So you’ve seen epic photos of waterfalls, glaciers, lush green and black volcanic landscapes and northern lights in Iceland, but are these all really like this? And are they accessible? We are here to tell you YES! And without a doubt, everything you’ve seen is real. So we are going to walk you through our Iceland trip in our 9 day Iceland trip itinerary and touch on some of the best things to see and do while visiting Iceland.
9 DAY ICELAND TRIP ITINERARY
You’d never believe it, but Iceland is a rather large island, and there is A LOT of ground to cover. Let’s first touch on the starting point. We cover this a bit in our 8 Waterfalls In Iceland You Must See article, but when flying in to Iceland, you will almost certainly fly in to Keflavík (Reykjavík) as this is where the main international airport is located (KEF).
From Reykjavík, there is a main single road, Highway 1, which is also called the Ring Road. This road is exactly as it sounds, a road that circles around the island. You will be posed with a decision to head northwest and circle around to the north and east first, which is what we opted for. Or head southeast and circle around to the north coming back. However, most people start in the south and work their way around the east and north before coming back around. For the sake of this article, we are going to follow our exact itinerary starting in the north, and if you choose to go the opposite way, you can simply reverse this itinerary.
START: Reykjavík
END: Reykjavík
DURATION: 9 Days
TRANSPORTATION: Rental Car
TRANSPORTATION
In Iceland, cars drive on the righthand side of the road, with the drivers seat of the car being on the left side much like how driving is in America and most other countries. You’ll find that there are a number of different rental car companies to choose from: Avis, Enterprise, Hertz, Sixt, Geysir, Blue Car, Atak and more. We opted for Blue Car and were very pleased with the car, the price and the service.
For those feeling more adventurous, you’ll also find a number of camper van rental agencies like Happy Campers and Indie Campers which will allow you to experience the van life while traveling around the island. And given that we now live in a van, this is something we would absolutely consider doing next time we go. And we will be going back!
DAY 1: FAGRADALSFJALL VOLCANO, BÚÐAKIRKJA BLACK CHURCH & STONE BRIDGE
DRIVE TIME: 4.5 HOURS
VISITING COSTS: FREE
FAGRADALSFJALL VOLCANO
Starting in Reykjavík, it is a 1 hour drive (55mi / 58km) depending on time of day, to the active volcano, Fagradalsfjall which at the time that we went (September 2021), you could hike up to the crater and see the lava flowing.
To get there, you’ll head south to Geldingadalir Volcano Parking 1 (search this on Google). You’ll find a number of parking lots shown on Google Maps, but this is the one we found which was right next to the trailhead. The trail takes you about 0.5mi / 0.8km before coming to a fork. The trail to the left (Route B) is longer, but easier, while the trail to the right (Route A) is shorter but much steeper and difficult. So we opted for Route b, but to be honest, from images and videos we’ve seen from others, the views from Route A are much closer and better of the crater.
Total distance of the hike is about 1mi / 1.6km each way. So plan for at least 2-3 hours of time spent here depending on how much time you want to stay near the crater. One other tip, check with safetravels.is before going. The volcano has both “peak” and “non-peak” eruptions, so checking this could help with making sure you get the type of experience you’re looking for.
BÚÐAKIRKJA BLACK CHURCH & STONE BRIDGE
From Fagradalsfjall, it is a 3 hour drive (140mi / 225km) to reach this famous black church in Búðir which is located on the western peninsula near the Snæfellsjökull National Park. While you cannot go inside the church, visiting this iconic spot is still well worth the trip.
A quick 20 minute drive west to Arnarstapi and you’ll find a natural stone bridge right on the cliffside. While this spot is absolutely a great spot for photos, it can also be incredibly dangerous. Please exercise caution here.
We opted to stay for the night in an Airbnb you can view HERE, on the northern side of the peninsula in Ólafsvík. This would give us a great starting point for day 2.
DAY 2: KIRKJUFELL, HVITSERKUR & AKUREYRI
DRIVE TIME: 6 HOURS
VISITING COSTS: FREE
KIRKJUFELL
20 minutes east from Ólafsvík is Kirkjufell, a cylindrical shaped mountain, and Kirkjufellsfoss waterfall. Sadly, on the day we visited here, it was incredibly windy and pouring rain. This made the conditions less than ideal for capturing this epic spot. A quick search of Kirkjufell on Google or social media will give you all the inspiration you need to see why you should visit here.
HVITSERKUR
Breaking up the drive a bit on our way to Akureyri, and a perfect halfway point, is Hvitserkur, which translates to “White Shirt”. We’ll give you one guess why it’s called that? Ok, if you couldn’t guess it, it’s because birds poop on it, making the stone look very white all over.
The less fun story behind this unique rock which is shaped like a rhino, or elephant, is that it is eroded Volcanic Dyke. Over time as it continued to erode, it was strengthened at the bottom with concrete and steel rods. The more fun story and legend is that “Hvítserkur is a petrified troll. The troll lived in Strandir in the Wesfjords and wanted to tear down the bells at Þingeyraklaustur convent. The Icelandic trolls are not Christian and don’t like the sound or sight of churches or church bells. Fortunately, the troll got caught by the first rays of the sun and, as we all know, then trolls turn into stone by daylight“.
With this being on the of the longer driving days, we opted to arrive in Akureyri and relax and the enjoy the evening in the small town square where there are shops and restaurants. We stayed at another Airbnb which you can see HERE. This is a town that we would have very much enjoyed spending more than one night at.
DAY 3: GOÐAFOSS, ALDEYJARFOSS, THE ARCTIC HENGE & EGILSSTAÐIR
DRIVE TIME: 8+ HOURS
VISITING COSTS: FREE
This is going to be a long one, but absolutely worth it. So plan to get up and out very early.
GOÐAFOSS & ALDEYJARFOSS
The first stop on this day, will be Goðafoss, our first waterfall. You can read more about this waterfall and all other waterfalls on this itinerary in our 8 Waterfalls In Iceland You Must See article. The drive to this fall is only 30 minutes making it quick and easy. Along the same road, you will find Aldeyjarfoss, which is easily one of the more underrated waterfalls on this island. This one will require spending a bit more time at.
*One thing to note, after Aldeyjarfoss, and somewhat on the way to the next spot is Selfoss Waterfall. We did not stop here. However, we’d be remiss not mentioning it in the event you’d like to include it in your trip.
ARCTIC HENGE
The next leg of the drive is a little bit longer, running around 3.5 hours (146mi / 236km). At the end you’ll get to see an epic manmade stone henge called Arctic Henge. But before you get there, the driving directions will most likely take you past the northern most part of mainland Iceland which is Hraunhafnartangi. This spot is only 0.5m / 0.8km from the Arctic Circle. Unfortunately access to the lighthouse is prohibited..
However, after you’ve visited the northern most spot, it’s time to visit Arctic Henge. You can read more about it HERE.
While here, we’d also recommend stopping at the Raufarhafnarviti Lighthouse which is no more than a 5 minute drive from the henge.
From here, we opted to continue driving another 3.5 hours (163mi / 262km) south to Egilsstaðir. This would be an ideal spot for our next couple days. We stayed at an Airbnb called FLORA COTTAGE, (we ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT, and would recommend you stay there also).
DAY 4: STUÐLAGIL CANYON, SEYDISFJORDUR & GUFU
DRIVE TIME: 2.5 HOURS
VISITING COSTS: FREE
Feeling warn out yet? Don’t worry, there is a rest day coming.
STUÐLAGIL CANYON
Just around a 1 hour drive (45mi / 72km) from Egilsstaðir, is Stuðlagil Canyon, an epic basalt canyon with a river running through it. Getting here can be quite a bit confusing, so we are going to focus on that for the time being.
First, we must note, simply Googling Stuðlagil Canyon will end up just taking you to a viewing platform on the wrong side of the canyon. We’d recommend Googling to “Parkplatz Klaustrusel – Stuðlagil” which will actually have you drive over the river and there is a smaller separate parking area on the EAST (or south depending on how you view the map) side of the river. You can use our map below to help.
Once parked here, it is about a 1.8mi / 3km walk to the canyon itself. It’s quite rocky, so plan to wear good hiking shoes or boots. Once at the canyon, there are walking paths that will allow you to walk on the top of the basalt columns or down to the base of the canyon.
SEYDISFJORDUR & GUFU
After spending some time at Stuðlagil Canyon, it is about a 1.5 hour (61mi / 98km) drive to Seydisfjordur. This town is most known for it’s colorful rainbow road and blue church. This rainbow road was actually painted by locals in support of one particular local who could not make it to Reykjavík in 2014 to participate in the Iceland Pride Parade. So the town came together to paint this rainbow road to show their support for this local and for the LGBTQ community. And they’ve held their pride parades each year ever since. You’ll also find small shops, restaurants, cafes and more in this quaint town.
Less than a 5 minute drive up the road, is Gufu Waterfall. You can read more about this in our 8 Waterfalls In Iceland You Must See article as well, but what we will say, is that we had no idea this waterfall existed until we drove past it. And it ended up becoming one of our favorites on the island.
At this point, we’ve been on the go go go, so we opted to enjoy a nice relaxing night in. We’d suggest you do the same if you plan to follow this itinerary.
NORTHERN LIGHTS
Ok, this surprised us too. This was not part of the itinerary. After enjoying our nice and relaxing evening, we went back to our Airbnb to enjoy a nice relaxing evening.
The first thing you should know, is that Northern Lights season in Iceland runs from September through April. But the best time is starting in October. Because of this, we had very low expectations and did not anticipate getting to see the Northern Lights. But on this relaxing evening, we decided to give it a shot. The sky was clear, the stars were out, and there was very little light pollution. So we pulled out our cameras, adjusted our settings and BAM…
Let us know in the comments below if you would like us to put together a blog article about how to photograph Northern Lights, the Milky Way or any other kind of astro photography.
DAY 5: LAZY DAY
After all the early mornings, long drives, and late nights, we were feeling pretty drained. We stayed up until almost 1:00am watching the Northern Lights sky, so we decided to stay in and enjoy our lovely cottage. Since the next few days will be turning the corner and heading to the southern part of the island, a rest day was needed.
DAY 6: FOLALDAFOSS, STOKKSNES, DIAMOND BEACH & SKAFTAFELL
DRIVE TIME: 5 HOURS
VISITING COSTS: 1,000ISK ($8USD)
FOLALDAFOSS
Ok, now that we’re feeling rejuvenated, it’s time to get back on the road. First stop, Folaldafoss. Folaldafoss is about an hours drive (37mi / 60km) on the way to Stokksnes on route 939 just north of Highway 1 (Ring Road). This waterfall is viewable right from the road, and there is a small parking lot giving you perfect viewing access.
STOKKSNES
Also known as Vestrahorn due to Vestrahorn mountain being located there. This is one of the few places where you will need to pay to enter. But it is entirely worth it. The drive from Folaldafoss is about 1.5 hours (75mi / 120km). At the entrance, you’ll find a small gift and coffee shop with bathrooms, as well as a camping site should you choose to pick this as your base point for the next couple of days.
Stokksnes is a peninsula just east of Hofn and is known its black sand beaches, with lush greenery and epic view of Vestrahorn mountain. The weather was bright and sunny when we arrived, which was slightly disappointing for us. We like the cloudy and moody weather with this landscape, but we made the best of the visit!
DIAMOND BEACH
From Stokksnes and on our way to our hotel in Skaftafell, is the Jökulsárlón Iceberg Lagoon and Diamond Beach. Since we had the time, and the sky was lighting up, we decided to stop here at Diamond Beach to see the crystal clear ice chunks that wash up to shore from nearby icebergs.
NORTHERN LIGHTS!
After arriving at our hotel (Hotel Skaftafell) and enjoying a nice dinner, we decided to give it another go and see if we could capture more Northern Lights. And to our utter amazement, they were just as incredible as the other night! The shot you see above, was taken from inside our hotel room with the rear window opened up. Absolutely incredible.
DAY 7: STOKKSNES, JÖKULSÁRLÓN ICEBERG LAGOON, LÓMAGNÚPUR, FJAÐRÁRGLJÚFUR CANYON, MÖGÁFOSS & REYNISDRANGAR
DRIVE TIME: 6 HOURS
VISITING COSTS: 1,000ISK ($8USD)
STOKKSNES
Ok, so it’s gonna be another long and busy day. From Skaftafell, we decided to head back to Stoknsnes early in the morning to see if we could catch a moody morning. And that is EXACTLY what we got. Cloudy and windy!
JÖKULSÁRLÓN ICEBERG LAGOON
Since the weather turned on us so quickly at Diamond Beach the night before, we didn’t get a real chance to explore the lagoon. So we decided to stop here again and explore this incredible lagoon.
LÓMAGNÚPUR
From the lagoon, Lómagnúpur Mountain is about a 1 hour (53mi / 86km) drive. This could very well be a drive-by for you, but we decided to pull over and put the drone up in the air to get some shots.
Disclaimer: If you are planning to visit Iceland with your drone, please check the local government laws. Many places in Iceland, drones are not prohibited. Or if they are, they require you to get a permit and proper approvals to fly.
FJAÐRÁRGLJÚFUR CANYON & MÖGÁFOSS
An easy 32 minute drive from Lómagnúpur are Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon & Mögáfoss. We’d recommend heading over to our 8 Waterfalls In Iceland You Must See article to read more about this spot. But we will tell you it is absolutely worth visiting this spot!
REYNISDRANGAR
1 more hour away (46mi / 75km) is the town of Vik. Vik is one of the largest towns/villages in Iceland and will serve is a perfect place to set up camp for the last two days. Reynisdrangar is just on the other side of town, and is known for its black sand beach, basalt columns, and Hálsanefshellir Cave. The drive here is easy, there is a decent sized parking lot and a restaurant at the parking lot, which makes this a pretty touristy area.
After exploring this area, we opted to head back to our stay for the night, which was Vik Apartments, and it was PERFECT. The apartment was large, spacious, had everything we could possibly need, and was located in the heart of Vik. We highly recommend.
DAY 8: SKÓGAFOSS, KVERNUFOSS, DYRHÓLAEY LIGHTHOUSE & SÓLHEIMASANDUR PLANE WRECK
DRIVE TIME: 1 HOUR
VISITING COSTS: FREE
SKÓGAFOSS & KVERNUFOSS
An easy 32 minute drive (21mi / 32km), are Skógafoss and Kvernufoss which are right next to each other, and are in our minds, two of the best waterfalls you can see in Iceland. At this point, I don’t think we need to say where you can read more about these.
DYRHÓLAEY LIGHTHOUSE
After visiting these two waterfalls, we decided to make our way back towards Vik. And just on the other side of Reynisdrangar, is the Dyrhólaey Lighthouse and viewing point which gives an epic view of the coastline. The first time we saw images of this, it reminded us of the coastline in Point Reyes California which you can check out in our 12 TOWNS TO VISIT ON THE CALIFORNIA COAST article.
SÓLHEIMASANDUR PLANE WRECK
The hike to this plane wreck is intense. So after visiting the two waterfalls, we decided to head back to town, grab some lunch and get ready for an evening hike.
The drive to this plane wreck parking lot is only 20 minutes from downtown Vik. But the hike itself, is about 2.5mi / 4.0km and is an open and flat black rock desert beach area. To be honest, not really sure how else to describe it. It is long and boring. And were it not for little poles inserted in the ground helping guide you along the way, you could very easily get lost out there. There are definitely points where you can no longer see the main road or parking lot area, and you cannot see the plane or the shore. Just flat open land.
That being said, once you have arrived, it will be one of the most unique and incredible things you’ll ever see. The plane itself, is a U.S. Navy DC-3 plane which crash landed in the early 1970s as a result of the pilot thinking he’d run out of fuel. But he had in fact accidentally switched the plane to the wrong fuel tank. Thankfully everyone survived. And the Icelandic government decided to leave the plane where it is, and it’s become a popular tourist spot ever since.
Disclaimer: Please do not climb on or stand on the plane roof. We will admit we did this ourselves. But in doing so found out just how much the plane roof had deteriorated and has become unsafe. Additionally, the Iceland government asks people not to climb on it for this very reason. Learn from our mistake, and do not climb on the plane.
Back to the apartment!
DAY 9: SELJALANDSFOSS & SKY LAGOON
DRIVE TIME: 3 HOURS
VISITING COSTS: 6,000-14,000ISK ($45-100USD) PER PERSON
The last full day in Iceland! Reading this article may feel like it took forever, but let us tell you, these 9 days went by SO FAST. Never the less, let’s hit the road.
SELJALANDSFOSS
From Vik, Seljalandsfoss is just under an hours drive (39 mi / 62km). This waterfall is a short and easy stop right off the main road. Well worth the stop!
SKY LAGOON
Our last stop and activity on the trip, is to Sky Lagoon. There are multiple lagoons in Iceland, Blue Lagoon and Secret Lagoon being some of the more popular ones, but we opted for Sky Lagoon.
First, all of the lagoons mentioned here are manmade, even Blue Lagoon, which is the most popular in Iceland. And they are primarily a blue lagoon pool, with a bar, restaurant and hotel. So the reason we opted for Sky Lagoon was because of the unique experience that they provide.
Sky Lagoon is a geothermal lagoon in Reykjavík with a unique 7-step ritual:
SKY LAGOON 7-STEP RITUAL
1: Slow down, relax in the lagoon
2: Cool down with the cold plunge
3: Relax with a view in the sauna
4: Refresh in a cold fog-mist
5: The Sky Body Scrub
6: Steam room
7: Shower and relax in the lagoon
Let us tell you, this was EXACTLY what we needed to relax and rejuvenate after the busy 8 days prior. And one of the things we loved most, was that there was no time limit in the lagoon. Once you complete the 7th step, you can stay in the lagoon for as long as you want until they close around 11:00pm.
We actually saw Bonnie Wright (the actress most known for Ginny Wesley in Harry Potter) here. And if you follow us on Instagram, then you know how much of a Harry Potter fan Ryan is. So it was quite difficult not wanting to go up to her. But being in this lagoon, everyone was trying to relax and enjoy their experience, so we felt it best to leave her be. Never the less, pretty cool!
After the lagoon, we decided to stay at a hostel in Reykjavík as we had an early morning flight home.
9 DAY ICELAND TRIP ITINERARY
9 days is simply not enough time to see everything there is to see in Iceland. We BARELY scratched the surface. To be honest, we feel you would need at least 2-3 months to experience most of what Iceland has to offer. But we hope that our 9 day Iceland trip itinerary gives you a good starting point. And hopefully some inspiration for your own trip.
As much as we would love to provide you with all of the content you need to plan an epic trip to Iceland, sadly we just simply did not enough time there to do so. So if you are looking for some inspiration beyond what we have here, we’d recommend checking out Iceland Trippers 60 Best Stops On Your Iceland Ring Road Itinerary. We used this almost exclusively for planning our trip and it was incredibly helpful!
If you have any questions at all about any of this, absolutely ask us below, and let us know what you think!
Thanks for reading!
