4 Days in Iceland: Hourly Itinerary for the Serious Planner
You will be spellbound by Iceland’s natural beauty. Thundering waterfalls, “diamond” beaches, floating glaciers, towering sea stacks, mystical canyons … this country almost seems unreal! We had 4 days in Iceland to explore all these main highlights in addition to trying out the top foodie spots. It was a whirlwind of a trip but completely worth it. This itinerary can only be accomplished if you go during the summertime when the Midnight Sun occurs. Read on to find out how we did it.
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DAY 1: GOLDEN CIRCLE
We arrived at the airport in Keflavík, Iceland (KEF) on a red-eye flight at 9:35 am.
11:30 am: Grocery run at BONUS to pick up snacks. Drive 1 hour to Thingvellir National Park, which is one of the stops on the Golden Circle Route.
1:15 pm: Arrive at Thingvellir National Park and check out Almannagjá Gorge, where the earth is literally pulling apart! Another highlight to see is Oxarafoss Waterfall.
3 pm: Chow down on some delicious homemade tomato soup at Friðheimar Farm.
4:30 pm: Witness the mighty Strokkur Geysir and the 2-tier Gulfoss Waterfall.
5:30 pm: Finish out the day with some local ice cream at Efstidalur Farm.
Breakfast: on the plane. Late lunch/early dinner: Friðheimar Farm
Overnight: Fagrabrekka Guesthouse (Not available now. Here’s a cute alternative)
DAY 2: WATERFALLS + GLACIER + DIAMOND BEACH + SEA STACKS
10:00 – 11:30 am: Walk behind one of the most spectacular waterfalls, Seljalandsfoss. Drive 25 minutes more to enjoy the powerful Skógafoss Waterfall.
3 pm: Be mesmerized by the slow floating icebergs at Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and enjoy a delicious bowl of hot creamy lobster bisque at a food truck, Heimahumar. Walk along all the glistening glacier chunks at Diamond Beach.
5:45 pm: Hike the 60-minute roundtrip trail to the “Black Waterfall,” Svartifoss.
7:30 pm: Enjoy walking along the path around the mystical Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon.
9 pm: Briefly check into the hotel and then grab dinner in the town of Vík.
11:15 pm: Get your best Instagram photo climbing around the towering sea stacks next to the crashing ocean.
Breakfast: Fagrabrekka. Lunch: Heimahumar food truck. Dinner: Smiðjan Brugghús.
DAY 3: PUFFINS + HOT SPRINGS + REYKJAVIK’S TOP SITES
11 am: Drive to nearby Dyrhólaey to see if you can spot some adorable puffins.
2 pm: Hike 45 minutes to a local favorite, Reykjadalur Hot Springs. After, drive to Reykjavik to enjoy some delicious fish & chips before checking in to your hotel.
7 pm: After a hot shower, walk around Reykjavik to check off all the top sites: Bæjarins Beztu Pyslur (famous hot dog stand), Hallgrímskirkja Church, Harpa Concert Hall, and Sun Voyager.
8:15 pm: If you are a foodie, you will love checking out all the food vendors at the Hlemmur Mathöll Food Hall. We picked Skal! and had a fantastic meal.
9:30 pm: After dinner drinks at my favorite cocktail bar in Iceland, Apotek.
Breakfast: Hotel Kria. Late lunch: Fish & Chips Vagninn. Dinner: Skal!
DAY 4: BRAUD & CO. BAKERY + BLUE LAGOON + FLY BACK HOME
10:45 am: Walk around downtown Reykjavik one more time and pick up some cinnamon buns at the local bakery, Braud & Co.
1 pm: Check in to the Blue Lagoon
2:30 pm: In-water massage
6 pm: Drop off rental car
8:20 pm: Fly back home
Breakfast: At the Reykjavik Konsulat Hotel/Braud & Co. Dinner: on the plane.
4 Days in Iceland Itinerary as Seen on a Map
Map of 4 days in Iceland itinerary
Who Will Like This 4 Days in Iceland Itinerary
- Outdoor adventurers
- Road trippers
Best Time to Go to Iceland
- The best time to go to Iceland is mid May-mid August! Why? This time frame is when the Midnight Sun occurs, where the sun never fully sets. We went in early July and were able to pack in a ton of activities and hikes late into the night.
- The other time to consider coming to Iceland is late September -late March IF you want to see the northern lights. The peak of the lights is in September and March, which corresponds with the Equinox. However, there is no guarantee. It all depends on the weather.
Hotels Booked
- 1 night (Fagrabrekka is no longer available. Here’s an adorable highly-rated booking.com alternative with the same aesthetic in the same area)
- 1 night
- 1 night
Airlines Used
Icelandair
- 11:50 pm direct flight from the east coast of the United States to Keflavík International Airport (KEF), which took about 6 hours.
- 8:20 pm direct flight from KEF to the United States
Car Rental & How to Get Around
- All the sites in Iceland are quite spread out. I would highly advise renting a car. We used the local company, Blue Car Rental. I highly recommend them!
Lunch/Dinner Reservations Booked in Advance
- None. All of the restaurants we chose did not require reservations.
What I Would Have Considered Changing in my 4 Days in Iceland Itinerary
- Find out why I would skip the Reykjadalur Hot Springs in this itinerary.
- Of course, if you have more days to spare, the extra time would make this road trip much more relaxed.
- We LOVE snorkeling and have snorkeled all over the world. If there was more time, I would have loved to snorkel between the two continents at the famous Silfra fissure. Next time!
- I would have loved to have seen the Blue Ice Cave while we were visiting Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon
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