If you like travelling this is a trip that you should do once in your lifetime. Some of most incredible landscapes of the world are in Iceland.
When to go: this depends on your personal taste however if you are going to do a road trip I would avoid the winter months (November, December, January and February). In the winter there are 2 issues: the roads might not be clear from snow and the amount of hours with daylight are minimal, which is not great when you need to drive. We went in April and it was amazing! Roads were clear, we enjoyed tons of hours of daylight and the landscapes were still beautiful some still with snow and others showing the first signs of spring.
General advice: if you are travelling during the summer you will not need a 4x4 and you can save some money by renting a regular car. However, you are going to spend a lot of hours in the car and the 4x4 will be more comfortable.
In terms of clothes, it is fundamental to wear hiking boots everyday wherever you go and also sunglasses as it is very bright even when the sun is not out!
Day 1: Vik
In this itinerary we will cover the south road and the golden circle. I would recommend to go first south and then work your way back.
Straight after landing and picking up the car make your way to Vik, which is 3 hours driving from the airport. In this occasion I would suggest not to do any stops and do those on the way back on day 3.
If you are going straight to the glacier or further southwest, I would recommend to stop over at Vik as you will find a petrol station here along with shops, cafes etc.
Just before arriving in Vik you can stop at Reynisfjara which is a very famous black sand beach and spend an hour or so there.
In Vik, check-in at either Vik Cottages if you prefer something more picturesque and on a budget or Hotel Kira for something more comfortable. The recommended place for dinner is Smiðjan Brugghús, a small local brewery and burger restaurant that prepare one of the best burgers that I have ever tried!
Day 2: Glacier
The next day starts with another long ish drive of 2 hours to the glacier. I think this is one of my favourite places of all the ones we visited. When planning the trip originally I was not sure whether to go here as in the end it is quite far as it is more than 5 hours from Reykjavik but let me tell you that I am super glad that we went all the way there!
You can first do a stop at Fjallsárlón, a smaller glacier next to the big one which is nice for a quick walk. Parking is right next to it and free,
From here you can go to Diamond beach and Jökulsárlón (the big glacier). You can park in any of the 2 parkings and walk to the other one as the 2 things are right next to each other. Parking again is next to both attractions and for free. I would point out that the Diamond beach is only a diamond beach when is cold enough! So if you are going during the summer or between seasons you most probably will not see any big pieces of ice as you were probably expecting.
The big glacier was simply amazing! The place is just out of this world and it is surreal that you can get there by car! I would recommend to walk alongside the shore to get different perspectives of the lake. Also pay attention to the water so you can spot the seals!
On the parking by the Glacier there are some food trucks and here we had the nicest thing that I ate in Iceland… a lobster roll! It was so good!
After at least spending a couple of hours here, and making your way back to the same road, stop at the 3rd parking area that you will see near the hills as you start to head back. If you make your way by foot through the hills you will get to a different part of the glacier and get another perspective from above.
After this intense day, drive just for 10 min to Fosshotel Glacier. The hotel is in the middle of nowhere but is absolutely lovely. As a bonus point they have a free spa that you are able to book when you check in. As there is nothing near the area that night you will have to have dinner at the hotel.
Day 3: South Road back to Reykjavik
This is the most intense day in terms of driving as it takes around 5.30hrs to go back to the capital. However if you take around 8 to 9 hours to do it while stopping in different places it can be an incredible day
Stjórnarfoss - this will be the 1st stop of the day and takes around 1.10hrs from the hotel. It is a very nice waterfall and it was practically empty when we went. You can relax for 15 min or so here. Parking is right next to it and for free.
Fjaðrárgljúfur - from the previous point it will take 15 min. This is one of the musts of the trip. It is a beautiful canyon with the most amazing views. Follow the path to the top and then go back. You’ll probably spend more time here, around 30 to 45 mins or so. Parking available and free.
Kvernufoss - from the previous point it will take 1.20hrs. This was my favourite waterfall of all. Note that you have to pay for this parking and you will have to do a 10 to 15 min walk to the waterfall. The walk was super picturesque and for some reason this doesn’t seem to be a very popular spot so we were almost alone! Here you can walk behind the waterfall as well but the most breathtaking thing is the location… the waterfall is in this small valley surrounded by lush nature which it makes it incredible!
Skógafoss - from the other waterfall just 5 min drive. Easy parking right there at the spot and free. You will see that there are some steps that take you to the top of the waterfall but in my opinion the view from the top is not worth it so unless you are doing the walk that starts at the top there is no point going up as it’s is a prettier view is from the bottom. You will not need more than 15 mins here.
Gljúfrabúi and Seljalandsfoss - from the previous point 25 mins. These 2 waterfalls are next to each other and you access them following a path after parking at Seljalandsfoss. You have to pay to park here and there are guards checking that you have actually paid. Seljalandsfoss is a very famous spot as you can walk behind the waterfall but the problem is that it’s full of people! However if you keep following the path until the end you will arrive at Gljúfrabúi which is quite different as it is a waterfall located on a narrow spot between mountains. It will take around 30 to 45 mins to see the area.
Urriðafoss - from the previous point 40 mins. Very easy, free parking and can be seen in 10 mins. This is like a mini Gulfoss completely unknown or at least that is how we felt as there was basically no-one there! Super nice quiet spot that you shouldn’t miss.
Kerið - from the previous point 30 mins. This is technically part of the golden circle but in reality only adds 10 more mins to your south coast itinerary so I would recommend to do it then. The parking is for free but you have to pay for the entry ticket. This is a large crater with a lake at the bottom. I would recommend to walk around the top and do the full circle as you can get different perspectives from there. It will take around 30 mins. You can also walk down to the lake to get a different view.
From here it will be a one hour drive to Reykjavik. In Reykjavik, we stayed at a lovely apartment called Old Charm Reykjavik just in the city centre and most importantly with free parking on site. It was super easy to walk everywhere and really comfortable.
For dinner you can go to Bastard Brewery which has great food and drinks.
If you want to keep on a budget regarding drinks and food you can go to Lebowski bar which it is significantly cheaper than other bars and restaurants around.
Day 4: Golden Circle
This is the most famous and touristy route but still has some spots worth seeing. Start the day on the furthest point which is Gulfoss (1.45hrs drive from Reykjavik) and then work your way back.
Gulfoss - it is a very impressive waterfall with a beautiful blue colour and the most abundant of Iceland. There are 2 free parkings on the area, the 1st one is quite small so you will only find some space if you are lucky but otherwise keep driving to the next one that is above the waterfall. It will take you 15 to 30 mins to visit.
Geysir - 10 mins from Gulfoss. Obviously you have to see this. Even though it’s super touristic it’s worth having a walk around the area as it it is quite special. There is a path that you can follow that will take you around different geysers, even though not all of them can erupt it is quite cool to see. There is parking for free here and various facilities here that are quite handy.
Brúarfoss -15 mins. This is an interesting one… google is going to tell you that you can go here by car and just park by the waterfall but actually that is incorrect. You will have to search for Brúarfoss parking trail and go there. From this parking it’s a 50 min walk. If you don’t feel like walking that much you can go to Hlauptungufoss which is 20 mins from the parking. These estimated times are actually in theory assuming the path is dry…. However… this is one of the muddiest walks I have ever done! So it definitely will take you longer than that!
From here it is a 1.20hrs drive back to the city and it is time for the most relaxing experience ever!!!! The Sky Lagoon. The Sky Lagoon is a spa/ thermal pool which is less famous than the blue lagoon but with a similar concept. Even though it is smaller it’s still beautiful as it is right by the sea! I loved the fact that there is a bar by the pool and you don’t even have to go out to get a drink! Also because it is smaller and not that well known it is much cheaper than the blue lagoon (around 47 gbp). Once thing I would not recommend is the 7 steps treatment. It s actually 5 steps and not 7 and it is so badly organised and crowded that is not very enjoyable so booking the simple/ cheaper pass is enough. Make sure you book your tickets in advance and show up at the appointment time. Once there, you can stay as long as you want but you cannot have more than 3 drinks per person. We stayed 2 hours and half and it was amazing.
For dinner you can go to Public House Gastropub.
Day 5: Reykjavik or Blue lagoon
On your last day before going back home you can either walk around the city or go to the blue lagoon.
Reykjavik is quite small and there is not much to see apart from a couple of streets and the cathedral…. Another good option to do on your last day is to go to the blue lagoon which is near the airport and that way you can compare notes!
We only went to the sky lagoon but I would be interested to go to the blue lagoon as well so I can assess which one is better!
This was our amazing trip to this fabulous country and we cannot wait to come back. If you have more days, visiting the north of the island sounds like a great plan as it is a less explored area!
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