Landmannalaugar
Landmannalaugar is a highland area within the Fjallabak Nature Reserve known for its rhyolite mountains in shades of red, gold, and green, natural geothermal hot springs, and the adjacent Laugahraun lava field. It is a hub for hiking, Icelandic horse riding, and cross-country skiing, and serves as the northern trailhead of the multi-day [Laugavegur trek](https://guidetoiceland.is/travel-iceland/drive/laugavegur-hiking-trail).
Region
Highlands
Coordinates
63.9830° N, 19.0670° W
Important to know
- Seasonal access
- Access is by highland roads that open according to summer conditions.
Plan the stop
- Allow
- 5 hrs
- Effort · Hard
- Even basic access is a highland trip; hiking ranges from short lava walks to strenuous routes.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair · None
- Access is via unpaved F-roads suitable for four-wheel-drive vehicles. Drivers may park at P1 before the final two river crossings and use the footbridge. A wooden boardwalk leads from the campsite to the bathing pool, but the remaining terrain is rough and unpaved.
- Limited mobility · Limited
- Highland access, river crossings, rough campsites, uneven lava, and hiking terrain make most activities difficult despite the short pool boardwalk.
- Sensory · Partial
- Open highland wind, weather exposure, crowds at the pool, bright rhyolite slopes, and geothermal smells vary by day.
- Cognitive · Limited
- Access rules, F-road conditions, parking reservations, river crossings, and trail choices require planning.
Why it matters
The colorful rhyolite landscape and lava field, formed by an eruption roughly 500 years ago, make the area one of Iceland's most geologically distinctive highland regions. Its popularity has grown enough that a parking reservation system was introduced in 2024 to manage summer visitor traffic to the site, which is accessible only by highland F-roads in season.