5 Days in Iceland: Reykjavík & the South Coast

A day-by-day itinerary for Iceland: real activities, restaurants and hotels with prices and booking links. Copy it and make it yours.

Iceland · 5 days · 25 activities · free to copy and customize

Day 1 — Reykjavík & the Blue Lagoon

  • 13:00 Collect the rental at Keflavík (KEF) (60,000 ISK). ≈12,000 ISK/day ×5 for a compact; May–Sep a 2WD is fine for this whole route. Book weeks ahead in summer.
  • 14:30 Blue Lagoon (11,900 ISK). Comfort entry ≈11,900 ISK, TIMED — prebook online. It sits 20 min from KEF, so it slots between the airport and the city. If your flight lands late, skip it and take Sky Lagoon on Day 5 instead.
  • 17:30 Reykjavík hotel, 2 nights (56,000 ISK). ≈28,000 ISK/night central. Days 1–2 walk or drive easily from downtown.
  • 19:00 Hallgrímskirkja & Rainbow Street (1,400 ISK). Tower lift 1,400 ISK, church free.
  • 20:00 Bæjarins Beztu hot dog, then a fish dinner (5,200 ISK). The famous hot-dog stand is ≈700 ISK; a fish-restaurant main runs 4,000–5,000.

Day 2 — The Golden Circle

  • 09:00 Drive the Þingvellir–Geysir–Gullfoss loop. ≈230 km round trip, paved the whole way.
  • 09:45 Þingvellir National Park (1,000 ISK). Parking 1,000 ISK, entry free. Walk the rift between the tectonic plates; allow 1.5h.
  • 12:00 Lunch near Geysir (2,800 ISK). Soup-and-bread lunches ≈2,500–3,000 ISK.
  • 13:00 Geysir & Strokkur. Free. Strokkur erupts every 5–10 minutes — patience beats a timetable.
  • 14:30 Gullfoss. Free, two viewing levels.
  • 16:00 Secret Lagoon, Flúðir (3,300 ISK). ≈3,300 ISK. Older, calmer and far cheaper than the Blue Lagoon.

Day 3 — South coast to Vík

  • 09:00 Drive south: 190 km to Vík. Ring Road all the way. Fuel is ≈330 ISK/L — fill up leaving the city.
  • 11:00 Seljalandsfoss (800 ISK). Parking 800 ISK. You can walk BEHIND the falls — waterproofs, not umbrellas.
  • 12:30 Skógafoss. Free. 527 steps to the top platform, worth every one.
  • 14:00 Late lunch in Skógar or Vík (3,200 ISK).
  • 15:30 Reynisfjara black-sand beach (1,000 ISK). Parking ≈1,000 ISK. NEVER turn your back on the sea here — sneaker waves at Reynisfjara are genuinely dangerous and catch tourists every year. Stay well up the beach.
  • 17:30 Guesthouse in Vík, 1 night (30,000 ISK). ≈30,000 ISK. Vík is the natural overnight before the glacier day.

Day 4 — Glaciers & the lagoon

  • 08:30 Drive east to Skaftafell & Jökulsárlón. ≈190 km one way — the longest day. Start early.
  • 10:30 Skaftafell glacier walk (guided) (13,000 ISK). ≈13,000 ISK for 3h on Falljökull, crampons provided. BOOK AHEAD — and never walk a glacier unguided.
  • 14:30 Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon & Diamond Beach (1,000 ISK). Parking ≈1,000 ISK. Icebergs calve into the lagoon and wash up like glass on the black sand across the road.
  • 17:30 Country hotel near Hof, 1 night (32,000 ISK). ≈32,000 ISK. Staying east tonight spares a 4.5-hour double-back and puts the lagoon at golden hour.

Day 5 — The long road back

  • 09:00 Return drive to Keflavík. ≈380 km, 5 hours WITHOUT stops — do not underestimate it. Refuel before the airport.
  • 12:30 Lunch stop in Hveragerði or Selfoss (2,800 ISK).
  • 15:00 Sky Lagoon (only if your flight is late) (12,900 ISK). ≈12,900 ISK, 15 min off the airport road. Only worth it for departures after 20:00.
  • 17:00 Drop the car at KEF. Allow 3 hours before an international departure.

Browse more day-by-day itineraries on DiaryTrips — every trip is free to copy and tailor to your own dates.