How to Get to Þórsmörk: Bus, Super Jeep, or Self-Drive?

Tucked between three glaciers — Eyjafjallajökull, Mýrdalsjökull, and Tindfjallajökull — Þórsmörk (“Thor’s Woods”) is one of the few places in Iceland that still feels genuinely hard to reach. There’s no paved road in. No regular car can get you there. And that’s exactly why it stays so quiet, so green, and so different from the rest of the South Coast.

If you’re planning a trip, the real question isn’t just what to see in Þórsmörk — it’s how you’re going to get there in the first place. There are three ways: self-drive, the highland bus, or a guided Super Jeep tour. Here’s what each one actually involves.

The only route into the valley is mountain road F249, which branches off Route 1 near Seljalandsfoss and runs roughly 30 km through the highlands. It’s an F-road, which in Iceland means it’s unpaved, seasonal, and legally off-limits to 2WD rental cars — most rental insurance is void the moment you drive one onto it.

The bigger obstacle is the Krossá River. It’s unbridged, and its glacial meltwater can vary in depth and width from one hour to the next, depending on the weather and how much the glaciers melt that day. Crossing it safely takes a vehicle with real ground clearance — think big tires and a snorkel — and a driver who reads the river before committing to a line through it. This is the single biggest reason F249 completely rules out ordinary cars and why so many people search for the safest way in before they book anything.

Option 1: Self-Driving (Only in the Right Vehicle)

If you already have a properly modified 4×4 — a genuine highland super jeep, not a standard SUV — self-driving F249 is possible in summer (roughly June to September, conditions permitting). You’ll need to check the road.is website for real-time closures, cross several fords including the Krossá, and be prepared to turn back if the water looks wrong. Icelandic mountain guides and search and rescue teams pull stranded tourists out of this exact river most summers, usually because a rental car went further than it should have.

For nearly everyone visiting Iceland, this option is off the table simply because standard rental cars — even 4×4 SUVs — aren’t built or insured for river crossings like this.

Option 2: The Highland Bus to Þórsmörk

This is the easiest way in if you don’t have a super jeep, and it’s especially popular with hikers heading out on the Laugavegur or Fimmvörðuháls trails. The bus runs from Hvolsvöllur and Brú Base Camp on Route 249, with stops at all three huts in the valley — Húsadalur, Langidalur, and Básar.

Departures run once daily in the shoulder season (1–31 May and 16 September–31 October) and three times daily during the summer high season (1 June–15 September). A one-way ticket costs 10,000 ISK, a round trip 19,500 ISK, and a separate connection continues on to Skógar for anyone hiking Fimmvörðuháls end-to-end. Luggage transport is available too, dropped off by 8:30 AM in Hvolsvöllur — pack it in a duffel bag or backpack rather than a hard suitcase, since it has to survive the same river crossings you do. See the full bus timetable and booking details here.

The trade-off: the bus gets you there and back, but it doesn’t stop for photos, detours, or the best viewpoints along the way.

Option 3: A Guided Super Jeep Tour

If you want the valley’s highlights without driving, timing a bus, or worrying about the river yourself, a guided tour covers all of it. Our Þórsmörk Super Jeep Tour leaves daily from Brú Base Camp, crosses the highland rivers in a properly modified 4×4, and stops at the spots you’d otherwise miss on your own — birch woods, moss-covered ridges, and canyon viewpoints across the valley — with an English-speaking local guide who knows the terrain. Several of our guides are also active Search and Rescue volunteers, which matters more here than on almost any other tour in Iceland.

Short on time or want to see more of the highlands in one trip? The 2-day Þórsmörk Super Jeep Tour adds an overnight in the valley, and the Þórsmörk Adventure with the Golden Circle pairs it with Iceland’s classic sights over three days.