Iceland, “the Land of Fire and Ice”, is a nordic island known for it’s dramatic landscapes. It’s filled with volcanos, glaciers, hot springs and waterfalls; drawing tourists from all over the world.

I recently spent 12 days in Iceland and it was an epic trip. We traveled around the famous Ring Road, taking in dramatic landscapes and visiting both sought after and obscure places. We even had a taste of Iceland’s infamously unpredictable weather! Not every place that is romanticized is worth the trip – but I feel Iceland lives up to the hype and left me wanting to return!

If you’re looking for a full, fast-paced guide – this is for you!

If you are only visiting for a 48 hour layover, check out this guide here!

Important: You will not be able to buy items in the airport terminals without a departure ticket. After you grab your bags, you can visit the café outside of security.

Day One

Today you’ll visit the famous Golden Circle. There three main highlights: Silfra, Gullfoss, and Geysir. The order you do these in will depend on if you are planning a tour at Silfra and what time it will be. I will recommend you do Silfra in the morning as this will be the most time consuming and parking will get busier through out the day.

Silfra is a famous fissure between two tectonic plates. This is where the North American and Europe tectonic plates are split, making the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It is located in Thingvallavatn National Park and is about an hour from Reykjavik. Thingvallavatn is known as a historic site where Iceland’s parliament, the oldest surviving parliament, was established.

I recommend booking well in advanced as this can fill up quickly, especially if you’re coming with a group! The water visibility is crystal clear and is ice cold. You can expect to swim between underwater cliffs (the tectonic plates). There aren’t many fish – so it’s good luck if you see one!

I wasn’t prepared to feel my lips become numb and tingling when I started swimming. It took several minutes to get used to the sensation! This was a “nice to check off” activity, but overall, I don’t enjoy being in the dry suit and likely wouldn’t return. Plan for 2.5-3 hours for this activity.

If you’d rather skip snorkeling, you can head to the area and walk among the cliffs at Almannagjá trail. If you have time after your snorkeling tour, head back to the parking lot and you should see the trail.

If you’re hungry after Silfra head to Efstidalur II, a local farm stay, for ice cream. Many say this is the best ice cream on the island!

You also may have time for the lava bread experience at Laugarvatn Fontana. Tours are more infrequent, so register beforehand and see if the tour times fit your schedule. Here you’ll watch how they bake bread using geothermal steam and then you’ll taste samples after. There is also a small café and are hot springs here. However, you may skip the springs to opt for the infinity-pool (hot spring) experience later today.

The next two stops are about 5-10 minutes from each other and are completely free. First you’ll head to Geysir Hot Springs. You won’t be able to soak here – but you can expect to see plenty of geysers. Stokuur is the most popular geysir here. It erupts every 5-10 minutes. Be careful when you stand around it, you may get wet! It’s a relatively flat trail to Stokuur, which is just a few minutes from the parking lot.

The next big stop will be Gullfoss, a huge two-step cascading waterfall. There is an upper and lower viewpoint and it is a short walking distance from the parking lot. It’s possible to experience windy and wet conditions here, so bring appropriate outerwear. Between these two stops, plan to spend another 2-3 hours here! (HINT: “foss” refers to waterfall)

Head back to Reykjavik and grab dinner. If you have time, I recommend taking a food tour. Food is one of the best ways to learn about cultures and this was a tasteful experience that left us full at the end. You also get to walk through downtown, giving you an idea of how the city is laid out. There are a few options, but we used Wake Up Reykjavik. You’ll try things like the famous Icelandic hot dog, Greenland shark, and delicious fish like arctic char.

One of my favorite spots we stopped was Messin. If you’re unable to do the food tour, I highly recommend eating there. While in town, check out the iconic rainbow row leading up to Hallgrimskirkja church, you’ll likely pass by this on your tour as well.

Sky Lagoon is the perfect spot to catch sunset and to spend the rest of your evening to relax. We did the classic “ritual” experience. The ritual wasn’t overly impressive, but it does give you something else to do while enjoying the springs. Unfortunately, the weather was rainy and windy so we didn’t get much of a view, but we found shelter behind various rocks and stayed for a few hours enjoying the warmth. When booking your tickets in advanced, you can opt to preorder food. We had the sample board. It was quite small for the price, but it was fun to try some unique items.

Day Two

Grab your rental car and get an early start, this will be a fun day! Today you’ll visit two of the most famous waterfalls in Iceland, Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss.

You’re first stop is Seljalandsfoss, a large and popular waterfall that you can walk behind. It’s about two hours from Reykavik, if you are able to make it there around sunrise, you’ll beat most of the crowds. A few minute walk from Seljalandsfoss is Gljufrabui, a slightly hidden waterfall in a narrow canyon. It’s not as popular as Seljalandsfoss, but expect it to be busy as well.

After, you’ll drive about 25 minutes to Skogafoss. You can walk up to this popular waterfall – but prepared to get soaked! You can often find a rainbow here in the mornings.

Optional add-ons: Climb the stairs next to Skogafoss and stay on the trail – there are several other waterfalls here. The trail continues far into the highlands of Iceland to Thorsmork, meaning you can turn around at any point.

Next, you’ll want to head toward the southern town of Vik & explore the area. Here are a few suggestions:

• Skool Beans coffee
• Smiðjan Brugghús for burgers & beer
• Black Crust Pizzeria
• Vík i Myrdal Church
• The IceWear store
• Black sand beaches: Reynisfjara is the most famous
• Dyrhólaey Lighthouse, an excellent spot to see Puffins in the summer

Day Three

The next stop is about two hours away – but it is absolutely worthwhile to keep this on your itinerary! Get back into the car and drive straight to Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon.

Here you’ll witness iceberg floating the blue lagoon at the base of a large glacier. While you’ll likely feel awestruck at the sight of the lagoon, I highly recommend taking the zodiac boat tour. This should be booked in advanced, but there are plenty of time slots through out the day. You’ll be on the water for about an hour, but plan two hours for the tour. We sat amazed at the stories our guides told. The glacier used to be impassable, extending into the ocean, making the people who lived there, isolated from the rest of Iceland. Just two generations later, parts of it have been replaced with a lagoon flowing into the ocean, complete with bridge connecting the two sides.

The glacier is constantly receding and very unique experience to witness. We were lucky enough to come across a fresh iceberg that had broken off the glacier, still clear and blue. Bonus: you may see seals!

Grab food at the food trucks near the lagoon, I suggest the Langoustine Rolls (similar to lobster rolls). After, check out diamond beach across the street as you watch the ice flow onto the beach.

If you’re interested in experiencing a charming Icelandic fishing down among the fjords, drive another hour to Höfn. This would be a good place to grab dinner and stay overnight. One of the best meals we had in Iceland was here at Pakkhús.

Day four

Today you’ll start heading back west, but before you go – I recommend booking a glacier tour. You’ll go with a guide up one of the local glaciers. They’ll teach you how to use spikes and ice axes. Glaciers are constantly changing and shaping. It’s best to go with a guide, even if you’re experienced in glacier travel – because they note and share changing conditions each day. While we were there, we were able to find a small, fragile ice cave. If you come in cooler months – book an ice cave tour!

Skaftafell glacier is fairly popular and it’s likely your tour will be here. If not, you can drive down the dirt road to the parking lot where you’ll get a good glimpse at it’s beauty. I would recommend a higher clearance vehicle for this. Svínafellsjökull Glacier is another popular location. Make sure to check out Svartifoss as well!

Hungry? There are a few food options around this area, but check their hours!

Now you’ll head toward Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon. This is a stunning canyon with an overlook is sometimes deemed “Justin Bieber canyon” by some tourists. It gained traction after he filmed his music video “I’ll Show You” here. This lead to the closure of the canyon in 2019, but it has been long reopened. Across the street there is quick stop overlooking a large mossy field. We stopped here to take in the change in scenery!

As you head back toward Vik, you’ll come across Gígjagjá. It is a cave deemed “Yoda Cave” due to the outcropping looking like Yoda. Vik will be a good spot to stay the night. Check out anything in the area you missed on the way!

Day Five

Pack up and drive toward the airport. Make a reservation for the Blue Lagoon, perhaps the most famous geothermal spa in all of Iceland. The rich blue seawater is full of silica, algae, and minerals. It’s claim to fame is that it can help heal chronic skin conditions (they even have a skin care line). Some say the Blue Lagoon is not worth the hype, but we had a wonderful experience. I loved the deep blue color of the water and the face mask they provided. Although the blue lagoon was crowded, the pool are large and I felt there was enough space for everyone. I also appreciated that they have a section they try to keep phone-free. The Blue Lagoon is fairly close to the airport, make sure you have plenty of time to get to your flight. If you’re interested in a meal before arriving at the airport, I recommend stopping at Issi Fish & Chips and trying the chin fish.

Make sure you have plenty of time to get to your flight!

FAQs

What Language do they speak in Iceland?

Most Icelanders are fluent in English, however, their native language is Icelandic. From personal experience, I felt I could communicate without language barriers.

Is the water safe?

Yes! No need to buy the water bottles in Iceland. You can drink the water in Iceland AND you can use the water from the faucet to fill your water bottle. You may notice a “rotten egg” smell when turning the water on. This is from sulfur as the water is heated from a geothermal source. It is safe to bath in – but turn the faucet cold if you plan to drink it.

How do I pay for things?

The currency is the Icelandic Krona (ISK). It is best to pay with credit card as many places do not accept cash. Hold onto your receipts if you are buying souvenirs or other goods! You may be eligible to get a tax refund at the airport when you depart. Tipping is not common practice in Iceland. There is usually a service charge added to the bill. If you feel like you received exceptional service, 5-10% is the recommended tipping amount.

How can I get around?

While there is a bus system in place, a rental car will give you the most freedom. Stick shift vehicles are cheaper to rent than automatic cars. Driving is fairly similar to the United States. I found the roads to be well maintained and mostly free of potholes. If you venture into certain areas such as the highlands, you will come across dirt roads and river crossings.

The roads can be remote and conditions may change rapidly. It’s recommended you treat every day like you could experience all four seasons. To get the latest road conditions, have the Safetravel Iceland App handy.

Plan out your road trips to make sure you’ll be able to reach the next gas station. I recommend downloading maps such as Google Maps in case you don’t have service. Luckily, you can rent a Wifi hot spot for the car – this worked well for us and was worth the investment.

Be cautious when you drive. The speed limit is slower in Iceland than in the United States and police strictly enforce speed. You will get a ticket if you’re speeding even slightly over. Be careful – if there are not police around, there are several areas around the island with cameras and they will mail you tickets.

How’s the weather?

Weather changes frequently in Iceland and as stated above, treat every day like you could experience all four seasons. To get daily weather updates, checkout Vedur.is.

When’s the best time to visit?

It depends on your preference! You have a chance to see the Northern Lights between September and April. Seasons follow the same pattern as the United States, with spring and fall typically being “shoulder season”. The summer months will have longer days and if you go in June, you might catch the midnight sun! Summer is also when the puffins return to the island.

What do i bring?

What you need to pack for Iceland will depend on what time of year you arrive. Weather can change rapidly as discussed above. When we went in early September, I was comfortable in a merino wool base layer and rain pants.

All year long, consider bringing:

• Bathing suit
• Quick dry towel
• Warm base layers
• Hats, gloves
• Warm socks and undergarments
• Wool sweater or light jacket
• Rain pants
• Nicer outfits for dinners/nights out
• Walking shoes with good grips (sneakers)
• Sandals for the spa changing rooms
• Travel toiletries and makeup
• Credit cards, cash is generally not accepted
• Camera gear
• Phone charger
• Waterproof camera or phone case for the hot springs
• Reusable water bottle
• Sunglasses and sun screen for warmer weather

For warmer weather also consider:

• Sunscreen
• Sunglasses
• Warmer clothes for layering

For colder weather also consider:

• Insulated jacket
• Snow boots
• Snow pants
• Headlight

Need extra outerwear? 66 North and IceWear are two popular companies that provide clothing items.

Where to stay in Iceland

There are many hotels near Reykjavik. Beyond Reykjavik, home stays are more common. We booked all of our home stays with Booking.com. Booking.com has many different options for stay all around the world. Before booking a location, read recent reviews of each place. I find this gives me the best idea on expectations and quality of the location.

Using travel vans was a very common in Iceland and still is – but be warned that sites must be booked in advanced now to stay overnight. For the most budget friendly option, consider camping in Iceland.

What’s your favorite thing about Iceland?

I loved the hot spring culture! There are so many choices to choose from. We went and spent time in the well-known spas, but also tried out a local bathhouse. There are so many natural hot springs to hike to as well!

I also appreciated all the natural beauty Iceland has to offer. This is a great destination because many of the sights are right off the road and require little to no walking – making this an accessible vacation for everyone!