Transportation to the Laugavegur: Getting To and From the Trail

Getting To and From the Laugavegur without the Guesswork

If planning transportation to the Laugavegur trail feels overwhelming, you’re not missing something — it’s genuinely less straightforward than most hikes.

For us, transportation ended up being one of the hardest parts of planning the entire Laugavegur trek. Not because there weren’t simple options, but because none of those ones fit well with the rest of our Iceland itinerary. We had five people hiking, we were trying to be budget-conscious, and I had information overload trying to find the option that worked best for us.

There are easy solutions — including hiker bus passes that take you from Reykjavík to the trailhead and back again — but those options are often the most expensive and work best if the Laugavegur is your only focus.

As we discovered things get more complicated when the trail is part of a larger Iceland trip, especially if you’re self-driving part of the way, combining the Laugavegur with Fimmvörðuháls, starting or ending somewhere other than Reykjavík, or trying to reduce the number of bus tickets you need. This post walks through how transportation to the Laugavegur actually works and helps you find the option that works best for your group’s route, budget, and priorities.

If you want all of this information organized in one place alongside your accommodation, gear, and packing decisions, it’s also built into the Complete Laugavegur Planner.

Laugavegur Trailhead Logistics

Because the Laugavegur is a point-to-point trail, transportation planning is unavoidable. Most people hike north to south, starting in Landmannalaugar and finishing in Þórsmörk, or at Skógar if they continue on to the Fimmvörðuháls. Hiking it the other direction is possible, but it comes with more overall elevation gain and a more difficult trek.

Access to Landmannalaugar Trailhead

Landmannalaugar is accessed via F-roads and can only be reached by 4×4 vehicle or highland bus. Driving a 2WD vehicle on F-roads is illegal in Iceland. Even with a 4×4, expect a rough approach to the trailhead.

Access to Þórsmörk Trailhead

Þórsmörk cannot be reached with a regular 4×4 vehicle. The access roads involve deep river crossings, which require a highland bus or a modified vehicle, such as a super jeep.

Access to Skógar Trailhead

Skógar is the easiest trailhead to access. It sits right off Route 1, is reachable by any vehicle, and serves as a main bus stop along the south coast.

Access Between Trailheads

One thing that can make planning tricky is that there’s no direct transport linking Landmannalaugar with Þórsmörk or Skógar. The only direct connection between trailheads is a bus run by South Coast Adventures between Skógar and Þórsmörk, which works best if you’re hiking just the Fimmvörðuháls.

Round Trip Options

If you want to keep transportation simple, a round-trip setup is often the easiest approach. These options work best when you’re starting and ending in the same place.

Round-Trip from Reykjavík: Hiker’s Bus Pass

This is the simplest transportation option for hiking the Laugavegur, especially if Reykjavík is your base before and after the trek.

How it works:

• Bus transport from Reykjavík to Landmannalaugar, Þórsmörk, or Skógar
• Return transport from any of the three trailheads back to Reykjavík
• Both legs are covered in a single booking
• Only available for hikers aged 16+; children receive a 20% discount on one-way fares- must be booked separately
• Offered by Trex

This setup removes the need to coordinate separate buses, parking, or vehicle transfers. The trade-off is that it’s typically the most expensive option and is structured around Reykjavík as both the start and end

Best for:

• Hikers starting and ending their trip in Reykjavík
• Laugavegur hikers who want the simplest logistics
• Travellers without a rental car or not wanting to drive on F-roads
• Smaller groups prioritizing convenience over cost
• Trips where the Laugavegur is the main focus, not part of a longer road trip

Round-Trip from Hella: Highland Bus Connection

This option works well if you’re already travelling along Iceland’s south coast and want to handle the Laugavegur without returning to Reykjavík before or after the hike.

How it works:

• Bus transport from Hella to Landmannalaugar
• Return transport from Þórsmörk or Skógar back to Hella
• Each leg is booked separately but follows a straightforward in-and-out pattern
• Offered seasonally by highland bus operators serving the south coast
• Offered by Trex and Icelandia Highlalnd Bus

This setup avoids backtracking to Reykjavík and can fit more naturally into a south coast or Ring Road itinerary. It usually requires a bit more coordination than a Reykjavík-based hiker pass, but can be more efficient — and sometimes more cost-effective — if Hella is already part of your route.

Best for:

• Travellers already staying along the south coast
• Itineraries that include the Laugavegur as part of a larger Iceland road trip
• Groups with a rental car based in the south
• Hikers looking to avoid returning to Reykjavík
• Plans where flexibility matters more than having everything bundled into one ticket

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One-Way Shuttle + Self-Drive Options

This option adds flexibility, but it also comes with the most moving parts. Because there are no direct routes between the Laugavegur trailheads, combining self-driving with one-way buses requires an overnight transfer in Hella to retrieve your vehicle.

This is the option we used. Jaimie took the bus from Þórsmörk back to Hella and on to Landmannalaugar to retrieve the car, then picked up Joshua and me in Skógar once we finished the hike.

Drive to Landmannalaugar (Overnight Transfer After the Hike)

This option places the extra logistics after the hike and can reduce transportation costs for larger groups.

How it works

• Drive to Landmannalaugar (4×4 required)
• Park at the trailhead (parking reservation required)
• Hike the Laugavegur, finishing in Þórsmörk or Skógar
• Bus to Hella after the hike
• Overnight stay in Hella
• Bus back to Landmannalaugar the next day to retrieve your vehicle

Best for

• Larger groups trying to reduce bus costs by sending one or two people to retrieve the car after the hike
• Travellers comfortable with F-road driving
• Plans where an extra night after the hike is acceptable
• Travellers wanting an earlier start (the bus arrives in Landmannalaugar around 11 AM.

Driving Directions

• If driving a regular 4×4, the best route is Hwy 26 to F208.
• Turning onto the 225 is shorter, but not suitable for a standard 4×4.
• Bonus- make a quick stop at Sigöldugljúfur Canyon on the way to Landmannalaugar for amazing views.

Drive to Skógar (Overnight Transfer Before the Hike)

This option only works if you’re adding the Fimmvörðuháls to Laugavegur. It front-loads the logistics so the hike ends directly at your vehicle.

How it works

• Drive to Skógar (accessible by any vehicle)
• Bus from Skógar to Hella
• Overnight stay in Hella
• Bus the next morning to Landmannalaugar
• Hike the Laugavegur, finishing back at your car in Skógar

Best for

• Travellers who want to avoid F-road driving
• Smaller groups where everyone is bussing together
• Itineraries that prioritise a clean exit after the hike
• People who prefer handling logistics before starting the trail

Arhus Cottage & Camping is an easy two-block walk from both the bus stop and the supermarket, which makes the overnight transfer simple. No reservation needed if camping.

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Transportation for the Fimmvörðuháls Only

If you’re hiking only the Fimmvörðuháls, transportation is much simpler than it is for the full Laugavegur or the combo route. The trail runs between Skógar and Þórsmörk, both of which are already covered by established transport services.

Most hikers start at Skógar and finish in Þórsmörk, but the route can be done in either direction depending on weather, timing, and transport availability.

Skógar ↔ Þórsmörk Shuttle

There is a direct bus connection between Skógar and Þórsmörk, operated seasonally by South Coast transport providers. This shuttle is designed specifically for hikers and removes the need to coordinate multiple transfers.

How it works

• Drive or take a bus to Skógar (directly off Route 1)
• Hike the Fimmvörðuháls to Þórsmörk
• Take the shuttle back to Skógar or onward to a south coast stop

Best for

• Day hikers and one-night Fimmvörðuháls trips
• Hikers who want to day hike in the Þórsmörk area after completing Fimmvörðuháls

Good to Know

Transportation for the Fimmvörðuháls is weather-dependent, and services may be delayed or cancelled in poor conditions. Always confirm schedules close to your hike date and build in flexibility if you’re connecting to onward travel.

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Bus Transportation: What to Know Before You Book

Highland bus services make hiking the Laugavegur possible without specialized vehicles, but they don’t operate like regular public transit. Understanding how they work — and what they don’t do — can prevent a lot of unnecessary stress.

Booking Timing and Peak Season

During peak season (July and August), buses often sell out well in advance, especially on popular routes connected to Landmannalaugar and Þórsmörk. If you’re travelling during this window, it’s best to book transportation once your hiking dates and accommodation are confirmed. Shoulder season can offer more flexibility, but schedules are also more limited.

What Happens If You Miss Your Bus

Most operators are pretty flexible and will allow you to take a later bus if space is available. They understand that weather delays, slow hiking days, or late finishes can all affect timing, but make sure to communicate with them if you’re going to miss your bus.

Scheduled Pickups Only

Highland buses often do not stop unless a pickup is scheduled. If no one is booked at a specific location or time, the bus will often pass through without stopping. This is especially important when finishing in Þórsmörk, where multiple campgrounds and pickup points exist.

Understanding Þórsmörk Pickup Locations

Þórsmörk isn’t a single stop. It’s a broad valley with several separate campgrounds and bus pickup points, spaced kilometres apart. When booking transportation, you’ll need to select the specific Þórsmörk location you’re staying at, not just “Þórsmörk” in general. Choosing the wrong pickup point can mean a long walk — or missing your bus entirely.

This detail often gets overlooked during planning, but it’s one of the most common sources of confusion at the end of the hike. When we arrived in Þórsmörk we knew there were multiple campgrounds, but we didn’t understand that they were spread kilometres apart from each other.

Final Thoughts on Transportation to the Laugavegur

Transportation to the Laugavegur can feel intimidating at first, not because it’s impossible, but because there’s no single “right” way to do it. The best option depends on where you’re already travelling, how many people are in your group, and how much flexibility you want before or after the hike.

Whether you choose a simple round-trip bus from Reykjavík, build a one-way plan around a rental car, or combine buses and driving to save money, the key is understanding how the system actually works. Once that clicks, transportation becomes a solvable puzzle instead of a source of stress.

With a bit of advance planning — and realistic expectations — getting to and from the Laugavegur doesn’t have to be a stress point in planning your trip. It’s just one more part of preparing well, so you can step onto the trail focused on the experience ahead, not the logistics behind you.