WALKING THE HELLISMANNALEID TRAIL: OUR DAILY STAGES.
Earlier this summer, John and I set out to walk the Hellismannaleið trail in the Icelandic Highlands. It was early in the season, June, and we’d read just enough online to piece together a plan, but as ever in Iceland, the experience on the ground was something else entirely.
Hellismannaleið is one of those routes that seems to hover just below the radar, sometimes walked by those heading to or from the more famous Laugavegur trail, but rarely given its full due.
Yet over three days of trekking, camping, and battling a near-constant swarm of flies, we came to understand why this trail deserves more attention: for its sweeping solitude, eerie black deserts, river crossings, and a final arrival into the rainbow-coloured wonder of Landmannalaugar.
Here’s our full guide to walking Hellismannaleið -what to expect, how to plan it, and what it felt like to be out there, boots on lava.
FAQs: Planning the Hellismannaleið Hike
How long is the trail?
The Hellismannaleið trail is approximately 55 km or 34 miles.
There are blue and white trail markings, stakes in the ground. And for the most part, these are easy to follow. We also followed an offline map we downloaded on the Wikiloc App.
Which direction should you walk it?
Most hikers walk west to east, from Rjúpnavellir to Landmannalaugar. This is the direction we took, and it worked well, starting low and finishing high, with increasingly dramatic scenery. We did meet one hiker travelling the other way.
It really depends whether you are planning to walk the Laugavegur trail after this one, if so, it’s best to start in Rjúpnavellir.
When can the Hellismannaleið be walked?
Theoretically you can walk the Hellismannaleið from June to September. But note, in June there may still be snow on the final day. Also, the accommodation may not open until towards the end of June. It’s best to contact them before you make plans.
Finally, the Highland Buses will not start running until mid to late June (dates differ each year.)
How difficult is the Hellismannaleið?
Moderate to challenging. The terrain itself is never especially steep or technical, but it’s exposed, remote, and includes a few river crossings, little shade, and some tough, buggy sections. We hiked in hot and still conditions, which made things more intense.
Don’t forget, you’ll also have to carry gear for three days (or more if you plan to connect to the Laugavegur and even Fimmvörðuháls afterwards.) For us, this was the hardest part. When we arrived to Rjúpnavellir we had our camping gear, kit and ten days worth of food. So, our packs were pretty heavy and we didn’t quite feel we could tackle the hills with our normal vigour!
The other thing that we found extremely hard was the plague of flies. Honestly, we had read that this could be an issue for a few hours on day one. But we found them pretty much relentless for most of the three days. I think it was heightened by the weather conditions. But I would recommend to anyone planning to walk this route to pack a fly net! And brace yourself.
How many days does it take?
The trail is usually walked over three days, with well-spaced huts or camping spots along the way.
Where can you sleep?
There are basic mountain huts and campsites at the key overnight stops. We camped each night, carrying all our gear. Full details are in our daily stages guide below.
Phone signal on route
We tended to find that our phone signal was quite patchy. In particular, we had no signal at our overnight accommodation. Both are in valleys. If you need to do anything on your phone, it’s best to do it when you do have signal and before arriving for the evening.
How do you get there and back?
To reach Rjúpnavellir, the trailhead, we took a the Highland bus from Reykjavik and were dropped off at the campsite in Rjúpnavellir. This is a scheduled stop and we didn’t have to request any special detours. It cost us around 12,000 kr (£75.) Our bus left the capital at 06:30 and we were ready and walking by 09:30.
From Landmannalaugar, there’s a regular bus back to Reykjavik, which you can book in advance via Reykjavik Excursions or Trex. Or, of course, you can continue on the Laugavegur trail (you should!)
Hellismannaleið Itinerary: Our daily stages
We chose to walk in three days, staying at the campsites along route. Below, you can find our daily stages guide based on our experience on the trail.
- Distance: ~18 km
- Ascent: ~300m
- Time: 6 hours 30 minutes (including breaks)
Getting dropped in Rjúpnavellir
We stepped off the bus from Reykjavik feeling like intrepid explorers, whilst the other hikers would be chauffeured on the air conditioned bus for another hour, we were left here.
It seemed liked a good idea when we had made this plan. But as we heaved our laden backpacks from the storage underneath the bus, I caught a glimpse of the driver taking a photo of us, or at least of the scene with us in it. It dawned on me that this is the photo that would be used as a “last sighting”, if we happened to get lost out here. You know the ones, that get plastered across the news when trekkers go missing in the wilderness.
Pushing this thought to the side, I bent my knees, let out a grunt as a I swung my backpack on and clipped in the straps. I swatted away a couple of flies and within seconds, the bus was pulling away with gravel spitting out from under the wheels. As if the driver couldn’t wait to get out of there. Too late now, I thought.
It was a rare day in Iceland with not even a hint of wind, and sweat dripped down my back. Within a few meters of walking from the bus stop, they had found us. The blasted flies. Above John, they hung like a cloud. Thick. Swarming his bag, buzzing around is head.
For my part, I grabbed at my sunglasses, pulling them tighter to my head, in a vain attempt to stop the persistent insects from penetrating my eye balls. I frantically pulled my fleece over my mouth, ignoring how hot it made me. I could feel them in my ears, buzzing in the hot waxy pit. But I knew that I was fighting a losing battle.
The flies would be joining us, whether we liked it or not. All we could do was hope that the trusty Icelandic wind appeared soon.
Route
The trail starts quite easily (aside from the flies), running parallel to the river. There’s a bridge allowing an easy river crossing. From there, the route begins to climb gently into more open and remote terrain.
We encountered one proper river crossing that required water shoes and a bit of care -it was refreshing on a hot day, but another opportunity for the flies to gather with renewed energy. The view to Fossabrekkur is a highlight, we took the chance to take a break to enjoy this view.
After this, endless black and white carpets of rock seemed to stretch out before us. With a few tricky ups and downs into valleys. We found that the ground was often loose and sometimes all we could do was skid down the hill, knowing that we would stop at the bottom.
The final stretch took us through a broad, open valley before heading downhill to Áfangagil, a small mountain hut and camping spot tucked in a valley.
It should’ve been a scenic and restful evening, except the flies were so dense we had to erect our tent at speed and dive inside. The sound of them drumming on the outer fabric was like rain. We only emerged after several hours, once a breeze picked up and offered brief respite
Highlights
- Wild remoteness right from the off
- Long views across the Highlands and the unexpected delight of Fossabrekkur
- The weird, shared misery of fly-plagued hiking
Challenges
- Flies, flies, and more flies
- River crossings
- No real shade or shelter
Accommodation
Camping at Áfangagil (toilets, running water and a place to put trash.) You can book huts too. Camping is 2.500 isk. per person for this season, whilst huts cost more.
You can find the full details and booking options for Afangagil on their website here.
Day Two: Áfangagil to Landmannahellir
- Distance: ~20 km
- Ascent: ~600m
- Time: 7 hours 30 minutes (including breaks)
Route
Day two began with a sharp ascent straight out of Áfangagil, the kind that gets your legs and lungs working before you’ve properly woken up. At the top, the landscape opened into an almost featureless plain of dark, volcanic ash – a thick, black carpet stretching to the horizon. The black was punctuated by the vision of snow topped mountain in the distance (possibly Hekla Volcano), it seemed to follow us round like a shadow for much of the day.
We had an eerie sense of just how much space was around u and being totally alone. The silence was perhaps a little eerie, broken only by the crunch of our boots and the hum of persistent flies, which returned with a vengeance as the day warmed up.
Seemingly out of nowhere, another hiker appeared in the distance. He was heading in the opposite direction to us. He didn’t stop long, just long enough to tell us that the river ahead was fordable (something we had been a little concerned about), then continued into the void.
That river crossing came at around the 10 km mark. It looked intimidating from a distance, wide and glacial, but in reality it was low and gentle enough to wade without too much of an issue. Still, it was another moment that demanded full attention, wet feet are one thing, a soaked backpack is another.
The final stretch of the day felt long. Broken up with an interesting view of a caldera, then more ashy rock.
At around 6 hours into the walk, we reached the highest altitude of the day, with incredible views. Aware that the weather looked like it might turn, we couldn’t linger.
The scenery then changed out of nowhere, as we dropped down towards a vast blue lake.
When we finally reached Landmannahellir, it felt almost surreal – it seemed to appear in a valley out of nowhere.
The campsite is pretty, with a river running past us and surrounded by mountains. the prettiest place we camped on the trail. We pitched our tent in peace, grateful that the rain and wind had arrived and it was keeping flies at bay.
Highlights
- Hauntingly beautiful volcanic plains and views to the snow covered volcano
- Feeling utterly alone on the trail
- A serene and sheltered camp at Landmannahellir
Challenges
- Long, exposed stretches with little visual variation
- Fly-infested rivers and minimal shade
- River crossing requiring a steady step and water shoes.
Accommodation
Camping at Landmannahellir (sheltered location, basic facilities, water, access to huts if pre-booked). Full details can be found on their website.
Day Three: Landmannahellir to Landmannalaugar
- Distance: ~17 km
- Ascent: ~700m
- Time: 6 hours (including breaks)
Route
By the third day, we were getting used to the rhythm of the trail, but that didn’t make the flies any less irritating. As we packed up our tent at Landmannahellir, the morning was still and warm, and they swarmed again, clouding our faces and refusing to leave. Not for the first time, we questioned our sanity.
The route once again starts with a steep climb out of the valley. In fact, the hills today felt particularly challenging. Perhaps it was our tired legs. Over the course of the day we would climb 700m.
The terrain offered more green hills than on previous days. A total contrast. Within an hour or so we had arrived at a lake, a path took us right around one side with pretty views of the water and snowy mountains. We continued along green paths, with flatter walking sections allowing us to gain pace.
We rounded a second lake, this time we had to cross a few precarious patches of snow. Conscious that if we wrong footed it, we would be heading straight down to the lake.
Soon we reached an intersection with the F road leading to Landmannalaugar. Before long, we spotted a bus trundling past on a gravel road, ferrying hikers straight to Landmannalaugar. We watched it disappear into the distance, feeling sweaty and itchy under our packs. “There go the sane people” I muttered to John. He didn’t hear me, he had his face covered with a hiking buff, hiding from the flies.
After a very steep climb up and a wiggly section around a canyon, we got to one of the most unforgettable sections of the whole route: a surreal landscape of obsidian fields, jagged black rock that I imagine would glint brilliantly in the sun. Beauty in the bleakness.
Eventually, we would see the familiar sight of the mountains around Landmannalaugar. Explosions of colour in what had been lots of black and grey. As we descended, bands of red, yellow, orange, and green striped the surrounding rhyolite mountains. Steam drifted from the hillsides. The trail spilled us into the busy tourist trails, and eventually to the campsite.
We dropped our packs, popped our tent up (struggling to put our pegs into the hard ground) and headed straight for the hot spring.
The Hellismannaleið absolutely tested us, physically and mentally, but sitting in that natural pool, surrounded by those incredible views, we felt so luckyto have arrived under our own steam. And of course, not to have gone missing in the wilderness.
And once we were clean, dry, and fed, we felt ready to take on the Laugavegur.
Highlights
- Lava fields and the obsidian plains
- That first glimpse of Landmannalaugar’s colourful peaks
- The sense of arrival after three tough, beautiful days.
Challenges
- Persistent flies (again)
- Some uneven terrain in the lava fields
- Mental fatigue after days of wilderness.
Accommodation
Landmannalaugar campsite (busy but well-equipped; hot springs next to the site, basic shop, running water, and toilet block. A delight!
You can find more information on this campsite and the others on the Laugavegur in our guide here.
Laugavegur Guide Book
Looking for a little more information? You can find our ebook in our shop. It includes 60+ pages of useful information about planning and preparing for the trail. As well as daily stages and route guides. The book also sets out how you can extend the Laugavegur to create a 9 day trek in Iceland’s Highlands.
Written by Emma
Wine Lover. Yogi. Hiker. Writer.
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