For lovers of remote, wide open spaces, the vast untouched wilderness that perches in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean is a fiery phenomenon not to be missed. Whether you fancy taking on the rolling hills of the Laugavegur Trek, the extremities of Fire, Ice and Northern Lights, cross remote, rugged landscapes in our Volcanoes, Deserts and Glaciers trip or hit the highlights in Ultimate Iceland, your adventure eagerly awaits.
How to get to Iceland
You will need to arrive in Reykjavik on day 1 of your itinerary. Reykjavik's international airport is called Keflavic (KEF) and is located 48km outside the city. The journey from the airport into the city will take around 45mins. Reykjavik's city airport is used for domestic flights only.
From the UK, there are direct flights to Keflavic from London Heathrow (LHR) with British Airways and Icelandair. Easy Jet also offer direct flights from London Luton (LTN), Manchester (MAN) and Edinburgh (EDI). The flight time is roughly 3 hours depending on which airport you depart from.
For those traveling from the USA, Icelandair have direct flights from New York (JFK), Boston (BOS), Washington (IAD) and Seattle (SEA). Delta offer convenient flights via New York from San Francisco (SFO), Los Angeles (LAX), Phoenix (PHX) and Atlanta (ATL).
On arrival in Iceland, after clearing immigration and collecting your luggage, please look out for a member of our team in the arrivals area. They will be holding a large “KANDOO” sign.
Our Iceland adventures
LAUGAVEGUR TREK | Showcasing the most jaw dropping scenery of southern Iceland, this route will take you through the forests of Thorsmörk, across the Emstrur desert and to the summit of Bláhnúkur, the blue peak. We will spend 5 nights sleeping under canvas amidst staggering natural beauty and wide open spaces.
FIRE, ICE AND NORTHERN LIGHTS | On this superb 8 day adventure we are going to hike across glaciers, swim in hot volcanic pools, walk through ice caves and along black sand beaches, gaze up at enormous waterfalls and, if we are lucky, watch the northern lights dance across the night skies. This action packed Icelandic adventure showcases all the incredible natural wonders of southern Iceland in one intense week of exploration and discovery.
ULTIMATE ICELAND | Our Ultimate Iceland trip uses the famous Route No1 to circle the entire island over 15 days. Every day of this remarkable adventure yields new discoveries as we head out on hiking excursions in all the most remote and untouched corners of Iceland and find hidden gems far from the beaten tracks. We will visit the little know Vestmann Islands, travel to the remote sea cliffs of Latrabjarg over 1600ft high and watch icebergs breaking off the Vatnajokull glacier at Jokulsarlon. We visit Iceland's second largest city, Akureyri and pass through the beautiful Eastern Fjords.
VOLCANOES, DESERTS AND GLACIERS | A journey through the heart of Iceland's wild and rugged interior, a remote and exhilarating adventure, far from tarmac roads or popular trekking trails. On this trip we will navigate our way through the center of Iceland, using 4x4 vehicles to forge our way through rivers, across deserts and lava fields and beneath creaking glaciers. We will climb to the summit of Brennisteinsalda for magnificent views of Landmannalaugar, swim in thermal springs and see active lava flows and explosive geysers.
When to visit
You can find detailed advice on when to trek in our Iceland Travel Guide.
This a brief summary. From May to July the sun is above the horizon line for nearly 24 hours a day meaning plenty of time to explore; you can expect temperatures between 6°C and 18°C. This is also a great time to see whales and puffins. As the summer season comes to an end the days will start to grow shorter and the temperatures much cooler. In November you can expect some daylight for around 6 hours and temperatures between -1°C and 3°C. Daytime temperatures will then drop again and in winter will range from -3°C to 3°C. In December and January there will only be a small amount of daylight for around 4 hours, making it the perfect time to see the Aurora Borealis. As spring then awakens in Iceland, it offers an increase of between 15 and 18 hours of daylight per day. Although it can till be very cold, the quiet season makes it a very special time to visit.
Training for your trek
The trekking in Iceland is of moderate difficulty. You will be required to walk continuously for 6 days, possibly in very cold and wet weather, so a trekking trip up to Scotland or the Lakes if you live in the UK will be the perfect training! The maximum ascent and descent in a single day is 950m, the equivalent of Scafell Pike. You will need to be in good physical condition with recent experience of walking in mountainous terrain for several days in a row, however anyone with a bit of training and an enthusiastic Kandoo attitude is more than capable to completing the Laugavegur Trek.
Equipment
Good equipment starts with your feet. Do not turn up for your trek in a shiny new pair of boots. Make sure your boots are well worn in and are comfortable. After your feet, make sure you are looking after your head. You will need something that provides good sun protection and also a really warm beanie or even balaclava for night times. Finally, think about clothing layers, Iceland can be very wet and windy at times. The best way of coping with this is with layering rather than relying on one single jacket. Other critical items are a sleeping bag with a comfort rating of 0 degrees, trekking poles for hiking, a head torch (always worth having for middle of the night toilet needs), a comfortable day pack and lots and lots of high factor sunscreen.
Accommodation in Iceland
Camping: We provide a high quality 3 man tent per 2 people to allow for maximum space and comfort. We will also provide a self inflating sleeping mat per person and a dining tent for use at meal times and as a communal area. You will be required to pitch your own tent and assist with the set up and pack down of camp each day. This is a team effort so the more stuck in you get, the less time it will take. Campsites will normally have hot showers available for a small fee and clean toilets. Electricity is not always available and you will be charged a small fee for charging.
Hostels: In Reykjavik we stay in comfortable hostel accommodation in twin rooms with shared bathroom facilities.
Guest house: This is friendly accommodation in large, typical Icelandic houses, located in towns or along the main road no.1. The guesthouses will normally have 5 to 10 dormitory style rooms accommodating 4 to 6 people in each. Single or double rooms can be booked on request and subject to availability. The guesthouses will have shared bathroom facilities, and a kitchen is regularly available. Wifi is available and breakfast is provided.
Farmhouse inn: In the heart of the Icelandic countryside, inns are often located on farms. These are generally small structures with 10 to 20 dormitory rooms. This simple and welcoming type of accommodation is the best way to get to know the locals and their culture. There are shared bathroom facilities but private en-suite rooms can be provided on request and subject to availability. There will be electricity for charging, hot running water and WiFi is available at most locations.
Refuges: The refuges are much like the mountain huts you would find in mainland Europe. Large buildings in exceptionally beautiful locations with basic dormitory accommodation and shared bathrooms. Single beds or bunk beds are provided but you need to bring your own sleeping bag. There will be hot showers and charging for phones and cameras available for a small fee. Most of these refuges are owned by the Iceland Touring Association and you can see pictures and learn more about the accommodation by visiting their website
here.
Each day will start with a breakfast of cereals, bread, jam and honey, fresh fruit and plenty of tea and coffee. After breakfast we prepare our own picnic lunches to throw in our daypacks. There will be bread to make sandwiches and a range of fillings to choose from (cheese, cold meats, vegetables) as well as salads, dried fruits and cakes.
Your help in the kitchen is expected and much appreciated, particularly in the evenings with food prep and washing up. We like the whole group to work as a team to cook dinner, it creates a pleasant atmosphere as we reflect on the days adventures together. We are proud of the healthy a delicious meals we provide even out in the Icelandic wilderness! There will always be plenty of fresh vegetables and you will have the opportunity to taste Skyr, smoked salmon, leg of lamb and other tasty Icelandic delicacies. Every meal will include some kind of local meat or fish.
If you have special dietary requirements please inform us of this when completing your participant forms and include as much detail as possible. For example, if you are vegetarian, please inform us if you eat fish or not. Our guides will do their best to meet your requirements but you may like to bring one or two products with you. For example, gluten free products are not readily available in Iceland so you could bring a small bag of GF pasta and maybe a pack of your favourite GF biscuits. Please feel free to contact us and discuss this if you would like more information.
In Iceland, alcoholic drinks are sold only in state stores and alcohol is very expensive due to high levels of taxation. If you would like a drink in the evenings, it is a good idea to purchase something at duty free as you exit the airport.
Toilets
At every location on our Iceland trips there will be access to flushing, western style toilets. If you are on the Laugavegur Trek you may wish to bring some of your own toilet roll, however this isn't an essential item.
Budget
The local currency in Iceland is the
Icelandic Krona (ISK). For the most up to date exchange rate please visit
www.xe.com.
Iceland isn't a cheap place to visit. Restaurants often have lunchtime special menus which are great value (around £20-30pp for a soup and fish of the day). A meal out for 2 will cost around £60-100 (fish) or £80-120 (meat). When getting around in Reykjavik an exciting and cheap option is to use the electric scooters parked up around town. Simply download the app and scoot away. If this feels too techy, a taxi starting price will cost roughly £4.30 or going on foot is more than appropriate as Reykjavik has a small city centre. Souvenirs can cost anything from ~£5 to £500. It is also worth knowing that as a tourist, you can claim back the value-added tax (VAT) on certain goods over the value of ISK 6,000 (£36) at Keflavik airport before your flight home. As long as this is all on one tax receipt, you can claim back the tax.
Tips
Tipping customs vary all over the world and can be very confusing when travelling to a new country. Tipping is always appreciated - it is not obligatory and should be left to the discretion of each individual in Iceland. Tips are not a substitute for good wages: our guides are all well paid and well looked after. If you are satisfied with your guide’s services, we recommend a tip between £30-40 per person (equivalent to 5000-6600 ISK) for the entire trip. On the other hand, if you receive bad service or have not been treated well, you would not be expected to tip at all.
