Lisa Chase (August 2024)

Highly recommend the Eldgja Canyon Trek! Breathtaking views, experienced and knowledgeable Icelandic guides, and the best part is that we had the trails and huts all to ourselves.

We started our hike at Landmannalaugar, where the Laugavegur trek begins with tons of people hiking and waiting in line for the bathrooms. I appreciated walking through the colorful mountains but then was relieved to get away from the congested area. After we left the crowds doing the Laugavegur trek and drove to our starting trailhead, we did not see anyone else outside of our trekking group for the next three days, until we arrived at a spectacular waterfall near Hólaskjól Highland Center where we spent our last night.

Our guide, Josep, knew everything about the geology and ecology of the volcanoes and glaciers of Iceland. Even more interesting, he told us about Viking history including Icelandic sagas, folklore and mythology such as the story of Katla the volcano. Josep knew every river and stream, mountain and hill, valley and canyon, and he could tell us how the landscape had changed over centuries and during his lifetime.

For the first two nights, we stayed in charming mountain huts. They did not have electricity but they did have gas heaters for cooking and warming plus flush toilets in nearby outhouses. The best part is that the cozy huts were reserved just for our group. They were originally built for farmers rounding up sheep in the fall and are still used for this purpose today. But the huts have been upgraded and are now maintained by Utivist, a hiking club run by the organizer of the Eldgja trek, Guffi.

After three days of hiking with spectacular views and exciting river crossings, we arrived at Hólaskjól Highland Center, which is run by Guffi and his wife Aslaug. They are the organizers of this trek and supplied us with hearty and healthy meals and snacks to fuel us through our days of hiking. Staying at Hólaskjól is a treat in itself, as it is the center for rounding up the sheep every fall and is a lovely place to spend a night (or three).

We had a lamb bbq for the final dinner, with much celebration and laughter reliving the highlights of the trek. The next morning, we explored the trails leading from Hólaskjól to a nearby waterfall. We then drove back to Reykjavik with several stops along the way to see waterfalls, Vik (famous black sand beach), waterfalls, puffins, and more waterfalls.

Several months ago, when I started looking into treks in Iceland, the Laugavegur kept coming up. I almost signed up for it but then I saw the Eldgja Canyon trek. I am so happy that we took the road less traveled, skipped the crowds at the Laugavegur trek, and instead explored this hidden gem with an experienced Icelandic guide!

Packing note: If this is your first trip to Iceland, you might not realize that it can be chilly and rainy even in the summer. The packing list includes waterproof hiking boots, pants, and jacket. Those are necessities for this trek — and you’ll be happy you have them for everything else you do outdoors in Iceland.