7 day Iceland Itinerary
Flight
Iceland is becoming one of the most popular tourist destinations for 2017. Its known for its natural waterfalls, volcanoes, geysirs, hot springs, lush farmlands, and one of the best places to see the northern lights. Flights to Iceland are also very affordable from North America. Round-trip flights from Toronto to Iceland as low as $200 CAD (WOW Air & Iceland Air). There are also free layover options in Iceland when going over-seas too. If you managed to snag a flight deal to Iceland, Read on below for our 7 days around the entire country of Iceland.
Weather
Iceland is as the name suggests, a cold-climated country. Remember to pack lots of layers as the temperature can vary from the morning to night. We went during the month of June where it was one of the warmest months in Iceland. The highest it went was around 11°C. There was daylight 20 hours a day! During the winter months, October – March, is where night falls most hours of the day. Expect temperatures at 0°C and below but you will be able to see the Northern Lights! Be prepared to pack warm clothes, a good waterproof wind-breaker and waterproof hiking shoes.
7-day Itinerary
Day 1 – Keflavik Airport – Selfoss
Driving Distance 232 km, 3 hours 20m
- Arrival in Keflavik Airport in the morning
- Purchase Cell Phone SIM from the grocery store at the airport ($30 CAD)
- Pick up the Rental car from SAD cars
- Pick up any Snacks – look for ‘BONUS’ Grocery Store while driving for supplies
- Arrive in Reykjavik (the largest city) – Must sees: Hallgrímskirkja Modern Cathedral Church, Reykjavik Roasters for coffee, Souvenir Shops
- Drive towards Selfoss – on the way: The Golden Circle – Gulfoss Waterfall
- Strokkur Geysir – erupts every couple minutes!
- Stayed at $300 CAD Luxury Farmhouse in Selfoss booked via Airbnb <– $40 travel credit using my referral
Day 2 – Selfoss to Hvolsvöllur
Driving Distance 356km, 4 hours 25m
- From Selfoss we drove to Sólheimajökull Glacier, There we booked a Glacier Hike ($210 CAD). It was well worth it – we were provided clamps , helmet and an ice pick and followed our guide who taught us how to ice climb. Remember to wear stiff hiking boots, but if you don’t have any you can rent there. Bring an empty bottle to fill up fresh glacier water for drinking!
- Drove to Skógafoss Waterfall, we ventured up a path untaken and it led us to the most amazing, upclose views of the waterfall – be careful though!
- Jökulsárlón Iceberg Lagoon
- Black Sand Beach
- Drove to Hvolsvöllur (Near Hella) Apartment booked via Airbnb ($314 CAD per night)
Day 3 – Hvolsvöllur to Höfn
Distance 356 km, 4 hours 25 m
- Drove from Hvolsvöllur to the Sólheimasandur Plane Crash. Allocate 2 hours for this as it takes 40 minutes to walk from the car to the Plane Crash site.
- Drove to Skatafell – here is a national park with hiking and waterfalls
- Beautiful Waterfalls, Mountains on the way
- Drove to Hostel in Höfn ($203 CAD) via Booking.com
Day 4 – Höfn to Neskaupstaður
Distance 266km, 3 hours 51 m
- On the way you will see – unnamed Waterfalls, lush farmlands
- Icelandic Horses – stop by the side of the road to feed sheep/ horses – they love apples!
- Stayed at a Cottage House on East Coast (243 CAD)
Day 5 Neskaupstaður to Myvatn
Distance 370km, 5 hours 6 m
- On the way to Myvatn, stop by Dettifoss Waterfall – Europes most powerfall Waterfall, there is a semi-long trekking path that will lead you to dozens of other waterfalls
- Myvatn Geothermal Area, Myatvn nature baths at Jarbodin ($40 CAD). In my personal opinion, I enjoyed this one more so than the Blue Lagoon Bath.
- Námafjall Hverir (thermal vents), Namaskard (boiling mud) are a must-see! Its like landing on a whole other planet.
- Godafoss Waterfall
- Stayed in Guesthouse in Myvatn ($257 CAD) via Booking.com
Day 6 – Myvatn to Lagaurdalur
Distance 532 km, 6 hours 20 min
- On the way there are mountain views, lush farmlands, unnamed waterfalls
- Went into town of Reykjavik for dinner – Horse and Whale Meat
- Stayed in Guest House via Airbnb
Day 7 -Lagauradalur to Keflavik Airport
- Blue Lagoon Spa in the morning, book early as these packages get filled up fast
- Returned Car to SAD cars
- Shuttled to the Airport
The Flight was super affordable, but accommodations, car rental and food adds up as the resources (and labour) are very scarce in Iceland. We spent approx $2000 CAD each person inclusive of all the activities, transportation and accommodations. The people there are very nice and helpful! If you are stopping by for a short layover 1-3 days is sufficient to stay in the city center of Reykjavik. However, if you’d like to venture all around the country to see the most amazing views of your life 7-12 days is optimal. I hope this itinerary is a good start to planning your next trip to Iceland! Check out Iceland Travel to book your next Whale Watching, Snorkeling or Northern Lights Hunt Tour.
