Landmannalaugar and the Valley of Tears

by Glaciers and Waterfalls · Sightseeing day tours · Highlands

4.90(109) · tour · TripAdvisor
Landmannalaugar and the Valley of Tears — 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.

More photos of Landmannalaugar and the Valley of Tears

Crystal clear streams weave their way through the valleys.The colorful rhyolite mountains are the main attraction in Landmannalaugar.People bathing in the natural pool in LandmannalaugarThe Icelandic Highland desert, sand and mountains.

9 photos from Glaciers and Waterfalls. Tap any one for the full-size original.

  • 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
Embark on a journey to one of Iceland’s most captivating destinations Landmannalaugar, located in the Fjallabak Nature Reserve in the Highlands of Iceland, famous for its breathtaking landscapes such as vibrant colored rhyolite mountains, bubbling hot springs, lava fields and epic hikes.

The lava fields and the rhyolite mountains are the result of thousands of years of volcanic activity. Laugahraun lava field was formed in a volcanic eruption in 1477 consisting of vast erratic black obsidian which is known for its smooth, sharp edges and unique appearance, and famed in the TV series Game of Thrones as “Dragon Glass”. Rhyolite is a type of volcanic rock that is made of quartz and silica and with minerals such as iron and sulphur adding extra color to the mountains. Brennisteinsalda or “the Sulphur Wave” is a very good example of this.

We will stay over 3 hours in Landmannalaugur and we offer approx. 2 hour guided hike through the obsidian fields up to Brennisteinsalda, but you are welcome to explore the area on your own within the given time frame. You can take on different trail or just relax and stay longer in the natural hot pool – just don’t forget to bring your swim suit and a towel on the trip.

The natural beauty and unique geology of this area will leave you in awe and create memories that will last a lifetime.

Itinerary
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.

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.

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.

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 bus

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 F-roads or a highland storm — decided by the Road Administration and the driver. 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 Golden Ride – Day tour in Golden Circle area from Íslandshestar is €0 — €193 less. Here is every difference we can actually measure.

Glaciers and Waterfalls · €193Íslandshestar · €0
How long it runs11 hours1 hour
Getting therePicks you upYou make your own way
Changing your mindFree until 24 h beforeNo free cancellation

The €193 buys you 10 more hours out and hotel pickup and free cancellation up to 24 h before. 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 →

Reviews from our travellers

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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.

  • 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

€193 per person

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