How can you best spend eight days travelling around Iceland? Why is this a recommended length for a trip around this beautiful island? Read on to see how to spend eight amazing days in Iceland.

You’ve probably just arrived at Keflavík International Airport, taken the shuttle bus to pick up your car, and you’re itching with excitement to explore this beautiful island!

The article starts you off just leaving the capital, Reykjavík (don’t worry, you’ll spend some time there at the end!), and describes some of the best things to see and some great places to stay too.

Don’t stick to just these places though, this isn’t an exhaustive list and there is so much that this trip didn’t contain. Also be sure to take lots of unscheduled stops at the various laybys you’ll find on the ring road, there is so much beautiful scenery and hidden gems between the main stops so don’t miss out on those!

Note: Most guides will tell you to visit the Blue Lagoon first but due to a delayed flight, that didn’t happen on this trip. I hear it’s beautiful but very expensive).

This trip was done in early October and mostly utilises the main ring road (Route 1) to traverse the country.

This article will start with a overview of the itinerary and then it’ll go into more detail for each day. Ok, let’s get started!

Note on the weather: Unfortunately the weather was not so ideal during the entireity this trip, and apart from a couple of days, it was constantly cloudy and rainy, with not a single clear night whatsoever. This meant I did not see any stars or the nothern lights, whether this is typical for October or not, I’m not sure.

Itinerary Overview

Arrival

• Sites: Blue Lagoon (if you have time after landing, I didn’t)
• Accomodation: Central Reykjavík (AirBnB)

Day One

• Sites: Þingvellir, Almannagjá Rift, Haukadalur Geothermal Valley, Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss
• Accomodation: Guesthouse Rauðafell, Hvolsvöllur (AirBnB)

Day Two

• Sites: Dyrhólaey, Reynisfjara, Skaftareldahraun, Pjadrurfoss, Vatnajökull, Skaftafell, Diamond Beach
• Accomodation: - Þórshamar, Höfn (AirBnB)

Day Three

• Sites: Hoffell hot tubs, Stokksnes Mountain, The Viking Village, Lagarfljót
• Accomodation: Tehúsið Hostel, Egilsstaðir (AirBnB)

Day Four

• Sites: Seyðisfjörður, Dettifoss, Krafla, Námaskarð
• Accomodation: Fosshotel, Húsavík (Booking.com)

Day Five

• Sites: Húsavík (book whale watching in advance), Mývatn Nature Baths, Grjótagjá Cave, Goðafoss
• Accomodation: Apotek Guesthouse, Akureyri (Booking.com)

Day Six

• Sites: Akureyri old town, Sundlaug thermal baths, Þingeyrarkirkja
• Accomodation: West Park Guesthouse, Hellissandur (AirBnB)

Day Seven

• Sites: Snæfellsnes, Vatnshellir Cave, Hellnar, Arnarstapi
• Accomodation: Central Reykjavík (AirBnB)

Day Eight

• Sites: Reykjavík, Sun Voyager, Hallgrimskirkja
• Accomodation: Central Reykjavík (AirBnB)

Day One

Reykjavík to Hvolsvöllur

Things to see

• Þingvellir National Park
• Almannagjá Rift
• Haukadalur Geothermal Valley
• Seljalandsfoss
• Skógafoss

Where to stay

• Guesthouse Rauðafell, Hvolsvöllur (via AirBnB)

You’ll start your holiday with a drive to the Þingvellir National Park, which a moss blanketed area in between the North American plate and Eurasian tectonic plates. It’s a great little fact to say that you’ll have crossed two continents during your trip in Iceland.

The area is 7km wide and it grows a bit each year as the plates slowly move apart, so Iceland is technically getting bigger! It does, however, sink roughly 2cm a year due to this.

The rift is also featured in Games of Thrones. It is the location of the Bloody Gate, leading up to The Eyrie where the Hound takes Arya Stark to be reunited with her aunt.

Take the time to walk around a bit here as the scenery is amazing. You can walk also along the rift to Öxarárfoss waterfall.

Next up is the Haukadalur Geothermal Valley. which contains two main geysers. The Great Geysir, which has been dormant for years and rarely erupts, and neighbouring Strokkur, which erupts roughly every 5 minutes and sends boiling water and steam upwards up to 30 metres. This area is home to the first geyser known to Europe.

You have two more waterfalls left today. The first is the beautiful Seljalandsfoss, which sees glacial water falling over an indented cliff, which has a large cavern carved out behind it. The cavern lets you walk behind and around it and it is an amazing experience, allowing you take in the waterfall and its power right up close.

Next up on the route is Skógafoss, which is a powerful waterfall with a viewing platform to the side. It’s an impressive 25 meters wide and 60 meters tall.

If you’ve taken your time seeing all the beautiful sites, light is probably fading by now, but there is a Bistro Bar nearby Skógafoss and the recommended Guesthouse Rauðafell is just a short drive away in Hvolsvöllur. The guest house is large modern and spotless and has 6 rooms for guests. There is also a breakfast provided in the morning.

Day Two

Hvolsvöllur to Höfn

Things to see

• Dyrhólaey
• Reynisfjara
• Skaftareldahraun
• Pjadrurfoss
• Vatnajökull
• Skaftafell
• Diamond Beach

Where to stay

• Þórshamar, Höfn (AirBnB)

After what will be a lovely breakfast, set out for Dyrhólaey, which is a mountain peninsula on a cliff with some staggering views. There is an impressive looking rock arch standing strong in the sea and a black beach down below. In the summer you can see puffins here.

There is a plane wreck on the route before Dyrhólaey called DC-3 Plane Wreckage, which crashed in 1973. The fuselage was abandoned there afterwards. It’s a 4km hike over very dull black sand terrain (or you can take a expensive shuttle bus), so it’s not readily accessible but it makes for a good photo opportunity.

The next stop is Reynisfjara, near the town of Vik, which is a huge sprawlling black sand beach with violent waves. You definitely need to stop here for a while an appreciate the black sand, the crashing waves and the basalt columns and rock formations. It’s a truly spectacular place and if you’re a city dweller it’s a great chance to unwind and feel relaxed.

After taking in the atmosphere of Reynisfjara, you’ll drive to Vatnajökull National Park which has some great hiking routes and a guided tour up the biggset glacier in Iceland.

However before that you’ll drive through the Skaftareldahraun moss lava fields, there isn’t too much to see here but the bleak desolate landscape can really strike home - there is ancient black lava covered in moss as far as the eye can see.

There are also some great stops along the way, the main one of note is Pjadrurfoss waterfall. It’s a small waterfall but the setting and the several streams of water all frothing and flowing into the main river are magnificent.

The main attraction of the afternoon is Vatnajökull National Park, which is named after the biggest glacier in Iceland. It’s about the size of Cyprus. You can’t venture up on your own but the national park has guided tours up the glacier, and will supply the correct equipment to walk up this magnificent glacier.

If you fancy something a bit more low-key, there are great hiking trails around the Skaftafell area of the national park, and you are also only about a 20 minute walk from a magnificent lake near Vatnajökull glacier, which has small icebergs floating in it, making for some fantastic scenery.

Once you’ve had your fill of the Vatnajökull National Park, hopefully you have enough day light to admire the Diamond Beach (I didn’t unfortunately!). It’s an incredibly picturesque beach where the icebergs of Jökulsárlón wash up on their journey out to the Atlantic Ocean, giving a stark contrast to the jet black sand.

A short drive later and you’ll make it to the small fishing village of Höfn to your accommodation.

Day Three

Höfn to Egilsstaðir

Things to see

• Hoffell hot tubs
• Stokksnes Mountain
• Viking Village
• Lagarfljót

Where to stay

• Tehúsið Hostel, Egilsstaðir (AirBnB)

Good morning! Hopefully you had a good sleep because you have a busy day ahead of you. First up is the Hoffell Hot Tubs. Now, just to manage your expectations here, don’t expect Blue Lagoon style luxury, these seem like hot tubs that locals would use, but the facilities are clean, it’s very cheap and it is set in a beautiful location.

There are about 5 hot hubs, all geothermally heated and there are changing rooms, an outdoor shower and towels are provided. It’s definitely worth a visit.

Next up is a drive to the Stokksnes mountain area, which is a beautiful area on a peninsula. You’ll have to pay a little in the Viking Cafe to get through the barriers and to the car park but once you do, you can wander around a very picturesque area with the mountain looming over another black beach.

A little walk inland you’ll come to the Viking Village, which is an intricate and accurate viking village that was built for a TV series that never made it to air. The remains of the village are still here and it really is an experience to wander around and feel how vikings could have once lived. You may notice the strange remains of a fake rock wall near the center of the village, this was to hide a stone building from view. The stairs are still accessible from the back, so go ahead, climb them and explore!

There is quite a long drive to Egilsstaðir, the largest city in the East, but on the way you’ll come across Lagarfljót, which is a large lake. According to legend the lake is said to hold the cousin of the Loch Ness monster, the Lagarfljót Wyrm. Sightings to back to 1345, so see if you can spot it!

From here you’ll be pretty close to Egilsstaðir, the Capital of the East. You’ll be staying at Tehúsið Hostel, which is a great hostel with a bar (happy hour til 7pm!), games and a great chill out area. It’s also worth a wander into town to check out the Askur Taproom, which has a wide range of craft beers and karaoke. This bar wouldn’t be out of place in Shoreditch, London!

Day Four

Egilsstaðir to Húsavík

Things to see

• Seyðisfjörður
• Dettifoss
• Krafla
• Námaskarð

Where to stay

• Fosshotel, Húsavík (Booking.com)

You’re going to be very busy today as there are so many amazing things to see, but before we get onto the amazing examples of nature on show in Iceland, let’s take a trip to Seyðisfjörður, which is a small fishing village right out on the east coast. It is embraced by mountains and has a natural port. It’s also a great place to grab some breakfast before heading out.

Hope you got a nice breakfast, because now you’re going to Europe’s largest and most powerful waterfall, Dettifoss. As with most natural attractions in Iceland, there are no barriers or walkways, apart from some sparsely hammered in posts to guide you, so you’re free to explore and experience Dettifoss’ power right up close. Take your time here, it is truly a magnificent experience to be right up close to that much power.

The next stop is Krafla, which is an active volcano. It currently has a big lake in it as it hasn’t erupted since 1984 but there have been 29 reported eruptions in recorded history.

After this drive down to Námaskarð, which is an amazing geothermal area where the ground is literally steaming as far as the eye can see. It really does look and feel (and smells!) like another planet due to the sulphur deposits and the vents with constant billowing steam coming out of the ground.

There’s lots more to see around here, like Mývatn lake and Ásbyrgi Canyon. We’ll also come back here tomorrow afternoon for a few more sights.

You’ll now drive to Húsavík, where a meal out may be in order. Try Naustið, which serves traditional Icelandic food at reasonable prices. The fish mash is recommended.

Your stay tonight is in an actual hotel, Fosshotel, the perfect location for your whale watching tomorrow!

Day Five

Húsavík to Akureyri

Things to see

• Húsavík (book whale watching in advance)
• Mývatn Nature Baths
• Grjótagjá Cave
• Goðafoss waterfall

Where to stay

• Apotek Guesthouse, Akureyri (Booking.com)

Hopefully you enjoyed your hotel last night and you’re up early because it’s time for whale watching, which we recommend booking before you arrived. (I booked with North Sailing but there are a few companies around the area offering different types of boats, so do some research beforehand).

You’ll go down to the harbour, show your e-ticket for a real ticket and then board one of the nearby boats. You’ll get given some nice warm outer clothes and be on your way.

The tour is around 3 hours and takes you north of Iceland. Hopefully you’ll see some humpback whales, which are quite common to the area, but the experience of being on a boat in the North Atlantic is also a great one.

Note: the best time for whales is in the summer, and as I went in October, I didn’t see any whales, but I was granted a stamp for a free tour again at any point in the future.

Hopefully you saw some whales, but now take the time to walk around Húsavík, it’s got some nice shops and a few bars and restaurants.

Now it’s time to head back to Mývatn to see some of the things you didn’t see yesterday. First is the Mývatn Nature Baths, which, like the Blue Lagoon, is a very popular but expensive, thermal pool.

Next up is the Grjótagjá Cave, which is featured in Games of Thrones as the place where Jon Snow proved he does in fact know something with Ygritte. It looks smaller in real life than it does in Game of Thrones but it’s still cool to see. Unfortunately you can’t bathe in here as due to eruptions from 1975 - 1984, the temperature rose to over 50 degrees celsius.

The surrounding landscape is beautiful, and you can see how the earth was ripped open by an incredible force.

The last stop before the fair drive to Akureyri is Goðafoss waterfall, which is another one of Iceland’s stunning waterfalls. It streams down in an arc shape, making it really wide and its power is a sight to behold.

Now you’ll drive west to the Northern Capital, Akureyri and to the Apotek Guesthouse. If you have some time, take a look around the city, there are some great bars and restaurants, and a great bar in the Akureyri Backpackers hostel just down the road from the Apotek Guesthouse, with nice atmosphere and some board games. Also check out any fish and chip restaurants around here, the fish is caught nearby so it tastes amazing.

Day Six

Akureyri to Hellissandur

Things to see

• Akureyri old town
• Sundlaug thermal baths
• Þingeyrarkirkja

Where to stay

• West Park Guesthouse , Hellissandur (AirBnB)

Note: This was a very very driving heavy day as when driving from Akureyri to Hellissandur (which is already a 5 hour drive), Google Maps decided to change my route, for reasons unknown, and take me all the way near Hólmavik and then back down again, so keep an eye on your map.

This morning you’ll wander around the Akureyri old town, which is full of older wooden buildngs and a very striking church. Aim to have a chilled out morning here and grab some lunch later on, as there will be a lot of driving coming up in the latter part of the day.

Nearby, the Sundlaug thermal baths are a great place to relax. They are public geothermal baths with several pools of different temperatures, a swimming pool, a sauna and some water slides. This is a place that locals frequent, so it is not full of tourists as other places may be, and also very reasonabily priced.

When you’re satisfied you’ve seen enough of Akureyri, it’s time to begin your drive west. It’s a long drive but there are things to see on the way so make sure you leave enough day light to see them all.

The drive itself goes through many different types of terrain, but nothing too extreme that a small front wheel drive car can’t handle. You’ll drive up a mountain, some gravel and dirt roads and some newly laid tarmac too. Depending on the time of year you’re going, you may also see some snow (if you haven’t already), as you drive up a mountain.

The roads are marked with wooden poles with reflective patches on them to guide you when it gets dark, but don’t expect any street lights. You’ll find driving in the dark near the coast, with the invisible waves crashing to the right of you, an experience that’ll stay with you.

One stop of note is one of Iceland’s only stone churches called Þingeyrarkirkja, which is worth a stop. Other points of note include Hvitserkur (a 15m basalt stack), Eiriksstadir (ancient Viking ruins), Stykkishólmur (harbour town and lighthouse) and Djúpalónssandur (a black beach).

After the drive you’ll arrive at Hellissandur, where West Park Guesthouse is located nearby.

Day Seven

Hellissandur to Reykjavík

Things to see

• Snæfellsnes,
• Vatnshellir Cave
• Hellnar
• Arnarstapi

Where to stay

• Central Reykjavík (AirBnB)

Welcome to Day 7, hopefully you’ve rested up nicely from the long drive over to the West Park Guesthouse and are ready for another day of exploring.

The guesthouse is actually in Snæfellsnes National Park so there are some beautiful dramatic landscapes, and at its western tip, Snæfellsjökull Volcano, which is topped by a glacier. There are also lava fields and the Stykkishólmur fishing village to explore.

Now drive up to Vatnshellir Cave. This is an 8000 year old lava cave and is only accessible via a guided tour, which leaves relatively frequently throughout the day. The view around here is also spectacular, with moss lava fields stretching off into the distance. The shore is also just nearby, with basalt columns rising tall on the shoreline and a picturesque lighthouse.

A short drive away now is Hellnar, a small cliffisde town, with some lovely paths to walk through and a cove near the shore. There is also a lovely looking corrugated iron church standing tall on a hill here.

Another small cliffside village in this area is Arnarstapi, which has adopted a stone sculpture, Bárður Snæfellsás, as its symbol. It is possible to hike here from Hellnar, which takes roughly 1 hour, or it’s roughly a 10 minute drive. There are amazing cliffside views here from the viewing point, as well as a few bars and restaurants.

There are plenty of other things to see in this area too, such as Hraunfossar and Barnafossar waterfalls, Deildartunguhver (Europe’s most powerful hot spring), and if you’re more adventurous, you can go caving in Víðgelmir, Iceland’s largest lava caves.

When you are satisfied you’ve explored this area to your liking, drive down towards Reykjavík, where hopefully you have a nice AirBnB waiting for you.

Day Eight

Reykjavík

Things to see

• Reykjavík city
• Walking tour
• Sun Voyager
• Grotta Island Lighthouse
• Hallgrimskirkja

Where to stay

• Central Reykjavík (AirBnB)

Today is your chance to explore the lovely city of Reykjavík. There is lots to do here, and from your past week, being in a city may be something of a culture shock.

The first thing that is recommended is a free walking tour (tips encouraged at the end), it’s a great way to get your bearings and learn about the history of Reykjavík and how it came to be. It’ll take you around several key sights which you can then visit later at your leisure.

The Sun Voyager sculpture, which is a cross between a ship and a scorpion is definitely one to see, and as it is on the coast, it’s a great photo opportunity.

The nearby Hallgrimskirkja church is magnificently imposing and makes for some incredible photos.

A drive to the east coast will also get you to the Grotta Island Lighthouse which is a beautiful area with a small black beach and the lighthouse, which is accessible via a rocky path when the tide is out. It is definitely worth going at sunset for some amazing views.

You should also check out the bars in the area, The Dubliner is a good choice for some great atmosphere and liveliness, and The Irishman is more chilled out if you want a more quiet time. There are too many restaurants to list here but it’s worth looking around and trying out whatever takes your fancy.

If you want to reflect on your journey a bit, there is a huge model of Iceland in the tourist information centre, with light up sections denoting key parts of the island.

This is the last day of your trip so use it as you feel is best. You can even drive out to the Blue Lagoon or anywhere else you feel you would like to spend more time.

Hopefully you’ve had an amazing time in Iceland. It’s definitely a trip you’ll remember forever and a beautiful country to visit. Hopefully this guide has been some help to you too, thanks for reading!

Credit to Aimee Rivers for the videos used in this post. Check out her video of the same trip here