What to Wear in Thorsmork 2026: Packing List by Season

Booking choice: The Midgard super jeep day, from $320 per person. Check dates Tour details

Every Þórsmörk tour says the same thing in its small print: it runs in all weather, so dress for it. Midgard asks for warm clothing, rain gear and sturdy outdoor footwear; Southcoast Adventure recommends hiking boots, a rain jacket and rain trousers.

Here is what that means in practice, season by season, with what guests say they needed.

The quick answer

Wear waterproof hiking boots, rain trousers and a waterproof jacket over a warm mid layer, in every season. Add a hat and gloves (summer too, on the ridges), and in winter a thick insulated jacket. Pack lunch, water and snacks: Midgard and Gravel Travel include no food. Leave jeans and trainers at the hotel.

Three people in outdoor jackets sitting on a slope facing a glacier — Layers on, hoods ready: the usual Þórsmörk dress code.

What should you wear on a Þórsmörk tour?

Waterproof boots, rain trousers and a waterproof jacket over warm layers. Think hiking in the rain, not sightseeing.

The basic kit, top to bottom:

Layer	Summer (May to Sept)	Winter (Oct to April)
Head	Light hat or buff, sunglasses	Warm hat, buff over the face in wind
Base layer	Synthetic or merino T-shirt	Long-sleeve merino or thermal top and leggings
Mid layer	Fleece or light down	Thick fleece plus an insulated jacket
Shell	Waterproof jacket with hood	Waterproof, windproof jacket
Legs	Hiking trousers plus rain trousers	Thermal leggings, hiking trousers, rain trousers
Feet	Waterproof hiking boots, wool socks	Insulated waterproof boots, spare socks
Hands	Thin gloves	Warm gloves or mittens

Dressed for it? Midgard's super jeep runs in all weather, all year, from Hvolsvöllur.

Check dates for the Midgard super jeep day

Do you need hiking boots for Þórsmörk?

Yes, waterproof ones. Guests say so in review after review, and Stakkholtsgjá alone means hopping streams on slippery stones.

A Midgard guest: "you definitely need to be waterproof including the hiking boots". Another: "Wear waterproof shoes. We did a hike and went to a waterfall." In Stakkholtsgjá you cross several small glacial streams, and the last stretch to the waterfall can be wet.

Trainers soak through in minutes and slip on wet rock. If you only own light shoes, buy or borrow boots before the trip, and break them in.

Two hikers on a path above a canyon — Steep, loose paths: grip matters more than style.

What should you wear in Þórsmörk in summer?

Layers you can peel off: a base layer, a fleece and a waterproof shell. Summer days are cool, around 12°C on average in July in Reykjavík, and the ridges are windy.

The valley is sheltered and often milder than the coast, so you can be in a T-shirt in the birch woods and need a fleece and hood on top of Valahnúkur half an hour later. July averages about 12°C in Reykjavík. Rain comes and goes. Waterproof trousers earn their place the first time you kneel on wet moss for a photo.

Bring sunglasses and sun cream too: from late May to July the sun is up most of the day.

Summer's long hike: three to five hours on Valahnúkur or Tindfjöll with a Midgard guide, May to October.

★ 4.9 · 7 hours · from $320

Explore the Þórsmörk hike day Tour details

What should you wear in Þórsmörk in winter?

Thermal base layers, a thick insulated jacket under a windproof shell, warm boots, hat and gloves. Reykjavík averages just under 1°C in January, and wind makes it feel much colder.

You spend more of a winter day in the warm jeep and less on the trail, but every stop is cold and windy. Dress so you can stand still for 20 minutes at Gígjökull. Spare gloves are worth having: wet gloves get cold fast.

Microspikes help on icy paths if you own them; the guides decide where you walk. More on the winter day in Þórsmörk in winter.

Snowy peaks under a pale sky — Winter in the valley: dress for standing still in the wind.

What should you pack in your daypack?

Lunch, water, snacks, a spare warm layer, gloves, a hat, sunglasses, a phone power bank and your camera. Food is not included on most tours.

Lunch: Midgard sells a lunch box when you book; Gravel Travel includes no food; Southcoast Adventure includes lunch at the Volcano Huts. One guest who brought only a small sandwich ended up sharing the guide's trail mix.
Water: a refillable bottle. Iceland's tap water is good to drink.
Snacks: Arctic Trucks lists "Snacks for the day" as something to bring.
Power: cold drains phone batteries fast. Bring a power bank.
Dry bag: a plastic bag for the camera when spray from a river crossing hits the windows.

Lunch included and nothing to carry but your camera: the Southcoast Adventure day stops at the Volcano Huts.

Check dates for the super jeep day with lunch

Will your feet get wet in Þórsmörk?

On a super jeep tour, usually not: the jeep crosses the rivers. On the walks, maybe a little, in Stakkholtsgjá and Nauthúsagil. On the Laugavegur, yes.

The big fords are the jeep's job. The canyon walks are where boots matter: shallow streams and spray. Laugavegur hikers wade the Þröngá on the last day, and many carry river sandals or old trainers for it. Never wade Krossá.

A waterfall seen from inside a cave — Spray from the waterfalls reaches further than you think.

What do you wear on the hike day versus the jeep day?

The same kit, with more attention to boots and a lighter mid layer on the hike day, because you warm up walking for three to five hours.

On the super jeep day you get in and out of a warm vehicle a dozen times; a jacket that zips on and off fast is the thing. On the hike day you climb hundreds of metres; a breathable shell and a small pack with water matter more. Midgard asks hike guests for moderate fitness and no heart problems or serious medical conditions.

The hike day may include rock scrambling, guests report, so keep both hands free: no shoulder bags.

More jeep, less walking: rivers, Gígjökull and a canyon, seven hours from Hvolsvöllur. 4.9 from 321 reviews.

★ 4.9 · 7 hours · from $320

Explore the Midgard super jeep day Tour details

What do guests wish they had brought?

Waterproof boots and trousers, top of the list. After that: more food, a warmer layer for the viewpoint, and spare socks.

The reviews repeat the same lessons. Waterproof shoes. Lunch, if you didn't order one. And patience with the weather: one Southcoast Adventure guest saw almost nothing of the landscape on a rainy day, and still wrote that they would do the tour again any time. Check vedur.is the evening before and dress for the worst hour of the forecast, not the best.