Iceland: the land of fire and ice. It is a place popular right now with tourists (particularly Americans) and for a lot of great reasons. What appealed to us? Low airfare combined with a direct flight out of Dulles International Airport.
We did this one without the kids. But (apart from the price of food and beverage once on the ground) Iceland is extremely family-friendly.
The most beautiful thing about Iceland? You can’t go wrong. No matter what itinerary you choose, or even if you go without any plans at all, you are going to find ways to enjoy this country. There are a plethora of opportunities to see beautiful things and be stunned by nature wherever you turn.
In fact, Iceland reminded me that there isn’t a “right way” or a “wrong way” to experience a country or a place. While blogs, books, TV shows, and Internet sites will give itineraries and recommended places to see, the best way to travel is to follow your own longings. There isn’t a checklist (and shouldn’t be) for visiting a new place. Whether it is due to social media or the influx of information we now have out our fingertips, it seems as though travel to a new place has become very systemized, or predictable. Like in Iceland – people go to Iceland and they drive the Golden Circle. “CHECK.”
But you can travel any damn way you want! Iceland is a great opportunity to remind ourselves that while writers like me will be out there to give you whatever tips you need to feel empowered, ultimately your trip comes down to what you want to do.
With that in mind, here’s what we did with eight days in Iceland. Some of it’s expected, some of it’s not. But all of it made our hearts happy and full.
As usual, I will be sharing more details on each of these experiences and days in the upcoming weeks. So be sure to sign up for the monthly newsletter to be sure you don’t miss any!
Eight Day Itinerary in Iceland
Table of Contents
Day One: Reykjavik
Arrive Keflavik Airport – Food Tour of Reykjavik – Visit the top of Hallgrimskirkja Cathedral – Explore Reykjavik
Highlights include:
- Harpa concert hall
- Old Harbor
- Rainbow Road
- Sun Voyager sculpture
Areas to stay:
We rented this Airbnb unit for our stay. Free on-street parking and a kitchen were amenities we were particularly interested in.
But when we arrived, we found we liked staying a bit outside of the main area, or Midbourg. Iceland doesn’t usually need air conditioning, and a stay in the summer likely means open windows. We ran into many tourists staying off the main road (Laugavegur) who complained of the noise – one family even asked to be moved.
Additionally, Reykjavik is not cheap. So choose wisely.
This post by Full Suitcase is thorough and helpful when it comes to potential lodging in Reykjavik.
Day Two: Glymur and Reykjavik
Glymur Waterfall hike –Â Visit a traditional Icelandic swimming pool – Have a nice dinner in Reykjavik – Explore the nightlife in downtown Reykjavik
We decided to drive part of the Golden Circle to do the Glymur Waterfall hike. This hike is not for the faint of heart. Despite the information in the article linked above, we ended up not going to the river crossing at the top. Instead, we decided to double back and head down before reaching the summit. If you have a fear of heights or are not an experienced hiker, this is likely not the right hike. We did, however, thoroughly enjoy it! I’ll post more about this experience later.
To console our weary legs, we paid to enter an Icelandic swimming pool, where we sat in geothermal-warmed “hot pots” with other Icelandic people and the occasional Canadian tourist.
Day Three: Drive a Peninsula
Drive the Reykjanes Peninsula
Highlights on the Reykjanes Peninsula include:
- Graenavathn lake
- Selatangar abandoned fishing village
- Fagradalsfjall volcano and lava field
- Brimketill lava rock pool
- Sandvir black sand beach (although note that the road access to this is rough and requires some courageous driving skills, although you can do this without a 4×4)
- Gunnuhver hot spring
- Reykjanesviti Lighthouse
- Bridge Between Two Continents
Note that the famous Blue Lagoon is also on this peninsula (as is the airport), but we elected to save our thermal pool/spa experience for later to allow for more time.
This was the day we had initially allocated to drive the Golden Circle. But we weren’t excited about it due to the weather, and decided to change our plans! I am glad we did. Not doing the Golden Circle all in one day greatly added to our enjoyment overall (more on that in a separate article).
Day Four: Part of the Golden Circle and Points South on the Ring road
Drive the southern portion of the Golden Circle – Continue south along the Ring Road, through Vik
Highlights on the Golden Circle drive include:
- Hveragerði (optional Reykjadalur Valley hike and geothermal river)
Highlights on the Ring Road drive include:
- Seljalandsfoss
- Gljúfrabúi waterfall
- Skógafoss
- Town of Vik
- Kvernufoss
- Dyrholaey Lighthouse and Arch
We elected to spend the second half of the trip exploring the southern part of Iceland in a campervan (which we’ll definitely be sharing in a separate post soon!). Lodging in this area of Iceland is sparse, with the Town of Vik being the biggest town and rapidly building to try to keep up. But we found having a campervan to be an incredible adventure, with a lot of flexibility built in. In short: we loved it and would definitely recommend it.
This night we camped at Tjaldstæðið Kirkjubær.
Day Five: Skaftafell National Park
Glacier Hike – Kayak Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon – Stop at Diamond Beach
There is a glacier outside of Reykjavik, one that many tourists hike on. But for us, one of the main draws of Iceland was to experience Europe’s largest glacier: Vatnajokull. So the entire second half of our trip was built around getting a campervan so we could do this. I believe we made a really good decision as this glacier was epic and overwhelming with its beauty.
This night we camped at Skaftafell National Park.
Day Six: Finish Golden Circle Drive
Finish the Golden Circle drive headed north – Explore Thingvellir National Park
Highlights on the Golden Circle drive include:
- Kerið Crater
- Geysir Geothermal Area
- Gulfoss Waterfall
Highlights in Thingvellir National Park include:
- Silfra Fissure
- Öxarárfoss
- Thingvallakirkja
This night we camped at Thingvellir National Park.
Day Seven: Blue Lagoon and Relaxation
Visit Blue Lagoon – Hotel near the airport (rest and relax)
Day Eight: Head Home
Fly home
What We'd Add with More Time
We would have added Landmannalaugar in a heartbeat. But given the requirement to have 4WD and the distance it was from the rest of our adventures, it just wasn’t possible to squeeze it in.
Tips For Visiting Iceland
Iceland, well, at least the Golden Circle, is incredibly popular with American tourists right now. We found a lot of the Golden Circle stops pretty crowded.Â
But you do NOT have to do the Golden Circle all in one day or one drive.
Feel free to bail on things or drive past stops due to crowds or your interest/energy level. We skipped the tomato farm and restaurant because there were more cars than I could count, parking all over the place. We also skipped hiking up to the thermal river when we saw hundreds of people walking on the path up, tour buses gorging the parking lot, and all the bugs following us around.
If you want to get lodging at some of the towns outside of Reykjavik, book early! There aren’t many hotels once you head south on the Ring Road. They book up over six months in advance.
Book your tours and guided experiences early, but know that most of the companies we worked with had a fair amount of flexibility to change. They would accommodate what they could, provided they had space. They were, however, turning people away who had not made reservations in advance.
It is true what you’ve read: food and booze in Iceland is super expensive. An entree at a middle-of-the-road restaurant will be north of $20 (USD). A cocktail will also be around $15 – $20.
Ways to save money on food and beverage include:
- Once you arrive in Reykjavik, you will go through a Duty Free store before baggage claim. BUY THINGS HERE. Someone gave us that advice before we left and it was brilliant.
- Use the grocery store. There were “Bonus” grocery stores all over the country that were cheap. We loaded up with meats, cheeses, fruits, a few nights of dinner, snacks.
- Reykjavik has a Costco so bring your Costco card.
- Plan when you will dine out and be prepared to relax and enjoy it, regardless of the bill. But do find times to avoid paying the prices if your budget is limited. We always stay at places with kitchens (or, in this case, a camp stove).
Driving in Iceland is really easy. (Unlike Ireland!) Icelanders drive on the same side as Americans and all the roads were in really good shape, with great signage.
Iceland is about natural wonders. It is about the wild and untamed that is so alive and otherworldly. It helps to have a decent amount of mobility. Even getting to some of the most popular places on the Golden Circle requires walking, sometimes on uneven ground or via steps.
The weather is incredibly unpredictable. Your weather app will be useless. Plan for a 50-degree rain at any moment. This means packing the rain jacket for your daily outings, as well.
All of the water is drinkable (after all, they are one of the top sources of fresh, glacial water for the entire world). So bring a water bottle and don’t spend money on single-use plastic.
You don’t really need to exchange currency and have Kroner. Everywhere we went in Iceland (including taxis) took payment by credit card and, in a lot of places, by Apple Pay or Google Pay. The only time we thought we would need Kroner was when we were considering a private campground that had coin-operated machines for showers (we didn’t stay there).
The “midnight sun” was strangely brutal for us. We didn’t anticipate that no darkness would be so challenging. But it was weird to be walking at 10:30 at night and it be light. This means it is really easy to mess up your biological clock (particularly if you add in jet lag). So pay attention to the time, don’t go too hard just because it’s still light! Set limits and boundaries, and allow yourself to rest. Try to stay in hotels and lodging with blackout curtains, but definitely bring eye masks.
I truly hope you have an opportunity to get to Iceland someday. And I truly hope you experience it your way. Trust yourself and plan your travels and vacations to fill your heart.
Make it a great trip.
Get Unique Tips from the Trip Delivered
We send essays, thoughts, and tips on modern-day parenting to email subscribers.
