Description
Summary
Description
Follow rugged trails on a Highlands hike to the Kerlingarfjoll Mountains. Explore geothermal valleys and colorful rhyolite peaks that make this region so unique. This 12-hour guided adventure is perfect for those who want to see Iceland’s remote beauty, surrounded by vivid mountains, hot springs, and sweeping views.
The private Kerlingarfjoll tour includes an English or French-speaking guide, a driver, and a comfortable vehicle, taking care of every detail along the way. With a small group limited to four people, you’ll enjoy a relaxed pace and plenty of personal attention throughout the journey.
The Kerlingarfjoll Mountains sit in Iceland’s Highlands, known for their colorful peaks and steaming valleys. This rugged area is filled with hot springs, rivers, and wide mountain views, showing Iceland’s wild side at its best.
Your Kerlingarfjoll day tour begins in Reykjavik with pick-up in a comfortable vehicle, ready to take you deep into the Icelandic Highlands. The drive north offers changing views of open fields and mountain ridges, giving a first glimpse of the vast wilderness ahead.
The first stop is Gullfoss Waterfall, one of Iceland’s most famous natural landmarks. Here, you can feel the spray of the water as it crashes into a canyon. At the visitor center, you can take a break, freshen up, and enjoy some refreshments before the trip continues.
From Gullfoss, the road into the Highlands grows more rugged. Bumpy tracks cut across black sands and gravel plains, with sweeping views of glaciers on the horizon.
The remoteness becomes clear, and short photo stops let you take in the raw scenery around you. Soon after, you arrive at Kerlingarfjoll, where the Highlands hike begins.
The Kerlingarfjoll hiking trails stretch about 9 miles (14 kilometers), winding through valleys surrounded by rhyolite peaks. The ground is uneven in places, but each step brings dramatic sights of steam rising from the earth and rivers cutting through desert-like terrain.
After about an hour and a half, the landscape changes completely as the trail leads into Hveradalir. This geothermal valley is filled with orange slopes, hot streams, and constant pillars of steam rising into the air. The smell of sulfur and the steady warmth remind you that volcanic forces are working just below the surface.
There’s time to explore this striking valley, walking down to its base and watching the colors shift with the light. The scene feels far removed from civilization, with nothing but mountains and geothermal energy in every direction.
After a loop around the valley, the group follows the same path back, retracing the ridges and valleys that make the Kerlingarfjoll Mountains one of Iceland’s most remarkable hiking destinations.
The return drive across the Highlands gives one last chance to enjoy the wide landscapes. By evening, you arrive in Reykjavik with memories of a unique day tour in Iceland.
Reserve your spot on this Kerlingarfjoll day tour and enjoy a Highlands hike through steaming valleys, colorful peaks, and unforgettable geothermal trails. Check availability now by choosing a date.
