iceland in 4 days itinerary

Iceland is truly magical. An Iceland trip in only 4 days is fast-paced, but so worth it. On our 4 day Iceland itinerary, we chose to base ourselves in Reykjavik. I am so happy with our choice as it allowed us to see so much of Iceland while also experiencing some great restaurants and nightlife in the city.

If you have more than 4 days in Iceland then I recommend renting a campervan as it is super popular there. You’ll be able to tour the country and spend your days driving around the infamous Ring Road. In this 4 day Iceland itinerary, you are getting a jam packed vacation however, you’ll only do half of ring road (the southern half).

One or two more days in Iceland would’ve been just the right amount. So, right around 6-7 days in Iceland is an ideal amount to be there if not more! I note what I wish I had time for below. One side note, Iceland is not a cheap place to visit. Getting there is pretty inexpensive and even hotels and the car rentals weren’t bad. The gas, food and drinks however were just crazy. It costs about $6-7 US dollars for a gallon of gas so this is something you definitely want to factor into your budget before heading there! If you are looking to save some money on a rental car, be sure to use the rentalcars.com search engine below. This is the website I use for rentals and I always find the best price!

I also want to note that since you are trying to see Iceland in 4 days, this itinerary has early wake up calls every single morning except one so it’s not necessarily meant for those looking for a care-free trip. 😉

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Day 0: COVId protocols

When my husband and I traveled to Iceland in June 2021, there were still many COVID-19 requirements in place. Only those who have been fully vaccinated with an approved COVID-19 vaccine or those who have recovered from the virus were allowed to travel there. As of June 24, 2021 this is still in place. Also, anyone visiting during that time had to be tested upon arrival in the country and quarantine until you received your results. As of July 1, 2021 that law is no longer in effect — so good news for those of you traveling to Iceland after July 1!

So, here are the current requirements needed to enter Iceland:

• Certificate of full vaccination against COVID
• Or, certificate of previous COVID infection
• Pre-register your visit at least 72 hours in advance of departure here. After you register, it will provide a QR code that will you need to show at the airport after arrival.

Getting through customs and the whole testing process was actually pretty smooth and painless. Once you land in Iceland, they will ask for your QR code as soon as you step off the plane so be ready with it. They may also ask for proof of where you are staying and any flight plans for leaving Iceland so have those materials readily available, too.

If you choose to rent a car, which I highly recommend, I would try to book it well in advance as there is still a rental car shortage. We booked ours through Rentalcars.com and had a great experience. I always try to book with a reliable rental company I know and trust like Hertz. The best part about using Rentalcars.com is they offer free cancellations on most bookings.

Day 1

Fagradalsfjall VOLCANO

You made it to Iceland and hopefully no quarantine was needed on your part! Since we had to quarantine for a majority of the day until we received our negative results, we started our 4 days in Iceland itinerary by visiting the active volcano, Fagradalsfjall. We were so excited to see this massive volcano and couldn’t believe that after more than a month it was still actively producing lava. Unfortunately, it may no longer be active by the time you arrive in Iceland so use this time to get acquainted with Reykjavik. You can even book a tour for this here.

If you are able to see the volcano while it’s still active, I am going to give you the warning no one gave us. You’re hiking up a damn mountain! We also chose the rainiest and coldest day to do this so you can actually check the weather in that area in advance here.

Some other things to know before visiting are there are a few different routes you can take. You can choose to just see the lava on the ground level which is about a mile trip. This is actually really cool and would recommend doing this no matter what. The second option you have is to hike one of the two routes they have up to the volcano. Route A, the easier route at the time, was closed when we went as the lava had started flowing over the path so our only option was Route B, which was about 6 miles in total.

I know 6 miles doesn’t seem like a lot but at one point you are at a straight incline on nothing but mossy covered rocks holding on to a rope. It really isn’t for the faint of heart but totally worthy it once you get to the top! You can also see the routes and find parking here.

JORGENSEN

After hiking a volcano all afternoon, we headed back into Reykjavik and enjoyed a meal close to our hotel called Jorgensen Kitchen + Bar. It was a great dinner to kick off our night and highly recommend if you’re in the area. Another option that we wanted to try but didn’t have time for was La Primavera known for their seafood!

REYKJAVIK

If you decide to stay in Reykjavik like we did for the full 4 days in Iceland then make sure your itinerary has at least one night out on the town. Reykjavik gets wild, has a ton of bars and restaurants and it’s actually a lot of fun. Once you are out of quarantine, it does feel like a COVID-less country. Their cases are down and they’ve done a great job of protecting visitors who enter and their citizens. If you’re interested you can check their case rates at Iceland’s website.

Side note, since we visited in Summer, the days were so much longer here as it NEVER got dark. I mean never. We went to bed with our sleep masks on because it was always bright out.

Day 2

GOLDEN CIRCLE

If you’ve heard anything about Iceland then you’ve heard about the Golden Circle so it’s no wonder this 4 day Iceland itinerary includes it. The Golden Circle is a famous route in Iceland including some epic stops along the way like their national park, waterfalls and we even added on the Secret Lagoon. While we did this on our own, there are plenty of options to do a full day or half day guided tour. Check out some of those tours here.

Þingvellir (Thingvellir)NATIONAL PARK

Starting from Reykjavik, the first stop of the Golden Circle is Thingvellir National Park. You could easily spend a few hours here, but we maxed out an hour here since we had a laundry list of places we wanted to still visit. Also, we left early enough to have the whole park to ourselves. It was pretty epic.

Take a bit of a hike up from the parking lot to not only pass through the famous tectonic plates that the park has become known for but get a great view of the lake. You can even snorkel in this lake and “swim between two continents.” As we learned here, Iceland is actually a bridge between two continents. It sits on top of two tectonic plates — the Euroasian and the North American plates.

the mighty geysir

The second stop on the Golden Circle is the Geysir! I’m not going to lie and say I was SUPER excited about seeing hot steam spring out of the ground, but after seeing it happen in person I was truly amazed! This freaking country is amazing. There are a few geysir’s at this location and the smaller one was more active while we were there. It went off about every ten minutes and surprised me every time. Truly so cool to see.

GULLFOSS WATERFALL

The Gullfoss waterfall is the true show stopper of the Golden Circle. It’s a stop you can’t miss and one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. It’s massive. With just a short hike from the parking lot, you can experience the waterfall up close and personal. It’s one of our favorite stops on the Golden Circle.

Across from the parking lot, there is cafe and store where you can buy much more than some Gullfoss trinkets. It’s a full blown store so if you forgot any hats, gloves, jackets or just want a new sweater you can head inside.

SECRET LAGOON

Most Iceland itineraries don’t include the Secret Lagoon on their Golden Circle route, but this was a place I really wanted to see and it was so worth it! We were one of the first people there and you can order your tickets in advance. They have changing rooms on site. Similar to the Blue Lagoon, you need to shower before heading in (swimsuits off) and you can even buy food and drinks while at the Lagoon. It was one of our favorite hot pools we visited in Iceland!

Friðheimar

After the Secret Lagoon, we headed to Friðheimar for one of the best lunches in Iceland. I still can’t get over this place. It’s a tomato farm with one of the best restaurants we ate at in Iceland. As you guessed it, they serve all things tomato — beer, soup, even ice cream! If you have time to eat here, don’t miss it!

kerib crater

If you are doing the full Golden Circle then you will pass Kerib Crater on your way back to Reykjavik. They say the crater once was an active volcano that eventually collapsed on itself. You pay about $4 US dollars to enter and you can walk down to the inside of it. After Kerib Crater, you’ve completed the Golden Circle!

SNAPS BISTRO

If you have have one night in Reykjavik and are looking for a dinner spot then look no further because Snaps is your place. Both B and I agreed it was our favorite dinner and it had the best service and drinks.

Day 3

BLUE LAGOON

You can’t visit Iceland and not go to the Blue Lagoon. Typically with 4 days in Iceland, an itinerary will you have you visiting the Blue Lagoon on your first day because it’s so close to the airport. Unfortunately, since we needed to quarantine we held off on this until our third day. If you are staying in Reykjavik then you can really do this any day. It’s only a bout a 30 minute drive from Reykjavik. You can purchase tickets in advance here.

I will admit, the Blue Lagoon is the most touristy thing you can do in Iceland. But, it’s also a bucket list item for many and you really can’t miss it. Depending on the package you get, you’ll be given sandals to walk around the locker rooms, a robe to wear outside before getting in the pool, a free drink and up to three face masks to do in the Blue Lagoon. The bar serves anything from alcoholic drinks, gatorade to a green juice that I LOVED! You get a wristband to keep track of your purchases so no need to worry about bringing in a card or cash.

HRUNALAUG HOT SPRING

After the Blue Lagoon, you can choose to visit a few other hot springs like we did. One of the coolest hot springs we found was Hrunalaug. At one point in time this hot spring was purely donation based, but now since it’s become so popular you’ll pay about $10 US dollars to enter and you’re limited to 2 hours here. I still stay it’s worth it.

Once you pay, you’ll take a quick walk down to spring that looks like a little hobbit house. Fun fact, this spring is on an old sheep farm and the old hobbit looking house is where the sheep were washed back in the day. You’ll find one of the most beautiful views here and there are about 3 little “hot pots” for you to sit in. We were there with just one other couple so it’s definitely not an overly trafficked area. It could fit about 15 people total.

MESSIN

For a casual but authentic Icelandic meal in Reykjavik, head to Messin. Their seafood pans are so good. You can get one to share for yourself.

Day 4

Southern iceland

On your last of 4 days in Iceland, your itinerary should include a drive of Southern Iceland. This was by far one of our favorite parts of the trip. Southern Iceland is breathtaking full of waterfalls all along the way, a black sand beach in Vik and a hidden hot pool. The Southern Iceland route we took started in Reykjavik and will have you turn back around after Fjaðrárgljúfur. If you’re doing the full ring road then you’ll keep going up to Northern Iceland!

This is another road trip that you can do through a tour, but we chose to do it ourselves. We were able to get ahead of all the tour busses that were coming in by starting early. At nearly every stop, we would see the loads of busses coming in as soon as we were leaving.

Gljufrabui Waterfall

The first waterfall on the Southern Iceland road trip is Gljufrabui and wow. You’ll be able to see this right from the road so you won’t miss it. The two waterfalls you’ll see here (Gljufrabui and Seljalandsfoss) are right next to each other. Visit Gljufrabui first which is the furthest one from the road. You walk through a tiny path and get an epic view.

Seljalandsfoss Waterfall

On the other side (closest to the road), you’ll see the main attraction of this stop which is Seljalandsfoss. People love this waterfall because you can actually walk behind it. It’s honestly mesmerizing and well worth the visit.

Seljavallalaug HOT POOL

Next up is Seljavallalaug! This will be the hardest spot to find on the Southern Iceland tour and probably all of this 4 days in Iceland itinerary. If you type in Seljavallalaug to google maps, it will take you to a parking lot (it’s on private property, but you can park up to two hours). From there, you’ll follow the dirt path directly off the lot. Eventually the path stops and you have to kind of just figure it out. We weren’t expecting a hike at all, but it’s really not that far. We didn’t have service either so we weren’t sure we were on the right path, but eventually we found it. So when in doubt, you’re most likely headed in the right direction.

We had the pool all to ourselves and while it was naturally heated (like nearly all hot pots, pools and lagoons in Iceland), it wasn’t the hottest we’ve visited and since it was raining we didn’t stay too long. On the plus side, THE VIEW here is unbeatable. You are literally situated among a valley with mountains on each side. It’s breathtaking.

SKOGAFOSS waterfall

Next up is Skogafoss. Our absolute favorite stop. It is hard for me to put into words just how massive, intense and insane this waterfall is. It makes you really realize just how small you are in this world. I know this sounds dramatic, but holy cow this waterfall is pure magic.

Side note, you will get SOAKED after your visit here. We knew this going in so brought a change of clothes and it worked out well for us. You will absolutely need to bring a rain coat in Iceland. This is another stop that has a cafe on site. It is a bit pricey since so many tourists visit. If you don’t want to eat here, the next stop (the town of Vik) will have a few cafes for you to choose from.

BLACK SAND BEACH IN VIK

Getting to the black sand beach is actually a bit tricky if you are following Apple maps. You shouldn’t type in black sand beach since it will lead you right into the heart of Vik to the opposite side of the black sand beach. You want to type in Reynisfjara beach and it will take you to the right place. Fun fact, a lot of scenes from Game of Thrones were filmed in Iceland. This beach and the next stop are both filming locations!

If you have time, take a stroll through the town of Vik on your way to or from the last stop in Southern Iceland. It’s such a cute Iceland town.

Fjaðrárgljúfur

The last stop on the Southern Iceland road trip is Fjaðrárgljúfur. And, wow wow wow. The view here is amazing. Once you park in the lot (it’s a bit of off roading to get to the lot — don’t tell your car rental lol), it’ll be a straight uphill hike until you reach the coolest view. As I mentioned, this is the mossy canyon shown in Game of Thrones and it was just a stunning freaking view.

After taking in the views of Fjaðrárgljúfur (say that three times fast), it’s time to head back to Reykjavik for your last night in Iceland.

Ban thai

On our last night, we headed to Ban Thai for dinner. I know you wouldn’t correlate a great thai restaurant with Iceland but the food was so good here. It’s more of a low-key restaurant away from the main downtown Reykjavik and it was such a gem.

what i wish i had time for

• Diamond beach: I’m sure you’ve heard of Diamond beach named after the ice formations scattered all across the beach. If you have time, you won’t want to miss it!
• Northern Lights: Everyone wants to visit Iceland to see the Northern Lights. Unfortunately, you can only see them in the winter time so if you visit in Summer you won’t get a chance to see the lights.
• Myvatn nature baths: Located in Northern Iceland, this geothermal pool offers beautiful views.
• Whale Watching: Ever since Hawaii, my husband and I have become obsessed with whale watching! Unfortunately we couldn’t squeeze this in our itinerary with only 4 days in Iceland.

WHERE TO STAY

Reykjavik has quite a few hotels to stay in. As I mentioned earlier, many people choose to rent a campervan and sleep in it while traveling around the country. We chose to stay at the Eyja Guldsmeden hotel and absolutely loved it there. They offered a great breakfast every morning, a workout facility and it’s an eco-friendly hotel. Not to mention, it was one of the cutest hotels I’ve stayed at and was close to everything so we were able to walk anywhere in Reykjavik. I highly recommend a stay here.

WHERE TO EAT & drink in iceland

I hope this Iceland in 4 days itinerary helps you plan your next adventure to the beautiful country. As always, I am more than happy to help out with any questions you have. Just drop me a note below or reach out via Instagram.

As a reminder, anyone re-entering the United States, regardless of which country you’re visiting, you must receive a negative COVID-19 at least 72 hours in advance of arrival. To do this in Iceland, you can book your test here. It was super easy and painless for us to do this in Reykjavik. We were in and out within 10 minutes, but get to your appointment early as there was already a line when we showed up 15 minutes ahead of our appointment. Don’t worry, it goes by quick though.

happy travels, liz stanford

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