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The land of fire and ice

Is Iceland on your bucket list? Maybe it’s even on your 2024 travel list. When is the best time to visit Iceland? Are the recent volcanic eruptions currently affecting travel or tourist hot spots? What should you do once you are there? Keep reading for insight on all of these questions as well as a detailed itinerary of my 9 day trip last September.

Be sure to read until the end to see a map illustrating every main stop. There is also a link to an interactive google map with all of these stops.

When to visit Iceland

When is the best time to visit Iceland? The answer depends on what you want to do once you’re there. Each season brings something special and unique.

Without a doubt summer is the most popular time to visit. The days are incredibly long offering ample time to hike and sightsee each day, the weather is the most consistently favorable, the highlands region is accessible, it is peak whale watching season, the puffins are nesting, and the flowers are in bloom. Because summertime is peak travel season in Iceland, accommodations and rental cars are more costly and must be reserved sufficiently in advance.

As I wrote in the 5 Spring 2024 Travel Ideas article, spring and fall are also great times to visit. You have the chance to see either puffins or the northern lights and maybe even a small chance to see both. Spring and fall are also less busy thus allowing more travel flexibility, however the weather can be a bit more unpredictable and the highlands region is less accessible.

Lastly, if you are seeking the aurora borealis, then winter is the ideal time to visit as the nights are long and the odds of spotting the northern lights dancing across the sky are high. However, you will want to be prepared with quality winter weather layers to withstand the cold and wind, and you may not feel as comfortable driving the roads in winter conditions.

Impact of recent volcanic eruptions

As of the time of this writing, the recent volcanic eruptions are not affecting travel to Iceland. The main international airport, Keflavík (KEF), is open and unaffected. The tourist hotspot Blue Lagoon is also currently open and unaffected.

Tourism is a main driver in modern day Iceland’s economy, so don’t be afraid to book your flights. Just steer clear of the affected areas so that public officials and others can effectively carry out what needs to be done to protect everyone’s safety and wellbeing.

What should you do in Iceland?

Without further ado, here is a description along with a detailed list of everything I saw, hiked, or visited during my 9 day trip.

9 day ring road itinerary

During the trip planning, I was overwhelmed trying to narrow down what I could feasibly see and do in Iceland in 9 days. After countless hours of research, I decided to make a list of all the sites I wanted to see in a rough daily itinerary but with the intent of leaving enough flexibility to accommodate spontaneity and adverse weather.

The sites listed were narrowed down to the following regions Reykjavík, Snæfellsnes peninsula, northern Iceland, the eastern fjords, the southern coast, and finally the golden circle. I would love to go back to see the westfjords and the highlands.

Although I visited Iceland in fall, you can easily use my itinerary for your spring and summer vacation planning, at least as a starting point. I hope this guide serves as a starting point to help your planning process.

Reykjvík and Snæfellsnes Peninsula

Upon arrival, the weather in Keflavík and Reykjavík was good. This allowed my friend and me to walk around the city to see some of the main attractions, collect several days’ worth of groceries, rent a camping stove, and rest from the red eye flight. In Reykjavík we walked down rainbow street along the shops and cafes to Hallgrimskirkja Church. We also drove out to the Gróttuviti lighthouse.

The next morning we set off to Snæfellsnes peninsula stopping to hike and see Glymur waterfall on the way. We managed to stop at most of the sights on our list before the weather turned. The storm we were anticipating had landed and the wind and rain made even driving difficult; we therefore did not want to camp as planned as the tent likely would not have withstood the 60+ mph wind.

One note about the decision to bring camping gear: as noted previously, accommodations can book up in higher seasons making it difficult to find a place without having booked one well in advance. If you want flexibility in your itinerary, I would suggest bringing camping gear or renting a camper van. There were opportunities to book accommodations along the way in September, but I enjoyed knowing I wasn’t locked into a pricey airbnb or hotel and could adjust the route each day.

Grábrókarfell Crater

Days 1-3

• Keflavik (town, largest airport KEF)
• Reykjavík (Capital city)
• Glymur Waterfall (hike)
• Gerduberg Cliffs (view, short hike optional)
• Budir Black Church (view, hike to beach optional)
• Arnastapi (view, short walk)
• Lóndrangar (view, short hike)
• Svörtuloft Lighthouse (view, rougher gravel road access)
• Hellissandur (town, view murals)
• Kirkjufell (view)
• Súgandisey Island Lighthouse (stairs and short hike to view)
• Barnafoss (short hike)
• Glanni Waterfall (short hike)
• Grábrókarfell Crater (hike, stairs)

Northern Iceland

As we made our way along to northern Iceland we found the weather patterns began to improve. The south, and particularly the southwest, seemed to be especially subject to storms during our trip due to the jet stream. We could watch the weather fronts move in from the Atlantic Ocean on the radar. The warmer, drier climate was welcomed. The north is also, in general, much more remote than the south. Many of the popular trails and viewpoints in northern Iceland were busy but in other areas, there were long stretches of time without seeing another vehicle.

The weather conditions were especially important for me this trip as my number one goal was to see the northern lights. Seeing the northern lights has been on my bucket list for years. Northern Iceland delivered. There were two nights that brought the magic combination of clear skies and aurora activity. When you go, you will want to use this forecast for weather, cloud cover, and aurora activity to help you plan where to be and when for the best chance of spotting the lights. The aurora activity level is predicted on a scale of 0-9.

Akureyri is a cute town in northern Iceland and a great place to stop and and enjoy a nice meal or two, some coffee and pastries, a walk around town, and the opportunity to replenish your groceries.

Dettifoss is a northern Iceland must see in my opinion. The power of that waterfall is something the photo below simply could never capture. There are two Dettifoss access points (east and west). We opted for the more rugged east side access. While I am happy with the decision, the washboard gravel road was very long and very remote. My friend and I agreed that we felt like we were on Mars or the moon. You may want to consider these pros and cons in your decision making. The road signage will take you to the west side.

Days 3-6

• Hvitserkur (short hike)
• Akureyi (city)
• Godafoss (short walk)
• Myvatn lake
• Dettifoss (short hike)
• Selfoss (longer hike – access from Dettifoss)
• Rjúkandi Waterfall (short hike)
• Studlagil Canyon (hike to canyon from left side, overlook with stairs from right side of canyon)
• Hengifoss (long hike)

Eastern Fjords

As we made our way past northern Iceland’s amazing hikes, waterfalls, vistas, rock formations, and, as it turns out, the northern lights, we found ourselves driving around the eastern fjords heading south following the windy, coast hugging highway. We did not plan to spend much time in the eastern fjords due to the tight itinerary so we enjoyed the cliffs and vistas from the car and from various designated viewpoints. One of the highlights of driving around the east coast of Iceland was watching the moon rise over the ocean. Depending on what part of the fjord I was driving on, it also appeared to rise from behind the tall steep cliffs.

Day 7

• Green rock (short walk)

The South and the Golden Circle

Southern Iceland tends to be the busiest region. If you have a shorter itinerary, you will find it is easier to visit the many scenic areas along the southern coast as it is more convenient from both the Keflavík airport and from the capital Reykjavík.

From the golden circle, to the black sand beaches, massive glaciers, incredibly steep canyons, and beautiful waterfalls, the southern region of Iceland seems to have it all. By the time we arrived in the south, we had seen so many mountains, beaches, and waterfalls. However, each and every vista was unique and we never regretted adding in a stop to see another waterfall. It was worth it every time.

Having driven clockwise around the island, Vestrahorn was our first southern stop after winding around the eastern fjords. From there, we drove and stopped, drove, stopped, and hiked, and drove and stopped some more as we made our way along the southern coast. We ended our journey in the golden circle by walking around the historical and politically significant Thingvellir National Park, which is the same place you can also find yourself walking in between two tectonic plates.

Days 7-9

• Vestrahorn (at least a short hike but many options here)
• Höfn (town)
• Diamond Beach (short walk)
• Jökulsárlón glacial lake (short walk between Diamond Beach and Jökulsárlón)
• Fjallsáron glacier (short walk)
• Múlagljúfur (hike)
• Grófarlækjarfoss (hike)
• Hofskirkja Church (no walk)
• Skaftafell (hike)
• Fjadrárgljúfur Canyon (hike)
• Reynisfjara (short walk to beach and Hálsanefshellir Cave)
• Solheimasandur (hike or bus option in high season)
• Skogafoss (short walk and/or hike)
• Drangurinn í Drangshlid 2 (short walk)
• Seljalandsfoss (short hike)
• Gljúfrabúi (short hike from Seljalandsfoss)
• Hvolsvöllur (town)
• Brúarfoss (hike)
• Geysir (hike)
• Thingvillir National Park (hike)

Need a shorter itinerary?

If you have less time, you can still experience much of what Iceland has to offer even in just a few days. If you have a week or less, consider exploring Reykjavík and traveling along Iceland’s southern coast and the Snæfellsnes peninsula.

If you don’t want to rent a car and drive yourself, there are many tour companies offering one day and multi-day trips.

Conclusion

Map image and link to interactive google map

Iceland is one of my favorite countries for the dramatic contrasts in its natural beauty. It is indeed the land of fire and ice. It is simultaneously lush green and as barren as Mars or the moon. There are massive glaciers spilling their ice chunks onto black sand beaches. There are flat meadows and dramatic peaks.

For nature lovers, there are enough trails to hike, vistas to enjoy, wildlife to watch, glaciers and mountains to climb, and beaches to walk to seemingly last a lifetime. Although I have provided a detailed itinerary, please note there were so many places I missed. Also, some of the places listed were last minute stops that I saw while en route to another planned destination.

This guide is only intended to provide a starting point for your planning purposes. The map featured above, as well as the interactive map linked within the image and here, provide a visual aide and interactive tool of the locations I visited and to illustrate how you can maximize your time by driving Highway 1, more commonly known as the ring road, and veering off only slightly for major points of attraction.

I will mention, or perhaps caution, that my trip was rather fast paced in an effort to see and do everything I possibly could in the time I had available to me. That meant starting yet another hike at 7:30 p.m. after already having hiked 7 miles that day.

Lastly, some hikes were more intense than others. Please further research the locations and bring adequate supplies when hiking in remote locations.

Final notes on Iceland

Helpful tips

Some of helpful tips I read about before embarking on my Icelandic adventure proved worth repeating here in this article.

For one, if you are driving, fill up your gas tank basically every time you have a chance. Early in the trip, driving from Snæfellsnes peninsula back to the main ring road, Highway 1, I appreciated this recommendation. I ultimately made it to the gas station with no problem but the sense of remoteness set in for the first time on this stretch of road.

Relatedly, I was not able to get a 4 digit PIN for my credit card prior to the trip. The self service gas stations required the PIN number which further limited gas station options.

I will reiterate the importance of booking cars and accommodations in advance if you want options and especially if you want more affordable options. The second night in Iceland brought very severe weather. I was thankful to find a reasonably affordable tiny home airbnb. It was out of the way but we found nearby sites to visit to maximize the detour.

Also, after several nights of camping, I was ready for a proper accommodation. Even in September, there were very few options and most were much more than I wanted to consider paying. I did find an airbnb but it was again out of the way and we got a flat tire on the way which derailed our plans a bit the next day.

Personal reflections

I also wanted to share a few of my reflections that may be worth considering.

Iceland is known for being a very friendly solo traveler destination. While I agree 100%, I was so happy to have a friend not only share the journey with, but as a co-pilot and co-problem solver especially in some of the more remote areas. For example, getting a flat tire in a remote location was stressful enough but it would have been more stressful alone. If I were to return to Iceland alone, which is likely, I would maybe consider sticking to the more well traveled destinations.

Lastly, as stated earlier, this itinerary was fairly fast paced. We did not prioritize nice accommodations or good restaurants. We ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, camping meals, and snacks and fruits we picked up at the grocery stores along the way. When it was convenient, we would stop for a coffee or brunch. However, our priority was hiking and sightseeing. In talking with friends and colleagues after the trip, I am realizing that perhaps a lot of people don’t care to travel this way. If you prefer accommodations and good meals, you may find that either 9 days is too short, or you may want to reduce what you add to your list of things to do.

The beauty of planning an Iceland trip is the amount creativity you have in putting together your itinerary. You may want ultimate flexibility and drive with no real plan which is very much an option in Iceland due to the excellent road signage. Or, you may want to avoid renting a car and opt for guided tours and you will find your options to be plentiful.

Regardless of your travel style, you will find Iceland to be an amazing destination.