In the Footsteps of Elves - Hiking Holiday in Iceland

Multi day trekking tour from Borgarfjörður Eystri in East Iceland.

Trip difficulty: 3 of 5 possible.  Easy / Challenging.

Incredible trekking adventure tour in East Iceland with hotel accommodation with facilities, includes a visit to Mývatn lake and Akureyri Town.

We will spend our five days hiking trip exploring a part of the Icelandic east fjords and the hidden gems of Víknaslóðir, or the “Deserted Inlets” in and near the Borgarfjörður Eystri. Colorful mountains meet the ocean which makes a magnificent coastline. Among Icelanders the Borgarfjörður area is known for its natural beauty and numerous hiking routes. This isolated region is also considered to be a central province of elves and in the Álfaborg fortress (Elf-hill) their queen has long resided. After our treks in the east we will head over to the incredible Mývatn lake visiting the still steaming lava field of Leirhnjúkur. We´ll end the trip in the charming town of Akureyri.
 
In the footsteps of elves trek offers amazing views, deep fjords, mystic elf sites, lava fields, a beautiful lake and picturesque fishing villages. The memories will stay with you for the years to come. Don’t forget your camera!

Guaranteed departure dates on the following Saturdays 2012:
-2nd June. Available. Special Offer 149.990 ISK. *Please contact us to book the special offers in the shoulder season.

As an accommodation in Reykjavík we recommend Reykjavík Backpackers.

You can add one of our great value multi adventure tours to your trekking for an unbeatable Iceland vacation. Click here for more information on our summer multi adventure tours. You can also add some of our day trips to your trekking holiday if you feel like it. Click here for more information on our summer day tours.

Included in price: Flight from Reykjavík domestic airport to Egilsstaðir and back from Akureyri, accommodation in a double room with toilet facilities, made-up beds, full board, museum admissions, a local guide and all transport.

Groups of minimum 4 to maximum 14 participants.

Age limit: 12 years.

Bring with you: Outdoor clothing (warm, wind and waterproof) and solid waterproof hiking boots with good ankle support.

Click here for an equipment list for multi day treks.

Rough itinerary:

Day 1: Flight from Reykjavik to Egilsstaðir in late afternoon. Drive to Borgarfjörður.
Day 2 to day 6: Hiking in the Borgarfjöður Eystri area.
Day 7: Sightseeing and hiking in Möðrudalur and Mývatn lake.
Day 8: Early drive to Akureyri and afternoon or evening flight from Akureyri to Reykjavik.

Local culture and knowledge:
Along the way we will enjoy the hospitality of local people, their knowledge of the area, its culture and their fresh food at their local restaurants. Bird watching is a frequent pastime during this trip, and sidetracks will lead us to deserted inlets.

Difficulty of the hikes:
The walks are easy to moderate, so that anyone able to go for 3-4 hours walk can join the tour. However, we recommend that you exercise for a week or two before your tour, for example by taking brisk walks of 1-2 hours, 3-4 times per week. Please read the following brief description of the daily program.
 
Detailed itinerary:

Day 1: Monday
A plane ride from Reykjavík to Egilsstaðir airport, the flight normally departing late afternoon. There is a one hour drive to Borgarfjörður to our locally owned Elf guesthouse where we will stay for the next 6 nights.

Day 2: Tuesday  
Stórurð (Boulder Hollow)
Distance: ~ 16 km
Vertical alteration: ~ 500 m
A somewhat difficult hike because of gravelly areas and screes covering about 15% on the way. From Vatnskarð pass (431 m), we start the day's hike by crossing the mountain Geldingafjall (640 m), then continuing inland west of Súlur peaks. There are excellent views over Njarðvík, Fljótsdalshérað valley, the black sandy beach of Héraðsflói bay and perhaps even to Vatnajökull glacier and Mt. Snæfell in the eastern part of the central highlands. We then go down into Stórurð, an expanse of enormous rocks intersected by a small river. Calm turquoise-coloured basins of icy water lie hidden among the huge boulders, often with flat banks of short, tender, green grass. Returning from this mysterious place, we can opt either for the hike along the Dyrfjöll (Door Mountains) or the easy way down the valley below Rjúpnafell peak.

Day 3: Wednesday
Stapavík to Njarðvík
Distance: ~ 11 km
Vertical alteration: ~ 415 m.
We  drive for about 15 minutes from Borgarfjörður and stop at Unaós farm. We hike along Selfljót river to the coast and to the Stapavík cove.  From Stapavík we take a rather easy and pleasant hike along Gönguskörð pass. This was the main route between Borgarfjörður and Fljótsdalshérað valley for about 1000 years, until the road over Vatnskarð pass was ready in 1955. We will get picked up at Njarðavík farm and driven back to Borgarfjörður.

Day 4: Thursday
Beauties of Breiðavík
Distance ~ 15 km
Vertical alteration ~ 400 m
Transport to Afrétt and then an easy hike over rocky ground, including the light brown rhyolite around Urðarhólavatn lake. We´ll go further on to Gæsavötn and Víknaheiði, before reaching Breiðavík inlet. The rhyolite mountains along the way display an incredible range of pastel colours. After a short stop on the black sands of Breiðavík beach with its lifeless forest of driftwood, we hike up to Gagnheiði ridge (479 m), which has a great viewpoint and fabulous panorama. Then we head back to Bakkagerði after an eventful day.

Day 5: Friday
Borgarfjörður valley
Distance: ~ 12 km
Vertical alteration: ~ 400 m
We start the day with about three hours hike in the village of Borgarfjörður. Old turf house, concert hall, local fish factory, from rock to art, and many interesting stops are on our way. After a light lunch we hike on trails in the valley of Borgarfjörður. From the village, we take sheep trails up to Dimmidalur (the Dark Valley) and Jökuldalur (Glacier Valley) to see their rugged, beautiful landscape, right under the Dyrfjöll mountains. We´ll walk through the elf community of Lobbuhraun and visit their homes in Dimmidalur valley. When we return to Bakkagerði village, we walk through it, noticing its many interesting aspects and of course pay a visit to the queen of the elves at Álfaborg (Elf Hill).

Day 6: Saturday
Brúnavík Bay
Distance: ~ 16 km
Vertical alteration: ~ 700 m
We start the day after transport to the environmentally friendly harbour of Borgarfjörður, Hafnarhólmi, to visit the puffins and other birds nesting there. Next we hike up from the coast through vegetated mountain screes to Brúnavík pass, at 345 m, and down to Brúnavík inlet. There we visit another beach of black sand, with lots of beautiful stones lying on it, and listen to the waves. After taking our shoes off to ford the small stream, we enjoy a relaxing barefooted walk to the other end of the beach. On our way back we hike over Hofstrandarskarð pass, 321 m high, and walk beside Helgárgil colourful canyon towards Bakkagerði village.

Day 7: Sunday
Mývatn and Icelandic nature treasures.
Distance: ~ 5 hours driving + ~ 4 hours walking.
After a good breakfast we will say good-bye to the peaceful village of Borgarfjörður and it´s local people.  We drive towards Mývatn area and on our way we will stop at a newly rebuild turf farm in the highland Sænautasel. After a visit and refreshment we go further to Möðrudalur farm in the open space of eastern highland. Before we reach lake Mývatn we will hike in the smoking lava of Leirhnjúkur last active 30 years ago. From Leirhnjúkur we drive to the Hverir area with bubbling mud and smoking steam. We go over to the Mývatn Lake and enjoy their local food and visit their geothermal nature bath after an interesting day.  The good night sleep will be at near farm holiday guesthouse.

Day 8: Monday
Akureyri – Departure.
After breakfast we drive to Iceland’s second biggest town, Akureyri, capital of the north. From there we fly to Reykjavík or if you like you can of course continue your travels in Iceland from here on your own. Flight from Akureyri can be in the afternoon or evening, it is up to you if you want to stroll around Akureyri and relax, or head straight to Reykjavik.

Click here for details on our cancellation policy.

Disclaimer:
All hiking trips are undertaken on the responsibility of its participants. Arctic Adventures does not assume any responsibility for accidents which are caused by its customers or can be traced to there own actions. Participants have to sign a waiver before undertaking all trips stating that they realize that all outdoor activities carry an inherit risk.