Laugavegur Photography Jeep Tour

The best part of this tour is the way it opens up Iceland’s highlands in one long, photo-heavy day. From Hella, you ride toward Hekla, colorful Landmannalaugar, the Laugavegur trail, glacial views, and Þórsmörk, with a local guide choosing stops that are worth more than a quick roadside snap.

I like the small group of no more than 10 people, which gives you a better chance to pause for pictures instead of being hurried along. I also like the range of scenery, from black lava and geothermal ground to rhyolite mountains and huge ice caps. The drawback is the price, $590 per person, and the 12-hour length. This is a serious day out, not a casual half-day ride.

Key details before you book

• Landmannalaugar is the visual centerpiece: Expect colorful rhyolite mountains, black lava fields, and a geothermal bathing pool.
• The route reaches Iceland’s interior: The Super Jeep makes it possible to visit remote highland areas linked with the Laugavegur trail.
• The day is built around photography: You get time at several locations rather than simply viewing them through a vehicle window.
• The itinerary changes color and scale often: Hekla, lakes, geothermal valleys, glaciers, ice caps, and Þórsmörk all appear during the day.
• You must bring your own lunch: A local guide is included, but food is not.
• This suits adults and older children: The tour is not suitable for children under 6.

Why this highland photo tour is different

Many Iceland day trips focus on a neat chain of major sights. This one takes a more demanding route into the southern highlands, where rough tracks and changing weather make a Super Jeep useful. The reward is access to places that feel far removed from the main roads.

You are not signing up for a lecture-heavy coach tour. The main purpose is to give you time to look, frame, and shoot. That matters in Iceland, where a mountain can change from gray to orange to green as light moves across it.

The small group helps here. With a maximum of 10 people, you should have more room to handle a camera, ask the guide about a viewpoint, or wait briefly for better light. The guide speaks English and Icelandic and shares local stories and less obvious details about the area.

That said, this is not a private photography workshop. No camera brand, lens advice, or formal instruction is specified. If you want detailed help with exposure or composition, ask before booking. The clear promise is access and time, guided by someone familiar with the region.

From Hella toward Hekla, Iceland’s famous volcano

The meeting point is the parking lot in front of the glass building at Bus Stop Hella. The tour returns to this same spot after the full day, so you do not need to arrange a different pickup location.

The first major direction is toward Hekla volcano. Hekla has long carried the grim nickname Gateway to Hell, a reminder of the volcano’s force and reputation. You are not simply stopping at a volcano viewpoint and moving on. Hekla sets the tone for the trip: this is Iceland at its rawest, with volcanic ground and wide-open highland scenery.

For photography, the early part of the route gives you a chance to work with broad views and changing weather. Bring spare memory cards. The day includes many distinct stops, and you will likely shoot more often than you expect.

The exact order and timing can shift with conditions. This is normal for a highland trip, where weather and road access matter. You should think of the itinerary as a strong route rather than a minute-by-minute schedule.

Dómadalur, Frostastaðavatn, and Ljótipollur

From the Hekla area, the Super Jeep continues through Dómadalur valley toward Frostastaðavatn and Ljótipollur. These stops add water and mountain forms to the volcanic setting.

Frostastaðavatn gives you a broad lake view, while Ljótipollur offers a more unusual name and setting. Ljótipollur means Ugly Puddle, but the name does not tell the whole story. The lake sits in a volcanic crater, and the contrast between water, dark ground, and surrounding highland colors makes it a useful photography stop.

This part of the route is valuable because it breaks up the day visually. You are not looking at one type of scenery for hours. Lakes, valleys, volcanic forms, and distant ridges keep changing the frame.

I would bring a wide-angle lens for large views and a medium zoom for isolating ridges, crater edges, or patches of color. That is practical advice rather than a promise of camera instruction from the guide. The tour gives you the subjects. Your equipment and shooting style are up to you.

Landmannalaugar’s rhyolite colors and black lava

Landmannalaugar is the tour’s main event. The area is famous for its colorful rhyolite mountains, which can show shades of red, yellow, pink, green, and brown depending on the light. These colors sit beside steep black lava fields, creating the kind of sharp contrast that makes Iceland so rewarding for photographers.

You also visit the geothermal bathing pool in the area. The pool is bordered by black lava, so even if you do not bathe, it adds another distinctive feature to the stop. The supplied information does not say that swimming time is included, so you should treat it as part of the scenery unless the guide tells you otherwise.

The substantial stop here gives you the time this place deserves. You can work out several compositions instead of taking one picture from the Jeep and leaving. Look for the relationship between the soft mountain colors and the hard lava surfaces. The best shots may not be the biggest panorama. A tighter frame of colored slopes against black rock can be just as effective.

Landmannalaugar is also where proper clothing becomes especially important. You will be outdoors, and Icelandic weather can shift quickly. Pack a waterproof jacket and trousers, warm layers, a hat, gloves, and hiking boots or sturdy outdoor shoes. Good footwear matters more here than fashion.

Following the Laugavegur route through Reykjadalir

After Landmannalaugar, you return to the Super Jeep and continue toward the famous Laugavegur trail. This is one of Iceland’s best-known highland routes, and the tour lets you see part of its setting without committing to a multiday trek.

The drive through Reykjadalir valley adds geothermal interest. The ground in these areas can look spare and rough, with signs of heat beneath the surface. You may find steam, unusual colors, or textured ground, but the exact appearance depends on weather and conditions on the day.

This is a good section for anyone who likes more than postcard views. Geothermal places reward attention to detail. Look at the ground near your feet, not only the mountains in the distance. Patterns in rock, water, and steam can give your photo set a different rhythm.

The route also brings two major glaciers into view: Mýrdalsjökull and Eyjafjallajökull. Their ice-covered mass changes the scale of the day. After the close-up colors of Landmannalaugar and Reykjadalir, you get broad, distant views where the glaciers dominate the horizon.

Emstrur and the changing view of the glaciers

As the tour gets closer to Road 1, the scenery changes again. Large ice caps come into view around Emstrur hut, creating a wide panorama that feels very different from the volcanic valleys earlier in the day.

This variety is one of the strongest reasons to choose the tour. You are not paying only for a ride to Landmannalaugar. You are paying for a full day that links several types of southern Iceland scenery: volcanoes, crater lakes, rhyolite mountains, lava, geothermal ground, valleys, ice caps, and glacial viewpoints.

Emstrur is also a reminder that the highlands are not just colorful. They can feel stark and spacious. Leave room on your memory card for wider compositions, especially if you enjoy showing scale. A small vehicle, person, or hut in the frame can help communicate how large the surrounding terrain is.

The tour does not include lunch, so pack a proper meal as well as snacks. Twelve hours is too long to rely on a few sweets in your camera bag. Since the day includes long driving stretches and outdoor stops, food and water will make the experience much more comfortable.

Final views of Eyjafjallajökull and Þórsmörk

The last major photo opportunities focus on Eyjafjallajökull and Þórsmörk valley, viewed from the west side of Markarfljótsgljúfur. This gives the day a strong finish, with another angle on scenery you may have first encountered from a distance.

Þórsmörk is known here as a valley view rather than a long hiking stop. You should not book this expecting an extended trek through the valley. The tour is built around scenic access and photography, with the Super Jeep carrying you between viewpoints.

The view from the west side of Markarfljótsgljúfur adds depth to the final part of the route. You may be looking across a large gorge toward the valley and glacier, so a wide lens can be useful. If you have been shooting all day, this is also when batteries and storage may become a problem. Carry extras.

After the final pictures, you return to the meeting point in Hella. The tour lasts 12 hours, so plan for a full day away from your hotel. Check the available starting time when booking, since the departure time is not fixed in the supplied details.

What the $590 price really covers

At $590 per person, this is expensive compared with a standard sightseeing bus. The value comes from the route, the Super Jeep, the small group, and the guide’s ability to take you into Iceland’s highlands for a photography-focused day.

You are also buying time. A cheaper tour may take you to one or two famous sights, while this trip links Hekla, Dómadalur, Frostastaðavatn, Ljótipollur, Landmannalaugar, Reykjadalir, Emstrur, and views toward Þórsmörk. That is a lot of ground and a lot of visual variety.

Still, the price will not make sense for everyone. If you mainly want a quick look at Landmannalaugar, you may find a shorter outing easier to justify. If you do not take pictures, you may not benefit as much from the slower stops and repeated pauses.

For a keen photographer, the calculation is better. Access to remote highland scenery, a limited group, and a local guide can justify the cost, particularly if you have only one available day. Lunch is extra, and your personal camera gear is your responsibility, so budget and pack accordingly.

Who should book this experience?

I would recommend it most strongly to photographers who want varied subjects in one day and do not want to organize a highland route themselves. It also suits anyone who prefers scenic access by vehicle over a multiday hike.

The tour is a good match if you enjoy:

• Colorful mountains and volcanic scenery
• Long days with many stops
• Remote routes reached by Super Jeep
• Glaciers, valleys, lakes, and geothermal areas
• Small groups rather than large coaches
• Listening to local stories while taking pictures

It is less suitable if you want a relaxed schedule, a short excursion, or formal camera lessons. The day is long, the price is high, and the weather may be demanding. Children under 6 cannot join.

The guide’s role is important. The people who have already taken the tour praised the guide’s kindness, clear explanations, local pride, and passion for Iceland. Those qualities matter on a day this long. A friendly guide can make long drives and changing weather much easier, while useful local context helps you understand why each stop is worth your time.

Practical packing advice for the highlands

Dress for being outdoors, not for sitting in a vehicle. Bring warm outdoor clothing, a waterproof jacket and trousers, a hat, gloves, and suitable hiking boots or sturdy shoes.

Pack lunch and snacks because neither is included. You should also bring water, though the supplied details do not specify food or drink service. For photography, carry spare batteries, extra memory cards, and a protective way to handle gear in wet or dusty conditions.

Keep your equipment accessible. The tour is designed around photo stops, so you do not want your main camera buried under clothing at the bottom of a bag. A simple setup that you can grab quickly may serve you better than carrying every piece of equipment you own.

Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund. You can also reserve and pay later, which helps if your Iceland plans are still shifting.

Should you book the Laugavegur Photography Jeep Tour?

Book it if you want one long, focused day of southern highland scenery and you care about coming home with more than ordinary roadside pictures. The combination of Landmannalaugar’s colors, volcanic lakes, geothermal ground, glaciers, Emstrur, and Þórsmörk gives you a strong range of subjects.

Skip it if $590 feels too steep, if you dislike full-day outings, or if you want a proper hiking trip rather than vehicle-based access. For the right person, though, this is a practical way to reach Iceland’s interior with a small group and a guide who can add local detail along the way.

FAQ

How long is the Laugavegur Photography Jeep Tour?

The tour lasts 12 hours. Check availability for the starting time.

Where does the tour begin?

It begins at Bus Stop Hella, in the parking lot in front of the glass building.

Where does the tour end?

The activity ends back at the same meeting point in Hella.

What languages does the guide speak?

The live guide speaks English and Icelandic.

Is lunch included?

No. Lunch is not included, so bring your own meal and some snacks.

What should I wear and bring?

Bring warm outdoor clothing, a waterproof jacket and trousers, headwear, gloves, and appropriate hiking boots or shoes. Snacks are also recommended.

Can children join the tour?

Children under 6 are not permitted to join this activity.