Day Trek to Seltun: Smoky Mountains and Lakes - moderate

GYG

Day Trek to Seltun: Smoky Mountains and Lakes - moderate

• Guide works in English
• Duration per the operator: 8.5 hours

from $198

See dates, price and what is included at the operator

Eight and a Half Hours on the Smoky Peninsula

This day tour takes you out of Reykjavik for a full 8.5 hours, heading southwest to the Reykjanes Peninsula. The destination is Seltun, an area of geothermal fields where the ground steams and boils, alongside the lakes that sit in the region's volcanic landscape. The tour is rated moderate, which means you should be comfortable on uneven terrain for several hours at a stretch. A local guide leads the way in English, Spanish, or Italian, so you can pick the language you are most comfortable with. The departure point is Reykjavik itself, making it a straightforward day out without an early start elsewhere. At 198 USD per person, it sits in the middle of the price range for hiking tours in the area, neither the cheapest nor the most expensive option. You will cover ground that is geologically active, with the guide explaining what you are seeing as you go. The tour is not wheelchair accessible, so it is not suited to anyone with limited mobility.

Photographs from the operator Hikers of Iceland. They show the listing, not your day.

What the Price Covers and What It Does Not

The listed price of 198 USD gets you the guided hike itself, with a local guide who speaks the language you chose when booking. The guide's work is included in that figure. What is not included is food. The operator is explicit that meals are not part of the deal, so you need to bring your own lunch and snacks for the day. There is no mention of any other add-on being sold separately, and no official figure is published for anything beyond the base price. You will not be charged admission or parking at any of the stops on the itinerary, since none of the places on this route has a gate fee. The price you see is the price you plan around, with the single exception of the food you carry yourself.

A Tour Without a Track Record Yet

This tour has no customer ratings on record. That is the honest measure of it: it is not a poorly reviewed tour, it is an unevidenced one. With nothing to go on from previous travellers, you are booking on the strength of the operator's description and the itinerary itself. In its category of 29 hiking tours, it ranks 19th, a position that reflects the absence of reviews rather than any negative feedback. The comparable tours in the same group have scores between 4.4 and 4.8, but they also have hundreds of ratings behind them. This one has none. That does not make it a bad choice, but it does mean you are an early customer, and your own experience will be the first data point for the next person. If you prefer to book only tours with a proven track record, one of the alternatives with over 700 ratings might be a safer bet.

When the Ground Is Warm Enough to Walk

The tour runs year-round, but the season changes what you get. From June to August, the average high sits between 13 and 15 degrees Celsius, with lows around 7 to 9 degrees. That is the most comfortable window for an 8.5-hour day outside. In May and September, you are looking at highs of 10 to 11 degrees, which is still workable if you dress in layers. From October through April, the highs drop to between 3 and 8 degrees, and the lows hover around freezing. The geothermal area itself will be steaming regardless of the air temperature, but the walk between stops will be cold. The tour's length matters here: it is not a quick look at one site. You are out for most of the day, so the short daylight hours of winter will shape the experience. The middle of the day is the only practical window for a hike this long in the colder months, while summer gives you far more flexibility.

Starting Out and What the Day Looks Like

The tour begins in Reykjavik, where you meet your guide before heading out to the peninsula. The guide is the person who handles the logistics of the day, so you do not need to worry about navigating between stops. The Seltun area itself is an open geothermal field, and the lakes nearby are natural features without visitor facilities. The weather on the Reykjanes Peninsula can change quickly, and the wind there is often stronger than in the city. Rain is possible in any month, so the plan for the day depends on conditions at the time. The guide will make the call on the route based on what the weather is doing. There are no opening hours to plan around, since the geothermal area is not a staffed site with a gate. You simply walk in with your group and follow the guide.

Who Should Book This Hike

This tour suits hikers who want a full day on the Reykjanes Peninsula and are comfortable with a moderate level of exertion. If you have done any walking on uneven ground before, you will manage fine. It is also a good fit if you want a guide who speaks your language, since English, Spanish, and Italian are all on offer. The tour is not for anyone who needs wheelchair access, and it is probably too long for young children or anyone who prefers shorter excursions. If you want a shorter day, the Guided Afternoon Hiking Tour to New Volcano Site runs for 7 hours and costs less, though it has a similar rating profile. If you are more interested in volcanoes than geothermal fields, the Fagradalsfjall Volcano Hike with Geologist runs for 4 to 6 hours and has a higher score from a larger number of reviews. That one is led by a geologist, which adds a different angle to the experience. For a longer and more challenging day, the Landmannalaugar Highland Hike and Hot Springs runs between 5 and 14 hours and costs slightly less than this tour.

GYG

Day Trek to Seltun: Smoky Mountains and Lakes - moderate

Dates, remaining places and the current version of what is included are at the operator. This page reflects the state of the catalogue, not the state of this morning.

from $198

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