Iceland: 8-Day Itinerary
July/August 2024
Are you the trip planner, or the travel princess? 🤔
If you're the trip planner, and anything like me, then you have a minimum of 20 tabs open in your browser and a fresh Canva design waiting to be crafted into the most visually appealing bucket list of all time. After strategically grouping said bucket list by region, notating travel time, and ranking items by “top priority” down to “if it works out in the schedule,” you’re officially ready to start designing your itinerary.
(If you're the travel princess, then I'm not sure what you're doing here, but I'm glad you are! ❤️)
The next step on your itinerary journey is determining your budget, how many days you plan to be in Iceland, where you plan to fly in/out from, and whether or not a rental car (or sleeper van/RV) fits into your budget and plans. For us, we had a few different constraints:
We could only be gone for one work week.
We needed to be in Reykjavík Tuesday and Wednesday for work-related reasons.
Don’t blow the remainder of the 2024 travel budget on one trip.
Disclosure: There is absolutely no way to do everything on your Iceland bucket list in 7-days, it’s just not possible (unless you have the world’s smallest bucket list, or plan on not sleeping).
BUDGET BIG 3
Transportation:
4x4 Vehicles. If your destination requires you to drive down a forest road (road starts with F) then a 4x4 vehicle is mandatory.
Standard Transmission. This is the standard (see what I did there 😅) rental type in Europe. If you do not know how to drive a standard transmission, then make sure you select an automatic when you are reserving your rental car. Quick note: standard transmission will be cheaper. (If you have no idea what I'm talking about, then you need to make sure you select an automatic vehicle 😘)
Car and Road Configuration. Same as the US (drive on the right-side of the road with the steering wheel on the left)
Parking. The super popular destinations have parking fees. The moment you get your rental car, download the parka app, and set up an account with your rental car’s information. Not every parking lot will have a pay kiosk, plus you’ll save time skipping the line to pay. Don’t forget to remove the rental car from your account once you drop it back off!
Gasoline. Budget accordingly. We were averaging about 85USD per tank in our little Dacia Duster. If you have a Costco membership, stop here to do your gas fill-up on your way to the airport.
Lodging:
Hostels. The cheapest option (next to tent camping and sleeper van/RV rental). We actually had a chuckle over the pricing for these – they were the cheapest, but also above the typical price range we look at. Unfortunately, the private rooms book months in advance and we aren’t really in the dorm-style phase of our life anymore.
Hotels. I cannot stress this enough: PLAN EARLY, BOOK EARLY. While there are plentiful options in Reykjavík, the further away you get, the fewer options there are, and they book quickly. We were forced to change our original itinerary because there were zero hotels available (in our price range) for one of our evenings near Vík.
Vacation Rentals. These are available, but we didn’t even bother to look at these (we didn’t need the space and they just didn’t fit into our plan). However, there are a few super cool glass tiny homes that we have our eye on for a future northern lights trip – these book out years in advance during prime northern lights viewing windows for the location and they are $$$$.
Food and Alcohol Prices:
Groceries. We hit the grocery store on our first night to grab breakfast items, lunch items, and snacks for 2 days. We filled one grocery bag and spent more than we spend on an entire week’s worth of groceries in Sicily.
Dining Out. After spending 5 months in Sicily, we almost fell over when we went out for dinners. Example: we got 6 street tacos and a small plate of nachos for 70USD, and that was a “cheap” meal.
Alcohol. We found these to be similar to Seattle prices and ranged from 17-25USD for a cocktail.
Duty Free. If you prefer to make your own cocktails, or have a trail beverage, then definitely stop at the duty free on your way out of the airport. We were thankful we watched a few locals load up, prompting us to grab a couple 6-packs.
Things I wish I knew:
Shelf-stable meat (tuna and chicken) are not a thing (at least at the grocery stores we went to). My go-to trail lunch includes a packet of tuna, which I totally would have brought with me (I had space and weight available in my check bag).
Costco. There is a Costco in Reykjavík near the airport and definitely worth a stop when you first arrive (we would have saved so much money on groceries).
Pack over-the-counter medication. You have to go to a pharmacy and what they have is very limited and pricey. I did end up catching a sinus infection and wished I had brought my usual travel medicine kit, it always has a variety of cold medicine. The pharmacy had 20USD nasal spray, which helped a little.
DAY 1
(Travel Day)
Arrive in Reykjavík
Kolaportið Flea Market (Saturday and Sundays from 11am to 5pm in downtown Reykjavík near the Harbor)
Walking Tour of Reykjavík (AllTrails) – includes Rainbow Road, Hallgrímskirkja, Harpa Concert Hall, and Reykjavík Harbor
The Lava Tunnel (Raufarhólshellir) – 30 minute drive from Reykjavík
How It Went: I was a little over-zealous when I planned this one (and horrible at time management). We didn’t make into Reykjavík from the airport until almost 5pm and had already booked the after-hours lava tunnel tour for 8pm (check out my Raufarhólshellir post for more details), so we were pretty limited on time. We opted to unload the car, set out items we would need for the following day, hit the grocery store, and grab some dinner (hello pho, I missed you!🤤)
DAY 2
(1/2 of Golden Circle)
Þórufoss Waterfall
Silfra Fissure Snorkeling
Þingvellir Loop (AllTrails: 6.5 mile loop, 1,161 feet gain)
Geysir – Strokkur – Blesi (AllTrails: 1.4 mile out-and-back, 334 feet gain)
Gullfoss Waterfall (AllTrails: 1.1 mile out-and-back, 104 feet gain)
How It Went:
Þórufoss Waterfall: We moved this stop from the morning to the afternoon but ended up completely skipping it. We were exhausted and cold from the day’s activities.
Silfra Fissure Snorkeling: hands down one of the coolest things we have ever done (the water is a constant 37F year-round 😆😉). Jokes aside, this was a top priority bucket list item for me, and it was worth every penny - check out my Silfra Fissure Snorkeling post for more details.
Þingvellir Loop: almost every blog I read on the Golden Circle mentioned not skipping Þingvellir (pronounced Thingvellir) National Park. If you have also read this, then those people lied to you, or maybe I just went over the top thinking it was worth a longer hike. Long story short: if you’re not snorkeling Silfra Fissure, then park at Þingvellir Parking P1 or P2 and visit Öxarárfoss (P2 is right by the waterfall, but P1 is by the visitor center and has a few beautiful viewpoints on the walk down to the falls). Check out my post on Þingvellir Loop for more details.
Geysir – Strokkur – Blesi: this is a completely free attraction, including free parking, and was an absolute zoo when we visited. We had originally planned to follow the route from AllTrails, which covers the entire attraction and the upper viewing points; however, I was feeling pretty over this stop and the people, so we just snapped a few pictures and bounced.
Gullfoss Waterfall: same notes as Geysir - completely free attraction and a total zoo. It was also windy AF and not my cup of tea; I chase waterfalls, it's something I enjoy, and this was a total disappointment (for me at least). That said, this is a fully paved trail, and 100% accessible, making it the most inclusive waterfall on our itinerary. We opted to skip walking down to the falls, it was so crowded, and instead enjoyed a few minutes of people watching from the upper viewpoints.
DAY 3
(1/2 Golden Circle + Seljalandsfoss Corridor)
Kerið Volcanic Crater Lake (AllTrails: 0.9 mile loop, 141 feet gain)
Háifoss Waterfall (AllTrails: 2.7 mile out-and-back, 820 feet gain)
Gluggafoss Waterfall (AllTrails: 0.7 mile out-and-back, 305 feet gain)
Nauthúsagil to Nauthúsafoss Waterfall (AllTrails: 0.9 mile out-and-back, 265 feet gain)
Þórsmörk Loop (AllTrails: 2.7 mile loop, 938 feet gain)
Seljalandsfoss & Gljúfrabúi (AllTrails: 1.2 mile out-and-back, 393 feet gain)
Skálakot Manor to Waterfall (AllTrails: 3.2 mile out-and-back, 895 feet gain)
Disclaimer: This is a lot of time in the car, and 12.3 miles of hiking (which we can safely call at least 15 miles because AllTrails lies 😆😉) is a lot. We planned to take full advantage of the midnight sun and throw in plenty of siestas throughout the day.
How It Went: (to hell in a hand basket real quick) After seeing how crowded the popular stops were the previous day (day 2), I spent that evening researching popular times and completely re-doing our Day 3 itinerary. Plus, the weather was absolute shit (rain in the forecast for the entire day), so we knew we were going to have to cut things and plan in-the-moment based on the hourly forecasts. (We had already spent all of Day 2 hiking in the rain, and neither of us were super pumped to do that again, but sometimes you have to push through 😤)
Seljalandsfoss & Gljúfrabúi: this was a must-do for me, more so for Gljúfrabúi. I knew we had to hit this stop early to avoid the crowds, which also meant a super early wake-up, but it was worth it 🤩 Check out my post on Seljalandsfoss & Gljúfrabúi for more details.
Big Puffin: there is a random puffin statue on the side of 1 near the turn-off for Seljalandsfoss (it's notated as "Big Puffin" on Google Maps). We thought it would be a fun and quick stop to add (and it was).
Íráfoss: roadside waterfall with free parking on the way to Skalakot Manor to Waterfall trailhead. Quick stop and a short walk, we enjoyed this better than any of the ones we stopped at on Day 2.
Skálakot Manor to Waterfall: this is a 14-minute drive from Seljalandsfoss and the weather forecast was looking favorable for the next few hours, so we went for it. Honestly, we had no idea what to expect, I hadn't looked too closely at photos on AllTrails, so we were pleasantly surprised by the small ravine the trail walks above. We also enjoyed having the trail all to ourselves 🥰 Check out my post on Skálakot Manor to Waterfall for more details.
Gluggafoss (Merkjárfoss): we were treated to a few minutes of sunshine at this stop, which cast a rainbow in the base of the falls. If you don't have this on your Iceland Bucket List, then it deserves a second look - check out my post on Gluggafoss (Merkjárfoss) for more details!
Kerið Volcanic Crater Lake: we got there, found a parking spot (by the grace of God), had a quick convo, and left. A few quick notes: free parking, but there is a per person entrance fee... if you're going to do it, do it early, or be prepared for the crowd.
Háifoss Waterfall: this was a must-do for me; unfortunately, the weather was awful, I was starting to feel under the weather, and crossing this off the list would have put us back in Reykjavík after 9pm. So, I made the ultimate sacrifice and agreed to skip it. (It's still on my top-priority list.)
DAY 4
Reykjavík North Coast Paved (AllTrails: 8.9 mile out-and-back, 567 feet gain)
Sky Lagoon
How It Went: I slept the entire day 😅
Sky Lagoon: we made evening reservations for their Pure Light experience (which they are no longer offering as of August 2024). We hopped in the cold plunge pool a couple times, had a few take-away cocktails at the poolside bar, and somehow managed to close the place down (silly midnight sun). While Blue Lagoon is on everyone's list, and for good reason, we really enjoyed the convenience of Sky Lagoon (it's a 15 minute drive versus an hour and you don't have to worry about being evacuated due to the volcano). Find out more about Sky Lagoon here.
DAY 5
Mánaleið (AllTrails: 8.8 mile loop, 531 feet gain)
Perlan Nature Museum
How It Went: Tim worked and I revisited our itinerary for days 6 and 7, looking at popular times, weather forecasts, and road conditions (a section of the Ring Road that we needed had been closed when we arrived). We ended up scratching our entire itinerary for Day 5 and went rogue -
Walking Tour of Reykjavík (AllTrails: 5.7 mile loop, 403 feet gain): this one hits several of the major stops in Reykjavík including: Rainbow Road, Hallgrímskirkja, Harpa Concert Hall, and Reykjavík Harbor. We were able to find free parking on a side street near Hallgrímskirkja. You will need to make your own detour to visit the Sun Voyager. If we were to re-do this walk, we would skip everything after Harpa Concert Hall, and make a detour over to the Sun Voyager. Reykjavík Harbor is neat, but not anything we are even remotely interested in.
Perlan Nature Museum: while we did not make it here, this interactive museum deserves a second look and is still on my bucket list. Check it out!
DAY 6
Skógafoss - Skálabrekkufoss(AllTrails: 10.1 mile out-and-back, 2,503 feet gain)
Kvernufoss (AllTrails: 1 mile out-and-back, 187 feet gain)
Dyrhólaey View (See the effin Puffins)
Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon (AllTrails: 1.9 mile out-and-back, 337 feet gain)
How It Went:
Skógafoss - Skálabrekkufoss: Tim gets one veto a trip, and he used it on this one 😒 But, we still made a quick stop at Skógafoss, which is a short walk from the parking lot.
Kvernufoss: only a few minutes from Skógafoss, this walk-behind waterfall was a quick and easy stop away from the crowds. Check out my post on Kvernufoss for more details.
Dyrhólaey View: seeing the puffins was never on my bucket list, but when in Rome (or Iceland)... hands down one of our favorite stops on the entire trip, we spent hours here 😅
Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon: we found the crowds again, but were treated to a few minutes of sunshine from the viewing platform at the end of the trail! If you can swing this one for early morning or late evening, you'll have the place (mostly) to yourself. Check out my post on Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon for more details.
DAY 7
Vatnajökull Glacier Ice Cave (guided tour)
Diamond Beach
Hangandifoss and Múlagljúfur Canyon (AllTrails: 3.6 mile out-and-back, 1,210 feet gain)
Svartifoss 4 Waterfall Loop (AllTrails: 4.6 mile loop, 889 feet gain)
How It Went:
Vatnajökull Glacier Ice Cave: If there is one area of our trip that I regret not researching more, it would be this one. My determining factor when selecting our tour company was amount of time spent in the cave. The company we went with stated 90 minutes in the cave in their itinerary, which was double the amount of all the other options I looked at (leading me to believe that the cave they took us to was bigger). Unfortunately, we only spent about 40ish minutes in the cave, and most of that time was waiting for the group ahead of us to move on so we could take a few photos. Check out my post on Vatnajökull Glacier Ice Cave for more details.
Diamond Beach: all of those incredible, light refracting photos that you see online, they require the sun to be shining... Our photos look like we edited them to only make the subject appear in color 😆
Hangandifoss and Múlagljúfur Canyon: it was not raining when we arrived in the parking lot and the weather forecast claimed we had a few hours, that changed pretty quickly. There is nothing worse than being miles from your car, completely soaked because your Goretex has reached its max. Even through the fog and clouds, the views took my breath away. Hands down my favorite hike/waterfall of our trip and worth looking like a drowned rat 75% of the hike. Check out my post on Hangandifoss and Múlagljúfur Canyon for more details.
Svartifoss 4 Waterfall Loop: unfortunately, we made the tough decision to scratch this one, and for good reason: everything was water logged.
DAY 8
(TRAVEL DAY)
Blue Lagoon
Flight Home
How It Went:
Costco: We were so over the cold and rain, so we skipped Blue Lagoon and headed to Costco for our favorite past-time: strolling the aisles to see how they compare to our local Costco and treating ourselves to a hot dog. Perfectly acceptable ending to this rain-filled trip!
Flight Home: Complete with an espresso martini (or two) while we waited to board 😍
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