Iceland 7 Day Itinerary: Ring Road in One Week

Seven days in Iceland is one incredible road trip. Honestly, it is like another planet! This ring road itinerary includes visiting the Golden Circle, driving across the amazing southern coast, and seeing the northern end. (I did this road trip with a friend and we were blown away by the beauty of Iceland). The 7 Day Iceland itinerary I share is designed for travelers who are planning on a rental car. (You can certainly do a guided tour or rent a campervan. However, my experience in the country is with self-driving and no camping).

Towards the bottom of this article you’ll find:

• Tips on how to modify this itinerary to suit your trip needs.
• A word on safety in Iceland.
• Activities you may enjoy in Iceland (especially as a solo traveler)
• Helpful resources on planning your trip.
• Items you may wish to add to your Iceland packing list.

From Keflavík International Airport to the center of Reykjavik is about 45 minutes. I recommend Reykjavik as a home base on your first night. Give yourself one day to explore the city center itself. I have kept this day fairly light to account for time at the airport, car rental place, and hotel check-in. Below are some must-do’s in Reykjavik.

• Laugavegur Street is the main old street in the city. You will find tons of shops and restaurants here. Plus, a few blocks down from the street is Hallgrimskirkja. This is the largest church in the city. It is known for its height and stunning architecture.
• In under a 10 minute walk, head over to the bay. Located here is the Sun Voyager (a stainless-steel sculpture of a boat). In addition, there are some beautiful views of the mountains across the bay.
• If you walk a few more minutes down the bay, you will stumble across Harpa Concert Hall. This is another place with incredible architecture in the city.
• Next, get ready for a 30 minute walk from Harpa to Thufa (Þúfa). This is a great photo spot! Simply, you take a spiral staircase up to a small hill for some great views of the mountains.
• Reykjavik has a plethora of museums. (I didn’t get a chance to visit any during my trip but definitely something I’d do on a second trip).
• If nightlife interests you, the bar scene is Reykjavik is super fun! Bars and clubs are mainly on the following streets: Hverfisgata, Laugavegur, Bankastræti and Austurstræti.

Read more: Best Travel Purses

What is the Golden Circle? It is a loop around the western end of the country. This route is where some classic Iceland attractions are located. I cannot imagine an Iceland 7 day itinerary without it! Here are the main things you will find along the famous Golden Circle.

• Thingvellir National Park (Þingvellir National Park) is the first stop on the Golden Circle route. This is approximately 40 minutes from the city center in Reykjavik. It is a massive park filled with tons of greenery, waterfalls, and ruins. The coolest part is you can walk on two tectonic plates in this park: the North American Plates and the Eurasian Plates. And the other notable thing about the park is they have filmed scenes from Game of Thrones here.
• The Great Geysir is about an hour drive away from Thingvellir National Park. If you are not familiar with what a geyser is, it is a pretty cool phenomenon where water erupts into the air. (Okay, I am doing a crappy job at explaining! But do be careful as the water is extremely hot and you should keep your distance for safety reasons).

If you are not renting a car, you may enjoy this Golden Circle Day Trip which includes the Blue Lagoon.

• Gulfoss Waterfall is only 10 minutes from The Great Geysir. It is one in thousands of waterfalls found around Iceland. Warning: it will be the first you will likely see of many more.
• Kerid Crater Lake is an hour from Gulfoss Waterfall. This is one of my personal favorite spots in Iceland. It is known for not forming from a volcanic explosion but rather formed once the magma was depleted. And yes, you can hike or take a ladder down to the rim of the crater. It is amazing to see the crater up close!

Regarding where to spend the night, you have the option to go back to Reykjavik. This is approximately an hour drive back from Kerid Crater. However, if you are looking to save time, I recommend spending the night near Kerid Crater. Moreover, this will also save you approximately 35 minutes the next morning (if you are heading from Kerid Crater Lake to Seljalandsfoss Waterfall).

The southern coast of Iceland is one of the most amazing drives. The further east you drive along, the more the landscape changes. Below I note some of the highlights of the south coast. However, I do want to preface that there is likely going to be places on this drive you will want to safely stop over and view. Give yourself extra time on this day!

• Seljalandsfoss Waterfall and Skógafoss Waterfall are first up on the drive. They are approximately 25 minutes apart by car.
• Sólheimasandur Plane Wreck is on the black sand beach. It is a U.S. Navy DC plane that ran out of fuel in the early 1970s (but thankfully everyone survived!). Personally, we did not stop here on our trip, but I have noted it in the itinerary since it has become a pretty popular spot. A friend of mines shared once you park, the walk to the actual plane crash site is approximately two hours so prepare yourself for that long walk!
• Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach is the actual famous black sand beach. It is about a 20 minute drive from the plane wreck spot.

If you are not renting a tour, you may enjoy this Southern Iceland tour which includes the two waterfalls I mention above, the black sand beach, and more.

• Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon is a massive river canyon. Hit the road for another hour and a little gravel road will get you to the canyon.
• Skaftafell National Park is massive. Give yourself at least another hour to get to Skaftafell. Depending on how long your morning takes, you will likely arrive here around noon. Take the rest of the afternoon to explore Skaftafell. There are tons of hiking trails and ice caves. Other notable sites in the park are Svartifoss (yes, another waterfall) and glaciers: Svínafellsjökull and Skaftafellsjökull. Another cool activity you can do is glacier hiking and even an ice cave tour.
• To end Day 3, you have a few options. If you have the time and depending on the season, I recommend driving 45 minutes to Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon for sunset. This was definitely a highlight for me. (Of course sunset will be much later in the summer months. Do your research to plan your time correctly). If you are catching sunset in Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon, then I recommend basing yourself in Hofn (the closest town) for the night which is an hour drive away.

The drive from Hofn to Akureyri is approximately five and a half hours straight. But there is plenty to see on route so as always, plan your day accordingly.

• Seydisfjordur is a small town on the eastern coast of Iceland. We randomly made a pit stop here on our route (about three hours from Hofn). It is quite tranquil. I recommend stopping here for lunch and local shopping.
• Dettifoss is yes, you guessed it, another waterfall. You may be a bit “waterfall-ed out” at this point, but Dettifoss is actually spectacular. It is my favorite waterfall in Iceland.
• Mývatn Nature Baths is a lagoon located an hour from Dettifoss. This is a great place to relax for the late afternoon/early evening. If you are short on time and/or planning to visit the Blue Lagoon, you can skip it.
• Drive one hour to get to Akureyri for the night.

Read more: How to spend 2 weeks in Italy

At this point, you have likely done a ton of driving in Iceland! And a heads up, you are in for another few hours the next day. I recommend a day to slow down. Take the time to recharge on Day 5. After all, this is supposed to be a vacation, right?

On Day 6 if you are up for an activity or staying longer in Akureyri, whale watching and horseback riding are two of the most popular things to do in the area.

The drive back to Reykjavík from Akureyri is just over 5 hours without stopping. Here is how I suggest spending your last full day.

• Kolugljúfur Canyon is a beautiful waterfall canyon 2.5 hours into your drive. It is right by the village of Hvammstangi where you can also spot by for a bite.
• I recommend then driving three hours to the famous Blue Lagoon. For your last night, pick a hotel nearby the lagoon. And enjoy a late afternoon or early evening here and take it easy. It is exactly what we did and was a perfect end! (We stayed at the Northern Light Inn which was about a 5 minute drive from the Blue Lagoon. Great well-priced hotel! Plus you can add your name on a wake-up call list for the Northern Lights!).

Read more: 4 Days in Paris

• If you are flying back home on Day 7 and need to omit one full day from my itinerary, here are a few suggestions.
  • Forget staying in Reykjavík. Instead I suggest accommodation on your first night by Kerid Crater Lake. Begin Day 1 by doing the Golden Circle itinerary. Keep in time this only do-able if you are arriving into Iceland early in the morning.
  • OR only do one full day in Akureyri. Instead spend the morning in Akureyri and then drive back to Reykjavik. Forgo stopping in Hvammstangi and drive right to the Blue Lagoon instead. In this case, you will then be ready to fly home at any time on Day 7.
• If you wish  shorten your driving time on some of the days, then skip staying in Akureyri for two nights. Instead spend 1 night in Mývatn and 1 night in Hvammstangi.
• You can pick between the lagoon in Mývatn or the Blue Lagoon. It is not necessary to do both (or either!).
• If you wish to spend more time in Hofn and/or Myvtn, you can skip Seydisfjordur. It is a lovely small town but okay to pass in the event of limited time.

What would be an Iceland 7 day itinerary be without talking about the Northern Lights? There are tons of places to see the Northern Lights in Iceland. We saw a teeny tiny glimpse of them while in the Blue Lagoon area. (I knew they would not be as visible in September when we visited). However, if they are a must see on your trip, pick your month to visit accordingly. (You will have better luck during a winter visit). Do your research and while in Iceland check the daily weather Aurora forecast.

Iceland is considered one of the safest countries around the globe. As two females driving throughout it, we felt completely safe. Check out these safety tips for driving in Iceland. And don’t forget to check live road conditions before you head out daily. I do advocate for travel insurance (better safe than sorry right?). If applicable to you, check with your employee benefits to see if you are covered. Otherwise, I like World Nomads as it’s quite reputable and provides 24-hour assistance.

Have you been to Iceland? What would be in your Iceland 7 day itinerary? Share in the comments!
Follow @RexAngelTravel on Instagram | Pinterest | TikTok.

[sc_fs_multi_faq headline-0=”h4″ question-0=”Is 7 days enough in Iceland?” answer-0=”7 days in Iceland is a sufficient amount of time to drive around the ring road. If you are able to stretch it to 10-14 days, that would allow more time in the various cities.” image-0=”” headline-1=”h4″ question-1=”What is best month to visit Iceland?” answer-1=”May to August are best to visit Iceland if you wish to experience the midnight sun and warmer temperatures. February, March, September, and October are the best months if you hope to see the Northern Lights.” image-1=”” headline-2=”h4″ question-2=”Is Iceland expensive for tourists?” answer-2=”Yes, Iceland is quite costly in regards to food and accommodation.” image-2=”” headline-3=”h4″ question-3=”Why is Iceland so expensive?” answer-3=”Iceland is expensive mainly due to the cost of importing goods.” image-3=”” headline-4=”h4″ question-4=”Is it worth it to go to Iceland?” answer-4=”Absolutely! Iceland is like another planet and definitely worth visiting.” image-4=”” count=”5″ html=”true” css_class=””]