Day 1: Blue Lagoon to Reykjavik
Morning
Once you’ve secured a rental car at Keflavik airport, drive an easy 20 minute across what seems like Martian landscape to the Blue Lagoon.
I had some reservations about visiting Iceland’s infamous Blue Lagoon, considering it’s one of those places that every tour bus in the country seems to visit, and as tourist traps tend to go it comes with a hefty price of admission. Rufio convinced me it would be worthwhile, and luckily he was right.
Tickets can be purchased online in advance, but we found that the walk-up queue happened to be much shorter than will-call. Once you pay the $50 entrance fee you’ll be outfitted with a very state-of-the-art wristband that will open doors and buy drinks – pretty much all you need. Lockers are provided, so once you change into your swimsuit take the obligatory pre-pool shower, lock up your valuables and enter into the ethereal waters of this very popular geothermal pool.
The hot water and silica, mineral salt, green algae mud masks are the perfect respite after a long travel day. If the otherworldly scenery and the relaxing warmth of the pool are not enough to ease your cares away, swim up to the bar for a Gull beer to help take the edge off. If you are looking for a little more luxury, book an in-water massage or beauty treatment, followed by reservations at the posh LAVA restaurant.
Afternoon
When you are thoroughly relaxed, hop back in your car for a 40 minute drive into Reykjavik. Spend the afternoon walking around Old Reykjavik admiring the boutique shops and galleries. Head past the iconic Hallgrimskirkja church, then cozy up for an afternoon coffee in one of Reykjavik’s many cool cafes.
Evening
At the end of your long first day, fuel up on traditional Icelandic fare at one of Reykjavik’s many delicious eateries before heading out on a runtur, or pub crawl. Drink and dance with the fashionable and beautiful locals all night in one of the city’s many dive bars, microbreweries or electronica dance clubs. Stave off your hangover with a late-night stop at Baejarins Beztu Pylsur for their infamous lamb hotdogs topped with everything: ketchup, sweet mustard, fried onions, raw onions and remoulade.
Day 2: Reykjavik to Hofn
Morning
Wake up early (or sleep in) and head out on a nearly 300 mile journey across the southern coast from Reykjavik to Hofn, taking in some of the most spectacular sights in the world.
Your first stop will be Seljalandsfoss, where you can take a slippery footpath behind the roaring 200 ft. waterfall. Warm up with a coffee and smoked lamb sandwich from the Seljnaveitingar ehf food truck and peruse their small adjacent shack filled with locally made wool items.
Jump back in the car until you reach Eyjafjallajokull farm, which sits at the base of the volcano that disrupted thousands of European flights in 2010. Check out the small visitor’s center across the road for more of the area’s history before heading toward Skogar.
You can’t miss Skogafoss, the much more domineering 200 ft. waterfall, as it roars over a verdant cliff into the slow moving stream below. It’s impressive enough from the Ring Road, but walk all the way to the base for an impressive spectacle. Climb the steep staircase to the start of the Fimmvörðuháls hike to Þórsmörk for an impressive view.
Afternoon
The drive from Skogar to Vik offers many opportunities for hiking and sightseeing. Once you make it through the miserable, desolate sandur, enjoy some beautiful scenery at Mýrdalsjökull. Near Vik the Dyrholaey sea arch rises dramatically from the frigid sea. A nature reserve here is a great place for puffin-watching. Spend some time exploring the rugged coastline, discovering the many caves and sea arches.
Make a pit stop at the Iceland Icewear and Vikurprjon factory store to stock up on locally produced wool jumpers, hats, scarves and gloves. Past Vik, take in the gorgeous vistas of glacier tongues, tumbling waterfalls and rolling, verdant farmland as you approach the south end of the immense Vatnajökull.
Evening
At the south end of Vatnajökull, stop to appreciate the wonder that is Jökulsárlón ice lagoon. This glacial lake at the face of Breiðamerkurjökull glacier was formed as the glacier receded from the Atlantic Ocean. Standing atop the ash hills surrounding the lake, listen to the creaking of the floating icebergs break the otherwise eerie silence. If you are feeling up to a little adventure, book a sunset glacier lagoon tour with Ice Lagoon Zodiac Boat Tours. The zodiac boats will cruise through the icebergs to the glacier face, weather permitting. If you are pressed for time, a shorter tour on the amphibious boats will get you close to a few icebergs just a few hundred meters from shore.
Once you’ve filled your camera’s memory card with extraordinary photos from the lagoon, get started on the final leg of the journey to Hofn. This is one of southeast Iceland’s most vital fishing villages, and boasts a few historical buildings which house a museum and art gallery. The village is quiet, but there are a handful of restaurants focused around the iconic langoustine caught in the harbor and serving the locally brewed Frozen in Time beer from Vatnajökull craft brewery. You can stay the night in either the one hotel, hostel or two guesthouses in Hofn, or one of the guesthouses along the Ring Road.
Day 3: Glacier Hikes, Geothermal Pools and the Golden Circle
Morning
Start your second day off with a bang as you tramp over the age-old Skaftafellsjökull glacier in the Skaftafell region within Vatnajökull National Park. There are two glacier walk operators at Skaftafell. It’s best to book in advance online, but we did manage to secure the last two spots without a reservation. Groups sizes are limited primarily for safety concerns, which makes the experience all the more enjoyable. Before departure your hiking boots are fitted with crampons and you’re provided an ice axe that doubles as a walking stick. Once you reach the 4-m high glacier face your expert guide will teach you how to properly walk, or stomp really, on the ice and review safety procedures. With that you’re led onto the frozen river. Our guide Kris was well versed in geology and local folklore, so he dazzled us with the facts and myths of the beautiful landscape surrounding us. The entire tour last about 2.5 hours and was easy for anyone in good shape.
Afternoon
After the glacier hike, warm your belly with traditional Icelandic lamb soup at the welcome center before embarking on the 2 km hike to Svartifoss, the Black Falls. Svartifoss earns its moniker from the black basalt columns over which it tumbles. The hike will lead you up and over a series of falls, offering expansive views of the glaciers and accompanying sandur. The hike is easy to moderate, and is well known as a great bird watching route.
A long morning of hiking warrants a soak in one of Ireland’s ubiquitous hot spring pools. Our choice was Seljavallalaug, built into the side of a mountain in 1923. It’s easy to miss, but you’ll want to turn off when you see the sign for Edinborg Guesthouse. If you have a 4×4 you can make it closer to the pool before hiking, but if you have a car park at the small camp and hike the rest of the way. You’ll need to ford a stream and scramble over fallen boulders, but it’s a fairly easy walk. The payoff is extraordinary, as the pool is situated in a verdant valley punctuated by 5 tumbling waterfalls. There is a set of (very muddy and mildewy) changing rooms to don your swimsuit before submerging in the perfectly warm and soothing pool.
Evening
Once your tired muscles are warmed and soothed, finish off your grand tour with a circuit around the Golden Circle. There are a number of sights to behold, so be sure to plan your stops in advance. Our day was growing late, so we bypassed the iconic Gullfoss waterfall in favor of Geysir and Thingvellir.
After two days filled with more waterfalls, glistening glaciers, icebergs and expansive landscapes than you could ever think possible, head back into posh Reykjavik, grab another late night lamb hot dog and say goodnight once again to the midnight sun.
More Information
Driving the Ring Road is fairly easy, though the abrupt rogue rainstorm can be treacherous. The storms will often pass as quickly as they appeared, so if the road is dicey, especially in a sandur region, just pull off on a safe shoulder and wait. Another note about the weather, temperatures can fluctuate dramatically even in the summer, so be prepared with plenty of layers and especially good outerwear. Never fear if you show up empty handed though, Icewear Iceland has a few convenient locations to pick up anything you may need for you outdoor adventures.
Rufio and I followed the above itineraries pretty closely, but we were prepared to drive long distances in one day and well into the “night” to see everything. It’s easy to stay awake in the midnight sun, so if you don’t mind the long hours this itinerary is perfect. If you value sleep, you may want to add in one more day. We actually planned to have an additional day, but as our non-rev life tends to go, that didn’t happen, so we improvised!
Need more inspiration? Check out this live webcam of interesting sights around Iceland!
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Do you have any recommendations for 3 days in Iceland? Leave a comment!
I love your itinerary! My sister and I are planning a trip at the end of July and we want to use this same itinerary. I was wondering what type of car you rented? We’re trying to decide if we need a 4×4 or if we will be okay with a 2wd VW caddy camper. Thank you!
Hi, Makynzie! I’m so excited to hear this! I think to be safe I would get the 4×4. The Ring Road is mostly very well maintained, but like I mentioned wash outs from flash floods on the sandurs can happen unexpectedly, so you might have to do a little “off road” navigating. Plus, it will come in handy when visiting sites just off the road, like tucked away thermal pools. You end up driving down bumpy paths sometimes, and when the rainstorms pop up it can get a little dicey. I hope you have a wonderful time, be sure to let me know how it goes and if you have recommendations to add!
Hi your trip sounds amazing and I will be going in November with my husband and using your post! I was wondering are all these places easy to locate with a gps? Do you see clear signs for them on the road? And how many hours did your day 2 and 3 take? We will be in Iceland for 3 days and leave on the 4th. Thanks so much!
I’m so happy you’ll be using my guide to help plan your trip! I don’t think we had a GPS in our car, we relied mostly on offline Google Maps, which is what we usually do if we don’t have service. Most of the sites I mention were not far off the Ring Road or other main roads, with the exception of the thermal pool. That one was hard to find on the map, but there is a sign indicating where you need to turn off the Ring Road (so keep your eyes peeled when you get close), and it’s pretty much a straight shot once you turn. If I recall correctly, Day 2 was about 10 hours and Day 3 was 17; we were loving having the advantage of all that sunlight! I hope you have a wonderful trip, please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have more questions.