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Through unknown territories with an highly professional guide who knows the secret paths to adventure
FJALLABAK is a fully licensed travel agency by the Icelandic government and member of SAF, the Icelandic Travel Industry Association.
Matthildur Filippusdottir Patay is the chief executive of Fjallabak. She has taken over the flag to carry on the family business that she has a lot of passion for. Fjallabak is a dynamic family business that has been organizing treks and ski expeditions in Iceland since the early 70’s.
The name of the company, means “Behind the Mountains” in English. It is the name of a famous trail, which snakes its way through the desert landscape of the volcanic highlands between Mt. Hekla and the icecaps along the south coast. This vast and incredible territory remains mostly “unexplored” by classical tourism. The access is not very easy because nature there remains a powerful actor.
We specialize in high-quality supported trekking, backpacking, walking and discoveries for small groups. We organise ski trips and slow travel adventures, such as birdwatching, whale watching or geology tours… We are used to organizing trips for private groups and "A la carte" such as self-drive and self guided tours. Occasionally, we work with film shootings and incentive events.
As we have been in the field for nearly 30 years, we know what outdoor experience and hiking Iceland’s mountains and fjords means. We are committed to operate the highest standard possible in the “industry” of outdoor touring in Iceland, your safety and your pleasure is our highest priority.
Iceland has become a victim of its own success. Tourists have replaced travelers around the country. Fortunately 80% of the country, mainly the highlands, remains difficult to access and without infrastructure, or so little.
By nature, here at Fjallabak, we are a bit allergic to mass tourism. We love our job, the adventure and the experience it represents.
We do not receive more than 400-500 travelers per year. We do not intend to grow continuously. Despite our idealism, we have survived the crises of the last decades and have been on course for now 40 years.
In other words, we are very small company with a lot of soul. Far from the crowds, we live our adventures as we know the secret passages through the mysterious mountains of Iceland that lead us into an untouched world where dream and reality together are one.
We look forward to seeing you on Fjallabak’s trails.
Matthildur Filippusdóttir Patay (AKA Matta)
What's on
Autumn guided discovery
Around the country clockwise for a journey of 4, 5, 6, 8 or 10 days - Lodging choice : in hotels and Inns or in sleeping bag accommodation in hostel – Short and easy daily hiking – Multi national group - English speaking guide – 4 to 10…
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Iceland trips selection
Look below for a short selection of our newest trips.
Photo trips
Highlands photography 2023
Highlands photography 2023 10 days trip (12 days from home) in a small group of 6 to 10 participants, accompanied by a professional photographer, and driven by Icelandic driver-guide This adventure in the heart of the Southern Highlands a series of 4wd overland discovery and…
See trip details, dates and booking
Highlands 4wd Discoveries
Highlands photography 2023
Highlands photography 2023 10 days trip (12 days from home) in a small group of 6 to 10 participants, accompanied by a professional photographer, and driven by Icelandic driver-guide This adventure in the heart of the Southern Highlands a series of 4wd overland discovery and…
See trip details, dates and booking
Trekking – 7 to 9 days
Trek Around Mount Hekla
Beautiful assisted 8-day walking adventure hut to hut along the north and south flank of Mount Hekla, one of Iceland's best known volcano and through the Fjallabak Natural Reserve to Landmannalaugar, then crossing the vast and strange Hrafntinnusker Caldeira to the majestic mountain ridge of Tindfjöll This concentrated…
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Trekking – 3 to 6 days
Trek Black Raven Reefs
Beautiful assisted 6-day walking adventure hut to hut. After climbing and crossing the vast and strange Hrafntinnusker Caldeira, our trail continues through lush green spines and laughing valleys to the entrance of the long narrow black desert of Mællifellssandur which stretches between the caldera and the enormous mass…
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What they say about us
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We had a wonderful trek near Mount Hekla. Our guide was fantastic, as was the food. The overall organization is closely tied to the land and has extensive expertise. Not... read more your average tourist experience. If you are looking for an authentic Icelandic nature adventure, this is your company. We are already planning to go on another trek!
19 August 2019Me and my in law family booked this very special trip to an area which is usually very secluded and not seen by too many tourists.
On our 5... read more day trek we hiked through the most incredible nature we could have ever imagine and we experienced even the outcome of the just recent glacier flood of the majestic Skaftá river.
Our guide Laurent, our driver Palli and our contact at Fjallabak were helpful and knowledgable from the first contact on and especially our trekking guide took good care of the group and knew literally a story of every stone we passed 🙂 . There were 7 of us and he took care that we were safe and sound all the time without loosing the "adventureous" touch 🙂
To sum it up: I can highly recommend going with Fjallabak, a small trekking company who organises its treks beside the beaten paths and treated us as a group of friends and not as some paying clients.
Me and my family miss Iceland already and we will definitely come back for the next trek 🙂 More
5 September 2018 -
Haven't regret the decision to join the trek with Fjallabak (trek at the doors of Hell South) for a single time. Everything was well organized, the guide and Philippe took... read more great care of the group. And the environment was just truly amazing.
1 July 2021We did a 4 day trek with Fjallabak with our family (adult children) and totally loved it. It was really interesting to see Iceland this way and get out in... read more it!. We did not really see anyone else but the hikers in our group for 3 days, until the last day we descended upon Landmannalaugar valley. We loved the other people in our group and our guide Yoan did a nice job leading us through the wilderness around Hekla, feeding us well and being very positive and knowledgeable.
30 August 2018 -
9 jours de trekking dans les montagnes de Fjallabak à 3 familles avec ados. On a adoré les randonnées proposées (très diversifiées et représentatives de l'Islande), l'équipe très sympa, la... read more qualité des repas concoctés, l'authenticité des refuges, la déconnexion des réseaux et la sous-population touristique. Bravo à cette agence qui fait vraiment sortir les gens des sentiers battus et met beaucoup d'humain dans ses prestations !
16 August 2018 -
The Fjallabak Trekking company is a small family operated business that caters to travelers trying to get off the beaten path. We spent 6 days trekking in the Fjallabak... read more nature preserve with a small group of nine. Traveling just one week into the fall "shoulder...More
11 September 2019I did a short trek, the Trek at the Doors of Hell in late June with Fjallabak a family run business and it was amazing, we had the sensation of... read more being alone in the incredible nature that Iceland has to offer.
I am looking forward to visiting another region of Iceland with you next year.
Thank you!
18 July 2019 -
Très bon parcours photo en Islande avec une équipe compétente et sympathique autour des refuges de Dalakofi et de Strutur. Philippe Pathé et son équipe se sont dépensés sans... read more compter pour nous assurer un séjour agréable malgré des conditions parfois un peu difficiles (pannes diverse sur les 2 refuges et temps variable). Un grand bravo pour la cuisine ( nous nous sommes régalés) , pour la conduite et les explications sur la région.
Un seul regret : tout ce qu'il nous reste à voir en Islande!
19 September 2018This was our second trip with Fjallabak. In a very different part of Iceland, but with the same friendly, expert support and guiding. We did the guided "Birds and Fjords"... read more tour, a big circuit of the Westfjords with lots of stops for photos and birds. Excellent planning and selection of small and sometimes very remote guest houses. Would do it again in a minute. Also recommend Fjallabak for self drive planning. They know this country inside out
1 June 2021 -
Our four-day trek with Fjallabak Trekking was wonderful along many dimensions. It will long remain a highlight of our family lore. It was amazing to be essentially alone... read more with the sheep in the vast, exquisite landscape. Each day brought a change in the geography and the micro-climate, and each was surprising and beautiful. Our guide was wonderful; he was a friendly, quiet presence who quickly felt like one of the family. We learned geology, history and anthropology from him. I can't think of a better way to experience this amazing island.
20 August 2018Completely off track trekking
Hard sometimes with the weather
Adventure company
Good service
Only bad point is the level of the members can be too different and it... read more slows or tires one or the other group
21 August 2019 -
Que dire des services de cette sympathique agence ? Tout simplement extra ! Sur la base de l'itinéraire que nous souhaitions effectuer, Matta nous a concocté une série d'hébergements (guest... read more house, B&B) accueillants et sympathiques.
Pour ce second séjour en Islande, nous avons découvert avec émerveillement les fjords de l'Ouest et du Nord-ouest...
Merci à Fjallabak de nous avoir conseillé de passer 2 nuits à Djupavik, au bout du monde !!
L'organisation était impeccable, et nous avons apprécié de pouvoir soumettre notre itinéraire, et qui ait trouvé une parfaite concrétisation grâce à Matta.
Merci pour tout ! AGENCE À RECOMMANDER.... même pour des trekkeuses en herbe !
14 September 2018We had the pleasure of doing a 4 day guided 4 wheel drive and hiking trip with Fjallabak and Philippe, the founder of the company, as our guide. We loved... read more every minute of our trip, and we deeply appreciated Philippe's expertise and obvious love of...More
18 September 2019 -
Fabulous, walking a mountain trail in a small group with an excellent and humorous guide, talking English and French simultaneously. Emma really took care, from French-style cooking to correctly applying... read more a plaster. Fresh fish, spicy lamb, spaghetti to get your calories … needed with almost 20 km walking per day, mostly off the beaten tracks in a terrific landscape. We had eight days of sunshine, of course that was not guaranteed. Thanks to Philippe for the great and versatile organisation. Strongly recommended!
16 August 2019La réserve naturelle de Fjallabak est magnifique et notre trek hors des sentiers battus a dépassé toutes nos attentes. L'itinéraire concocté par Fjallabak Trekking n'a fait que croiser l'"autoroute" du... read more Laugavegur, et nous étions quasi seuls sur les sentiers. Les conditions météo étaient loin d'être idéales (trombes d'eau et vents à 80 km/h certains jours), mais l'organisation parfaite a fait passer ces désagréments au second plan.
A l'exception du refuge surpeuplé de Hvanngíl (à l'intersection du trek surfréquenté du Laugavegur), les hébergements étaient très corrects, voire très agréables (le petit refuge cosy de Strútur).
Je lis des commentaires négatifs écrits il y a deux ans sur Fjallabak Trekking. Mes amis et moi avons vécu une expérience diamétralement opposée et très positive. Nous étions pourtant un groupe de niveaux variés, appréciant l'aventure avec un minimum de confort (pas de portage trop lourd, hébergement en dur). Mais si on redoute la pluie et l'imprévu, c'est vrai qu'il vaut mieux éviter de randonner dans les montagnes islandaises.
Compte tenu de ces contraintes, notre guide a toujours fait les bons choix (rythme, itinéraire, sécurité) et son enthousiasme communicatif faisait oublier les conditions difficiles. La souplesse de l'organisation nous a aussi permis de raccourcir une étape un jour de tempête. L'émerveillement face aux paysages, le bonheur d'une soirée ensoleillée et la compagnie bienveillante d'un logisticien-cuisinier hors pair ont fait de ce trek un souvenir inoubliable.
21 August 2018 -
Que dire des services de cette sympathique agence ? Tout simplement extra ! Sur la base de l'itinéraire que nous souhaitions effectuer, Matta nous a concocté une série d'hébergements (guest... read more house, B&B) accueillants et sympathiques.
Pour ce second séjour en Islande, nous avons découvert avec émerveillement les fjords de l'Ouest et du Nord-ouest...
Merci à Fjallabak de nous avoir conseillé de passer 2 nuits à Djupavik, au bout du monde !!
L'organisation était impeccable, et nous avons apprécié de pouvoir soumettre notre itinéraire, et qui ait trouvé une parfaite concrétisation grâce à Matta.
Merci pour tout ! AGENCE À RECOMMANDER.... même pour des trekkeuses en herbe ! Plus
14 September 2018For those looking to avoid the crowds and get off the beaten path, this is a great trip. This is a local Icelandic company, and they are quite knowledgeable.... read more Our guide Laurent was excellent. But a couple of notes of caution - the hiking is not always easy, and a couple f the days are longish - 22 kilometers. Also when we went, the wind was quite severe. I would probably not recommend for kids under 14 or 15.
22 August 2018 -
Our trek in the Elves Mountains August 2020: - Well planned itinerary with solid walks every day in fantastic landscape - Just as we like it - not many other... read more travellers around (mainly sheep) - Basic and well organized huts - Good cooking that included local produces - Professional guide, but not one for many rests, so good we were fit! - Always a good plan B up the sleeve for varioius weather conditions Definitely not our last trek on Iceland, we are now totally inspired for new outdoor adventures on this fascinating island.
1 August 2020Mon premier séjour en Islande remonte à 2004, avec Philippe Patay.
Depuis, je suis revenue sur cette île plusieurs fois, par moi-même ou avec Fjallabak. Pour marcher, pour contempler,... read more pour découvrir les oiseaux.
L’organisation et la qualité des guides de cette agence ont toujours été d’une qualité rare, celle de véritables artisans qui connaissent profondément le pays, qui choisissent savamment les parcours, les assurant avec autant de responsabilité que de chaleur humaine et de créativité.
Été 2019 : « Le Trek des Elfes »
Nouvelles retrouvailles avec Fjallabak. 5ème séjour avec leur agence.
du 7 au 13 juillet 2019
Quel bel itinéraire ! Le Trek des Elfes est magnifique !
Je ne connaissais pas encore ce rivage retiré et isolé du Nord-Est de l’Islande.
J’en ai aimé la diversité des paysages tout le long des marches, en itinérance de fjord en fjord, de refuge en refuge, par-dessus les montagnes.
Un bonheur de chaque instant, pour les yeux, pour tous les sens en éveil.
Loin du bruit, des voitures, de la vie des hommes.
Le temps s’arrête pour une immersion totale dans la nature arctique.
Les chants des oiseaux accompagnent les marches.
Le temps est avec nous, pour une belle variété de lumières et d’éclairages.
Quelques gouttes de pluie, tellement de ciels bleus, avec juste ce qu’il faut de gris, ou de brumes, pour nous laisser surprendre par la magie des contrastes.
Aurélien est un accompagnateur parfait, pour la réussite de notre vie en petit groupe.
Joyeux, sympathique, attentionné et prévenant pour chacun.
Et… si bon cuisinier, ne négligeant aucun détail pour enrichir et varier les saveurs de nos dîners au chaud dans les refuges confortables et de nos pic-nics face aux panoramas sauvages.
Très grande réussite. J'ai adoré ces jours. Je repartirai avec eux !
Merci à toute l'équipe de Fjallabak.
SophieK
18 July 2019