Iceland, I loved you so much. You wouldn’t believe how we got our tickets, but let me tell you, it was completely unplanned; we knew we wanted to go at some point in our lives, but not immediately. In fact, we tried hard to cancel our tickets, but it didn’t work out, so we decided to go. And I’m so glad we did!
Since we were limited on time, we made a very effective plan. So, if you’re thinking of traveling to the south of Iceland and wondering how you can explore this beautiful country, you’re in the right place, because I’m sharing with you an excellent South Iceland travel itinerary.
Iceland is an island country located in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Greenland, with a population of 356,991 and an area of 103,000 square kilometers, making it the most sparsely populated country in Europe. If you have a question in your mind whether this place is Nordic or Scandinavian, you can read this article. If you ask whether 4 days are enough, definitely not; so I’ll start by suggesting that if possible, you should allocate at least 6 full days. Our 4 days included our travel day, so if possible, it’s beneficial to be a bit flexible.
We flew from London with Wizzair. Wizzair flights depart from Luton, and frankly, the round-trip flight ticket from London to Iceland was cheaper than the airport transfer. We paid £230 for 3 people for a round-trip ticket from London to Reykjavik.
Before you start looking for tickets, let me tell you how I will plan our next trip to Iceland. In Iceland, or indeed in any place where you have a chance to see the Northern Lights, you can find Aurora probability maps. You can access it for Iceland through this link. There is a scale from 0-9, the higher it is, the luckier you are. If it’s below 3, I wouldn’t get my hopes up too much. During our stay, it only briefly reached 3, and you also need the sky to be really cloudless. That’s why we will plan our next trip spontaneously according to this probability map. If you’re wondering which season to visit Iceland, you can check out this article.
Day 1
We quickly passed through passport control at Keflavík Airport at 10:30 am and picked up our car. Since there were 6 of us, we opted for a 7-seater vehicle and paid a total of £240 for comprehensive insurance, etc. The amount we paid for fuel during the trip was £153. We only took backpacks with us, and it was a good decision because the trunk space in 7-seater vehicles is very small; we could barely fit 6 backpacks. By the way, according to Icelandic law, from November 1st to April 15th, all cars must have winter studded tires, but don’t worry, all vehicles at car rental companies will comply with this rule.
Blue Lagoon
Although we were all motivated by the Blue Lagoon, the area of Grindavík, close to Blue Lagoon, was most affected by the volcanic eruptions in recent months. The Blue Lagoon has been opening and closing due to safety reasons. It was closed the day before we set off, but fortunately, it opened on the day we went. Maybe because it was our first day, it was very calm, as I had read it’s usually very crowded.
Since the Blue Lagoon is only a 15-20 minute drive from Keflavík Airport, it’s worth visiting either when you arrive in Iceland or before you leave, as there’s not much else to see in the area. Otherwise, you’ll end up making an unnecessary round trip.
The entrance fee varies depending on the time; we paid £75 per person for the premium. I strongly advice to book in advance from Blue Lagoon website. Children are free. This fee includes three different masks from the mask bar inside the lagoon, two drinks from the bar inside, and a bathrobe. Once you enter, there’s no time limit; so allocate as much time as possible here, trust me, you won’t want to leave. The lagoon was discovered in 1992, and it’s created by seawater and freshwater combining under high temperature and pressure 2000 meters below the surface, forming geothermal seawater. The high silica content also gives the water its magnificent blue colour.
Definitely remove your jewelry, as it can tarnish when it comes into contact with this water unless it’s gold, and the most important note for this place, be sure to bring a waterproof phone case or phone with you. By the way, to be honest, there are newer, maybe nicer lagoons out there, one of them being Sky Lagoon, but it feels like if it’s your first trip to Iceland, Blue Lagoon is a must. Meanwhile, in the volcanic eruptions of March 2024, the road to Blue Lagoon was completely covered with lava.
Important note: Depending on your arrival time in Iceland, the length of the days, and how tired you are, you can also add Reykjavik to this first day. This way, you can allocate more time to the National Park and waterfalls on the second day.
After doing some supermarket shopping, we head to our home. We really liked Krónan as a supermarket; it was on our way, so we didn’t waste any time, and it was big enough to find everything we were looking for. Keep in mind, there are no alcohol sales in supermarkets in Iceland. We booked our home in Reykholt via Booking.com. It’s half an hour away from Hella, where you can watch live broadcasts of the Northern Lights, and even better, it’s within the Golden Circle. Many places we wanted to see were already around the house. The cherry on top was its jacuzzi filled with geothermal water.
Day 2
Golden Circle
In the first week of January, it gets light around 11 a.m. and dark by 4 p.m. Our day is short, and our daylight time is even shorter. After breakfast at home, we set off before it’s fully light. The Golden Circle is Iceland’s most famous tourist route. This area includes Thingvellir National Park, enchanting waterfalls, and impressive hot springs. Also located here is the Silfra Fissure, where you can swim between two tectonic continents in crystal clear and freezing glacier water, if that interests you.
Bruarfoss
Our first stop is Bruarfoss Waterfall, just 15 minutes away. After parking our car and walking for 10 minutes, the view that greets us is splendid.
Geysir
Next stop is Geysir, which is 20 minutes away from Bruarfoss Waterfall. Geysir itself is a geyser, the name-giver to all other geysers in the world. Although it rarely erupts nowadays, its neighbor Strokkur is very active, erupting every 5 to 10 minutes, shooting water up to 20 meters or more into the air. The area around Geysir is geothermally active, with boiling mud pits, fumaroles, and other smaller geysers, making it a fascinating place to explore the raw power of nature.
At Bruarfoss, we lost a lot of time as the kids built snowmen and played in the snow, which left us with a decision to make. Actually, if we had gone just 10 more minutes, we would have reached Gullfoss Waterfall, which is truly a must-see. However, we chose to head towards Reykjavik in daylight instead. Make sure you don’t miss it.
Reykjavik
Despite seeming like a simple fishing village, it’s very colorful and there’s a lot to explore. We start on the main street at the famous soup restaurant, Svarta Kaffið, with a soup in a bread bowl and Icelandic beer. The mushroom soup is delicious. They have soup-beer combos for £12. Iceland is an expensive country; consider that we found it expensive despite coming from London. We managed at least 2 meals a day at home, which was much more comfortable with the kids.
The main street, flanked by lego-like colorful houses, leads you to Hallgrímskirkja Church. The construction of the church lasted 41 years and was completed in 1986, making it the largest church in the country. The architect was inspired by Iceland’s natural landscape. You’ll understand this inspiration more clearly when you visit Reynisfjara, one of the world’s most dangerous beaches. Entrance to the church is free.
Next, we stop by a cute coffee shop near the church called Vinyl to get some coffee and almond & vanilla croissants, warming ourselves up a bit before continuing our journey. A croissant cost 700 krona, which was equivalent to £4 at the time of our visit. Our next stop is the Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Center. You can enter this uniquely architected building, a dance of glass and steel, and enjoy the beautiful view overlooking Reykjavik Harbor.
We end the night with dreams of seeing the Northern Lights from our jacuzzi heated to 38°C.
Day 3
It’s a country with truly enchanting nature, you’ll encounter wild Icelandic horses everywhere. While one moment you’re looking into a vast, deep-dark fields, a simple turn of your head will reveal a waterfall.
Seljalandsfoss
About 45 minutes after leaving the home, we’re at the waterfall. You can park your car almost at the base of the waterfall. The power of the water falling from 60 meters high is palpable, hence, even if your clothes are waterproof, I recommend getting a rain poncho. Do you know the best part about this waterfall? You can go behind it! Unfortunately, this passage is closed in winter, but if you visit Seljalandsfoss in a warmer season and the walking path behind the waterfall is open, it’s definitely something you must do. There’s no fee to visit the waterfall, but you do need to pay for parking.
Skógafoss
Just 30 km away from Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss is a waterfall of similar height but much wider, making it more majestic and one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Iceland. The great thing about this place is that you can climb up to the observation point at its top. Similarly, there’s no entrance fee, but you do have to pay for parking. By the way, the parking fee is indicated on small signs in the parking areas, so don’t miss it.
Continuing east from Skógafoss, after about an hour, we are at that chaotic shore. By the way, Google Maps works quite well in Iceland; the roads are not complicated, so I don’t think you’ll have trouble finding your way.
Reynisfjara
Imagine a black sand beach with basalt rocks extending into the sea, with the dark North Atlantic Ocean in front of you. I must confess, when we arrived at this beach, we unfortunately did not know how dangerous it was. This place is famous for its waves that can suddenly rush towards the shore, reaching far inland. Even if the waves don’t look big, small ones sneak up like snakes. Sadly, they have caused the deaths of many people. Never turn your back to the sea here. Our friends found themselves in the water before they knew what was happening. There’s a café on the beach, and although there’s not a huge variety, it’s definitely great for warming up a bit.
On the way back, we stopped at a restaurant called Mika in Reykholt and had one of the best meals of our lives, then spent another night hunting for the Northern Lights in the jacuzzi.
Day 4
Diamond Beach – Jökulsárlón
Today, our journey is long. Now, I’m going to tell you about our only regret from this trip. For some reason, we planned to stay in a single location, but when you consider the short days and sometimes challenging roads, you really need at least two locations because the beautiful Diamond Beach was a full 4 hours away from our home. Moreover, it coincided with the worst weather day, and the roads seemed endless. When we reached the beach, it was almost dark; we spent a little time there, got our dose of enchantment, and then started our journey back.
Jökulsárlón is a glacial lake. When you go between April and October, there are boat tours available, and wandering among the icebergs and observing the seals will surely be a unique experience.
Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis)
Iceland is one of the best places in the world to observe the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis), but of course, you need to be lucky for that. This last night, on top of this exhaustion, just when we were on our way back, the Northern Lights surprised us and appeared for a very short time. Truly mesmerizing, here’s another reason to come back to Iceland. The photo below was taken by someone who stayed in the same place before us. Unfortunately, we weren’t that lucky, well, maybe next time 🙂
By the way, last week (March 2024), the Northern Lights were also intensely visible in the north of England, even just 3 hours away from our location.
Day 5
Since our flight was at an early hour, we set out before dawn. No matter what is written or said, it wouldn’t be enough for this beautiful country.
Iceland is indeed an expensive country, but as we saw, it’s possible to adjust your budget to a level that’s not much different from a European country. If you’re curious about how much we spent during this holiday, you can read this article.
