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Iceland, 7 Days Road Trip Itinerary
Iceland is full of breathtaking landscapes and untouched nature, so it is hard to decide what to do if you only have a week to explore this amazing country. I thought I'll give you a hand with a 7 days road trip itinerary with all the best the southern part of the Ring Road has to offer.
Important Tips: Rent a car (4x4 even better) if you want to experience the real Iceland and keep in mind you will have to drive a lot-Iceland is an amazing county and you will probably have tons of crazy experiences while there but keep in mind that it’s not a cheap country-Bonus (the one with the little pig) will be one of the less expensive supermarkets you will find. Always have some packed lunch or snacks with you as you might not find cheap restaurant or even any restaurants at all if you are in the middle of nowhere-In this itinerary you will change your accommodation basically everyday in order to make it possible to see as many places as possible in a weekÂ
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Day 1 - Blue Lagoon
Once landed and picked up your rental car there will definitely be nothing more relaxing than a day at the Blue Lagoon in Keflavik after a long trip. Make sure you book in advance and give yourself a bit of extra time to get there. The lagoon is only about 20 min from the airport but you never know, maybe your flight gets delayed or you have issues with your car rental and want make it on time for your booking. Even though the Lagoon is open from 7:00 to 23:00, you cannot miss your personal entry time! A HUGE piece of advice… Before getting into the water, especially for the ladies, make sure you apply a good amount of conditioner on your hair, bring them up in a ponytail and try not to get them wet. Don’t make my same mistake. I didn't know about it and my hair was looking like hay when I left, not a nice experience. They recovered after weeks and loooots of conditioner! Although, being at the lagoon was amazing! Another lagoon has recently opened as well, the Sky Lagoon in Reykjavik right by the ocean. Have a look and see which one you like the most, or maybe go to both?! If your flight was early in the morning, I would suggest spending a nice evening in Reykjavik after your relaxing bath at the Lagoon.
Where to stay for the night: Reykjavik or just out of town. I had booked Guesthouse Route 1 for the night.
Day 2 – Thingerville National Park, Silfra Snorkeling, Geysir, Gullfoss, Kerid, Hveragerdi and Selfoss
Morning at Thingerville National Park. Once there, do not miss a snorkeling tour in the Silfra Fissure. It's an unmissable experience that will allow you to swim (in a drysuit due to the cold water temperatures) between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates (see photos below).It will take you about 45 minutes to get there from Reykjavik and another 2-3 hours to visit the park, excluding the time you will be swimming in the Silfra Fissure. There are two information centres in Parking number 2 and 5 if you want to collect some maps and some more info before visiting the park.The visit to Thingerviller will take a good amount of your day. Although, if you will be visiting during the summer months, then you will have plenty of daylight to also visit the Gullfoss Falls (about 50 min drive from Thingerville), the Geysir area (10min from Gullfoss) and have a walk around the Keird Crater Lake (50min from Geysir).
Where to stay for the night: Guesthouse 77 in Selfoss (30 min from Kerid Crater Lake).
Day 3 – Lava Tunnel, Selfoss, Gluggafoss, Seljalandfoss and Black Sand Beach
Start your morning with a mesmerizing tour of the Raufarholshellir Lava Tunnel. I believe they only have few tours each day, click here for the official website. Make sure you are fit enough for this tour as you will be walking up and down lava hills in the dark and the cold for about 3 to 4 hours! But I must say it was totally worth it! The one we chose was actually the extreme tour, however, if you don’t feel like it just choose the easier option instead.Nothing sounds better than a nice bath in a hot river after all that walking (and climbing) in the Lava Tunnel. If you still feel your legs after your tour and are able to drive, get back into the car and start driving towards Hveragerði to enjoy a few hours of relax in the hot geothermal river. Keep in mind that there is a 15 min walk to the Hot Springs from the parking area.Right after your nice bath, continue towards Gluggafoss waterfall (also known as Merkjárfoss), about 1 hour from Hveragerði. As you will be about 20 min away from Gljúfrabúi e Seljalandsfoss, two amazing waterfalls which are very close to each other, I will suggest going to see them before driving to your next hotel. Gljúfrabúi is a beautiful waterfall inside a small canyon, while at Seljalandsfoss you can actually walk behind the waterfall itself.
Where to stay for the night: Paradise Cave Hostel and Guesthouse (about 5 min from Seljalandsfoss)
Day 4 - Skogafoss, Sólheimasandur Plane Wreck, Dyrholaey promontory and Reynisfjara Beach (Black Sand Beach)
Wake up nice and early and make your way to Skogafoss waterfall (about 20min from the Guesthouse). You can enjoy looking at the majestic waterfall from the bottom or decide to take a little hike right above for some incredible views of both the scenery around the area and the waterfall itself.After your visit to Skogafoss continue west toward Sólheimasandur Plane Wreck. You will easily find the parking area, which is located just next to the Ring Road. There is a 40 min walk towards the plane wreck (just keep in mind you will have to come back as well). If you don’t want to walk all the way to the plane wreck, your second option will be taking a shuttle bus from the parking area to the plane wreck. However, the scenery is beautiful and completely flat. The route to the plane wreck is also known as the black desert, and I highly recommend going by foot.For the afternoon, continue towards Dyrholaey, a small promontory where you can observe hundreds of Puffins while enjoying the amazing view on Reynisfjara Beach, next and last stop of the day (about 20 min away by car from Dyrholaey).
Where to stay for the night: Mid Hvoll Cottages, in Vik (few minutes from Black Sand Beach)
Day 5 - Vik and lots of stops on the road to Kalfafell
Use the morning to visit the little town of Vik before continuing west again. Take it slow for today and make sure you enjoy the crazy landscape Iceland has to offer. While driving west you will be able to visit various spots along the way such as Hjörleifshöfði Cave, the Þjóðvegur Rest Stop, the Green Lava walk, Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon, Dverghamrar, and Foss a Sidu’ waterfall. Reach your next accommodation around Kaltafell and spend a nice evening eating some traditional Icelandic food in a nearby restaurant. We went to “Systrakaffi Restaurant” and had a great time.
Where to stay for the night: Lækjaborgir Guesthouse, (about 10 min from Kaltafell)
Day 6 – Glacier Lagoon, Svartifoss, Friðland að Fjallabaki Park and Viking Village in Gjain
Book an early Zodiac boat tour at Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon. An experience you will never forget, it will be like being in the arctic and if you are lucky enough like we were, you might also see a turning iceberg! Next stop, Diamond Beach, 2 min from the Lagoon. There are a few food trucks by the Glacier lagoon where you could have lunch before heading back east (we had a nice Fish and Chips). Once lunch is sorted, continue towards the little village of Hof to see one of the last Turf Churches of all Iceland and its little cemetery, Hofskirkja Church (30 min from the Lagoon).After a 20 min drive from Hof, get ready for a bit of hiking to reach Svartifoss waterfall (20 min walk from the parking area but considering that you will be stopping to rest or take pictures it will definitely take more than that). There are other hiking trails in the area so I would suggest you pick and choose one from the map, you will not be disappointed by any of them! Once back in the car it will be time to start driving towards Reykjavik. To make life a little bit easier and be able to visit the little Viking village of Gjain and Stong the morning after, you can overnight around Hella, about a 3 hours drive from Svartifoss.
Where to stay for the night: Nefsholt, 851 Marteinstunga
Day 7 – Gjain and Stong, Hjalpafoss waterfall and Reykjavik
Get ready and start driving towards the little viking village of Gjain and Stong about 1 hour drive from Nefsholt. On your way back to Reykjavik you will also find Hjalparfoss waterfall (20 min from Gjain). From there, you will be back in Reykjavik in about 1h and 30 min time, enjoy walking around the streets of the Icelandic capital, do not miss a visit to HallgrÃmskirkja Church and the 360 views of the city from its viewing terrace. Have a nice dinner in a traditional restaurant and enjoy your last night in Iceland.For the night we stayed in a Guesthouse near Keflavik airport, Svitan Guesthouse, as our flight was early in the morning. However, if you are lucky enough to have your return flight later in the evening for the day after, then I would suggest spending the night in Reykjavik and continue to explore the city the day after.
Where to stay for the night: Reykjavik or Keflavik at Svitan Guesthouse (10 min from airport)
Some of the pictures below are from my second trip to Iceland. We followed more or less the same route adding the Reykjanes Peninsula. It was November, as our main purpose was being able to see the Northern Lights and the winter months are the ones with the most hours of darkness. We also took an excursion to an Ice Cave, which is only possible during winter and went on a Snowmobile Tour on a Glacier. Have a look at the reasons why you should visit Iceland at least twice in your life in my dedicated blog post here!
Iceland Galley
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