4 Day Iceland Itinerary: Everything to See in Southern Iceland!
Our trip was kind of a spur-of-the-moment decision, so we planned for only 4 days in Iceland. We found housing in Reykjavik, so our itinerary involved only southern Iceland.
Lucky for us, and for you if that’s your plan, a LOT of the sights that are worth visiting are located in Southern Iceland.
Here is how to see the best of southern Iceland with only 4 days based in Reykjavik!
- Getting Around Iceland
- Day 1: Arrival and the Blue Lagoon
- day 2: Southeast Iceland
- Day 3: The Golden Circle
- Day 4: Southwest iceland
- Where to Stay in Reyjkavik
- 4 Day Iceland Itinerary Recap
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Getting Around Iceland
In all honesty, I think the best way to explore Iceland is by renting a car. There is a lot to see and a lot of the to places are quite spaced out.
- Renting a car allows you to start your day as early as you want and end it as late as you want, giving you more flexibility. It also allows you to stop and view scenery whenever you want.
The other best option is to do guided bus tours to all of the major stops. The public bus schedule is limited outside of the city.
- It is definitely doable to do it via guides, but you will just have less flexibility with your itinerary and you will likely be spending more.
- However, I will link the group tours for each day that are similar to what we did and saw in case you are not on team “rent a car!”
Click here to rent a car for Iceland!
Day 1: Arrival and the Blue Lagoon
Fly into Reykjavik and arrive in time to be able to do the Blue Lagoon on your first day of your 4 day Iceland itinerary.
After picking up your rental car, head straight to the Blue Lagoon because it is only about 22 minutes from the airport, but pretty far from Reykjavik city center and the rest of the highlights of southern Iceland.ย
Prepare for about 2-3 hours to get your ticket, get dressed and enjoy the thermal waters, but spend as much time as you would like!
If you don’t plan to rent a car, you can either take a taxi or take a bus directly from the airport to Blue Lagoon. Click here for bus times and tickets!
day 2: Southeast Iceland
On day 2 of your 4 day Iceland itinerary, visit the plane wreck at Solheimasandur Beach and Reynisfjara Beach
Wake up early and drive toย Solheimasandur beach to see the plane wreck (about a 2 hour and 15 minutes drive).
This plane sits on a beautiful black sand beach and you walk through black lava fields to get there.
Unfortunately, you can no longer drive close to the airplane. Instead you have to park about 2 miles out and walk in, which ends up being about a 40-60 minute walk each way.ย
So prep for around 3 hours to enjoy the plane crash.ย
After Solhemasandur beach, drive 30 minutes to Reynisfjara Beach to see the black sand beaches and basalt columns.
This is really a MUST DO item. Reynisfjara is an AMAZING and unique beach with fine, black sand. It is also a filming location for Game of Thrones, if that’s something that piques your interest.ย
- The drive back to Reykjavik is a little under 3 hours. If you are visiting in the summer, there will be plenty of time to sightsee on the way back.
- If you are visiting off-season (like us), it will likely get dark early (by 5:30 or 6 in October). So, be on the lookout for Northern Lights on your way home!
Southeast Iceland Tours
There are no tours that go to the airplane wreck, so if that is high on your list you will need to rent a car. However, there are several tours that include the Reynisfjara Beach! The tour below includes the beach as well as Hvolsvรถllur, Skรณgafoss waterfall, Sรณlheimajรถkull glacier and Seljalandsfoss along with lunch provided in Vik. It is highly rated!
Day 3: The Golden Circle
On Day 3, drive around the Golden Circle! The Golden Circle connects three of the most-visited sights in southern Iceland. It takes about 3 hours to drive non-stop, but be prepared to take a whole day to enjoy everything on the Golden Circle. The Golden Circle needs to be on EVERY itinerary.ย
Thingvellir Park and walking between the tectonic plates is one of the most unique experiences I’ve had while traveling!
The Golden Circle also takes you to the incredible waterfall of Gullfoss, which is a two-tiered waterfall that is POWERFUL. Technically, Kerid Crater is not part of the Golden Circle, but it is a crater with SUPER turquoise water and unique red volcanic rock all around the crater.ย
Everything you’ll need to know about driving the Golden Circle.
Tour around the Golden Circle
If you are opting to do the tour route while you are in Iceland, be sure to get a Golden Circle tour that includes Kerid Crater! Since it is technically not part of the Golden Circle, not all tours include it in their stops!
Day 4: Southwest iceland
On day 4, drive west to explore the Snaefellsness Peninsula. Snaefellsness Peninsula is home to a beautiful coastline and multiple fishing villages, a glacier, and the famous Kirkjufell Mountain!ย
It is about 2.5 hours from Reykjavik to Arnarstapi fishing village , home of the famous Gatklettur rock formation. Explore the village then make your way along the coast of the peninsula in Snaefellsjokull National Park.
Don’t miss the Snaefellsjokull glacier-capped volcano and the Kirkjufell mountain (another Game of Thrones filming location)! There are also a lot of lava fields that even go to the coast, which is a really unique landscape.
From Arnastapi Village, it is only about 18 minutes to Snaefellsjokull Glacier and then another 23 minutes to complete the peninsula loop, making it a pretty quick drive around the peninsula. The long part of this day is the drive to/from Reykjavik.
After exploring east Iceland and the Snaefellness peninsula, make your way back toward Reykjavik. If you are visiting during shoulder season or when it gets dark early, you will have a long drive back to Reykjavik in the dark. Be on the look out for the northern lights if you are visiting during off-season! The more you look, the more likely to see them. Click here for updates on the aurora forecast!
Tours to Snaefellsness Peninsula
Fortunately, if you are not wanting to drive through Iceland, there are tours that will take you around Snaefellsness Peninsula!
Where to Stay in Reyjkavik
Again, this itinerary is centered around staying in Reykjavik with day trips from there. When choosing your accommodation, be sure to choose one that is centrally located. Once you get out of downtown Reykjavik, things become a little sparse.
4 Day Iceland Itinerary Recap
This is a quick itinerary to Iceland, but it makes it a great PTO-friendly option! However, due to the limited days, we were unable to explore northern Iceland and I would have liked to do a few more activities.
Therefore, if you have more PTO, take Monday and Tuesday and extend your 4 day Iceland itinerary to include northern Iceland and see everything Iceland has to offer!
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