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4 Day Iceland Itinerary
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For my 32nd birthday, I told Brian I wanted to go to Iceland and he looked at me like I was crazy, especially since I hate the cold. I started researching and found out the average high temperature in June (my birthday month) was around 50 degrees…I could totally deal with that! While 4 days was definitely not long enough to see everything this beautiful island has to offer, we did get to hit a lot of the highlights. So check out our 4 Day Iceland Itinerary:
Table of Contents
Flying with WOW Air
We decided to drive up to BWI and take WOWAir to Iceland since it would save us almost $1,000 (we paid $220 round trip and $15 to choose our seats). We had an overnight flight so we didn’t get to the airport until around 8pm. Our flight ended up getting delayed and we actually didn’t take off until 2am. I would highly recommend bringing some snacks with you to the airport because after 8pm, the only restaurant open was Starbucks and they closed at 10pm. I had no problems getting any of my snacks thru secruity.
On the flight, their menu offerings were slim but they did have an organic Mamma Chia Squeeze pouch in six different flavors which was gluten free and vegan. They also had Moma Porridge in two different flavors which was gluten free and dairy free. They also had nut mixes and gluten-free protein bars.
Day 1: Arriving in Reykjavik, Exploring the City, and Tapas Barinn
We arrived in Iceland a little after 1pm, we got our passports stamped and we were off to find our ride to Reykjavik to set off on our Iceland itinerary. We booked our airport transfer with Grayline and within a few minutes the bus was there to pick us up. It was on the ride from the airport to our hotel in Reykjavik that I realized what a unique country this was – the whole landscape from the airport to the hotel was made up of lava rock! The ride was about 45 minutes and we dropped off at a few hotels before arriving at ours – CenterHotel Midgardur. It was in a great location off the main road, Laugavegur. Our room was great, small (like most European hotels) but very modern and very new. We ate a few of our snacks we had brought for lunch and then went exploring around Reykjavik.
Even though we were dead tired, we didn’t want to waste any time, so we set out to explore Reykjavik. We headed to Hallgrimskirkja church and took a picture with the Leifur Eiriksson statue. We also paid the $10 necessary to get on the elevator to go to the very top of Hallgrimskirkja and it was totally worth it – we got some of the best pictures of Reykjavik from the top! We walked around a bit and visited City Pond and then we visited the Settlement Museum. The cost for the museum was $16 per person but it was worth it – it gave a very good history of Iceland from the time of the Vikings and how Iceland was settled.
After walking around some more, it was time for dinner. On the bus to the hotel there was a 20% off coupon for a restaurant called Tapas Barrinn so we found it and decided to split the “Icelandic Feast” which included tapas sized portions of puffin, minke whale, lamb, lobster tails, and more. It was about $89 USD, but it was my favorite meal of the entire trip. It was very interesting to try the different Icelandic cuisine. After dinner we were exhausted and decided to call it an early night and walked back to our hotel (everything is walkable in Reykjavik!) Check out my full review of Tapas Barinn here.
Day 2: Icelandic Horses, Golden Circle and Messinn Restaurant
On Day 2 of our Iceland itinerary we had booked Laxnes Horse Farm followed by the the Golden Circle Tour which visits Þingvellir National Park, Geysir Geothermal Area, and Gullfoss Waterfall. We used GrayLine again and Laxnes Horse Farm picked us up and drove us to their farm about 20 minutes away. They asked us our skill level and we were each paired with a horse. We rode for about 1 hour before we stopped to take a break and get some pictures of the beautiful landscape. Then, we had about a 30 minute ride back to the farm. They had a stew available for us but I was worried about gluten so we just had some almond butter and a Larabar for lunch. The GrayLine bus picked us up from the farm and we were off on our Golden Circle adventure!
First up was Þingvellir National Park – there are a ton of walking trails here and you really need a few hours to explore the entire site. Þingvellir is where a modern-day version of a representative parliament was created in 930AD. Every year representatives from all over the country would come to Þingvellir for parliament. It is also in Þingvellir where you can be on two continents at one time – that’s right – Iceland is the only place in the world where the Mid-Atlantic Rift runs right thru the country with Reykjavik being on the North American tectonic plate and the East Fjords being on the Eurasian Tectonic Plate. Þingvellir is the only place in the world where the rift is above sea-level, as you travel through Þingvellir you will start on the North American tectonic plate and as you go deeper into the park you will cross onto the Eurasian tectonic plate.
After Þingvellir, we visited Gullfoss Waterwall, one of the most popular waterfalls in Iceland. We both got pretty wet walking up to it, but we were glad we did because it’s so much better up close. My husband also got a beautiful picture with a rainbow shining right across the waterfall. We stopped for lunch here and had the most delicious lamb stew which is one of Iceland’s staple foods (I checked and it was gluten free).
Lastly, we visted the Geysir Geothermal Area. The liveliest geyser was Strokkur which shoots water 100 feet in the air every 5-8 minutes. Along with Strokkur there were also many other hot springs in the area and there are winding paths, so you can visit them all. There was also a nice cafe here, we did not eat anything but they seemed to have some good healthy options.
Upon arriving back to Reykjavik, it was dinner time and we decided to visit Messinn Restaurant. Among other things on their menu there was a whole section of “Fish Pans” – all different kinds of fish cooked in a cast iron skillet. We chose the Salmon and the fish pan came with 2 pieces of salmon, potatoes, cashews, and parsnips. This was definitely enough for two people to share! You can check out my full review of Messinn here.
For dessert we visited Eldur and had a gluten free crepe with almond butter and Skyr – this was my favorite dessert of the trip and I would definitely go back to Iceland just to have another one! If you have never heard of Skyr, it’s very similar to our version of greek yogurt. Personally, I do not have a problem with small amounts of dairy and in Siggi’s Skyr (what I have found available in the U.S.) only 3% lactose remains after the straining process. Siggi’s Skyr is gluten free and does not add any artificial sweeteners or high fructose corn syrup.
Day 3: Waterfalls, Black Sand Beach, and Glo
On Day 3, we planned to do the South Coast of Iceland as part of our Iceland itinerary. First, we visited Skogafoss waterfall which was the biggest waterfall I had ever seen. You can even walk up 400 stairs and view it from the top – from there you can hike on a 13-mile trek thru the mountains.
Next, we visited the sight of the 2010 volcano, Eyjafjallajokull, and the tiny farm that was threatened by the volcano. We then visited the small town of Vik, which is also threatened by a volcano set to erupt in the next 8-10 years. We had lunch there at a small restaurant and then ventured around a bit.
From there, we visited Reynisfjara and walked along their black sand beaches. I can honestly say I have never seen anything like it – with their rock formations, black sand, and gusting winds – it was truly awe-inspiring.
On the way back, we got to take a quick stop at Jokulsarlon glacier and view it from afar. Lastly, we visited Selandjafoss Waterfall – otherwise known as the waterfall you can walk behind. It’s quite a trek up to the top but it was worth it, it was very neat to actually walk behind a waterfall and look out onto the landscape.
After returning to Reykjavik we decided to have dinner at an all vegan restaurant called “Glo” – I had the Indian Dahl bowl and my husband had the BBQ bowl. They also had vegan and gluten-free desserts which was great! I would have had one except I really wanted to visit a gelato shop called Joylato that I also heard had vegan desserts. I was excited to see that they had ice cream made with coconut milk! We tried two flavors – mango/avocado/lime and salted caramel – both were delicious! Click here for my full review of Glo.
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On our last morning of our Iceland itinerary we decided to have coffee at Reykjavik Roasters which was right next to our hotel. We both had the macchiato made with oat milk. This was a really quaint coffee shop and had we discovered it sooner, I definitely would have gone back! Afterwards, we walked around a bit and visited a few thrift shops and then went back to pack and check out of our hotel.
At 11:30 our bus picked us up for our late date of our Iceland itinerary and we were off to the Blue Lagoon! I was hesitant about doing the Blue Lagoon at first because I felt it was overly commercialized but because this is likely to be my only visit to Iceland (although I would love to go back) we decided to spend the money and do it and I’m so glad we did! While Iceland does have a lot of natural hot springs, The Blue Lagoon is not one of them (contrary to popular belief). The Blue Lagoon is located in a lava field in Grinadavik and is manmade, it is supplied by water used in the nearby Svartsengi geothermal power station. The Blue Lagoon is also rich in minerals like silica and sulfur and some say it helps people suffering from skin diseases like psoriasis.
There are several different packages you can purchase for the Blue Lagoon, we chose the “Comfort Package” which includes entry, locker, silica mask, towel, and one drink from the bar. Upon checking in we received wrist bands that were used to open our lockers. In the locker room, you picked any open locker and then went to shower. You must shower before entering the Blue Lagoon (and they prefer you to be naked when you shower) – there are private shower stalls so it’s no big deal. They also provide hair conditioner for you to use because the Blue Lagoon will massively dry out your hair. After changing into my bathing suit, I met my husband at the entrance and we walked in to the Blue Lagoon water which was a steamy 102 degrees, since it was about 48 degrees outside it felt amazing.
First, we went and got our silica face mask which felt very refreshing and then we waded over and got our drinks from the bar – two glasses of red wine of course. We spent about 1.5 hours in the Blue Lagoon just lounging around – it was so peaceful and relaxing! After we got out and changed back into our clothes we went to their café and had a snack and then it was off to the airport to go home.
Blue Lagoon Iceland
When we got to the airport we had a few hours to kill so we shopped a little in the duty free shops where we bought a shot glass to commemorate our trip. We finally boarded the plane only to find out our flight would be delayed again because we were waiting on another plane to arrive from Paris. We waited about 45 minutes and then finally took off for home!
It was a great trip and I would recommend it to anyone who loves the outdoors and loves exploring new places. I’m not sure if I would fly WOW Air again. The planes were nice, seats were comfortable, staff was very friendly, but I really didn’t enjoy being delayed each way for 2 hours. I hear that WOW Air is notorious for not being on time. However, WOW Air is also half the price of any other carrier, so you really have to weigh the pros and cons. Until next time, Iceland!
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Erin, I totally agree, luckily Iceland had a lot of fresh fish and lamb and their ingredients were top notch. But, if you were going for a longer stay and wanted a kitchen, Reykjavik has a TON of AirBnBs!
First of all, what an amazing trip that must have been! I love this because it's always so hard to stay on track while on vacation. I love that you sought out the healthy spots to dine instead of just totally letting loose. I am going to do this on my next trip. :)
Stephanie, I totally agree, it IS hard to stay on track while on vacation that's why I think it's so important to research beforehand because I can totally understand getting frustrated, especially in a foreign country, and just eating whatever is close.
Great read - keeping things high-level and providing more detailed posts on your fav spots is definitely easier to digest. Also LOVE Justin's almond peanut butter. So much so, I bought a jar at Trader Joe's!
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