How to Spend 7 Days in Iceland
During a sunny, warm day in August, it seemed like the right decision to book a $300 flight deal to Iceland via WizzAir for February. After 6 months of anticipation, I was on my way to Iceland with three other gal pals. It was cold AF, but it was a once in a lifetime adventure to experience the Northern Lights and the rest of the earthly magic of Iceland.
We crafted a well-put together 7 day itinerary where we experienced a little bit of everything—from city slickin', to countryside airbnbs, to natural wonders, to action-packed adventures, and to luxury relaxation. Check out our 7 day guide below to experience all the magic Iceland has to offer!
Reykjavik -> Reykholt -> Grindavik
OVERVIEW
Day 1-Reykjavik:
Check in @ Loft Hostel -> Silfra Snorkeling & Lava Caving Tour -> Dinner @ Islenski Barinn
Day 2-Reykjavik:
Brunch @ Kex Hostel -> Explore Reykjavik -> Dinner @ Islenski Barinn-> Party @ Lebowski Bar
-> Late Night Bites @ Baejarins Beztu Pylsur
Day 3-Reykjavik/ Reykholt:
Yoga @ Solir Yoga -> Lunch @ Baejarins Beztu Pylsur -> Pastries @ Brau & Co Bakery -> Hallgrimskirkja Church -> Drive to Reykholt -> Check in @ Airbnb -> Dinner @ Airbnb
Day 4- Reykholt:
Lunch @ Froheimar Greenhouse -> Golden Circle Sights -> Dinner @ Airbnb
Day 5- Reykholt:
Ice Cave Express Tour -> Dinner @ Airbnb -> Relax in Hot Tub
Day 5- Reykholt/ Grindavik:
Drive from Reykholt -> Check in @ Silica Hotel-> Blue Lagoon -> Dinner @ Lava Restaurant
Day 7- Grindavik:
Breakfast @ Silica Hotel -> Private Geothermal Lagoon -> Flight back to NYC
REYKjAVIK
Scandinavia is notorious for its clean, safe, organized cities, and Reykjavik emulates exactly that. Tourism in Iceland has exponentially grown these past few years. In 2016 tourism increased by 40% which was evident on my Facebook timeline because EVERYONE was posting pictures of Iceland. Reykjavik has adapted well to tourism with its generous amount of souvenir shops, restaurants, and hotel accommodations. It’s a great base while traveling around Iceland, and the city has a lot of quirky Scandinavian character. Spending about 2-3 days in the city is just enough to experience its charm.
STAY: Loft Hostel (2 nights)
Early morning outside Loft Hostel.
There are a plethora of hotels to choose from in Reykjavik. But we chose Loft Hostel due to its central location and 4-bed budget room that accommodated our 4 gal-group. They have a great rooftop overlooking Reykjavik and a bar selling cheap beers and coffee/tea.
Loft Hostel is located right at the end of Reykjavik’s main shopping/ restaurant/ bar street, and it’s a 5 minute walk to the city cathedral and Baejarins Beztu Pylsur (Reykjavik’s famous hot dog stand). The hostel’s location made it easy to accessibly explore Reykjavik in less than 3 days. In case Loft Hostel is booked, we also recommend Kex Hostel which we heard great things about.
$50 per person/ per night in 4-bed dorm with private bathroom
EXPLORE: Silfra Snorkeling, Lava Caving, Hallgrimskirkja Church
SILFRA SNORKELING &
LAVA CAVING
(Black & Blue Tour)
How many times can you say that you've swam between two continents and walked through a lava tube? Not many, my friends. This tour is a must-do on a trip to Iceland! Diving in 30 degree water in 20 degree weather may sound crazy, but it will be one of your most memorable experiences in Iceland. Don't worry, your guide will equip you with all the right gear.
HALLGRIMSKIRKJA
Hallgrimskirkja is Reykjavik's best-known landmark and the largest church in Iceland. In front of the church is a statue of Leifur Eiríksson, who was the most popular hero of the Viking Age. Fun fact: the statue was a gift from the US to commemorate the 1000 anniversary of the Iceland Parliament.
Check out the view at the top of the church—it's well worth the wait. It’s the best 360 degree view you’ll see of Iceland. The view from the tower is a great place to take pictures and gaze at the colorful Nordic houses.
FOOD & DRINK: Restaurants, Bakeries, Cafes, Bars
I personally wasn’t crazy about the food in Iceland. It was sub par and super duper expensive (and that’s coming from a New Yorker). But I’m also not a huge fan of seafood so you can’t really take my advice to heart since Iceland is known for their fish. Below are some of our favorite eats in Reykjavik!
RESTAURANTS
1) Kex Hostel: Located close to the water with a cool, grungy ambiance. We had brunch at Kex during our second day and I enjoyed my burger while the rest of the gals loved their cod.
Michelle & Rita munchin' on late night dogs!
2) Baejarins Beztu Pylsur: This is THE famous hot dog stand that everyone needs to visit while in Iceland. It will be the cheapest meal you'll have on your trip. What’s so great about this hotdog stand? Nothing really. But it’s located in a cute little kiosk serving warm hotdogs with crispy onions and whatever other condiments you desire so you can't go wrong. We picked up hot dogs here about twice a day. It saved us time and money + our tummies were always happy!
3) Islenski Barinn: This restaurant was recommended by our Icelandic guide during the Silfra tour. It’s a nice place to try traditional Icelandic food. Even though Icelandic food isn't my favorite cuisine, when in Iceland...you gotta’ try the local dishes—and I did enjoy my lamb soup!
Icelandic tapas!
4) Smakk Barinn: This restaurant was recommended by our hostel, and it’s a good place to try different Icelandic dishes. The restaurant serves Icelandic tapas which is a pretty neat way to try all sorts of dishes without having to commit to a plate that you may or may not like. We met a friendly Canadian couple at dinner who introduced us to the “Black Death” drink which is a shot of Iceland’s signature liquor called Brennivín.—when in Iceland, right?
BAKERIES & CAFES
1) Brauo & Co: This bakery is a must for their fresh cinnamon rolls that were out of this world. Not only will you eat the best cinnamon rolls here, but you’ll catch yourself staring at the gorgeous Icelandic bakers kneading dough from the window. We also bought a loaf of sourdough bread for sandwiches during our tours, and the bread was incredible. My favorite part of Icelandic food is definitely their bread and pastries!
2) Reykjavik Roasters & Cafe Babalu:
These cafes are great for a quick coffee or hot chocolate as well as to warm up and grab some wifi. Reykjavik has a big cafe culture and there are a lot of cafes to choose from, but these were our favorite.
BARS
1) Lebowski Bar: After our dinner on the last night, we attempted to party it up by starting at the Lebowski Bar just up the block from our hostel. It's a really cool bar and the theme, as you can tell, is from the Lebowski movie. There's a wheel you can spin and win drinks, and of course Michelle won 10 free beers with her lucky touch! It was the perfect way to kick off our night.
2) Kex Hostel: Not only is Kex a cool, grungy hostel and restaurant, it’s also a fun bar. There’s live music by various musicians throughout the day, and you’ll spot hip tourists and cool locals.
REYKHOLT
As much as we loved the city, we were ready to experience the natural wonders of the Icelandic countryside. About 2 hours away from Reykjavik is the peaceful village of Reykholt. The village is surrounded by mountains and the notable Hekla volcano. Reykholt is the perfect area to stay to visit the Golden Circle attractions and to have a better chance of catching the Northern Lights.
STAY: Airbnb (3 nights)
Driving to Reykholt from Reykjavik during a late-night, snowstorm wasn’t the best idea. But it was well worth the stress once we arrived safely at the airbnb. The hosts were there upon arrival and welcomed us with open arms. After they took us on a quick tour, we had the whole house to ourselves.
Before our drive, we stopped by a local supermarket to pick up food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the next 3 days. Jess and Rita cooked up some yummy meals while Michelle and I entertained and took pics.
The house had a great space and a magnificent view of the Hekla volcano. They had a huge deck with a hot tub and we used it several nights to relax while star gazing. The hot tub was a great way to unwind after a full day of Golden Circle and South Iceland sightseeing.
We highly recommend staying here if you want to experience Iceland beyond Reykjavik. From the communication, to the space, to the location, and to the amenities—we give this airbnb 5/5 stars.
FOOD & DRINK: Froheimar Greenhouse
This was my FAVORITE meal in Iceland. The food and dining experience was amazing! Froheimar is a tomato greenhouse located in the middle of Iceland. Devour yourself in unlimited tomato soup and bread. And after you're done eating, play with the Icelandic horses at the stable.
EXPLORE: Golden Circle, South Iceland, Northern Lights
GOLDEN CIRCLE
The great thing about renting a car is having the autonomy to sightsee as you please. Our airbnb was conveniently located about 15-20 minutes away from all the Golden Circle attractions. We spent about 20 minutes at each attraction and it took half a day all together.
The "Rainbow Waterfall".
1) Gulfoss Waterfall: "Foss" in English means waterfall, and "Gulfoss" in English means Golden Waterfall. Gulfoss was one of the most impressive waterfalls we saw in Iceland. It's a two-tiered waterfall, and it's spectacular to see during the winter as the water freezes. With the natural reaction between clouds and the tumbling waterfalls, you'll see a bunch of rainbows on a sunny day. I nicknamed Gulfoss the "rainbow waterfall" since I never saw a picture of Gulfoss without a rainbow.
2) Strokkur Geysir: You’ll know by the distinct smell that you’re in close proximity to a geyser. Minutes away from Gulfoss is the Strokkur Geysir. It's located in the geothermal area beside the Hvita River. The Strokkur Geysir erupts every 6-10 minutes and it's quite the show with a large audience.
3) Thingviller Park: If you snorkeled in Silfra, you already visited Thingviller National Park. The park sits on a rift valley due to the separation of two tectonic plates. The national park holds a lot of historical, geological, and cultural signficance.
OTHER POINTS OF INTEREST
(Off the Beaten Path)
1) Skálholt Church: If you have the time and a car, check out this quaint, hilltop church for sunset. It's a great way to reflect on your day and your travels.
2) Flúðir Pool (Secret Lagoon): One of the first swimming pools in Iceland heated by the local hot spring. It's not as massive as the Blue Lagoon, but it's cool to check out the smaller, local lagoons + it's not as crowded.
SOUTH ICELAND, ICE CAVING, & NORTHERN LIGHTS
(Ice Cave Express Tour)
After reading glowing reviews, we chose this full day tour to explore South Iceland, the Jokulsaron Glacier, Ice Caves, and the Northern Lights. It’s a very pricey tour (although everything in Iceland is expensive), but it includes a lot of activities. We would only recommend this tour if you’re staying in Reykjavik. If you’re renting a car, I would say hold off cause all the sights on the tour are accessible by car. Although it was nice to relax as a passenger, we really could've done the tour ourselves and saved $400+.
1) Skogafoss Waterfall: The first stop on the tour! Cool thing about Iceland is that you can spot numerous waterfalls on the freeway. In the East Coast of the US, you have to drive through the wilderness then walk through the wilderness to spot a waterfall. Skogafoss is one of the largest waterfalls in Iceland with a huge 200 ft drop so prepare to get wet if you come up too close. Icelandic culture comprises of many legends and myths, and according to local legends, there's treasure buried in the cave behind Skogafoss.
The Iceland crew with our matching beanies!
2) Vik—Reynisfjara Black Beach & Basalt Columns: Vik is a remote seafront village in South Iceland. As great as white sand beaches are, black sand beaches are all the rage in Iceland. Reynisfjara is the famous black sand beach on the South Coast with impressive basalt columns. The current is very strong on the beach break so be careful—a few tourists over the years have been injured by the current.
When you gaze out at the Atlantic Ocean, you'll notice the basalt sea stacks known as Reynisdrangar. According to local legends, there were two Icelandic sea trolls who tried to drag a ship to land. Unfortunately daylight broke and they turned into stone when the sun rose and they became stone formations.
3) Jökulsárlón Glacier—Glacier Lagoon, Crystal Beach: Located in the Southeast of Iceland. This glacier is one of Iceland's most popular attractions due to its immense beauty. Jökulsárlón is Iceland's natural crown jewel that they even named the nearby beach Diamond Beach. The landscape is full of broken icebergs which is visually stunning. Hundreds of years ago the entire glacier was frozen, but global warming clearly has another plan for Jökulsárlón.
4) Ice Caving: Close to Jokulsarlon is the Vatnajökull Ice Cave. Once we arrived, we jumped into a large 4x4 truck to the ice cave. All the equipment was provided, and we were on the road for an extremely bumpy ride. We arrived safely, but the ice cave was packed with tourists making it hard to enjoy. To my surprise, the ice cave looked better on the website than it did in real-life. And sadly, the ice cave looked like it was melting and I was over it after the first 10 minutes.
5) Seljalandsfoss Waterfall: We stopped at a local gas station for dinner (I recommend preparing your own sandwiches/ meal before the tour). After dinner we made a quick stop at the Seljalandsfoss Waterfall. It cascades over steep cliffs making it possible for people to walk behind the waterfalls. It was gorgeous to visit at night since the floodlights illuminate + with the Northern Lights in the background— wow!
6) Northern Lights: The highlight of the tour was spotting the Northern Lights— it was a dream come true! We first spotted Aurora Borealis after dinner and she danced all night long. Weeks before, the weather was uncooperative and it was apparently hard to spot the Northern Lights. So we were extremely lucky to experience this natural phenomenon. No pictures or videos can ever do Aurora Borealis justice—so you just have to see it for yourself :) .
February and March are some of the best times to catch the Northern Lights, but don’t have your heart set on it. Aurora Borealis is unpredictable and if you happen to catch her, it was the universe’s choice!
Grindavik
After all the early-morning excursions and long drives, we wanted to unwind and treat ourselves to a fancy hotel. Since we were planning to end our trip at the Blue Lagoon, we decided to book our last night at the Silica Hotel, which is the luxury hotel located at the Blue Lagoon. It was one of our best ideas yet and it was the ideal place to have a “vacation from our vacation”.
STAY: Silica Hotel (1 night)
Staying at this spa-hotel was the perfect ending to our Icelandic adventure. It’s pricey, but it's worth the stay for at least one night (preferably your last night).
The price of the hotel comes with VIP blue lagoon admission, complimentary drinks at the Lava Restaurant, private geothermal lagoon, and an amazing breakfast— so you really get your money's worth. Silica Hotel is close to the airport (about a 30 minute drive) so the location is very convenient when you’re on the way to the airport.
EXPLORE: Blue Lagoon
As mentioned above, our hotel stay included VIP admission to the Blue Lagoon which included bathrobes, towels, slippers, silica mud/ algae masks, and 1 complimentary drink. If we purchased these tickets without our hotel stay, it would've cost about 10200 ISK or $90 per person.
Checking in at the Blue Lagoon is fairly smooth. Everything is tracked through your entrance bracelet including your locker location and extra purchases. Before entering the lagoon, everyone is required to shower. After a quick shower, you can relax in the lagoon or any of the sauna/ steam rooms till you get pruney. Make sure to bring a water proof case for your phone to take some attractive pictures like we did below (bunch of blue la-goons).
We were spoiled with our private-lagoon at Silica so the Blue Lagoon felt like human soup. But it was still a mandatory experience. If you're not staying at Silica Hotel and you're planning to go to the Blue Lagoon, go when it first opens or the last few hours till closing. Fun fact about the Blue Lagoon: it was accidentally man-made through the geothermal power plant next door. So it's half-natural/ half-fake.
FOOD & DRINK:
Lava Restaurant
The restaurant is located at the Blue Lagoon, and you have a great view of the lagoon from the restaurant. It’s a great place to dine after a long dip at the lagoon.
We started off with our complimentary champagne courtesy of Silice Hotel. I ordered the the beef tendorloin and it was super tasty. The restaurant is a bit “bougie", but it’s a great place to treat yourself on your last night or conveniently dine after you visit the Blue Lagoon.
Useful Tips
1) Rent a car—it's the best way to see Iceland on your own schedule. Aside from the occasional icy roads and unpredictable weather, the roads are flat so it's fairly easy to drive around. To be safe, rent a 4x4! We rented a Toyata Rav 4 from Hertz Rental Car.
2) Buy alcohol at the duty-free in the airport (if you plan to drink). It will cost an arm and leg everywhere else!
3) Bring bars for quick snacks (i.e. RXbars, Cliff Bars, Larabars) to avoid overpriced snacks and mediocre meals!
4) Bring a re-usable water bottle—drinking water is extremely clean. Just a heads up for the countryside, water has sulfur in it (which is still clean) but it smells like rotten eggs!
5) Bring a camera tripod for quality photos of the Northern Lights!
6) Bring a water-proof phone case to protect your phone from unpredictable Icelandic weather and to take pictures at the Blue Lagoon!
7) Pack enough layers to keep yourself warm—you're probably going to wear the same layers every day so no need to check a bag on your flight. Be sure to pack a nice sweater/ pants and a different pair of shoes aside from your snow boots for a break!
I felt so connected to the earth while traveling Iceland, yet there was something so mystical about the country. From its stunning natural wonders to its bipolar weather, Iceland is a playground for the gods. What a once in a lifetime adventure! I encourage everyone to make a trip to Iceland to experience all of its magic. Would love to visit Iceland again, but in the summer time and with a lot less layers.
What other activities do you recommend on a 7 day trip to Iceland? What other areas in Iceland do you recommend to explore?