Arrive in Reykjavik, pick up your pre-booked rental car, and drive to your hotel. Depending on the time of your arrival, you may have the opportunity to visit the iconic geothermal spa, the Blue Lagoon, or walk leisurely around downtown Reykjavik, the most northerly capital of the world. Reykjavik is one of the cleanest, safest, and greenest cities anywhere! (If you don’t have time to visit the Blue Lagoon on arrival, we can schedule a soak when you return to Reykjavik.)

Today you will embark on The Golden Circle, a popular journey in southern Iceland covering approximately 200 miles. From waterfalls to hot springs, you’ll be in awe of the undisturbed, other-worldly landscape throughout this stretch. Begin with a roughly one hour drive to Thingvellir National Park, once the site of Iceland’s parliament from the 10^th to 18^th centuries. While exploring the park, you’ll find ruins of churches and old stone shelters throughout. Another major highlight is walking through Almannagia rift, a geologically impressive gorge which marks the end of the North American tectonic plate and contains the iconic Öxarárfoss waterfall. Continue driving about an hour to the Geysir hot spring area, featuring boiling mud pits, exploding geysers and the highly active Strokkur which spouts water 100 feet into the air every few minutes. Your next stop on the circle is Gullfoss, one of Iceland’s most famous waterfalls. Admire the power and beauty of the falls before either wrapping up your day and heading to your hotel, or if you have the energy, we recommend a visit to Fridheimar Greenhouse for a delicious tomato ice cream and a relaxing dip in the Secret Lagoon. The total drive time today is approximately 3 hours.

Continue on your nature journey with a roughly half-hour drive to either Seljalandsfoss or Skogafoss, both iconic waterfalls. Neither will disappoint! Selialandsfoss is unique because it can be fully encircled, so you could start your morning with a nice walk around it. Alternatively, Skogafoss is impressive just by the sheer volume of the falls. In fact, these falls give off so much spray that a rainbow can normally be seen around it in sunny weather! After admiring one of the falls, feel energized for a hiking tour of Solheimajokull Glacier. At Solheimajokull you’ll discover striking blue ice, vast ice crevasses, and fascinating ice formations. This activity is at least 3-4 hours of your day.

To wrap up your day, head toward Kirkjubaejarklaustur, where you’ll be staying overnight. Along the way, stop at the bird cliffs of Dyrholaey, the black beach of Reynisfjara, the black sands of Myrdalssandur, and the lava landscape of Eldhraun. Photo ops galore! The total drive time today is approximately 2 hours.

Today you have several options. Perhaps you feel like taking a break from the car and embarking on an easy hike to Svartifoss waterfall located in Skaftafell. Svartifoss is a special waterfall because it’s surrounded by lava columns. Alternatively, you can head out to the outlet glacier, Svinafellsiokull, and admire its spectacular formations. But you will particularly enjoy a wagon tour to Cape Ingolfshofdi, a private nature preserve home to a high puffin population. Later, continue to the famous glacial lake, Jokulsarlon. Here you will embark on a guided glacier kayak tour, where your expert guides will inform you about this unique seascape. This is a great way to get up close to seals and icebergs! Finally, make your way to Hofn for your overnight.

Head out to the fjord landscapes of East Iceland, where you’ll admire steep cliffs, rich birdlife, and all in all stunning views. If you enjoy art, visit the sculptures of The Eggs of Merry Bay, an art installation made of Chinese granite eggs symbolizing the different species nesting in the region. If you’re more of a geology person, see the large mineral collection at Petra’s Stone museum, displayed in the collector’s former home. Continue on to the Wilderness Centre, an educational exhibition featuring the life of the early settlers of the area of Lake Lagarfliot. Finish your day with a popular and easy hike to Henigfoss waterfall. The total drive time today is approximately 4-5 hours.

Make your way toward Dettifoss waterfall, Europe’s most powerful falls, with a recommended stop along the way at Saenautasel turf-style farmhouse. Grass-roofed dwellings are iconic throughout Iceland and make for great photo scenery. After enjoying the powerful falls (featured in a number of blockbuster Hollywood films), head to Namaskord mud hot springs. Namaskord is a fascinating, barren landscape full of beautiful colors that streak through the earth resulting from the high mineral content in the soil. The air smells intensely of sulfur and provides a strong reminder of what’s at work beneath your feet. Later, head to Viti Crater, where you can gaze into the dark blue water of the volcanic lake. While here, we recommend an easy hike to the still-warm rocks at Leirhnjukur lava field. The lava rocks here are still steaming 30 years after their last volcanic event! Later, make your last stop of the day at Myvatn Nature Bath. After all this traveling, you deserve a luxurious soak at Myvatn, known for its pristine alkaline bathing lagoon, stunning surrounding scenery, and replenishing steam baths. The total drive time today is approximately 4 hours.

Take advantage of spending one more full day around Lake Myvatn. Today you have many options for spending your time, including but not limited to birdwatching, taking a leisurely walk along the pseudo craters at Skutustadir, hiking to the crater of Hverfjall, taking a 4×4 highland bus day tour to the caldera Askja (caldera means crater), or embarking on an exploration of Lofthellir Cave. We recommend planning your activity in advance if possible, particularly if it involves booking a slot.

Begin your day by exploring the “whale watching capital” of Iceland, Húsavík. Explore the quaint town, as well as the whale museum, which is the largest of its kind, before embarking on a whale watching the tour. Later, head toward Akureyri, stopping at beautiful Godafoss waterfall along the way. When you arrive, take a walk through the charming city center, boasting colorful houses and beautiful gardens. Later, head to Skagafjordur for your overnight.

You have a number of options today. Skagafjordur is famous for horse breeding and riding, so you will have the opportunity to go for a leisurely ride. (If you’d rather get your adrenaline pumping, perhaps a river rafting tour sounds more appealing.) For a historical experience, we recommend the local folk museum Glaumbaer, featuring a turf farm and petite turf church. For a nature-oriented activity, take a seal and nature-watching boat tour led by an expert guide. Other areas to visit that offer idyllic views of the fjord include the local swimming pool in Hofsos, the Sea Ice Exhibition Center, as well as the Icelandic Textile Center. Head toward Borgarnes to wrap up your day. We highly recommend hiking up the crater Grabrok along the way!

Start your day with a visit to the Deildartunguhver hot spring, Europe’s most powerful hot spring (characterized by a very high flow rate). Later, visit two more breathtaking waterfalls, Hraunfossar and Barnafoss before continuing to tour Vidgelmir, the lava cave, or a 2000 ft tunnel into the Langjokull glacier. Before making your way to Reykjavik, we recommend stopping at The Settlement Center, an exhibition telling the story of the settlement of Iceland. Finally, make your way back to the capital, where you will hopefully have some time remaining in the day for exploring. The total drive time for today is approximately 2-3 hours.

If your flight departs in the morning, transfer to the airport with time to turn your rental car in. If your flight departs in the afternoon, you will have time to either visit the Blue Lagoon or continue exploring Reykjavik before transferring to the airport and returning your car.