The Perfect 7-Day Southern Iceland Itinerary
With a seemingly endless list of things to see, trying to maximize your time in Iceland can become incredibly overwhelming. But we are hoping to take away some of the stress with the southern Iceland itinerary outlined below that will allow you to see a ton of incredible sights without compromising too much on sleep, sanity, etc. This itinerary can easily be picked from or adjusted to accommodate trips from as little as 2 days up to over a week! To make it simple, we have laid it out as a 7-day itinerary.
Day 1
Depending on when you arrive in Keflavik, you may be able to fit a full day of adventures in after you land! When we visited, our flight from Denver landed at 6:30 AM. We were able to pick up our rental car, add one stop to our itinerary (see Stop 1), and still make it to the Blue Lagoon for our 9 AM reservation!
There are a handful of incredible sights between Keflavík and the capital city of Reykjavík, so it is definitely worth exploring if you can.
Stop 1 – Reykjanes Lighthouse
Even if lighthouses aren’t really your thing, this one is definitely worth a visit! The Reykjanes Lighthouse sits on the tip of the Reykjanes Peninsula and provides an unbelievable view of the coast.
This was an accidental stop for us and turned out to be one of our favorites. The lighthouse itself is beautiful but that isn’t why this stop was memorable for us.
Once you arrive, you’ll be greeted by breathtaking cliffs with powerful waves crashing into them. We spent a solid hour here just walking back and forth watching the waves and taking in the ocean air.
The Blue Lagoon is roughly a 30-minute drive from here, so it’s a perfect way to get an introduction to Iceland before soaking in the world-famous blue waters at the lagoon.
Stop 2 – Blue Lagoon
What better way to recover from a long flight than to soak in a relaxing geothermal spa?! We have heard very mixed opinions about the Blue Lagoon, but we loved it! Most people who reviewed this lagoon negatively complained about its overcrowding.
This was not the case when we arrived at 9 AM.
When making your reservation at the Blue Lagoon, try to get there as early as you can manage. While the lagoon requires you to arrive around your reservation time, there is no limit to the amount of time you can spend there. This means that the later in the day you arrive, the more likely it is to be overcrowded.
Depending on what time your flight arrives, you may want to move this to the last day of your trip. Getting to the lagoon at one of their earliest time slots gave us a few hours with very sparse people and lots of alone time given the huge pool. This was an amazing way to start the vacation and we would definitely recommend it!
Stop 3 – Reykjavík
Your time in Reykjavík may consist of just getting to a hotel and crashing for the night, depending on how much time and energy you have left on your first day.
At the very least, this is a great spot to stock up on groceries! Groceries will be a huge money-saver – as you may have read on countless other blogs, Iceland is very expensive. If you are curious about exactly how expensive it is, check out our cost breakout from our trip!
But if you can manage to spend a few hours wandering around this city, there are a ton of fascinating things to see!
Search for Street Art!
Reykjavík has SO MUCH incredible street art! Depending on where you are flying from, jetlag may be getting the best of you at this point. That was the case for us at least. But we saved our afternoon by mindlessly wandering around the city in search of the best street art!
The most famous piece of street art in Reykjavík is almost certainly on Skólavörðustígur, where a stretch of the street is painted as a rainbow.
Visit Hallgrímskirkja
If you found the rainbow street mentioned above, you will have no trouble finding this remarkable church. If you keep going uphill from the rainbow street, you will find yourself right at the base of this church! Really, the height of this building will make it easy to find from many places in Reykjavík.
Walk Around Lake Tjörnin
This is a perfect area to grab some food and enjoy the view of this beautifully calm lake. Walking around the water, you will find a variety of art and charming buildings. There are often many opportunities for birdwatching at the lake, as well.
There are a ton of things you can add to this list in Reykjavík, but now may be a good time to head back to your hotel and rest up for the next day.
Day 2
Your second day in Iceland starts your journey around the Golden Circle! The Golden Circle is a small loop that typically starts and ends in Reykjavík. It has three popular stops: Þingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park, Geysir Geothermal Area, and Gullfoss Waterfall.
We decided to stretch our time around the Golden Circle into two days in order to add a few more stops, but this route can easily be done in a day if you would rather prioritize your time elsewhere.
Stop 1 – Öxarárfoss Waterfall
This first stop is located inside Thingvellir National Park and requires a 20-30 minute walk from the parking lot to reach the waterfall. Aside from climbing down some rocks at the beginning of the walk, the trail is fairly flat.
While this isn’t one of the biggest waterfalls you could see in Iceland, the waterfall and the walk up to it are absolutely gorgeous! It really is amazing to get up close to the waterfall and feel its power!
Stop 2 – Almannagjá
Staying within Thingvellir National Park, the next stop is Almannagjá (please never ask us to pronounce any of these names… I don’t think we could even get close!), a gorge that you can walk through.
You can easily spend hours here if you take advantage of all of the walking trails in the area! Along one of these trails, you can find people snorkeling at the Silfra Fissure. Here you’ll come to see some ridiculously clear water and amazing sub-surface colors.
You can pay to go snorkeling if you have the cash to spare. I’m sure this would be incredibly fun! …We were a little jealous of those doing it. But just watching and taking in the amazing scenery was more than enough to make the stop well worth it. Especially once we realized how freezing everyone snorkeling was!
Stop 3 – Laugarvatn Fontana
In Iceland, it seems like there is always the option of ending your day with a geothermal bath, and this day is no exception. About halfway around the Golden Circle is Laugarvatn Fontana – a geothermal spa set alongside a scenic lake.
This is also one of the spots in Iceland where they make bread in the ground! Depending on what time of day you arrive here, you may be able to walk to their geothermal bakery to see the process of baking the bread. Even if you don’t make it in time for the walk, they sell the bread in their cafe all day, so you can enjoy some nice, warm food after soaking in the baths.
This place really seems to have it all! There’s even a guesthouse right across the street if you want to make this your endpoint for the night.
Something that caught us off guard in Iceland is how early all the restaurants and stores close. Being naive and blindly relying on Google to give us accurate store hours, we didn’t get any food before hitting the baths around 5 PM. After getting out, nothing was open. Luckily, we found the bread and soup in the bath’s cafe to be very filling and a good end to the day.
Day 3
Here’s where splitting the Golden Circle into two days really comes in handy! Since you are already halfway around the route, you can enjoy some peace and quiet at one or two of the most popular sights before the tour buses start arriving! …That is assuming you get an early enough start.
In our experience, tour buses didn’t start arriving at Geysir and Gullfoss until around 9 or 10 AM. This is not something to take lightly and can greatly impact how much you are able to appreciate the serenity of Iceland’s landscapes.
Stop 1 – Geysir
A relaxing walk around Geysir Geothermal Area is a nice, calm way to ease into the day. This is a great place to wander around and is very quiet, except for when the geyser goes off. This typically happens every 10 minutes and is definitely worth waiting to see at least once.
Stop 2 – Gullfoss
Gullfoss is one of Iceland’s most popular waterfalls and for very good reason. Standing in the presence of Gullfoss is extremely humbling. It reminds you how small and powerless you are in such a cool way. If you want to get up close, be prepared to get absolutely soaked
This is a pretty good tip for all of Iceland though. Even if you aren’t going to a waterfall, the weather is very unpredictable and you are pretty likely to end up getting rained on, soaked by a waterfall, or blown over by wind at one point or another.
Stop 3 – Faxi Waterfall
If you don’t love waterfalls as much as we do, Gullfoss may be more than enough to satisfy your waterfall craving for the day. But if you are like us and want to find as many waterfalls as possible, Faxi Waterfall is a fantastic addition to your Golden Circle itinerary. And it’ll be significantly less crowded than Gullfoss. There was only one other couple visiting when we were there!
Stop 4 – Brúarfoss
Another important thing to have in mind in Iceland is that the weather may not always be on your side. When that happens, you need to be prepared to either get soaked and probably blown around a little bit or miss out on some of the activities on your list.
Brúarfoss is our example of this.
Getting to this waterfall requires a bit of a hike. We love hikes! But we don’t always want to commit to a multiple-hour journey when it’s pouring outside and we’ve already gotten soaked two times that day.
So, while sitting in the car at the trailhead, we decided to skip the hike and head to our hotel. We were bummed that we didn’t end up seeing this magical waterfall. But with the rain and us already being super exhausted, we decided to rest up for the remainder of our trip instead of potentially pushing ourselves past our limits.
While these are sometimes really hard decisions to make, make sure you are considering your limits and taking care of yourself while exploring all there is to see in Iceland. BUT… if you do hike to this waterfall, please help us live through you and share your pictures with us 😉
Plans For the Next Day
Instead of going all the way back to Reykjavík to complete this circle, we stayed in Selfoss to prepare for our journey along the south coast.
The goal of this part of the trip is to get as far along the south coast as you can before having to turn back, which means that these last 4 days can look very different for anyone who adopts this itinerary.
For us, this meant getting through what we could on days 4 and 5 and making up for what we missed on the way back through. Some people may want to spend more time in a certain area. Others may want to make it farther along the Ring Road than what is outlined here.
Whichever way you choose to do it, we hope our outline simplifies your trip planning a little.
Day 4
Our goal on this day was to make it from Selfoss to the town of Vík. If your goal in visiting Iceland is to see as many waterfalls as you can, today might just be the best day of your life. It certainly was one of ours!
Stop 1 – Seljalandsfoss
At the first waterfall of the day, be prepared to leave dripping wet… It’ll be so worth it! When driving up to this incredible waterfall, it’s hard to appreciate its size and power from the road. But once you get up closer and can appreciate it from all angles, you will be amazed!
This was the only waterfall we visited on this trip that allowed us to walk completely behind the water. If you really don’t want to get wet, there are tons of spots to view outside of the splash zone. But making the trek behind it makes for an even more unbelievable experience.
Stop 2 – Rútshellir Cave
Being spontaneous in Iceland is crucial as your best experiences may surprise you. And you are never going to be prepared for everything along the journey no matter how much research you do before your trip.
This stop is one of my favorites, and we just happened to see it on the side of the road. We had never heard of it before driving right past it! It is a man-made cave that you enter through a little thatched-roof hut. It’s such a unique stop that helps you break up the waterfalls a little bit.
Even when you adore waterfalls as much as we do, you need some stops in between to dry off!
Stop 3 – Skógafoss
Skógafoss is one of Iceland’s most recognizable waterfalls with a height of about 197 feet (60 meters) and a width of about 82 feet (25 meters). And you are able to stand right on the black rocks at the bottom of Skógafoss. This allows you to feel like the teeny tiny little human that you are because this waterfall is SO TALL!
If you are able to walk up the few hundred steps to get to the top of this waterfall, we 100% recommend talking yourself into a little cardio. The view from the top is even more mesmerizing.
Stop 4 – Fimmvörðuháls Hiking Trail
This is really just an extension to Stop 3 as this hike starts at the top of Skógafoss. If you are physically able and can fit in the time to do this hike, we DEFINITELY recommend this hike! It was without a doubt our favorite experience of our time in Iceland!
The trail follows the Skógá River, and along the way, you are constantly greeted with more and more waterfalls. Many people only spend their time at Skógafoss, so it doesn’t take much walking to get away from almost everyone. After only about 15 minutes of walking from the top of the steps at Skógafoss, we probably only saw 10 more people for the entire time we were hiking (about 4 hours).
The hike is about 15 miles (one-way) and we were very much not prepared for that, so we knew we had to turn back eventually. It was so hard to convince ourselves to, though, not knowing how amazing the next waterfall would be.
The most difficult part of the hike that we encountered was the stairs to the top of Skogafoss. If you can convince yourself to get to the top of that, you will be able to manage the hike. There was also a large patch of snow near the end of our journey which was a little slippery but not very difficult to cross.
Days 5/6
On Day 5, we continued to drive along the Ring Road until we hit Reynivellir. Here, we rested for the night before turning around and making our way back toward Reykjavík.
It may appear ineffective to drive through the same land that you saw on your way east, but there is so much to see that you can fill your days with totally different locations on your way in and your way back.
This also takes away the stress of having to fit in every single stop on your itinerary on your first day in a town. If you tire and want to rest for the day, you know you can stop at these places again on your way back. Of course, then you’ll have to miss another stop, but hey, that’s just another reason to come back, right?!
Stop 1 – Loftsalahellir Cave
We passed the halfway mark of the trip and thought it was time for a slower start to the day.
In other words, we were already exhausted!
At this stop, prepare to take a short walk up a steep hill to enjoy some incredible views of Vík and the surrounding coastline. We hung out in this cave for about an hour and were the only two there the whole time! Granted, there are a ton of more impressive sights in this area. But we loved this as a calm hangout spot to really be in the moment and appreciate everything around us.
Stop 2 – Dyrhólaey
Here we are at yet another picture-perfect spot in Iceland… This country seriously feels too good to be true! This stop takes you to the top of a hill right on the coast where there are jaw-dropping views at every angle.
There are a couple of popular picturesque spots at Dyrhólaey. One side of the coast features the iconic shot that follows the coastline and the black sand beach. On the other side is a beautiful rock arch with a hole in it. While these are the two most common shots at this stop, my favorite view from our time there was of the massive cliff right along the sea.
If you are visiting between May through August, this is a common place to see puffins! Even though we were there in late May, we didn’t see any here. But maybe you’ll have better luck than we did!
One thing to keep in mind, which is true for a lot of Iceland, is that this can be a very dangerous spot if you don’t follow the rules. I mean… You are actually walking on the edge of a cliff.
Make sure you are being respectful by following the rules and staying within the allowed areas.
While we were there, some people kept trying to sneak outside of the guardrails to get closer to the edge. As a result, the guard in that area kept constant watch on these people to make sure they didn’t… you know… fall off a CLIFF! Don’t be these people. Stay safe and be respectful of the rules of the place you are visiting.
Stop 3 – Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach
Any black sand beach is a magical sight, and the landscape at Reynisfjara Beach adds even more to the magic. This stop is full of jaw-dropping beauty. Not only can you admire the black sand, but you also get to see one of Iceland’s majestic basalt column formations! This beach truly feels otherworldly.
On top of that, keep your eyes peeled for puffins if you visit between May and August. We actually saw TWO puffins while visiting this beach! One was high up on the basalt columns and the other was a little baby puffin walking along the coastline! They really are beautiful creatures and are a pleasure to find in Iceland.
Don’t let the beauty of this place keep you from being cautious because this beach can be very dangerous, too. If you are paying even the slightest bit of attention while walking up to the beach, you will see warning signs for the sneaker waves that this beach brings. These warnings are not something to take lightly as many people have died here due to these monstrous waves. Don’t get too close to the water, and always keep your eyes on the waves.
Another thing to be aware of here is that it is a super common stop for tour buses. Because of this, it may be helpful to plan this stop early in the morning or later in the evening.
Stop 4 – Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon
Similar to our experience for Brúarfoss, we pulled up to this spot in the pouring rain. This time, though, we weren’t going to head back without seeing in person what we had marveled at in pictures. It’s a bit of a walk down to the overlook point. With the haziness of the storm, we couldn’t see what was approaching until we got really close. This made the massive canyon feel even more impressive.
One great thing about the unpredictable weather is that, if you’re willing to trek into it, you’ll most likely be met with fewer crowds than you would on a normal day. This day benefitted from that and made the sight that much more magical, but we would still certainly recommend this stop either way.
Stop 5 – Fossálar Waterfalls
This may be the easiest stop of this whole itinerary. There is really no planning needed to make it here as long as you are going far enough east. This waterfall is about 15 steps off of the Ring Road. It isn’t a tall waterfall like the others on here have been, but it is powerful and beautiful and definitely worth a quick stop!
Stop 6 – Hofskirkja Turf Church
We love a good thatched-roof building and this church was probably our favorite. Situated at the bottom of towering cliffs with tiny waterfalls drizzling from the edges, this church offers a serene and surreal environment to relax and enjoy learning about Iceland’s history.
Surrounding the building are signs talking about the person who built the church and it even has some items from his original workshop. People may not always think about going to Iceland for the history, but if you look around and read up on your stops before, there are TONS of interesting bits of knowledge to learn about. Most sights have some really incredible backstories.
Surrounding the church is a cemetery which gives the landscape a very interesting look. While there are marked graves behind the church, the graves in the same yard of the church are unlabeled and just look like organized mounds. Be sure to be respectful and not wander onto the mounds, though.
Stop 7 – Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
This place really proves the point that if you ever see a bunch of people parked out in seemingly the middle of nowhere, there might just be a very good reason for it.
We had no idea we were driving next to this lagoon and were very confused when we saw a bunch of cars parked next to what looked like a big pile of dirt. Luckily, we were smart enough to get out and climb over the pile of dirt to find one of the most breathtaking landscapes we had ever seen!
Stop 8 – Diamond Beach
Right across the street from the glacier lagoon is Breiðamerkursandur, also known as Diamond Beach. When the icebergs from the glacier lagoon make their way into the sea, they all pass by this beach. Some icebergs get stuck on the shore on their way out, which is how the beach gets its name.
You can see large chunks of ice at Diamond Beach at any point throughout the year. The tricky part (for us at least) is figuring out which time of day is the right time to go! The scenery at this beach can change very quickly as the tides change. So even if it lacks the expected magic, wait it out for a little while and your luck may change!
We got to see a few chunks of ice while we were there, but we will definitely be trying to get back there to see it in its prime condition!
Even with 8 stops listed here, there is still so much more to see in this area! But this is also enough to get you through 2 days of sightseeing without completely overdoing yourself! Don’t forget, you still have to make your way all the way back to the airport!
On night 6, we stayed the night in Vík, the same place where we spent night 4. This helped us break up the drive instead of leaving just one day to make it back to Reykjavík. But there are so many different options for how to break up these days, so make sure you consider what is best for you and your travel preferences.
Day 7
Today’s the day to make the rest of the drive back to Reykjavík. From Vík, we had about a 2.5 hour drive to make it to Reykjavík. Which means we still had time for a few more stops! And we decided to relax to the fullest on our last day in Iceland.
We enjoyed the scenery on the drive back and ended up spending many hours at Sky Lagoon once we got back to Reykjavík… Might as well have one more splurge on a thermal bath, right?
Instead of staying the night in Reykjavík, we decided to get a cheap hotel in Keflavík to make the next morning a little easier. We enjoyed staying in Reykjavík more, but it was really nice to only be about 10 minutes away from the airport!
This itinerary definitely does not include everything you can see and do in southern Iceland. But it is more than enough to leave you happy and tired when your trip is over.
Overall, Iceland is a phenomenal place to visit no matter how you decide to spend it. As long as you are fine dealing with the weather and making some unexpected changes if it gets too hard to deal with, you will be able to appreciate all that this country has to offer.
Practicing your spontaneity may even contribute to a more memorable trip than your original plans would’ve produced! Nothing beats the excitement of discovering something that you didn’t read about online.
Let us know in the comments which spot in Iceland is at the top of your list!
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