Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Iceland Hiking: Thorsmork, Skaftafell and the South Coast
7 days of hotel-based day hikes from Reykjavik: the Reykjadalur hot river, Thorsmork by super-jeep, the waterfalls above Skogafoss and a glacier walk at Skaftafell, with three nights in Hvolsvollur and two in Kirkjubaejarklaustur.
7 days · Round trip from Reykjavik · up to 12 guests
Glacier ice meeting its meltwater lagoon at Skaftafell Photo: Isabella Jusková bellaskova, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Skaftafell,_Iceland_(Unsplash).jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 7 days, 6 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Reykjavik
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 4 h on day 7No drive day is longer than 4 hours.
- Activity level
Active
Four hiking days of 4 to 6 hours on foot (days 2, 3, 4 and 6), on rough, often wet paths with climbs of about 200 to 550 m and some loose gravel and stream crossings on stepping stones. Each has an easy option of about 1.5 to 2.5 hours on gentler ground, so a partner who walks less can still come. Day 5 is a light day of short walks and a free afternoon. The glacier walk is about three hours in crampons. You need waterproof boots with ankle support, and you can sit any hike out and wait at the minibus or the hotel.
- Meals included
- 6 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 2 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 1,100 (estimated price)
- Season
- Late June to early September
Highlights
Why this trip
- Walk up the Reykjadalur valley to bathe in a warm river among steaming vents, then the red crater of Kerid
- A super-jeep across glacier rivers into Thorsmork and the climb of Valahnukur for a view of three ice caps
- Up the steps beside Skogafoss and along the Skoga river past a long chain of waterfalls toward Fimmvorduhals
- Three nights in Hvolsvollur and two in Kirkjubaejarklaustur, so you unpack twice in a week
- Reynisfjara at about 9:15 and the Fjadrargljufur canyon rim on the easy day between bases
- A glacier walk in crampons at Skaftafell with certified glacier guides, then Svartifoss and the Sjonarnipa viewpoint
- Five lunches, three dinners, the super-jeep and the glacier walk all in the price
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day, and none is longer than 4 hours.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 1,100 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 4 h, on day 7.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Reykjavik
Keflavik International Airport to your hotel in Reykjavik
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Reykjavik
- Drive about 45 min
Fly into Keflavik International Airport (KEF), about 50 km from Reykjavik across the lava of the Reykjanes Peninsula.
Morning
Most flights from North America land early in the morning, so a private transfer brings you straight into the city, and the hotel keeps your bags until your room is ready; we request early check-in but cannot promise it. Sleep, find breakfast, or loosen your legs in one of the city's geothermal pools. At 3 pm your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for an easy walk of about two hours: up to Hallgrimskirkja, down past the pond at Tjornin and the Parliament House to the Old Harbour, where the whale-watching boats tie up, and along the shore to Harpa. Back at the hotel the guide checks boots and rain gear and runs through the week: the easy and active choice on each hiking day, and the glacier walk on day 6, so we can book your place on the ice.
Evening
Then we walk together to a welcome dinner in the centre at about 7 pm.
Included
- Private transfer from Keflavik International Airport (KEF)
- Guided walk in Reykjavik: Hallgrimskirkja, Tjornin, the Parliament House, the Old Harbour and Harpa
- Kit check and welcome briefing
- Welcome dinner
Optional experiences
- Whale watching from the Old Harbour in the morning, about 3 hours (price shown at booking)
Free time: Free until the 3 pm walk
Activity: If you land after about 2 pm, go straight to the hotel: your guide leaves a note at the front desk with the restaurant address, and you join the group at the welcome dinner at about 7 pm.
Reykjadalur hot river and Kerid
Reykjavik over the Hellisheidi heath to Reykjadalur above Hveragerdi, then Kerid and Hvolsvollur
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Hvolsvollur
- Drive about 2 h
We leave at 8:30 am and cross the Hellisheidi heath, past a steaming geothermal power plant, to the car park above the small town of Hveragerdi.
Afternoon
By about 9:15 we are walking up Reykjadalur, the Steam Valley, ahead of the day-tour groups that arrive from Reykjavik around midday. The path climbs about 300 m over some 3.5 km, past the Djupagilsfoss waterfall and hissing vents and bubbling mud pots, to a stretch where hot springs feed a warm river. A boardwalk with simple changing screens runs along the bank, and you can lie in the water for as long as you like. We walk back down the same way. Lunch is included in Hveragerdi. In the afternoon we stop at Kerid, a crater about 6,000 years old with red and black walls around a green lake, and walk its rim, then drive the last hour east across the farmland of the south to Hvolsvollur, our base for three nights.
Evening
We arrive at about 4 pm, and the evening is free.
Included
- Guided hike up Reykjadalur to the hot river, about 7 km there and back, with time to bathe
- Sit-down lunch in Hveragerdi
- Kerid crater, entry included, and the rim walk
Optional experiences
- The Lava Centre in Hvolsvollur, an exhibition on Iceland's volcanoes and earthquakes (price shown at booking)
Easier option: Walk the first part of the valley to the Djupagilsfoss viewpoint and back, about 2 km and 1.5 hours, then wait in a cafe in Hveragerdi.
More active option: Carry on past the bathing area to the head of the valley and loop back over the higher ground, about 4.5 hours in all, as the weather and the group allow.
Free time: Evening free in Hvolsvollur
Activity: Bring a swimsuit and small towel in your day pack. The path is steady but can be muddy; there is no shade and no water source, so carry a litre. Bathing is only allowed in the marked stretch of the river.
Thorsmork by super-jeep and Valahnukur
Hvolsvollur by super-jeep on the F249 track past Seljalandsfoss and Gigjokull into Thorsmork, and back
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Hvolsvollur
- Drive about 3 h
Today the minibus stays behind. At 8:30 am a super-jeep with an experienced local driver collects us for Thorsmork, the valley of Thor, a nature reserve walled in by three glaciers. Past Seljalandsfoss the road becomes the F249 highland track, and we ford a series of unbridged glacier rivers, stopping below Gigjokull, an outlet glacier of Eyjafjallajokull whose valley was flooded by meltwater during the 2010 eruption. On the way in we walk into Stakkholtsgja, a narrow canyon with a hidden waterfall at its end. In Thorsmork we climb Valahnukur by a steep but well-made path through birch woods. From the top you see Eyjafjallajokull, Myrdalsjokull and Tindfjallajokull at once, and the braided Krossa river below.
Afternoon
We eat a packed lunch on the way down to Husadalur and walk the valley paths back.
Evening
The jeep leaves at about 4 pm, and we are in Hvolsvollur by about 5:30 pm for an included dinner.
Included
- Super-jeep with a local driver to Thorsmork and back, with river crossings on the F249 track
- Gigjokull viewpoint
- Walk into the Stakkholtsgja canyon
- Guided hike over Valahnukur from Langidalur to Husadalur
- Packed lunch in Thorsmork
- Dinner in Hvolsvollur
Easier option: Skip the summit: walk the birch-wood paths of Langidalur along the valley floor with the guide, about 2 hours with little climbing, and meet the group at Husadalur.
More active option: Add a longer ridge loop above Husadalur chosen by the guide for the weather, for about 5 to 6 hours on foot in all.
Activity: About 4 to 6 hours on foot with about 200 to 250 m of climbing on the Valahnukur path, which is steep and loose near the top. The super-jeep ride is bumpy; if rain has raised the rivers, the driver may choose a shorter route or turn back, and the guide switches to a walk near Skogar.
Skogafoss and the Skoga river falls
Hvolsvollur to Skogar, up the Skoga river path toward Fimmvorduhals, then back by Seljalandsfoss
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Hvolsvollur
- Drive about 1.5 h
A short drive east along the foot of Eyjafjallajokull brings us to Skogar by about 9:15. We climb the long staircase beside Skogafoss, a 60 m curtain of water, before the day coaches fill the viewing platform, and start up the path that follows the Skoga river toward the Fimmvorduhals pass. It runs along the edge of the gorge past a long chain of waterfalls, each different: some drop through narrow slots, some fan over steps of rock.
Afternoon
The full walk goes about 7 to 8 km up the river toward the footbridge where the path heads for the pass, climbing about 550 m, and returns the same way, about 6 hours with a packed lunch by the water. The shorter group turns back after the first hour of falls and walks to Kvernufoss, a quieter fall in a side valley near the Skogar Museum. Everyone meets at about 3:30 pm. On the way back we stop at Seljalandsfoss, where a path runs behind the falling water, and Gljufrabui, hidden in a cleft next door, and reach Hvolsvollur by about 5:30 pm.
Included
- Skogafoss and the steps to the top
- Guided hike up the Skoga river path toward Fimmvorduhals
- Packed lunch on the trail
- Kvernufoss
- Seljalandsfoss and the path behind the falls
- Gljufrabui
Optional experiences
- Skogar Museum, the folk and transport museum beside the falls (price shown at booking), for the easy group
Easier option: Walk the first hour of falls above Skogafoss and back, then Kvernufoss and the Skogar Museum, about 2.5 hours on foot in all.
More active option: Go on toward the footbridge below the Fimmvorduhals pass, about 15 km there and back and about 550 m of climbing, roughly 6 hours with lunch.
Free time: Evening free in Hvolsvollur
Activity: The steps beside Skogafoss are steep, and the river path is narrow in places with drops into the gorge; keep to the path. Seljalandsfoss is wet behind the falls, so wear waterproofs.
Reynisfjara, Vik and Fjadrargljufur
Hvolsvollur to Reynisfjara, Dyrholaey and Vik, then across Eldhraun to Fjadrargljufur and Kirkjubaejarklaustur
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Kirkjubaejarklaustur
- Drive about 3 h
The easy day between bases. We leave Hvolsvollur at 8 am and are at Reynisfjara by about 9:15: black sand, the basalt columns of the Gardar cliff and the Reynisdrangar sea stacks offshore. The waves here are dangerous, so we keep well back from the water. When it is open, we drive up to Dyrholaey, the headland with a great sea arch, where puffins nest on the cliffs in summer.
Afternoon
Lunch is included in Vik. In the afternoon we cross the wide Myrdalssandur plain and the moss-covered lava of Eldhraun, laid down by the Laki eruption of 1783 and 1784, to the Fjadrargljufur canyon, where a path follows the rim for about 2 km above a twisting gorge up to 100 m deep. We reach Kirkjubaejarklaustur, a quiet village at the foot of a cliff, by about 3 pm, and the rest of the day is yours: rest your legs, or take the short path up past the Systrafoss waterfall to the lake above the village.
Included
- Reynisfjara and Reynisdrangar
- Dyrholaey headland and sea arch, when open
- Sit-down lunch in Vik
- Eldhraun lava field
- Fjadrargljufur canyon rim walk, when the path is open
Easier option: Stay with the minibus at Dyrholaey and walk only the first viewpoint at Fjadrargljufur, a few minutes from the car park.
More active option: In the late afternoon, walk the path from Kirkjubaejarklaustur up past Systrafoss to the lake on the cliff top and back, about an hour.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free in Kirkjubaejarklaustur
Activity: About 4 to 5 km on foot across the day on sand and good paths. Parts of Dyrholaey close in the nesting season and the Fjadrargljufur path can close when wet; your guide swaps in another stop on the same road.
Glacier walk and Svartifoss at Skaftafell
Kirkjubaejarklaustur to Skaftafell in Vatnajokull National Park, and back
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Kirkjubaejarklaustur
- Drive about 2 h
We leave at 8 am for Skaftafell, about an hour east, part of Vatnajokull National Park, which UNESCO listed in 2019. At about 9:30 we meet certified local glacier guides, put on crampons, helmets and harnesses, and walk out onto an outlet glacier of Vatnajokull: about three hours in all, among ridges of blue ice, sinkholes and meltwater channels streaked with ash.
Afternoon
Lunch is included near the visitor centre. In the afternoon your See Sight Tours guide leads the walk up through birch scrub past Hundafoss to Svartifoss, a waterfall that drops over a cliff of dark, hanging basalt columns. Most of the group walks back down from Svartifoss by about 3:30 pm. Only those who choose the active option carry on over the Skaftafellsheidi heath to the Sjonarnipa viewpoint, high above the cracked ice of Skaftafellsjokull, and are back at the visitor centre by about 5 pm.
Evening
We return to Kirkjubaejarklaustur by about 6 pm for a farewell dinner together.
Included
- Glacier walk of about 3 hours with certified glacier guides, crampons, helmet and ice axe supplied
- Sit-down lunch near Skaftafell
- Guided walk to Hundafoss and Svartifoss
- Vatnajokull National Park
- Farewell dinner in Kirkjubaejarklaustur
Easier option: Instead of the glacier walk, take the nearly flat path to the snout of Skaftafellsjokull, about 4 km there and back, then walk to Svartifoss after lunch, about 3.5 km there and back with a steady climb.
More active option: After the glacier and lunch, walk on from Svartifoss over Skaftafellsheidi to the Sjonarnipa viewpoint and down to the visitor centre, about 7 km and 3 hours with about 350 m of climbing, back by about 5 pm. Your guide confirms the timing on the day.
Free time: Late afternoon free before dinner
Activity: Tell us your choice when you book, so we can reserve your place on the ice. The glacier guides set a minimum age and may change the route or cancel for weather; if they do, the whole group walks the Skaftafellsheidi loop. Times today depend on the glacier slot, which ops confirm when we book it.
Back to Reykjavik and home
Kirkjubaejarklaustur west along the South Coast by Vik, Hvolsvollur and Selfoss to Reykjavik and Keflavik International Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 4 h
Our last drive is our longest, about four hours and 300 km at the wheel, and with the coffee stop it is about five hours door to door, so we start at 8 am and keep it simple. The road runs back west across Eldhraun and the Myrdalssandur plain, past Vik and below Eyjafjallajokull, with a last look up the valleys we walked earlier in the week.
Afternoon
We stop for coffee and a stretch in Hvolsvollur at about 10:15, cross the Thjorsa and Olfusa rivers by Selfoss, and climb over the Hellisheidi heath to Reykjavik by about midday. Guests staying on are dropped in the centre, and your guide can suggest where to spend the afternoon: a city pool to ease tired legs, the National Museum or the harbour. The rest of us reach Keflavik International Airport by about 1 pm, in good time for the late-afternoon flights to North America. Your guide stays with the group to the airport and says goodbye there. Lunch today is your own, in Reykjavik or at the airport.
Included
- Coffee stop in Hvolsvollur
- Drop-off in central Reykjavik or at Keflavik International Airport (KEF)
Activity: Book a flight leaving after about 3:30 pm. If you stay on in Reykjavik, we can quote extra nights.
- Reykjavik1 night
- Hvolsvollur3 nights
- Kirkjubaejarklaustur2 nights
- Reykjavikend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: From late June to mid-July the nights barely get dark, so take an eye mask; by early September the evenings draw in and the first Northern Lights become possible on clear nights. The F249 track into Thorsmork and the upper Skoga river path are usually clear of snow only from about late June, which is why the season starts then. Rain can raise the glacier rivers within hours, and the super-jeep driver has the final say on crossings. Arctic terns nest near some paths in summer and dive at walkers; a raised pole or hat helps.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Regular walkers who want four real hiking days in Iceland and a hotel bed every night
- Travellers drawn to Thorsmork who do not want a four-day hut trek with a full pack
- Couples or friends where one hikes more than the other: every hiking day has an easy option
- Solo travellers who want a small group, no driving and a single supplement shown up front
- Travellers who prefer two bases to a new hotel every night
Not for you if you want
- The multi-day Laugavegur trek from Landmannalaugar, hut to hut
- Travellers who want the full Ring Road, Jokulsarlon, the East Fjords or Lake Myvatn
- Anyone who cannot walk 2 hours on rough, wet ground on most days
- Technical glacier climbing, ice caves or summit climbs on the ice caps
- A winter or Northern Lights trip
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
6 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Reykjavik1 night
- Hvolsvollur3 nights
- Kirkjubaejarklaustur2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 6 nights: 1 in central Reykjavik, 3 in Hvolsvollur and 2 in Kirkjubaejarklaustur
- Hotels of a 3-star-plus standard with private bathrooms; no huts or shared facilities; we name each hotel when we confirm your dates
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Private transfer from Keflavik International Airport (KEF) on day 1
- A private minibus and professional driver for the group on days 2 and 4 to 7, ending in central Reykjavik or at KEF
- A super-jeep with a local driver to Thorsmork and back on day 3
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from the day 1 walk to the airport on day 7, leading every hike
- Certified local glacier guides for the glacier walk at Skaftafell
Activities
- Guided walk in Reykjavik
- Reykjadalur hot river hike and bathing
- Kerid crater, entry included
- Thorsmork: Gigjokull, Stakkholtsgja and the Valahnukur hike
- Skogafoss and the Skoga river path toward Fimmvorduhals, Kvernufoss, Seljalandsfoss and Gljufrabui
- Reynisfjara, Dyrholaey, Eldhraun and the Fjadrargljufur canyon
- Skaftafell glacier walk with crampons, helmet and ice axe
- Svartifoss and the Sjonarnipa viewpoint in Vatnajokull National Park
- All parking and site fees for included stops
Meals
- 6 breakfasts
- 5 lunches, on days 2 to 6, including packed trail lunches in Thorsmork and on the Skoga river
- 3 dinners: a welcome dinner in Reykjavik, dinner in Hvolsvollur after Thorsmork and a farewell dinner in Kirkjubaejarklaustur
Not included
- International flights to and from Keflavik
- Travel insurance (it should cover hiking and glacier walking)
- Any visa or travel authorisation fee, such as ETIAS if it has started by your travel date
- Lunches on days 1 and 7, and dinners on days 2, 4 and 5
- Drinks
- Tips
- Optional activities, such as whale watching, the Lava Centre and the Skogar Museum
- Hiking boots, waterproofs and walking poles
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 1,100 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Six nights in 3-star-plus hotels with private bathrooms, 6 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 3 dinners, a private arrival transfer, a minibus and driver, the super-jeep day in Thorsmork, the glacier walk at Skaftafell, Kerid entry, all parking and site fees, and your See Sight Tours guide leading every hike.
How fit do I need to be for this hiking trip?
For the full walks, you should be comfortable hiking 4 to 6 hours with climbs of about 200 to 550 m on rough, wet paths. Every hiking day also has an easy option of about 1.5 to 2.5 hours, and day 5 is a light day. If you walk regularly at home on hills, you will be fine.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests in one minibus, so the guide can split the group into an easy and an active walk and still keep an eye on everyone. That is smaller than many coach-based tours of the south coast, and twelve is the most we take.
Who leads the hikes?
A See Sight Tours guide stays with the group from the walk on day 1 to the airport on day 7 and leads the hikes. A local driver handles the super-jeep into Thorsmork, and certified glacier guides lead the walk on the ice at Skaftafell. We name your guide when we confirm your dates.
Is this the Laugavegur trek?
No. The Laugavegur is a four-day hut-to-hut trek from Landmannalaugar to Thorsmork with dorm beds and a full pack. This trip reaches Thorsmork, the trek's finish, by super-jeep for a day of walking, and sleeps in hotels with private bathrooms every night. If you want the full trek, ask us about a private trip.
I'm travelling solo. What does a room of my own cost?
A room of your own is from CAD 1,100 more than the shared price, shown before you book with no surprise at checkout. Solo travellers are welcome on every departure, and you never have to drive: the driver handles the roads and rivers and the guide handles the trails.
When is the best time to go hiking in Iceland?
We run this trip from late June to early September. Before then, snow often lies on the upper Skoga river path and the Thorsmork track can be closed or the rivers too high. July and August are the mildest months; early September is quieter, with the first dark nights for the Northern Lights.
What happens if the weather is bad?
Your guide swaps the order of the hiking days or picks a sheltered route, which is easy with three nights in one base. The super-jeep driver decides on river crossings, and the glacier guides can change or cancel the ice walk; if they do, you walk the Skaftafellsheidi loop instead. Expect rain at some point.
Should I choose this trip or the South Coast and Snaefellsnes trip?
Choose this one if walking is the point: four days of 4 to 6 hours on foot and only two hotel changes. The South Coast, Glaciers and Snaefellsnes trip has shorter walks, adds Jokulsarlon and Snaefellsnes, and moves hotel more often. The nine-day Ring Road goes all the way round the island.
Do I need a visa for Iceland?
Canadian and US citizens do not need a visa for a short stay in Iceland, which is in the Schengen area. Your passport should be valid for at least three months beyond the day you leave. Europe's ETIAS travel authorisation has not started yet; we check again before you fly and tell you if anything is needed.
How does booking work?
Pick your start date and request to book; no payment is taken at that point. We check hotels, the minibus, the super-jeep, the glacier guides and your guide for that date and confirm within 24 hours. The small group starts from CAD 6,495 per person sharing, taxes included, and the private trip from CAD 11,690 per person.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip comes as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, with your own guide and vehicle; it can add a last night in Reykjavik or swap in other hikes. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote it.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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