Iceland Hiking Adventure

Your Iceland Hiking Adventure Begins

Touch down at Keflavík International Airport (KEF) anytime today and take the FlyBus transfer to our cozy hotel in Reykjavík. The day is yours to settle in, shake off jet lag, or wander the colorful streets of Iceland’s vibrant capital — think street art, Nordic design shops, and cafés serving up sky-high slices of rúgbrauð with butter.

In the evening, our group gathers for the very first time. Over a shared welcome dinner, you’ll meet your fellow Wild Women adventurers — the kind of women who will soon feel like old friends. Our trip leader will guide us through an orientation so you feel prepared, supported, and excited for the days ahead.

This is where the adventure begins: in community, in connection, and with the first taste of Iceland!

Included Meals

Dinner

Accommodations

Exeter Hotel or similar

Golden Circle Wonders

Wake up to your first Icelandic breakfast, then set off on the Golden Circle — the route people plan their whole trip around. First stop: Þingvellir National Park, where you’ll walk the literal seam between two continents, standing on the line where the North American and Eurasian plates are slowly pulling apart. You’ll learn geological facts and what makes this area feel so alive.

Then it’s time to taste Iceland. Roll up your sleeves for a hands-on rye bread baking class — the traditional method, dough buried low and slow in the geothermal earth itself. Pull it out warm, a little sweet, and eat it standing right there in the ground that made it.

This afternoon, we slow all the way down. Your first Icelandic geothermal lagoon: steaming mineral baths, saunas built over bubbling hot springs, warm water on one side and sharp northern air on the other. This is the whole point of an Icelandic spa — heat, cold, still. Something in you settles.

By late afternoon, we go deeper into the highlands, all the way to Highland Base at Kerlingarfjöll. Tucked into the wild heart of the interior, this deluxe lodge is your sanctuary between adventures.

Included Meals

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodations

Highland Base

Travel

4 hours of driving

The Walk

Difficulty: Easy
Distance: <2km
Terrain: Wide gravel trail
Elevation gain/loss: Negligible

Iceland’s Geothermal Wonderland

After breakfast at the base, we set out for the Hveradalir hike, one of Iceland’s most unforgettable trails. Nestled in the Kerlingarfjöll mountain range in the central highlands, Hveradalir is a geothermal valley alive with steaming vents, bubbling mud pools, and winding trails that lead to breathtaking viewpoints. Every step reveals a new vista—whether it’s a plume of steam rising from the earth or a panoramic sweep of colorful rhyolite peaks. This is Iceland at its most otherworldly!

We’ll explore Iceland’s geothermal magic further when we take a relaxing soak at in one of the natural hot springs.

Included Meals

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodations

Highland Base

The Hike

Difficulty: Moderately challenging
Distance: Up to 13 km (~8 miles) – approximate 5-6 hours round trip
Terrain: Open gravel terrain, some steep narrow sections of trail, possible snow bridges, small water crossings, steep steps in geothermal areas. Expect muddy and slippery areas.  
Elevation gain: ~400 m (1300 ft)

the “Blue Beauty” of Iceland

Today we journey south to the Geysir geothermal area, where mud pools bubble and Strokkur erupts on its own clock — proof that fire is still breathing under this ground. Then there’s Gullfoss, “the Golden Falls,” dropping into a canyon that will stop you mid-sentence.

After filling the camera roll, we head to Friðheimar, the tomato greenhouse that’s become a fixture of any South Iceland trip. Dig into all-you-can-eat tomato soup and fresh bread, grown in the same room you’re sitting in.

Next: the Brúarfoss hike, Iceland’s “Blue Waterfall.” Fewer people make it out here, and that’s the draw — glacial water tumbling into a run of turquoise pools most visitors never see.

By evening, we settle into our South Iceland base for a two-night stay — time to unwind, reflect, and get ready for what’s next.

Included Meals

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodations

Hotel Kanslarinn

TRavel

Drive approximately 4 hours (from hotel to hotel)

The Hike

Difficulty: Easy-moderate
Distance: up to 6.5 km (4 miles); up to 2 hours
Terrain: 1km of gravel path followed by winding riverside trail; possibly wet & muddy; rocky sections.
Elevation gain: negligible

Explore the Trails of Þórsmörk

Today we head into Þórsmörk, Iceland’s hiking valley — reachable only one way. We start with a 4×4 ride into the nature reserve, river crossings included, to the staging area at Skagfjörðsskáli.

From there, your Wild Women guide picks the trail. It depends on conditions, the forecast (which can turn in minutes out here), and how the group’s doing that day. Every route takes you through river valleys, up and along ridged peaks, through wildflower-carpeted forest and open meadow — this is Iceland showing you all of it in one day.

Along the way you’ll hear the local lore: the Elf Church, the Troll Church, maybe even a climb into a singing cave, if your trail leads there.

Included Meals

Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodations

Hotel Kanslarinn

The Hike

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging
Terrain: Steep steady uphill and downhill including built-in steps; expect muddy and wet sections; sections of trail may have narrow sections with steep slopes; sections of trail may require scrambling through rocks and boulders using hands to stabilize.  
Distance: 6-12 km (7.5 miles); ~4-6 hours
Elevation gain: 290-350 m height (950-1200 ft)

Glacier Trekking & Horseback Riding

Today is all about once-in-a-lifetime adventures. We’ll lace up our crampons and step onto the Sólheimajökull Glacier, walking across ancient blue ice carved by centuries of volcanic and glacial forces. Imagine standing in the middle of this frozen world, surrounded by jagged ridges, deep crevasses, and the sheer power of Iceland’s natural wonders—it’s a memory that will live in your bones forever.

From ice to hooves, we then head to a local Icelandic farm for an unforgettable horseback riding experience. Meet the famous Icelandic horse, a sturdy, gentle, and spirited breed that has been part of Icelandic culture for over a thousand years. You’ll even get to try their unique gait—the tölt—a smooth, four-beat ride that feels like gliding across the landscape. Whether you’re a seasoned rider or brand-new in the saddle, this is pure magic: bonding with these beautiful animals while soaking up panoramic views of the countryside.

In the late afternoon, we settle into an award-winning stylish eco-luxury retreat – the perfect spot to relax, and recharge.

Included Meals

Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Accommodations

ION Adventure Hotel

The Hike

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging (if not used to walking on ice with crampons)
Terrain: Gravel path to base of glacier; undulating ice, some steep sections; some sections covered in volcano ash and gravel. 
Distance: ~5 km (~3 miles); ~2 hours hiking on ice
Elevation gain: <50 m (160 ft)

Hiking and Hot Springs

Today’s final hike is your guide’s call, decided on the day based on trail conditions, weather, and how the group is feeling.

One option: a 9km interpretive loop right from the hotel, through volcanic geology and local flora, into a geothermal valley with boiling ponds, babbling brooks, and cascading waterfalls.

The second, more technical option heads to Hvalfjörður fjord for a loop hike around Glymur — Iceland’s second-highest waterfall, dropping 198 meters into a canyon carved deep enough to feel like its own world. The trail follows the Botsna River valley, the water more or less guiding your path: log crossings, mossy cliffs, steep sections that call for your inner mountain goat, and a hidden cave passage partway through.

Finally, Hvammsvík Hot Springs — where hot springs spill straight into the sea. Eight pools at different temperatures, tucked into the shoreline, mountains and fjord in every direction. If you’ve been working up to a cold plunge all week, this is the place: straight into the ocean, straight back out.

After the soak, we drive back to Reykjavík for our final night in Iceland’s capital.

Included Meals

Breakfast and Dinner
* Our group will buy lunch at a grocery store/bakery before departing to Glymur*

Accommodations

Hotel Von, Reykjavik or similar

The Hike

Terrain: Steady uphill and downhill; expect muddy and wet sections; sections of trail may have narrow sections with steep slopes; sections of trail may require scrambling through rocks and boulders using hands to stabilize.  
Distance: ~7-9 km (~4-5.5 miles); ~4-5 hours with lunch stop
Elevation gain: up to 220 m height (650 ft)

Farewell to Iceland’s Fire & Ice

After breakfast, it’s time to say goodbye to Iceland—your Iceland Hiking Adventure is ending!  If you are not extending your stay in Iceland, you can join the one-time group transfer to Keflavík (KEF) International Airport. Please be sure to book your departing flight for early afternoon or later to allow plenty of time for the transfer.

Included Meals

Breakfast