# Iceland 🇮🇸 1 Week Road Trip Iceland is without a doubt one of the most incredible and dramatic places I’ve ever explored. From swimming through tectonic plates to ice climbing on a glacier and seeing the Northern Lights, the land of fire and ice will take your breath away at every turn 🔥 🧊 This 8 day road trip is perfect any time of year, but I’m particularly fond of doing this journey in autumn or winter. The northern part of the island is closed in the winter, so this itinerary focuses on the south. Renting a car is by far the best and most efficient way to explore Iceland. You can search for your rental car here: https://rentalcars.tpx.lt/1qNpn4Q3 For more in-depth breakdown about visiting Iceland, check out my blog posts: https://maximizingmypto.com/tag/iceland/ Canonical: https://www.go-guided.com/en/trips/iceland-1-week-road-trip Published: 2025-08-04T10:23:00.878132+00:00 Author: Jackie Swayze [routeCTA: non-text section] [routePlacesList: non-text section] [routeCTA: non-text section] [spacer: non-text section] ## Itinerary places - **Messinn** (day 1) - **Íslenski Barinn - The Icelandic Bar** (day 1) - **Sólheimajökulll** (day 3) - **Jökulsárlón** (day 5) - **Icelandic Horseworld** (day 6) - **Kerið Crater** (day 7) - **Friðheimar** (day 7) - **Efstidalur II** (day 7) - **Lava Restaurant** (day 7) - **The Retreat at Blue Lagoon Iceland** (day 8) - **Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur** (day 1) - **Café Loki** (day 1) - **Thingvellir National Park** (day 2) - **Öxarárfoss** (day 2) - **Silfra** (day 2) - **Strokkur Geyser** (day 2) - **Gullfoss Waterfall** (day 2) - **Skógafoss** (day 3) - **Hótel Skógafoss** (day 3) - **Ströndin • Pub** (day 3) - **The Soup Company** (day 4) - **Lava Show in Vík** (day 4) - **Diamond Beach** (day 5) - **Seljalandsfoss** (day 6) - **Eldhraun lava field** (day 6) - **Lava Bakery and Coffee** (day 6) - **Hekla street food** (day 6) - **Raufarhólshellir** (day 7) - **Hamborgarabúlla Tómasar** (day 8) - **Solheimasandur Plane Wreck** (day 4) - **Perlan** (day 1) - **Reykjavik Roasters** (day 1) - **Sun Voyager** (day 1) - **Fish Company** (day 2) - **Hallgrimskirkja** (day 1) - **Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre** (day 1) - **Fjallkonan** (day 1) ## Day notes ### Day 1 Your first day starts bright and early, especially if you’re landing from a red eye flight. Pick up your rental car and head straight to Reykjavik Roasters for a cup of coffee before dropping your bags at the hotel and exploring the capital. I highly recommend doing a food tour to kick off your trip and familiarize yourself with Icelandic cuisine. Here’s the link for the tour we booked (it was phenomenal!): https://viator.tpx.lt/RqfW9o0i End your day with a trip to Perlan and explore this immersive nature museum to learn more about this unique country and the landscapes you’ll be exploring later in the week. ### Day 2 On day 2, head out of town to explore the Golden Circle. First stop: Þingvellier National Park. Here you can see the Öxarárfoss waterfall and swim between tectonic plates in Silfra. Putting on a dry suit and snorkeling in 2 degree (Celsius) water between the North American and European tectonic plates in Silfra is one of the coolest memories from my trip to Iceland. You can read more about my experience at Silfra here: https://maximizingmypto.com/snorkeling-between-tectonic-plates-in-iceland/ Book your Silfra snorkeling adventure here: https://gyg.me/uLP3ADlZ After your tour, check out Gulfoss and the Strokkur Geysir before heading back to Reykjavik for a delicious dinner at Fish Company. ### Day 3 Say goodbye to Reykjavik and head east, driving about 2.5 hours to Skógafoss waterfall, where you can walk up to the falls and climb up a set of stairs for a birds-eye view. Afterwards, stop by the nearby Hótel Stógafoss for a delicious lunch - their leg of lamb is unbelievable! In the afternoon, drive to Sólheimajökull glacier to gear up and walk out on a glacier! You’ll get to walk in crampons across the icy landscape, safely directed around crevasses by your guide and then you’ll grab a pair of ice axes and try your hand at ice climbing. It’s harder than it looks but so much fun. For a full review of the glacier hike and ice climb, check out this blog post: https://maximizingmypto.com/glacier-hike-ice-climb-in-iceland/ Book your glacier tour here: https://gyg.me/gnhgf13w ### Day 4 Get off the beaten path with an ATV tour through lava fields, rivers, and black sand beaches. The tour also stops at the DC3 plane crash site - a US Navy plane that went down and was then scrapped for parts. Book the ATV tour here: https://gyg.me/CEzaVZ83 Afterwards, check out the first indoor lava show in the world! You’ll get to see molten lava up close as you learn how various lava formations form in nature. It will give you so much appreciation for Mother Earth and help you understand the lava tubes you’ll visit on Day 7. Book lava show tickets here: https://viator.tpx.lt/5TPL7P4T ### Day 5 Head east from Vík to Diamond Beach at Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon. You’ll be able to see beautiful icebergs and smaller chucks of ice (or the “diamonds” that give the beach its name 💎) that have washed ashore. Then join a tour to see the Vatnajökull Glacier Blue Ice Caves. You can only do this with a guide but it’s an incredible way to experience a glacier from underneath! You can book the ice caves tour here: https://gyg.me/13wHw0RN There’s not many restaurants in this area, so I recommend having dinner at Fosshotel, where you’ll be staying the night. Their food is incredible! ### Day 6 On day 6, you’ll start making your way west again. Get an early start and see the Eldhraun moss-covered lava fields as the sun rises. Then stop at Lava Café in Vík for coffee and breakfast. Seljalandsfoss is the last major waterfall of the trip, but don’t worry, I’ve saved one of the best for last! Part of what makes this one so special is that you can walk behind it! Make sure to wear waterproof clothing or you’ll be drenched. In the afternoon, take a horseback ride on an Icelandic horse. Icelandic horses are a different breed than you’re probably used to - they’re more friendly, less skittish, and more comfortable to ride. Book a ride here: https://www.iceworld.is/ ### Day 7 The first stop of the day is Kerið Crater. You can walk all the way around the crater either at water level or from the top. From there, drive to an unforgettable lunch at Friðheimar (advance booking required). It’s an entirely tomato-based restaurant! From the bread to the soup to the beer and dessert, everything is made with the tomatoes they grow in the on-site greenhouse. To continue the farm-to-table theme, stop by Efstidalur for the ice cream they make from their dairy farm onsite. In the afternoon, explore the Raufarhólshellier Lava Tunnel. It can only be accessed via a guided tour, but the guide will teach you about the history of tunnels, their discovery, and more. Book the lava tunnel tour here: https://gyg.me/PSJThvVL In the evening, check into Silica Hotel at Blue Lagoon and have a lovely meal at Lava Restaurant on the property for your final dinner in Iceland! ### Day 8 On your last day, treat yourself to an immersive spa experience at the iconic Blue Lagoon. The Retreat at Blue Lagoon is a hidden hideaway, away from the crowded main lagoon where you’ll go through several spa rituals ranging from body scrubs to a sauna and cold plunge and more. This is the perfect way to cap off your time in Iceland before heading to the airport. For a full review of The Retreat at Blue Lagoon, check out this blog post: https://maximizingmypto.com/our-experience-at-blue-lagoon-iceland/ ## Accommodations - **Center Hotels Plaza** (days 1–3) - **Hótel Vík** (days 3–5) - **Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon** (days 5–6) - **Stracta Hotel** (days 6–7) - **Silica Hotel** (days 7–8)