The Ultimate Adventure in Iceland: 1 Week Itinerary

Dear traveler, we may get commissions from your reservations made through links in this article, at no extra cost to you. This helps keep the site running and free for all. Thank you!

Last Updated on March 17, 2024

Welcome to the land of fire and ice, where adventure awaits at every turn! Iceland, is a country full of natural wonders, from the Northern Lights to breathtaking waterfalls. Whether you’re an adrenaline junkie or a nature enthusiast, this guide is your key to experiencing what Iceland has to offer. This is a self-drive itinerary across Iceland. Renting a car proved to be the perfect choice, giving us the freedom to explore this incredible country at our own pace. While we’ve got camper-vanning in Iceland on our bucket list, that adventure will have to wait for a next visit, for now check out our 1 week in one of the most beautiful and untouched countries in the world

 Here’s our itinerary:

• Arrive to Reykjavik and get your car
• Free walking tour or explore the city on your own 
• Night in Reykjavik

• Golden circle – including national park, geyser and waterfall
• Drive to Hella
• Night in Hella

• Waterfall day!
• Glacier hiking
• Night in Vik

• Ice caving
• Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Beach
• Night in Vik

• Drive back to Reykjavik
• Suggestion: Snæfellsnes
• Night in Snæfellsnes 

• Travel back to Reykjavik and enjoy the Blue Lagoon
• Night in Reykjavick

• Journey back

Depending on the time of your arrival, your first day can be dedicated to visiting the capital city of Iceland. But first you should get your car for the week ahead!

We rented our car with Blue Car Rental – and we had the best car rental experience ever! The process is super quick and efficient. As soon as you get your vehicle you can start your journey to Reykjavik.
Check Rental Cars to look for the best deals.

Truth be told, we didn’t spend a lot of time in the capital – but it left a great impression on us.

We strolled in the city and found some really cool places you should definitely check:

• Sun Voyager: an amazing sculpture right by the sea. And no, it’s not a Viking ship. We thought so too, but it’s actually an ode to the sun and according to the artist, the ship represents a vessel of dreams. 
• Check the Harpa Concert Hall and Old Harbor: and maybe check their agenda, there might be some interesting concert or event during your visit. 
• Visit Hallgrimskirkja Church: Easy to find, you can climb its tower and have a great view of the city. It costs around 7€ to climb for adults and the tower is open daily, except for Sundays. The church architecture is inspired by the basalt columns at Svartifoss Waterfall. 
• Leif Eriksson statue: right in front of the church you’ll see a statue of this Icelandic voyager, the first European landing in North America (before Columbus). 
• Walk around downtown and just enjoy the beautiful streets and city life. 
  

We started our day 2 early in the morning, driving to our first stop in the Golden Circle route, a 300 km route covering three of the top natural attractions in Iceland. 

Our first stop was Thingvellir National Park. This park is located in a rift valley between two tectonic plates, the North American and Eurasian. You can actually book a tour to dive and check the place where both these tectonic plates meet, called Silfra.

There is no entrance fee, but you’ll need to pay a parking fee. Hiking in the park is easy and all trails are well marked – so expect to spend a couple of hours around. We decided to make this our first stop to avoid the crowds and weren’t disappointed.

Our second stop was the Geysir geothermal area. Yes, this is the place of the geyser named Geysir. You’ll see it bursting every 5 to 10 minutes is Strokkur, and the water can rise up to 40m, it’s really impressive. You can easily spend 1h in the area, walking around and hot springs, fumaroles and mud pits.

Our final stop was the amazing Gullfoss waterfall, the furthest point from Reykjavik, so feel free to make it your first stop as well and do this route in reverse. 

On our way back we did a small detour and also visited the Kerid Crater – you can easily circle around the crater and it will take you around 20-40 minutes, depending on how many photo stops you make (it’s a 1,4 km loop). You have to pay a small entry fee,which it’s less than 3€ – this goes into preserving the area. 

Instead of going back to Reykjavik we decided to stay in Hella, so we could have an early start and drive before the crowds to our next destination. It’s also more isolated than Reykjavik, so seeing the Northern Lights would be easier!

We stayed in a cute little cabin, with a kitchenette, where we cooked our dinner and enjoyed a cup of tea watching the TV show The Office!

Welcome to the official “Waterfall Day” of your Iceland adventure! If you’re an early riser after a night of chasing waterfalls, you’re in for a treat. Our strategy is simple but effective: visit the famous sights when there are fewer crowds. Starting from Hella, your drive to the first waterfall is just 30 minutes.

As you follow the road to Vik, you’ll discover some stunning waterfalls:

• Seljalandsfoss – Take your time here, and don’t forget to walk around the waterfall. Just a heads up, there might be a small parking fee.
• Gljúfrabúi – This hidden gem is right next to Seljalandsfoss. Be cautious while stepping on the stones to explore this waterfall.
• Skógafoss – Get ready for one of Iceland’s most famous waterfalls. You can even climb 400 steps to see it from above. But watch your step, especially if it’s slippery – take a moment to think that Vikings stood where you stand now!

After some amazing waterfalls, get ready to put some crampons on your feet! This is the time to explore a glacier, hike and if you’re lucky even drink some fresh glacier water. 

We hiked the Solheimajokull glacier, and you can expect the experience to take around 3h/4h. You can also do the hike plus ice climbing, which looked pretty fun as well. We booked it with Troll Expedition

There’s a bittersweet aspect to this adventure. It’s heartbreaking to witness the immediate impacts of climate change. Icelandic glaciers are receding at alarming rates, and during your hike, you’ll see this environmental challenge firsthand. It’s a stark reminder of the urgency of addressing this reality.

If you still have energy you can try to catch the sunset at Reynisfjara Beach. This black sand beach is breathtaking, but it’s known for its strong waves and undercurrents, so please stay safe and keep a safe distance!
We then made our way back to a night in Vik.

From Vik to Jokulsarlon it’s a 2h30m drive, but with a few stops along the day. We booked a ice caving tour on this day also with Troll Expeditions and depending on the time of the tour you might prefer to do the stops on your way to Jokulsarlon or on your way back. 

We drove directly to our ice caving tour and we had a blast! You can expect to spend around 3h and the caves you’ll explore will depend on the time of your visit, it’s a mesmerizing sight to behold! 

The morning tour ended around lunch time and we used that time to check out Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Beach – a beach full of ice, something you don’t see everyday! Spend some time around the area and you might even see some friendly seals! 

On your way back to Vik from Jorgurlson you can stop in the Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon and if you still have the time you might also be able to check the Svartifoss waterfall, in Skaftafell. If you prefer you can visit the Reynisfjara beach and the Dyrhólaey arc.

It’s a long way from Vik back to Reykjavick, so take your time and make some stops along the way. We use this day to stop in our favorite spots and waterfalls, and we even were able to be alone in Skogafoss! Just a magical experience. 

If you’re visiting during puffin season, use this day to try to see some cute birds! 

Take your time to appreciate the landscape that you are in, in case you couldn’t make to any of the previous suggestion you can use this day to take your time exploring them.

This is our suggestion for a complete 7 day itinerary, since we only had 6 days to spend in Iceland we didn’t manage to do this specific spot, nonetheless we thought of include it and we are for sure making a comeback to explore this and the north of Iceland! If we had the extra day we would spend it traveling to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. If you’re tired of driving, you can do a one day tour from Reykjavik, otherwise you can explore on your own. 

Driving from Reykjavik to the peninsula takes around 2h, and you can easily spend 4h to 5h exploring the coastline. You can opt to spend the night in the peninsula and get back to Reykjavik on the next day. 

After a busy schedule you deserve this rest day. Take the time to visit the Blue Lagoon, where you can easily spend 2h to 3h. Depending on your accommodation, it can take around 45 mins to get to the Blue Lagoon. 

This man made geo-thermal spa is a must! You need to bring your own swimwear and it might be a good idea to make a reservation before your visit. The idea for this day is for you to relax and not worry about if there will be available seats or not!

Spend the rest of the day exploring downtown and relaxing. Treat yourself to a dinner and drinks! 

Time to reflect on the trip and perhaps start planning the next one!

The best time for visiting Iceland will depend on what you want to see and experience, as well as your budget. Peak season in Iceland coincides with the Summer months – June, July and August. But based on our experience you’ll also see a considerable number of tourists during the Winter months, especially December. 

The shoulder months of September/October and May are usually good options. The weather is nice and it’s not too busy. 
The low season runs from November to April (with December being the exception) – visiting during this time has some advantages, but you’ll need to be ok with longer dark hours and unpredictable weather, that may cause roads to close. 

But again, the time of your visit depends on different factors and so we made the following table to help you decide – also check in the Practical Information section more details about seeing Northern Lights and Puffins:

If you are travelling from an European country there won’t be needed any sort of Visa, our recommendation is to check Icelandic official immigration website where you can choose the country where you are coming from and validate if any visa is required:
Ísland.is (island.is)

Please contact us in case any of the links is broken or non-existent as they could be different in the future.

Depending on the time of your visit you might either be able to see the Northern Lights or Puffins, one of the cutest bird.

As mentioned we’ve went with the Blue Car Rental company but this was in 2021 and the travelling business changes all the time.
Check below the best deals for car rent options:

The aurora Borealis, also known as Northern Lights, is a natural light display that occurs in the polar regions, primarily in the Arctic. It is caused by the interaction between charged particles from the sun and the Earth’s magnetic field. If you’re in Iceland from September to April, your chances of catching this amazing display go way up because of the longer and darker nights.

The easiest way to see the Northern Lights would be to do a guided tour. You have a few options available in different locations and usually they’ll do pretty much all the work for you – you just need to appear in the designated meeting spot.

You can also chase the Northern Lights yourself, and for that there a few things you might need:

• A car to drive around and get away from light pollution around the city. The chance of seeing the Northern Lights is always changing, it’s an unpredictable natural phenomenon whose visibility is also dependent on how cloudy the skies are. You need to be able to move around.

• Get an app to help you check your luck! Aurora activity is measured by an index called Kip index. It goes from 0 to 9, and higher numbers mean greater solar activity, which in turn means a higher chance of seeing the northern lights.
  • 0-2  low activity 
  • 2-3 medium activity
  • 4-6 high activity 
  • 7-9 very high activity 

Some app suggestions:

• Aurora Alerts 
• Aurora Pro

Don’t forget to also check the weather. Clear skies mean greater visibility!

• Dress for cold weather. Iceland gets cold, really cold – so wear layers and don’t forget to bring gloves and a beanie! Imagine seeing the most unbelievable Northern Light storm and not being able to get out of the car because you’re not ready for the cold!

Lastly, we traveled to Iceland in late October so we actually missed the Puffin season, but if you’re visiting between May and early September you might have a pretty good chance of seeing these amazing creatures. The most accessible places for puffin sightings are Akurey and Lundey. Reykjavik offers puffin tours that are worth considering. While we didn’t experience this firsthand, we recommend referring to our Ethical Wildlife Watching Guide for insights on how to find ethical tour operators.

Adding puffin spotting to our suggested itinerary is a fantastic idea, as there are convenient locations along the route. Dyrhólaey, near Vik, is one such place where you can catch a glimpse of puffins. To avoid crowds and enjoy a more secluded experience, a drive of about one and a half hour will take you to Ingólfshöfði Nature Reserve, where these cute birds often congregate.