Highland Base Kerlingarfjöll

Highland Base is a special place, and extremely magical in March when you have some winter days and some not so winter days. Highly recommend the guided snowshoe hikes, they are an extra cost but so worth it! Our guide, Ruben, created an experience we will never forget, starting in the fog and ending with gorgeous views of the light shining on the mountains and a finishing with a climb down a valley that is a waterfall in the summer. Definitely go for a snowmobile ride for a different (and also incredibly fun) experience of the terrain. The base is in a beautiful location, quite remote, and few people besides your fellow travellers. There is no light pollutionand if the sky is clear, a wonderful place to see the northern lights. Accomodations are lovely, every room has big windows to see the landscape and the lodge has pillows, blankets and cushions for lounging. The restaurant serves a great breakfast and lovely meals. Staff is knowledgeable, friendly, and is there to help you have the experience you want, from outdoor adventures to cozy afternoons and the ride in the superjeep to get to the Base is quite the experience!

What a magical place! From the 6 hours drive through snow and improvised "roads" to the hot bath, the great food, the beautiful facilities, and the great services - our stay was amazing. We stayed at the corner suite which came with a small balcony and hot tub but we never used it as the hot bath was just too nice. We were worried the food selection would be limited but between the dinner and lunch menus we had plenty of great options. Service was casual and friendly. The only suggestion is to make sure you book plenty of things to do because once there, if you are not familiar with the area and can safely hike around, there is very little to do. The activities their offer will occupy you for 1-2 hours a day. We hired a fantastic private guide for the stay and had the most amazing time including the entire geothermal valley all for ourselves and a short hike to a hot bath along the river. Will be coming back again, this time in the summer for the other experience.

This luxury hotel is nothing short of extraordinary and I’m sure it took quite a feat of modern-day engineering to construct it, given its location in the center of Iceland, in an otherwise uninhabited region known as the Highlands. It’s very difficult, and at times impossible to reach in the middle of the winter, when we visited. The journey there and back is an almost unparalleled adventure that we rated right up there with an ice cave and glacier hike later on our trip, and the beauty of the region is unparalleled. The company that built the hotel is the same one that owns the Blue Lagoon complex on the Reykjanes Peninsula, and even though it’s so remote, the accommodations and food are on the same par. The staff, a hearty bunch that we were told live and work onsite in 2-week shifts, are phenomenal and treated us like family. We enjoyed the naturally heated lagoon every bit as much as the Blue Lagoon even though it’s not as large, nor milky blue; especially in the -24 Celsius/-11 Fahrenheit temperatures. Yes, it really does get that cold in the Highlands! The hotel teamed up with one of the premier adventure companies in the region; Southcoast Adventure to transport guests to and fro in the middle of the winter as well as provide some of the activities that are offered, such as snowmobiling. Our driver/guide was Stefan, a rugged Icelander with a very dry sense of humor. My wife and I were among 11 guests that he was charged with transporting that first day. It had started snowing the night before and the wind caused the snow to accumulate in the gullies on the F road to the hotel. Even though we were in a very large super jeep, the going soon became tough and the Director and some other staff from the hotel met us half way to make tracks for our much heavier vehicle and in many cases, pull us out when we became stuck. We thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience and at no time did we feel in danger, however that cannot be said for the other 9 passengers. They obviously did not read up on what they signed up for, as the website clearly stated the journey would take between 2.5 and 6 hours. Ultimately, to our great dismay, the decision was made to abandon the attempt and turn back. They put us all up at the Edition that night; Reykjavik’s only 5-star hotel. The whole failed journey from Basecamp Skjól to halfway to Highland Base and then to the Edition took about 10 hours. They gave us all the choice of staying at the Edition for the following night or trying again the next day. We were the only two that opted to try again, so basically it was a private transport, and as I stated above, it was SO worth it! The day turned out to be beautiful, not a cloud in the sky and the sunset, which occurred about 3 hours into our journey was spectacular, and then the Northern Lights appeared in the sky when we arrived! The second attempt from Basecamp Skjól to Highland Base took 3 hours 50 minutes, and the return trip, on an equally beautiful

A tranquil resort in the heart of Iceland, uniquely blending the charm of a Greenlandic town with beauty of the Kenyan wilderness. Pros: -Rooms: Clean, scandi minimalistic, spacious, with view of area. Baby-friendly & equipped with bathrobes. -Breakfast: pastries, juices, milk /alternatives, fruit salad, falafel, cold meat, cheese, vegetables, oats, beans, sausages, bacon, egg, yogurts, and cereals. -Afternoon Treats: Complimentary coffee/tea & pastries from breakfast -Staff: Allergy-aware chefs and helpful staff, especially Dayyan -Amenities: High chair, strong shower pressure, hot baths, and tunnel connecting buildings and baths -Lounge Views: Stunning views on clear days -Fair Service: Staff responsive to issues -Extras: Complimentary tour and promising lunch menu (we didn’t have experience either) Cons: -Accessibility: No elevator to lower ground rooms in next door building. -Room Features: No cot, subtle room numbers (someone walked into our room), lack of luxury touches, limited amenities (no luggage space, hanger area, chair, coffee table, TV, fridge; tiny bin; few hooks). -Quality Issues: Loose bathroom light switch, streaky windows. -Patio: No furniture, obstructed view by boulder wall. -Dinner Buffet: Limited selection, very poor value for price. -Customer Service: Rigid early check-in policy despite having a baby. Despite these issues, the visit felt like a retreat & a unique experience, though the high price could be better justified with additional touches.

We just returned from a 3 night stay at Highland base camp in early/mid October and can't recommend it enough! The hospitality was second to none - staff were friendly, always ready to help. We enjoyed the guided hikes that they offered. HIGHLY recommend the geothermal area in Hveradalir... it is truly incredible. We had no idea about this hike until we were speaking with other guests. You could easily spend a few hours hiking around - it is spectacular. The location of the lodge is breathtaking.. we loved the goethermal baths in the early morning and evening (it was perfect to gaze at the Northern lights!). The rooms were clean, cozy, and modern comfort. The beds were very comfortable! A con of when we visited is I think the restaurant menu was transitioning over to the Winter menu - so the menu was quite limited for dinner (I think there were 4 options - so it got a little repetitive on our 3rd night). Otherwise, the food was excellent! Highland Base offers a great blend of adventure and relaxation.