Can you help me with Reykjavik/Iceland itinerary, please?

[BintuBombatu]

Apologies if this comes across as lazy and entitled but I’m a bit overwhelmed with all the info online so was hoping someone who is familiar with Reykjavik could give me a steer.

We’re traveling there from May 3rd to 10th. Flight on the 3rd is early afternoon but the one on the 10th is super early so will basically have 6.5 days.

We’re happy to drive, like sightseeing and walking (but not hiking), love photography and good food. Also like really nice hotels so would love to hear some recommendations! Understand that May can be a little cheaper than peak tourist months so hoping that’ll give us more options for hotels.

Based on what we want to see and our interests, ChatGPT has suggested the following which ticks the box in terms of things we were thinking of, but would anyone have a view as to whether this plan makes sense, or if I should look at other options?

Day 1: Arrival in Reykjavik (May 3rd)

• Arrive at Keflavik Airport (KEF) and pick up your rental car.
• Check-in to your Reykjavik hotel (some good options include Hotel Borg, Canopy by Hilton, or more affordable guesthouses).
• Explore Reykjavik:
• Hallgrímskirkja Church – iconic for photography, this is one of the tallest buildings in Iceland.
• Sun Voyager (Sólfar) – perfect for sunset or evening photos by the ocean.
• Harpa Concert Hall – a stunning architectural landmark.
• Dinner at a local restaurant: Try traditional Icelandic dishes like lamb, fish stew (plokkfiskur), or skyr for dessert. Grillmarkaðurinn (The Grill Market) is a great choice for a nice meal.

Day 2: Golden Circle (May 4th)

• Thingvellir National Park: See the rift between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates and visit the Alþing (the oldest parliament in the world).
• Geysir Geothermal Area: Watch the famous Strokkur geyser erupt.
• Gullfoss Waterfall: One of Iceland’s most iconic waterfalls.
• Optional: End the day with a relaxing soak at Secret Lagoon in Flúðir.
• Dinner: Enjoy Icelandic cuisine in the Golden Circle area or back in Reykjavik.

Day 3: South Coast – Waterfalls and Beaches (May 5th)

• Seljalandsfoss Waterfall: A beautiful waterfall you can walk behind.
• Skógafoss Waterfall: A majestic waterfall, perfect for photography.
• Dyrhólaey: A promontory with stunning views of the coast.
• Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach: Famous for its basalt columns and dramatic sea stacks.
• Stay overnight in Vík (there are cozy guesthouses and hotels here, like Hotel Kría or Puffin Hostel).

Day 4: Vatnajökull National Park and Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon (May 6th)

• Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon: A beautiful, winding canyon perfect for a photo stop.
• Vatnajökull National Park: Explore glacier hikes or glacier lagoons. You can book a guided tour to explore ice caves (depending on the season and conditions).
• Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon: Take a boat tour among the icebergs.
• Diamond Beach: Right next to Jökulsárlón, this beach has ice chunks from the glacier that wash ashore.
• Overnight in Höfn: A lovely town known for fresh seafood, particularly lobster.

Day 5: East Fjords (May 7th)

• Drive through the East Fjords: Enjoy the stunning coastal drive with picturesque villages like Djúpivogur and Seydisfjördur.
• Photography stops: The East Fjords are less touristy and offer some of Iceland’s most beautiful, rugged landscapes.
• Overnight in Egilsstaðir (the largest town in East Iceland).

Day 6: Lake Mývatn and Húsavík (May 8th)

• Dettifoss Waterfall: One of Europe’s most powerful waterfalls.
• Lake Mývatn: Explore the geothermal area, including Hverir (boiling mud pools), Dimmuborgir (lava formations), and relax at Myvatn Nature Baths.
• Húsavík: Take a whale-watching tour (Húsavík is known as the whale-watching capital of Iceland).
• Overnight in Akureyri: Enjoy the second-largest city in Iceland, known for its botanical gardens and charming atmosphere.

Day 7: North Iceland – Akureyri and Surroundings (May 9th)

• Explore Akureyri: Visit Akureyri Botanical Gardens, take a stroll around the town center, and enjoy local cafes and shops.
• Goðafoss Waterfall: Another stunning waterfall in the north, just a short drive from Akureyri.
• Optional: Relax and enjoy the local food scene in Akureyri – sample dishes like arctic char, lamb, or skyr.
• Return to Reykjavik: Drive back (approximately 4.5 hours), or take a flight from Akureyri to Reykjavik if you prefer a faster return.

Day 8: Reykjavik and Departure (May 10th)

• Depart

We’re going in August and I took this itinerary from a blog (can’t find the name right now) I found as it seems to have a good mix of things to see in 7 days without doing hours and hours of driving every day:

Arrival Day 1 Sunday 3rd: Check in Reykjavík Edition Hotel

Day 2: 4th Thorofuss & National Park, Bruarfoss, Check in Hotel Geysir (2hr direct drive)

Day 3: 5th Gullfoss, Langofull Glacier, Faxafoss, Secret Lagoon (all close to Geysir).
2 hr drive & Check in Hotel Vik.

Day 4: 6th Kerid’s Crater, Caves of Hella, Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss.

Day5: 7th Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach, Gígjagjá, Vík i Myrdal Church, Dyrhólaey Lighthouse

Day 6: 8th Landeyjohofn (1hr), ferry to Westman Islands (45mins). Elephant Rock, Beluga Whale Santuary, Puffin Lookout
Drive to Reykavik 3hrs Check in Hilton.

Day 7: Reykavik
Sky Lagoon
Magic Ice Bar

Day 8: 10th Early flight

OP I think you're being really ambitious with your itinerary We went in October 23 and had the 6.5 days you have due to flight times. We only got as far as Vik on the above itinerary - we spent 2 full days in Reykjavik which was enough but half a day would be too short - it is the only place in the country for shops and stuff. We also went to the Blue Lagoon (rather than the Secret one) which was very expensive but worth it as its a one-off thing - its also close to the airport for that early morning flight.
Also the Thingvellir National Park you can only actually see the rift if you do the snorkelling tour which should be nice in May - in October it was very cold even with a dry suit.
The full golden circle tour is probably at least 10 days if not 2 weeks - if you try to do it in a week you will spend most of your time in the car.
If you want anymore info then let me know.

You can see the rift above ground at Þingvellir - that's what Almannagjá is and is one of the reasons it's such a famous site, because it's very rare to see tectonic plate boundaries that are not underwater.

If I were going to try and do the whole ring road in a week (which I wouldn't), I definitely wouldn't return to Rvk after the golden circle. At least don't go further back than Selfoss. Trying to do a day round Akureyri and then drive all the way back to Reykjavík sounds exhausting.

May is usually a very nice time of year. Maybe take a smaller area and go slower, explore it more thoroughly rather than trying the ring road. I'd want double the time for a full ring road trip.

I definitely recommend the Sandholt Hotel in Reykjavik. Great location (walking distance to everything) and their attached Sandholt Bakery is one of the best in Iceland. Fantastic breakfast! And the most comfy beds ever.

That does sound ambitious. I’m doing the ring road in 11 days in September and still think that probably isn’t enough time. I’m loosely following the itinerary Blog

That looks fun, but I would strongly recommend staying overnight in the Vestmannaeyjar. Don't miss the volcano museum and climbing Eldfell. You should take the time to climb up to the top of the amazing cliffs. The pool is good too.

It's so nice there, I wouldn't make it a day trip with a return to Reykjavík. I'd go back to the city the next morning. That'll leave you loads of time to do something else in the capital area.

I think the blue lagoon is closed because of the recent volcanic eruption.

We went on coach tours, OP. I never thought I would, but we went at a time of year when the weather was unpredictable and I was worried about driving in blizzards. And actually, having done them, I would do it again. The guides were really knowledgeable, we were given info en route to each stop, and not at all intrusive at the stop - it was a question of "meet back here in an hour", not following someone with an umbrella around in a pack.

Golden circle, Thingvellir, geysers, Vik, black sand beaches, all the waterfalls - skogafoss, gullfoss, godafoss - we packed them all in via coach tours.

That looks a lot of driving for a week. Day 6 in particular looks incredibly ambitious. We spent 4 days on your day 6 and didn't see everything. To see that lot you'd need to do a 24 hour day and still be pushing it.

Blue Lagoon isn't closed because it is a huge money spinner but it is in a hazard zone and is liable to be evacuated at short notice. I wouldn't go there.

Thank you, I did try to find a hotel there but couldn’t see much so we decided we would just drive back. I’ll have another look as what you said sounds interesting.

When I was there last August I stayed in the Post Office one or whatever it's called. It was decent!

Its one of my favourite places in Iceland. You can't beat it on a summer evening with the puffins flying everywhere.

That Itinerary is insane, you can't see all of Iceland in a week. Have you put the journeys into Google maps to see how far apart those places are?

Stick to the south west corner, even that will be plenty of driving around that won't scratch the surface of what's on offer. Maybe go as far as the Diamond beach as an extreme, but even that's 5 hours from Reykjavik so needs an overnight really.

If you want to see the east coast and Akureyri that's either another two trips or an extended 2 to 3 week holiday as a minimum to do a round island tour.

I want to go now..I think I'll try this summer.

We had a week and not got as far as Hofn. It was amazing and although we did spend quite a lot of time on the car the roads are straight and easy and the landscape is always changing so it's never boring.
The only thing I'd add is that we did a walking food tour of Reykjavik on our first night which was excellent- it gave us a really good insight into life as an Icelandic person and a also we tried many dishes we might not have done otherwise.
We plan to go back and do the East coast another time

Sorry "only got as far as Hofn". Also the Secret Lagoon is an absolute must and I highly recommend lunch in the tomato farm

Ooooh following! Thank you

Whereas we found the Secret Lagoon to be very ‘meh’. Certainly wouldn’t take the time to go back there.

Thanks all.

Lots of things to consider there. We travel a lot so usually good at figuring out how far to go, and for how long, but really struggling with Iceland as info online seems so conflicting.

Sounds like we need to scale right back.

Highly recommend a walking and food tour in Reykjavik...you get a guided tour and you get to sample lots of delicious food!

We've been to Iceland twice. I think your iti is far too ambitious. You need a couple of days in Reykjavik and 3 or 4 days just to do the south coast / Vik. So many amazing waterfalls to see, but just the named ones. Also the crashed plane on the black beach and the very dangerous black beach (pay attention to the traffic light warning signs and NEVER turn your back on the sea!)

I would cut the last two days and spread out the content of the other days. You def need more time in rekyavik - three days wasnt enough for us. Also add some more spas - they are amazing!

We weren't fussed by Reykjavik next to the amazing scenery and wildlife?, just a bit nothing special and full of touristy shops. Perlan was well worth the visit though and probably a good idea to do it at the beginning of a trip to help understand the landscape.

We went to some cool art galleries, restaurants and bars in Reykjavik as well as perlan and boat trip. Saw some good live music too. Loads to do there for city break people if that’s your thing (might not be for op)

That’s almost exactly what my friend and I did in a hire car in May 2007 with a map and a Lonely Planet guide. Be prepared for the cold. We were there mid May and it was unseasonably cold.

We were there in June and just missed a blizzard that stranded a lot of people for a couple of days.

Went to Iceland a couple of years ago visiting friends who live there. Best recommendation they had was taking us to Hvammsvik Hot Springs rather than Blue Lagoon, was so quiet and a lot less ‘touristy’. We personally only spent a day and a half in Reykjavik for shopping, and a visit to the Reykjavik Phallogical Museum included in that (10/10 if loads of preserved animal cocks is fun for you, we personally really enjoyed that hah). I guess if you’re more of a fan of shopping two full days may be more ideal for that.

We did do some long days like the ones in your itinerary and the driving was hard going even with our friends driving - back at their house after midnight one of the days and totally wiped us out for the next day.

I struggle to remember any of the waterfall names but the big/well-known ones are worth visiting if a bit busy. Gulfoss waterfall blew my mind and would recommend. Vik is the most well known black sand beach and has stunning basalt columns, there are other black sand beaches but there’s less to see at them from what we saw.

Our friend said that sticking to the south west is most sensible. We did look at going to some glaciers up north but the cost of an overnight stay and hours in the car wasn’t worth it, and most of the exciting bits are south west. I’ll attach a pic of where some of the pics we took are showing on my iPhone map, as it’ll show you the kind of area we were mostly in and we saw countless waterfalls, glaciers, lakes, pretty much everything you’d hope to see in Iceland