Iceland in Four Days

Iceland | Reykjavik | South Iceland

Iceland in Four Days

Day 1 – Blue Lagoon and Reykjavik

  • Arrive at Keflavik International Airport in the morning
  • Pick up a rental car or plan to opt for a tour bus for your 3rd day
    • Iceland outside of Reykjavik without a car is not a good idea and driving is easy. We recommend Lava Auto Rental
  • Drive to Blue Lagoon (20 min drive)
    • Get reservations in advance or you’re not getting in
  • Blue Lagoon
    • Soak and steam for a few hours and have lunch
  • Drive to Reykjavik (45 min drive)
  • Check into your lodging. The Airbnb we stayed in is no longer operational, however we would consider this airbnb, this airbnb, or this apartment (night 1/3). 
  • Explore Reykjavik on foot
  • Happy hour drinks at Apotek
  • Dinner
  • Bed or an after dinner drink at Bryggjan Brugghús or Skólabrú
    • You’re jet-lagged, don’t plan too much

Day 2 – Reykjavik

Day 3 – Golden Circle

Day 4 – Whale Watching or Viðey Island and Fly

Detailed Itinerary

With many airlines now including a stopover in Reykjavik en route to another destination and as an easy flight from many cities in Europe or the US East Coast, Iceland has become a popular brief stay travel spot. Even with only a few days, you can still get out of Reykjavik and see some of Iceland’s countryside.

Days 1 and 2 – Blue Lagoon and Reykjavik

Arrive at Keflavik International Airport in the morning. You’ll probably be tired from the flight, but make sure to stop by the duty free store in the airport. Food and drink, especially alcohol, is expensive in Iceland, so it’s a good idea to buy some supplies before you have to pay local taxes. Yes it’s expensive (welcome to Iceland) but everyone does it and it’s a good idea to see the Blue Lagoon shortly after you arrive. Just be aware that it’s much more expensive than other hot springs elsewhere in the country. You’ll share the lagoon with tourists, not locals as a result. But after an all night flight you’ll feel squeaky clean and it’s  near the airport. Book ahead; if you show up without a reservation, you won’t get in. Once you’re done with the Blue Lagoon, drive into Reykjavik. Reykjavik is cute, small for a capitol (200,000 people, but home to 2/3 of the population of Iceland. It’s  low key, clean, safe and easily walkable. Not a lot of blockbuster sights but a great town to wander around.

Blue Lagoon

We stayed at an AirBnb in Reykjavik’s Norðurmýri neighborhood. It’s a good location with reasonable prices and an easy walk into the center of town. The Airbnb we stayed in is no longer operational, however we would consider this airbnb, this airbnb, or this apartment . 

When you arrive in Reykjavik, grab some happy hour drinks at Aptoek and then eat dinner at a restaurant like Reykjavik Fish Restaurant or just pick up a hot dog at one of the stands throughout the town. Sleep off your jet lag and get ready for the next day.

In the morning, pick up a pastry for breakfast at Brauð & Co. (we recommend the cinnamon rolls, but everything is excellent) and some coffee at Reykjavik Roasters. Then take the free walking tour of Reykjavik. You’ll learn the layout of the city as well as some really interesting history of Reykjavik and Iceland in general. Eat lunch at the restaurant at the Hotel Reykjavik Centrum, which offers a decent deal on burgers. If you’re feeling adventurous, try the fermented shark with a shot of brennivín. The shark will be served in a sealed glass so the smell doesn’t bother other diners and it’ll probably be one of the worst things you’ve ever tasted, but it’s sort of a rite of passage. Believe it or not, some locals actually do eat it.

After lunch, visit a museum. You’ll definitely want to see the Settlement Exhibition, which surrounds the remains of a hall dating to the tenth century, only about one hundred years after Iceland was first settled. Another great option is the National Museum, which contains a large collection of artifacts and exhibits illustrating life in Iceland from the Settlement Age to modern day.

Spend another day in Reykjavik. See one of the museums you missed the day before, explore the shops in the city center, walk through Hljómskálagarður, the city’s large park. Grab some groceries for dinner and the next two days if you want to save some money—eating out in Iceland gets expensive very quickly—we recommend Nettó for its combination of reasonable prices and quality. Or grab dinner at Bryggjan Brugghús or Skólabrú. Stop by Ölstofa for a drink if you want a local vibe.

Day 3 – Golden Circle

For your first foray outside Reykjavik, tour the Golden Circle.

You can choose to go with a tour company and save yourself renting a car and driving. The downside to this is you cannot move at your own pace, may not see everything you want to, and not starting extra early, the sites could be mobbed with tourists like you. However the upside is you won’t need a 4 day rental car (though parking in Reykjavik is easy and you have to get to the blue lagoon and airport anyway). Either way, you have a choice to make. While we did not opt for a bus tour, there are some recommended tours we have researched through guidebooks and online ratings. All of them see the top 3 sites: Þingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss.  We had a great experience with Icelandic Mountain Guides on an ice climbing adventure on Iceland’s east coast, and they offer a few cool looking tours of the Golden Circle. terna offers a Golden Circle tour with the addition of the Secret Lagoon (which we found to be a well worth addition to the day). Reykjavik Excursions and Gray Line offer a variety of Golden Circle Direct tours, either of just the Golden Circle or paired with some other excursion.

However, if you choose, like we did, to drive:

Start at Þingvellir National Park, about three quarters of an hour east of town. It’s the site of the Alþingi, Iceland’s first parliament (and one of the oldest in Europe). It’s a beautiful spot on a lake, and near the faults that mark the division between the North American and Eurasian Plates. Make sure to walk around, and visit Öxarárfoss, small but impressive waterfall. If you’re feeling adventurous and certified to dive in cold water, you can scuba or snorkel along the rift.

Next, drive east about an hour to Geysir, the site of the original geyser. Geysir no longer erupts, but nearby Strokkur erupts every five to ten minutes. You won’t need to spend much longer than that. Another ten minutes down the road will take you to Gullfoss, one of Iceland’s more remarkable waterfalls. Walk out to the various viewing platforms to get perspectives on the waterfall’s stages.

From Gullfoss, drive about half an hour south to Gamla Laugin, the Secret Lagoon. Gamla Laugin is a hot spring surrounded by beautiful subalpine meadows. We recommend taking a break from the drive. Grab a beer, glass of wine, or soft drink, and savor it as you dip in the delightfully warm waters.

Once you’ve finished, return to Reykjavik. Enjoy dinner at one at the places you didn’t try the night before or your cook yourself your second dinner.

Day 4:Whale Watching or Viðey Island and Fly

With your final day in Reykjavik, consider a morning whale watching adventure with Elding before you head out. Trips start as early as 9am and lasting only 3 hours, you can still make your afternoon flight. Spend the morning watching minke, white-beaked dolphins, harbor porpoises and humpback whales.

Another option for the morning is to visit the island of Viðey. Viðey Island, a 20 minutes boat ride from Reykjavik, is actually the top of an extinct volcano. Wander the paths around the island, taking in the beautiful views, Viðey Church, Viðeyjarnaust Cabin, the Old School House, basalt column art exhibit Afangar, and the Water Reservoir hosting thousands of nesting birds. Grab lunch at the Gallery Restaurant housed in one of the oldest houses in Iceland. There is a return boat at 2:30 which would allow you to take an evening flight from Reykjavik. There are daily ferry departures to Viðey from Skarfabakki pier, Harpa Concert Hall and Ægisgarður pier.

When you return from your morning excursion, drive to the Reykjavik airport, return your rental car, and fly home.

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