The information that we provide is for UK passport holders. A passport with 6 months remaining validity at the end of your stay is generally required, and you should have at least 2 blank pages for each country that you visit.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the correct travel documents and visas for your holiday. Please ensure that you check for the latest advice before travel. For the most up to date information on entry requirements, please visit the UK Government website.

Visa Iceland

UK and USA passport holders do not require a visa for short stays.

If you have a severe allergy please inform the KE office before you travel. We will do all we can to help, but we cannot guarantee an allergy free environment on KE trips. You will need to carry your own treatment for the allergy with you, as 'adrenaline auto-injectors' are not carried as standard by KE leaders and staff. You should inform your leader on arrival of your allergy, and let them know where you keep your adrenaline pen.

Vaccinations

You should contact your doctor or travel clinic to check whether you require any specific vaccinations.

GHIC / Medical cover

UK residents should carry a free Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC). This entitles you to state provided medical treatment when you're visiting an EU country or Switzerland. This is not a substitute for medical travel insurance which is vital when travelling overseas.

The unit of currency in Iceland is the Icelandic Krona.

Getting some additional exercise before coming on an active holiday makes a lot of sense. The fitter you are, after all, the more enjoyable you will find the experience.

You should be aerobically fit and comfortable with walking 3 to 6 hours for consecutive days. Hill walking, with a good amount of ascent and descent, is the best training. Running, cycling and swimming are also good for developing cardiovascular fitness and stamina.

Despite its location on the edge of the Arctic Circle, Iceland is not the cold country we sometimes imagine. The island benefits from the influence of the Gulf Stream, which bathes its south, west and north-west coasts, giving the country a temperate oceanic climate (relatively mild winters and relatively cool summers). In Reykjavík, average temperatures are between 0 ° C in January and 12 ° C in July. In winter, they are slightly lower in the northeast and in the east, due to the Greenland polar current. In fact, only the interior of the land experiences really low temperatures, which can drop below -15 ° C. The rains are more abundant in the south than in the north. As for the winds, they are very frequent and sometimes strong. The only thing certain about Icelandic weather is that it is extremely changeable, so you should be prepared for four seasons in one day, though generally it is warm and sunny in summer.

December, January and the first half of February have little daylight (from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. approximately), but, on the other hand, from May to mid-August it is permanent. June has beautiful light and long days.

As a reputable tour operator, KE supports the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's ‘Travel Aware’ campaign to enable British citizens to prepare for their journeys overseas. The 'Travel Aware' website provides a single, authoritative source of advice for all kinds of travellers and we recommend that before travel, all KE clients visit the official UK Government website at travelaware.campaign.gov.uk and read the FCDO Travel Advice for their chosen destination. North Americans can also check out the U.S. Department of State website: www.travel.state.gov for essential travel advice and tips.

KE treat the safety and security of all clients as the most important aspect of any trip we organise. We would not run any trip that we did not consider reasonably safe.  Should the FCDO advise against travel for any reason, we will contact everyone booked to travel to discuss the situation.  We receive regular updates directly from the FCDO and are in constant touch with our contacts on the ground.  If you have any questions about government travel advice, please call our office.

KE do not encourage the use of single use plastic items. We are ensuring that our agents all over the world are working together to reduce the problem and educate those around them. We are leading by example in our KE office by reducing our plastic use.

Mal og Menning.  Fjallabak. Hekla - Laki.  1:100,000 scale.

The Icelandic maps published by Mal og Menning are good. The above map covers the area of the trek in detail. There are also general maps at a smaller scale, such as Island (covers the whole island) at a scale of 1:600,000. 

It is an essential condition of joining a holiday with KE Adventure Travel that you have a valid travel insurance policy to cover the cost of medical treatment and to protect the value of your holiday in the event of cancellation.  When taking out insurance please ensure the policy you choose covers you for the activities and altitude included in your itinerary.

For appropriate insurance cover we recommend Campbell Irvine Direct.  Please go to our Travel Insurance page for further information and to get a quote.

This holiday is part of our Explore International range. Participants on these trips can book through KE or through one of our international partners. This helps us to gather together sufficient numbers of like-minded adventurers to get your holiday up and running quickly. Led by an English-speaking guide, the cosmopolitan nature of these groups can be an important part of the experience!

Please try to keep the weight of your baggage to a minimum. See the ‘baggage allowance’ section for further details.

You SHOULD bring the following items:

• Sturdy and waterproof hiking boots

• Gaiters

• Sandals or similar (for river crossings)

• Socks and underwear

• Trekking trousers

• Waterproof overtrousers

• Baselayer shirts (1 short sleeve, 1 long sleeve)

• Midlayer fleece

• Fleece jacket or jumper

• Casual shirt or T-shirt (for Rekjavik evenings)

• Warm jacket (down or synthetic)

• Waterproof jacket

• Warm hat

• Light thermal gloves

• Waterproof overgloves or mittens

• Sunglasses

• Sleeping bag (comfort rated 0°C)*

• Drybags (to keep items in your luggage dry)

• Daypack 30 litres 

• Sun protection (including for lips)

• Water bottles x 2 (1 Litre) (we encourage re-filling water bottles rather than single use plastic)

• Water purification tablets

• Washbag and toiletries

• Swimwear (for hot springs)

• Small trek towel

• Antibacterial handwash

• Basic First Aid Kit. Including: antiseptic cream, throat lozenges, diarrhoea treatment (Imodium), painkillers, plasters and blister treatment, Insect repellent, and re-hydration salts (Dioralite).

The following items are optional:

• Sleeping bag liner

• Trainers

• Trekking poles

• Shorts

• Spare laces

• Headtorch

• Eye mask - to assist sleeping in the near 24-hour daylight

• Travel clothes

• Repair kit – (eg. needle, thread, duct tape)

• Camera

• Pen-knife (remember to put all sharp objects in hold baggage)

• Reusable cloth bag for shopping (to avoid plastic bags)

Many of the equipment items listed above are available from Cotswold Outdoor - our 'Official Recommended Outdoor Retailer'. When you book a holiday with KE you will receive a 12.5% discount with Cotswold Outdoor, Snow+Rock and Runners Need. The discount code can be downloaded from your MyKE account and you can use this code at the checkout, either in store or online.