As interest in women-only and small-group travel continues to grow, a new version of Iceland’s most iconic trekking route is launching for summer 2026. Arctic Adventures has announced a four-day women-only guided trek along the Laugavegur Trail, one of the country’s best-known long-distance hikes through the central Highlands.
Stretching 55 kilometers (34 miles) from Landmannalaugar to Þórsmörk, the Laugavegur Trail crosses some of Iceland’s most dramatic terrain — from geothermal valleys and rhyolite mountains to black sand plains and birch forests. While the route has long attracted international hikers, the new departures are designed specifically for women seeking a smaller, more supportive group experience.
Running from July through August, the trek is led by an experienced female guide and limited to a small group size. According to Arctic Adventures, the focus is less on speed or performance and more on shared experience, connection, and spending time in Iceland’s remote interior.
“There’s a comfort that comes from exploring in a group of women. This trek is about enjoying the landscape, supporting one another in small ways, and letting those connections grow naturally along the trail.”—Rebecca McCall, Product Manager at Arctic Adventures
The launch reflects broader travel trends seen across Iceland in recent years, including a shift toward longer stays, guided trekking, and experiences that move beyond the country’s most visited routes. For many travelers, the Highlands — accessible only in summer and largely untouched by infrastructure — offer a slower, more immersive way to experience the island’s interior.
The trek is led by an English-speaking female guide and is designed for hikers with a basic level of fitness who are comfortable walking for 4 to 9 hours a day across varied terrain and changing weather conditions. Participants carry only their day packs, with logistics handled in advance, allowing the focus to remain on the trail and the shared experience. The tour is open to travelers aged 15 and up and includes transportation to and from the trail, with amenities such as onboard Wi-Fi available during transfers.
Bookings for the women-only Laugavegur Trek open ahead of the 2026 summer season, with departures scheduled throughout peak hiking months.
For many, the real draw lies in the setting itself. Iceland’s Highlands remain one of Europe’s last true wilderness areas — vast, remote, and accessible only for a short window each summer. Along the Laugavegur Trail, hikers move through landscapes shaped by fire and ice: steaming geothermal valleys, obsidian-black sands, moss-covered slopes, and glacier-fed rivers cutting through open plains.
It’s a place that strips travel back to its essentials, where long days on foot and quiet evenings in the mountains create space for reflection, connection, and a deeper sense of scale that’s hard to find elsewhere.
