Iceland's interior hikes — Laugavegur, Fimmvörðuháls, Þórsmörk — are routes where conditions move weekly and the route-marking is sparse. Local guides earn their fee on day one.

Our take

On Laugavegur and Fimmvörðuháls, river crossings and weather are the killers — local guides know which side of which river is fordable that week, and that isn't something you can plan from a guidebook.

Attribution: Summary and commentary by My Vacation Hub. Original reporting by A Luxury Travel Blog.