FOOD ON THE LAUGAVEGUR TRAIL: WHAT TO EXPECT & WHAT TO PACK.
Hiking through Iceland’s highlands is unforgettable — steaming valleys, colourful rhyolite mountains, and snow-capped peaks everywhere you look. But it doesn’t take long before one thing starts to dominate your thoughts: food.
Before tackling the Laugavegur Trail, we spent ages figuring out what to eat and how much to carry. Partly because I’m very much food-motivated, and partly because we knew it would be a delicate balance — packing enough to keep us fuelled without making our backpacks unbearably heavy.
Whether you’re camping or staying in huts, food planning is one of the biggest challenges of hiking the Laugavegur. Here’s everything we learned — from where (and when) you can buy food on the trail, to what to pack, cook, and snack on along the way.
Do I need to carry all my food?
In short: yes. Whether you’re camping or staying in huts, you’ll need to carry all of your food for the entire trail. Unless you’re part of a guided tour (which provides meals), you can’t rely on buying supplies along the way.
Can you buy food on the Laugavegur Trail?
Technically, yes — but only if you’re hiking during peak season, and if you have deep pockets.
There are a few places along the route where you might be able to buy food:
Landmannalaugar: In peak season (usually July to early September), there’s a quirky little setup known as the Mountain Mall — essentially a converted bus that doubles as a mini convenience store. It sells snacks, noodles, and a few essentials, but it’s expensive and doesn’t open until the very start of July.
Álftavatn: There’s a restaurant at the Álftavatn Hut that serves hot meals. We arrived in mid-June to find it closed — a crushing blow after a long day dreaming about chips and a cold drink.
Þórsmörk (Thórsmörk): At the end of the trail, there are three different huts/ campsites to choose from. Two of them have restaurants – we stayed at the Volcano Huts and very much enjoyed their hot food buffet.
You can find our guide to the campsites/ huts in Þórsmörk here.
Outside of these places, there are no shops on the Laugavegur Trail. So unless you’re hiking with a guided tour that provides meals, you’ll need to carry everything yourself.
Emergency stashes and surprises
Each ranger hut sells a few items “emergency stash” — shelves of supplies for hikers who’ve run out of food.
You’ll usually find chocolate bars, freeze-dried Trek Meals, soups, and occasionally beer. Prices are steep, but it’s reassuring to know there’s something there if you’re desperate. And, you can pay with card.
Some huts also have a “leftovers” box, where hikers leave spare items they don’t want to carry. We scored a few sachets of hot chocolate this way — absolute gold after a freezing, snowy day.
And one of our sweetest memories (literally) came when a kind girl we met in a hut gave us a few squares of chocolate — it might genuinely have been the best chocolate we’ve ever tasted.
Eating on the trail
When we walked, we thought we might be able to cook up lunches on the go. But, in all honesty, that’s just not practical. Between the wind, rain, and river crossings, the last thing you’ll want to do is get your stove out mid-hike.
However, cooking at camp is totally doable. For campers, there’s sometimes a sheltered area, or at least a few rocks to hide behind to cook. There’s always access to cold drinking water.
If you’re camping, you’ll need your own stove and gas. We picked up our gas canister at a petrol station in Iceland — the Highland Bus usually stops at one on the way to Landmannalaugar.
If you’re staying in the huts, you have access to hot water, utensils, crockery and cooking stoves. So, no need to carry your own gear.
Food we packed for the Laugavegur Trail
Food was something we agonised over for quite a while before the trip. Especially as we were planning to extend the Laugavegur, walking 9 days in total.
When you’re carrying every calorie on your back, weight and simplicity are key — but we also didn’t want to spend the entire time hungry.
Here’s what worked for us:
Breakfast
- Oats – we packed enough oats for two of us to eat every day.
- Huel Black Edition – A nutritionally complete protein powder. We would add a few spoonfuls to our porridge each morning.
- A few tea bags and instant coffee sachets.
Lunch
- Another protein shake made with cold water, whilst walking – extra calories and convenience.
- Cuppa Soups with a cracker or slice or rye bread – we would cook this up for a late lunch as soon as we arrived to our camp.
Snacks
- Trail mix
- Flapjack bars and protein bars
- Rye bread and dried fruit
Dinner
- Emma: Huel Hot & Savoury meals – gluten-free, nutritious, and honestly not terrible tasting. Just add hot water.
- John: Instant noodles – the old classic, and still the best bang-for-weight option out there.
Treats
- Hot chocolate sachets – we didn’t pack any, but found a few in a leftovers box. They were absolute bliss on a cold evening.
We brought some food with us from the UK (like the Huel powder and Trek Meals), but picked up our snacks and noodles in Icelandic supermarkets.
Prices for basics like noodles and trail mix were roughly the same as at home, but specialist foods (like gluten-free or high-protein options) were noticeably pricier.
Cooking gear we used
- Lightweight stove & gas canister (bought locally in Iceland)
- Small pots for boiling water
- Mugs and sporks
- Protein shaker (for mixing Huel) and an extra container for meals
- Optional: a small cloth for washing up (we didn’t bother)
We also packed a camping plate, which we ended up never using.
Our top food tips for the Laugavegur Trail
Choose food that only needs hot water. It saves time, gas, and cleanup effort.
Bring more snacks than you think you’ll need. You’ll burn through them faster than expected.
Pack a few treats. A square of chocolate or a hot drink can turn a miserable, rainy evening into something special.
Protein shakes are game changers. Lightweight, no-cook, and surprisingly satisfying.
Keep cleanup simple. The washing-up water in the huts can be freezing, so the less scrubbing you have to do, the better.
If you’re camping, you can’t use hut kitchens. Make sure your gear is self-sufficient.
You can find our detailed packing guide for the Laugavegur here.
Written by Emma
Wine Lover. Yogi. Hiker. Writer.
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