Five Day Trips from Reykjavík Ranked from First to Worst
Every year, thousands of people visit Iceland as a stopover between North America and Europe. Many of these people hope to get a brief experience of Iceland with one or two day trips from Reykjavík to see as many highlights of the country as they can during their short stay.
If that sounds like you, you might be wondering just what is the best way for you to spend your time in Iceland. Fortunately, you have a few different day trips from Reykjavík to choose from. These are my favorites ranked in order from first to worst.
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The South Coast – Reykjavík’s Most Efficient Day Trip
My favorite day trip from Reykjavík and the one I think absolutely everyone should include is the South Coast. It has some of the more impressive things to see in Iceland all within a reasonably close drive to Reykjavík.
This day trip from Reykjavík takes you over 100 miles along the southern stretches of Iceland’s famed Ring Road. Along the way, you’ll be treated to towering waterfalls, black sand beaches, glaciers and more. It’s a lot to see in a day, but it’s all relatively easy to see keeping it from being too mentally or physically taxing.
In my mind, the South Coast is the perfect day trip from Reykjavík. Most importantly, it’s reasonably close to the capital. It also has so many examples of Iceland’s unique features that you can easily get a good feel of the country with this day trip alone.
If you’re only here on a layover en route to another destination, you could do way worse than renting a car to go check out the South Coast!
Highlights of the South Coast
- Selfjalandsfoss Waterfall
- Skógafoss Waterfall
- Reynisfjara Beach
- Sólheimajökull
Snaefellsnes Peninsula – The Reykjavík Day Trip with the Most to See
Coming in second on my list of top day trips from Reykjavík is Snaefellsnes Peninsula on Iceland’s west coast. This day trip is filled with many great examples of Iceland’s impressive geology. It’s a window into the whole of Iceland for those of us who don’t have time to visit every corner of the country.
As you make your way around the peninsula, you go from one spectacular geological feature to another. In terms of both the number and quality of things to see, I think Snaefellsnes Peninsula is the better option than the South Coast.
Why do I have it ranked below the South Coast in my list of the best day trips from Reykjavík, then? Unfortunately, Snaefellsnes Peninsula is a bit of hike from Reykjavik. On top of that, because Snaefellsnes Peninsula has so much to see, it’s also a very busy day.
It can be done as a day trip, but it’s going to be exhausting. You’re looking at a 10-hour day at least if doing Snaefellsnes Peninsula as a day trip from Reykjavík. Besides that, if you’re only going to be in Iceland for a brief period of time, you may want to spend your time and energy doing closer day trips from Reykjavík.
Highlights of Snaefellsnes Peninsula
- Kirkjufell
- Ytri Tunga Beach
- Budir Church
- Lóndrangar
- Djúpalónssandur Beach
- Svödufoss Waterfall
I’ll talk about renting a car versus booking a tour later on, but if you’re going to day trip to Snaefellsnes Peninsula, this day might be a good time for a guided tour. Having someone else drive you around will give you time to rest during what will be a long day.
The Golden Circle – The Reykjavík Day Trip with Three Iconic Sights but…
The Golden Circle is typically the first thing that comes to mind when people talk about day trips from Reykjavík. There’s a pretty good reason for that: The Golden Circle has three of Iceland’s most iconic sights all within a short drive from Reykjavík.
Unfortunately, that’s part of why the Golden Circle is only in the middle of my list. It’s also why the Golden Circle has gotten a bit of a negative reputation among travelers when discussing day trips from Reykjavík.
Because it’s so easy to see these three Icelandic sights, almost everyone coming to the country will be seeing them with you. You can expect large tour buses and lots of people, especially at the height of Iceland’s tourist season. I don’t begrudge other people wanting to see the Golden Circle, but the crowds detract from the experience a bit compared to sights elsewhere in the country.
Another reason it ranks lower on my list is because it’s basically only the three sights. You can take some detours to see smaller things and there’s a great hot spring worth stopping at. Otherwise, the drive is kind of bland in between the main stops.
I understand the Golden Circle’s popularity, but it pales in comparison to the South Coast and Snaefellsnes Peninsula. Compared to how much less crowded the South Coast and Snaefellsnes Peninsula are and how much more they have to see, I can’t recommend prioritizing the Golden Circle over them.
Highlights of the Golden Circle
- Thingvellir National Park
- Geysir Geothermal Field
- Gullfoss Waterfall
- The Secret Lagoon hot springs
Heimaey – The Reykjavík Day Trip Most People Forget
Heimaey is another of the day trips from Reykjavík I recommend considering on your trip to Iceland. Visiting Heimaey is great for those looking for a bit of a slower pace compared to these other destinations.
It has a top-notch museum detailing the 1973 eruption of Eldfell, one of the island’s two volcanoes, and afterwards, you can climb up to the crater of the same volcano. Besides those two must-see attractions, the rest of the time can be spent leisurely exploring the island.
While I enjoyed Heimaey, it lacks the ooh-aah moments of mainland Iceland. It has sweeping vistas of the scope of these other day trips from Reykjavík.
That said, I liked how uncrowded everything was. We were able to visit the sights almost by ourselves. (You may have a different experience if you visit in high season. It should still be less crowded than much of the rest of Iceland, though). It was a nice, relaxing way to enjoy some of Iceland’s unique landscapes.
Heimaey is also worth a day trip from Reykjavík if you’re in Iceland to see one of Iceland’s most famous residents. Puffins frequent Heimaey – and the rest of Iceland – from May to August in large numbers. In fact, the colony that comes to Heimaey is considered the largest in the world.
Highlights of Heimaey
- Eldheimar Volcano Museum
- Hiking up Eldfell Volcano
- Explore town for landmarks from the 1973 eruption
- Bird watching for puffins
Reykholt Valley – The Reykjavík Day Trip that Comes with One Big Caveat
Out of my five day trips from Reykjavík, this one to the Reykholt Valley is more of a hodgepodge of activities and sights instead of a well-defined day trip. Rather than a fairly set-in-stone route like the Golden Circle, you can pick from several different things to do when traveling across Reykholt Valley.
To be honest, I wouldn’t consider doing Reykholt Valley by itself as a day trip. The sights are interesting, but they aren’t worth going out of your way for when there are better day trips from Reykjavík.
I would only consider visiting Reykholt Valley as a day trip from Reykjavík if you are stopping here along the way to somewhere else, which is exactly what we did. We visited this area on our way to Snaefellsnes Peninsula. It made for a fun day while also breaking up the monotony of the long drive from Reykjavík to the peninsula.
The main reason we took our time to travel around Reykholt Valley was our tour of Vidgelmir Cave. This fun tour of one of Iceland’s volcanic caves is worth going out of your way for if you have the time.
Highlights of Reykholt Valley
- The Settlement Center in Borgarnes
- Grabrok Crater
- Deildartunguhver Hot Springs
- Hraunfossar and Barnafoss Waterfalls
- Vidgelmir Lava Tube Tour
Car Rental vs Guided Tours
So, you’ve mostly figured out your day trips from Reykjavík, but now it’s time to decide how to actually get from one place to another. Do you rent a car or will it be easier to book guided tours to have someone else drive you around?
Personally, I’m almost always going to recommend renting a car over booking a tour. While a tour is convenient because you don’t have to worry about driving or planning, a car grants you much more freedom with your time.
With a tour, you’re stuck with the guide’s itinerary. You better hope you don’t want to make any unexpected detours or want to spend more time in any given location because you won’t be able to.
Still, a guided tour does offer some benefits over renting a car. First of all, maybe you’re the type of person who likes having someone else plan everything and keeping you on task. The other big perk of a guided tour is having firsthand knowledge of the destination from a local. If you’re someone who doesn’t like to or doesn’t have the time to do a lot of research before a trip, then a guided tour is a good option.
Frequently Asked Questions About Visiting Iceland
What is it like driving around Iceland?
Driving around Iceland wasn’t that bad. We rented an automatic 4×4 and mostly stuck to main roads. Between those two things, we never had any issues. Road conditions deteriorated quite a bit when we had to go on secondary roads, but it still wasn’t too bad with a 4×4.
Keep in mind, we visited in mid-April after the worst of Iceland’s wintry weather. If you’re visiting in winter, you can expect road conditions to be poor.
When is the best time to visit Iceland?
If you’re looking for the best weather at the expense of larger crowds, then visit during the summer. If you want smaller crowds at the expense of weather that’s a bit wetter, colder and more unpredictable, you can visit in the shoulder months.
Visiting Iceland during the winter will have by far the smallest crowds. However, it’ll be much colder, and you’ll likely have to deal with lots of snow. Another downside of visiting during winter is the days are pretty short. You can only expect 4 to 7 hours of sunshine during the winter months.
Is Iceland expensive?
Unfortunately, yes. Iceland has a reputation for being an expensive destination because of its high taxes and import-heavy economy. It’s possible to save money, but at the end of the day, you can still expect to spend more than you would in many other destinations.
Are any of these day trips worth doing as an overnight visit?
Yes! In fact, I would encourage you to make at least two of these day trips from Reykjavík an overnight visit. The South Coast and Snaefellsnes Peninsula are both so extensive that an overnight stay will help you to get the most out of your time. Heimaey is another one that you should consider making an overnight visit, especially if you’re visiting during warmer months.
On the other hand, the Golden Circle and Reykholt Valley absolutely do not need an overnight visit. The Golden Circle is so close to Reykjavík that an overnight visit is unnecessary. Reykholt Valley is a bit farther away, but it doesn’t have enough to see that an overnight visit is worthwhile.
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