Landmannalaugar Hike and the Valley of Tears in a 4x4 Super

by Glaciers and Waterfalls · Super jeeps · Hiking & trekking · Highlands

Landmannalaugar Hike and the Valley of Tears in a 4x4 Super — Glaciers and Waterfalls

Would this be cheaper direct? No — we sell at Glaciers and Waterfalls's own price and take our commission from them, not from you. What you get here is one checkout across operators, one confirmation, and one place to change or cancel it. If you ever find it cheaper on their own site, tell us and we will match it or explain why we cannot.

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  • Duration

    11 hours

  • Difficulty

    Easy

  • Season

    May – Sep

  • Starts in

    Reykjavík

  • Meeting

    Hotel pickup available

  • Languages

    EN

  • Departs

    07:30

  • Minimum age

    10

  • Cancellation

    Free until 24h before

About this experience

The Essential Landmannalaugar
Get ready for an unforgettable Super Jeep adventure deep into Iceland’s rugged highlands. Landmannalaugar, nestled in the heart of Fjallabak Nature Reserve, is known for its colorful rhyolite mountains, steaming geothermal pools, black lava fields, and dramatic volcanic formations.


Driving in a 4×4 vehicle allows us to take the scenic backroads and make a few more spontaneous stops along the way — perfect for photography, stretching your legs, or simply soaking in the incredible landscape. This area was shaped by centuries of volcanic activity, and the striking contrast between smooth black obsidian and vividly colored mountains is a true geological wonder.


One highlight is the Laugahraun lava field, formed in 1477, where shiny obsidian rocks cover the ground — known in legend (and Game of Thrones) as “Dragon Glass.” The rhyolite mountains owe their vibrant hues to minerals like sulfur and iron, and one of the best examples is Brennisteinsalda — “The Sulphur Wave.”


We’ll spend over three hours in Landmannalaugar, with the option to join a guided 2-hour hike to explore the lava fields and colorful slopes. Or, if you prefer, you can take a shorter walk or unwind in the natural geothermal spring surrounded by wild beauty. Just don’t forget your swimsuit and towel.

With its raw landscapes, peaceful remoteness, and thrilling drive, this tour offers a deeper dive into the highlands — one you won’t soon forget.

Itinerary
Frostastaðavatn - Lakel
Frostastaðavatn is a stunning highland lake near Landmannalaugar, surrounded by colorful rhyolite mountains and ancient lava fields. Its vivid blue waters and dramatic volcanic backdrop make it a favorite stop for photographers and nature lovers exploring the Icelandic Highlands.

Landmannalaugar - Hike and natural pool
Here we do a little hike and bathe in a natural hot spring.
Welcome to Landmannalaugar in Iceland. We will stop here for a few hours. The guide will offer you a hike up to Brennisteinsalda. During the hike your are surrounded by nature so peculiar that you would hardly be surprised if you saw an elf running by. The colorful rhyolite mountains and some small hot springs scattered all over close to Brennisteinsalda with a mystical steam rising up from them. When returning to the huts, after about two hours of hiking, there still is enough time to take a bath in the natural pool.

Hnausapollur - Crater
Hnausapollur, also known as Bláhylur, is a striking crater lake in the Landmannaafréttur area. Formed by a volcanic eruption in 871 AD, the deep blue water set against red crater walls creates a surreal and unforgettable scene in the Icelandic Highlands.

Sigöldugljúfur - The Valley of Tears
The magical Sigöldugljúfur canyon has become one of the main instagram spots in Iceland. It is quite an extraordinary natural wonder with its many small spring-fed streams, small ponds, crystal clear waterfalls, colorful vegetation, and fascinating cliffs.

Sigöldufoss - Waterfall
Sigöldufoss is a stunning waterfall tucked away in the Highlands of Iceland. It cascades from a man-made channel in the Sigölduvirkjun dam, creating a picturesque contrast between raw nature and human engineering. Surrounded by rugged lava fields and vibrant green moss in summer, this hidden gem is a perfect stop for photography and a peaceful moment in nature.

Hjálparfoss - Help's fall
Hjálparfoss is a beautiful, two stepped waterfall that cascades down into a large plunge pool that is surrounded by very unique basalt rock formations.

The surrounding area is called Hjálp or “help” because when people had to travel from the north to the south over the highlands of Iceland they had to travel through the harsh and desolated Sprengisandur route. It was usually very hard to find a place in this desert route to feed the horses and when arriving to the the lush area near Hjálparfoss people thought of it as a help, because finally there was grass for the horses to bite after this long journey.

Description from the operator, Glaciers and Waterfalls. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.

Where you go

  1. Hjálparfoss - Help's fall
  2. Landmannalaugar - Hike and natural pool
  3. Sigöldugljúfur - The Valley of Tears

Included

  • English speaking guide
  • Hiking
  • Bathing in a natural hot pool
  • Landmannalaugar facility fee
  • Transfer to/from Reykjavik
  • Free WiFi in the Super Jeep

Not included

Meals

Good to know

  • Warm outdoor clothing
  • Hat and gloves or mittens
  • Sturdy shoes
  • Rain gear
  • Backpack
  • Water bottle
  • Bathing suit
  • Towel
  • Camera/Phone
  • Infants must not sit on laps
  • Infant seats unavailable
  • Not suitable for pets
  • No public transportation nearby
  • Not stroller accessible
  • Not wheelchair accessible

Cancellation for this tour

Free cancellation until 24 hours before departure; no refund after that. If the operator cancels for weather or safety, you get a full refund or a new date.

If the weather cancels this tour

Iceland's weather is real. What usually stops this one is closed roads — the Road Administration shuts the mountain roads before the operator has to decide anything. Here is exactly what happens to your booking.

  1. 1Glaciers and Waterfalls decides, and tells us. Operators cancel when it is unsafe or pointless, and we back that call every time — we do not ask them to run anyway.
  2. 2We contact you by email, and by phone if your tour is the same or next day. You choose: another date if there is one you can make, or a full refund. There is no fee and nothing to argue.
  3. 3The refund goes back to the card you paid with, through Stripe, usually visible within a few working days. If this tour was one of several in your booking, the others are untouched.

What you do not get is the day back. If this is the only free day in your plan, put a spare day next to it — the planner leaves days free with the rest-day option. And if you want out because the forecast looks bad, that is your own cancellation: free until 1 day before departure, the operator's policy after that.

Questions on the day: [email protected] · +354 497 1373. How cancellations work in Iceland →

Why this one and not the cheaper one?

The nearest cheaper Into The Glacier - For Super Jeeps from Arctic Adventures is €115 — €150 less. Here is every difference we can actually measure.

Glaciers and Waterfalls · €265Arctic Adventures · €115
How long it runs11 hours1 hour
Getting therePicks you upYou make your own way

The €150 buys you 10 more hours out and hotel pickup. Whether that is worth it is your call — but that is what the difference is.

Sold out on your date?

Seats come back — a cancellation, or the operator adding a vehicle. Tell us the date and we will check once a day and email you if one opens. One email, then we delete the address; nothing else is ever sent to it.

Who this is not for

  • Children under 10 cannot join this one.
  • Not a good fit if you want a relaxed day: 11 hours is a long time on the road, most of it spent getting there and back.

Read off the operator's own conditions. If none of it applies to you, this is a good one.

Why we list it

Glaciers and Waterfalls is one of 154 operators we work with — chosen for reliability, honest descriptions and how they treat guests when weather changes plans. We don't list everything; we list what we'd book ourselves. The six checks every operator passes →

Read before you book

Reviews from our travellers

Only people who booked this tour through us can write here. We publish every review in full — good or bad.

No reviews yet from our travellers on this one. After your tour we send one email asking how it was, and what you write goes here, unedited.

Super jeeps — questions people ask

What is a super jeep?

A four-wheel-drive truck or van rebuilt for Iceland: raised suspension, huge low-pressure tyres and a snorkel, so it can cross rivers, drive on snow and climb glacier tracks that stop a rental car. Groups are small, usually eight to sixteen people. Super jeeps are how you reach Landmannalaugar in the highlands, ice caves under Mýrdalsjökull and dark northern-lights spots off the main roads. They are pricier than a coach, and rougher.

Is a super jeep northern lights tour better than a bus?

Slightly, for two reasons. A super jeep can leave the tarmac and find darker, more sheltered spots, and with ten people rather than fifty you spend less time waiting at stops. Arctic Adventures' Northern Lights Explorer (/experience/209/) and Northern Lights by 4x4 (/experience/1088067/) are the standard options. The sky is the same either way; a jeep does not make clouds part. If budget matters, a small-group minibus gets you most of the benefit.

When can you take a super jeep to Landmannalaugar?

Late June to September, once the highland roads open. The Landmannalaugar Safari (/experience/341/) is a twelve-hour day from Reykjavík with river crossings, a short hike and a soak in the natural hot river. The rest of the year the road is closed to everything except specially licensed winter expeditions. The dates the F-roads open vary each year with the snow, so if you are booking for June, expect a possible reschedule.

Is a super jeep tour comfortable?

Comfortable enough on the tarmac, bumpy on the rough stuff. That is the point. Expect to be thrown about on lava tracks and river beds, and to sit in a bench seat for several hours. People prone to motion sickness should sit in front and take a tablet. The trade-off is access: you see places coaches cannot go, with a driver-guide who talks to you rather than over a microphone.

  • One checkout, any number of operators

  • Rankings are not for sale

  • 153 operators vetted, and not all of them accepted

  • If it falls short, we fix it

Pairs well with

Everything here goes into the same basket and the same single payment, however many operators it comes from.

from

€265 per person

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