DATES
Sat 13th July 2024
-
Sun 21st July 2024
8 days
In 2023 we had a winter and summer trip to Iceland as well as the epic Laugavegur Trail. All very popular trips as we know Iceland is an incredible place to visit with its unique landscapes, wildlife and fascinating culture. We have a great partnership with VikingWomen to bring you more unusual tours this year. The Viknaslodir Trail has been used by locals for centuries and we look forward to you discovering its beauty. This is a lesser trodden part of Iceland.
SUMMARY
Date: Saturday 13th July to Sunday 21st July – 8 nights with 2 days road trip and 5 days on the trek from Borgarfjordur Eystri to Lodmundarfjordur and 1 night back in Reykjavik before journeys home.
Guide: local guide and WalkingWomen support
Walking Grade: 3 as this is a challenging trek to explore a lesser known area of eastern Iceland. This is rightly called a hikers paradise and for those looking for a new,adventurous hike this is for you.
The hike starts on July 15th and takes 5 days. We take 2 days on a road trip from Reykjavik to discover more of Iceland as we travel.
Base: One night in a hotel in Reykjavik, one night in a hotel on the road trip and 5 nights in mountain huts as we walk the trails. We return to Reykjavik for 1 night before journeys home.
Arrivals: Arrive in Reykjavik on Saturday July 13th by 14.00 where you will be met by your WalkingWomen support. You will travel together to your hotel.
If you arrive outside the transfer time don’t worry there is an airport bus going straight into the city centre and it is easy to find your way to the hotel.
Departures: The trek ends in Egilsstadir on Saturday July 20th where you can fly back to Reykjavík for return flights home or you may want to do more exploring in Iceland. The flights from Egilsstadir are at 19.45 in the evening so we will book a final night in Reykjavik on Saturday. You can book your internal flights with IcelandAir
Book your return flights home on Sunday or later if you would like to stay longer.
We can discuss travel plans with you.
Price: £3200 per person to include:
- 8 nights accommodation
- Welcome dinner in Reykjavik on arrival
- Breakfast and Dinners on the road trip
- All meals on the trek
- Professional english speaking mountain guide for your trip
- WalkingWomen support for the whole trip
- Transportation , fuel costs and parking costs
- Emergency jeep and food transfer during the trek
If you bring a friend and share a room the price would be £2900 per person for this trip
Not included:
- Flights to Reykjavik
- Internal return flight back from Egilsstadir to Reykjavik.
- Additional food not provided
DETAILS
This trip offers the chance to experience most of Iceland . We start in Reykjavík, the capital city, and travel across the country to reach the start of our trek . You can fly to the start but we felt it was more of an adventure to go on a road trip. You will see many sights on the way.
The Víknaslóðir trails which is our trek is sometimes also referred to as Trails of the Inlets is a vast net of well-marked and versatile hiking routes reaching from the village in Borgarfjörður Eystri to Loðmundarfjörður. Locals have through the years marked out and maintained numerous trails, making the area a rightfully called hiker’s paradise. They also publish a high-quality hiking map and operate comfortable hiking lodges with facilities in Breiðavík, Húsavík and Loðmundarfjörður, deserted inlets and fjords, south of Borgarfjörður Eystri.
The mountains come in all shapes and sizes and the variety of colours is stunning; everything from the black sand beaches to the pinkish orange hues of the mountain ridges. The trails wind themselves between isolated coves and fjords over colourful hills and through green valleys all the way down to the coast. Abandoned houses and ruins of ancient farms leave their mark on the surroundings.
The trek will take 5 days.
ITINERARY
Itinerary may change depending on the weather and at the discretion of the guide. We ask you to always trust the guide – they want to ensure you have the best experience.
July 13th: Arrival day in Reykjavik – Pick Up at the Airport around 15.00 and escorted to your hotel in down town Reykjavik.
Welcome dinner together.
July 14th: Road Trip begins with a pick up at your hotel around 8.30am.
We drive the south coast and all the way to Höfn where we will spend the night. The sights we will see are Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss, black sand beach, Vík, Glacier Lagoon and the wonderful diamond beach.
Evening Meal together at your hotel.
July 15th: We drive the picturesque east fjords with many photo stops along the way.
Arrive in Egilsstaðir in the afternoon.
Evening Meal together at your hotel.
July 16th: We start our trek by hiking to Stórurð 14km around 5-6 hours.
The group will hike to Stórurð on their way to Borgafjörður eystri
Afterward you will be rewarded with a local fish soup in Borgarfjörður Eystri and later, get settled in to your hotel for the night; Álfheimar.
Option to go and visit the puffins in the evening!
July 17th: Bakkagerði – Breiðuvík 15km . 5-7 hours
The trek begins in the eastern part of Borgarfjörður in the town of Hofströnd. Start by walking to Brúnavík, the first inlet of the day, taking in the stunning North Atlantic views along the way. From there, you’ll head to Breiðuvíkur: a farmstead on the little cove of Kjólsvik that was active until the 19th century. Walk onward to Glettinganes – the trail isn’t long, but it is rocky, so exercise caution. The day ends with an evening at a cabin near the beaches of Breiðuvík.
July 18th: Breiðuvík – Húsavík 14km . 4-6 hours
You will walk to the west from the cove, crossing Stóruá river on a good footbridge. When the trail turns south, you will see a valley that is a true natural paradise. Surrounded by Hvítuhnjúkur, Hvítafjall mountain and Hvítserk, mountains mixed with lapis lazuli, this small valley nest is worth a very leisurely walk through. Gæsavatn lake overlooks it and a little further to the west is Urðarhólavatn lake. A magnificent place!
We continue our walk from the trail up to the road that leads us to Húsavík. We will see an extremely peculiar natural structure on the way. Continuing toward Húsavík, we reach our mountain hut located on the site of a small, old farm, deserted since the 1950s after centuries of occupation.
July 19th: Húsavík – Loðmundarfjörður 12km. 4-5 hours.
Before we start the hike, you can take a look around Húsavík, which is the largest cove in Víknáslóðir.
We walk over to Loðmundarfjörður along an easy road. When we walk over the Nesháls towards Loðmundarfjörður or Lomman as it is sometimes called, it is good to take a sightseeing break. From the ridge on a good and clear day, you can see Loðmundarfjörður and Dalatanga.
Later we cross a dramatic mountain pass arriving at the deserted Loðmundarfjörður fjord, once the home of one of the most isolated and inaccessible communities in Iceland. Wandering this beautiful, uninhabited fjord, we may be able to spot eider ducks, seals, reindeer, and possibly some wild horses roaming the vast moorland and swamps of this large inlet
July 20th:Loðmundarfjörður – Seyðisfjörður 14km. 6-8 hours
The last day’s route is not considered a part of the Víknaslóðir trail trails, but is sometimes added – others think three days is enough but are craving for one more hiking day!
We hike up to Hjálmárdalsheiði, which lies at an altitude of about 600 meters. We walk out of the fjord on the south side towards the old town site, Hjálmárströnd. Before we get to that, we hit the road. The path we are walking is an ancient path between these two fjords and quite easy. However, snow can remain here until after summer. When we arrive at the edge of Seyðisfjörður, we have to go through Kækjuskárð to descend the fairly steep slopes. However, it should not be too much of an effort, but it is necessary to be careful. We come down to the road in Seyðisfjörður shortly after.
We will have some time to visit this beautiful town before heading back to Egilsstaðir, only a 30 minute drive.
The hike finishes in the afternoon so you should book your domestic flight back to Reykjavík in the evening. The evening flights are everyday at 19:45, and good to be at the airport one hour before. Arrival time in Reykjavík 20:50.
Please book your return flights Icelandair
Last night in Reykjavik and a final evening together
Sunday July 21st – return home. Make your own way to the airport for flights that suit you.
CALL 01784 664063 – EMAIL CONTACTUS@WALKINGWOMEN.COM
