Iceland is a small country. But don’t let its size fool you. Getting from one side to the other is still time consuming.
The biggest mistake you can make is booking everything you do with Reykjavik as your starting point. If you do this, you will end up on the road for a good portion of your trip when you could be using that valuable time to explore more of the treasures in Iceland.
We spent 6 days in Iceland but never stayed at the same place. Instead of having a home base we mapped out our trip and found places to stay along the way.
Day 1:
- Fly into Keflavík Airport at 6am
- Pick up rental car
- Drive 20 minutes to Blue Lagoon– Spend several hours relaxing at Blue Lagoon
- Drive to Grindavik for dinner and check into guesthouse
- IF TIME – check out the Bridge Between Continents
Day 2:
- 9am: start the 7+ hour drive to Jokulsarlon
- Stop at Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss waterfalls alongthe drive
- 7/8pm: arrive at horse farm guest house (located a convenient 20 min drive from Jokulsarlon)
Day 3:
- Ice Caving/Glaicer walking in the morning
- 1pm: Drive to Vik (2-2.5 hours)
- IF TIME – stop at Diamond Beach for a quick walk down to the water
- Go to Halldorskaffi for dinner (you won’t regret this! Amazing food)
Day 4:
- Explore Vik MUST SEE: Dyrhólaey
- Drive to Laugarvatn (2-2.5 hours)
- Stop at Gullfoss Falls and The Great Geysir(if time do the hike to The Abandoned DC Plane on Sólheimasandur)
- Book an evening at Laugarvatn Fontana Geothermal Baths. They have a buffet dinner there too. The perfect way to relax after a long day on the road.
Day 5:
- Explore the nearby Þingvellir National Park
- Drive into Reykjavik
- Explore the city at night
Day 6:
- Breakfast at the hotel
- Self guided walking tour– Hallgrímskirkja Cathedral, The Sun Voyager Sculpture, Harpa Concert Hall, and Reykjavík Town Hall are just a few spots to check out
- Drive to Keflavik Airport (45 minutes)