Private Esja Hike & Hvammsvik Hot Springs

by Your Friend in Reykjavik · Hiking & trekking · Lagoons & spas · Reykjavík

4.90· 1,779 Google reviews of the operator
  • Beginners welcome
  • Luxury
  • Works in the rain
  • Eco-certified
  • Skip the queue
  • Can be tailored

from €1,699 per person

Next departure: Thu 22 Oct

Book Thu 22 Oct · €1,699Other dates
Private Esja Hike & Hvammsvik Hot Springs — Your Friend in Reykjavik
Private Esja Hike & Hvammsvik Hot Springs, photo 2
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1 / 10

  • Duration

    8 hours

  • Difficulty

    Easy

  • Season

    All year

  • Starts in

    Reykjavík

  • Pickup

    Hotel pickup included

  • Guide

    Guided in English

  • Departs

    10:00, 10:30, 11:00, 11:30 …

  • Cancellation

    Free until 24 hours before

About this experience

This is Private Driving Tour to Mount Esja, with a roughly 2 hour hike included and then off to Hvalfjordur & Hvammsvik Hot Springs

You are picked up for this experience by an expert local driver guide from Your Friend In Reykjavik.

After a roughly 25-minute drive out of Reykjavik, we say hello to Mount Esja, the guardian of Reykjavik, and do an approximately 2-hour hike up and down the majestic mountain, enjoy the views before heading towards a waterfall called Þórufoss, made famous in the TV series, Game of Thrones.

After that possible shortstop, you enter the beautiful fjord called Hvalfjordur or Whalefjord, where you can admire the views.

At the same time, you are told about the significant history of these parts and the folklore connected to the area. And then it's time for our second shortstop, an Elfstone or home called Steðji, where an Elfman called Staupasteinn is said to reside.

When we have heard enough elf stories, it's time to head to the brilliant Hvammsvik Hot Springs, which is a beautiful experience where you have access to eight natural hot springs that evolve into the ocean with temperatures ranging from ocean temperatures (around ten °C) to 42°C in the old original hot spring.
You can even access the sea, steam baths, and hot outdoor showers to warm you up if you brave the ocean. Timeout magazine recently voted this experience as the number one thing to do in the world.

After your rejuvenating soak in the hot springs, it's time to head to the restaurant Höfuðstöðin to enjoy a nice bowl of delicious lamb soup made out of local ingredients (there is also a Vegan option). With the lamb soup, you get fluffy Sourdough bread & butter with sea salt, also made on location.

Now it's time to head back to your accommodation with a nice warm feeling in your body and belly.

Description from the operator, Your Friend in Reykjavik. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.

Where you go

  1. Pickup from your accommodation
  2. Driving towards Mount Esja and hike
  3. Visiting Þórufoss waterfall, made famous in the TV series Game of Thrones
  4. Say hello to Staupasteinn, the guardian of Hvalfjörður
  5. Relaxing in the Hvammvík Geothermal Spa
  6. Enjoying a delicious lamb soup made of local ingredients
  7. Heading back to Reykjavik

Included

  • This tour includes an expert guide from Your Friend in Reykjavik
  • A very comfortable car
  • Entrance to Hvammsvik Geothermal Baths 
  • Delicious lamb soup with Sourdough Bread and seasalt butter (Vegan option available)

Not included

  • Tips are welcome in Iceland if you feel the tour is of good quality but not a requirement

Good to know

  • Please dress according to the weather in Iceland, which means be prepared for any kind of weather. :)
  • You need good hiking shoes for mount Esja and wear three layers of clothing, an inner layer, a base layer, and then a rain & wind proof layer
  • Swimwear & towel unless you want to rent it


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 wind above the treeline and river levels after rain — the guide decides on the day. Here is exactly what happens to your booking.

  1. 1Your Friend in Reykjavik 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 we list it

Your Friend in Reykjavik is one of 204 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 Your Friend in Reykjavik

Read all 1,779 reviews on Google →

Operator rating 4.9/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.

  • Sanket Das

    ★★★★★ · 2 months ago

    Your Friend in Reykjavik is the best tour company in Reykjavik . I took Walk with a Viking Tour , Snaefellsnes Peninsula day tour and 6 days around Iceland Adventure tour . I spent 8 Nights in Iceland . I stayed 2 nights at Hotel Reykjavik Grand , 1 night at Hotel Geirland , 1 night at Hotel Hofn , 1 night at Wilderness Center , 1 night at Akureyri Berjaya Iceland Hotels , 1 night at Hotel Laugarbakki , 1 night at Hotel Keflavik . It was an amazing tour . My experience in Iceland was magical and heavenly . I also visited Blue Lagoon and it was a nice experience. I enjoyed my every second in Iceland . Iceland is one of the most beautiful country on our planet . I would keep visiting Iceland in the future . Thank you for making my Iceland journey special and memorable .

  • Wendy Uhlig

    ★★★★★ · 2 months ago

    We had a great time on our Iceland Folklore tour. Our guide was Einar. He was a fantastic storyteller!! Hidden people/elves, trolls and ghost stories - and a lot of Icelandic history. Thank you Einar!!

  • Nanci Ritter

    ★★★★★ · 2 months ago

    Petra was an incredible guide. We asked her to show us as much as she could before taking our crazy family of 10 to the airport for our flights to three different cities ! First stop was the beautiful church in downtown Reykjavik that had just opened with an organ recital. Next stop a lovely spot and observation sight overlooking the city by the Pearl. Cold and wet she found us a lovely coffee shop with the best pastries for a welcome mid morning rest next to the sea. Back in the van we drove for a bit before having the opportunity to explore a geothermal field on our way to the airport. A perfect day and ending to our time in Iceland. Petra shared alot of history and information from the perspective of a local which we all appreciated and enjoyed!

  • Vincent Damas

    ★★★★★ · 4 months ago

    Nice walking trip in Reykjavik city centre with our local guide Hrafn, very friendly and knowledgeable. A good introduction to Iceland on the very first day of our 2 weeks road-trip around the island 👍

Reviews from Google · updated 21 Oct 2026

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.

Reviews arrive the day after each trip — none yet for 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.

Hotels

Where to stay for this tour

From the cheapest to the top end of what is near Reykjavík, from our hotel partners. Rooms are booked on our hotels site.

All hotels in Reykjavík →

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Pairs well with

Add any of these to this tour and 3 % comes off both at checkout — about €60 on the cheapest pair. One basket, one payment, however many operators they come from.

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€1,699 per person

Book Thu 22 Oct · €1,699