Last Updated on August 14, 2026 by Maggie McKneely

Iceland may be small but it is jam-packed with some of the most incredible scenery on earth. From waterfalls, black sand beaches, otherworldly rock formations, and iceberg lakes, here’s the best 7 day Iceland itinerary to help you see it all.

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7 Day Iceland Itinerary

No other country on earth seems as prone to having a natural disaster at any given moment quite like Iceland. On our recent roadtrip, whenever my mom and I stopped on the side of the road to read an informational sign, we would learn about yet another volcanic eruption, devastating glacial flood, enormous lava flow, or record-breaking earthquake that had affected whatever part of Iceland we were in. Honestly, how is this island still standing?

And yet, all of those natural disasters are exactly why Iceland is so unique. Its tremendous natural beauty is a result of the power that nature exerts from time to time on this small rock in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. And that beauty is certainly worth the trip. From hundreds of stunning waterfalls, otherworldly rock formations, black sand beaches, and yes, a lot of ice, Iceland is unlike anywhere else on earth. To get the most out of 7 days in Iceland spent exploring this cool country, here’s the itinerary that my mom and I used for our trip.

Tips for Visiting Iceland

Best Times to Visit

Despite its intimidating name, Iceland is relatively temperate year-round. In winter, Iceland rarely gets below 20 degrees Fahrenheit and in the summer, it’s never hotter than 70 degrees. What does change is the amount of rain and snow. June through August are the driest months (though you will still have some rain to deal with). It snows frequently from November to April (check out this great winter packing list), and June snow showers are not unheard of. The wind never goes away – be prepared to deal with Iceland’s infamous wind no matter what time of year you choose for your 7 day Iceland itinerary.

Another consideration is the Northern Lights. If you want to see them, your best chances will be from November through February when there’s the least amount of daylight. In May through early September, the sun never sets, so you won’t be able to see the lights at all.

Transportation

The easiest way to get around Iceland is via car or campervan. There are no trains and the public buses only operate in the population centers. If you are based in Reykjavik and are only staying in Iceland for a few days, you can take some guided tours that provide transportation.

But many of the most incredible sites in Iceland are too far away from Reykjavik to visit on a day tour. So the only real way to see everything that you want, and certainly the only way to do this particular 7 day Iceland itinerary, is to rent your own vehicle. My favorite site for rental cars is Booking.com – they aggregate all of the different options and easily find you the best price.

Currency

The official currency of Iceland is the Icelandic Krona (ISK). However, you won’t need any. Literally every restaurant, shop, and vendor in Iceland accepts credit cards. Most of the paved parking lots ask you to pay via a machine or on your phone. For a country with more sheep than people, it’s very technology-friendly. They also don’t have a tipping culture, so you won’t need cash for that either.

Budgeting

Let’s address the elephant in the room: yes, Iceland is expensive. While this isn’t true for everything, the two things you have to buy, food and gas, are very expensive. You’ll find a lot of articles online about ways to try and save money on a trip to Iceland, and I definitely suggest checking those out for a more comprehensive money-saving guide, but here are just a few of my tips.

• First, food at grocery stores is cheaper than the restaurants, so I suggest staying in places that have a kitchen so that you can prepare at least of some of your own meals rather than eating out for every one. But Icelandic water is the cleanest in the world, so that at least is free!
• Second, excursions are very expensive, so prioritize the ones you really want to do (like a glacier hike or a kayak tour) and then find cheaper alternatives for the lower priority activities you want to do.
• Gas was a tiny bit cheaper in the city centers than out in the country (not a surprise, but just good to remember).

Itinerary

Day 1: Snæfellsnes Peninsula

If you’re coming from the U.S., you’ll probably land early in Reykjavik, giving you a full day to explore. Rather than starting your 7 day Iceland itinerary in Reykjavik, I suggest saving it for last. Instead, pick up your rental car and drive about 2.5 hours north to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula (affectionately dubbed the Sneffles Peninsula because I have no idea how to pronounce that or anything else in Icelandic).

The Snæfellsnes Peninsula is a beautiful strip of land with quiet fishing villages, a national park, waterfalls, and several recognizable mountains (looking at you, Kirkjufell). Its nickname is “Iceland in miniature” because it has all of the best of what Iceland has to offer in each of its regions and squeezes it into one small peninsula. It takes about a full day to drive the road around the peninsula and stop at the most important places, but no more than that. It’s the perfect way to spend day one and get an introduction to Iceland.

Kirkjufell Mountain

Highway 54 makes a loop around the peninsula and all of the landmarks you’ll want to stop are right off it. I suggest starting at Kirkjufell and going counterclockwise, because that’s: a) the opposite of what most of the guided tours do and b) you’ll end your day closer to your hotel and places to get dinner. So here’s my suggested plan for conquering Snæfellsnes in one day:

• Snæfellsnes Tourist Center 
  • There are a couple of specific reasons I’m including the tourist center as the first stop. One, there are almost no public restrooms on the peninsula, so unless you want to try to do the whole loop without a bathroom stop, I suggest going here first. Second, they have a lot of useful information about the peninsula’s history here that you won’t find at any of the stops.
• Kirkjufell Mountain
  • If you’ve ever watched Games of Thrones or seen any advertisements for Iceland, you’ve seen this otherworldly mountain on Iceland’s coast. Tip: there is a public parking lot across the road from Kirkjufell and above the main waterfall that costs money. But you can park for free in a lot located below the waterfall and just before Kirkjufell. The two lots are very close to each other and are connected by a trail.
• Svodufoss
  • Svodufoss is a lovely waterfall about 15 minutes past Kirkjufell. There’s a dirt road off the highway to get to it, and then a free parking lot.

Svodufoss

• Ingjaldshólskirkja
  • A short drive up the hill from Svodufoss is Ingjaldsholskirkja, a stereotypically picturesque Icelandic church that looks out over the western tip of the peninsula.

• Skardsvik Beach
  • Skardsvik is a beautiful beach made special by the black volcanic rocks littered across the sand.
• Saxholl Crater
  • Saxholl is one of the most accessible of all of Iceland’s volcanic craters. The eruption that formed it was nearly 4000 years ago. Today, you can walk up a metal staircase to the top and look into the crater, as well as out over the massive lava field around it.
• Djupalonssandur Beach
  • Djupalonssandur Beach is a beautiful, wide beach that was the site a of plane wreck (don’t be like us and waste time looking for the plane – the plane is no longer there, just some scrap metal). There are also a number of hiking trails through the cliff crevasses bordering the beach.

• Anarstapi
  • Anarstapi is a quaint fishing village bordered by incredible mountain scenery. It’s home to a couple of restaurants that are kept in business by tourists. The picturesque Anarstapi Cliffs are also here.
• Rauofeldsgja Gorge
  • Rauofeldsgja is a ravine tucked into the mountains near Anarstapi. It’s possible to take a short hike up to and inside of it, but it was unfortunately blocked by snow when we were there.
• Bjarnarfoss
  • Bjarnarfoss is another beautiful waterfall located right off the highway and above someone’s private home (lucky them!). There’s a free parking lot and a short trail that will take you to the base of the falls.

Tips for visiting Snæfellsnes: it’s a sleepy peninsula, even during the high season. There are not a lot of restaurant options, so I suggest stopping at a grocery store in Reykjavik for snacks.

Where to Stay

After completing the loop, I suggest staying the night in Borgarnes. That way you won’t have as long of a drive on day 2, and Borgarnes is home to a number of good restaurants and stores.

Day 2: Golden Circle

Day 2 of this 7 day Iceland itinerary is the famous Golden Circle. It’s so-named because located in a small area is a large number of waterfalls, geysers, craters, and other amazing geological features that Iceland is famous for. If you’re based in Reykjavik, it’s easy to take a guided day tour of the Golden Circle. But if you can, driving it on your own allows you to enjoy it at your own pace.

Oaxararfoss

Driving from Borgarnes, your first stop will be Oxararfoss inside þingvellir National Park. There’s a parking lot with clear signs designating where the waterfall is. Then there’s a short hike up a trail into a neat ravine before coming to the base of the waterfall.

Oxararfoss

Strokkur

The next stop is the town of Strokkur, home to the world’s original geyser. While the geyser named Geysir is no longer very active, there are several others here that are. You can park your car and walk to the geyser viewing area and wait for one to go off or you can get extremely lucky and see one spout water into the air as you’re driving by, which is what we did. That way you don’t have to fight for a parking spot from one of the many, many tourists who stop here.

Gulfoss

One of Iceland’s largest and most famous waterfalls is mighty Gulfoss. The water cascades through a deep ravine in two stages. From the parking lot, you can take a trail to the top of both sections. There’s also a cafe and nice gift shop.

Gulfoss

Lunch

Because the Golden Circle is so popular with tourists, there are lots of restaurant options for lunch. However, may I suggest eating lunch inside of Iceland’s largest tomato greenhouse?

Friðheimar was arguably the best dining experience we had during our 7 day Iceland itinerary. Diners sit at tables surrounded by over 20,000 tomato plants and various other herbs and flowers. The entire menu is tomato based, including the drinks and desserts. And while I know that sounds odd (especially the tomato ice cream part), it was one of the best tomato soups I’ve had in my entire life! You’ll need to make reservations early though because they do get booked.

Lunch at Fridheimar

Kerid Crater

Kerid Crater is a volcanic crater known for its teal blue lake in the center. Or so I hear. Unfortunately, it was pouring rain when we got here (you can never predict the weather in Iceland) and so we decided not to take the hike from the parking lot to see it. But it’s one of the main spots on the Golden Circle, so be sure to add it to your itinerary!

Where to stay

The next day will involve a trip out to the Westman Islands, so you’ll want to stay somewhere near the ferry. We spent two nights in a delightful AirBnB similar to this one near Hvolsvollur.

Day 3: Westman Islands

The Vestmannaeyjar Archipelago, or the Westman Islands, is a collection of 15 islands just off the south coast of Iceland, though only the big island of Heimaey is inhabited. While it’s a remarkably beautiful place, home to chic restaurants and the world’s largest puffin colony, it’s still relatively undiscovered (by Iceland standards, anyway). If you have time, it’s well-worth spending a day of your 7 day Iceland itinerary exploring here.

Beautiful Heimaey harbor

To reach Heimaey, you need to take a 45-minute ferry from the Landeyjahofn port, which is just 20 minutes from Hvolsvollur. (Note that this particular ferry crossing closes in bad weather – this happened to us, so I had to rearrange our itinerary). We opted not to take our car and instead explored Heimaey without it.

You can take your car if you like, there are plenty of roads on the island, it’s just an extra cost on the ferry. Alternatively, there are bikes you can rent or you can take a guided tour with transportation like this one once you get the Heimaey.

Things to do on Heimaey

• Eldheimar Museum
  • In the 1970s, the Eldfell Volcano erupted and buried the entire town of Heimaey under several meters of ash. Miraculously, no one died and the town now has a greater population then it did then. The Eldheimar Museum tells the story of the eruption, evacuation, and recovery mission. The center piece is an actual home that was destroyed but left preserved by the museum so that visitors can see the destructive nature of volcanic ash. My mom and I are not big museum people, but we found this one to be fascinating; I highly recommend it!

The amount of soot and ash that once buried Heimaey

• Eldfell Mountain Hike
  • You can hike to the crater of Eldfell! It was really foggy when we were there, so we didn’t get to do this but I would have liked to – next time! The trail leaves from just behind the museum.
• Sea Life Beluga and Puffin Sanctuary
  • Rescued baby puffins? Homebody beluga whales? Sign me up! The Sea Life Sanctuary was started as a project to re-home two beluga whales that had grown up in an aquarium in Japan. The plan has always been to release them back into the wild off the coast of Iceland, but the whales, who have never lived in the wild before, apparently don’t want to start doing so now. So they continue to live here while their caretakers try to figure out new ways to teach them how to live in the ocean.
  • The sanctuary also rescues and heals wild baby birds, like puffins and other native seabirds.
  • You can go on a tour and learn all about the project and see their current, adorable patients. Get tickets here!

• Puffins!
  • What Heimaey is most famous for is for being the home of the world’s largest puffin colony. But the puffins don’t make seeing themelves easy – they are only nesting in the cliffs in the summer months, and even then are only there in the early mornings and the evenings.
  • You can chance it and walk to one of the popular viewing spots. But the best way to gurantee that you’ll see them is with excellent guided puffin tour!
• Boat Tour
  • Something we did not have time for was a boat tour of the archipelago. As mentioned, there are actually 15 islands that make up the Westman Islands, and a boat tour is the only way to see most of them, along with some of the famous rock formations along Heimaey’s Coast (like Elephant Rock). Book a spot on this awesome boat tour!

At the end of the day, take the ferry back to the mainland and spend one more night in your room from the previous night.

Day 4: South Iceland

Day 4 of this 7 day Iceland itinerary involves driving farther east to Jökulsárlón, stopping at some of the best sites along the south coast of Iceland along way.

A note that you will be driving back this way on Day 5, so if you run out of time for anything, you’ll have another chance.

Seljalandsfoss

This stunning waterfall can either be your first stop today, or on your way to or from the Westman Islands Ferry, as it’s right across the road from the turnoff to the boat harbor.

Seljalandfoss is particularly special because visitors can walk all the way around it. The trail starts on one side, winds around behind the waterfall (offering awesome picture opportunities), and comes out the other side.

There’s a paid parking lot here that gets extremely busy, so it’s best to visit early or later in the day. There’s also a small cafe and gift shop.

Seljalandsfoss

Skógafoss

Arguably Iceland’s most famous waterfall, Skógafoss is just 15 minutes down the road from Seljalandsfoss. It’s a can’t miss part of any 7 day Iceland itinerary.

Skógafoss pours over what was once a sea cliff, but the ocean has since receded about 3 miles from the waterfall. The water itself comes directly from two glaciers higher up in the mountains, making it unique in Iceland. The waterfall is very accessible, with a free parking lot and a completely flat trail that goes to the bottom of the falls. Be sure to wear a waterproof jacket if you plan on getting anywhere near it!

There is also a staircase with over 500 steps that will take you to the top of Skógafoss. This is part of the longer Fimmvörðuhals hiking trail, which takes a day or two to complete. But if you have the time and energy to do at least the stairs, you’ll have an amazing view out to the ocean. However, it’s a very steep and tiring climb and honestly, it’s not a view that you can’t get elsewhere in Iceland.

Skogafoss

Skogar Museum

Right next to Skógafoss is the Skogar Museum. This is part collection of old Icelandic artifacts, part recreation of an old Icelandic village, part very random automobile museum. I know it sounds like an odd place; but while so many people come to Iceland to see it’s beautiful natural landmarks, there are very few places to learn about its human history. This is one of those rare places and I found it to be interesting!

The open air museum portion of it has several rebuilt homes and other town structures that once existed in the old town of Skogar, as seen below.

Skogar Open Air Museum

Sólheimajökull Glacier

Sólheimajökull is one of the few glaciers that you can walk up to without having to take a guided tour. If you just want to take a short walk to the base of a glacier without paying for a guide, this is the one to go to. But if you have time, you can also take an incredible guided glacier hike here.

From Highway 1, it’s about a 10 minute drive down a recently paved road to reach a well-marked parking lot. Like most places, there’s a small fee to park but the walk to the glacier is free. It takes about 15-20 minutes to walk the trail, which follows the small valley carved by the glacier and ends at the lagoon formed by meltwater. There’s a plaque with information about the glacier and how much it has both grown and receded over time.

My mom in front of Solheimajokull

Dyrholaey

Dyrholaey is a stunning peninsula known for its lighthouse perched high above the surrounding coastline and for its summertime birdlife, namely puffins. When you enter, you can drive to the upper part where the lighthouse is, or drive to the lower part, where there are lots of trails to the beach and around the various rock formations.

Note that in the nesting season (May-June), it has limited hours, so just be sure to check on that. (Did I come here specifically to see puffins? Yes. Did I see puffins? No. Does it seem like everyone else on the planet is able to see puffins here? Yes, so you should go ahead and give it a try!)

Reynisfjara Beach

Reynisfjara Beach is Iceland’s most famous black sand beach, partly due to the columnar jointing rock formation at the west end of the beach.

Unfortunately, the rain was absolutely relentless when we got here, so we hopped out of our car long enough to walk to the beach, see the beach, and try to see the rocks. Thus my pictures are sub par. Fortunately, there’s a cafe by the parking lot that you can sit in if the weather refuses to cooperate.

The best pic I could get in the rain of the columnar jointing! (And of all the people hustling to get into the cave for shelter)

Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon

Fjðrárgljúfur Canyon is an ancient canyon carved by glaciers over 9000 years ago. Its towering otherworldly rock walls were made for drone pictures, so if you have one, definitely break it out here.

To get here, it’s about 10 minutes along a windy road off from the main highway. There’s a paid parking lot at the base of the canyon, and then it’s about a 10-15 minute walk up a steep hill to get the viewpoints.

There’s still about an 1.5 hours of drive time between the canyon and the Jökulsárlón area. While there are no more official stops, the drive is stunning – you’ll begin to see some of Iceland’s largest mountains and the outlet glaciers that flow down their sides. Trust me, you won’t be bored. I think I made my mom stop approximately 42 times so that I could take pictures.

Where to Stay

Tomorrow, you’ll visit the Glacier Lagoon, so you want to stay nearby. There are no hotels right on the lagoon itself but there are several options nearby. We stayed at the Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon, which is a gorgeous, modern hotel about 15 minutes from the lake. It was our favorite hotel of the entire trip!

Day 5: Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon

Day 5 of this 7 day Iceland itinerary is my absolute favorite – the spectacular Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon.

Located at the base of Iceland’s largest glacier, this lake is filled year-round with giant icebergs that periodically break off from the glacier. It’s truly stunning and will make you think you’ve been transported to the Arctic!

There are several ways that you can explore the area.

• Kayak tour 
  • This is the option we chose. I thought it sounded less touristy and more peaceful. The experience was incredible – we paddled right next to seals, got as close as we could to the icebergs, and got a nice little arm workout in. And our guide was super friendly and knowledgable! The company that we went with provided a very warm (one-size-fits-all, sorry to all of us petite ladies) wet suit and all of the gear you need to go kayaking on a very cold glacial lake.
• Boat Tour
  • If you’re not interested in the workout, you can also take a boat tour, where you can experience the beauty of the lagoon without any of the effort.
• Glacier Hike
  • You can do a glacier hike in other parts of Iceland, but this is probably the most accessible and most popular area for that. With this guided tour, hikers get to walk out onto the massive Vatnajokull Glacier itself!

Kayaking with icebergs!

After you finish exploring the lagoon, be sure to cross the road for a quick visit to Diamond Beach. Diamond Beach is so-named because once the icebergs get small enough, they make their way down the river and wash up on this black sand beach, making it appear as though it’s covered in very large diamonds.

Diamond Beach

The rest of the day will be spent making your way back towards Reykjavik. This is when you can make any stops that you missed out on on the day before. From Jökulsárlón to Reykjavik is almost 5 hours. You can go the whole way if you want to, or you can stay the night at a halfway point. We chose to stay at a B&B near Skogafoss in order to break up the drive and feel less rushed.

Day 6: Reykjavik

Reykjavik may be Iceland’s largest city, but that does not mean that it is, in fact, large. Its compact downtown area makes it very easy to conquer in just one day on your 7 day Iceland itinerary. I have a detailed guide to spending one day in Reykjavik in this post, but here’s a short list of things to do in Iceland’s capital.

Things to do in Reykjavik

• Visit Hallgrimkirkja
  • Iceland’s most iconic building, the church towers over Reykjavik. Going inside is free but for a small fee, you can go to the top of the tower for an unmatched view of the city.
• Explore Old Town Reykjavik
  • The heart of Reykjavik is filled with cute shops, world-class restaurants, fun street art, and classic Icelandic architecture.
• Visit Harpa Concert Hall
  • Opened in 2011, this beautiful music venue was designed to represent the many rock formations found throughout Iceland.
• Take a food tour
  • Iceland has the most notoriously awful national dish – fermented shark. And yet, Reykjavik has a budding food scene featuring several Michelin-starred restaurants. Take this awesome food tour to learn about the best cuisine that Iceland has to offer.
• See the sunset over Sun Voyager
  • The Sun Voyager statue is reminiscent of a Viking ship, an ode to Iceland’s first settlers. But it’s also meant to represent lands still undiscovered and a promising future. It’s an inspiring place to watch the sunset and end your day in Reykjavik.

Sun Voyager

Where to Stay

Because Reykjavik is small, so long as you stay near Hallgrimkirkja (the church) or Harpa Concert Hall, you’ll be close to everything you want to be close to. We stayed in an apartment right on the main street of Laugavegur and it was perfect!

Day 7: Blue Lagoon

No 7 day Iceland itinerary is complete without a trip to the famous Blue Lagoon.

Blue Lagoon

Located just 20 minutes from Keflavik airport, the Blue Lagoon is the perfect way to end your trip because you can drive yourself here before dropping your car off at the airport. And after spending two hours soaking in the mineral rich waters, you’ll be so relaxed that you won’t care about being on a plane for the next several hours.

You’ll find a lot of people who say not to go to the Blue Lagoon because it’s touristy. And true, it is the number one most visited site in all of Iceland. They also say it’s expensive – which is also true, but then nothing in Iceland is cheap.

Despite that, I found our time here to be extremely enjoyable. The system for getting drinks, towels, lockers, and showers is extremely organized (and friendly to those of us tourists not comfortable undressing in front of strangers LOL). And I don’t know if the water actually has healing properties, but it sure feels like it! We had 9AM reservations, so we got to be there before it got crowded (highly recommend doing that!). Just be sure to book tickets here well in advance of your trip.

After your two hour slot, it’s time to head to the airport and then home. Bye, Iceland!

A map of all the ground covered in this 7 day Iceland itinerary:

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