Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0 on Wikimedia Commons
Five easy days in the south of Iceland: a day in Reykjavik, the Golden Circle with its rift valley, geysers and great waterfall, two days on the South Coast with falls, a glacier tongue and black sand, and a slow last day with a swim. Short walks, and a car.
From average weather, 2021 to 2025: days that are warm but not hot, with few rainy days, score highest. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
A gentle first day in a small capital that you can cover on foot. Look up at the church, walk the seafront, and end in a warm pool like the locals do. Keep the car for tomorrow.
The tall white church on the hill, shaped like the basalt columns you will see along the coast. It is the landmark of the city, and you can see it from many streets. Look at it from the front, then step inside.
Go when Morning, before the tour groups arrive.
Local tip Walk around the outside first and look up at the tower. Check ahead before you go up it, and choose a clear day, when the view over the colored roofs is worth the wait.
A steel sculpture shaped like a ship, standing on the seafront with the bay and the mountains behind it. A short, flat walk from the center, and an easy place to stand and look.
Go when Midday, on the walk along the waterfront.
Local tip Stand a little back from it and look through the frame of the ship toward the mountains across the bay. Children like to walk around it.
The Icelandic hot dog is a national snack, made partly with lamb and served in a soft bun with crisp onions and sauces. A quick, cheap-feeling lunch that children usually like.
Local tip Ask for one with everything, or leave the onions off for small children.
The old harbor, where fishing boats and sightseeing boats come and go. A good place for a slow walk, a snack and a look at the boats.
Go when Afternoon, when the boats are in.
Local tip Walk the length of the old harbor and look in at the fish shops and small museums along the way. Keep little ones away from the edge.
Nearly every neighborhood has a public pool, heated by the ground, with warm hot tubs where people of every age sit and talk. It is as much a part of Icelandic life as coffee. Check ahead for opening times and what to bring.
Go when Evening, after a day of walking.
Local tip Shower without your swimsuit before you get in, as is the custom in every pool in Iceland, and then try the hot tubs. Check ahead for opening times and for what you need to bring.
The cold waters around Iceland give very good cod, haddock and arctic char. A plain dinner of pan-fried fish with potatoes is a good way to meet the local table.
Local tip Ask what came in that day, and choose the simplest preparation.
The classic day out of Reykjavik: a rift valley, a field of geysers and a great waterfall, all with short, easy paths. The drive is part of the day, so look at the road and the weather before you set off, and keep time to spare.
A national park in a rift valley, and a UNESCO World Heritage site, where two plates of the earth pull slowly apart. The first parliament of Iceland met here in the open air. Walk the Almannagja path between the rock walls, which is mostly gentle and has a view over the plain.
Go when Morning, when the paths are quiet.
Local tip Walk the Almannagja path between the rock walls and read the signs. Wear shoes with grip, and stay behind the rails near the edge of the rift.
In places with hot ground, including around the lake town of Laugarvatn near the Golden Circle road, dark, sweet rye bread is baked slowly in pots buried in the warm earth. Served with butter or smoked fish.
Local tip Check ahead where it is on offer, and ask for it warm, with plenty of butter.
A field of hot springs and geysers. The one that erupts is called Strokkur, and it goes off every few minutes, so children rarely have to wait long. Stay on the paths and well away from the hot water.
Go when Midday, on the way between the two big stops.
Local tip Stand upwind and stay behind the ropes. Strokkur blows every few minutes, so watch the water swell and dome before it erupts. Keep children close, and keep away from any hot water.
Kjotsupa is a thick, warming soup of lamb, root vegetables and herbs. It is the kind of lunch served by roadside cafes across the country.
Local tip Many cafes offer a refill of the soup, so ask.
A wide waterfall that falls in two steps into a deep canyon. A path leads down toward the falls, and an upper viewpoint is a gentler walk. Expect spray, and check ahead because the lower paths close at times in bad weather or ice.
Go when Afternoon, as the light moves over the falls.
Local tip Bring a rain jacket even on a dry day, because the spray reaches the viewing paths. The paths are wet, so hold small hands near the edge.
A mug of hot chocolate, often with whipped cream, is the answer to cold, wet and windy weather. A welcome stop after a cold waterfall.
Local tip Order one for each person and sit somewhere warm for ten minutes.
A day of waterfalls along Route 1, with short walks between the car and each one. Bring rain gear for every person in the car, because the spray here soaks you even on a dry day.
A tall, slim waterfall with a path that leads behind it. The path is wet and slippery, so wear rain gear and shoes with grip, and check ahead whether it is open. If it is not for you, the view from the front is still fine.
Go when Morning, before the car park fills.
Local tip The path behind the fall is wet and slippery. Wear rain gear and shoes with grip, keep your camera in a bag, and check ahead that the path is open.
A hidden waterfall tucked behind a rock wall, a short walk along the cliff from Seljalandsfoss. You step in through a narrow gap to see it, and you will get wet. Wear boots or shoes you do not mind soaking.
Go when Midday, on a short walk from the first fall.
Local tip Follow the path along the cliff and step through the gap to see the fall. Your feet will get wet, so wear shoes you do not mind soaking.
Skyr is a thick, tangy Icelandic dairy food, eaten with berries or on its own. Add rye bread, cheese and fruit from a supermarket, and eat in the car or at a picnic table out of the wind.
Local tip Buy it all at the last supermarket you pass, with water for everyone.
A wide waterfall that drops straight off a cliff. Walk to the base for the full height, or climb the staircase beside it to a platform at the top. On a bright day the spray makes a rainbow.
Go when Afternoon, with a short walk to the base.
Local tip Walk to the base for the full height, then climb the staircase for a view from above. The stairs are steep, so go at your own pace.
Icelanders eat ice cream in all weather, and many farms and roadside shops make their own from local milk. A cone after a waterfall is a family habit.
Local tip Order a small cone first, since the portions are generous.
Glacier, black sand and a village by the sea. At Reynisfjara, the black sand beach, the waves are deadly: never turn your back on the sea, and stay well back from the water. Read the warning signs and heed the colored warning lights.
A tongue of the glacier that spills down from the ice cap. A path leads to a view of the ice from a safe distance. Do not walk on the ice or go beneath it without a guide, and go on a guided glacier walk only with a qualified guide.
Go when Morning, with a short walk from the car park.
Local tip Look at the ice from the viewpoints and stay behind the ropes. The ice is unstable and the lagoon at its foot is cold. To walk on the glacier, go only with a qualified guide.
A black sand beach with basalt columns and tall sea stacks offshore. It is beautiful and it is dangerous. Sneaker waves run far up the sand without warning and have swept people out to sea, and the water is deadly cold. Never turn your back on the sea, stay well back from the water and heed the signs and the colored warning lights.
Go when Midday, in calm weather and with the warning signs read.
Local tip Sneaker waves can run far up the beach without warning, and people have been swept out to sea. Never turn your back on the sea, stay well back, and obey the signs and the colored warning lights.
A simple plate of fresh fish in batter with fries, often served from a small cafe or a roadside kitchen. A good lunch on the coast road.
Local tip Eat it at a table with a view of the sea if you can, and well away from the waves.
The sea stacks that stand in the water off the beach. Old stories say they are trolls turned to stone by the dawn. See them from the sand, well back from the waves, or from the village side where the view is safer.
Go when Afternoon, after the beach.
Local tip Look at the stacks from a safe distance, well back from the water. The best views are from the sand above the waves, and from the headland side of the village.
A small village with a white church on a hill, a long beach and a view of the sea stacks. A good place for a meal, fuel and a rest at the end of the day.
Go when Evening, for food and fuel.
Local tip Fill the tank here before the drive back, and walk up to the church for a view of the sea stacks and the coast.
Icelandic lamb grazes freely on mountain grass, and its meat is tender and mild. A slow-cooked or grilled lamb dinner is a fine end to a long day on the coast.
Local tip Ask for the lamb of the day and eat it with boiled potatoes.
A day with no big drive. If you stayed on the coast, head back to the capital in the morning, then walk by the pond, have a lunch by the harbor and finish with a soak in a geothermal pool.
A small lake in the middle of the city, with ducks, geese and swans and the city hall on its edge. A calm walk for all ages. Please do not feed the birds bread, and follow the signs.
Go when Morning, for a calm start.
Local tip Walk the full circle of the pond and watch the birds from the paths. It takes only a short while, so no need to plan around it.
The concert hall on the harbor, covered in glass panels that shift with the light. Walk in and look at the walls from the inside, then wander along the water.
Go when Midday, then a bite by the harbor.
Local tip Go in and look up at the glass honeycomb of the front wall. The building changes color as the clouds move.
A bowl of fish soup, loaded with whatever came off the boat and served with bread and butter, is the classic last lunch by the old harbor.
Local tip Ask for bread and butter, and for a refill if the place offers one.
A green valley east of the center, whose name means the valley of the warm springs. People once washed their clothes in the hot springs here, and today it holds the city's largest geothermal pool, a park and a botanical garden. A soak is a good way to end the trip. Check ahead for opening times.
Go when Afternoon, for a long, warm soak.
Local tip Rinse without your swimsuit before you get in, as the rules ask, and then try the different hot tubs. Check ahead for opening times.
By average weather from 2021 to 2025, July to August are the most comfortable months for walking around Reykjavik. This plan is built for late June, which is less comfortable, so check the forecast before you go. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
It covers 5 days in Reykjavik, planned for late June. Each day is built around a small number of stops, with room to rest.
It was planned for most travelers. The pace and the places reflect that, so check it fits how you travel.
No. Places marked "book ahead" need a reservation. Hours, prices and availability change, so confirm before you go.
Yes. Archie drafts a day by day plan for your dates and takes your pace, the weather and who is travelling into account. You can start one from the Archie app.
Yes. It is a starting point you can change to fit your own trip: swap a place, add a day or move the pace.
Each day has about 3.4 to 71.6 kilometers between its stops, and 134.2 kilometers in all across 5 days. A short hop is a walk and a longer one a ride. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
3 days on the Reykjanes PeninsulaAbout 90 km awayAn easy add-on
8 days on Snaefellsnes and in the WestfjordsAbout 180 km away
6 days in Akureyri and North IcelandAbout 260 km awayOther guides with a page about Reykjavik. Each one opens in a new tab.
Lonely PlanetReykjavik travel guideTime OutThings to do in ReykjavikThe GuardianReykjavik travel featuresPhoto: Steinninn, CC BY 4.0 on Wikimedia Commons · Photo: Ivan Sabljak, CC BY-SA 3.0 on Wikimedia Commons · Photo: Robert Lukeman robertluke… on Wikimedia Commons
Make it yours in a minute, then move days around and add what you want.
A trip idea · Updated October 2026
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