Amazing South Iceland 5 Day Itinerary (2024)

Looking to spend 5 days in Iceland? Five days can easily allow you to see all the gems on Iceland’s south coast, which has some of the most scenic, dramatic landscapes of the country.

I spend around the same amount of time in Iceland when I visited with my mom, brother and 7 year old daughter. You can definitely see the best of Iceland in 5 day. Its a ‘busy’ 5 days, but very worth it.

We rented a car and spend our 5 days in Iceland as a road trip, however its possible to explore Iceland without a car too. I’ll provide options for both, whether you’re doing day trips, or driving.

So, let’s jump into your 5-day south Iceland itinerary!

What You Need to Know about this Itinerary

✅ Even though its a 5-day itinerary, you’ll need to set aside a minimum of 6-7 days for it, as I didn’t include the departure day (or the arrival day) in it. Setting aside 7 days would be optimal, but 6 days will work too.

✅ It’s designed as a road trip, but you can absolutely still see everything without renting a car. If you’re not planning to rent a car, then scroll below for the 5-day Iceland itinerary plan without a car (as it changes a few things)

✅ It can be done with all ages. If you’re visiting Iceland with kids, then you should know that the 3rd will be a long day of driving for them, you may want to bring some car activities.

South Iceland 5 Day Itinerary

Arrival Day in Iceland

The arrival date isn’t technically apart of your itinerary day, but there is one optional activity you could do today before heading to your accommodation.

After retrieving your luggage and picking up your rental car, you could visit Blue Lagoon. (Book your visit in advance here.) Blue Lagoon open until 10pm, and it’s only 25 minutes from the Keflavik International Airport.

Optional activity on arrival date: Blue Lagoon

Blue Lagoon is so close to the airport, that it makes sense to visit it right before or after a flight, rather than making a separate trip in itself.

We went straight to Blue Lagoon after we arrived in Iceland, and it was a really nice way to refresh after the flight – and get a great into to Iceland.

A typical visit to the Blue Lagoon would be about 2 hours. You can soak in the hot springs, get a snack, try one of their mud masks, and even check out their skincare line.

After Blue Lagoon, start driving east. You want to take road 41 towards Reykjavik, and then get on the Ring Road 1.

You want to stay somewhere that’s within 1-2 hours east of Reykjavik, in order to cut down on travel time tomorrow, and maximize the things you can see on day 1.

Optional stop: The town of Selfoss

About one hour after leaving Reykjavik, you’ll reach the town of Selfoss. I recommend stopping here; for one, because its example of a small town in Iceland, and its also an opportunity to stock up on snacks and groceries before your road trip.

It’s a good opportunity grab coffee, pastries or groceries before continuing on to where you’ll be spending the night (as some of the hotel options don’t serve breakfast.)

Pro Tip: you can find both a Kronan, and a Bonus grocery store in Selfoss. They’re open until 8 or 9pm, depending on the night.

Arrival at accommodation

Around 1 hour past Selfoss, you’ll reach a town called Hvollsvollur which is near where you want to stay. Here are some options of places to stay in this area:

• Hellisholar Cottages (where we stayed) Little cottages with essentials, comfy beds, and surrounded by beautiful wilderness views
• Kviholmi Premium Apartments Comfy apartment with a fridge, coffee maker
• Fljotsdollir HI Hostel – (Not bookable online.) You must call or email to book and pay cash in full upon arrival as they don’t take card. Very unique, with scenic views.

Side note: All of these above places are around the same general area, about 90 minutes east of Reykjavik.

Day 1: Drive towards Vik

Check out of your accommodation. From here, it’s only about an hour to our final stop for the day (Vik) but there are 2-3 stops to make along the way.

Stop # 1 (optional): Gluggafoss

We enjoyed a nice visit to this remote waterfall, called Gluggafoss. There was no one there, even in August (prime travel season) and we had it to ourselves.

Gluggafoss isn’t as spectacular as far as waterfalls in Iceland go, but something nice to see if you’re interested. You only need a short time (even just 10 minutes) to get photos and run back to your car.

Stop # 2: Seljandsfoss Waterfall

You’ll arrive at Seljandsfoss Waterfall approximately 20-30 minutes after leaving your accommodation.

There’s a parking area about 100 metres from the waterfall. You pay 800 ISK (around $6 USD) to park. You take a little walk around the waterfall, viewing it from all angles.

It’s hard to say how much time you can spend. It can be quick if you want it to be, but you could spend up to an hour admiring the falls, getting millions of photos, etc.

When you’re done, hop back into your car, and drive 25 minutes until you reach the next stop.

2nd stop: Skogafoss

25 minutes after leaving Seljandsfoss, you’ll arrive at another famous attraction in Iceland- Skogafoss.

It’s very popular (maybe even more so than the Seljandsfoss) so you will see lots of cars in the parking lot, and people visiting. Parking is free of charge.

From the parking area, it’s less than 5 minute walk to the waterfall.

I stayed at the bottom, and got lots of photos with Skogafoss close up, but my brother climbed to the top for some photos from above.

To climb to the top of Skogafoss, look for the staircase right next to Skogafoss that takes you to the top for some pretty views.

Final stop for day 1: Vik

If you want to do a glacier tour, then make sure you aim to arrive in Vik by 1 or 1:30pm, so that you’re ready for the glacier tour at 2pm.

If interested, book this 3 hour tour of Solheimajokull in advance (for travellers ages 8+.) Afternoon tours leave at 2pm, so even with the 2 waterfall visits, you should have plenty of time to get there in time for the glacier tour.

The glacier tour is optional of course, but personally – it was one of the highlights of our August trip to Iceland. My brother booked it, forgetting that my daughter was underage, but she still had a great time.

Keep in mind, there is some hiking involved with a guide. You’re lead by a professional guide, and all the equipment.

If for whatever reason, you don’t do the glacier hike, then choose another Vik activity. There’s lots to do in the Vik area, including:

• Katla cave tour
• Zip-lining
• Lava show
• Black sand beach (but this is on the agenda for firs thing tomorrow, but you can always switch things around if you want)

Next, check into an accommodation in Vik for one night. Here are some options:

• Budget: Hótel Vík i Myrdal Scenic views from the hotel, restaurant on-site and breakfast is included
• Mid Range: Hótel Kría Located amongst the mountains with full-length windows, Hotel Kria offers a free hot breakfast
• Luxury: Hótel Katla by Keyhotels Outdoor hot tubs and sauna, just 5km from Vik. Breakfast included

Day 2: Black Sands Beach and Glacier Lagoon

Of all the things there are to see and do in Vik, Black Sand Beach is the biggest tourist draw, by far.

After grabbing breakfast at your Vik hotel (since all of them include breakfast) head over to Black Sands Beach. Try to be earliesh, since we’re working on a tight schedule (and to avoid crowds.)

1. Exploring Black Sands Beach

Head straight to Black Sands Beach. The way we did it was walk from the X beach, to the black sand beach.

After seeing Black Sands Beach, start driving towards Glacier Lagoon, which is about a 2.5 hour drive.

There are things to see along the way, but I recommend driving straight to Glacier Lagoon from Vik today, and save those stops for tomorrow when you’re on your way back east.

You should arrive in Glacier Lagoon around mid-day or early afternoon.

After visiting Glacier Lagoon, I want you to drive east again, but not too far. Find somewhere to stay about 30 minutes east of Glacier Lagoon (if you have time, you can even check in before heading to Glacier Lagoon.)

Places to stay east of Glacier Lagoon:

• Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon (20 minutes east of Glacier Lagoon)
• Hotel Skaftafell (40 minutes east of Glacier Lagoon)

Day 3: Drive to Reykjavik

This 3rd day in Iceland will be a long day with lots of driving.

Leave as early as possible, and don’t expect to arrive at your accommodation near Reykjavik until evening.

However, it will be worth it. We’re going to be stopping at three very worthwhile, beautiful places.

Of course, you can omit any of these three stops if one of them doesn’t interest you. Let’s go through each stop along the way.

1st (optional) stop on day 3: Svartifoss waterfall

If you stayed at one of the places I mentioned above, then you’re very close to Svarifoss waterfall.

It should only be 10-20 minute drive from where you stayed last night. It has the coolest looking ridges and layers of basalt around it.

You need at least 2 hours to visit it because of the trail that it takes to get to the waterfall. For this reason, its an optional activity. It’s going to set you back on your journey today, which is already very long and packed.

So personally, I would skip Svartifoss if:

• if you have young kids, or someone with mobility issues
• your trip is during winter (It’s less safe to use the trail to get to Svartifoss in the winter)

If none of the above apply to you, then I think it can be squeezed in. Here is the trail to follow to get to Svartifoss (3.2 km or 1.9 miles roundtrip)

Stop # 2: Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon

Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon formed during the last ice age, over 9,000 years ago.

Visiting here is an easy activity for all ages and abilities. There’s a walkway at the top of the 300-tall cliffs, allowing you to get views of the canyon as you walk along.

Parking is free, and you can take as long of a walk as you want. Set aside anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour; depending on how much time you want to spend at the rest of the day activities.

If you visit Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon, it’s just under an hour (50 minutes) until you reach Vik, where there are multiple places to stop for lunch.

Stop # 3: Lunch in Vik

There are a few places to eat in Vik. Here are some options:

• Skool Beans Micro Roaster – a converted school bus that sells specialty coffees and baked goods, including bagels.
• For traditional Icelandic food: Halldórskaffi  or Restaurant Suður-Vík(open 12 to 9pm, serves Icelandic and international dishes. See menu here.)
• For North American style food: Smiðjan Brugghús (burgers) or Black Crust Pizzeria (pizza)

Stop # 3: DC Plane Wreck

Almost an hour after leaving Vik (about 50 minutes) you’ll have the option to visit the DC Plane Wreck.

Be aware that seeing this airplane is not close to the carpark at all – its 4 km (2.4 miles) away.

This plane crashed in the early 1970s, and luckily – no one was hurt. It’s now one of the most popular tourist attractions in south Iceland.

You can trek to the plane in about 2 hours roundtrip. The other options is to take a shuttle, which needs to be booked in advance. The shuttle is a 10 minute ride, each way and the last one leaves at 4:30pm.

Considering the long drive you have today, I recommend booking the 4:30 shuttle.

After visiting the DC plane wreck, it’ll be another hour or so before you reach the area to stay in or outside of Reykjavik.

Final stop: Arrival at accommodation near Reykjavik

You can stay right in Reykjavik if you want to, but you don’t need to. You’ll want to be close by so that you can visit both Reykjavik and the Golden Circle easily.

Here are some recommendations:

• The Greenhouse Hotel Trendy eco-hotel with comfy beds, restaurants, shopping and a juice bar onsite. Located in the town of Hveragerdi (which has a hot springs), 40 minutes to Reykjavik and close to the Golden Circle
• Frost and Fire Boutique Hotel Also located in Hveragerdi, has 2 hot tubs, a sauna and an outdoor swimming pool
• This Airbnb (where we stayed – had access to a canoe, hot tub, and beautiful wilderness) About an hour from Reykjavik, but right within the Golden Circle

Day 4: Golden Circle

The Golden Circle is one of the best places to visit in Iceland, and worth seeing for a few reasons – but the main thing being the famous Geysir!

If you want today to be easier, and more relaxing, you could instead book this Golden Circle Tour (7 hours) from Reykjavik.

Otherwise, continue reading below to see how to explore the Golden Circle on your own via car.

If you google “Golden Circle map” you’ll notice that the maps vary a little bit. But the basic 4 stops that all of them have are:

• Kerid Crater
• Geysir
• Thingvellir National Park
• Gulfoss Waterfalls

1st stop: Kerid Crater

The Kerid crater (also spelled Kerið) is a large crater of red rock with a turquoise lake in the centre. It formed 6-7 thousands years ago from a volcanic eruption.

Not only is it geologically interesting, but it has a lot of significance in Icelandic folklore too.

To visit, simply pull over and park in the designated Kerid parking. The crater is only a 1 minute walk from the parking lot.

You can either walk along the top of the crater, or you can walk down to the water’s edge to get views from the bottom.

2nd stop: Geysir

The Geysir is another 40 minute drive from the Kerid crater. Similar to the Kerid crater, there is a parking lot designated for tourists.

Just a short walk from the parking lot, you’ll find yourself in what seems like a bubbling geothermal park. In addition to the main geysir itself, we walked around and saw small bubbling geothermal ponds, as well as a second another geysir.

The geysir ‘erupts’ every 15 minutes or so. When we were there it was raining – I recommend bringing a cover for your camera if its raining, because you want to be ‘ready’ with your camera for when it erupts, but also don’t want your camera to get soaked.

Seeing the geysir is one of the most rare experiences in the world; a natural phenomena that is definitely worth your time while visiting Iceland.

3rd stop: Gulfoss waterfall

Just 10 minutes from the Geysir is Gulfoss waterfall. Give yourself around 30 minutes to an hour to see the waterfall. There’s a huge walkway that takes you down right in front of the cascades. There’s also a gift shop and place to eat on-site.

Gulfoss is a half-way point on a Golden Circle tour, so it makes sense to stop for lunch here if you didn’t bring a lunch. Check the menu here.

4th stop: Thingvellir National Park

About 50 minutes from Gulfoss is Thingvellir (also spelled Þingvellir) National Park. It is famously known as the place where you can stand on both North American and European soil at the same time.

Most people spend about 2 hours at Thingvellir National Park. I believe we were there a shorter time, because it had been a very long day.

See information about parking and things to do in Thingvellir on their website here.

The Golden Circle in one day is very doable, but also very busy. Keep in mind that you could save Thingvellir until tomorrow if you find that it will be too much to do all in one day. It would give you less time in Reykjavik, but would be something more unique to see during your short time in Iceland.

Dinner options for Golden Circle Day

If you’re staying in Reykjavik, then there are plenty of options there. If you opted to stay near the town of Hveragerdi, then some of the hotels have on-site restaurants, plus there are a bunch of places to eat in town.

Day 5: Explore Reykjavik

Exploring Reykjavik will be the most relaxing, low key day of the entire trip. You don’t need a plan really, you can simply walk around.

It’s a small city, with a charming small village feel in the Old Town.

Here is a suggested way to spend your day, in order:

• Visit the Hallgramiska church. (Entrance is free, but to visit the tower, it costs ISK 1000 ISK for adults, and 700 ISK for kids 7+.) The views from the top of Reykjavik are beautiful
• Walk through old town. (10 to 15 minute walk from Hallgramiska.)The main shopping street is called Laugavegur. It’s where you can find all the cafes, restaurants and Icelandic souvenirs

The Hallgramiska, and walking through Old Town could easily fill a morning. Some ideas for the afternoon:

• Perlan Museum of Wonders (10 drive from downtown Reykjavik)
• Whales of Iceland Museum (7 drive from downtown Reykjavik)

I could not tell you wish one to choose from the above, as I found both fascinating. Perlan is larger, and has more to see and do – there’s a Borealis show, and a man-made ice cave.

Departure Day

This departure day is set aside as a day in itself.

5 Day Iceland Itinerary WITHOUT a Car

If you’re not renting a car for your 5 days in Iceland, then I recommend using Reykjavik as your base, and taking day trips from there to places from there in south Iceland.

Here is the plan that will work and allow you to be able to see everything.

If any of the tours I recommended are unavailable, then don’t worry. For any of the destinations, there are a few different tours that bring you out there. Simply do a search to find other tour options.

Day 1: Golden Circle Tour

For Day 1, I recommend doing the Golden Cirlce Tour, because its the shortest day trip from Reykjavik.

Seeing the Golden Circle generally includes: Kerid Crater, Gulfoss Waterfall, Geysir and Thingvellir National Park.

Check availability for the Golden Circle Day Trip here

Day 2: Vik and waterfalls day trip

For day 2, take a day trip to Vik. After Golden Cirlcle, its the shortest day trip and introduces you to some of Iceland’s best waterfalls.

Check availability for the Vik and waterfalls day trip here

Day 2: Glacier Lagoon Day trip.

Glacier Lagoon is the ultimate day trip from Reykjavik where you’ll see one of the most iconic sights of Iceland. It’s a long day, but worth the views.

The tour I recommend is in the link below. There is some overlap with what you will see on the other days, but you’ll see so many new things as well.

Check availability for the Glacier Lagoon Day trip here

Day 4: Choose between Reykjavik or Snaefullness peninsula day trip

By day 4, you will have had 3 busy days of 10+ hour day trips, and you might be ‘done’ with day trips.

If that’s the case, just head into Reykjavik. There is time to explore it tomorrow, but there’s also a lot of things to do.

Ready my Reykjavik post for ideas. (The title says ‘with kids’ but there’s plenty ideas on there that would appeal to adults.)

If you’re ok for another day trip at this point, then I recommend taking this one to the Snaefullness Peninsula, which is north of Reykjavik. It’s 11 hours and you can see some pretty cool stuff.

Day 5: Explore Reykjavik

Explore Reykjavik. If you already explored it yesterday, there are definitely more things you could do today.

If you don’t want to spend your time in the city, there are a number of short half day tours that leave from Reykjavik, including:

• A puffin tour or a whale watching tour (summer only)
• A Northern Lights tour. Offered year-round, but you have more chance of seeing them in the winter months. We saw them in February

5 Days in Iceland FAQ

Here are the most commonly asked questions about travelling in Iceland for 5 days

How much spending money for 5 days in Iceland?

I would budget about $100 USD per day in Iceland to account for food, and some souvenirs (if you choose to buy any.) This doesn’t include accommodation, experiences and transportation.

Are 5 days enough for Iceland?

5 days is enough to explore south Iceland. South Iceland has some of the most scenic views in the whole country, but there is quite a distance between them. So, while there’s a lot of travelling in those 5 days, its highly doable.

Can I do Ring Road in 5 days?

You can easily do the south Ring Road in 5 days. Keep in mind that it is a busy five days in order to squeeze most of the main sights in. If you want to have more time on the Ring Road, plus explore the Golden Cirlce, Reykjavik and Snaefullness then you will need 7 days in Iceland.

Final Thought on This 5 Day Iceland Itinerary

I’ve put a lot of thought into this itinerary, and I hope you enjoy it! 5 days in Iceland gives you enough time to see most of the gems on the Ring Road 1. If you rent a car, you can expect to spend lots of time driving, as there’s a fair distance between things to see – but the views are well worth it.

I hope this Iceland 5 day itinerary has given you the guidance and information you need to structure a perfect 5 full days – whether you follow it to a tea, or change around a few things – I think you’ll have an incredible time.