an 8 day road trip along the rugged south coast
planning your Iceland itinerary
So you want to travel to Iceland, but you only have the standard American one week vacation time? Don’t panic! I’m about to break down how I packed in so many attractions and off-the-beaten-path sights in just 8 days. This is my Iceland itinerary.
My fascination with Iceland began like so many other travelers’ stories: with Instagram. However, Instagram was just the first stop on my Iceland trip planning journey. As I scrolled for beautiful photos, I researched each location to see if it would be along my projected route. After narrowing down a few key places based on location and popularity, I went to my second favorite trip planning app: Google Maps.
I used Google Maps to save each place I was interested in. I saved everything under the “favorites” category. Accommodations can be saved in another category, for example “travel plans.” You can even go as far as creating your own custom list and share it with your travel companions! When saving places in Google Maps, I recommend not being too picky about the things you save. Having several points of interest nearby at any given leg of your trip helps resolve the feeling of “what next?” You will find yourself pulling up the map and thanking yourself in that moment!
Aside from choosing what types of things I wanted to see and do while in Iceland, I had more decisions to make. How many days do I stay in each location? How much driving was realistic in one day? Will I be comfortable driving in a foreign country? Which attractions are most important to me?
Note: This itinerary took place in mid October. The weather can vary from very mild 50’s Fahrenheit all the way to single digits and sub-zero after factoring in wind-chill.
Getting there
Iceland Itinerary Day 1
Flights from Boston to Reykjavik are about 5 hours long and typically overnight. We landed in Iceland around 4:30am, still in the dark. We collected our things and headed toward the airport exit after stopping at duty free to pick up some beverages. (I read this was the best option to save a bit of money on alcohol if you are planning on drinking. It was spot-on info!) A shuttle took us from the airport exit to pick up our rental car. After a bit of waiting, we were handed the keys to a 4×4 diesel Jeep Renegade. This trusty Jeep would be our chariot for the next 8 days.
To learn more money saving tips, go check out my post Iceland: Planning the Best Trip for Your Budget.
The sun began to rise and we settled into the Jeep and headed directly out of the city. Our first accommodation was a small house situated on a farm. The drive was about an hour and twenty minutes from Reykjavik, just outside the village of Hella. This would be our home base for the first 3 nights of the trip. As it was very early in the day, we did not have access to the airbnb. This allowed for a slow drive with many stops along the way, leaving us in awe of the incredible landscapes.
We checked into our Airbnb. Dinner was a stir-fry of chicken and veggies purchased at a local supermarket earlier in the day. Opening up Google Maps, we planned our adventures for the next day. Exhausted, we crawled into our bunk beds. Following a bit of over-tired manic laughter over pondering Iceland’s many native bird species, sleep came fast and easily.
Chasing Waterfalls
Iceland Itinerary Day 2
Seljalandsfoss is one of the most popular tourist attractions in South Iceland. It is well known as the waterfall you can walk behind. The waterfall is visible from the main road, has a spacious parking lot, a gift shop, and even a bakery case with fresh pastries and hot drinks. Though it is a touristy attraction, I can see why. The waterfall itself was so unique, and even with other tourists around, walking behind the falls somehow gave a feeling of being Mowgli in Disney’s “The Jungle Book,” exploring uncharted natural territory. If you decide to stop here, make sure to wear waterproof outer layers and cover your camera gear!
After taking in the powerful falls at Seljalandsfoss, we wandered just a five minute walk along the footpath to the neighboring and often overlooked Gljufrabui. Hidden inside a narrow “doorway” of rock walls lies a cave where a waterfall spills over the edges, creating a natural pool and a small river exiting through the doorway. There is a large boulder right in the center of the cave that serves as a great place to capture your latest profile picture, and it’s worth every second. This was by far my favorite experience so far, and it was only day 2 of our Iceland itinerary! Do not miss out on this beautiful natural phenomenon!
It began to rain and the winds picked up a bit, so we decided to retire to the cabin and plan for the next day!
A hidden gem
Iceland Itinerary Day 3
This was our last full day before we had to move to the next location. I came across a hyper-Instagrammable geothermal heated pool in my planning stage, and we decided today was the day to find it for ourselves. Seljavallalaug Swimming Pool was built in 1923, making it one of the oldest swimming pools in all of Iceland. It is free to enter and offers three basic cement changing rooms for privacy.
The drive was stunning, as usual. We stopped off several times to take photos on the way to find the pool. Near the entrance, we located the small dirt parking lot and abandoned the Jeep. It was a 25 minute hike the rest of the way on foot. What we saw was 1000% worth taking this little side quest! Nestled amongst the enormous moss covered mountainsides was a small cement building welcomed by a 25 meter long swimming pool of geothermal heated water. It all looked like a page out of a mythological storybook, too beautiful to be really standing here.
We were thrilled to see only a few other travelers here! The pool itself was warm (ish) but I decided to take a plunge anyway. When in Iceland, do as the locals do! After some time here and getting dried off, changed, and taking hundreds of photos, we hiked back out to the Jeep and set off in search of the next attraction: the mighty Skógafoss.
Iconic Iceland
Skógafoss is a 65 meter tall waterfall with free parking, toilets, and a narrow staircase leading to the top of the falls for a different perspective. The power of this waterfall was deafening, commanding attention and drawing the eye upward, enticing travelers to climb the steep staircase to discover what lies beyond. The day we visited, the weather was cold but clear and crisp, creating a striking contrast between the black volcanic sand, the rushing glacial water, and the rainbow that appeared in the mist. We even witnessed a marriage proposal in front of the rainbow!
Skógafoss was truly a great stop on our South Iceland itinerary, regardless of how touristy it might be. Nature is so wild!
Lady Aurora
We made our way back to our cabin on the farm, ate some leftovers for dinner, and started thinking about our next objective: chasing the Aurora Borealis.
The weather forecast was looking clear and the KP index (the scale that tells how strong the geomagnetic activity is, aka the “brightness” of the aurora) was in an average range. We excitedly decided to relax a bit and wait until nightfall. When the sky was successfully as dark as it could get, we dressed in as many layers as we could and jumped in the trusty Jeep with all of our camera gear.
Now what?
We had no idea how to “find the Northern Lights.” How do you know it’s happening? What does it look like? Do you have to stare at the sky for hours until colors appear?
I turned on the navigation system in the Jeep and turned down a smaller roadway away from the main Route 1. We could barely make out the expansive farmlands, rolling hills, and unmarked paths leading off each side of the road through the pitch black. Shortly, I noticed a stream on the navigation screen and turned down the road that followed alongside it until finding a good place to park.
First sighting of Aurora Borealis
We got out of the Jeep and decided to set up the cameras on our tripods. Both amateur photographers, we studied how to capture the northern lights extensively before we arrived on this trip. Finding them undoubtedly proved to be a mission that required a bit of luck! I started shooting different angles of the sky, different exposure lengths, and camera settings. Finally, I saw it.
The elusive green glow of the Aurora Borealis.
It never occurred to me that stopping next to this little river would provide such an interesting foreground, the dancing lady Aurora reflecting off the calm water. We stood in the freezing cold, capturing as many photos as we could until it finally faded away, sucked back into the blackness.
Day 3 had set the bar. Iceland was unquestionably already leaving its mark on us.
Iceland’s Wild Back Yard
Iceland Itinerary Day 4
Soon, it was time to move on from our little farm cabin stay. Today we were to complete a 4.5 hour leg of the trip from Hella to Höfn, a small fishing village in the Southeastern part of the island. Though it was a road trip day, we did have a few items on the agenda including: Jökulsárlón, better known to English speakers as Glacier Lagoon.
Driving in Iceland can be many, many things, but boring is not one of them. On this drive, we stopped the Jeep what seemed like a million times to take photos, sang to Billie Eilish songs, ate snacks, and even threw axes and pretended to be vikings at an animal skin-donned bar called Valhalla. We saw every landscape imaginable from mossy lava fields, to raging oceans, snow-capped mountain peaks, and grassy plains.
We were especially shocked to come across a herd of wild reindeer!
Glacier Lagoon
As the navigation told us we had reached Glacier Lagoon, all we could see from the car was a few dirt hills and nothing but sky over them. We noticed a small space to park so pulled off and stopped. We climbed up the hill and were met with yet another amazing view- Jökulsárlón. The water itself was dark and sinister, contrasted by the enormous icebergs freely floating around in every shade of aquamarine and crystalline blue. Some were the size of small cars and some were as big as a mansion! The small chunks that had washed up on the black sand were all different textures, opacity, and shapes, tossed around and spat out by the churning glacial pool.
This place did not disappoint. We stood on the small beach within the lagoon walls, staring in awe of the ice and watching the birds and seals until dark. The rest of the evening was spent driving carefully through the dark to our next accommodation in Höfn. Without a doubt, this was a great day.
Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend
Iceland Itinerary Day 5
Today, there was some recovery needed. Traveling is a liquid thing, and if you are open to it, you never know what-or who- you will find in the tiniest corners of the planet. We spent the previous evening dining on luscious local braised lamb legs paired with langoustine and accompanied by fresh local beer. This was one of the first hot meals we had treated ourselves to on this trip. After dinner, we chatted up the fisherman at the bar, who we found out were working on the glacier.
Furthermore, we found out they were working on the glacier, shooting a film for GEORGE CLOONEY.
We partied into the night with George’s film crew, swapping stories of our time in Iceland and their time on the glacier. Eventually, we stumbled arm in arm back to our hotel.
Thus, today was the long drive back to the capital city of Reykjavik. We packed up the Jeep and squinted into the sunshine, ready to take on the day. The one thing we had planned for today was Diamond Beach. Located on the ocean side of Glacier Lagoon, Diamond Beach is known for its stunning black sand littered with sparkling chunks of beached glacial icebergs. As a result, the ice glitters in the sunlight, resembling diamonds scattered on black sand.
Other notable stops were the small but iconic town of Vik, known for the Reynisfjara Beach with it’s caves and black sand. Additionally, we photographed picturesque red roofed church set against the green mountain backdrop and ate at two of the amazing restaurants.
Heading back West
Next stop: Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital city.
After 5 full days traveling along the coast in our Jeep with minimal amenities, it was time for a bit of luxury. We checked into Sand Hotel and flopped onto the most comfortable beds I’ve ever felt. I’m telling you, they spun the clouds together to make these things. Later, we found a delicious hot meal at a local restaurant, Grillhúsið, collected a nightcap from our hotel bar, and went to sleep in the clouds.
City Break
Iceland Itinerary Day 6, 7, and 8
Our last 3 nights were spent in Reykjavik, largely on foot. The city center is small, though well laid out. Everything is within walking distance from our hotel. We walked and walked until it was too cold, ducking into the nearest cozy bar for a warm drink or snack. We window shopped, looked at art, and ate lots of fresh caught fish and tried [nearly] every espresso martini in the city, subsequently.
The attractions I enjoyed the most that I would recommend including in your Reykjavik itinerary are:
Hallgrimskirkja, the beautiful Scandinavian style church with architecture paying homage to the naturally formed basalt columns found across Iceland. Pro tip: it’s worth the money to take the elevator up into the steeple!
The Sun Voyager. A modern sculpture resembling a Viking long ship situated at the water’s edge, the Sun Voyager is an ode to the sun, the promise of undiscovered territory and a dream of hope. Also, it makes for a dramatic photo at sunrise or sunset!
Magic Ice Reykjavik. This underground ice bar experience had me feeling like a Viking queen.
Street art. There is and endless amount of beautiful street art everywhere you look in Reykjavik! Walking in the city never gets boring!
Harpa Concert Hall. This architectural gem is just as stunning to photograph outside as it is inside. Home to a cinema, performing arts, shops, and restaurants, there is certainly something here for everyone.
Messinn. This seafood restaurant has everything- atmosphere, Hygge, and flavors to remember for the rest of your life. Seriously though. Just go here.
5 Things I would change about this itinerary
- Spend less money on accommodation outside the city. Save the fancy for when you get back and need a little luxurious care.
- I would have taken one less day in Hella and one more day in Hofn. Doing two long drives back to back was exhausting. Absolutely stunning, but exhausting.
- I would have planned time to go to the Blue Lagoon! It would have been the ultimate relaxation after spending time out in the elements.
- Extended my trip to at least 10 days. I know this is not possible for everyone. For my next Iceland trip, for example, I want to get the full experience of driving all the way around the ring road, possibly even in a camper van!
- Explore even further off the beaten path. There are endless corners of the country where no tourists go. Open Google Maps and get to it!
I hope this itinerary gives you an idea of how you can structure your trip to Iceland to include loads of sightseeing, unexpected surprises, and a variety of experiences all done on your own. Let me know what you would do differently or if this Iceland itinerary can be enhanced with tours, etc!
Happy Travels!