Iceland in 5 days
Iceland is open to tourists, making it the perfect post-pandemic vacation spot. While I went to Iceland in February, summer is the perfect time with longer days, open roads, and dozens of outdoor sites to see. I’ve put together a 5 day itinerary to help plan your Icelandic adventure.
Day 1: Most likely you land early in the morning and cannot check into your airbnb or hotel. (We did an airbnb for both times in Reykjavik) I’ve got you covered.
First, get your hotspot at the airport (I highly recommend Trawire) and rental car. Then head to the bridge between two continents, a quick 10 minute drive from the airport. GPS points: N63° 52' 5.558" W22° 40' 31.588".
Located on the Reykjanes Peninsula, this modest footbridge spans across Europe and North America.
Entrance is free, and I thought it was pretty cool to see the two diverging tectonic plates. I recommend either seeing this site as you arrive, or right before departing, because its close to the airport but out of the way from Reykjavik (and only worth a spot if you have time to kill or its on the way.)
Next, you’re going to need some caffeine and a snack (because its still very early) so head to Reykjavik Rost (currently opens at 9am, but check before you go) for some coffee and food.
This coffee shop has beautiful views of the harbor, and supplies games to keep you entertained as you try and scare away the jet lag.
Make sure you check the hours before arriving.
A note on the Blue Lagoon: I know a lot of people go straight there from the airport, but after doing some research, I learned that the blue lagoon is man made, and also tends to be crowded. When I saw the hefty cost for a soak (if you go, you should get a reservation in advance), I opted to spend my time seeing the more natural sites. There are plenty of better (and natural) geothermal pools to visit. But hey, some people want that instagram picture. Just be warned: it’s crowded and very touristy and does not reflect the real beauty of Iceland.
Hopefully you can check in early, take a nap, and go explore Reykjavik. I recommend going to the top of Hallgrimskirkja, a church with 360 views of the colorful town.
It’s in the middle of Reykjavik, so hard to miss.
Tickets are around $6 to get to the top, and its worth it for a fantastic view.
The top of the tower is open, so you can see 360 views of the city. I’m a sucker for a good view.
Take a self guided walking tour through the streets of Reykjavik and admire the colorful buildings and street murals. Be sure to watch the sunset along the fjord and stop at the Sun Voyager, a metal sculpture that resembles a Viking boat.
Grab dinner in Reykjavik which has plenty of dining options. We ate at Vinyl (vegan options) and everyone was happy with the vibes and food selection..
Pictured here: View of the town from the top of the bell tower.
Whenever you can squeeze it in…Reykjavik Roasters is an adorable coffee shop that we visited twice.
It has multiple locations, this one is in the heart of Reykjavik.
You can’t go wrong with a stop (or two) at this colorful bakery, Braud & Co.
If you can’t find it, just follow the delicious smells of bread and freshly made pastries. Did we go back here twice, or maybe even three times? Of course.
If the weather isn’t cooperating, or you want an indoor activity (because there won’t be many) get acquainted with Iceland’s history at the National Museum of Iceland.
Day 2: Golden Circle Day! You have two options to enjoy this loop. Either stay in Reykjavik as your home base, or, make your way along the Southern coast and stay in Selfoss. Either way, you have a bunch of stops today…
Thingvellier National Park. Stop at the Visitor Center to get your bearings and ask the experts what you should see. You only have to pay for parking! There is a lot to do in this park including hikes, but since it was winter, we focused on a walk to a frozen waterfall, Oxararfoss.
Gullfoss: the magnitude of this waterfall was so mesmerizing we came back here twice. In the summer you can walk closer to the lower part of the waterfall, but there were still plenty of viewing points available in the winter. It is worth a stop in the gift shop for snacks, postcards and other souvenirs.
Geysir (Strokkur): A popular stop to see, you guessed it, a geysur! This area is filled with smaller exploding geysurs, boiling mud pits, steamy grounds but most importantly the very active Strokkur (THE geysir) which goes as high as 100 feet (30m) into the air every few minutes. You’re guaranteed to see some action. The Geysir Center recently opened that is probably worth checking out for more information and history.
At some point between 12-4, I highly recommend stopping at Fridheimar. It isn’t just a lunch, its a culinary experience… inside a green house. Indulge in endless fresh bread and tomato soup as you dine amongst the tomato vines. The green house grows tomatoes year round, despite the harsh Icelandic winters (impressive, right?) Make your reservation in advance via email: fridheimar@fridheimar.is
There are even tomato desserts. I’m still dreaming about this meal to this day.
End your day with a stop at Laugavartn for a relaxing soak in geothermal springs. There are a few options: soak in a natural pool with a view, listen to the bubbling hot spring in the steam rooms, or jump off the dock and take a dip in the refreshing lake (pictured below)
Nearby, there is a dock that goes across an active geothermal spot (pictured here). Be warned: there are ticketed tours that involve baking/eating bread by burying it in the ground to bake. We were able to walk around without doing a tour. I’ve heard the bread buried in the hot ground takes hours to cook, so the tour will dig up another pot, while burying a new one… its a little misleading.
Save yourself some money and walk around here for free, then get a snack (or bread) inside.
Day 3: Waterfall Day! Depending on if you stayed in Reykjavik or Selfoss, you’ll have anywhere from a 1-2 hour drive to get to your first stop… We stayed in Selfoss to have an easier drive after the Golden Circle. Either way, its scenic, enjoyable, and fairly easy to drive along the coast as you chase some waterfalls and end up in Vik.
Seljalandsfoss: In the summer, you can walk behind this 200 foot (60m) waterfall. I recommend arriving earlier in the day to avoid crowds. Give yourself time to wander, because there is another smaller, partially enclosed waterfall a short walk away (to the left of this photo) if you follow the path along the cliffs. If you plan to get close, bring a waterproof jacket or a change of clothes.
Skogafoss: This waterfall is fun for two reasons. From the ground, it’s a giant and mesmerizing waterfall. Get in your exercise and take the stairs to the top for a different view. You could spend a lot of time wandering around and hiking at the top of the waterfall. We meandered for a bit but were ready to get back on the road for the next stop…
Reynisfjara Beach: another popular spot, this beach has black sand, sea stacks and basalt columns. There is even a basalt cave that makes the beach feel like a different planet.
The basalt columns were huge, and a popular photo spot, but wide enough that you can get a picture without others in your frame. I loved the scale of these.
Be careful of the dangerous sneaker waves (don’t get too close to the shore), but overall this is an extremely enjoyable beach to explore.
Vik: You’ve reached your destination for the evening! The small town of Vik has a few restaurants and lodging options. We ate at Sudur Vik and stayed in Hotel Katla for the night. If you stay at Hotel Katla, you can also enjoy the sauna and hot tub under the stars. I was not able to find many airbnb options this far away from a big town, but the hotel was modest, the location can’t be beat, and we had a wonderful breakfast the next morning.
Northern Lights: If you come to Iceland in the winter, Vik is a great area to spot the Northern Lights. We went to the black sand beach (picture below) near Vik and were able to see them! (in February).
Day 4: Stop again at the black band Beach if you’d like some morning light, then get on the road and head towards Hofn for a glacier hike. Pro tip: the beach tends to be empty early in the morning and its nice to get a different view of the sea stacks.
This photo was taken right by the town of Vik.
It is an hour and a half drive to Skaftafell, which is the meeting point to hike the glacier in Vatnajokull National Park.
A highlight of my Iceland trip was the glacier hike and ice cave tour, which only happened because our snowmobile tour got canceled due to high winds. In hindsight, this was divine intervention because I still think about the glacier hike to this day, and heard that the snowmobile tour can be underwhelming after the initial thrill wears off.
There are a few tour companies that offer a guided glacier hike, I used Icelandic Mountain Guides and had a fantastic guide who helped with equipment (shoes, helmet, safety belt), made me feel safe, and shared interesting history about the glacier. This was more of a “walk” than a hike, but you can read the description for various tours to determine the appropriate level of activity for you and your group.
The hikes can be anywhere from 3-4 hours when you add in any paperwork, getting fitted for shoes and equipment, and the actual hike, so this is a full day activity.
We stayed in Hofn at the Hali Country Hotel and this was the perfect location from the glacier. The hotel has a restaurant and a museum. Breakfast the next morning was excellent too. Icelandic bread is the best.
As you get further away from Reykjavik there are less and less hotels, airbnbs and restaurants, so this modest spot was ideal for a night. I’d stay here again for the location alone.
Day 5: Everyday keeps on getting better, and this one is no exception. Get breakfast and then get on the road early because its a busy day filled with 3 cool stops as you make your way back to Reykjavik.
Stop 1: Glacier Lagoon. The shades of blue, the chunks of ice, the black pebbles, the still water and perfect reflections… this place is a photographers dream (and there were plenty of professional tripods out to play). If you have time, there are boat tours of the lagoon starting in April.
I enjoyed walking along the pebble shore and taking photos of this incredible place where melted glacier meets salt water, and mixes to make the most vibrant azure hue I’ve ever seen.
This is a long drive (5 hour) from Reykjavik so not everyone who comes to Iceland makes it here. It is 100% worth it.
Stop 2: A quick drive from the lagoon, go to Diamond Beach. Chunks of glacier ice have washed up on the black sand shore, creating the illusion of sparkly diamonds scattered along the sand. I was surprised at how long this spot kept my interest and was not ready to leave when we had to hit the road. A beach with chunks of ice? Trust me, it is really magical.
Beware: there are a lot of photographers and tripods here too.
Its worth it to walk along the beach (its easy to get away from any groups) and linger. The weather changed quickly from cloudy to blue skies in the short time we were here, which was a game changer for the pictures.
Stop 3: Now its time to start the road trip back to Reykjavik, but there’s a fun pit stop along the way. 2.5 hours into the drive, there is a fairly unmarked parking lot on the left side from the main road when driving west. There should be other cars parked…Stop there!
Its a ~40 minute flat, straight walk (pictured here) to an abandoned US navy plane. When I was there, a shuttle ran every 20-30 minutes, but it was sunny so I didn’t mind the exercise after sitting in the car for a few hours. I loved this stop. Use the walk to learn about the history of the plane (no one was hurt during the emergency landing).
The GPS coordinates are
63 27.546, 19 21.887 but you should see cars parked in a lot.
Fun fact: Justin Bieber skateboarded on this plane in a music video.
Stop 4: Once you walk back to the car from the plane, continue back towards Reykjavik for another 2 hours. We stayed in an airbnb for our last night in Iceland, and got dinner in Reykjavik which felt like home.
I’m a huge ramen fan, so couldn’t resist going to Ramen Momo, Iceland’s first ramen shop.
Check their hours before going - we wanted to go when we first arrived in Reykjavik but they were closed Sundays.
Day 5: Depending on the time of your flight, you can grab breakfast and lunch in town, or do any last minute shopping before heading back to the airport. We did both, and picked up souvenirs before leaving.
We went to Reykjavik Roasters twice. It felt local, had great reviews, and a cozy atmosphere.
One morning when we needed to wait out a storm before getting on the road, we spent the morning listening to records and sipping coffee here.
Soup with bread was an affordable, filling, and warm meal at every restaurant in Reykjavik.
We were warned that food is expensive (it is an island, after all) so did grocery store runs a few times for snacks for lunch, and cooked breakfast or dinner when we could (perks of an airbnb). Most hotels we stayed at offered breakfast, which helped with food cost if you’re on a budget.
If you got a hotspot, don’t forget to drop it back off at the airport mailbox.