Iceland: A 1 Week Itinerary

Iceland is one of the hottest travel spots right now, and for a good reason. With cheap flights, breathtakingly untouched nature, and some of the best views of the northern lights, it’s a great place to go! That’s why it was #1 on my list for 2018 and my then boyfriend and I decided to take a week-long trip in March. Here’s our itinerary:

Day 1: Explore Reykjavík + Blue Lagoon

• Rent car and buy groceries at Bónus (the best way to save money and have food on hand when in the middle of nowhere.
• Grab coffee and take a walking tour of Reykjavík. Explore the city.
• Relax in the Blue Lagoon (45 min. drive or so outside of Reykjavík).
• Spend the night in Reykjavík at an Airbnb (If you haven’t used Airbnb before, get $40 off your first booking with this code).

Day 2: Golden Circle + South Coast to Vík

• Drive the Golden Circle to visit Þingvellir National Park, Geysir Geothermal Area, and Gullfoss Waterfall.
• Between the Geysir Geothermal Area and the Gullfoss Waterfall, stop and pet the Icelandic horses in Brú.
• Drive to Vík and walk behind the Seljalandsfoss waterfall.
• Drive past the Eyjafjallajökull volcano and the Skógafoss waterfall.
• Explore an old plane wreck (Plane DC 3 Sólheimasandur).
• Spend the night in Vík at Einersstadir Homestay.

Day 3: South Coast from Vík to Jökulsárlon

• Walk around on the black sand beach and check out Retnisdranger (the basalt sea stacks in the water) before driving east along the South Coast.
• Hike at Hjörleifshöfð It’s an off-the-beaten path hiking spot up a mountain that has the remains of an old farm and Viking tomb at the top. It was one of our favorites! Apparently there’s a cave there too that we completely missed.
• Drive through the Eldhraun Lava Field.
• Fjadrarfljufur Canyon (Unfortunately this was closed when we visited, but this was my roommate’s favorite thing from her Iceland trip, so I would 100% recommend stopping there.).
• Explore the Fjallsárlón Glacier Lagoon and then the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon.
• Before heading back west, visit Diamond Beach, right by Jökulsárlón and filled with pieces of ice on the sand.
• Head towards Skaftafell and stop by Svinafelljokul for an off-the-beaten path view of a glacier (where a scene from Batman Begins was filmed). The road to the glacier was filled with pot holes, but our little car seemed to manage.
• Spend the night at Hörgsland Guesthouse, not far from Skaftafell.

Day 4: Glacier Hike and South Coast to Reykjavík

• Begin the day with a glacier hike and ice cave visit through Arctic Adventures (We did their Into the Glacier hike, and it was perfect!).
• Check out Skaftafell in the national park. Hike to Svartifoss.
• Stop at Dyrhólaey near Vík on the way back west for a beautiful view of the ocean and surrounding area. In summertime, they say that this little island is a favorite spot for puffins.
• Explore Reykjavík and spend the night there at an Airbnb.

Day 5: Snæfellsnes Peninsula

• Drive north to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
• Check out the Eldborg Volcanic Caldera.
• View the Gerduberg Basalt Columns.
• Check out the iconic church that’s painted black, located next to Hótel Búð
• Explore Arnarstapi, a former trading post.
• Once in Snæfellsjökull National Park, drive down to Malarrif and hike from there to Lóndrangar to view some peculiar rock formations.
• Drive past the Snæfellsjökull Glacier (Unfortunately you can’t drive closer to it without a large 4-wheel drive Jeep.).
• Climb up the Saxholl Crater for a great view of the crater, glacier, and the surrounding area.
• Explore Skardsvík Beach for one of Iceland’s rare yellow sand beaches. Keep driving to the lighthouses on the edge of the peninsula for beautiful views and the chance to spot a whale.
• Explore Kirkjufell (Iceland’s most photographed mountain) and the waterfalls near it.
• Eat dinner at Bjargarsteinn Mathús in Grundarfjörður and spend the night there at Hotel Framnes.

Day 6: Snæfellsnes Peninsula

• Drive east and hike up Helgafell. Climb up in total silence, don’t look back, and when you reach the ruins of the prayer chapel, look east and think of your three positive wishes. Never tell your wishes either. We loved this fun and short hike on our way in!
• Get a sweet treat and coffee at Nesbrauð ehf.
• Explore Stykkishólmer and the Súgandisey lookout point.
• Drive along the beautiful Vatnaleið Road.
• Eat dinner at Sjávarpakkhúsið.
• Spend the night at an Airbnb in Stykkishólmer.

Day 7: Reykjavík

• Drive back to Reykjavík.
• Walk along the water by the Grótta Island Lighthouse.
• Go up the church tower at Hallgrimskirkja for beautiful views of the city and the water.
• Enjoy cinnamon rolls at Brauð & Co. right by the church and explore the city.
• Bar hop to different happy hours throughout the city (Drinking is generally very expensive in Reykjavík, but there are some good “happy hours” that help!).
• Spend the night in Reykjavík before flying out the next day.

Driving Maps

During our travels we used these wonderfully detailed maps to check out various attractions on our drives. They list out various sights, food stops, and more along the road.

• Golden Circle
• The South Coast
• Snæfellsnes Peninsula

There you have it! That’s our detailed itinerary for one week in Iceland. For more information on traveling in Iceland, keep an eye out for more posts to come!

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