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If you are planning a trip to Iceland then definitely you are looking for a perfect Iceland itinerary for 7 days. Our itinerary is made in such a way that it doesn’t matter when you are planning your trip to Iceland. Our 7 days itinerary will be perfect be it summer or winter. In this itinerary we will try to keep as much as you can do in these days, considering day 1 is your arrival and day 7 is your departure. So, lets dive into the day wise detailed one week in Iceland.
Day 1: Arrival The day you reach Iceland
Our day 1 is the arrival date. I highly recommend you to reach before noon, so that you have at-least half a day to explore. As it is your first time in the country in our 7 days Iceland Itinerary, we have kept not more than 2hrs of driving on day1. If you are from India then you will need some time to get adjusted to the roundabouts and left hand side driving. You can read more on driving in Iceland guide here.
Stop 1 : Collect your rental car
After landing straightaway go to the car rental company to collect your car, if your rental company is not at the airport there will be free shuttle to the rental company from airport. This will take you 1 to 2 hrs, and make sure you check everything specially the windshield and tyre of the vehicle.
Stop 2: Get your groceries for Iceland Itinerary 7 days
As you know Iceland is very expensive. Food is where you can save the most, so make a halt at the Bonus store near airport and get your groceries.
Stop 3: Reykjavík
You can then drive for 45 mins to the capital. If you have time then spend few hours in the capital of Iceland. I recommend you park the car and walk arounds the city. A stroll around the colourful houses through the city to the Hallgrimskirkja (church) is a must. If you want have your late lunch or early dinner I recommend you to do so. You can also look at the farmers market if you arrive before 3pm to buy a good deal of Icelandic sweater.
Stop 4: Your night stay in South Coast Either in Selfoss or Hella or Hvolsvöllur
Depending on the time of the year you are travelling and the energy you have left you can check in straight to your hotel in South Coast of Iceland, or visit two waterfalls for sunset. You can visit Seljalandsfoss during sunset or post dinner in case you are in summer months when days are longer. You can also check out Gljufrabui just few mins walk from Seljalandsfoss at the same time. Seljalandsfoss looks stunning at sunset. If you can’t do it then don’t worry you will have plenty of time next day.
Please note if you are travelling in winter months specially December you will have 4 hrs day light so, depending on your arrival time you can chose to stay near airport or skip Reykjavík and do that at the end of your trip.
Day 2: Golden Circle & South Coast in your 7 day Iceland itinerary
Second day on our Iceland itinerary we will try to cover as much as possible. If you are staying in Selfoss or Hella or Hvolsvöllur, then start with the golden circle first.
Stop 1: Kerid Crater
A beautiful lake in volcanic crater is worth a visit during summer months when the lake is not frozen. The colour of the water and the rock formation surrounded by moss is a sight to see. In case of winter months you can visit this place only thing is a frozen lake and snow all around might not be that awesome. This place does have a parking fee so keep that in mind when visiting. It won’t take you more than 30 mins unless you decide to walk (max 1 hr) down close to the crater.
Stop 2: Thingvellir National Park
This national park is where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet. You can drive the park and stop at few view points. If you want to do a snorkelling between the Silfra fissure then you have to reach here. We have not done that in our two visits to the park. This stop will take you 1 to 2 hrs based on the activities you chose from.
Stop 3: Brúarfoss on our 7 day trip to Iceland
Next stop is one of the bluest waterfalls I have seen in Iceland, irrespective of the month or time of the visit. Bruarfoss is a short walk from the parking lot (of-course paid). We will highly recommend that you visit this waterfall. You will not need more than 30 mins for this stop.
A must see in our Iceland Itinerary 7 days Stop 4: Geysir
This is my favourite spot in Iceland and very easily accessible from the parking lot. The parking here is free and the stop is a short walk away from the parking lot. You can easily spend 30 mins here as in every 10 mins, you will see the Geysir exploding in to a high water pillar. This is the stop you can’t miss at all even if you are visiting for a day in Iceland.
One important part of being here is there is a shopping center, toilet and a restaurant you can use. You can consider to have your lunch here or you can stop Fridheimer for lunch.
Stop 5: Gulfoss
A stunning and huge waterfall in iceland and worth a stop. You have to visit this, as it is the highlight of the golden circle. It is a sheer beauty to enjoy.You will have a viewing platform top of the waterfall and another bit closer to the waterfall reachable through stairs. You can easily spend 30 mins here.
Stop 6: Dip into the Hot Springs
Now this stop is something I leave it upto you to chose from. The options are Secret Lagoon (Not so Secret) , Hrunalaug or the Reykjadalur Hot Spring Thermal River. We have visited only the Thermal river in our two time visit in Iceland. I would recommend any of the three you visit. The river is free but the parking is charged hourly basis. It takes 1 hr hike up so you will definitely spend 3 hrs here. The other two options requires little to no hiking. You have to remember both these have charges to take a dip but it tis not that exorbitant that you can’t afford it.
Seljalandsfoss and Gljufrabui if you have time else next day. If travelling in winter mostly you won’t have that much time after the golden circle. You will sleep in Hella/ Hvolsvöllur.
Day 3: South Coast In a Week in Iceland
On Day 3 we cover the waterfalls that were missed and South Iceland gems, no need to worry if you leave out on somethings as you will have opportunity to cover them later in the trip.
Seljalandsfoss Stop 1 in case you could not before:
If you have not covered it in Day 1 then you see it in Day2. Seljalandsfoss is a waterfall , where you can get behind the waterfall. Once you do, you meet with a gorgeous view of the vast landscape nearby. This is so much fun to visit this waterfall. I love this waterfall too and the best time to visit is sunset.
Stop2: Gljufrabui hidden cave waterfall must visit in Iceland itinerary of 7 days
You can walk to this one from Seljalandsfoss, it will take you just 10 mins. This waterfall will give you the sense of adventure you need. This waterfall you can not see from out side you have to walk through a gushing stream of water inside a cave. On entering you will see the majestic waterfall gushing down from above. Just remember your shoes and clothes are going to be completely wet, but the experience is unreal. I will also recommend to take less number of electronics with you as they will be wet too.
Most important Stop 3: Skogafoss
The most popular waterfall in Iceland, you must have seen this first to know about Iceland and its sheer beauty. We have been to this waterfall more than 4 times already and find it amazing every-time. You need to be prepared though to have your waterproof shoes out and waterproof jacket out. You will get drenched if you are visiting this waterfall, but thats the fun of it.
Stop 4: Kvernufoss
I highly recommend this waterfall just next to Skogafoss, you need to pay for the parking and then easy walk towards the waterfall. This is a beautiful and less touristy waterfall and the best part is you can get behind the waterfall. If you get the perfect light you might see rainbows at the waterfall like we did.
I recommend that all these waterfalls you see in the first half of the day or before you check out from your hotel. The reason being, you will get drenched covering these waterfalls and you will need to change your clothes and shoes.
Skip the Iceland Plane Wreck in 7 days itinerary
We get the hype of the plane wreck site because of all the photos we saw on the net. We also visited the site during our first trip and feel it is completely waste of money and time. Hear me out, the site is 45mins to 1 hr hike (one way) to the site nothing interesting to marvel at. You will easily waste 3hrs or more just to be here and the 4×4 bus is expensive. We bargained with the bus driver during offseason so made our way through it.
Dyrholey Light House
This is a 360 degree view from a light house where you can see the black sand beach from the cliff. If you are visiting during summer then you can see the Puffins nesting near the light house. Make sure you drive to the other side of the light house where there is toilet and a huge rock middle of the black sand beach. The light house is good stop for sunset.
Black Sand Beach at Reynisfjara
This is the famous black sand beach in Iceland and the trip to the country remains incomplete without visiting it. One thing you need to make sure is watch out the alert as the beach is famous for sneaky waves. If it has red alert you should not go to the beach, so you can come back later in the Iceland itinerary. You need to remember one more thing before visiting, is preferably visit during low tide so that you can explore the nearby hexagonal basalt columns pillar caves easily. You will see the Reynisdrangar sea stacks, considered to be trolls froze in the water.
Last stop in Day 3 is Vik church
A very cute church in the coastal town of Vik. You park right next to the church and get 360 degree view of the town, ocean and Reynisdrangar sea stacks. You won’t need more than 30 mins here unless you decide to hike up the hill.
i would suggest you to stay the night in Vik, in that way next day you don’t have to drive past the town for your next destination. If it is too expensive or you hate checking in and checking out then stay in your previous hotel.
Day 4: Canyons, Glaciers & Diamond Beach Itinerary 7 days
Next day you will have a long drive all the way till east part of the Island, stopping in places mid-way. If you are in winter months then you can chose to do Katla Glacial Cave hike from Vik, or Glacial walk in the morning before starting your next destination.
Lava Moss Field
As you start driving towards eastern part of Iceland you will have barren lava fields covered with moss. You can park in any lay by and enjoy the view. The lava field will accompany you for more than 1 hour. The weird part of this landscape is it will have black rocks stacked on its own, perfectly balanced on top of one another. The whole area looks other worldly for sure.
Fjaðrárgljúfur
This is a canyon on the way and you should visit this place, I recommend. In our first trip we missed visiting this canyon, so made sure we visit in the next trip. There is a parking, and from the parking lot a short uphill walk to see the canyon. If you want you can follow the entire trail and visit the waterfall at the end like we did. There are few other trails that you can explore, if you don’t want to walk that much then just walk the 15 mins up hill and the view is stunning from there as well.
Lómagnúpur
This is also another stop en-route, where you can stop for 10 mins stretch your legs and enjoy the surroundings. The moment you will see the Moss field disappear and big tall mountain appear all through out the road that is the place where you need to halt.
Mulagljufur Canyon
You will now have scenic drive seeing glaciers all around you. This is when you have to take a short detour and drive to see a canyon. This is one of the most beautiful canyon you can visit but it does require 45mins of hike. We could not visit this place in both of our trip but I recommend you to do it, specially if you are visiting in summer. This is canyon is gorgeous and huge, so make sure to visit it if you can.
Fjallsárlón
Your first stop to see Glacier is Fjallsárlón, very close to your final destination and can cause confusion. You need to take a small detour before your last stop of the day to come to this Glacial Lagoon. This lagoon is where you can do a boat trip to see up close the glacier.
Jökulsárlón & Diamond Beach
Next stop is your final stop of the day. You need to park your car either at the Diamond Beach or the Jökulsárlón Parking, make sure to park crossing bridge. My recommendation will be to park at the Diamond beach, and see the diamond beach and walk to the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon. There are shops here to enjoy a cup of coffee or hot noodles. You can enjoy sunset at Jökulsárlón, as the sunset does not happen at Diamond beach.
Once done stay in a hotel near diamond beach or chose to stay in Hofn , a small town for the night.
Day 5: Vestahorn & Remaining South Coast in your 7 days in Iceland
By this time you will be comfortable driving. Hence, Day 5 is the longest you need to drive almost 5 hrs. In our 7 days itinerary in Iceland we have kept with less site. Also things you have missed on Day4 or in South Coast of Iceland you can complete them on Day5.
Vestahorn is a must see as per our 7 days Iceland Itinerary
We recommend you to visit this place at sunrise. This is a private property and only place in Iceland where you need to pay to enter a beach. This is an epic landscape you can not miss, and also one of the reason you hired a car in first place. Most of the tour groups do not cover this place, it has 1000ISK per person ticket for a day. The area is very windy even in good days, loads for falling rocks on the way, so morning is generally calmer with the wind and gives you the stillness in the water. You can easily spend 2-3hrs here, have breakfast at the cafe and they have toilets to freshen up.
Hoffell Hot Tubs
Once you are done you are going to drive towards Vik, but before a dip in the Hoffell Hot Tubs. These hot tubs are very close to Hofn, so you can even do this on Day 4. The speciality of these tubs are there natural surrounding. It has a small fee to enter, as it belongs to a private hotel. If you are staying with the hotel like we did then it is free for the guests.
Hofskirkja
A cute little church on the way to Vik where you can stop for 10 mins and see it. It has the famous Icelandic Grass rooftop, that you can see get a photo. Otherwise you can skip it.
I have not added anything else here, you might want to add any activity or cover few places you have missed. The road from Hofn to Reykjavík is easy and always in good condition even in winter. So, You try to stay the night near Hella, so that you do not need to drive a lot on Day 6.
Day 6 of 7 day Iceland Itinerary : explore Snaefellsnes peninsula
You will drive roughly 3 hrs in total today, with few halts if you wish to. If on day1 you could not visit the capital of the country then today you can stop for sometime before moving towards Snaefellsnes. You also have option to see anything you missed in your golden circle. If you have done all of them then head straight to the peninsula. You chose to stay either near Grundarfjörður specially in summer or Arnarstapi in winter. We have stayed Grundarfjörður on both the season.
Kirkjufellsfossar in 7 days itinerary of Iceland
Kirkjufell mountain is what you see in most of the google photos of Iceland. The weird part is not many tour groups take you here so that is the reason we suggest renting a car. One of the beautiful mountains in Iceland and the best place to see aurora as well. There is parking fee at the sight and small walk from there.
Arnarstapi
You will then take route 574 and drive around the peninsula to reach this small village. Enroute you will have multiple spots to stop and enjoy. If you are visiting during winter then this route might be closed but still you can see few spots around if the route is open.
Budir Church
The famous black church of Iceland is what you see. This is another famous spot to see the northern lights in Iceland. It is a very small church you can walk around to enjoy the cliff side view.
You can end your day by seeing it all, or if you have time the day next and flight is not too early then you can leave some for next day. But, I would recommend to see it all on the day 6, so that you don’t have to rush on your final day.
Day 7 : Last day of our Iceland Itinerary : Spa day or Hot Spring Day
Today is your last day, and you fly out of Keflavik Airport which is 3 hrs drive from the Peninsula. You can choose what you want to do, depending on your flight time. You can add in more to the itinerary if you are staying the night on Day 7. If you choose to spend the night, i will suggest to do it in city Reykjavík or in Keflavik.
One option is to take a dip in the Blue Lagoon on your last day before flying out of Iceland. You can even explore Keflavik as there are lot to see in the small area as well.
You can shuffle the days completely in reverse direction, depending on your comfort or the availability or prices of the hotel. If you want personalised trip planning and help with the bookings then do reach out to us we can help you with the same at a cost.
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