Iceland Travel Guide

Thinking about visiting Iceland and need help choosing routes, regions, and the best time to go?

This page features all our Iceland travel guides, including self-drive itineraries, regional destination guides, seasonal travel advice, and practical planning tips. You’ll find help for planning trips to all main regions of Iceland – from the South Coast and the Golden Circle to the north and the Snaefellsnes Peninsula – and for different travel styles, whether you’re organizing a full Ring Road road trip or a short Reykjavik stopover.

All guides are based on our first-hand travel experiences from multiple trips to Iceland in different seasons, so you can plan your route and activities with realistic, experience-based advice.

First time in Iceland? Start here:

Scroll down to find our Iceland itineraries, regional guides, seasonal travel advice, and practical planning articles.

Iceland trip itinerary suggestions - from one day to two weeks

Best Iceland winter day trips from Reykjavik

One of the most popular day tours in Iceland is a Golden Circle trip

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Practical Information for Visiting Iceland

Here you’ll find practical, experience-based tips for planning a trip to Iceland, including budgeting, packing for different seasons, and getting around.

Iceland Travel Tips
How Expensive is Iceland (+ How To Save Money)
What to Pack and What to Wear in Iceland in Summer
What to Pack and What to Wear in Iceland in Winter
How to Get to Reykjavik from Keflavik Airport (Complete Guide to Airport Transfers)

Iceland Itinerary Suggestions

Below you’ll find our suggested itineraries for traveling in Iceland, including realistic self-drive routes for different trip lengths and regions.

Iceland Itinerary (Suggestions from 1 to 14 days)
Iceland Ring Road Itinerary (complete Ring Road in 10 days)
Iceland Winter Trip Itinerary (Covers all the highlights of the South Coast in 7 days in winter months, when daylight is limited)
Iceland 4 Days Itinerary (Perfect for the first trip to Iceland, covers all the highlights of the South Coast)
Iceland 7 Days Itinerary (Even better than the 4-day itinerary – you’ll love this trip!)
Iceland 10 Days Itinerary (West, North and the Highlands – a mix of well-known places and off the beaten path destinations)

FEATURED READER COMMENTS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

We just wanted to say thank you for your blog and all the wonderful information you provide. We decided to go to Iceland, on the spur of the moment. […] I found your blog about a 7-day Iceland trip. We rented a car, followed pretty much all of your suggestions, used the recommended hotels, and especially appreciated your advice about less well-known places to go. Our trip was fantastic! What a gorgeous country! We absolutely could not have done this without your website. So – thank you! We will absolutely use your suggestions for other travels.
Diane and John Powell
We are waiting to board our plane at Keflavik after a fantastic 5 days in Iceland thanks to your blog! We did so much of what you suggested and stayed in hotels you recommended. You really made our trip spectacular. Thank you so much for your thorough recommendations.
Jenny
My husband and I were able to plan a last-minute one week trip to Iceland in January purely because of your blog! We had a fantastic journey including seeing the Northern Lights. The glacier hike and ice cave tour you recommended were fantastic. We were very well prepared/warm during our trip thanks to your packing tips. Thank you!
Aditi
I’ve looked at so many travel blogs in my travel-filled life, but yours is by far the best, clearest, most useful I have ever seen. Thank you for doing it! I feel much more prepared for our Iceland trip already. I’m going to un-bookmark a bunch of other sites because yours is so thorough!
Julia
I just wanted to express my HUGE gratitude for your thoughtfully written post! I just got back from Iceland with my husband from a trip that we literally planned THE morning of – having found cheap tix and luckily discovering your blog – and by that evening we were on a plane to Iceland 🙂 […] We had the best time following your itinerary and this was hands down one of my favorite trips of all time. […]. You gifted us with the guidance and confidence of good taste and figuring out the logistics, so that we could focus on the nature and amazing memory-making and falling in love with Iceland (and we will be back). THANK YOU!!! I am now going to check out your other posts for sure! We could not have experienced this spontaneous whirlwind adventure without you!
Janet
Just came back from Iceland. Absolutely loved it! And one of the reasons was that we were following your trip description almost to the T. Thank you so much for taking time sharing this great itinerary!
Lara
My boyfriend and I just returned from Iceland. Your 7-day itinerary was very helpful to us! We planned our trip as close as we could based on your suggestions, and there is still so much more to see. We are already thinking about what we would do if we come back again! We started with Sky Lagoon/Borgarnes/Snaefellsnes (2 nights), then drove to Golden Circle and the Highlands (2 nights), one day in the south coast and Vík, and ended in Reykjavik (2 nights) to help us “ease back” into city life before returning to New York. What a unique, magnificent country full of beautiful nature and friendly locals! I’m not a hiker, but I challenged myself to climb up three volcanoes. I feel very accomplished! So thank you for your recommendations and photos. Thank you thank you thank you.
Debbie
I traveled to Iceland over New Years and used your guide as the basis for my itinerary. Thank you so much for publishing this information. It took so much guesswork out of planning and made for an incredible experience… I can’t thank you enough for your introduction and will recommend this to anyone I know wanting to make the trek out there.
Jon
I just wanted to say a massive thank you for all your Iceland information. We travelled there with family and returned yesterday. We all had an amazing time. Your website was invaluable. Thanks so much!
Rubeea
Jurga, I had to take the time to Thank You for your suggested 4 day Itinerary in Iceland. We followed it almost to your exact recommendations. I looked online and at books for weeks prior to scheduling our trip. I finally settled on your advice and it was Amazing! We had a fabulous vacation thanks to you! We brought rain gear in hopes of seeing Gljufrabui and we were lucky enough to be able to go inside. Waterproof gear was a must! We had the time to do several of the “extras” that you recommended and we could not be happier. You truly made our trip memorable and I can’t thank you and your family enough.
Lori

When to Visit

Iceland is a great destination year-round, but it feels completely different in summer and in winter – almost like two separate trips. Summer has long daylight hours and is ideal for road trips, outdoor activities, and hiking, while winter is all about icy waterfalls, snow-covered landscapes, ice caves, and northern lights.

If you’re not sure when to visit Iceland, the articles below compare seasons and travel conditions and will help you choose the best time for your plans and travel style.

Iceland in Winter

Iceland in Winter (Travel Tips & Useful Info)
Iceland Winter Itinerary
Driving in Iceland in Winter
Top 5 Winter Experiences in Iceland
Northern Lights in Iceland (Complete Guide and FAQ)
How To See and Photograph The Northern Lights
My Favorite Photos from Iceland

Destination Guides

Here you can find more detailed guides to different regions and attractions all over Iceland.

Best Places to Visit in Iceland

Reykjavik & South Iceland

West Iceland

North Iceland

Icelandic Highlands

See The Best of Iceland’s Highlands with a Private Driver – 4 Day Itinerary (Bucket list trip, one of my favorite trips ever. If you are looking for something truly unique and want to get off the beaten path in Iceland, check it out!)
How to Visit Haifoss Waterfall (Can Do On Your Own)

TIP: Below is a short video featuring some of our favorite places in Iceland. Check it out for some inspiration on where to go.

Best Tours and Day Trips

There are many tours and activities in Iceland, and it’s not always easy to know which ones are worth booking. To make planning easier, we’ve put together a short selection of guides with our best value-for-money tour picks.

TIP: For our own trips, we usually book organized tours and activities through GetYourGuide. It lets you compare options in one place and offers clear cancellation policies and customer support. When booking directly with local operators, cancellation or refunds often are not that straightforward.

This recommendation is based on our own trips and feedback from many of our readers.

Accommodation

One practical tip: book your accommodation in Iceland well in advance, especially if you’re traveling in summer.

Where to Stay in Iceland: Iceland accommodation guide for Reykjavik and along the Ring Road.
Where to Stay in Reykjavik: Complete guide to Reykjavik hotels.
Where to Stay on Snaefellsnes Peninsula.

Booking.com is our main platform for booking accommodation, including in Iceland. It offers a wide selection of hotels, B&Bs, and private rentals, with clear booking conditions and flexible cancellation options.

Camping

If you are planning to camp in Iceland, make sure to read this guide. It should answer all your questions!

The most complete guide to camping in Iceland

Car Rental

If you’re planning to rent a car in Iceland, we recommend using Booking.com to compare providers and prices in one place. It also offers clear insurance options and competitive coverage. Be sure to take full insurance – it’s a must in Iceland!

We’ve used Booking.com for car rentals worldwide for many years and have had consistently good experiences. Flexible cancellation, fast refunds, and reliable insurance are the main reasons we keep using it. When we needed to file a claim, the reimbursement was processed within two days.

Getting to Iceland

Iceland is easy to reach by air from many European and North American cities. It’s also a popular stopover between Europe and the U.S., and some airlines offer discounted stopover fares. Use a flight comparison site to find the most convenient and affordable routes for your travel dates.

If you live in Europe, you can also travel to Iceland by car using the ferry from Denmark via the Faroe Islands. This is a long journey and is only practical if you are planning an extended stay (three to four weeks or more).

Nearby Destinations

If you are traveling to Iceland and have some extra time to spare, you may also want to consider visiting the Faroe Islands and/or Greenland. Both destinations are easy to reach from Iceland.

Here you can find inspiration for your trip to the Faroe Islands, and here you can find practical tips and an itinerary for visiting Greenland. Not sure which destination is a better fit? Check out our comparison guide to Iceland vs. Greenland.

Looking for Nordic-themed travel inspiration or gift ideas? Take a look at our Nordic Gifts guide, featuring gift ideas inspired by Nordic countries and culture.

TIP: Did you find this Iceland guide helpful? Save it for later, share it with friends, or pin it on Pinterest to easily find it again when planning your trip.

Iceland travel guide with itineraries and travel tips