When are the Icelandic highlands open?+
Late June to September, roughly. The F-roads into Landmannalaugar, Kerlingarfjöll and Þórsmörk close under snow the rest of the year and open when the Road Administration declares them passable, which varies by weeks from year to year. Tours and highland buses follow those dates. If you book a highland tour for late June, expect a possible reschedule. In winter the only way in is a licensed super-jeep expedition.
Can I drive to Landmannalaugar in a normal car?+
No. F-roads are legally restricted to four-wheel-drive vehicles, rental insurance is void on them, and there are unbridged rivers on the way in. Rental companies will charge you for the damage. Take a highland bus (/experience/247406/, /experience/914986/), a guided day tour (/experience/16823/) or a super jeep (/experience/341/). Even in a rented 4x4, the river crossings catch out first-timers every summer.
What is there to do in Landmannalaugar?+
Hike and soak. The Bláhnúkur and Brennisteinsalda loops take three to four hours through rhyolite hills in orange, green and grey, past steaming vents and the Laugahraun lava field. Afterwards, the natural hot river next to the campsite is free. Longer stays start the Laugavegur trek south to Þórsmörk. There is a hut, a campsite and a small shop in a converted bus, and nothing else. Bring lunch.
Is Landmannalaugar worth it as a day trip?+
Yes, if you accept a fourteen-hour day with about four to five hours on site. The guided tours (/experience/16823/, /experience/689268/) time the hike and the soak, and the highland bus does it cheaper with no guide. It is the one highland place you can reach and enjoy in a day. Kerlingarfjöll is comparable. Anything further in needs a night in a hut or on the Laugavegur.
Do I need a 4x4 for the highlands even on a tour?+
No; the operator supplies the vehicle. Tours use highland buses with raised suspension or super jeeps for the river crossings, and the meet-on-location hikes (/experience/254326/, /experience/914988/) assume you arrive by bus or your own 4x4. The point of booking a tour is not needing to solve this yourself. Bring boots, waterproofs and lunch; the bus does the rest.