As I promised in my Ultimate Iceland Self-Drive Guide, I have decided to share some self-drive itineraries I’ve made in the past that you can use to plan your own self-drive adventures. I’m hoping this will be the first of many such itineraries but we’ll see how that goes. 

I made this itinerary for a friend of my relative (whose mother I think may have been my grandmother’s sister, niece or aunt and emigrated to the US a long time ago  – I’m not great with genealogy and I never listen when my parents tell me these things) who is visiting in late May and wanted me to make an itinerary that would include Reykjavík, The Golden Circle, South Coast and Snæfellsnes peninsula. They also mentioned wanting to be active and not drive too far each day if possible and they gave me some vague ideas about things the itinerary must include such as glaciers, volcanoes and hot springs.

The person I made this for is arriving from the US but modifications can be made to fit those flying in from Europe too. 

This itinerary is only feasible in late spring, summer or early autumn when we have plenty of daylight and we’re usually not dealing with the same difficult Driving conditions as in winter. Although the plan is not that hectic it is fairly active and aims to maximize your time. So if you’re used to traveling at a slower pace or you don’t have the energy to do all these activities, you may want to do some modifications and maybe just pick one or two. 

A 7-day / 6-night summer self-drive adventure: Including glaciers, volcanoes and puffins. Among other things.

Day 1: Fighting the jet lag and exploring Reykjavík

Approx total driving distance: 50 km
Approx total driving time: 45 minutes
Main attractions: Reykjavík
Suggested activity: Low energy activities like walking tours or whale watching. 

I would recommend you pick up the car in Keflavík Airport since you’re renting one anyway and there’s often not a big price difference between that and taking a bus to the city and picking up the car the next day. Sometimes people try to save money this way but often times it backfires due to unexpected transfer costs and just hassle. 

If you’ve seen some of my other itineraries, you know that I always recommend you use your first day in Iceland to explore Reykjavík, especially if you’re arriving from the US or Canada around 6 am like most people do. Jet lag is real and if you add the fact that you leave North-America in the evening and arrive in Iceland in the morning, essentially losing a night of sleep, you will probably be more tired than you think. You should never drive long distances after an overnight flight because tired people make dangerous drivers. 

Plus that Reykjavík totally deserves a day!

Doing something active but energy efficient like walking around the city and exploring is the perfect way to keep yourself awake without depleting your already compromised energy reserves. You want to try to stay awake until it’s bedtime in Iceland to get your body into the right rhythm again.

If you’re arriving from Europe, you will typically be landing later in the morning (after 8 am) or in the early afternoon. Depending on how early you had to get up and how far you had to travel to your departure airport, you might also be tired so doing something low key to preserve energy is probably a good idea.

A lot of people recommend that you do the Blue Lagoon on your way into the city and for those arriving from Europe I think that’s a great idea. If you’re arriving on a redeye, on the other hand, it’s my opinion that the Blue Lagoon will make you even more tired which will make it difficult for you to stay awake to fight the jet lag. Of course, everyone is different but we’re speaking in general terms here. I went into this some more my All you need to know about the Blue Lagoon guide. 

Good tours to do on the first day would be our private walking tour, this food walk that literally gives you a taste of the city or you could walk around on your own and then do a whale watching tour in the afternoon. All of these activities keep you awake without requiring a ton of energy. 

Accommodation

This itinerary assumes that you’ll spend your first two nights in Reykjavík. It’s most convenient for the activities planned and it saves you one day of having to check in and out and packing everything up (which to me is one is the biggest hassles of road trips).

I think Center Hótel Miðgarður is a good option because it’s close to everything, has (mostly paid) parking close by and is not too expensive for what it is. It’s across the street from Hlemmur food hall and in walking distance from most attractions.

Some other options would be Túngata 32 apartments (we get a lot of guests from them that seem to like it) and Stay Apartments in Einholt and Bolholt (a lot of our guests also stay here) if you want self-catering options.

I often recommend Canopy by Hilton and Reykjavík Residence if people are looking for nice 4-star accommodation without going all out price wise. Parking is a bit more difficult there but not by any means impossible.

Day 2: A day tour to Snæfellsnes

Approx total driving distance: 450 km
Approx total driving time: 6 hours and 15 minutes
Main attractions: Djúpalónssandur, Arnarstapi, Hellnar, Kirkjufell, Grundarfjörður
Suggested activity: Vatnshellir cave (Kayaking from Grundarfjörður if extended to 2 days)

Snæfellsnes is a bit of an overlooked gem that many people miss because they’re too focused on the marvels of the south coast. The thing that people often don’t realize is that Snæfellsnes also has waterfalls, a glacier, beautiful beaches and more but probably no more than half of the crowds.

Although the person I made this itinerary for didn’t want to drive long distances each day, I suggested they’d do Snæfellsnes as a day tour to have some time for other activities later on. I also put it early in their itinerary while they still had a lot of energy for all this driving.

A day tour to Snæfellsnes involves good 10-12 hours on the road, depending on the conditions and how many stops you want to make. If you don’t mind a longer day, especially if you feel like splurging on the Inside the Volcano tour (see day 3) is too much for your budget but you still want to explore some lava tubes, I would strongly recommend that you add a visit to Vatnshellir cave to your day. It’s a short (45 min) cost-effective tour that also happens to be quite interesting. It’s also kid friendly if you’re traveling with older kids.

Additionally, if you’re not too bothered about descending into a dormant volcano, you could extend your visit to the Snæfellsnes to two days instead of driving back to Reykjavík for the night. That way you would have more time to explore and you’d have a longer time at each stop. Plus you’d have time to do this Kayak fishing tour in Grundarfjörður which I haven’t tried myself but it’s high on my todo list for the summer.

Accommodation

If you are following my itinerary and are only doing a day tour to Snæfellsnes you’ll stay another night at your accommodation in Reykjavík.

If you plan to spend the night in Snæfellsnes, I have had nice personal experiences with these hotels and guesthouses:  Hotel Búðir, Hotel Egilssen or Sýsló Guesthouse.

You can find more options in the Snæfellsnes peninsula here

Day 3: Inside the volcano

Approx total driving distance: 120 km
Approx total driving time: 2 hours
Main attractions: Þríhnjúkagígur
Suggested activity: Inside the Volcano

On this day you will be driving from Reykjavík to Hella/Hvolsvöllur, doing a 5-6 hour tour inside a volcano on the way. You will be driving around 120 km which will take in total around 2 hours. 

I recommend that you book the Inside the Volcano tour at 10:00. That way you don’t need to wake up super early to get ready and you would be arriving in Hella/Hvolsvöllur at a reasonable hour. Since you are going to drive yourself to the meeting point of the tour, you will need to leave town no later than 9:40. You need to be at the meeting point no later than 10:20 and the drive is around 35 minutes. Since you’re not familiar with the area and the meeting point is not super obvious, it might be a good idea to leave a little earlier just in case you get a little lost on the way. 

With a transfer from Reykjavík, this tour is 5-6 hours so it’s safe to assume that the tour will take no more than 5 hours as a self-drive option. That means you’ll probably be ready to get going around 15:00. 

The drive from the meeting point to Hella/Hvolsvöllur is about 1.5 hours so you’d be ready to check in around 16:30. You may feel you need to use the day to the max but after the long day around Snæfellsnes and the action-packed days ahead – a short day will probably be a welcome break. You need to allow yourself to enjoy some downtime as well! 

If you haven’t had enough of volcanoes, you could always visit the Lava center in Hvolsvöllur until it’s time for dinner.

If you’d rather sleep in, you could also book the 12:00 departure of the tour which would have you at your hotel at 18:30. If you want to sleep in and explore a bit more of Reykjavík, you could book the departure at 14:00 and arrive at your hotel around 20:30. 

Accommodation

For day three, I recommend you stay somewhere in the Hella/Hvolsvöllur area as it’s a comfortable drive from the meeting point for the Inside the Volcano tour and it shortens the driving distances on day four. 

Stracta Hotel Hella is a popular option in Hella that consistently gets good reviews. Hótel Rangá is probably the most popular luxury accommodation in the area. The Midgard Base Camp has also been recommended to me on numerous occasions. If you would prefer to stay somewhere a bit more secluded, Hótel Lækur looks really nice and is not too far off course. 

Day 4: Hella to Kirkjubæjarklaustur

Approx total driving distance: 170 km
Approx total driving time: 2.5 hours
Main attractions: Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss, Sólheimajökull glacier, Dyrhólaey, Reynisfjara and Vík Village
Suggested activity: Glacier Walk in Sólheimajökull

On this day, you will be driving from Hella to Kirkjubæjarklaustur. Although it’s only about 170 km and 2.5-hour drive, there’s so much to see on the way and you’ll be spending some time on Sólheimajökull glacier doing a glacier hike. 

I recommend you book the glacier hike at 12:00 as it gives you plenty of time to explore the sights on the way there. If the 12:00 departure is fully booked, there’s another one at 14:00 which would give you time for some exploring and lunch. 

The drive from Hella/Hvolsvöllur to Sólheimajökull glacier is about an hour and 15 minutes so if you leave at 9 am that gives you just under two hours to explore Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss waterfalls, the main attractions on the way. 

The glacier hike will take you 3-3.5 hours so if you book the 12:00 departure, you should be good to go no later than 16:00. 

The drive from Sólheimajökull to Kirkjubæjarklaustur is about an hour and 45 minutes but there are more cool places to visit on the way there. I would recommend you check out Dyrhólaey, Reynisfjara Beach and Vík village. If you make a 30 minute stop at each place, you’d be checking in to your accommodation in Kirkjubæjarklaustur around 19:30. 

If you need to book the glacier walk at 14:00, you could skip some of the sights between Sólheimajökull and Kirkjubæjarklaustur and check them out on the way back on day 6. You could also do a shorter 2-2.5 hour glacier walk with departures at 12:30 and 13:00 to leave more time for other stops on the way. 

With more time, you could add a stop at the famous DC3 plane wreck in Sólheimasandur directly after your glacier walk. The hike from the parking lot to the plane is about an hour so if you walk this will take you about 2.5 hours in total. To save time, you could also take the Sólheimasandur shuttle from the parking lot. 

Accommodation

For day 4 and 5, I recommend you spend the night at the same hotel to give yourself a break from the packing and unpacking for a day. Kirkjubæjarklaustur is in a convenient driving distance from where you started the day and makes a good base to explore further east on day 5. 

If you want to stay in Kirkjubæjarklaustur itself, Hotel Klaustur is probably your best option for that. If you want more of a countryside feel then Hotel Laki or Magma Hotel may be better suited. 

Day 5: Kirkjubæjarklaustur to Jökulsárlón to Kirkjubæjarklaustur

Approx total driving distance: 250 km
Approx total driving time: 3.5 hours
Main attractions: Skaftafell National Park, Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and The Diamond beach
Suggested activity: Puffin Tour in Ingólfshöfði

On this day, you will be driving from the Kirkjubæjarklaustur area to Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and back. The total distance is about 250 km which means around 3 hours and a half driving. 

Although that’s a fair bit of driving in a day, you will do it in smaller spurts as you will be stopping to do a puffin tour in Ingólfshöfði and you’ll no doubt spend plenty of time taking in the marvels of Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, the Diamond Beach and Skaftafell national park

The puffin tour leaves at 10:15 and you need to be there preferably 15-20 minutes before the departure to check in. The drive from Kirkjubæjarklaustur to Ingólfshöfði is around 1 hour and 20 minutes so it’s would be good to leave the hotel around 8:30 just to be on the safe side. You would not have time to make any stops on the way but you have the afternoon and the drive back to check out the sights you miss on the way there. 

The puffin tour will take 2 hours and 30 minutes and you can probably assume to be back on the road around 13:00. The drive to Jökulsárlón is about 40 minutes so if you wanted to do a boat tour on the lagoon you’d be ready to go from around 14:00 (Amphibian and Zodiac). Since the boat tours are very popular, it’s advised that you book it in advance.

If you don’t plan to do a boat tour on the lagoon (there’s no need to – it’s beautiful from the shore as well) you should allow for at least an hour or two at the lagoon and neighboring diamond beach. 

The drive back to your hotel in Kirkjubæjarklaustur is just under two hours but you can expect it to take longer if you plan to make any stops along the way. If you leave the lagoon at 16:00 and you only make short stops along the way, that would mean you’ll be back in Kirkjubæjarklaustur around 19:00 or at a perfect time for dinner. 

If you have a lot of energy and you want to explore more, consider doing the hike to Svartifoss from Skaftafell national park. The hike is 5.5 km, is marked easy and it shouldn’t take more than 2 hours to complete it if you’re reasonably fit.

Day 6: Kirkjubæjarklaustur to Gullfoss

Approx total driving distance: 260 km
Approx total driving time: 3.5 hours
Main attractions: Fjaðrárgljúfur, Gullfoss and Geysir
Suggested activity: Snowmobile tour in Langjökull glacier

On this day you will be driving from Kirkjubæjarklaustur to Gullfoss where you’ll be doing a snowmobile tour on Langjökull glacier. The total driving distance is around 260 km or 3.5 hours. 

I recommend you book the snowmobile tour at 14:45 from Gullfoss. it’s good to be at Gullfoss at least 15 minutes before departure or no later than 14:30. If you leave Kirkjubæjarklaustur around 9 am, that gives you 2.5 hours that you can use on exploring places on the way in addition to the driving time.  

If you skipped something on day 4 and 5, this means you would have to make up for it on this drive. If it’s open, you could visit the amazing Fjarðargljúfur canyon (you know, where Snow and Daenerys flew through on the dragons in s.08 e.01 of GOT) just outside of Kirkjubæjarklaustur. It’s a bit of a hike but it shouldn’t take you more than an hour with photo stops. Due to its popularity and inadequate infrastructure, it is sometimes closed to protect the area in which case you need to respect the closure. 

Another option would be to visit the lovely Friðheimar for their famous tomato soup for lunch or you could even consider taking a dip in the Secret Lagoon. 

The snowmobile tour can take up to 4 hours (1 hour of actual time on the snowmobile) so you’ll be returning back around 19:00. If you book your accommodation at Hotel Gullfoss, as recommended below, it’s only 5 minutes drive from Gullfoss (and a 10-minute drive from Geysir). 

The biggest advantage of staying in the area is that you can take advantage of the abundant daylight and explore Gullfoss and Geysir in the evening without the crowds. Alternatively, if you’re tired after the day and you want to go to bed early, you could consider walking up really early on day 7 and enjoy the sights before everyone else arrives. 

Accommodation

The most convenient accommodation for this day is by far Hotel Gullfoss due to it’s proximity to both Gullfoss and Geysir. Another good option not far away is Farmhotel Efstidalur. 

Day7: Gullfoss to Keflavík Airport via Þingvellir National Park and the Blue Lagoon.

Approx total driving distance: 190 km
Approx total driving time: 3 hours
Main attractions: Þingvellir National Park, The Blue Lagoon
Suggested activity: A dip in the Blue Lagoon

On this last day, you will be driving from Gullfoss to the Blue Lagoon via Þingvellir National Park and Reykjavík. Since most flights to the US leave around 17:00 you will need to be at Keflavík Airport no later than 15:00. This doesn’t give you a lot of time to explore but just enough to see everything on the way. 

You will need to leave Gullfoss no later than 8:00 am since the total driving time to the Blue Lagoon will be 2.5 hours and you want to book your ticket for the lagoon at 12:00. If you took my advice and enjoyed Gullfoss and Geysir in the evening the night before, you can drive directly to Þingvellir National Park. If you didn’t, you will have to leave earlier or book a ticket at the lagoon at 13:00 which will only give you about an hour to enjoy it. 

You will have about 1-1.5 hours to explore Þingvellir National park before you need to carry on and drive the 1.5 hours to the Blue Lagoon. If you spend less time in Þingvellir, you could grab something quick to eat in Reykjavík before you drive to the Blue Lagoon. 

If you book your ticket to the Blue Lagoon for 12:00, you will have about 2-2.5 hours to enjoy the lagoon before you need to leave for the airport. If you don’t need the whole two hours in the lagoon, you could also consider having lunch there since the food is much better at the lagoon than at the airport. 

The drive from the Blue Lagoon to the airport is about 20 minutes and as I mentioned before, you need to be there at least 2 hours before your flight. When returning a car in Keflavík, I always recommend you give yourself some extra time for that – especially if you rent with one of the companies that don’t have a service station at the airport and you need to rely on a shuttle to get to the airport. 

By the way, if you’re flying with Icelandair you can check in online 24 hours in advance which means you will only need to print out your luggage tags and drop off your luggage once you get to the airport which will save some time. 

If you’re not too bothered about seeing Þingvellir National Park, you could also drive directly from Gullfoss to the Blue Lagoon via Grindavík in 2.5 hours. That way, you could explore Gullfoss and Geysir and still make the Blue Lagoon at 12:00 or opt for an earlier entry at the Blue Lagoon. 

Finally, if you are flying to Europe you will probably either be flying out early in the morning, in the early afternoon or late at night. Depending on your departure time, you may need to make some changes to the plan and rearrange some days. Or if you’re leaving late at night, you can add more to this last day or enjoy a longer time at the Blue Lagoon. 

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