Roadtrip through Iceland
Iceland has a special place in my heart. It is so enchanting and magically beautiful, perhaps my favorite country in Europe. Iceland has exceeded all my expectations. In this blog we would like to show you a nice road trip route through the south of Iceland.
Planning Your South Iceland Road Trip
Finding the right route for a road trip through Iceland is no easy feat! Iceland has a lot to offer and it can be difficult to choose which part (or all) to see during your trip.
Day 1: Arrival, shopping and accommodation in Reykjavik
Once you arrive at Keflavik airport, you can pick up your rental car and from there it will be an hour’s drive to Reykjavik. If you arrive early on the day of your trip, you can already start exploring Reykjavik. Since I wanted to leave Reykjavik early the next day to start my road trip, I slept in a hotel on the outskirts of the city. That way, you can easily drive away from Reykjavik the next day and let your adventure begin.
Day 2: Incredible waterfalls- Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss
The second day was devoted entirely to visiting the waterfalls: Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss. I am so happy when I see the water cascading powerfully in a short distance. Natural phenomena like this are still impressive.
Seljalandsfoss waterfall
Seljalandsfoss (A) is a 65 m high waterfall and is one of the best known waterfalls in Iceland. The special thing here is that you can walk behind the waterfall. However, be careful, the path can be very slippery!
Open or not? Just keep in mind that the path behind the waterfall is not always open as it depends on the season and the weather on that day.
Skogafoss waterfall
The Skogafoss waterfall (B) is 60 m high and 25 m wide. Through a ladder, you can walk to the top to see everything from there. It is also possible to walk to the top. Especially in spring and summer this is a beautiful hike. The hike is also possible in the winter, but be sure to bring and wear good walking shoes and spikes with you.
Day 3: Road trip to Reynisfjara beach, Kirkjufjara, Dyrhólaey and Sólheimasandur plane crash
On the black sand beach Reynisfjara (A) you will find a beautiful basalt formation called Hálsanefshellir. Here, there are also several shallow caves created by erosion (only visible at low tide and calm seas). The area is home to many birds, including puffins, fulmars, and guillemots.
Kirkjufjara (B) is another black beach in the same region as Reynisfjara. You’ll find Kirkjufjara on the Dyrhólaey peninsula, near the town of Vík, in southern Iceland. This beach is also incredibly beautiful and feels a bit magical with its black sand.
You can then drive to Dyrhólaey (C), which is the southern tip of Iceland. Dyrhólaey is a cape with a huge sea-carved arch that looks very impressive. The last stop on this trip is at Sólheimasandur (D), the crashed plane. From where you park your car, it’s about a 45-minute walk to the plane crash.
Stop for Sightseeing: As you drive, chances are you’ll stop many more times along the way to take a moment to see all the natural beauty that surrounds you. The landscapes are really phenomenal!
Day 4: Skaftafell, Fjallsárlón, Jökulsárlón and Diamond Beach
The fourth day I visited many places. You can also choose to split this over two days if you have more time.
Fjaðrárgljúfur and Skaftafell National Park
The first stop of the day would be Fjaðrárgljúfur (A), a green gorge in South Iceland, just west of the town of Kirkjubæjarklaustur. The small river Fjaðrá runs through the gorge and flows a little further down into the river Skaftá. We see the gorge amid snow and ice in winter, but every season it looks completely different. The second stop is at Skaftafell National Park (B) where you can do various things, including hiking. Plenty of other hikes can be found, which stands to reason since hiking is the only way to explore the park.
The most popular hike in Skaftafell National Park: The most popular is the hike to the Svartivoss waterfall!
Diamond Beach and Jökulsárlón
You can spend more hours in the park and spread the sightseeing over two days. If you don’t have time, you can continue after Skaftafell to the triangle where you will find several glaciers and Diamond Beach. The most famous glacial lake is Jökulsárlón (D). Many people drive there and skip the other glaciers. A pity, as far as we are concerned!
Day 5: Hofn Harbor and Stokksnes
On day 5 we visit Hofn (A) and the port of Hofn. Not very spectacular, but it was nice to see and do something different. After taking a walk around the city, we headed to Stokksnes (B) and it was totally worth it!
Stokksnes is among the most beautiful beaches in Iceland. The beach is special because of its black sand, but also because of its jagged, pointy mountains that rise up on one side of the beach. The peaks of these mountains reach 454 m in height. It really gives a great phenomenal view. On the beach next door, you might get a chance to see seals, which is cool too!
In the late afternoon we headed to Hoffel (C), a place near Hofn, where we found jacuzzis in a farmer’s backyard. You won’t find many tourists here (mainly the Icelanders themselves) and you pay when you put money in a mailbox. Do you need to relax and disconnect? So this is a very good idea!
Day 6: Hofn to Reykjavik – Kerið, Gullfoss and Geysir
On the 6th, we return from east to west, from Hofn (A) in the direction of Reykjavik. This is quite a long trip, so keep that in mind!
The Golden Circle (B) is on today’s program and we will arrive there around 2 pm. The Golden Circle is a 300 km long tourist route in southern Iceland. The Golden Circle can be reached and traveled in different ways, so find what looks good on you and keep your own order. We visited Kerið, Gulfoss and Geysir.
Kerið (C) is a 55 m deep funnel-shaped crater that is partly filled with water. Totally different picture in summer and winter, but both beautiful. After Kerið we drove in the direction of Gullfoss.
Gullfoss (D) is a waterfall on the Hvítá (White River) in South Iceland and is known as one of the best waterfalls in Iceland. Water falling from the gorge almost always causes a large amount of spray. When the sun shines on it, it creates beautiful rainbows.
The last stop on the popular Golden Circle route is at the geyser, Geysir (E). Here, the world famous and impressive Geysir has always attracted admirers. The geyser was active for eight centuries and rose 80m into the air. Geysir is no longer active, but you can still find Strokkur that hisses and growls every 5-10 minutes.
Day 7: Whale watching, Blue Lagoon and snorkeling in the Silfra Gorge
If you have a last day in Reykjavik or the surroundings of Reykjavik you can do several things. During the day, you can explore Reykjavik, as it is a very pleasant city to walk around.
The Blue Lagoon
I can recommend that you end the day at the Blue Lagoon, so you can go home relaxed for your last night.
Book a whale watching tour
Book a whale watching tour from Reykajvik port and enjoy a fun trip. You will have the opportunity to see different varieties of whales and with a lot of luck, you will be able to see orcas.
Silfra Gorge
Yet another option, outside of Reykjavik and a little less well known, is to dive or snorkel in the Silfra Gorge. It may not sound like a logical choice to “scuba dive in Iceland”, but it is a very special experience! Silfra is the name of a cleft in the earth created by the separation of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. The Silfra Gorge is filled with glacier water that has been seeped underground for decades by hardened, porous wash rocks. This makes it the purest and clearest water in the world.
What should I know before traveling to South Iceland?
This is how I planned my road trip through South Iceland. The choice you have to make depends a lot on the season. South Iceland is still reasonably passable in winter (I was there in February), but in winter the roads to the north are often closed due to weather conditions, keep that in mind when planning your road trip.
Transport through South Iceland
How many days do I need to drive around South Iceland?
the northern lights
Transport through South Iceland
There is no doubt about one thing: for your road trip through Iceland it is necessary to rent a car. Almost 90-95% of tourists rent a car, as there is no public transportation in Iceland outside of Reykjavik. Another possibility to get to know the country is through tours that leave from Reykjavik, but the truth is that it is a very expensive option. Therefore, a road trip in a rental car is the best and, in my opinion, also the most fun way to discover Iceland*.How many days do I need to drive around South Iceland?
A week-long road trip through Iceland will certainly give you enough time to see plenty of sights and hike, snorkel, or dive Silfra in between, but if you want to spend enough time in each location, you have choices to make. .
The Northern Lights
Last but not least: the Northern Lights. Unfortunately, you can’t be sure and you’ll need a lot of luck to see it. The best time to see the Northern Lights is from October to March. If you are going to Iceland and want to see this impressive phenomenon, I recommend downloading the Aurora Forecast app. Here, you can keep an eye on activity and increase your chances of seeing the Northern Lights.
