Here is a look into a 7 day (8 including flying home) Iceland travel itinerary. We traveled to Iceland the end of August and the beginning of September 2025. Our trip includes exploring Reykjavik, the golden circle, the south coast, and some glacier hiking. I also have some other blog posts about Iceland that I will link in this article! Be sure to read them and enjoy.

Day 1: Arrival in Iceland

We landed at 6:45 am Iceland time after an overnight flight from RDU. It seems that most flights land around this time or around 4pm coming from the United States. Either way, this itinerary for the day still works for both.

After landing and clearing customs, which was a very fast process, we met up with our rental car company. We booked through Lotus Rental which does not have a location at the airport but has a free shuttle to and from the building. We booked the platinum insurance which came with wifi. I recommend getting the full insurance because you never know what could happen. Lotus gives you the option to do a contactless pick up which I recommend. You have to fill out your documents ahead of time and can skip a long queue for picking up your keys.

Our first stop of the day was Sky Lagoon. We booked the 10 A.M slot and we ended up getting there early. It seems like most tour busses get there around 10/11 am so I recommend getting there before that. There is an option to add on the 7-step ritual and I do recommend this. It starts with a cold plunge and ends with a wellness shot. The whole experience is relaxing and a fun break from lounging in the hot spring.

After checking into our Air BnB, we walked to the nearby Bonus grocery store for some lunch foods and snacks for our road trip the next day. I recommend any paprika chips and any flavor of skyr yogurt.

For dinner we ate at Íslenski Barinn (The Icelandic Bar) which had a cozy vibe. I got the seafood soup and it was a mixture of traditional Icelandic food but a modern asian twist on it. This bar also has a large selection of local Icelandic beer to try.

After along day and no sleep, we went to bed pretty early but made sure to pack our lunch for tomorrow.

Day 2: The Golden Circle

After waking up and eating a quick breakfast at the Air BnB, we started our journey along the Golden Circle. The Golden Circle is one of the most popular activities when visiting Iceland. It allows you to see many different landscapes and natural wonders in one day. I recommend getting up and out as early as you can to beat the crowds.

We started with a 45 minute drive to Thingvellir National Park. You could honestly spend a whole day here but we allotted about 2 hours. We were able to see some main sights like Oxafoss waterfall and the law rock. By 11 am, all the tor busses had arrived which made us glad we had come early.

Next stop was at Laugarvatn Fontana for their rye bread tour. They demonstrate how they cook rye bread in the ground for 24 hours using geothermal heat. You then get to taste some fresh bread with local smoked fish.

Then we stopped at two waterfalls, Burarfoss and Gulfoss. Two very differnet waterfalls but both are a must see. Bruarfoss has glacial blue looking water which is unlike the other waterfalls around. Gulfoss is a giant powerful waterfall that shows how strong water can be.

After working up an appetite we were ready for our reservations at Friðheimar. This greenhouse restruant only serves dishes with tomatoes in them which they grow in the greenhouse you eat in! It is a super cool experince and the food is qutie good. They offer unlimited tomato soup and bread as well as toato beer and ice cream. I recommend booking reservations a few months in advance here.

Since we had to choose a late lunch time, we then backtracked a bit to the Geysir area. Luckily everything on the golden circle isn’t that far from each other. The Geysir goes off frequently so if you are patient you can see go off a few times.

Last stop on our tour was the Kerid Krater. This giant crater was formed from a collapsed volcano that then filled with water. You can walk along the top and walk along the edge of the water. We were there at sunset on a sunny day so we got the most epic glow from the sun on the red dirt. It was a great way to end our long day.

Day 3: Reykjavik

Reykjavik, the most northerly capital city in the world, is one that I will ever forget. This city was so clean, friendly, and unique. The streets are filled with green plants, cats, and colorful homes. We started at the famous Braud and Co for some cinnamon rolls. These were amazing and we got more later in our trip because we couldnt stop thinking about them. I also grabbed a coffee from Reykjavik roasters next door and we headed to our next stop.

The National Museum of Iceland was a short walk from our breakfast stop but along the way we got to pet cats and see some amazing murals. I recommend walking in this city instead of taking transportation because it allows you to go slow and see things up close.

The museum was a bit pricy at $26 USD per person but there was a lot of history packed in here. We learned about the first settlers of Iceland and how they were able to survive the harsh Icelandic weather. I would recommend this museum especially if the weather outside is less desirable.

For lunch, we headed to Cafe Loki. This cafe is located right in from of the famous Hallgrímskirkja church and is bright yellow so you cant miss it. We ordered the Loki platter and a shot of Brennevin. The platter came with fermented shark, dried fish, mashed fish, and smoked trout and lamb. It was an experience trying the fermented shark with the brennevin shot after. The rest of the food was fun to try to I would come here if you want to sample some traditional food.

We spent most the afternoon shopping along Lavgavegur Street and Rainbow Street. These streets will have all the souvieners you need. Tip: if you are looking for icelandic wool, make sure the tag said made in Iceland not desinged in Iceland.

At the bottom of Lavgavegur Street you will find the famous hot dog stand called Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur. That translates to which translates to the towns best hotdogs which I guess is true. For an afternoon snack we tried these Icelandic hot dogs. These are very different than American hot dogs but were still a delicious and affordable snack.

After a long day of walking we decided to rest our feet at Lemmy Bar. This bar offers some Scandinavian beers and cider to try.

For dinner we had reservations at ROK. I highly recommend reservations for this restaurant because it is so small. ROK offers small plates that are meant for sharing so you can try many things on the menu. Our favorite on the menu was the arctic char, a must try if you are in Iceland. All the food we had there was amazing and I highly recommend this place.

Depending on the time of year you go, you have the chance of seeing the northern lights. Lucky for us, this night they were visible. We waited till about 10:30/11 pm and drove to the grotta lightouse right outiside the city center. The parking lot was packed but this was a great place to see the lights without having to drive too far from the city. We saw may people at the Sun Voyager scultlpure which was a good spot if you dont have a car.

This was a perfect end to our first few days in Iceland!

Day 4: South Coast Road Trip Reykjavik to Vik

After checking out of our Air B&B in Reykjavik, we headed to the south coast. Our first stop was at Seljalandsfoss and having waterproof layers is necessary here. You have the opportunity to walk behind the waterfall which will get you soaked but it is so worth it. There is also a cave with a waterfall inside that is walking distance nearby. This is called Gljúfrabúi and you also get soaked if you go inside.

The next stop of the day was Rutshellir cave. This was one of over 200 man made caves that were (and some still are) used for storing hay.

From the cave is a short 10 minute drive to Skógafoss, one of Iceland’s most iconic waterfalls. A quick 527 step hike to the top of the waterfall provides a great view from above. If you keep walking along the trail there are more “mimi” waterfalls to see. While I waited for the rest of my group to finish hiking these mini waterfalls, I grabbed an Icelandic beer at Hotel Skógafoss.

For dinner we stopped in Vik at Black Crust Pizzeria where we had some delicious pizza. We got black crust pizza with langoustine and it was delicious. After our short stop in Vik we headed to our AirBnB in Kirkjubæjarklaustur. We chose not to stay in Vik because the prices were higher there compared to Kirkjubæjarklaustur. Plus, there were some sights we wanted to see further east and this location acted as a good halfway point.

This AirBnB we stayed was absolutely amazing. I highly recommend this accommodation or something similar. It was a cozy vibe and gave us the chance to see the northern lights again. Unfortunately, it was too cloudy the rest of the trip to see anymore but it would have been perfect.

Day 5: Vik and Ice Cave Tour

We started off this day by driving to Vik which is about an hour from our accommodation. To fuel us for the day we grabbed coffee at Skool Beans which is a school bus converted into a coffee shop! This was super cute and there was a bit of a line but it moved fast.

We then drove to the famous black sand beach, Reynisfjara. This beach is famous for its black sand, basalt columns, and dangerous sneaker waves. It is a sight to see but be careful and take notice of any warnings posted around. If we had gotten up sooner, we would have gone to the Draholey nature preserve and lighthouse.

Our ice cave hike through Troll Expeditions started at 1 P.M. so we met up with our group and hit the road. They drove us in off road vehicles out to the Katla Ice Cave. This wasn’t a hard hike but the volcanic sand and ice can be slippery so be cautious. Our guide told us the cave can change every year and they have people check the cave and walkways every morning. It’s amazing to see such sight and I recommend this even if you aren’t a big hiker.

We ended around 3 and stopped quickly in a grocery store for some lunch. We made sure to grab some extra items for lunch the next day as well. Then made our way to the most beautiful canyon I’ve ever seen, Fjaðrárgljúfur. Carved by melting glaciers and gives you stunning views of moss covered rocks and waterfalls.

After this long day of seeing what Iceland’s south coast had to offer we decided to cook back at our Air BnB. A fully equipped kitchen is a must if you are trying to save some money.

Day 6: Glacier Hike and Glacier Lagoon

Day 6 was without a doubt our longest and most tiring day. If I could do it again I would split this day in two. After checking out of our accommodation, we began with our Skaftafell glacier hike through Arctic Adventures. This 3 hour hike was definitely intense because we were walking on literal ice. They give you clamp ons and a pick ax but if you have any mobility concerns I’d skip this. These glaciers are no joke but the experience on walking on one can’t be beat.

We ate our packed lunch and headed 45 minutes north along the coast to diamond beach and glacier lagoon. There are three parking lots in this area and paying for one with the Parka app gives you access to all 3! You can spend a while here just walking sling the beach and admiring the views.

But, we couldn’t spend too long since we had to drive back to Reykjavik today. It was already 5 P.M. at this point so if I could do it again I’d find accommodation near here or stay an extra night in Kirkjubæjarklaustur.

To split up our drive a bit we stop in Vik at The Soup Company which was perfect for this cold rainy evening. The concept of this restaurant is neat, you buy the bowl of soup and can have unlimited refills. We all got the traditional lamb soup and it was delicious.

We arrived back in Reykjavik in the evening and checked into our last Air BnB.

Day 7: Last day in Reykjavik

Our last day in Iceland! We had no plans for this day except to get another cinnamon roll at Braud and Co. If you are in Reykjavik you seriously have to try these

After walking around exploring the colorful streets of Reykjavik we decided to all get tattoos. A permanent souvenir of Iceland. Reykjavik Ink takes walk ins and does a fantastic job. They have so much flash to choose from.

That worked up an appetite so we had lunch at Forsetinn. In Iceland you can’t go wrong with getting fish! We got fish and chips and the traditional fish and potato stew.

Kind of random but we stopped into a cat cafe called Kattakaffihúsið. The coffee was good and we love cats!

We walked down near the harbor which has a bunch of historical signs to read. This lead us to going to see the historic water source of Reykjavik.

To escape the rain we grabbed a drink at the Aegir Taproom on rainbow street. This taproom has a Viking feel to it and felt perfect to start wrapping up our time in Iceland.

For dinner we went to Sushi Train, a revolving pay by the plate sushi train. The sushi here tasted so fresh and the prices were reasonable.

To wrap up our time in Iceland Hús máls og menningar. It is a book shop sharing the day and a live music venue with drinks at night. The vibes in here were so cool and we loved listening to the music.

The next morning we headed to the airport, returned our rental car, and flew back home.

This ends our 7 day trip to Iceland. We were able to see so much of this beautiful country in just a week. Iceland is a place I will never forget. From stunning landscapes to friendly people to cozy food, you will have a great time in Iceland no matter where you go and what you do.

Thanks for reading 🙂