Day by Day Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival Reykjavik (Approx. distance: 100km / 62miles)
Once you have landed at Keflavik Airport, please pick up your luggage and head through customs. Collect your rental car at the airport and proceed to your hotel. Depending on your arrival time in Iceland, we suggest that you take some time to explore the Reykjanes Peninsula (a UNESCO GeoPark site) before you head to Reykjavik.
Reykjanes is a great introduction to Iceland’s unique geology and volcanoes. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge dividing the European and North American tectonic plates cuts through the area. You’ll see unusual and stunning craters, lava cliffs, fissures, and the Mid-Atlantic ridge itself. You can even walk on a bridge that divides Europe and North America. We also recommend a stroll in the surreal Gunnuhver area where you can view quirky colorful mud pools and steam vents bubbling away. If you are a Viking history buff, we recommend the Viking World museum, famous for the Íslendingur, a Viking ship replica that sailed between Iceland and North America in 2000.
Several charming fishing villages and lighthouses dot the peninsula, and the area has a reputation for tasty seafood fresh from the ocean. Reykjanes is home to the renowned Blue Lagoon, and you might enjoy the chance to relax in the soothing azure waters.
Drive along with mystical lava landscapes of the South Coast road to the charming village of Hveragerdi for your overnight. The road takes you past rocky beaches with thundering waves. Hveragerdi is perfect for getting to know typical small-town Icelandic culture, but with a unique twist. Hveragerdi is one of the few sites in the world located directly on top of a geothermal area and, because of its many greenhouses heated by hot water from nearby springs, it is often called the “flower village.”
Optional: Blue Lagoon Visit package
Overnight in the Hveragerdi area
Day 2: Thingvellir – Gullfoss – Geysir – South Shore (approx. distance: 392km / 244miles)
National Park with Geological Wonders (UNESCO) - Exploding Geysers - Puffin Colony - Black Sand Beaches of the South Shore
Breakfast at your accommodation. Enjoy a day visiting the natural wonders of the Golden Circle region. Visit Thingvellir National Park, site of the ancient Icelandic Viking parliament and a jewel of nature. Here you can see the meeting point between the North American and European continents. Many important historical events happened here. Several walking trails and hiking trails take visitors to historical points of interest.
Gullfoss is considered by many visitors to be Iceland’s most beautiful waterfalls. Geysir is an active geothermal field with many bubbling steam vents and spouting hot springs, including the famous Strokkur geyser. Drive along the south shore, viewing Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss, two amazing waterfalls that each have a special charm.
Next visit the black sand beaches around Vik and the area’s Myrdalsjokull glacier. Depending on your schedule, you can take a snowmobiling or ATV tour in the area. In the area is also Dyrholaey*, a former island that is known for its excellent birdwatching, including puffins (puffins generally seen in Iceland between mid-May and early August).
*Please note that Dyrholaey is closed during nesting season, from about the middle of May until late June.
Optional: Snowmobiling on Myrdalsjokull Glacier (from Basecamp) | Laugarvatn Fontana Geothermal Baths - Entrance fee | Solheimajokull Glacier Walking Tour (from Basecamp)
Overnight in the Vik area
Day 3: Kirkjubaejarklaustur – Skaftafell – Jokulsarlon – Hofn (approx. distance: 285km / 177miles)
Lava Fields –Europe's Largest National Park – Glacial Lagoon with Icebergs – Europe's Largest Glacier
Breakfast at your accommodation. Head through Eldraun, the strange-looking lava field created by one of Iceland’s most devastating volcanic eruptions. Drive through the village of Kirkjubaejarklaustur, site of a medieval convent. Explore Skaftafell, a green oasis nestled below the great Vatnajokull glacier. Skaftafell is part of Vatnajokull National Park, the largest of its type in Western Europe. Continue across black sand plains created by glacial activity. Stop at the incredible Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon, a filming location for many Hollywood blockbusters. Also in the area is Diamond Beach, a popular spot for photographers. Then head onwards to the charming harbor town of Hofn, also known as the lobster capital of northern Europe.
Optional: Amphibian Boat Tour on Glacial Lagoon (from the lagoon) |Zodiac Tour on Fjallsárlón- Iceberg Lagoon |Glacier Wonders (from Skaftafell in Vatnajokull National Park)
Overnight in the Hofn area
Day 4: Hofn - Djupivogur – Reydarfjordur –Egilsstadir (approx. distance: 265km / 165miles)
Narrow Fjords - Steep Mountains – Picturesque Coastline – Intriguing Stone Collection
Breakfast at your accommodation. Drive along the rugged coastline of the Eastfjords region. Perhaps you’ll visit Djupivogur village harbor and its unique egg sculptures or Petra‘s famous stone collection at Stodvarfjordur.
You can then either drive straight through Fagridalur to Egilsstadir or head along the coastal Eastfjords, one of the oldest regions in Iceland, shaped by glaciers during the Ice Age. Although many fjords are uninhabited, each fjord has its own grandeur. The natural harbors in the fjords led to the development of fishing villages that have still hung on to a degree of Old-World charm. Depending on your schedule, you might enjoy the opportunity to swim in a genuine hot spring lake at the new Vok geothermal area near Egilsstadir.
Overnight in the Egilsstadir area
Day 5: Egilsstadir – Dettifoss – Husavik (approx. distance: 275km / 171miles)
Highland Desert – Europe's Most Powerful Waterfall – Glacier Carved Gorge - Whale Watching
Travel across the Modrudalsoraefi highlands renowned for their stark, untouched beauty towards Dettifoss, Europe's mightiest waterfall. Then travel through the otherworldly canyon landscapes of northern Vatnajokull National Park. Take some time to enjoy the walking trails and viewing points around the magnificent horseshoe-shaped canyon Asbyrgi.
Drive onwards to Tjornes peninsula and the friendly Husavik fishing port, a town made famous recently by the 2020 Netflix movie Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. Husavik is most famous for its excellent whale watching, and we recommend a tour to catch a possible glimpse of whales and dolphins. Tonight you might enjoy the opportunity to relax in the soothing warm ocean waters of the GeoSea Geothermal Spa as you look out towards the Arctic Circle.
IMP: Roads 864, 862, Road 85 are usually closed during the fall, winter, and spring until the end of May (Road opening dates are dependent on the weather conditions). Until these roads are open, please take the scenic Ring Road 1 to Road 87 and on to Husavik. Roads 864 and 862 are gravel roads, and you need to pay attention to warning signs in the area if road conditions are not good for driving.
Optional: Whale Watching in traditional Oak Boat (from Husavik) | GeoSea Baths in Husavik
Overnight in the Husavik area
Day 6: Myvatn – Akureyri/Skagafjordur (approx. distance: 165km / 103miles)
Bizarre Lava Formations – Geothermal & Volcanic Activity – Rich Birdlife – Waterfall "Of the Gods"– The Capital of North Iceland
Breakfast at your accommodation. Explore the highlights of the Lake Myvatn area, including the mystical volcanic formations at Dimmuborgir, the pseudo craters at Skutustadir, the colorful sulfurous slopes of Namaskard, and the Hverfjall volcanic crater. Perhaps you might relax with a visit to the azure blue Myvatn Nature Baths, where you can enjoy the soothing waters and the natural steam baths and sauna. Drive on to Godafoss, a lovely half circle-shaped waterfall with a connection to Icelandic Vikings. Continue on to Akureyri, the charming “capital” of North Iceland.
Note: The Ring Road route today contains a toll tunnel.
Optional: Akureyri Food Walk
Overnight in the Akureyri area or the Skagafjordur area
Day 7: Akureyri – Reykholt – Borgarnes – Hvalfjordur – Reykjavik (approx. distance: 490km / 305miles)
Fertile Farmlands – Glacial Rivers – Folk Museum – Scenic Fjord
Drive through the historical region of Skagafjordur, renowned for horse breeding. You have the option of visiting the old farmstead at Glaumbaer a great example of traditional Icelandic turf house architecture. Continue to the bay of Hunafloi, where you might visit the Seal Centre and perhaps take a seal watching tour. Then head across Holtavorduheidi plateau, entering the Borgarfjordur area. Visit the beautiful Hraunfossar lava falls and Deildartunguhver, Europe’s most powerful hot springs. Near Deildartunguhver is Krauma, the intriguing “fire and ice” geothermal spa that uses water from the springs.
Drive to Reykjavik, arriving in the evening.
Alternative Route: Another option if you are traveling between mid-June and August and have a 4WD vehicle (Car Category 5.0 or higher) is to travel across the barren wasteland on the Kjolur highland road to the geothermal wilderness oasis at Hveravellir before driving to Reykjavik. This historical route heads through a landscape of black sands, high mountains, and two magnificent glaciers. (If you take this option, the distance would be 410 km, 255 miles & take 6 hours.)
Overnight in Reykjavik
Day 8: Departure (approx. distance: 52km / 32miles)
Return to Keflavik International Airport (recommended departing your hotel in Reykjavik no later than at least 3 hours before your flight departure)
Breakfast at your hotel. Drive back to Keflavik International Airport.
Notes:
- Please note that the package price is based on 7 x 24-hour rental days starting at the time of rental.
- If your flight arrives early on day 1 and departs late on day 8, an additional supplement will be charged unless you choose to return the car in Reykjavik when the 7-day rental is up and use Shuttle Airport Direct Transfer.
- Please note that a 4WD vehicle is needed for this unpaved mountain track- Car Category 5.0 or higher.
- The Kjolur track is generally open mid-June through August, openings subject to weather and road conditions.
