When we started planning our trip (in January), I thought we could make it around the whole island in one week. On the map it looks so small and driving distances between major points of interest usually range from 30 minutes to 1 hour. After writing down all the attractions we wanted to see, allocating time for sightseeing, traveling and photo stops along the way, I realized it won’t be possible. To enjoy the trip and not rush too much, we decided to explore only the southern part of Iceland. Continue reading to see our detailed itinerary and explore with me Iceland in 7 days. Warning – long text with beautiful photos ahead 😉.

Upon our arrival to Keflavik International Airport (beautiful and modern looking!) we stopped at the car rental to pick up our car. You can choose from many car rental companies and you can find them all in the airport area. You can reach them easily by airport shuttle bus departing from arrival hall and taking only 5 minutes to get there. After researching more companies and comparing their services and prices, we’ve decided for the Lotus Car Rental. We booked Kia Sportage 4×4 (automatic) that seemed to address all our needs. We were quite satisfied, only the gas tank was pretty small compared to the size of the car.

If I don’t count the grocery store in Keflavik, Blue Lagoon was our first stop. It takes only 20 minutes to get there from the airport. We decided not to go inside, so we wandered around the outside lagoons, finally stretched our legs after the flight and driving and took some pictures. It was cold with showers every five minutes, so we left after half an hour. However, I can imagine spending there more time during a sunny day.

From Blue Lagoon we continued to Hotel Stundarfridur, our first accommodation. It lies close to Stykkisholmur and it was one of the best accommodations we’ve experienced. You can check my review at TripAdvisor or their profile at Booking.com. As we still had some time before the darkness set in, we took the short drive to Stykkisholmur and had a walk around the city and Sugandisey Island Lighthouse. Weather was pleasant and the views beautiful 🙂

The first full day in Iceland was exceptional. I woke up to my 30th birthday, so I wanted everything to be perfect. And it was 🙂 I was looking forward to our first stop of the day, Kirkjufellsfoss and Kifkjufell – I think the most photographed mountain in Iceland. Now I understand why. It looks awesome during any season of the year as well as in any weather conditions 🙂 We spend there little more time than we planned as I was trying to find the best angle for my photos 🙂

We continued along the shore to the Snaefellsjokull National Park and made couple photo stops on the way. Skarðsvík Beach was the first point of interest. It was the first beach in Iceland we visited and it looked like from a romantic movie 🙂 Sand was white, so no surprise there. However, it was covered with black rocks. As more tourists started to gather around to admire the ocean view, we set off.

On the map we ‘venoticed that there is a nice orange lighthouse at the end of the road, approximately 10 minutes’ drive. After 5 minutes we found a beautiful orange lighthouse, that was different from the one on the picture. Well, just remember that when you get to crossroad, whichever of those two possible roads you take, it will lead to some orange lighthouse 🙂 They are both very picturesque 🙂 Make also sure that your car is capable of rough terrain, roads are gravel and in bad condition.

On the way to our second accommodation, we stopped couple (many!) times to check out all the attractions nearby. Saxholl Crater (old volcano crater) was a great break from sitting in the car. It is not far from the parking lot; however, you have to conquer couple stairs to reach the top. View is beautiful, it is though very windy at the top, I had problems to take a photo without shaking. Be also careful when going to the edge, wind there is really tricky.

There are many places to stop and observe the beauty around, relax a bit or take photos. Mostly they are abandoned houses, cute little churches, horses or rainbows.

We arrived to Laugarvatn at 9 pm and checked in our hostel for the night. Before going to bed, we’ve decided to check out the Geyser that is in 30 km distance. We thought it will be beautiful during the night and probably would be if there was any light 😀 Luckily, there was a group with flash lights, so we could see at least something 😊 So, if you have the same great idea, take some torch or something, so you see as much as possible. There are no street lights, so it is completely dark.

As we couldn’t see much of the Geyser the previous night, we went to see it the next morning. At least we already knew the way 😊 There wasn’t that much to see, but the way the Geyser erupted was amazing. I recommend that you make a slo-mo video to see it in the detail, as the eruption is very quick. There is a big souvenir shop at the parking lot with many nice and expensive things.

Gullfoss was our second stop of the day. It is a massive waterfall with many viewpoints to choose from. You can spend there one hour admiring it 🙂 As it was cold, windy and raining during our visit, we enjoyed also a hot coffee in the local restaurant.

We wanted to stop in Laugarvatnshellir (it was a cave where people actually lived) on our way to Öxarárfoss, however the road was flooded and closed. It was difficult to get to the waterfall too, but we made it. It is mostly during winter and early spring that some roads are closed due to bad weather conditions. We had to look for different ways couple times during traveling around Iceland. Be prepared for such situations and consult with Google maps. Road closures are not reflected in the navigation you have in your car.

Before we reached our next accommodation (this time in Vík), we stopped at Kerið. I believe you’ve already seen it on the pictures. It’s this colorful crater with water at the bottom. This was the first time we had to pay for the entrance. It was 400 ISK and it was totally worth it. If you want to learn more about Kerið and my other favorite attractions in Iceland, continue to my article 8 must-see attractions in Iceland.

Seljalandsfoss was worth the visit too. I was so happy I could go behind the waterfall! Fortunately, it was our last stop that day. Please remember that this experience will cost you your dry clothes 😀 Regardless the weather, when you go behind the waterfall, you will always get soaked. Not wet, soaked. We wore waterproof jackets, but that was not enough. Take a raincoat long to your ankles if possible and water-resistant shoes. Or, leave some extra clothes in the car, so you can change afterward.

Does it happen to you that you see photo of a particular place/attraction on internet couple times, but you have no idea where in the world it is? This happened to me with a photo of one specific plane wreck. I came across it couple times, always liked it, but never aware of where to find it. It was only after buying flight tickets that I came across this plane wreck photo on Instagram again and learned it’s in Iceland! So, this became our next destination 😊

Our timing at 9 am turned out to be perfect. Unlike the rest of attractions with parking lot right next to them, to Sólheimasandur Plane Wreck you have to walk approximately 45 minutes. The other tricky fact is that there is no sign telling you where to turn and you can’t see the plane from the road. However, if you are on the road from Seljalandsfoss to Vík, you will see bigger parking lot on your right with plenty cars after approximately 30 minutes (37 km). From Vík it is under 20 minutes by car. From the parking lot, there is wide gravel road leading to the plane. It was used it the past, however, now it is closed and you have to walk 3,5 km. After all it is a great walk, especially when you sit in the car most of the time of your trip 😀

When we spotted the plane in the distance (after 35 minutes of walking 😊), one group was already leaving, the other started to take photos. Once we reached it, that group left too and we could explore the plane on our own. On our way back to the car, more and more people were marching the gravel road to see the plane and the parking lot was nearly full. I couldn’t imagine how crowded it became after we left.

So, if you want to visit this place and avoid crowds, make sure you go there in the early morning. Usually I would recommend coming in the evening as an alternative, but not in this case. When we were passing by the parking lot the day before at 7 pm, still many cars were there. Couple more recommendations. Wear good (hiking) shoes and windproof jacket. Be cautious in bad weather conditions. Don’t go when there is snow on the road, when it’s raining heavily or the wind is too strong.

Looking back at this day, I think it was the most adventurous one. Two-hour “hike” in the morning and three-hour glacier experience in Skaftafell in the afternoon. After two-hour drive to get there from Sólheimasandur plane wreck, of course 😊 It is good to arrive at the designated place half an hour before the departure. Every member of the group will get the needed gear (ax, crampons, helmets and in some cases boots). You have to also pay for the parking in the machine inside the discovery building. There is also restaurant, so you can have some coffee or snack before you go. (Or afterward, if it is not later than 6pm when they’re closing.)

The tour takes 3 hours and you don’t have to be afraid of anything. Your guide (they all are very nice and fun) will make sure you wear your crampons properly, and will instruct you how to use them on the glacier 😉 At the beginning of spring the conditions are slightly better. Snow is already melting, so it is crunchy and easy to walk on. At the beginning of March, it was ice-like and difficult to walk at the steep parts. Anyway, you will go slowly and carefully everywhere and you will have plenty time to take photos too. The ice cave itself was spectacular, I was just expecting something bigger than it actually was 😀 I believe you will enjoy it!

Regarding my favorite “I recommend” section, I would like to share with you clothes to consider for glacier walk. As you will be on ice most of the time, make sure your boots are firm at the ankles and waterproof. It also recommend to wear waterproof pants (or at least not jeans, as it takes too long for them to dry) and jacket. I think that If you wear thermal underwear t-shirt and windproof jacket, you will be comfortable. It can be cold and windy on one hand, but also sunny as we had on the other.

As we started our ice cave and glacier walk tour at 3 pm and finished after 6 pm, the only program left for the day was to get to our hotel. This time we were accommodated in a 4-star Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon situated in the middle of nowhere. It was our most luxurious hotel in Iceland and it was in price level of 3-star hotels or even some hostels with private bathroom!

As we were still in the glacier area (close to the biggest glaciers in Iceland) and enjoyed the glacier walk day ago, we wanted to see some more 😊 We set off in the direction of Höfn to Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, it is approx. 20-minute drive. Once you are there, do not leave immediately after taking couple photos. There is an opportunity for a little walk along the shore. As there are less tourists and it is quieter, you can see seals there 😊.

Famous Diamond beach lies across the road from Jökulsárlón parking lot, 5-minute walk. It is rather spectacular view of glittery icebergs lying on the black sand and being washed out by the tide. Perfect place for another jumping photos 😊.

I heard that Fjallsárlón Glacier Lagoon is even nicer than Jökulsárlón, so we made short stop there on our way back to Vík. I won’t be of much help here, I think both glacier lagoons are beautiful 😊.

Glacier lagoons were the farthest places we visited on our trip. From this point we started heading back in direction of Reykjavík. Our first stop was well-known Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach. As most of the beaches we’ve already seen had black sand, it didn’t seem that unique to me anymore. However, those big waves were fascinating! I haven’t seen bigger waves before. I even enjoyed running away from the water spreading across the beach while I was taking photos. It is though important to stay in a safe distance from the waves. Black sand beach, as well as Kirkjufjara Beach, are known to be one of the deadliest beaches because of dangerous waves. Check weather forecast ocean conditions for the weather updates and read the warning sign when entering the beach.

Before we arrived to our next accommodation, we paid a visit to Dyrhólaey lighthouse. To get there, you have to conquer steep serpentine gravel road with holes. I was a bit afraid if we can make it with our car, however much smaller cars made it, so no worries.

As we arrived to our Skógafoss Hotel early, we made special plans for the evening. We decided to try some thermal bath. We chose Seljavallalaug Swimming Pool that was nearby. First 10-minute drive, then 15-minute walk. It was snowing three times – on our way there, during swimming and on the way home. On our way there we met bigger group already leaving and there were still couple people in the pool. It was already 7 pm. I can imagine it is crowded during the summer months.

If you decide for a bath in Seljavallalaug Swimming Pool, I have two good and two bad news for you. It is for free and it in situated farther from civilization in the middle of mountains, with magnificent views. However, water is not hot (it is slightly warm) and changing rooms are wet and dirty. It was a one-in-a-lifetime experience though 😉

Skógafoss hotel is situated close to Skógafoss, you can enjoy breakfast with the view of the waterfall. We started the day at this place. First, we took couple photos of the waterfall, then we went to check out the upper observation deck. If the weather is nice, I recommend taking a walk from the viewpoint along the river. You will see the best views of the country around including the top of Eyjafjallajökull volcano. I say nothing more, check out photos below and judge for yourself.

From Skógafoss we were heading to Reykjavík. We stopped again at the Seljalandfoss’s parking lot, this time to have a cup of coffee 😊. We made couple more random photo stops and arrived to City Park Hotel after 2 pm. As the hotel is 35 minutes from the city center, we enjoyed a nice walk and wandered little bit around the main tourist attractions and souvenir shops (as it was the highest time to buy some gifts for family and friends). We bought something to eat for dinner, headed back to hotel and got ready for aurora hunt!

It was for the first time during our stay in Iceland, that the night sky was clear and the conditions to see the norther lights were positive. We packed hot tea, camera gear, warm clothes and set off shortly before 11 pm. To get rid of light pollution, we drove 30 minutes out of the city in the direction of Keflavík and parked off the road in the darkness. And…we were lucky to see the northern lights for the first time in our lives! 😊 If you are newbies too and are looking for useful tips on photo shooting northern lights, read my blog on Photographing Northern Lights in Iceland.

We spent our last day in Iceland wandering around Reykjavík. We visited Hallgrímskirkja – giant Lutheran parish church which is the tallest building in the country. It is also home to the largest concert organ in Iceland. We climbed to the top of the tower to see the panoramic view of the city. In the afternoon we visited whale museum and had dinner at Rock Cafe Reykjavik.

I think we managed to see a lot from Iceland and visited all attractions we planned. However, I still have to come back to travel the northern part of the island 😊.

Love & happy travels,
RLT

P.S.: If you have any questions, different experience or suggestion, please share it in a comment below. 😉