Iceland is a dream. And hiking in Iceland is a dream come true that has left me in endless awe and gratitude. I jave never imagined I’d be able to do one activity I so love doing in a destination I never thought I’d see in my lifetime.

My Iceland trip back in 2017 remains to be one of my most memorable ones. I may have not seen the Northern Lights during this backpacking but I enjoyed doing a lot of things. One of which is going on a hike in one of Reykjavik’s picturesque mountains – Mount Esja.

Being in Reykjavik alone, one will be in awe with the mountain views as they are simply stunning even from afar. The capital is surrounded by mountains from nearly in all corners — Mt. Esja and Snæfellsjökull glacier from the north side and the mountain range of the Reykjanes peninsula at the southwestern portion. A mountain ski resort called Bláfjöll is on the southeast and the mountains of Mosfellssveit are seen to the northeast.

Some of these mountains are popular hiking destinations to both locals and foreign visitors, especially those that are close to the city. I chose Mount Esja to hike as it’s the most accessible via public transportation and as suggested by a local.

About Mount Eaja: Esjan, as it is called in Icelandic, is a 914 m (2999 ft) mountain situated in the south-west of Iceland, about ten kilometres north of Iceland’s capital city Reykjavík. Esja, considered one of the iconic natural wonders of the country, is not actually a single mountain, rather a volcanic mountain range, made from basalt and tuff. There aredifferent routes going to Mount Esja but the most common route taken is the one leading to Thverfellshorn which takes about two to four hours up and down, depending on the paths one chooses and of ones fitness level.

How to get to Mount Esja:

• By car: If one has a car (or opted for a car rental), one has to drive Route 1 (known as the the Ring Road) through the town of Mosfellsbær. As one approaches the mountain, look out for the parking lot and exit there. Driving to Mt. Esja from downtown Reykjavik only takes about 30 minutes.
• By bus: This is the means I took. One can go by bus from Reykjavik to Mt. Esja by taking the one number 15 from Hlemmur Bus Station. Then, get off at Háholt in Mosfellsbær, then take the bus number 57 which will take you to the foothills of the mountain Going by bus to Mt. Esja from downtown Reykjavík takes about 45 minutes

My Mount Esja hiking experience is simply fun! If you know me, I always enjoy doing nature walks. The trail going the the peak (Stein Marker) was pretty easy (at least for me). And the view from the jump off point up to the peak was just breathtaking! I was literally saying ‘wow’ every now and then. The landscape of Mount Esja is just so stunning.

What made this hike even more memorable was the fact that I got to experience different weather conditions in just 4 hours. Started the climb with a pleasantly sunny weather then it started to rain when we were half way through the hike. As we approach the peak, strong winds and more rain came about. When we reached the Stein marker, the trail became more slippery because this part of the mountain is already snow and ice covered. After a while, the sun came out again and it was quite scorching as it was already midday. We spent the descent from Esjan with an ever changing weather. But it was fun, and it didn’t stop ne from taking loads of photos!

This hike in Iceland is such a gratifying experience I’ll forever treasure in my heart. Take it easy.