A Walk on the Wild Side

by Borea Adventures · Hiking & trekking · Multi-day packages · Westfjords

4.60(175) · operator on Google
PaceRelaxed

One main thing most days, with time that is genuinely yours.

4 stops across 4 days in the operator's own itinerary — 1 a day.

A Walk on the Wild Side — Borea Adventures

Would this be cheaper direct? No — we sell at Borea Adventures'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.

  • Duration

    4 days

  • Difficulty

    Challenging

  • Season

    All year

  • Starts in

    Ísafjörður

  • Meeting

    Meet on location

  • Languages

    EN, IS

  • Departs

    09:00

  • Minimum age

    16

About this experience

This tour is a more secluded and true off-the-beaten-path tour. The east coast of Hornstrandir gets only a dozen hikers per year. Once we start the tour, we don't expect to see anyone until the end of Day 3, when we reach the lighthouse in Látravík Bay. This is the perfect place to enjoy the wild Icelandic beauty and the tranquil sound of waves on rocks.

This tour is designed to be fully self-supported and will require a bit more experience from the guests. Maybe you have been on a Traverse or a Lost Fjords tour with us in the past, and are looking for a new experience. Unlike our other tours, there are fewer possibilities to alter the route once the tour has started. This includes changes due to borderline weather conditions. Once the tour starts, it's difficult to change routes.

The path itself is not particularly difficult. However, it is not a well-maintained trail like you may be used to. This is a wilderness area, and there are no dedicated trail teams maintaining or cutting new trails. This tour also requires good timing and the ability to cross many rivers. This level of maintenance just adds to the natural beauty and ruggedness of Hornstrandir Nature Reserve.

Description from the operator, Borea Adventures. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.

Where you go

  1. Pre departure / Furufjörður
  2. Day 2: Smiðjuvík
  3. Day 3: Hornbjargsviti
  4. Day 4: Hornvík

Included

● Boat ride to and from Hornstrandir Nature Reserve

● All food

● Tents

● Professional guide

Not included

● Travel to and from Ísafjörður before and after the trip

● Food on the first day until the trip departs

● Personal medical insurance

● Personal equipment and clothing

Good to know

Remember that everything you bring you will have to carry on your back for the entire hike. Try to pack as light as possible while still bringing everything you need. Please note that we provide the tents. 

We use two person tents and therefore you are expected to share with one other person. If you would like a tent to yourself then you can rent a 1 person tent. Please select this option during the booking process. 

  • Warm outdoor clothing including hiking pants and warm upper layers. Please avoid cotton as it keeps you cold when wet and takes a very long time to dry. 
  • Waterproof jacket and pants. 
  • Hiking boots. Please use waterproof high-top hiking boots, which provide ankle support. 
  • Hat and gloves. 
  • Backpack. It needs to be around 50-60L. Big enough to carry all of your belongings, including your sleeping bag and your share of the food.
  • Sleeping bag rated to at least 0°C. Down is best since it packs smaller than synthetic. 
  • Sleeping mattress. A thin inflatable one is best as it easily fits inside the backpack. 
  • Personal medical kit i.e. band aids, throat lozenges, lip salves, seasickness tablets etc. Don't forget your personal medication, which you may need (e.g. Asthma inhaler, even if you don’t always need it). 
  • Sun glasses. 
  • Sunscreen and after sun cream. 
  • Binoculars are nice to have for watching wildlife. (Optional). 
  • Water bottle. 
  • Don't forget your camera.

Cancellation for this tour

Cancelling costs 30% of the price within 7 days of departure. 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 wind above the treeline and river levels after rain — the guide decides on the day. Here is exactly what happens to your booking.

  1. 1Borea Adventures 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 the cutoff shown above, the operator's policy after that.

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

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

  • Not for families with children under 16 — the operator will not take them, even with a parent.
  • Not for anyone unsure on their feet or carrying an injury — the operator rates this as physically demanding, and there is no easy version of the day.

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

Why we list it

Borea Adventures 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 →

What travellers say about Borea Adventures

Read all 175 reviews on Google →

Operator rating 4.6/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.

  • Valerie Kramer

    ★★★★★ · 2 months ago

    We went on the Highlights of Hornvik trip in June 2026. We loved it! Hiking was challenging - don't expect level trails - rocks, mud, etc. Really felt like got to see a remote area. Guides were excellent. Very knowledgeable and shared all kinds of interesting information about plants, animals, the environment. Did a good job of managing the group. Since the company has their own boat they have some flexibility in terms of getting back in time - we were a little later but it was okay. Excellent day! Very impressed with the company. It was helpful that they provided walking poles if needed.

  • Teresa Wong

    ★★★★★ · 3 months ago

    Fantastic experience. We saw whales on the boat trip there. The hike was easy with little elevation. We managed to see many bird species, seals and of course the highlight the Arctic fox. The fish soup and Icelandic pancakes were delicious! Our guide was also hilarious, patient and made the whole trip a joy.

  • Amazing Spider-Flint

    ★★★★★ · 2 months ago

    We did the two night Midnight Sun and Arctic Fox tour and it did not disappoint! First we were dropped off 6 km away from the house and hiked to the house. Our guide Mo, prepared our beds and cooked dinner. The next day we made short hikes up and down the coast looking for Arctic Foxes. The sky at sunset was amazing!! The third day just after breakfast a fox was spotted coming towards the house and came close. We spotted him again later from the kayak as he was laying in the grass near the shore. Everything was great and our guide had so much information on everything from the plants and fox to the history as well. Getting away from everything and unplugging was very relaxing. I can't recommend this tour enough.

  • Travis Grodkiewicz

    ★★★★★ · a year ago

    We had an amazing time with Borea Adventures on the three day Hornstrandir Traverse trip! Our guide Filip was fantastic!!! The hikes may be long and challenging for some but Filip set a nice pace where we could take in the wildlife, the scenery, and enjoy ourselves along the way. The weather can be unpredictable so always be prepared for being cold and wet (pack some extra layers) but we were lucky and had three days with little to no rain. The base camp is set in a beautiful bay and you're surrounded by all sorts of wildlife - all types of birds and even arctic foxes, too! Filip cooked great meals for us and made sure we all had plenty to eat and were comfortable. I'd highly recommend this trip if you enjoy hiking/camping and want to get off the beaten track in Iceland.

Reviews from Google · updated 13 Sept 2026

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.

Hiking & trekking — questions people ask

When can you hike in Landmannalaugar?

Late June to September. The highland roads to Landmannalaugar are closed by snow the rest of the year, and the opening date shifts with the weather each summer. In season, day tours from Reykjavík (/experience/16823/) run about fourteen hours with a three- to five-hour guided hike and a soak in the hot river. If you have your own 4x4, the meet-on-location hike (/experience/254326/) skips the bus.

How hard is the Laugavegur trek?

Moderate to hard. It is 55 kilometres over four days from Landmannalaugar to Þórsmörk, with river crossings, snow patches in July and weather that can turn to sleet in August. You do not need technical skills, but you need to carry a pack and walk five to eight hours a day. Guided treks (/experience/738812/) handle logistics and camping gear; the luggage transfer (/experience/1036525/) lets self-guided walkers carry a day pack only.

Can you hike to the volcano near Reykjavík?

Yes, when it is safe. The Reykjanes eruption sites at Fagradalsfjall and around Grindavík have drawn hikers since 2021, and guided tours (/experience/629086/, /experience/620679/) follow the routes the Civil Protection authority has open. If there is an active eruption, access changes daily and tours adapt or pause. The lava is usually cooled and crusted; you see fresh black rock and steam, not flowing lava. Wear boots; the ground is rough.

What should I pack for a day hike in Iceland?

Waterproof jacket and trousers, not a poncho; the wind will shred it. Hiking boots with ankle support, wool or synthetic layers, hat, gloves, sunglasses and a packed lunch with two litres of water. In the highlands add a warm mid-layer even in July. Guides carry first aid and route knowledge, not your rain gear. Cotton jeans and trainers are the most common reason people have a miserable day.

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Pairs well with

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

from

€1,576 per person

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