7-Day Iceland Itinerary: Summer Road Trip
Get ready for a road trip of a lifetime driving around the scenic landscape of Iceland! During the summer months, the sun is almost always out giving you plenty of time to explore many different locations on the island.
In this guide to Iceland, I’ll cover everything you need to know to plan a perfect 7-day road trip throughout the countryside.
Let’s get started!
Basic Information
Iceland is a beautiful country you won’t want to miss. A few key things to know before visiting are:
A visa is not required for visitors from most countries, including from the United States.
Electricity uses the standard European outlet plug, Type C or Type F.
An international driver’s license is not required to rent a car, and you should definitely rent a car to get around.
Headlights must be on at all times when you’re driving.
Roundabouts operate a bit differently than in other areas. The traffic on the inner lane of a two-land roundabout will always have priority over traffic in the outer lane.
There is no need to bring cash to Iceland as everywhere accepts credit cards. You might need a pin for your credit card to fill up at gas pumps though.
Tipping is not expected in Iceland as most bills already include a service charge. If you feel like tipping extra, a good amount is around 10%.
Iceland is an extremely safe country, so you should feel comfortable walking around in the cities.
7-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Explore Reykjavík
Almost all flights will have you arriving in Reykjavík at KEF airport. It was pretty easy to clear customs here and exit to the terminal building. From here pickup your rental car and get ready for your adventure! We booked our rental car through Lava Car Rentals, but pickup was a bit confusing as there were signs for other rental car agencies but no signs for Lava. Pickup is on the west side of the building on the departure side across from the P1 parking lot, which is opposite all the other rental car agencies. We waited for a few minutes and were picked up by a shuttle for Lava and taken to our car.
After picking up your car, it’s just under an hour's drive to downtown Reykjavík. Along the drive, we made a short stop at Tjörnin lake and snapped a few pictures. Our flight arrived early in the morning so we booked early check-in to our hotel, which allowed us to grab breakfast and then take a short rest before starting our day. We stayed at Centers Hotel Plaza in downtown Reykjavík which was conveniently located within walking distance of most places.
After a short rest, we went walking in downtown. We walked along Laugavegur Street, which is the main street in town. Here we stopped in a few shops as we took a leisurely stroll down the street. We also stopped at the Rainbow Street to see the street colorfully painted in a rainbow pattern. Our final stop in town was at Hallgrimskirkja Church which is Iceland’s most iconic church. We got tickets to head to the top of the tower and had great views from the top overlooking the city.
After exploring downtown for a bit, we grabbed a bite to eat at one of the local shops along Laugavegur Street. After lunch, we walked along the ocean over to the Lava Show where you can see real flowing lava. It was a bit of a walk from downtown, but doable, or there is also a parking lot at the Lava Show if you prefer to drive. The lava for the show is taken from a previously exploded volcano in Iceland and re-melted on-site so you can see the process of how the lava flows and then cools. There was a short video and then the staff poured the lava while you got to watch from nearby. The staff took some pieces of the cooling lava and passed it around when it was safe to touch so you could see how it turned into glass. After the lava had cooled more, they allowed you to get closer and interact with the lava using long sticks. This was a cool way to see lava if there is none currently flowing in Iceland and let the kids see lava in a safe way.
Trekker Tip: There are a lot of street parking options in downtown Reykjavík to choose from that should be a short distance walk to your hotel. You just have to pay at a nearby parking meter so make sure to write down or take a photo of your license plate number. Parking cost varies by area, with the most expensive parking being in P1 going down to the least expensive in P4. Parking is free after 6 PM in P1 - P3 areas, and after 4 PM in P4, and is free all day Sunday.
Day 2: More Reykjavík and Blue Lagoon
Today, spend the morning exploring more of Reykjavík before enjoying a soak in the Blue Lagoon in the afternoon. We walked along the harbor this morning and enjoyed the sites along the way. We stopped by the Harpa Concert Hall and got some photos of the glass building. There were also some exhibitions inside that you could check out. A short walk from the concert hall is the Sun Voyager in the middle of the harbor which is a metal sculpture of a boat set against the harbor. After this, you could choose to spend more time walking around downtown Reykjavík or check out some of the museums such as the National Museum of Iceland, the Maritime Museum, or the Icelandic Art Museum.
We enjoyed another lunch in town, before driving over to the Blue Lagoon. Some guides recommend you book this the day you arrive since it is next to the airport, but you must book tickets in advance for a certain time slot, so I recommend booking on the second day in case you have any flight delays. With your entrance ticket you get a complimentary drink and two face masks and can spend as much time in the hot springs as you desire. When you enter there are signs saying that you must shower before entering the hot springs, and in Iceland, it is required to shower without your bathing suit on. That being said, most people were showering with their swimsuits on and there were some showers with curtains for privacy. If you have long hair, make sure to put it up and lather it in conditioner (they provide some in the showers) before entering the hot springs as the water is very damaging to your hair. But once you’re in the hot springs, relax and explore the different areas of the springs. Certain areas near the water pumps are warmer than others so you have options based on what optimal temperature you desire.
After you’re finished at the hot springs, return to your hotel in Reykjavík and grab a bite to eat. Near the hotel, there was also a small grocery store so we stocked up on some snacks and drinks for the upcoming drive the next day.
Day 3: Snæfellsnes Peninsula
Start your day early to avoid crowds and take a 2.5-hour drive towards the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. I recommend that you should do the peninsula in a counter-clockwise manner to avoid crowds as most guided tours drive the peninsula clockwise. This will have you start at Kirkjufellsfossar. Here you will visit one of the most iconic viewpoints in Iceland with a waterfall and Mt. Kirkjufell in the background. Because we started early, we arrived before too many other people were there. If you’re looking for a picture without other people, you might have to be patient and wait a few minutes for people to walk by to snap the perfect shot. We stayed for about 30 minutes enjoying the view before heading to the next stop.
A short drive from Kirkjufellsfossar is the town of Hellissandur. Since you’re passing by this way anyway, it’s worth a 5-minute detour to view the murals on the sides of the buildings in the town. And if you want to pick up a pastry or some coffee, you can stop at Gilbakki for something to take on the road.
Next, take a short drive towards Saxhóll Crater, which is a volcanic crater that overlooks a lava field and has views towards the ocean. You can view the volcanic cone from the parking lot, but for the best view hike to the top of the crater. It is 375 steps to the top of the crater and when we visited it was really windy so this could prove challenging for some. The steps are made from metal and are evenly spaced so it’s a pretty steady climb, and most people can climb it in about 10 minutes. At the top, you can walk around the crater a bit and enjoy the view before heading back to your car.
From here, drive towards Djúpalónssandur Beach and walk along the black sand. It’s a short walk from the parking lot to the beach where you can relax and put your toes in the sand. You can also see some of the lava rock formations, however you shouldn’t try to climb the rocks to better protect the area.
Continue along the peninsula to the Lóndrangar View Point for amazing views overlooking the basalt cliffs. Park your car at the overlook and spend some time taking in the breathtaking views. Plan to spend 15 to 30 minutes here enjoying the sites before heading to your next location.
The next location is the Arnarstapi Cliff Viewpoint. Similar to the Lóndrangar View Point, this offers more dramatic views of the basalt cliffs. You can also see one cliff that has turned into an arch here. Plan another 15 to 30 minutes here as well.
Continue along your drive until you reach Rauðfeldsgjá Gorge. It is a bit of a steep incline to reach the gorge, but it is definitely well worth it. You can climb inside the gorge and see the stream that flows through it. Plan to bring waterproof shoes though as your feet might get a little wet entering the gorge. Spend about 30 minutes to an hour here before returning to your car.
After another short drive arrive at Búðakirkja. Here you will find a small wooden church built in the 19th century. This is a highly photographed location, but only take a few minutes to visit. After viewing the church, walk a little further for views overlooking the ocean, and then get back in your car and drive to the other side of the street.
On the other side of the street, you will find the towering waterfall, Bjarnafoss. This waterfall towers at 80 meters high and it’s only a short walk from the parking lot to get to the base of the falls. Snap some photos and then head to your final stop along the Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
The final stop along the peninsula is at Ytri Tunga Beach. Although this isn’t a black sand beach, what makes this special is it is one of the most reliable place in Iceland to see seals. Take a short walk along the beach until you find where the seals are hanging out that day. Make sure to keep plenty of distance between you and the seals as they can be dangerous when frightened.
After finishing your drive around the peninsula, it’s time to head back to Reykjavík. Tonight is your last night in Reykjavik for a while, so if needed stock up on some more food and drinks for the next few days on the road.
Day 4: Golden Circle
Today get ready to experience the most popular tourist area in Iceland, the Golden Circle. Once again, plan to get an early start to try to avoid all the tourists, but no matter when you leave, you’ll probably experience a bunch of other visitors today.
From your hotel, drive about 45 minutes to Þingvellir National Park. Park near the visitor’s center and locate the parking pay machine to pay for parking which is good for the full day. From the visitor center, walk downhill through a fissure that was created by an earthquake in 1789. Continue along the trail and you’ll be able to see where two tectonic plates, the North American and Europe tectonic plates, are slowly pulling apart from one another. As you continue walking along the trail you’ll pass multiple overlook areas you can stop at but don’t turn around until you reach Öxarárfoss waterfall. This 13-meter waterfall flows into a rocky pool and has a backdrop of dramatic cliffs, making it a great place to stop and take some pictures. After visiting the waterfall, walk along the opposite side of the river to return back to your car.
Drive another 40 minutes to reach one of the main destinations along the Golden Circle, the Geysir. The Geysir is extremely popular as it is a very active geyser that erupts every 5 to 10 minutes. It’s a short walk from the parking lot where you’ll pass multiple geothermal pools before reaching the geyser. However, do not stray from the path and do not touch any of the geothermal pools as they are extremely hot and you can burn or seriously injure yourself. The geyser is roped off so you can’t get too close to it, but pay attention to which way the wind blows so you don’t get splashed by the water when it erupts. If you can’t get a good viewpoint of the geyser, most people only stay and watch one eruption, so wait for the geyser to erupt and people to leave and there should then be many good viewpoints. If you have some extra time, try viewing the geyser from multiple viewpoints before heading out.
A short drive from the Geysir is Gullfoss, Iceland’s most iconic waterfall. The waterfall is 32 meters high with two major drops and a width of 229 meters, making it the most powerful waterfall in all of Europe. There are multiple viewing areas to view the waterfall and I recommend checking out the various viewpoints as they offer different views of the waterfall. Spend some time taking in the beauty of the waterfall and witnessing its immense power. If you’re looking for a place to eat, there is a cafe located next to Gullfoss where you can find a variety of things to eat.
The next stop is about an hour from Gullfross, at Kerið Crater. Not all Golden Circle tours stop here, so it isn’t as crowded as the other locations. Here you’ll view a volcanic crater lake that is approximately 3,000 years old. The lake has a striking blue-green water set against the red and green color of the crater walls. You could choose to hike to the bottom of the crater or enjoy the great views from the top.
From the crater, start heading towards your hotel. We decided to stay the night at Hotel South Coast Selfoss which was in between the crater and the first destination the next day. If you have some extra time, you can add on a 5-mile roundtrip hike along the Reykjadalur River. Here you can hike to a free naturally occurring thermal river where you can take a soak and relax. Be careful as some parts of the river are hotter than others with some areas that can burn you. You know when you’ve reached a safe location to get in when you see a little wooden changing area. The changing area doesn’t have any doors though so you might have someone hold up a towel while you change if you want a bit of privacy.
Day 5: Southern Iceland Waterfalls
Seljalandsfoss
Skógafoss
Today is a day filled with amazing waterfalls. Start today by driving about an hour to Seljalandsfoss Waterfall. It’s a short walk from the parking lot to the waterfall which drops over 60 meters. What’s unique about this waterfall is you’re able to walk behind the waterfall for an extraordinary view. What most people miss when visiting is that there’s a second hidden waterfall nearby. From Seljalandsfoss take a short walk north towards Gljúfrabúi Waterfall. This waterfall is hidden in a canyon making it obscured from the road. Make sure to wear sturdy waterproof shoes as you’ll have to scramble over some slippery rocks and through a little stream coming from the waterfall to enter the canyon where the waterfall is hidden. It only takes a few extra minutes to view this waterfall so don’t miss it during your visit.
Next, drive about 30 minutes to arguably the best waterfall in Iceland, Skógafoss Waterfall. With a drop over 60 meters high and spanning about 25 meters wide, this is one of the most beautiful waterfalls. You can walk right up to the base of the waterfall and marvel at the power of the water rushing down and feel its spray. There are also stairs you can take to view the waterfall from the top, offering another incredible view.
Only 5 minutes away you can also visit Kvernufoss Waterfall. Here you’ll have to hike about a 1-mile roundtrip to see the waterfall, but the hike is through a lush green canyon. Even though it’s near Skógafoss, it’s pretty hidden so it doesn’t get many visitors so you can enjoy a peaceful visit to the waterfall.
Continue along the south coast of Iceland for 30 minutes to reach Dyrhólaey Lighthouse. Here, not only will you be able to see the lighthouse, but you’ll also look out to a cliff that has formed into an arch over the ocean. If you’re lucky, this is also a good place to view puffins who perch along the cliffs here. Spend some time here walking around and enjoying the sites.
About 25 minutes from the lighthouse is Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach. In addition to the black sand, you will also see large basalt columns and towering cliffs surrounding the beach. Plan to spend some time here walking around the beach, admiring the basalt columns, and checking out a small cave.
If you have some extra time, you should take a drive to Þakgil. The road to get here is not paved and is fairly bumpy so it is a slow drive to get to the parking lot. As such, it takes about 40 minutes to get here from Vík, but it is definitely worth the drive and the drive itself is fairly scenic. When we arrived we were the only people here so we had the whole place to ourself. There is a cave here you can explore that has picnic tables so you can enjoy a picnic lunch in the cave. There is also a short hike through the valley that takes you to a small waterfall. We learned afterwards that they filmed part of Game of Thrones here which makes sense given how beautiful this location was.
After today’s sightseeing, we stayed the night at Hotel Katla in Vík. This was a nice hotel with an included hot tub where you can relax after today’s drive. However, tomorrow is a long day of driving so if you want a shorter drive the next day, you might look for a hotel closer to Jökulsárlón Glacier. When we visited al the hotels were sold out so our options were minimal, but we definitely couldn’t complain about staying the night in Vík.
Þakgil
Day 6: Glacier and Diamond Beach
Diamond Beach
Be prepared for a long drive today, but all of the sites on today’s drive are more than worth it! If you don’t want to spend as much time driving, you could add an additional night in Vík or stay in Höfn to break up the drive. If you want to follow our itinerary and do this all in one day, start your day early!
We’ll start today by driving to the further east point we’ll visit on the island and then work our way back to Reykjavík. It’s about a 2.5-hour drive from Vík to Jökulsárlón Glacier and I’d recommend parking at the Diamond Beach parking lot as we’ll head there after viewing the glacier. After arriving spend some time walking around and taking in the views of the glacier. If you’re lucky you might even see a few seals. If you decide to break this up into two separate days, you can spend more time at the glacier by either taking a boat tour around the glacier or take a guided walk on the glacier.
On the other side of the highway, walk back towards where you parked and over towards Diamond Beach. Diamond Beach is famous for icebergs that break off of Jökulsárlón Glacier and get washed ashore on the beach. The glaciers that end up on the beach are typically very clear ice that makes them look almost like diamonds. Take a walk along the beach and see all the different sizes of “diamonds” that wash ashore. If you’re visiting in the summer you might not see gigantic glaciers that come up in a Google search of Diamond Beach as the larger glaciers are found more in the winter, but you may get lucky!
After spending some time walking around the beach, start your drive back towards Reykjavík, but we’ll break it up with some stops along the way. The first stop is just past Jökulsárlón Glacier at the Viewpoint of Fjallsjökull. Here you’ll be able to get a view of a second glacier and take a few more pictures. If you’re breaking today into two separate days, you also have the option of taking another boat tour around this glacier. Otherwise, this stop only takes a few minutes before continuing on your drive.
Múlagljúfur Canyon
About 20 minutes from the viewpoint, we’ll make another stop at Múlagljúfur Canyon. Here you can take a 3.6-mile hike to see Hangandifoss Waterfall. Although it’s not a long hike, there is quite a bit of elevation change and some scrambling over rocks required. Do as much of the hike as you feel comfortable with, but even if you don’t go all the way to the waterfall, the canyon itself is absolutely amazing.
Hop back in the car for a longer stretch of drive, this time driving about 1 hour 40 minutes to Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon. Here you’ll be able to view another incredible canyon while having a chance to stretch your legs from the drive. There is a path along the rim of the canyon you can follow that will take you to a couple of different viewpoints overlooking the canyon. Plan on spending about 1-2 hours here before returning to your car.
Drive for a little over an hour to the next stop to visit Svartifoss Waterfall. This is about a 2-mile out-and-back hike to get to the waterfall and takes about 1 to 1.5 hours to complete. There are a couple of different viewpoints of the waterfall and you should plan on going to both of them to get amazing views of the waterfall flowing over the basalt columns.
After completing the hike, return to your car and prepare for a long drive back to Reykjavík. It will take about 4.5 hours to get back to Reykjavík from Svartifoss, but at least the drive along the way is scenic. Depending on the time of your flight the next day you might stay near the airport if you have a morning flight, or return to downtown Reykjavík if you have a later afternoon or evening flight. Our flight was in the afternoon so we decided to return to the Centers Hotel Plaza for the night. Because we decided to do this drive all in one day we ended up arriving at the hotel around 11 PM. But because we visited in the summer it was still light out when we arrived.
Day 7: Head Home
Alas, your vacation is coming to an end and it is time to return home. Depending on the time of your flight you might have additional time to explore Reykjavík. Feel free to check out any additional museums or places you might not have had a chance to visit during your first few days in Reykjavík. When we visited, the elevator at Hallgrimskirkja Church was out of service when we visited on the first and second days of our trip so this allowed us to return and this time were able to reach the top of the church for the views overlooking the city.
After using your last bit of time in Iceland, return your rental car and check in at the airport for your return flight home. Hopefully, you’ll have had an amazing time exploring the country and will be looking forward to returning again in the future!
What to Pack
Good to protect your knees and help you stay balanced on hikes.
Good hiking socks to keep your feet comfortable when scrambling over rocks or climbing up inclines.
Bring waterproof hiking boots that are comfortable and you have a chance to break in before you set out on your hikes.
Keep your hands free while having space for your sunscreen, water, extra layers, quick dry towel, and more.
Is a must as some areas are exposed and do not offer much shade.
Stay hydrated while you’re hiking.
A roll-up hat that you can pack in your day bag to keep cool as the temperature varies throughout the day.
