Are you planning to visit Iceland? My husband and I went to Iceland for my birthday. Let me share with you our 5-day itinerary to Iceland.
Iceland is one popular tourist destination in Europe. Located in the Northwestern part of the continent and sits in the north of the Atlantic Ocean. This country will surely make you awestruck when you see the volcanic landscape, countless waterfalls, glaciers, wildlife and the colourful Reykjavik.
Best 5 Days Itinerary to Iceland (Including Vik & Golden Circle)
Travel Itinerary Map
Check this travel itinerary map that I made to show you the various locations of the attractions and driving routes in this 5 day itinerary to Iceland.
How to use this Google Map:
Click on the left SQUARE icon next to the title to see the various things to do and point of interest in this itinerary. You can see more information about the different attractions when you click the icons, as well as show and hide each day of the itinerary and the driving routes. You can also import this itinerary map to your own Google Maps account by clicking the STAR icon next to the title. Then go to your own Google maps app, head over to the SAVED tab and scroll down and press the MAPS icon.
Itinerary Details
Day 1: Keflavik – Blue Lagoon – Reykjavik
The point of origin of this itinerary to Iceland is in Bristol, UK. This is the closest airport to us in the Midlands that offered cheap flights to Iceland.
6:30 AM Departure time in Bristol Airport, UK
8:30 AM Arrival at Keflavik International Airport, Iceland
After our arrival and security checks at Keflavik International airport, we arranged our transfer to Blue Lagoon by 9:00 am with Bus Travel Iceland. It includes the pick-up from Keflavik International Airport – Blue Lagoon- Reykjavik.
Our first stop on our itinerary to Iceland was to visit the world-famous spa Blue Lagoon Iceland. We have booked the tickets separately from our transfers. You can book your Blue Lagoon Iceland tickets here through GetYourGuide.com.
14:00H – Using the same transfer company (Bus Travel Iceland), we took our transfers from Blue Lagoon to Reykjavik. We took the last transfer of the day from Blue Lagoon Iceland to Reykjavik.
Make sure to take note of the scheduled departure times of the transfers to avoid getting stuck in Blue Lagoon Iceland, because it’s around 40 mins to 45 mins drive to Reykjavik.
15:00H – Arrival in Reykjavik, Check- in at our accommodation. Early night.
Day 2: Reykjavik City Tour – Northern Lights Tour
10:00H – Bike tour around Reykjavik courtesy of Reykjavik Bike Tour (with a tour guide). The Reykjavik city bike tour highlights all the famous and historical attractions in Reykjavik. The bike tour was about 2 hours long.
The terrain in Reykjavik was a bit hilly in some parts, so be prepared to gear up for an exercise! Alternatively, If you do not fancy to go cycling around the city, you can get this Reykjavik Hop-on Hop-off Bus tour through GetYourGuide.com.
After our Reykjavik bike tour, we roamed around the high streets of Reykjavik for some window shopping and visited the bell tower of Hallgrímskirkja.
You can read my post about the Best Things to Do in Reykjavik, Iceland for First Time Visitors.
We also dropped by to visit the Guide to Iceland tour office for a briefing on our self-drive tour around Iceland the following day.
22:00H – Pick up for our Northern Lights tour on the sea with Tinggly.com. It was a memorable evening as it was our first time seeing the Northern Lights. It was truly a magical experience to see this natural wonder.
I was gutted that I don’t have a great photo of the Northern Lights because of the boat was moving and vibrating, so I can’t get any stable shots on my tripod. The tour will finish around midnight – 1 am. After the tour, we were transferred back to our hotel.
Alternatively, If you are a bit sea sick, you can get this another Northern Lights tour via Bus tour through GetYourGuide.com.
Day 3: Golden Circle Route
8:00H – Our car has been dropped-off in our hotel. We did a safety briefing and instructions chat about driving in Iceland. You can check this blog post that I wrote about Helpful Guide to Driving in Iceland.
The Cathedral
8:30H – The start of our self-drive trip around the Golden Circle Route. On our Golden Circle trip, we also did the Silfra Snorkelling experience in Thingvellir National Park. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience to be in between the 2 continental plates (American & Eurasian plates).
You can find more information about our Highlights of the Best Golden Circle Tour in Iceland. You can also book your Silfra Snorkelling experience here through GetYourGuide.com.
We also went to see the geysirs, we went to see the Strokkur geysir. It was a great wonder to see this natural geothermal fissure. These active geysirs in Iceland has been active since 1294. It is free to visit geysirs, but make sure to go there early to avoid the crowd.
Our next stop for th Golden Circle route is the Gullfoss. It is one of the iconic waterfalls in Iceland. It has been featured in various Hollywood movies. It’s cascading waterfall feature is truly mesmerising.
16:00H – Back in Reykjavik. Free evening.
In case you can’t drive in Iceland, you can book this Golden Circle Full-Day Tour with Kerid Crater through GetYourGuide.com.
Day 4: South Iceland – Vik, SólheimajökullGlacier and Waterfalls
8:00H – The start of our day to explore South Iceland. It was an early morning start as we venture along almost a 3-hour drive along the southern coast of Iceland.
We have arranged a Glacier walk tour with Guide to Iceland in Sólheimajökull Glacier. It was an exciting adventure trip, you can find out more details about this tour in another post that I did – Effects of Global Warming: Sólheimajökull Glacier (Glacier near Reykjavik, Iceland).
On your way to the glacier meeting point, you will pass by 2 famous waterfalls the Seljalandasfoss and Skógafoss. Best of all, they are free to visit!
20:00H – Back in Reykjavik. We are preparing for an early flight back to Bristol, UK.
Day 5: Reykjavik – Keflavik- UK
6:00H – We headed towards Keflavik International airport for an early morning flight back to the UK. We dropped off our rental car at the airport car park.
Visa Requirements
For Non- EU and Philippine passport holders:
Schengen Visa is required. If you have a PH passport and residing in the UK, you can follow my Easy Steps On How To Get A Schengen Visa (In the UK) guide for step-by-step instructions.
If you are a PH passport holder and resident of the Philippines, you can lodge your application and book your appointment in Royal Norwegian Embassy via VFS in Manila. Then, you must make an online application using the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration website.
For UK passport holders, there is no visa required. You are entitled to have a 90 days entry to Iceland for tourism purposes only.
Trip Budget
Flights: If you are flying from Manila, Philippines there is no direct flight to Iceland. There are different connecting flights from Manila to most of the major European cities like Copenhagen, Oslo, Amsterdam, UK (Birmingham, Manchester or London) and Paris to get another flight to Keflavik.
You can search for the cheapest and most convenient flights to Keflavik, Iceland via Skyscanner.
Travel tips for Iceland:
- I exchanged our Sterling Pounds to Icelandic Krona in Keflavik airport before we caught our transfer. The majority of the establishments accept major debit and credit cards.
- Gear up for an adventure! There are loads of outdoor activities in Iceland. The best option is to gear up with your hiking boots and waterproof or winter jackets. The weather in Iceland is erratic, so ensure that you are wearing layers.
- Visit the Blue Lagoon Iceland when you arrive at Keflavik airport. Blue Lagoon is not far from the airport, so make the Blue Lagoon your first stop if possible.
- Doing a self-drive trip in Iceland is an ideal way of seeing Iceland. During wintertime, some roads are closed for safety reasons. The guided bus tours are also available, but always be aware of your bus timetables.
- When filling up petrol in Iceland, don’t use the FILL-UP option on the petrol kiosk screen. This will authorise your card for £130 (or equivalent currency) regardless of the cost of your transaction. This authorization will hold your money for the next 10 days.
Read more: Helpful Guide to Driving in Iceland
- Always check if you are allowed to drive in Iceland. EU and US driving licence holders are allowed to drive in Iceland. There are vehicle specifications if you wish to drive on the highlands.
- If you are visiting Iceland during Autumn or winter, you need to book your Northern lights tour on the first few days because if the lights fail to show up, the tour company will give you another free tour the following night.
I hope that this 5 Days itinerary to Iceland that we did helped you in planning your amazing trip to the land of ice and fire!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ryazan Tristram
Travel Writer & Photographer
Ryazan has a Bachelor’s Degree in Tourism and Hotel Management. She also has more than 10 years of work experience gained from working in the hotel and travel sectors in Asia and Europe. Her work has been featured and published on Huffington Post, Reader’s Digest, Discovery Channel, World Travel Guide, MSN, CNBC, GMA, Lonely Planet and many more. She is currently living in the UK as a dual citizen (British – Filipina). Join her in travelling around the globe with a mission to share the best of the world.
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