Magical Fjords & Mountains | 3-Day Hiking in East Iceland
Get away from the city life and escape to the Wilderness.
This three-day east Iceland hiking tour, led by local guides, will turn your travel into veritable highlands experience. It is not only a hiking tour but a way to get to know a little about local living in a fishing village of only about one hundred inhabitants.
This hiking tour is an active and unique experience with each day full of new adventures, and evenings of local cooking at Álfheimar Country Hotel. No dormitories or wet clothes, just warm and nice rooms and local hospitality. In this tour you'll get a taste of local living, getting closer to the roots of the people that inhabit one of the most rural areas of Iceland - the Eastfjords.
This isolated region is considered to be the central province of the Hidden People, or the elves. Their queen resides in her fortress Álfaborg, just beside the village of Bakkagerði. The imposing Borgarfjörður Eystri mountains display the entire colour spectrum of volcanic rhyolite deposits. At their feet lies the ocean, with crashing waves and hordes of seabirds calling – a truly stunning location to visit.
You will get to know local people in their homes and learn about their traditions and way of life while enjoying their hospitality, the fresh local food and their knowledge of the area. Come and listen to stories, explore nature, share the Icelandic passion for life and the land – and feel that you have become a part of it all.
Grab your backpack and come along to experience nature at its purest. Check availability by choosing a date.
Quick facts
- Available: May. - Sep.
- Duration: 3 days
- Activities: Hiking, Sightseeing, Bird watching
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Minimum age: 10 years.
- Languages: English
- Highlights: Borgarfjörður eystri, Hafnarhólmi, Njarðvík, Stórurð, Vatnsskarð
Pickup time : 10:00.
Local guide
Return transfer from Egilsstaðir to hiking trails
Accommodation at Álfheimar Country Hotel
Full board from Álfheimar Restaurant
Hiking map of the area
Flight from Reykjavík to Egilsstaðir
What to bring:
Good hiking shoes
Warm and waterproof clothing suited to the weather
Light back pack with hiking essentials
Good to know:
You will overnight in Álfheimar Country Hotel, in a double ensuite bedroom. Please contact us for information regarding single rooms by clicking 'inquire about this tour'.
We will pick you up at the Egilsstaðir airport at the arrival of your flight. If you arrive at Egilstaðir by car, please contact us after booking for further information.
Daily itinerary
Day 1 - Borgarfjordur Valley
We will start the tour with a rather easy hike in grown land, about 12km long. The elevation will be approx. 400 m.
First there will be a short walk in the village. We will see a traditional turf house, an old fish factory and the local church before having a little lunch of fish soup and bread. From the village, we take the trail to Dimmidalur valley to see the wilderness, but this isolated place has never been settled by men.
On our way, we will walk through the elf community of Lobbuhraun and visit some of the spiritual locations there. When we return back to the village we will enjoy the hospitality and comfort at Álfheimar Country hotel and check the local food from their restaurant.
Day 2 - Brunavik Bay
Today, we will hike approx. 14 km, over an elevation of about 700m. It is a clear trail but a little steep sometimes.
We start with a visit to the friendly Hafnarhólmi headland, to visit the puffins and other birds nesting there. Next we will hike up the coast and up to Brúnavík pass, which is 345m above sea level.
We follow the old post trail down to Brúnavík and enjoy the colourful mountains and the rocky coastline. We'll end at a black beach, filled with a lot of colourful stones at the seashore. We'll pass the ruins of abandoned houses from the early 1900s. It's hard not to think about a daily life of those who lived in this isolated place over 100 years ago.
On our way back we choose another trail over Hofstrandarskarg mountain and walk beside the rhyolite canyon of Helgárgil towards the village and our hotel.
Day 3 - Storurd trail
Today we will travel on a gravel trail, which is about 15 km long, with an elevation of 600 m. We'll get transported to the Vatnskarð pass before hiking up Geldingafjall mountain, which is the highest point of the trip.
There we find excellent viewpoint for 360 degree photo stop. We then push on towards one of Iceland's best-kept secret; Stórurð trail. Calm, turquoise-coloured basins of ice water are hidden between huge boulders, often with flat banks of green grass between them.
Returning from this mysterious place, the guide will choose one of the 5 trails available depending on weather and conditions, before heading home again where we can take a shower and be ready for the transport to Egilsstaðir Airport in the evening.
Video
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