How to get there

With a bus :   There are daily tours to Landmannalaugar from Reykjavík from the middle of June to the middle of September. Departure from BSÍ (omnibus central station) at 8:30.There are also daily tours from Skaftafell.   The busses stop for 2 hours in Landmannalaugar and leave to Reykjavík and Skaftafell around 14:30 (changable schedule!).   In the mid summer there are scheduled bus tours between Landmannalaugar and Mývatn. Reservations are not necessary.  

Informations by "Reykjavik Excursions - Kynnisferðir"
www.re.is
tel. 562-1011

Driving a car :   You can take your own car to Iceland with the ferry or rent a car in Iceland.  Insurances do not pay for damaged rental cars on F roads (mountain roads).   There are three main roads leading to Landmannalaugar.   The easiest one is F 208 from the north, from the power stations.   There are no rivers to cross, so a normal car will be enough, but be prepared for some shaking.   You need bigger cars, with 4Wd for the other roads.   The second easiest is F 225 from the west (close to mt. Hekla) and the third easiest is F 208 from the south (between Vík and Kirkjubæjarklaustur).   Inform yourself about the weather because water in the rivers can differ a lot.  

Mountain taxi :   You can let experts do the driving and carry the responsibility (Mountain Taxi; 544 5252, Iceland Excursions 540 1313).

Some people hitchhike but that requires patience, since most drivers in the highlands are using all their space.

Biking :   This is cheap but can be very difficult.   Weather can be awful and some roads are so sandy that they are too loose to bike in.   The sceduled busses can take bikes for reasonable fee.   You use the same roads as the cars.   Biking on the Laugavegur hiking trail is not forbidden, but only suitable for trained mountain-bikers, who can take care of not spoiling the tracks and the land.

Hiking :   Almost everyone who walks to Landmannalaugar follows the Laugavegur trail from Þórsmörk.   It takes 3 or 4 days and there are huts on the way.   There are bus connections at both ends.   Hiking daytours around Landmannalaugar are many and magnificent.

Riding :   Some riding companies offer organised tours to Landmannalaugar (Hekluhestar 487 6598, Eldhestar 4804800, Íshestar 555 7000).   If a many days tour is too much for you, you can take shorter tours by the local riding company Hraunhestar in Landmannalaugar in July and August. Tel:854 7735.

Famous "Laugarvegur" hiking trail is opening formaly at 20. of June, read carefully, please, information from Ferðafélg Íslands about it. www.fi.is.
Informations for new hiking trail Hellismannaleið is available here: Hellismannaleið

Where you can sleep

Camping :   In the nature reserve area, you may only camp at Landmannalaugar, Landmannahellir and Hrafntinnusker.    Outside the area you may camp anywhere where you don´t spoil anything.   There are camping fasilities where there are huts and there you have to pay something.

Huts and houses :

The shop owners, are NOT selling accommodations, neither for campers nor hut sleepers.

Prices an place avilability for Landmannalaugar and the other huts at the Laugavegur-trail :  
Tel: 568 2533. From 1.july to 30. september 854 1192.
It is necessary to order few months in advance if you are going to stay in the high touristic season.
Ferðafélag Íslands - FÍ. www.fi.is  

A good advance is also recommended for the other accommodations:

Landmannahellir - four huts, 20 km. from Landmannalaugar.   A small river to cross.   Tel: 853 8407 and 893 8407. Part of Hellismannaleið.

Hrauneyjar - highland center and motel, 40 km. from Landmannalaugar.   No rivers to cross.

Áfangagil - small hut, around 50 km. from Landmannalaugar.   Rivers to cross.  
It still lies aside the main touristic roads. Part of Hellismannaleið. 

Hólaskjól -   three huts, 38 km. from Landmannalaugar.   Rivers to cross.  
Tel: 4871447, 8555812, 8555813

Hólaskógur - big hut, around 60 km. from Landmannalaugar.   No rivers to cross.  
Tel: 6612503, 8978401

Rjúpnavellir - 2 huts by Ytri Rangá, 57 km. from Landmannalaugar. Rivers to cross. Part of Hellismannaleið. Tel. 8920409

Fishing license

You can buy them in Landmannahellir by the warden or in Landmannalaugar in the openingtimes of the shop and probably also at Skarð in Landsveit.   The license for one person for one day costs 2.000 IKR.   You pay extra 1.000 IKR. which you get returned when you turn in the fishing report.   There are nomerous lakes you can chose between and you may catch as much fish as you possibly can with your rod.

Parasites in the pool

Some years ago parasites have been biting bathers (almost nothing in summer 2005).   Late August and September were the worst times (hardly og not noticed in the early summer).   Scientists do not agree on how serious the bites can be.   Most mean that they are only harmful to birds, but some fear that the parasites also can adapt to the human body (use the neuro system). We are waiting for official researches.

Reasearces never arrived - so more infomation from expierence (2005-2010). This kind of parasites seems to exist in nearly every natural warm water pool. Depending of the weather, time of the year and global warming influence there will be more or less of them. If you are do not have allegic reactions on moscito bites or flies - you should go and enjoy yourself in hot springs. Do not play to much with swimming vegitation - parasites are ofen find themself in there or in ducks. Do not play with ducks either.
If   you are allegic in some way to insects bites - enjoy yourself by making fan on your friends, trying to change dresses when the wind is cold, or make some pictures of them.

Gas cartridges     More about cartridges

People have been told that the blue Camping gaz cartridges are availible in Iceland.   This is hardly true.   There has been far to little imported, so usually all supplies are finished before the middle of the season. We don´t know how it will be next summer, but many complaints will maybe change the situation. We still have enough but you first have to arrive in Landmannalaugar :)
 
      
The grey Coleman cartridges are usually available.   The bigger screwed type exists in two variations, which look almost the same, but your cooking equipment maybe fits to just one of them (too short needle). More information about GAS.

It is hard to get purified benzin for a cooker withour having to buy 5 liters at once.  
Red spiritus is more easy to get, but it is only in one liter bottles. That you will get in Landmannalaugar and we shall try to have the benzin as well.

Maps

The National Land Survey of Iceland (Landmælingar Íslands) made a special map for the area around and between Landmannalaugar and Þórsmörk.   The Laugavegur trail is marked on it.   The scale is 1:100.000.  

They also made maps in scale 1:50.000 but they cover small area each.   The one with Landmannalaugar (1812 I) is sold out in the country.  

Mál & Menning also made a special map in scale 1:100.000, covering bigger area.   It´s a beautyful map but not all markings are reliable.

There are two maps, worth mention it, specially about Landmannalaugar and it´s surroundings:

Ferðafélag Íslands published a map with detailed landshapes but the markings on it are fatally wrong.

We are publishing  since 2005 tectonically less exact maps, but with very correct markings and explanations for hikers. Keep attention, please, that wandering routs has been changing.

Shops

We in Landmannalaugar have the only real shop in the southern highlands.  
Since summer 2011 there are new shopkeepers. The busses were still there and in general not many changes made, since Nína and Smári. Major changes will hopefully be presented here, as (if) they happen.
You can also buy something to eat at Hrauneyjar and in Þórsmörk, if you ask for it.  
In Hrauneyjar, on the other hand, there is a kiosk, a restaurant and a gasoline station.