Highland Base Kerlingarfjoll

Iceland

Introduction

A remote mountain range deep in Iceland’s central highlands, Kerlingarfjöll is an extreme paradise of steaming geothermal valleys, glacial rivers, perennial snow fields, and panoramic vistas. Located in the Ásgarður Valley at the edge of Kerlingarfjöll, Highland Base is a sanctuary of warm comfort, hearty cooking, and geothermal bathing – a place to relax and recharge in the heart of a forbidding environment.

Comprising a hotel, campsite and hostel accommodation, with onsite restaurant and lounge, plus new geothermal baths opening in autumn 2023, the Highland Base honours and enhances the legacy of the original Kerlingarfjöll Mountain Resort. The property is the ideal base from which to explore the region’s many hiking and mountain-biking trails, or to simply relax and soak up the impressive views and natural attractions.

Around 3.5 hours drive from Reykjavik, the resort is accessible by car or private transfer during the summer. Highland Base can only be reached by super jeep in the winter.

In 2020, Kerlingarfjöll was designated a Protected Nature Reserve by Umhverfistofnun— the Environmental Agency of Iceland. This classification aims to preserve and honour the geological, geographical, and geothermal sanctity of Kerlingarfjoll. Highland Base is committed to maintaining the purity of Kerlingarfjoll. The resort aspires to exist in harmony with nature, upholding the principles of planetary wellbeing. All construction processes and materials have been chosen in accordance with the standards developed by BREEAM—the world’s leading sustainability assessment method for buildings.

Rooms and Suites

Highland Base Hotel is composed of multiple structures, connected by underground passageways to the restaurant and geothermal baths allowing guests access to facilities without exposure to the elements.

The original Kerlingarfjoll Mountain Lodge has been refurbished and renamed the East Wing, comprising the Standard hotel rooms, the West wing is a new structure housing the Deluxe and Premium Rooms and Suites.

Standard Twin Room
Located in the original East Wing, simple, modern, cosy, and warm rooms with 2 single beds, private bathroom with shower and free wifi.

Standard Family Room
A cosy room in the original East Wing, featuring a queen size bunk bed, floor to ceiling windows, private bathroom with shower and free wifi. This room can accommodate 2 adults and 2 children.

Deluxe Rooms
The Deluxe Rooms combine clean lines, textured walls, cosy furnishings, and deep windows to create a warm and welcoming sanctuary in an extreme environment. Located in the West Wing these rooms have private bathroom with shower, coffee/tea facilities, free wifi and sleep up to 2 in either two single or one double bed.

Premium Rooms
Designed for families, this spacious room is a place of warmth and comfort featuring a double bed and a sofa bed. It is rustic, sturdy, cosy, and modern. Located in the West Wing these rooms have private bathroom with shower, coffee/tea facilities, free wifi and sleep up to 2 adults and 1 child.

Highland Suite
Aged wood, articulated ceilings, modern furnishings, and rustic design elements create a space of total relaxation—a luxurious base for extraordinary journeys. Located on the hotel’s top floor, each Highland Suite features a sheltered terrace with a geothermal hot tub and breathtaking vistas of the surrounding mountains. Located in the West Wing these rooms have private bathroom with shower, coffee/tea facilities, lounge area, free wifi and sleeps up to 2 adults.

Highland Lodge
The ultimate Highland Base accommodation— a private residence of 44 m² designed for luxurious relaxation. Each lodge sleeps up to 2 adults and 2 children and features a sunken lounge area, deep picture windows revealing remarkable views of Kerlingarfjöll, private bathroom with shower, coffee/tea facilities and free wifi. Two Lodges can be connected to make an 88 m² Grand Lodge.

Dining

Hearty Icelandic and international cooking, alpine-style seating, and entrancing views are the ingredients for a fulfilling meal. With a bar on the ground floor and a lounge on the upper floor, the Highland Base Restaurant is a cosy refuge of communal warmth and savoury nourishment in a remote highland frontier.

Highland Base Restaurant is open throughout the day offering breakfast, a bistro a la carte and set menu for lunch and evening dinner buffet.

iceland-highland-base-kerlingarfjoll-food

Geothermal Baths

A trio of interconnected hot pots form Highland Base Baths. Sourced from the geothermal bounty of the Hveradalir hot springs, these pools of natural warmth bring forth deep relaxation under the arctic sky. Whether a blizzard is raging or the Midnight Sun is flooding the mountains, the baths are a soothing dimension of the Highland Base experience.

Opening in autumn of 2023, the facilities also include a sauna, changing rooms, and an underground passageway to the hotel buildings, providing convenient, sheltered access.

Entry to the baths is included with hotel accommodation.