Mountain Huts in Iceland: The Ferðafélag Íslands Network

Iceland's mountain huts represent one of the country's best-kept secrets for serious hikers and mountaineers. The Ferðafélag Íslands (Iceland Touring Association), founded in 1927, operates an extensive network of over 40 mountain huts scattered across the island's most remote and spectacular highland regions. These refuges provide essential shelter in some of Europe's last true wilderness areas, where weather can turn deadly within minutes and the nearest road might be days away on foot.

The Ferðafélag Íslands Legacy

The Iceland Touring Association emerged from a pressing need to make the country's interior accessible to both locals and visitors whilst ensuring safety in harsh conditions. The organisation began constructing mountain huts in strategic locations throughout the highlands, creating a network that has enabled generations of hikers to explore regions that would otherwise remain the domain of only the most experienced mountaineers.

Today's huts range from basic emergency shelters accommodating 6-8 people to larger facilities sleeping up to 75 hikers. Each serves as a crucial waypoint on Iceland's premier trekking routes, including the legendary Laugavegur trail and the challenging Sprengisandur crossing. The association maintains these facilities entirely through membership fees, hut bookings, and volunteer labour—a remarkable achievement considering the logistical challenges of highland maintenance.

Key Hut Networks and Locations

Landmannalaugar Region

The crown jewel of the network centres around Landmannalaugar, where the main hut accommodates 75 people in dormitory-style sleeping areas. At 3,200 ISK per night (approximately €22/£19), it provides access to the rhyolite mountains and serves as the starting point for the 55-kilometre Laugavegur trail. The facility includes cooking areas, dining spaces, and basic washing facilities, though luxury is never the point in these utilitarian refuges.

Surrounding this hub, smaller huts dot the landscape: Hraftinnusker sits 12 kilometres southeast at 1,128 metres elevation, providing the first overnight stop on the Laugavegur route. The hut's 52 sleeping spaces fill quickly during peak season (July-August), making advance booking essential.

Þórsmörk Valley Network

At the southern terminus of Laugavegur lies the Þórsmörk valley complex, featuring three separate huts operated by different touring associations. The Ferðafélag Íslands maintains Langidalur hut, a 75-bed facility serving as base camp for exploring the valley's glacial rivers and birch forests. The strategic location, nestled between the Krossá and Þröngá rivers, provides access to day hikes toward Eyjafjallajökull glacier and the hidden valley of Stakkholtsgjá.

Highland Crossing Routes

The association's most remote huts support multi-day highland crossings far from any infrastructure. Hveravellir hut, positioned at the edge of the Kjölur route 180 kilometres from Reykjavík, offers 50 sleeping spaces for those tackling the interior's geothermal wonderland. Here, hikers can soak in natural hot springs after covering the demanding 35-kilometre stretch from Gullfoss.

The Sprengisandur route features Nýidalur hut, arguably the most isolated refuge in the network. Located 45 kilometres from the nearest F-road, this 20-bed facility serves hikers attempting the ancient highland crossing between Iceland's major glaciers. The surrounding landscape of black sand, glacial rivers, and distant ice caps represents Iceland at its most primordial.

Booking and Practical Considerations

Reservation System

The Ferðafélag Íslands operates a sophisticated online booking system essential for planning any highland trek. Reservations open in early spring, with popular routes filling within hours for peak summer dates. The association requires full payment at booking: 3,200 ISK for standard huts, with emergency shelters costing 1,600 ISK per night.

Members of Ferðafélag Íslands receive significant discounts—membership costs 4,500 ISK annually and reduces hut fees by roughly 30%. For hikers planning multiple nights, membership pays for itself immediately whilst supporting the network's maintenance.

What to Expect

These mountain refuges prioritise function over comfort. Sleeping areas feature basic foam mattresses in shared dormitories, with hikers providing their own sleeping bags and pillows. Cooking facilities include gas burners and basic utensils, but hikers must bring all food. Most huts provide no bedding, towels, or personal amenities.

Water comes from natural sources—highland streams or collected rainwater—and electricity is often limited to solar power systems. Mobile phone coverage is non-existent in most locations, making proper route planning and emergency preparation critical.

Safety and Highland Regulations

Weather Awareness

Iceland's highland weather demands constant vigilance. Conditions can shift from calm sunshine to life-threatening storms within 30 minutes, with temperatures dropping below freezing even in summer. The association's huts provide crucial emergency shelter, but reaching them requires navigation skills and appropriate equipment.

Snow can fall in the highlands during any month, making proper clothing essential. The association recommends waterproof layers, warm insulation, and emergency shelter for all highland travel, regardless of weather forecasts.

F-Road Access

Most huts require traversing F-roads—rough highland tracks passable only by 4WD vehicles with high clearance. These routes often involve river crossings and rocky terrain that can damage standard rental cars. The association provides detailed access information for each hut, including GPS coordinates and route conditions.

Public transport to trailheads operates seasonally, with services like the Landmannalaugar bus running from mid-June through September. Highland access outside these months requires private 4WD transport or helicopter charter.

The Highland Experience

Staying in Ferðafélag Íslands huts offers more than mere accommodation—it provides entry into Iceland's highland culture and hiking community. Evening conversations in hut dining areas reveal route conditions, weather patterns, and hidden gems known only to experienced highland travellers. The shared hardships of highland travel create immediate bonds between strangers from different continents.

The huts also serve crucial environmental functions, concentrating human impact in designated areas and reducing wild camping pressure on fragile highland ecosystems. The association's strict Leave No Trace policies help preserve Iceland's wilderness for future generations.

For serious hikers seeking authentic highland experiences beyond Iceland's crowded tourist circuit, the Ferðafélag Íslands mountain hut network provides unparalleled access to some of Europe's last true wilderness. These simple refuges open doors to landscapes and experiences impossible to reach any other way.

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