Last Updated on March 20, 2026 by Adrienne
Although Iceland is not that large, there’s so much to see and do, and driving from one point to another can take longer than you expect, making trip-planning for a weeklong trip somewhat of a challenge. In the end, although we certainly didn’t get to experience everything the country has to offer, I thought we got a very good overview of the highlights in our 7 days in Iceland. I’m sharing this itinerary for like-minded travelers who are looking to balance lots of sightseeing with time for longer active adventures like kayaking and glacier trekking.
This itinerary assumes you have a rental car, which is generally recommended in Iceland. You can see many interesting things on day trips from Reykjavik, but it will make for a lot of long days and you’ll have much more flexibility and save time by renting a car and staying overnight in different spots around the country.
We visited in early July, when the days are very long (almost 20 hours) and this itinerary is tailored to a summer visit. While Iceland is incredible in the winter, with the opportunity to see the Northern Lights, a winter itinerary will look very different.
Looking for more detailed and customized advice about planning a trip to Iceland? In addition to blogging, I’m also an independent travel advisor with Fora Travel and would love to help you plan this trip or any other. I can book hotels, resorts, cruises, day trips and transportation at no cost to you, and can add perks like room upgrades, early check-in/late check-out and resort credit at some properties. Reach out to me at adrienne.miller@fora.travel for more information!
Day 1: Reykjavik + Puffin-Watching Tour
Flights land very early in Iceland, so you’ll be able to make the most of your arrival day. If it’s in the budget, I highly recommend booking your hotel room for the night before so you can check in as soon as you arrive and grab a quick nap before heading out to explore the city.
The Reykjavik metro area is home to more than half of Iceland’s population, but it’s a small city compared to other capitals, and can easily be seen in a day. With one day in the city, you won’t want to miss a walk along the (windy) waterfront, the famous “Sun Voyager” sculpture and enjoying a bowl of Icelandic lobster soup at a bistro. If you find yourself with additional time on your hands, you could check out the all-glass Harpa Concert Hall or take an elevator to the top of Hallgrimskirkja Church for a birds-eye view of the city.
The highlight of our day in Reykjavik was a puffin-watching tour to Akurey Island, which I wrote about in detail here. At about an hour and only $60 per person, this was a quick and relatively inexpensive way to see one of Iceland’s best known animals and was one of my favorite activities of the whole trip. Don’t miss this if you visit Iceland in the summer.
Night 1 Hotel: Thingholt by Center Hotels in Reykjavik, a cozy, centrally-located boutique hotel.
Day 2: Snaefellsnes Peninsula
We devoted our first full day in Iceland to driving the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. This will be a long day, if you’re coming from and returning to Reykjavik (or pushing on further to the Thingvellir area, as we did), but it’s worth it to see the major highlights of this area, including Raudfeldsgja Gorge, the stone bridge at Arnarstapi and Kirkjufell mountain and the pretty twin waterfalls framing it.
Night 2 Hotel: Ion Adventure Hotel, an atmospheric hotel built in the middle of a lava field not far from Thingvellir National Park. Because you’re not near any towns, you’ll need to pay the exorbitant prices for on-site dining unless you pack in your own food, but I loved the hotel’s moody vibes (very evocative of The Glass Hotel, for my fellow Emily St. John Mandel fans), the welcome glass of champagne and the thermal pool overlooking the mossy fields and mountains.
Day 3: Golden Circle
Iceland’s iconic Golden Circle has three well-known attractions that can be easily seen in a single day: Thingvellir National Park, the Geysir geothermal area and Gulfoss waterfall. The full loop is a bit less than 200 miles and should take about four to five hours to drive, depending on how frequently you stop.
The drive up to Thingvellir National Park from the Ion Adventure Hotel was very scenic, with nice views of Thingvallavatn Lake. Thingvellir is most famous as the place where two tectonic plates meet, which produces interesting rock formations. If you’re looking to stretch your legs and get a bit of exercise, the Oxarafoss Waterfall Trail is a great way to see the area on foot, and is worth doing even if you don’t make it all the way to the waterfall at the end.
The Geysir geothermal area is best known for its Stokkur geyser that erupts every five minutes or so. There are also bubbling mud pots and steam vents, and everything is a short walk from the parking area.
The final stop on the Golden Circle is Gulfoss waterfall, a huge double-tiered waterfall that is one of Iceland’s best known landmarks. There are several paths around the waterfall to see it from different vantage points.
After driving the Golden Circle, we pushed on to Vik, to make the next day’s drive to the glacier lagoons a bit more manageable. Vik was my favorite of all the towns we visited in Iceland and has delightful scenery, including a nearby black sand beach, and some nice restaurants.
Night 3 Hotel: The lovely Hotel Kria, which had beautiful views from the floor-to-ceiling windows in the breakfast room and a field of lupine out back. Just be careful while photographing the flowers or you may get dive-bombed by a territorial arctic tern. I speak from experience here. 😉
Day 4: Glacier Lagoons + Kayaking at Jokulsarlon
Personally, my favorite part of Iceland is its magnificent glacier lagoons (the best known one being Jokulsarlon in southeastern Iceland) and this day was a highlight of the trip for me. We began the day with a scenic drive from Vik to Vatnajokull National Park, in southeastern Iceland. The scenery on this stretch was very impressive, even from the highway.
Shortly before you reach Jokulsarlon, you’ll pass by another glacier lagoon called Fjallsarlon. Although less famous than its larger neighbor, it’s also really lovely, and the fact that it’s slightly off the beaten path means that it’s nowhere near as crowded as Jokulsarlon. The parking area is right off the Ring Road, and there are nice views just a short walk from the parking lot.
One of the great things about Jokulsarlon is that it’s filled with so many chunks of floating ice and many of them are super close to the edge of the lake. Although there are really nice views from right near the parking lot, I recommend allowing yourself some time to walk around here. There are a few hills you can climb up to look down on the lagoon a little bit.
Getting out on the water on Jokulsarlon is a must if at all possible. We really enjoyed the kayaking tour we did (which I wrote about in detail here), but if kayaking is not your thing you can also take an amphibious boat or a rigid inflatable boat tour.
Jokulsarlon has several food trucks parked nearby to serve hungry tourists, and our meal at the Nailed It fish and chips truck was one of the best and cheapest we had in Iceland. (Check the food truck opening hours carefully – they close in the mid-late afternoon so if you’re heading out on a boat trip you may want to eat beforehand.)
Before you leave Jokulsarlon, don’t forget to cross the highway and pay a visit to “Diamond Beach,” known for the icebergs that wash up on its shore and sparkle against the black sand.
Night 4 Hotel: The aptly named Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon, which has a waterfall, as well as lots of sheep, in its backyard and is just a short drive from Jokulsarlon.
Day 5: Skaftafell National Park
We explored Skaftafell National Park on a trekking excursion on Vatnajokull, the same glacier that feeds Jokulsarlon. I’m not sure I would recommend the specific company we went with, because the guides were brusque and demanding. But it was an interesting (and slightly nerve-wracking) experience to strap on crampons and hike on ice across the glacier’s crevasses, and we enjoyed nice views of the glacier ice and the surrounding mountains from the hike.
There was an optional extension to the tour where some of the group hiked closer to the glacier’s seracs (columns of glacial ice).
We had planned to further explore Skaftafell National Park with a hike at the scenic Fjadrargljufur Canyon, but unfortunately I was too tired and bruised from the glacier tour and we moved on to our next stop. If you just want to view the canyon from the scenic overlook, you should be able to combine both activities in the same day.
Night 5 Hotel: Back to Hotel Kria in Vik.
Day 6: South Coast waterfalls
Iceland’s southern coast is known for its waterfalls and lush valleys. The drive from Vik to the Reykjavik area doesn’t take very long (about 2.5 hours), but you can easily turn this into a full day excursion if you stop to explore the many waterfalls along the way.
The two best known waterfalls are Skogafoss (where you can hike up to the top of the hill to look down on the waterfall from above), and Seljalandfoss (where you can actually walk behind the curtain of water). Both of these waterfalls aren’t can’t-miss stops along Iceland’s southern coast.
Night 6 Hotel: The Northern Light Inn, a cozy hotel located right next to the Blue Lagoon with nice views of the lava fields from large windows in the dining room.
Day 7: The Blue Lagoon
Yes, it’s expensive, touristy and pretty much a cliche at this point, but I still think all first-time visitors to Iceland should visit the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa. The lagoon water is very warm (around 100 °F) so a swim here is comfortable even in the winter, and the water has a gorgeous milky turquoise hue from its high silica content. The silica sticks to the floor and sides of the lagoon and you can scoop it up and rub some on your skin – it’s known for its healing properties.
The basic entry package to the Blue Lagoon (officially beginning from $65 US, but in practice usually closer to $100) gives you unlimited time soaking in the lagoon, a towel, a drink from one of the swim-up bars and a mud mask. Additional spa services can be purchased a la carte. Although the lagoon welcomes thousands of people each day during the summer high season, it’s pretty big and there’s room to spread out and find your own peaceful corner to hang out in.
Most people visit the Blue Lagoon on their arrival or departure day, because it’s right near the airport in Keflavik and flights back to the US tend to leave in the late afternoon. I thought it was the perfect way to unwind at the end of the trip. If you’d rather decompress in the soothing water right after you get off your red-eye flight, it’s easy to flip this day with Day 1, and wrap up your time in Iceland with a day in Reykjavik.
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