day Steep, scree-lined slopes to a ridge high above Borgarfjörður, best met with legs the week has already warmed up. Pick a calm day - this mountain has earned its wind reputation. PEAK 787 M 8 KM 4.5 H DAY 6 Akrafjall The twin-horned neighbor Akranes’s home mountain, rising alone between fjords. We suggest the straightforward up-and-back to Háihnúkur, the southern summit - the full circle adds exposure the views don’t require. PEAK 643 M 13.8 KM 6 H DAY 7 Glymur & Hvalfell The finale Iceland’s second-highest waterfall in a moss-hung canyon, a log-bridge river crossing, and - if the legs agree - the lonely extension to Hvalfell. Return the way you came: the Hvalskarð descent is steep and loose, and we recommend against it. PEAK 852 M 13.5 KM 6 H

Before you go

Carry offline navigation and know how to follow a track - several of these routes are unmarked for long stretches.
Icelandic weather turns fast in every season. Check vedur.is and safetravel.is the morning of, and be willing to reorder the week - the plan works in any order.
Hike with others when you can, and leave your plan with someone. Safetravel’s trip plan does this well.
Respect what makes these places worth walking: stay on trail where one exists, leave the moss alone - it takes decades to recover - and pack out everything you bring in.

Conditions and access change; you hike at your own risk. Read our terms.

NEW ROUTES AND PLANS ARE ON THE WAY

Before you go

Walk the rest of the island with us.