15-Day 4×4 Self Drive Travel Plan – Details

• Thingvellir National Park
  Access by road No.: 36; distance: 45 km / 28 mi; driving time: 0:45 h; sightseeing: 2h.

• Kerid Crater
  Access by road No.: 36; distance: 45 km / 20 mi; driving time: 0:45 h; sightseeing: 1h.

• Seljalandsfoss and Gljúfrabúi waterfalls
  Access by road No.: 35 > 1; distance: 85 km / 53 mi; driving time: 1:15h; sightseeing: 1.5h

• Thorsmork region
  Access by road no: F249; distance: 30 km; driving time: 1:00 h; sightseeing: 1 day

• Stakkolstgja canyon

• shorter trails on northern bank
  the shorter trails on the northern bank of Krossa are directly north of Basar – to Tindfjoll and Eggjar – and north-west of Basar, towards Valahnukur (famours and amazing view point, but sometimes closed for protection of nature); you can combine the Valahnukur hike with a visit to Volcano Huts, where you can enjoy a hot pool, sauna and a proper restaurant – read more here: Volcano Huts – a Tourist Resort in Husadalur;
• long northern trail
  a longer, possibly full-day trek goes north-east of Basar, towards great view points on top of Rjupnafell mountain;
• shorter trails south
  south of Basar Hur lies the spectacular canyon of river Hvanna – Hvannargil; there’s a number of trails going in and out of it, which you can freely combine for a great hike of whatever length you desire (or the warden recommends); a great starting point plan is to go to the Votupaller peak and down from there coming back through the Hvanna valley;
• long southern trail
  a great hiking idea is to start on the northern Fimmuvarduhals trail, which goes from Basar to a mountain pass south; don’t go all the way to that pass, but leave the trail and turn right / north-west around Morinsheidi or Heljarkambur; take one of the trails from there to Votupallar and – if time and weather permit – go down do Hvannargil and through one of the trails back to the camp;

• Skogafoss
  Access by road no: F249 > 249 > 1; distance: 60 km; travel time: 1:30h; sightseeing: 0:45h

• Reynisfjara
  Access by road No.: 1 > 215; distance: 35 km / 22 mi; travel time: 0:30h; sightseeing: 0:30h

• Fjadrargljufur
  Directions by road No.: 1 > 206; distance: 80 km / 50 mi; travel time: 1:15h; sightseeing: 0:30h

• Skaftafell
  Access by road no: 1; distance: 80 km; driving time: 1:00h; sightseeing: 1:30h

• Jokulsarlon and Diamond beach
  Directions by road No.: 1; distance: 55 km / 35 mi; driving time: 0:45h; sightseeing: 1:30h

• Stokksnes
  Directions by road no: 1; distance: 90 km; travel time: 1:15 h; sightseeing: 0:15 h

• Hengifoss and Litlanessfoss
  Directions: 1 > 939 > 95 > 931; distance: 190 km / 120 mi; driving time: 3:00 h; sightseeing: 2:00 h

• Main attractions: Hafrahvammagljúfur, F910, Askja, Dettifoss, Asbyrgi.
  300 km / 185 mi, 7:00h driving, 4h sightseeing

• Hafrahvammagljúfur
  Access by road no: 910 > F910; distance: 40 km / 25 mi; driving time: 0:45 h; sightseeing: 0:30h

• F910

• Askja
  access by road no: 910 > F910; distance: 40 km / 25 mi; travel time: 0:45 h; tour: 0:30h

• Dettifoss
  Access by road no: F910* > F905 > 1 > 862 (or 864*); distance: 165 km / 100 mi; driving time: 3:30 h; sightseeing: 0:30 h

• Asbyrgi
  Access by road no: 862 (or 864); distance: 40 km / 25 mi; travel time: 0:35 h; sightseeing: 1:00 h or more

• Main attractions: trekking in Asbyrgi, whale watching cruise from Husavik, Myvatn hot pools
  115 km / 70 mi, 1:30 h drive, 4 h trekking + 3 h cruise

• Asbyrgi

• Husavik
  Access by road no: 85; distance: 50 km / 30 mi; travel time: 0:45 h; whale watching cruise: 3-4 hours total

• Highlights: Leirhnjukur, Namafjall Hverir, Hverfjall, Dimmuborgir, Skutustadagigar, Godafoss, Aldeyjarfoss, Nyidalur, Landmannalaugar;

350 km / 220 mi, 7:30 h driving, 4 h sightseeing

Leirhnjukur is one of the most beautiful lava fields and geothermal areas in Iceland. Colorful rhyolite rocks and volcanic lakes lie between fresh lava sheets. The directions of lava flow and successive stages of overgrowing with moss and lichens, as well as various forms of lava are clearly visible. Read more about it in an article about the local volcano system here: Krafla – a Huge Volcano Near Myvatn.

The whole area is quite large, but within 1 hour you can easily walk around it, at least on the main path. In key places, the path runs on wooden platforms – they protect tourists from twisting their ankles, and delicate mosses and lichens from being trampled. A similar place, although without such extensive lava fields, is the nearby Námafjall Hverir located right at the exit of road 863 to road 1, which is the next stop on today’s route.

Hverir in Icelandic literally means “hot springs”. Therefore, this word can be found quite often when traveling around Iceland and it means not only hot springs where you can bathe, but also ones like this here – completely unsuitable for bathing. Due to the nearby mountain – Namafjall (or Namaskard) – the full name of the place is Namafjall Hverir or Namaskard Hverir. However, signs indicating the turn to the car park on road no. 1 and the popular Google Maps describe the place simply as Hverir, so these full, exact names lose some meaning.

The area itself is full of very picturesque volcanic lakes and ‘chimneys’ (exhalations – sulfatars). There is a convenient viewing platform next to the car park, but it is definitely worth a walk between the bubbling mud lakes and hissing, smoking sulfatars – the experience is truly extraordinary. Shoes and pants dirty up to half calf with brick mud, unfortunately practically guaranteed 🙂 More on this: Námafjall Hverir – a Geothermal Science Fiction Landscape.

As of 2023 the parking lot is a paid one – 650 ISK per car.

Optional extras:

Hverfjall is a beautiful black volcano. It has an unusual structure, because its creation was quite unusual (see: Hverfjall – a Volcano Like no Other).

With the right lighting, it looks almost magical, and there are also beautiful views of Lake Myvatn from the top. That’s why you absolutely have to come here and climb the crater rim. Walk to the volcano from the car park takes no more than 20 minutes, and the walk around the crater takes about 1 hour.

A separate article devoted to the structure and formation of various types of volcanoes can be found in this guide: How Iceland’s Volcanoes Work.

Optional extras:

The Dimmuborgir lava field is literally next door to the Hverfjall volcano. After the main road (848) we will drive a little bit (about 1 km) and we will go east again. Dimmuborgir is a beautiful lava field shaped both by the magma outflows themselves and by the direct presence of the lake and groundwater. We described its creation and curiosities separately in the article Dimmuborgir – the ‘Black Fortress’ Lava Field.

It is a very popular place and the destination of many coach trips. Both the parking lot and the cafe, as well as the lava field paths themselves can be really crowded.

Nevertheless, you just have to see at least a few rock windows, caves, chimneys and other various forms created here. The most interesting walk is probably a combination of the yellow route and the red and blue route. All in all it’s about a 2km walk and even with frequent stops it shouldn’t take more than 1 hour.

The Skutustadagigar pseudo crater field (Skutustadagigar – Unique Pseudo-Craters) is located on the southern shore of Lake Myvatn. This place is absolutely unique not only on an Icelandic, but probably on a global scale. On a small peninsula, we have a cluster of several smaller and larger pseudo craters, which were formed thanks to the explosion of steam, not lava …

You definitely need to take a shorter route past Stakhólstjörn cove – it’s a walk of about 1 km and at least 10 craters along the way. It will take you no more than half an hour. The longer route – around Stakhólstjörn – is about 2 km and a few craters more. If you have time – it’s definitely worth it, but it’s not necessary and you can absolutely skip that.

Godafoss is one of the larger and prettier waterfalls in North Iceland (although of course it can’t compare to the mighty Dettifoss). It owes its name – the Waterfall of the Gods – to a legend from the time when Iceland was adopting Christianity. You can read this story in the article about the waterfall: Godafoss – Gods’ Waterfall.

The parking lot exit from road 1 is right next to the gas station on the east side of the Skjálfandafljót river. After a comfortable and short walk (approx. 500 m) you can reach the very foot of the waterfall.

The further route – to the F26 road – requires driving to the west bank of the river. Therefore, along the way, it is certainly worth going to the western parking lot and the viewpoint and seeing the waterfall from there. From the vantage point, you can practically see it en face – completely straight ahead and this is probably its most beautiful side. However, it is impossible to go down here, so we only see the waterfall from above here.

You can absolutely skip the smaller Geitafoss waterfall lying nearby – a bit closer to the bridge on the river. You can see it from road 1 and I think that everyone will agree that on an Icelandic scale it is nothing particularly interesting.

We return to the interior and at its gate we are greeted by perhaps the most beautiful waterfall in Iceland – Aldeyjarfoss (Aldeyjarfoss – One of Iceland’s Most Beautiful Waterfalls). It looks beautiful in the pictures, but in reality it is also no worse.

Parking is right next to the waterfall viewpoint. How much time you spend here is of course entirely up to you 🙂

If you’re not driving a 4×4 car, you should leave your car just before the last driveway and cover the end of the route on foot.

Nyidalur is a good stop half way through the wilds of Iceland. There is a small mountain shelter and a kind of campsite. The immediate area can be seen quite well directly from the windows of the car, but if you can afford it, you can go hiking on one of several routes from here or drive up to the beautiful, though slightly hidden Vornaskard lava field. Just confirm with the guard that the road is passable and open.

You can read more about the whole place in the article dedicated to it – Nyidalur – a Valley in the Icelandic Highlands.

Landmannalaugar is absolutely one of the top sightseeing spots in Iceland. Half a day is enough to cover the most important and beautiful routes, but if you can stay here for two nights, you will be able to get around all the routes and you will not regret it.

We devoted a whole, large, separate article to this beautiful place: Landmannalaugar – Fairytale Rainbow Mountains. Go through it to find out everything important about both the campsite and the hiking trails in the area.

Optional extras:

Getting to the campsite requires (at the very end) crossing two fords. Sometimes these are fairly deep, but most often even the smaller cars can cope with them (although a 4×4 drive is of course absolutely necessary).

The campsite has a fairly large shop, a hostel restaurant (in a surplus bus), quite good showers and toilets, and the icing on the cake is a natural hot spring available to everyone.

You can also stay in the hut, but know that it is one of the most expensive ones in this type (11,000 ISK per night, per person, own sleeping bag) and you need to book it well in advance (even 6 months in advance).

Day 8 – Landmannalaugar and Thjorsardalur valley

Plan for the day

Landmannalaugar is one of the most interesting and beautiful places you can visit in Iceland. Learn all there is to know about it here: Landmannalaugar – Fairytale Rainbow Mountains.

In the basic plan you spend about half a day here in the rainbow mountains and head west through the Thjosardalur valley towards the town of Fludir in early afternoon. On the way you’ll see the picturesque F225 road (Landmannaleid), visit the foot of the mighty Hekla, see more beautiful waterfalls, a museum and an open-air museum from the Viking era, and finally larger or smaller hot springs. It will be a beautiful day and an action-packed one.

As said before: we’ve devoted a whole, large, separate article to this beautiful place: Landmannalaugar – Fairytale Rainbow Mountains. There you will find quite detailed information about all hiking trails starting at the campsite, as well as great places you can reach by a car.

In total, you can easily spend 6 hours or more on trekking in the rainbow mountains (the shortest route is 1 hour).

Hekla (Hekla – the Queen of Iceland’s Volcanoes) is a mighty mountain and a famous volcano. It can be seen from a distance for many kilometers, and it looks most impressive from the stop at the junction of F225 and road 26.

Haifoss is a beautiful, high waterfall, accessed by a gravel road, steep in places. It’s definitely worth a visit, and you can read all the details about how to get there and how to stay safe (sic!) in a separate article: Haifoss – a Beautiful Waterfall Off the Beaten Track.

Thjodveldisbaerinn is a small open-air museum showing life in Iceland in the times of the first settlers. It is worth stopping here, if only to diversify the constant multitude of landscape impressions with cultural element 🙂 Iceland is certainly not all about museums, but perhaps you will find it worth your time to reflect on the quality of life of people who colonized Iceland several hundred years ago … (Stong and Thjodveldisbaer – a Taste of Viking Life)

Gamla Laugin (literally: old lagoon) is a place between the typical, tiny hot springs and the popular large Blue Lagoon bathing / SPA areas. This very interesting historical place is basically based on one rather large swimming pool with hot water. It is complemented by an interesting path through the nearest hot springs and good quality sanitary facilities and a restaurant. It’s a popular spot for 1-day Golden Circle tours from Reykjavik, so it tends to be crowded in the afternoon. You can read more about it here: The Secret Lagoon in Fludir – the Oldest Pool in Iceland.

Optional extras:

The Fludir campsite is quite large and divided into sections for every type of traveler. It offers a lot of greenery, comfortable pitches with electricity for the motorhome, decent quality sanitary facilities, wifi and even the possibility of discreetly hiding the tent behind a tree or bushes.

In the town itself, we have several shops (including Samkaup and Vinbudin), restaurants, a gas station, hotels, etc. (Fludir – a Green Basin in the Golden Circle)

An interesting place worth visiting (provided you get to the opening hours: 11-17:30) is Litla Melabudin (literally a small market) – a place where you can buy vegetables, fruits, bread or meat directly from local farmers.

About 10 km to the north-west there is a wonderful restaurant Fridheimar (Friðheimar) (Fridheimar Restaurant – an Unusual Place for Gourmet Tomatoes) based on local products, largely from the adjacent greenhouses. It is open daily, but unfortunately only from 12 to 16, so it’s quite difficult to “squeeze” it into the schedule of the day :-/ (and you need to book a table for specific hour well in advance).

Day 9 – Triple Jackpot

Plan for the day

Today we will see one of the most interesting places of the so-called Golden Circle and one of the most beautiful places in all of Iceland. We will also spend most of the day on beautiful mountain roads between glaciers and extinct volcanoes. The ride will be rather slow, but the views: epic!

Geysers are a rare and unusual phenomenon. And those that, like Strokkur, regularly strike every few minutes, are a complete rarity. Visiting this place is an absolute must. Although the geyser eruptions themselves can of course be seen in the pictures on the Internet, it is worth experiencing this waiting for the eruption and seeing what signs the geyser gives just before the eruption and how it behaves right after it.

In the same area, apart from Geysir and Strokkur, there are several dozen other hot springs (also muddy ones), fumaroles and other attractions (including Blesi). After seeing a few Strokkur explosions, it’s worth taking a walk around the park, and in particular, climb a little higher to enjoy the view of the whole area.

More about these geysers and how geysers are created and work in general can be found in these articles:

Gullfoss is a beautiful, large waterfall with a complex cascade. It is definitely one of the biggest attractions of Iceland and one of the key points of the so-called Golden Circle. It is worth remembering that while the parking lot for coaches and the restaurant are located on the upper “floor”, access for people traveling by car is much better from the lower parking lot. The distance to the waterfall is the same (or even smaller), and we don’t have to climb quite large stairs. More about the waterfall itself here: Gullfoss – a Waterfall Full of Gold.

Hveradalir is a beautiful geothermal area, with boiling muds, boiling streams and smoking exhalations right on the mountainsides of the Kerlingarfjoll region. Some say (us included!) that this place is even prettier and even more unusual than the rainbow mountains of Landmannalaugar. It is the number 1 attraction in all of Iceland. Can we advertise this place even more? We couldn’t…

The region is described in a separate article: Kerlingarfjoll – Steaming Colorful Mountains. There’s also detailed information on how to get there, what camping options are available, the hiking trails and attractions in the area and more.

Optional extras:

After a walk in Hveradalir and lunch in Asgardur, we must cross to the other – western – side of the huge Langjokull glacier. Therefore, from the Asgardur shelter (aka Kerlingarfjoll Mountain Resort) we take the F347 road, back to road 35 (in Google Maps: F35), and turn south, back in the direction from which we came in the morning.

However, before we reach Gullfoss, after approx. 55 km (35 mi) and 1:30 h of driving, we turn right (west) into the F338 mountain road. After some time, we pass road 337 going south and after another 50 km (“at the second intersection”) we turn north, to the right, onto road 550 (often marked as F550, though it’s not officially an F road). We drive along this beautiful road for about 40 km (about 1 hour) to the Kalmanstunga region, where we turn left onto road 518 and after a while (2.5 km) we are already in Husafell to prepare for tomorrow’s sightseeing.

Husafell is one of the villages in the Kalmanstunga region with a campsite, hotel, petrol station and hot pool. The pool is more modern and fun – slides, jacuzzi, etc. – so children love it, but it’s not necessarily a romantic place lost in the Icelandic wilderness 😉 In addition, it’s only open until 7 pm, so those who want to have to hurry up during the day.

There are a lot of very interesting attractions in the area, but you’ll probably get here late enough that it’s better to leave them for the following day (apart from the pool, of course).

30 km further west lies SPA Krauma (Krauma – Natural Geothermal SPA), open until 9 pm. It is a much more elegant or exclusive place – modern and very nice, but also a bit expensive. However, if driving on mountain roads gave you a hard time, a visit to Krauma can certainly bring back the joy of life 🙂 And by the way, you will also watch Deildartunguhver (Deildartunguhver – the Highest Hot Spring in Europe) and you will have one less thing to see tomorrow…

Day 10 – Kalmanstunga

Plan for the day

Today is another day filled with very interesting attractions. Waterfalls, volcanoes and hot springs, which may have become somewhat commonplace, will now be joined by caves. For a moment we touch with civilization again, only to escape it the following day into one of the most inaccessible corners of Iceland – the Westfjords peninsula. Today a little more driving on good asphalt, but still lots of beautiful views.

Since you want to transport a car, it is absolutely necessary to buy your ferry ticket for tomorrow’s ferry crossing well in advance (like weeks minimum, months – better). If possible: collect the tickets from the ticket office of the carrier in advance, too. The ferry sails 2 times a day (noon and 6:30 PM). Please contact the operator in advance to ensure that the cruise will run as scheduled. Tickets and up-to-date information can always be found directly on the Baldurs Ferry website.

Vidgelmir Cave (Vidgelmir – Iceland’s Most Popular Cave) is probably the most popular and most visited cave in Iceland. It can be visited only in a guided group. Tickets can be purchased online or – if available – at the entrance (see the aforementioned article for details). Comfortable wooden platforms have been arranged in the cave, stairs and lighting installed, and visitors are equipped with helmets and flashlights. The guide shows you around the cave, pointing to the most interesting fragments and explaining how the cave formed and what can you see on its walls. If you can visit only one lava cave on Iceland, Vidgelmir should be that one.

Both caves are equally beautiful and interesting. Surtshellir allows for a relatively quick tour and it’s crude as crude can be. Which also means “a bit dangerous”, but you might prefer to see such a cave with no civilization included. Just make sure you have a powerful light source with you and be careful about where you step. Vidgelmir on the other hand is civilised just enough to show you more of the cave clearly and to do so in a quite safe manner. It’s always best to see Vidgelmir, and if you feel like it you can always go and check out the Surtshellir after that.

two small waterfalls about 5 km west of Husafell (Hraunfossar and Barnafoss – Inconspicuous Remarkable Waterfalls); the curiosity of Hraunfossar is that the waterfall flows from between the rock layers on an exposed mountain slope; the walking loop to both waterfalls from the nearby car park is no more than 1 km total;

Deildartunguhver is an absolutely remarkable hot spring. It has been a source of energy for the entire region for almost 100 years and is the strongest and highest hot spring in all of Europe, and perhaps in the world. You can read more about this unusual place in the article Deildartunguhver something something there.

The springs left on the surface look very spectacular, but you only need a moment to see them. There’s a small restaurant on-site that operates in high season.

Grabrok (Grabrok – Volcanic Crater Surrounded by Houses) is a small volcano that you can climb quite easily and look at the surroundings. From above you can see very nicely how the lava flowed from the volcano and how Icelanders adapt to it by building their houses. In a few days on the Snaefellsnes peninsula we will see a similar volcano (Saxholl – the Easiest Crater on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula), but it is also worth stopping at Grabrok, especially since it is absolutely on our way.

A good campsite, with a hotel and restaurant on-site. The hellulaug hot spring is in a walking distance from here, too. So overall a very good place to stay for the night.

Optional extras:

Alternative routes:

Day 11 – Westfjords’ finest

Plan for the day

The plan is to see all the major attractions of Westfjords and get on the 6 PM ferry to Snaefellsnes. In between you’ll have plenty time to either do some hiking around Dynjandi, spend extra time on puffins at Latrabjarg, have a stroll on Raudisandur golden beach or soak in hot water at one of the hot springs in the area. It’s a beautiful Westfjords day.

Another series of the most beautiful places in Iceland awaits you at Snaefellsnes, after you get off the ferry, but today you will only be able to see the very first few of them.

Dynjandi (also known as Fjallfoss) is the largest waterfall in the Westfjords peninsula and one of the most interesting waterfalls in all of Iceland. Its unusual appearance is due to the fact that the water basically flows down the slope of the mountain instead of falling of a cliff. So rather than a single huge cascade, we have a dozen or even several dozen tiny cascades here. The whole waterfall, however, looks not only powerful, but beautiful as well. There’s quite a lot of turists saying that this is the most beautiful waterfall on Iceland, so it’s definitely worth seeing with your own eyes.

The beautiful and mighty cliffs of Latrabjarg are known for their huge colonies of puffins which can be observed here during the season. With a bit of luck and with good binoculars, you can also occasionally spot dolphins or whales swimming in the coastal waters. An absolutely spectacular place.

a beautiful, golden, sandy beach – a rarity in Iceland. The small river Mabergsa flows into it, but the beach is also flooded by the ocean tide. It looks beautiful from above, but of course it is also worth going down, seeing a small church (Saurbæjarkirkja) and taking a stroll – preferably with bare feet – on this unusual, golden, but coarse-grained sand. Just be careful the tide doesn’t cut you off from your car!

If the weather permits, the crossing can be a very nice trip. It abounds in beautiful views of the countless islands in this bay and small bays off the coast of Iceland. With a bit of luck you can also see some whales here. It certainly is a welcome respite from driving for hours on end. If you can’t make it for the ferry, the drive around Breiðafjörður is (only) about 1 hour longer than the ferry.

Absolutely beautiful and quite fresh lava field. We pass through it in ravines created by folds of lava and we can conveniently stop at several places to look around or walk up any interesting hill. Exit to the field by a clearly marked road a little (300-400 m) west of the intersection of roads 54 and 56. Return to road 54 west of Hraunsfjardarvatn bay. Details: Berserkjahraun – a Drive-Through Lava Field.

The small town of Grundarfjordur (Grundarfjordur – a Charming Town Under the Kirkjufell Mountain) is known primarily for its towering mountain: Kirkjufell. The mountain is one of the symbols, or even icons, of Iceland and certainly only the Matterhorn itself can measure up to its popularity.

If you arrive in time (as you should), you can watch it in the rays of the setting sun. Right next to the campsite, there’s a nice hot-water pool (type of a regular swimming pool, only outdoors and with warm water; plus 2 or 3 jacuzzis and small pools). In the city, a port restaurant with a view of Kirkjufell is definitely worth visiting: Bjargarsteinn Mathús. Some say that it is even better than the Michelin-starred places in Reykjavik, so book a table in advance and don’t expect pre-Covid prices…

The campsite itself offers the bare minimum – there is no canteen or kitchen on it, and the toilets are maintained in a famous mountain style, which gives another reason to visit the neighbouring pool. An alternative is the Setberg campsite a little further north of the town. It offers an interesting view of Mount Kirkjufell, but technically it is also more of a lawn with benches than a proper campsite.

Day 12 – Snaefellsnes: Iceland in a nutshell

Plan for the day

Today is all about exploring the Snaefellsnes peninsula. It is sometimes called “Iceland in a nutshell”, because on a relatively small area there is a lot and very diverse attractions, representing (almost) all the types of places you want to see in Iceland (i.e. mountains, volcanoes, a glacier, a lava field, a black beach, rock needles in the ocean and granite walls on shore, a canyon, of course some waterfalls, a picturesque small church, a beach with seals and another one with a shipwreck… the list goes on…).

Not a lot of driving, but plenty of stops and short hiking trips – be prepared to constantly get in and out of the car today.

Kirkjufell is by far the most famous mountain in Iceland. You can read about its unusual history, interesting structure and old, completely different names in the article Kirkjufell – Iceland’s Celebrity.

In the car park by the waterfalls, or rather in two car parks, there is usually a lot of crowds, but you can also park on the other side of the bridge and the cove. You have to walk a bit from there (250 m?), but you can also take a photo of the top from another interesting profile. Climbing to the top of the mountain is possible, but it takes about 2 hours and can be dangerous (seriously; there’s been fatal accidents). Most tourists see the mountain from the perspective of the waterfalls and the town. Details of the route in the article mentioned above.

A small volcanic crater just off the main road. Comfortable stairs make it easy to get to the top. Nice views from the top. It may not be a miracle of nature, but it’s a pity not to stop 🙂 More: Saxholl – the Easiest Crater on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula.

Optional extras:

A very nice, although quite typical beach for this peninsula – more black gravel and stones than sand, but it has its undeniable charm. The beach is particularly famous for the remains of a shipwreck from 1948. All information about the beach, the wreck and the village that used to be located here can be found in the article Dritvik Djupalonssandur – Remnants of a Ship on a Black Beach.

Arnarstapi is a small town on the south coast of the Snaefellsnes peninsula. We have a gas station here, several restaurants and street-food stalls and probably the most beautiful part of this volcanic coast. The town is particularly famous for its beautiful granite columns on the cliffs of the coast and a rather unusual statue of the mythical giant Bardur.

You can find a detailed description of these attractions in the following article: Arnarstapi – Picturesque Cliffs on the Snaefellsnes.

Optional extras:

Raudfeldsgja canyon (or fissure?) is quite long and extremely narrow and high rock crevice. Except for the small entry chamber, you can touch both sides of the canyon if you only stretch your hands. Definitely not a place to be missed.

If you want to go deeper into the crevasse, be sure to take shoes that grip well on slippery, wet rocks, and if you want to go all the way to the very end, reserve more time and be prepared to get wet – the route requires you to force a small waterfall upstream.

You can find a separate article with all the details here: Raudfeldsgja Gorge – a Beautiful Rock Crevice.

Beautiful, classic Icelandic church (Budakirkja – Iceland’s Most Beautiful Church). What distinguishes it from dozens of others on the island is the uniform, black color scheme, combined with the contrasting white of the doors and shutters, in other words: the lack of a popular red roof. With good light, the angle of the shot and the lack of tourists in the frame, you can create absolutely beautiful shots here.

Right next to the church – a small cemetery, and the ocean shore nearby. If you really want to look for the best photographic shot – reserve more time for this stop 🙂

Ytri Tunga is a small farm on the southern coast of the peninsula, famous for its seal colony. You can read everything about it in the article: Ytri Tunga – a Seals’ Beach. It’s really worth stopping here, and for lovers of wild animals it’s a must stop! Just be careful if you go up the rocks into the sea so that the tide doesn’t cut you off from the beach!

Another simple, but very green and nicely located campsite. Importantly – the start to tomorrow’s trekking to Glymur is only a 30-minute drive away, so you will be able to go to the mountains early in the morning.

Alternatively you can go to the Fossatún Camping Pods campsite not far away. The pods themselves are usually fully booked well in advance, but even if you just stay on the camping grounds, you can use the kitchen, hot pools and the restaurant there (pre-book meals).

You can also decide to spend the night at Snorrastadir Farm and head for the sunset and/or sunrise to the top of Eldborg (but you’ll have more driving in the following morning).

Day 13 – Iceland’s #2 waterfall and #1 hot river

Plan for the day

Today will be different than the others, because most of it will be spent hiking. First to the highest waterfall available to tourists in Iceland – Glymur. Although you need to devote almost a whole day to it, it is worth it, because the road itself is picturesque and varied.

As a reward at the end of the day, you go to an unusual hot stream in a suspended valley. So today is a hiking day – but it’s a very happy hiking day!

A trip to Glymur is actually the only such a long mountain trip in our plan. On an island where almost everywhere can be reached by car, Glymur is an exception. It can only be reached on foot (approx. 3-4 hours total). Both the waterfall and the road to it are really very attractive and it is absolutely worth taking this trip. A detailed description of the route and the waterfall can be found in the article Glymur – Iceland’s Highest Tourist Waterfall. When going to the mountains, of course, do not forget to protect yourself against changing weather and take enough snacks and water. You will however be able to replenish water on the way without any problems.

Reykjadalur (Reykjadalur – a Hot Bath in a Mountain Stream) is an absolutely unique and extraordinary place. Quite a large mountain stream that runs hot water and is flowing in a high, suspended mountain valley. An amazing place in itself, but when you can actually bath in it – it’s just out of this world.

You can’t really swim in the stream – it’s only about knee deep and with rocky bottom. So you can rather wade through or find a nice place and sit down. You can sit higher in the stream – where the water is hotter (even above 40 ºC / 105 ºF) – or lower down – where it’s nice and mild 30-35 ºC (85-95 ºF). For the convenience of tourists, piers, stairs and a kind of open changing rooms have been built here. There is no other/major civilization or amenities here. Around and along the way beautiful bubbling and smoking springs and ubiquitous sheep.

After visiting Glymur you’d be excused to think you’ve had enough hiking for the day, but this here is pure relaxation. The hike itself is rather short (you will cover it in under 30 minutes, if you’re a quick hiker) and bathing in hot water does wonders to tired legs 🙂 Feel free to bring along your lunch and beers – this is a popular picnic spot and you’re sure to enjoy it.

Head for the capital city for the night and go for an evening walk (yes, more walking) to one of the matholls (see more below and in our guide for foodies: Iceland for Foodies – What’s Worth Trying and Where). Reykjavík Campsite is your go-to place (swimming pool and bus stop right next to it), but there’s plenty others around (see a few recommendations here: Reykjavik – Weather, Transport, Accommodation).

Alternatively, if you prefer to stay in a quiet places, you can stay for the night just outside Reykjadalur – in Hveragerdi. There is a campsite and numerous hotels and guesthouses. You can go for a walk to the geothermal park Hverasvaedid, to the Sundlaugin Laugaskarði swimming pool, take a walk around the town or go to dinner in one of the many restaurants.

If the trip to Glymur took you more than expected and you arrived in Hveragerdi late, please postpone the trip to Reykjadalur valley until the following morning and take a rest in the city or at the campsite today. Don’t worry – half day tomorrow is going to be enough to see Reykjavik.

Day 14 – sightseeing in Reykjavik

Today you get to stroll down the streets of Reykjavik, get to know the city and it’s food scene and history. You’ll find a list of the top places to visit below, but a more comprehensive idea for a walk through Reykjavik and things to see on the way, you’ll find in this guide: Sightseeing Reykjavik – Top Things to See and Do.

Additionally, especially if you are in Reykjavik for a full day or more, you might be interested in our selected topical guides:

You can also get on a whale watching cruise, go back to see some parts of the Golden Circle if you haven’t had enough the first time around, or go south and see the Reykjanes peninsula. For an extensive list of available tours and activities head here: Reykjavik Tours and Activities.

If you’re flying out today in the evening or tomorrow early morning, spend half of your day in Reykjavik and go to Blue Lagoon in the afternoon (or evening). Half day should be plenty to see all the top spots in Reykjavik. And yes – Blue Lagoon is still the best…

If you have a full day to spend and intend to visit museums, you’re best off commuting by buses. They go everywhere in and around the city and work great! In this case it’s worth buying a city card (Reykjavik City Card – https://visitreykjavik.is/reykjavik-city-card). It entitles you to free bus rides for a whole day (or 2, or 3, if you buy this option) and free admission (or discounts) to many museums and exhibitions. You can buy this card in many museums and hotels – while walking around the city just look around for places selling it – there are really quite a few.

Top places to visit

Optional extras:

choose according to your interests and available time; you’ll find descriptions of these place in the article mentioned above: Sightseeing Reykjavik – Top Things to See and Do.

Culinary adventures

Traditional Icelandic dishes and the peculiarities of the local cuisine is a topic for a separate, large article. You can find it here: Iceland for Foodies – What’s Worth Trying and Where. In there you’ll read all about these most distinctive dishes and the restaurants serving them. It’s a really interesting, though sometimes challenging, subject, and although you may not expect it when going to the “island of fire and ice,” local food, just like volcanoes and waterfalls, can give you vivid memories for many years….

We certainly recommend you go through the aforementioned article, but the top places to consider are probably these:

Day 15 – Reykjanes Peninsula and departure

Plan for the day

Today we visit the last attractions between Reykjavik and Keflavik Airport. Depending on when your flight departs and what the weather’s like, you can shorten the day plan a bit or extend individual trips or spend half a day in the Blue Lagoon.

Most of the places for this day you’ll find described in more detail in this article: Grindavik Surroundings – Top Things to See in the Reykjanes Peninsula.

Krusyvik (sometimes referred to as Seltun) is a small, but interesting geothermal area. It somewhat resembles a miniature Hveradalir from Kerlingarfjoll or Namafjall Hverir from around Myvatn.

Blue Lagoon (Isl. Bláa Lónið) is absolutely the best known and most popular complex of swimming pools and SPA in Iceland. It also offers the widest range of services and sells cosmetics from its own line. This place tends to be a bit crowded and expensive, but definitely worth visiting. And if you are looking for luxury at the highest world level, then certainly the hotels at this complex are your #1 choice. More about Blue Lagoon in this article: Blue Lagoon – the #1 Geothermal SPA in Iceland.

Optional extras

As the whole day schedule is dictated by the time of your return flight, we do not provide a specific route here. These are just the reasonable ideas to fill the day. Choose as many as you like.

Again: most of the places above are described in more detail in the article about Grindavik: Grindavik Surroundings – Top Things to See in the Reykjanes Peninsula. You’ll find a useful map there, photos etc.

In Grindavik itself you can also be tempted for the last taste of Iceland. Try Cafe Bryggjan – contrary to the name, it’s more of a restaurant, serving great seafood; Papas’ Restaurant – perhaps best known for its pizza, although it serves a variety of dishes; and Salthusid – a more traditional Icelandic place. They are all within walking distance (500-800 m, i.e. max. 15 minutes) from each other.

Alternatively: the Blue Lagoon restaurant (Lava restaurant) serves a good selection of very tasty dishes, both local and international.