Iceland is one of those places that you just fall in love with no matter when or how you visit. I’ve been to Iceland a few times now, and my favorite way to explore this gorgeous country is via a good old Iceland road trip. This particular 7 day Iceland road trip itinerary is specifically for spring/summer/fall months when you’ve got more daylight hours to play with, but it doesn’t require full midnight sun to accomplish (for example, I did this between August and September). However, this is NOT the full Ring Road, as I feel like a full island tour requires more time than one week. This itinerary is focused on southern Iceland so that you can see all of the top highlights there without feeling like you’re rushing. So, if you’re looking to maximize your 7 days in Iceland via road trip, here’s how to get it done!
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The Short Version of My 7 Day Iceland Spring/Summer/Fall Road Trip Itinerary
We are starting this Iceland road trip assuming you’ve landed some time in the morning or early afternoon and have gotten your rental. Each time I’ve flown into Iceland I’ve landed at 6am and had a whole day ahead of me.
- Day 1 • Relax in the Blue Lagoon, Quick Stop in Reykjavík, and Visit Kerið Crater
- Day 2 • Drive the Golden Circle (including a life changing snorkel/scuba) + One of My Favorite Waterfalls
- Day 3 • More Waterfalls & Black Sand Beaches
- Day 4 • Canyons, Glaciers, & More Waterfalls
- Day 5 • Icebergs & Mountains
- Day 6 • All the Ice + Some Extras
- Day 7 • Back to Reykjavik & Sky Lagoon
Related blog: 6 Day Winter Iceland Road Trip Itinerary
7 Day Iceland Road Trip Map
Here are all of the stops listed on this Iceland road trip itinerary plotted out on a map!
The Long Version of My 1 Week Iceland Road Trip Itinerary
This Iceland road trip covers southern Iceland specifically and avoids any massive hiking trails. It will include one or two trails that are a little bit longer with maybe some elevation, but nothing crazy or super intense. This itinerary also doesn’t cover the full Ring Road, because honestly with only 7 days I wouldn’t want to sprint through the Ring Road, so it focuses on the highlights.
Day 1 • Relax in the Blue Lagoon, Quick Stop in Reykjavík, and Visit Kerið Crater
Drive Route on Google Maps: Keflavik Airport (starting point) > Blue Lagoon > Reykjavík > Kerið Crater > Selfoss (hotel)
Day 1 of your 7 day Iceland road trip is a little more relaxed, with some mandatory post-flight lagoon-ing and a couple other optional stops.
Relax at the Blue Lagoon
The Blue Lagoon is iconic for a reason. It’s touristy, sure, but that’s because it’s awesome. I’ve gone twice now and I will always recommend it.
You should book a reservation ahead of time and there are three reservation levels; Comfort, Premium, and Luxury. I’ve done Premium both times because it has it a faster line to get in, a robe, and more skincare options. To me, this is a must on any Iceland itinerary!
Blue Lagoon tours as a part of larger tours:
Explore Reykjavík
Reykjavík is a super cool city and if you have the time, I’d definitely recommend walking around and exploring a bit. Some highlights for me are:
- Visit highlights such as Hallgrímskirkja Church, Sun Voyager, and the real Rainbow Road between Bergstaðastræti and Laugavegur
- Lebowski Bar for a drink if you’re a fan of “The Big Lebowski”
- Grab an amazing meal somewhere
Kerið Crater
Kerið Crater is a super cool stop to add to your first day in Iceland if you have the time. It’s colorful, and you can either walk around at the rim of the crater or hike down to the lake at the bottom. It’s up to you how much effort you want to put into it, but it’s a cool stop either way!
Where to Stay in Selfoss
I stayed at Hotel South Coast in Selfoss and it was great!
Day 2 • Drive the Golden Circle (including a life changing snorkel/scuba) + One of My Favorite Waterfalls
Drive route on Google Maps: Selfoss (starting lodging) > Thingvellir (Þingvellir) National Park > Brúarfoss > Geysir > Gulfoss > Flúðir (ending loding)
Day 2 of our 7 day Iceland road trip has us spending some time in one of the most unique national parks I’ve ever been to, plus some iconic waterfalls, and rounding it out in a geothermal area.
Explore (& Snorkel/Scuba at) Thingvellir (Þingvellir) National Park
This national park is so cool and a must-add to your Iceland itinerary for a few reasons:
- It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- You can see the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates above ground and even walk through them
- You can also snorkel/dive in a fissure in the plates
- This park is the origin spot of the first Parliament in the world
- Game of Thrones filmed here (this matters to me but maybe not to you haha)
Silfra Snorkel/Scuba
Start your morning with a snorkel or scuba tour exploring the Silfra fissure. Silfra is a rift that formed between the plates that is fed by insanely clear glacier water. It is the clearest water I’ve ever seen while snorkeling, and probably the most unique snorkeling experience of my life. If you are as snorkeler or scuba diver, this is absolutely a must-add to your one week Iceland itinerary.
Silfra tours:
Walking Around
It’s not just underwater that is super cool to see in Thingvellir (Þingvellir) National Park! Seeing the break in these plates above ground is super cool, and any geology nerd (myself included) will be absolutely fascinated to be here. There’s a famous walk called the Walk of Death which requires no hiking that I highly recommend, which is basically just toward the far end (away from the visitor center).
Visit Brúarfoss
Okay, so Brúarfoss actually became one of my favorite waterfalls in all of Iceland. It’s so beautiful and I HIGHLY recommend adding it to your Iceland summer road trip!
You can get here two ways:
- Drive to the parking lot and do a short, flat walk
- Included as part of a longer 4 mile hike which has 2 additional waterfall views
Check Out Geysir Geothermal Area
If you’re a Yellowstone National Park fan, you’ll LOVE Geysir and should definitely add it to your Iceland itinerary. It’s super easy to drive to with ample parking, and there are tons of paved walkways to walk around the geysers and hot springs. The highlight of this area is Strokkur, which is basically Iceland’s Old Faithful, and it erupts every 5 – 10 minutes or so.
If you’re not as interested in the geothermal areas, you can take this off your itinerary and be none the wiser in my opinion. But if you love that kind of stuff, it’s definitely worth a stop!
Awe at Gulfoss
Gulfoss is a magical, well-loved waterfall that is definitely a top thing to do in Iceland and ⅓ of the famous Golden Circle. This is another spot that has to parking lots; one lower and one higher. Parking at either is a super short walk to the falls, and you can view the waterfall from above or take some stairs down for additional views depending on which parking lot you start in.
Where to Stay in Fluðir
We stayed in this Airbnb near Fluðir since we were sharing with another couple, but here are some good hotels in Fluðir to choose from as well:
Day 3 • More Waterfalls & Black Sand Beaches
Drive route on Google Maps: Flúðir (starting lodging) > Seljalandsfoss & Gjufrabrai > Skógafoss > Kvernufoss > Reynisfjara > Dyrhólaey > Vík (ending lodging) (~2.5 hrs drive time)
Day 3 of our southern Iceland road trip is full of iconic waterfalls and a stunning black sand beach.
Seljalandsfoss & Gjufrabrai
These 2 iconic waterfalls are right next to each other, so plan to be here for around an hour to explore both of them.
Seljalandsfoss is famous not just because it’s beautiful, but because during warmer months you can walk behind the waterfall (if you’re brave and willing to get drenched). And on the other hand Gjufrabrai is within a cave/canyon, so you can go inside it and experience its magic that way. Do be careful if it’s rained though recently because it can be tricky to get back into the cave if the water is too high. Always choose safety first!
Skógafoss
Skógafoss is probably the most famous waterfall in Iceland and therefore a mandatory on any 7 day Iceland road trip itinerary. It’s huge, it’s iconic, and it is the moment. There’s also a hike you can go up and behind it, so if you want to see some stunning scenery climb up the stairs to the right of the falls and explore.
Kvernufoss
Similar to Seljalandsfoss but SIGNIFICANTLY less busy is Kvernufoss. Probably a 10 or so minute walk each way from the parking lot on mostly flat terrain to get here.
Reynisfjara
This is probably the most famous black sand beach and therefore a common item on any Iceland itinerary, and for good reason. It’s truly stunning! However, please take EXTREME care when it comes to how close you get to the water. Reynisfjara is famous for its sneaker/king waves and is the most dangerous beach in Iceland. However, there’s a sign with the beach’s safety rating for that day, so you’ll see how close you can safely get based on that.
Dyrhólaey
Despite having been on two separate Iceland road trips, I still have yet to have good enough weather for any views at Dyrhólaey. If you’ve got some clear skies in your Iceland forecast, definitely visit this before/after Reynisfjara. But if it’s cloudy or rainy or the roads are too snowy, dropping this off your Iceland itinerary definitely isn’t the end of the world.
Where to Stay in Vík
I love Vík, it is a BEAUTIFUL town and I love staying here. During my visit I stayed at the Hotel Kría and LOVED it, but there are lots of lovely options here:
Day 4 • Canyons, Glaciers, & More Waterfalls
Drive route on Google Maps: Vík (starting lodging) > Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon > Svartifoss > Svinafellsjökull > Höfn (ending lodging) (~4 hrs drive time)
Day 4 of our 7 day road trip across southern Iceland has got a variety of gorgeous landscapes; waterfalls, glaciers, and canyons, oh my!
Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon
This canyon is hard to pronounce but easy to love. I’ve seen it in both winter and summer and it’s just gorgeous, and one of my favorite stops on my Iceland road trip.
Hike to Svartifoss
This waterfall is SO COOL and one of the more unique ones I’ve seen in Iceland! It requires a brief but steep hike that will get your blood moving. But it’s SO beautiful and absolutely worth the trek.
Svinafellsjökull Glacier
I meannnnn this is such a cool road trip stop. Seeing a glacier up close like this was pretty spectacular, and I HIGHLY recommend checking this spot out during your Iceland trip.
Where to Stay in Höfn
I’ve stayed at the following properties and had a great experience with each:
- Berjaya Iceland Hotels
- Ekra Glacier Lagoon
- Also had dinner at Gerdi Guesthouse and it was fabulous and the property was very cute
Day 5 • Icebergs & Mountains
Drive route on Google Maps: Höfn (starting lodging) > Fellsfjara (Diamond Beach) > Jökulsárlón (Glacier Lagoon) > Vestrahorn > Eystrahorn > back to Höfn (ending lodging) (~3.5 hrs drive time)
It’s time for gorgeous mountains and so many icebergs!
Fellsfjara (Diamond Beach)
This gorgeous black sand beach with icebergs that drift onto it all the time is absolutely stunning and so worth a stop. I do recommend going as early in the day as you can just in case there is rain in the forecast and it shrinks the icebergs! And we all know what they say about Iceland weather – “wait 5 minutes and it’ll change” – so better to be safe here! There are two parking lots for this beach (the west and east side) and I’ve seen icebergs at both. This is TRULY an absolutely iconic Iceland road trip stop for reason.
Jökulsárlón (Glacier Lagoon)
Jökulsárlón is seriously so gorgeous. I’ve been multiple times and every time is different because the icebergs move around, get bigger and smaller, and overall it’s just beautiful.
I have yet to do a boat tour of the Glacier Lagoon, but I’d love to on my next visit! So you should definitely check one out for me!
Vestrahorn
You might have have heard of Vestrahorn as “Batman Mountain” and I love that. BUT, it’s more than just a beautiful mountain! There’s a gorgeous black sand beach, a lighthouse, an old Viking Village to explore, and a cafe with delicious cake.
Eystrahorn (Krossanesfjall)
This, to me, is Vestrahorn’s underrated little sister. Also along a black sand beach, and I had the whole place to myself for sunset. Drive specifically to the Hvalnes Lighthouse and enjoy the view.
Day 6 • All the Ice + Some Extras
Drive route on Google Maps: Höfn (starting lodging) > Jökulsárlón (Glacier Lagoon) > Fjallsjökull > Fjallsarlon > Gönguleið um Eldhraun > back to Vík (ending lodging) (3.5 – 4 hrs drive time)
Today on our one week Iceland itinerary is a very icy day! Let’s get to it!
Ice Cave/Glacier Hiking Tour
I HIGHLY recommend doing an ice cave and/or glacier trekking while you’re close to Jökulsárlón. There is nothing quite like walking around in/on a glacier, and it’s truly SO cool.
Ice cave tours to check out:
Fjallsarlon
Do you want some more views similar to Glacier Lagoon but with fewer people? You’re going to love this stop!
Fjallsjökull
Another gorgeous glacier view and awesome iceberg-filled lagoon. I don’t think I can tire of them personally, so I do think this should be on every Iceland road trip itinerary!
Gönguleið um Eldhraun
This is a mossy lava field that makes a super easy and quick stop to break up the day on this, your 6th day of the 7 day Iceland road trip guide!
Hjörleifshöfði Cave (Yoda Cave)
This cave has become nicknamed Yoda Cave because… well… I believe it’s obvious. A super fun add to your itinerary and a quick stop.
Day 7 • Back to Reykjavik & Sky Lagoon
Drive route on Google Maps: Vík (starting lodging) > Sky Lagoon > Reykjavik (~2.5 hrs drive time)
The last day is a chill day because it’s likely you have to fly out at some point today or early tomorrow, so we really only have one main stop.
Sky Lagoon
Sky Lagoon is such a beautiful place and experience. The warm water in the midst of the gorgeous rocks with the view of the ocean is truly stunning. I do recommend doing the seven-step process, because it’s also a part of the experience and my skin felt great afterward!
Go to Sky Lagoon as part of a tour:
Where to Stay in Reykjavik
I’ve stayed in both Hotel Holt – The Art Hotel as well as Grandi by Center Hotels and both were great.
So there you have it, a 7 day Iceland road trip itinerary for spring/summer/fall packed full of incredible nature, lagoon experiences, and general beauty. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out, and definitely check out my Instagram highlights (I have 2 for Iceland) and my TikTok playlist. Happy planning!
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