Trip difficulty: 3+ out of 5 possible. Rated: Challenging.

The Hornstrandir nature reserve is a place of magnificent untouched beauty and wild life. The sheer basalt mountains stretch from the sea to the sky chaotically divided by deep fjords, secluded alcoves and valleys. At the coastline the relentless power of the ocean has molded towering sea cliffs richly populated by birds and many of the alcoves and scurries of the coast are home to an abundance of seals. Inland the crawling glaciers of the last ice age have hewn ancient mountain passes and lakes into the rugged peninsula and there the arctic fox wanders in its natural environment. At the settlement of Iceland and until the middle of the 20th century the area was populated by the toughest of Icelandic fishermen and craftsmen. Many of them making their livelihood from crafting unsurpassed vessels for the North Atlantic Ocean. Hornstrandir is now empty of permanent settlers but their abandoned homes and workshops are scattered around the area, nestled deep in the fjords and valleys.

You can be sure that trekking through the Hornstrandir will leave you amazed and packed with memories that will last a lifetime.

Check out our environmental and social policy by clicking here!

  Guaranteed departures 2012:
10th of July
24th of July
7th of August

Private departures available up on request.

The trip starts at 7:30 AM from Reykjavik Domestic Airport. Make sure you book your spot on the tour with good notice.

Click here for details on our cancellation policy.

Rough itinerary:

Day 1: Flight from Reykjavik to Ísafjörður. A boat trip to Hesteyri. A hike to Aðalvík.
Day 2: Aðalvík to Fljótavík.
Day 3: Fljótavík to Hlöðuvík.
Day 4: Hlöðuvík to Hornvík.
Day 5: Hornvík to Hornbjarg to Hornvík. 

Day 6: Hornvík to Veiðileysufjörður. Boat trip back to Ísafjörður in the morning and a flight to Reykjavík in the afternoon.

See detailed itinerary below.

Price 2012: 179.990 ISK per person (minimum 4 persons)

If there are fewer then 4 in your group, contact us to see if there are others that you can join!

You can add one of our great value multi adventure tours to your trekking for an unbeatable Iceland vacation. Click the icons for more.

Minimum Age: 14 years if accompanied by guardian.

Included in price: Flight to and from Ísafjörður, guiding, boat ride into the reserve, food for 6 days (except breakfast on day one and dinner last day), tents and cooking gear. Sleeping bag and mattress can be rented if you let us know in advanced.

Not included: sleeping bag, mattress and pillow, but these can be rented from us. Please contact us in advance if you need to rent equipment.

We can book accommodation at the Reykjavik Backpackers for your nights in Reykjavik.

Minimum number of participants: 4. Maximum no of participants: 14.

Bring with you: Outdoor clothing (warm, wind and waterproof), headwear, gloves and solid waterproof hiking boots with ankle support. Click here to see the equipment list.

Hornstrandir Detailed Itinerary:
6 day trip (Tuesday-Sunday):

Day 1
Reykjavík – Ísafjörður – Aðalvík

Flight from Reykjavík to Ísafjörður: 40 minutes

Boat ride from Ísafjörður to Hesteyri: ~2 hours

Hiking distance: 11 km

A flight from Reykjavík to Ísafjörður at 08:00 in the morning. At Ísafjörður harbour we catch a ride with the scheduled boat tours to the charming village of Hesteyri. After about 2 hours boat ride we have left the modern world behind and entered a wonderland of sounds from soothing streams and the whisper of the waves by the beach. We start our hike in Hesteyri and head for Hesteyrarskarð mountain pass. From there we start to make our way down to sea level again. Overnight at Látrar.

Day 2
Aðalvík - Fljótavík
Hiking distance: 18 km

From Aðalvík we aim for a little detour to the top of Straumnesfjall mountain to explore an abandoned radar station built in 1953 by the American army. They figured out this was a pretty harsh place to live at so they abandoned the station in 1960. They might also have gotten tired of no enemies showing up ever. After our detour we will head over to Fljótavík. To get tour destination we need to cross Atlastaðaós river which can get a bit tricky since it is sensitive to sea tides so we need to aim for low tide. Overnight at Atlastaðir. 

Day 3
Fljótavík - Hlöðuvík

Hiking distance: 18 km

 

We will start the day hiking along the green banks of Fljótsvatn lake. The lake is beautiful and the mountain range on our left hande side is impressive. We need to cross a few mountain passes to get across the mountain range separating us from our next destination, Hlöðuvík.  Overnight at Búðir. An optional evening walk to Hælavík. 

Day 4
Hlöðuvík - Hornvík

Hiking distance: 12 km

 

Today we head up a steep slope to the mountain ridge Skálakambur and follow a route marked with cairns towards the steep Atlaskarð (327m) mountain pass. We will go around Mt Kollur and from there star making our way towards Höfn in Hornvík, the heart of Hornstrandir nature reserve. This is a place of dramatic natural beauty and should not be missed out by anyone travelling in this area. It is necessary to spend more than one day at this awe inspiring place so we will put up camp there for two nights.

Day 5
Hornvík – Hornbjarg - Hornvík

Hiking distance: 16 km

 

Nothing compares to the beauty of Hornvík, surrounding are two of Iceland’s largest bird cliffs. Like the entire Hornstrandir area, Hornvík is very remote and is only accessible by boat or by foot. We hike to Hornbjarg cliff where thousands of birds can be seen and the massive sculptures of mother nature make human beings feel very small and vulnerable. Many visitors state that the hike to Hornbjarg was the highlight of their Hornstrandir trip. At the end of the day we head back to Hornvík where we spend the night.

 

Day 6
Hornvík – Veiðileysufjörður – Ísafjörður - Reykjavík

Hiking distance: 11 km

Boat ride from Veiðileysa to Ísafjörður: ~2 hours

Flight from Ísafjörður to Reykjavík: 40 minutes

 

Today we will pack our tents and gear, hit the road and cross yet another mountain pass to get to Veiðileysufjörður fjord. After crossing the mountain range we descend down to the coast again, following the beach for a while untin we get to Meleyri. From there we will get picked up by a boat that will take us to Ísafjörður, back to civilization after almost a week in the wild. For those eager to wash off their hiking dust, a visit to Ísafjörður swimming pool is ideal. Others can relax, go out, eat and just enjoy for a while before catching the flight back to Reykjavík at around 18:00.

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.