Básar, Þórsmörk

Campsite with basic amenities (toilets and showers) and a small restaurant. It’s a good spot for camping because the trees insulate you from the wind. Getting here is serious business. You must have the proper vehicle as the water crossings get increasingly difficult. On our way out of the camp, we witnessed a family in a small van get stuck in one of the smaller rivers. They alleged it was a 4 by 4 vehicle, but they couldn’t even make it over the smaller river crossing.

Everything there is pricey, but ypu pay for the convenience. Expect to pay around $30USD to pitch a tent, avoid buying anything unless ypu really need extra food. Otherwise, there is always a spot to pitch your tent, you can enjoy a hot shower for $10 USD and the surroundings are simply stunning.

I just went there for a day visit with guests as I am a guide in Iceland (I am Icelandic) great options for hikes with all sorts of different difficulty…go there to experience the true Icelandic nature…it’s amazing and not like anything else…👍❤️

At Basar, two cabin style huts are available. The first consists of two floors. The 1st can accommodate up to 25 people with restrooms and showers located within this building. In addition, there is a large, shared kitchen with utensils. On the second floor is an open dormitory of up to 35 people. The second cabin consists of a dormitory for up to 20 people. This cabin also has a shared kitchen facility.

I love this place, very close to the nature, however not easy to get here without good car. We spent there 3 nights (2 nights almost noone there). The campsite is huge. It has all you need (Cold water and clean toilets). Warm shower is paid at reception 500ISK, you will get bar code. It would be good to have more tables located at campsites, the last day when more people arrived it was tough to find available table to eat.

The surroundings at Básar, Þórsmörk are gorgeous but the low rating is due to a few factors. In my view, the conduct of one of the members of staff towards our tour guide was unnecessarily hostile and was very unprofessional. The Básar member of staff could have been more welcoming and friendlier to our guide, from one individual in the hospitality industry to another. Our guide was a very level-headed individual who wasn’t bothered by the negative interaction. The second factor is cleanliness. We found the restrooms at Básar during our visit to be very unsanitary compared to others in the area. Following a pandemic, one would expect a drastic improvement in basic hygiene standards but not in Básar's case! The final factor was signage. Not as clear and as a few others pointed out, and the site can come across as more of a labyrinth than a logically put-together campsite. Overall, I personally found Básar campsite itself (but not the surrounding, splendid nature) to be disappointing!

Do as the locals, stay at Básar when in Thórsmörk. Great customer service, the manager made breakfast for us despite we were the only ones who requested it. Also very comfortable accommodation, with both hot showers and charging of electronics. Very good location in the reserve as well.

Hiked up and over from Skogarfoss. The hike took 10 hours, but that is only because we got caught in a blizzard and had to stop in the mountain hut for a bit. Camped in the valley and then we took a bus back to the car. Highly recommend. Had an amazing trip.!