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Reykjavik is Iceland’s capitol and a great home base for exploring other areas of Iceland. If you’re on a short trip you can easily spend your whole time in Reykjavik and take day trips from there to explore Iceland’s stunning landscapes filled with waterfalls, lagoons, geysirs, volcanos and more!
There are 4 great day trips you can take from Reykjavik, I’ve compiled all the details below.
All of these stops are covered in my ultimate 4 days in Iceland Itinerary if you want a detailed day by day itinerary. For more planning see my full Reykjavik Travel guide here for details on where to stay, best restaurants and more!
Disclaimer: This article contains some links where I earn commission through booking. There is no extra cost to you, and I only recommend things I’ve used and love or places I’ve stayed and enjoyed!
Blue Lagoon
The Blue Lagoon is a must-see when visiting Reykjavik. The stunningly blue geothermal waters are a perfect place to unwind! The Blue Lagoon in-water spa also offers a variety of face masks, for treating your skin while floating in the silica-rich waters!
The Blue Lagoon is an experience – there’s an in-water bar, an on site restaurant, and you should dedicate at least 3 hours to being there + travel time! So I’d dedicate roughly half a day to this trip!
Cost & Tickets: I paid $154 in March for round trip transfer + my ticket, which included a face mask and a free drink. They can be purchased here. You can also check Viator if tickets are sold out on the Blue Lagoon website or to see if Viator is cheaper! Check Viator here.
There are a variety of upgrade options if you’re looking to splurge! You can get an upgraded ticket that offers more face masks, etc.
Getting There: The Blue Lagoon is located about 40 minutes outside of Reykjavik, near the airport. There is parking or you can add transportation when buying your ticket through the Blue Lagoon website for another $50ish. They will pick you up and drop you off at the bus stop nearest your hotel. It’s super convenient. Keep an eye out there’s tons of bus pickups for excursions. The Blue Lagoon and airport busses are often combined (see picture above)
Pay close attention to your ticket, I missed my bus because they pick you up 30 minutes earlier at your hotel bus stop to bring you to the main bus stop where you transfer to the Blue Lagoon bus!
Travel Tip: Visit the Blue Lagoon on your way to or from the airport. You can book your pickup/dropoff to be in different locations, so you can be picked up at the airport, go to Blue Lagoon, then get dropped off in Reykjavik, or vice versa. They also have luggage storage! It saves you time, since the Blue Lagoon is only about 10 min from the airport.
Iceland’s South Coast
The South Coast of Iceland is absolutely stunning and features some of my favorite places I’ve ever visited. It’s doable as a day trip from Reykjavik either by renting a car or taking a guided tour! See my full South Coast of Iceland Travel Guide here. Or keep reading below for the highlights!
If I did this trip again, I would consider potentially renting a car so I could explore on my own, but on my last trip I took a guided tour in a small bus (less than 15 people) and it was awesome and insanely convenient! It was an all day tour that hit most of the highlights of the South Coast of Iceland!
Iceland South Coast Highlights
- Skogafoss Waterfall
- Seljalandsfoss Waterfall
- Reynisfjara Beach
- Vik
- Solheimajokull Glacier
- Reykjadalur Hot Spring Thermal River (not included on most guided tours)
Skogafoss Waterfall
Highlight 1 of Iceland’s South Coast does not disappoint! The stunning 60m drop waterfall that was featured in Game of Thrones is a can’t miss in Iceland and is your first stop on the way from Reykjavik through the South Coast. Try to go when it’s sunny to see the most epic rainbow! I was speechless
You can hike to the top (it’s several hundred stairs) but the view is actually better from the bottom, so if you’re short on time or the climb is a challenge you’re not missing out!
Cost Details: parking & entrance is free, there’s a parking lot right next to the waterfall!
Seljalandsfoss Waterfall
Another South Coast stop is the stunning Seljalandsfoss (and the hidden waterfall nearby if you want to hike in to a watery cave to explore!) This was my favorite stop!
Seljalandsfoss is a stunning tall, narrow waterfall that you can walk behind for the most epic views as long as it’s not icy, when I visited in the winter the trail behind was closed. The tour I did got us to Seljalandsfoss at sunset and watching the sun set over Vestmannaeyjar (the Western islands) from behind the waterfall is one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had!
Cost Details: Entrance & parking is free. Parking is righr next to the waterfall!
Reynisfjara Beach
The infamous black sand beach is your next stop on Iceland’s South Coast. Admire the dramatic, moody coastline & the basalt formations looming out of the water. Watch out for the unexpected large waves, they’re no joke – you should stay at least 30 feet back from the coastline. It may not seem it, but it can be exceptionally dangerous!
Tickets/Cost: Entrance & parking is free
Vik
The charming town of Vik is the farthest south you’ll go on a day trip, if you want to venture farther down the South Coast to places like Diamond Beach & Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon you need more than a day!
The viewpoint at the church overlooking Vik is one of the best places to get photos. Then wander through the tiny town of Vik for lunch. There is a cozy restaurant, The Soup Company, that’s the perfect place to warm up before your next stop. Try the three soup sampler! Oh, and the bread is amazing!
Tickets/Cost: Entrance & parking is free
Solheimajokull Glacier
Another stop on Iceland’s South Coast is Solheimajokull Glacier. You can hike about 20 minutes in from the parking lot to see the best view of the volcanic ash covered glacier and the glacier lagoons that have formed from the ice melting 🙁 You can also take a separate tour to only the glacier that includes a glacier hike where you walk up on and around the glacier. I did a glacier hike on my most recent winter trip and it was such a unique experience!
Tickets/Cost: Entrance & parking is free
Reykjadalur Hot Spring Thermal River
Most tours don’t include this stop as it involves a bit of a hike, but if you have extra time this 45 min (each way) hike to the natural thermal river is SO worth it! This was a bit of a hidden gem, but it’s becoming more and more popular with tourists visiting Iceland, and for good reason! The river itself is big, so you’ll have plenty of space, even if there are a lot of people visiting!
Tickets/Cost: Entrance is free, but you will need to pay for parking at the lot.
Iceland’s Golden Circle
The Golden Circle is one of the most popular day trips from Reykjavik with a series of highlights worth stopping to see! Similar to the Southern Coast it can be done by renting a car or taking an organized day trip. For this one I wish I had rented a car so I could have had a little more flexbility, but the tour was still a good way to see the highlights! This tour will take most of your day!
Golden Circle Highlights
- Gullfoss Waterfall
- Thingvellir National Park
- Öxarárfoss Waterfall
- Brúarfoss Waterfall
- Geysir
- Kerid Crater
Gullfoss Waterfall
Gullfoss is the most popular waterfall in Iceland (although truthfully I preferred Skogafoss & Seljalandsfoss) The vast waterfall pours tons of water into the gorge below. If you happen to visit on a sunny day you’ll be treated to a series of rainbows as your explore the waterfall from above and below.
Tickets/Cost: Entrance & parking is free
Thingvellir National Park
This national park features dramatic, moody views of the coastline & is a UNESCO world heritage site. Known for being the birthplace of Icelandic democracy. If you’re not on a guided tour and you have more time you can scuba dive here in the rift between the two tectonic plates Eurasian and North America!
Tickets/Cost Entrance is free, but it is about $5 to park for the day if you’re driving.
Öxarárfoss Waterfall
While you’re visiting Thingvellir if you have a little extra time head to Öxarárfoss, it’s a beautiful waterfall and a quick walk from the parking lot at the bottom of Thingvellir National Park! It’s not as stunning as some of the other waterfalls, but it’s still impressive!
Brúarfoss Waterfall
Another stunning waterfall on the Golden Circle loop is Brúarfoss (the blue waterfall) You’ll see where it gets it’s name from when you see the stunning blue water that needs to no editing! It used to require a hike in, but now it is a quick 5-10 min walk from the parking lot, making it worth a stop even if you’re itinerary is packed!
Tickets/Cost Entrance is free, but it is about $5 to park for the day if you’re driving!
Geysir
Another Golden Circle highlight is Geysir! Geysir in Iceland is the original “geysir” and known for being the inspiration for the name of all other Geysirs in the world. It’s located in a geothermal area bubbling with activity. You’ll notice the ground slightly smoking wherever water is visible. Geysir itself only erupts very rarely these days, but right next to it is an active geysir that shoots bright blue, burning hot water high into the air every few minutes.
Tip: Stay to watch it erupt a few times, some eruptions are much more powerful and impressive than others.
Tickets/Cost: Entrance & parking is free
Kerid Crater
Kerid is a volcanic crater lake on the Golden Circle. It honestly feels like something on a foreign planet. The large crater is filled with bright blue/teal water & surrounded by deep reddish rock/dirt that you can hike around that makes you feel like your on Mars or something.
Tickets/Cost: There is a small parking fee (about $3) and entrance is free other than parking!
Hvammsvik Hot Springs
I visisted Hvammsvik Hot Springs on my most recent trip to Iceland and absolutely fell in love! I cannot believe this place isn’t more popular. It’s a series of natural hot springs located about 45 minutes from Reykjavik. The stunning series of pools are right on the ocean with views of the mountains. You can take a cold plunge in the ocean when you need a break from the hot springs.
The series of pools range in temperature, and the main pool has a swim up bar, similar to the Blue or Sky Lagoon. I absolutely loved this palce, and spent several hours popping between the different pools and saunas.
You can get there via rental car, or they offer transfers from Reykjavik similar to the Blue Lagoon. I had a car so I drove myself, tickets cost $78. I bought them day of and the transfer options were already all sold out, so book in advance!
With transport and time there this is roughly half a day – an hour and a half travel + 3 hours at the spring!
