Our trip was kind of a spur-of-the-moment decision, so we planned for only 5 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. Follow our 5-day itinerary to Southern Iceland to make the most of your trip!
Day 1: Arrival and the Blue Lagoon
Flew out of the US and landed in Reykjavik in the late afternoon. After picking up our rental car, we headed straight to the Blue Lagoon to make the most of the rest of ht day. The Blue Lagoon is only about a 22 minute drive from the Reykjavik airport. 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!
day 2: Southeast Iceland
Day 2 of the 5-day itinerary was spent in Southeast Iceland. We got up early and drove 2 hours and 15 minutes to the Solheimasandur beach to see the plane wreck.
- Took the 2 mile trek to the wreck and 2 miles back, about 40 minutes to an hour each way. So prep for around 3 hours to enjoy the plane crash.
From the Solhemasandur beach we drove 30 minutes to Reynisfjara Beach to see the black sand beaches and basalt columns. The drive back to Reykjavik is a little under 3 hours. By now it was dark and we drove around looking for Northern Lights!
day 3: The Golden Circle
On Day 3, we drove 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.
Click here for everything you’ll need to know about driving the Golden Circle!
Day 4: Southwest iceland
Day 4 of the 5-day itinerary we drove west to explore the Snaefellness Peninsula. We drove 2.5 hours from Reykjavik to Arnarstapi fishing village for our first stop. After an hour of exploring the town, explored the coast of the peninsula along Snaefellsjokull National Park.
- Take your time to see the Snaefellsjokull glacier-capped volcano, appreciate the lava fields and coast and see the Kirkjufell mountain
After exploring east Iceland and the Snaefellness peninsula, we made our way back toward Reykjavik while looking out for the northern lights. The more you look, the more likely to see them. Click here for updates on the aurora forecast! We were not one of the lucky ones so our search continues!
Day 5: Travel day home
Day 5: travel day. Our 5- day itinerary ended on Sunday in order to back to work on Monday. We flew out in the morning, but it is possible to fill your morning with activities before flying out in the afternoon if your schedule allows!
This itinerary is a PTO-friendly itinerary! However, we didn’t have time to see 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 5-day itinerary of southern Iceland to include northern Iceland and see everything Iceland has to offer! Click here for a list of 10 recommended activities to do in Iceland!