ITINERARY
Day 1 (June 25th, 2018): Montreal - Reykjavik
Participants meet at Pierre-Elliot Trudeau Airport in Montreal and fly to Reykjavik, Iceland.
Dinner is provided on the overnight flight.
Day 2 (June 26th, 2018): Reykjavik
Participants arrive at Keflavik Airport and transfer to the center of Reykjavik. Participants will have the opportunity to take a guided walking tour of downtown Reykjavik visiting sites such as the Hallgrimskirjka church, Old town, town center, the port and the Saga Museum. The visit will end with lunch on the port, offering some of the best seafood Iceland has to offer! Participants will check into their Guesthouses in Reykjavik and will have the afternoon to themselves to explore. A welcome dinner will be provided for participants.
Dinner included
Night in a guesthouse
Day 3 (June 27th, 2018): Reykjavík - Landmannalaugar
Transportation by bus (200 km) to Landmannalaugar. Along the way, participants will pass the Hekla Volcano and cross the Dómadalur meadows. Lunch will be provided prior to the start of the trek, in one of many of Iceland’s beautiful areas. Participants will spend the afternoon hiking through mountains made of Rhyolite, a type of vividly colored geothermal rocks. A swim in the natural hot springs at the end of the trail will be the perfect evening relaxation after a long day of hiking. Participants will sleep overnight in tents at Landmannalaugar.
Elevation: 450 m
Distance walked on this day: 10-12 km
Approximate duration of the trek: 3 to 4h
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Night in tents
Day 4 (June 28th , 2018): Landmannalaugar
Participants will have a full day to experience the multicolored scene of the Rhyolite mountains of Landmannalaugar, while crossing paths of lava. Weather permitting; participants will be able to discover the crater of Ljotipollur and the peaks of Skalli and Hàalda that offer extraordinary views over the valley of Jökulgil and the Törfajökull glacier. Camping will take place overnight at Landmannalaugar.
Distance walked on this day: 14-18 km
Approximate duration of trek: 6 to 8h
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Night in tents
Day 5 (June 29th , 2018): – Landmanalaugar – Hrafntinnusker - Àlfavatn
Participants will head south towards the legendary Laugavegur “path of hot springs." This stunning trail crosses lava flows and rises in the highlands, featuring a multicolored mountainous scene of hot Sulphur springs. From Hrafntinnusker, participants will walk through the rust colored rolling ravines of Jökultungur, amid numerous hot springs. The landscape here is colorful and otherworldly. From the top of Háskerdingur, white caps of the Eyjafjallajökull and Myrdalsjökull glaciers can be seen. From here, participants will also have the opportunity to see the beauty of the Alftavatn Lake ("Swan Lake"). Camping will take place overnight at Alftavatn.
Elevation: - 500 m
Distance walked on this day: 24 km
Approximate duration of the trek: 8 to 9h
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Night in tents
Day 6 (June 30th , 2018): Àlftavatn - Emstrur
Participants will continue their journey through the lush tundra, to the ancient stables of Hvanngil. They will walk beside the base of the green volcanic cone of Stórasúla before trekking along the black sands of the Mælifellssandur Desert. The stunning views continue as another unique ancient volcano Hattfell, the “hat mountain" will begin dominate the landscape. The crossing of the desert will lead participants to the edge of the impressive Markarfljót Canyon, which sinks over 200 meters in old lava flows tinted with multicolored hues. The journey will continue through the valley of the Fremri-Emstruá River, where participants will reach their campsite at Emstrur where they will be sleeping overnight in a campsite facing the beautiful Myrdalsjökull glacier.
Elevation: - 50 m
Distance walked on this day: 16 km
Approximate duration of trek: 5 to 6h
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Night in tents
Day 7 (July 1st,, 2018): Emstrur - Thórsmörk
Participants will travel into the Fremri-Emstruá ravine and along the valley of the Markafljót River. In this area, the vegetation becomes more abundant and the first dwarf birches announce the entrance of the enchanting “wood of Thór", Thórsmörk. The participant’s arrival in the valley and its beautiful forest is a magical moment after crossing so many deserts. Overnight camping will take place at Thórsmörk.
Elevation: - 300 m
Distance walked on this day: 15 km
Approximate duration of trek: 6 to 7h
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Night in a refuge
Day 8 ( July 2nd, 2018): Thórsmörk - Reykjavík
Participants will spend the morning trekking in the Valley of Thorsmörk. They will depart for Fimmvördurhals, passing by the Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull glaciers. Midway, on the Morinsheidi plateau, the views of the surrounding glaciers and Thórsmörk valley are breathtaking. The landscape here is unique, as the mountain slope is steep and the snowfields are more present. Participants will arrive at the Pass, wherebefore reaching refuge in Fimmvördurhals, they will discover the dark lava fields and reddish craters caused by the eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull Volcano in spring 2010. Participants will then turn back into the valley and board the bus to take them back to Reykjavík.
Elevation: 750 m
Distance walked on this day: 12 km
Duration of the trek: 6 to 7h
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Night in a guesthouse
Day 9 (July 3rd, 2018): Reykjavík – Montreal
After breakfast, participants will transfer to the Keflavik (Reykjavík) airport for their flight back to Montreal.
