Exploring Iceland by doing a number of day trips from Reykjavík is a surprisingly easy and convenient way to see this beautiful country.
There are a remarkable number of natural wonders in easy driving distance from both the airport (Keflavík) and the capital city, Reykjavík. From gushing waterfalls to open craters and soothing waters you can even bathe in, Iceland is a destination like no other. And the best thing is, you can combine 3-6 of these different natural attractions in one of a handful of road trips.
One option for exploration is to hire a car (read my guide on driving in Iceland here) for the ultimate flexibility and freedom. Alternatively join a tour with a local company. Either way, Iceland is a wonderfully straight forward destination to explore!
Must See Natural Wonders near Reykjavík, Iceland
The island nation of Iceland is without doubt incredibly popular, particularly for those from the US or the UK. With a flight time of just 3 hours from the UK, Iceland is perfect for long weekend breaks or as a stopover between the UK and the US.
Having been to Iceland more than 10 times now, I am always amazed at how many different natural wonders I can see on each visit that are just within 2 hours or so from Reykjavík. And some that I go back to time and time again, like the Blue Lagoon!
So this guide aims to provide an overview of the must see natural wonders near Reykjavík, as well as useful information for each.
The Golden Circle
There’s no doubt that this is the most famous day trip from Reykjavík, and is one of the main draws to the country. This is a 300km loop (190 miles) that features three must-see attractions: Þingvellir National Park, Geysir geothermal area, and Gullfoss waterfall.
The Þingvellir area is particularly noted as the birthplace of Iceland, with the country’s parliament being founded there in 930. This actually makes Iceland’s parliament the oldest in the world! Whilst parliament has now of course moved to Reykjavík, the area provides much appeal as Iceland’s first national park, established in 1928.
It is also now a UNESCO World Heritage site, with the accolade noting the area’s unique geological significance. The lava fields at Þingvellir are torn apart by tectonic forces creating a rift valley. It is actually the divide between the North-American and Eurasian continental plates. Today, you can walk between these gorges and marvel at the landscape.
If you’re feeling particularly brave, you can actually scuba dive or snorkel in Silfra. You’re given a full dry suit as the water is absolutely freezing, but it is without doubt, one of the most unique dive spots in the world. It is forbidden to dive here alone, and you must go with an approved dive operator. They will also provide the required dry suit and other equipment.
Drive time from Reykjavík: 40 minutes
Cost to enter: Free, but the exhibition at the gift shop is ISK 1,200 (approx £7).
Facilities: Visitor centre with a gift shop, cafe and bathrooms.
The Geysir geothermal area is a fun stop to see the regular eruptions of the most active geyser, Strokkur. It actually erupts every 5-10 minutes and shoots water 65–100ft (20–30 meters) into the sky. There’s a rope surrounding this geyser you can’t get too close. The whole area is alive with geothermal activity, and you can stroll along the walkways that meander about steaming vents, bubbling mud pots and interesting mineral deposits.
Drive time from Þingvellir: 36 minutes
Cost to enter: Free
Facilities: At the Geysir area, there’s a fuel station, as well as a visitor centre selling snacks and souvenirs.
The last official stop on the Golden Circle drive is Gullfoss waterfall. This incredible two-tiered waterfall has a drop of over 105ft (32 metres). There are two main viewing platforms, the first of which gives a brilliant panoramic view, and the second lower platform gets you up close to the action. If you visit in the winter months, note that standing out here can be absolutely freezing, so dress accordingly!
Drive time from the Geysir area: 11 minutes
Cost to enter: Free
Facilities: There’s a gift shop here, as well as a cafe serving traditional Icelandic food.
There are also some wonderful places to eat on this route, including the Friðheimar greenhouse, where you can marvel at how Icelandic farmers grow tomatoes year-round using geothermal heat. The tomato soup here is unbeatable!
If time allows, particularly, on summer days, then you should be able to fit Flúðir into the Golden Circle day trip too. This small picturesque village is home to popular camping grounds, excellent agricultural land, and Iceland’s oldest swimming pool, The Secret Lagoon. As with all of the hot springs in Iceland, this pool is heated by geothermal activity, and is popular with both locals and tourists. Whilst it doesn’t have the ‘wow’ factor of the Blue Lagoon and the Sky Lagoon, it is still a beautiful pool to spend time in, surrounded by lava fields and a small geyser that still erupts every few minutes.
Drive time from Gullfoss : 30 minutes
Cost to enter: Entry for adults is ISK 4,200 (approx £24) and ISK 200 (£1) for children. Towel hire is ISK 1,100 (approx £6).
Facilities: There are showers for men and women, as well as a small cafe.
Lastly, on a really long day trip, you should also be able to stop by Kerið Crater, as the last attraction on the Golden Circle route. Located on the way back towards Reykjavík, the crater is surrounded by red volcanic rock and its lake is a vibrant blue. You can even take some stairs down to the water’s edge to marvel at this geological wonder!
Drive time from Flúðir : 35 minutes
Cost to enter: Unlike most the attractions in this guide, the Kerið crater has an entry fee of ISK 600 (£3.45).
Facilities: There are no bathrooms etc here, so we recommend going in the village of Flúðir.
From Kerið crater, it is around a 1 hour drive back to Reykjavík.
Organised tours
As an alternative to driving yourself, it can be a great idea to join an organised tour. Not only are all the travel arrangements taken care of, but you’ll also get the benefit of a local guide and their knowledge. Get Your Guide offers some fantastic tours around beautiful Iceland – I’ve popped a selection below:
- Golden Circle Full Day Tour with Kerid Crater from Reykjavik
- From Reykjavik: Golden Circle, Kerid Crater, and Blue Lagoon
- Golden Circle & Lunch at Fridheimar Tomato Farm
- From Reykjavík: Golden Circle Tour with Silfra Snorkeling
- From Reykjavik: Golden Circle and Secret Lagoon Day Tour
- Silfra: Snorkeling Tour Between Tectonic Plates
The Reykjanes Peninsula
The Reykjanes Peninsula is home to the famed Blue Lagoon (more on that attraction lower down), but it’s also home to several unique geological locations, including Sandvík.
Sandvík is the unique spot where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates meet, and there is a very cool footbridge between the two which you can cross. You only need a few minutes here but it’s well worth the stop.
Drive time from Reykjavík: 1 hour
Cost to enter: Free
Facilities: There are no facilities here.
Brimketill is the next stop on a drive around the Reykjanes Peninsula. The weather was crazy on the day I visited, but on a good day, it’s where you can see ancient lava flow to the shoreline. The resulting feature is a circular pool carved out of the rock. Although it might look ideal for a dip, I would strongly advise not to. Brimketill translates to ‘whitewater cauldron’ and that’s all you need to know.
Drive time from Sandvík: 14 minutes
Cost to enter: Free
Facilities: There are no facilities here.
Gunnuhver is another geothermal zone, and well worth stopping at to check out Iceland’s largest mud pool. It spans a huge 20m in diameter. The area is also highly sulphuric, with natural ground vents spewing clouds of steam into the area. So it’s a little smelly but a very interesting spot to visit.
Drive time from Brimketill: 8 minutes
Cost to enter: Free
Facilities: There are no facilities here.
Mount Þorbjörn is located right by the Blue Lagoon, and is well worth a stop if not at least for the beautiful views afforded from its summit. It’s just a 243m climb up, and is home to lots of trees – something which you’ll realise can feel quite rare in Iceland!
Drive time from Brimketill: 15 minutes (via Grindavik)
Cost to enter: Free
Facilities: There are no facilities here.
Due to Seismic activity in this region, it’s vital to check that the roads are open in and around Grindavik. If Grindavik is closed, then you will not be able to visit Mount Þorbjörn or Fagradalsfjall from this direction. Instead after Brimketill, you should continue on the route 425, and switch to either 426 or 43 towards the Blue Lagoon (Bláa Lónið on local signs). But don’t worry, everything will be very clearly signposted. There aren’t that many roads to choose from after all!
It’s worth noting that a lot of the lava field areas around the Reykjanes peninsula are pretty active, so as you explore this area, you may discover steaming vents.
To that point, if Grindavik is open, then it’s a lovely town to visit. A must-visit foodie stop is hjá höllu for delicious home-cooked and warming delicacies. Plus, the staff are so lovely!
Some great organised tours with Get Your Guide include:
- Reykjavik: Guided Tour to Volcano and Reykjanes Geopark
- Reykjavík: Volcano Eruption Site and Reykjanes Hiking Tour
- From Reykjavík: Volcanoes and Blue Lagoon Day Trip
The South Coast
This drive is a little longer from Reykjavík, and pairs incredible waterfalls with magical glaciers and black sand beaches! The drive is technically along Highway 1 (the Ring Road). In either direction, Selfoss is a great pitstop for breakfast or dinner, or simply a stretch of the legs. It’s just about halfway between Reykjavík and Seljalandsfoss. They recently build a ‘new Old Town’ in Selfoss as an innovative architectural experiment, so it’s well worth stopping.
The first key attraction is Seljalandsfoss Waterfall. This incredible natural wonder is totally different to anything I had ever seen before. It’s unique because you can walk completely behind its cascading waters.
Although it’s worth noting that the force of the water at Seljalandsfoss is intense, and you may get pretty wet! But the perspective from behind the waterfall is a unique experience! Interestingly, Seljalandsfoss waterfall is part of the Seljalandsa river which originates underneath the Eyjafjallajokull glacier. And the volcano beneath is the that famously erupted in 2010 and caused complete chaos at airports across Europe and the USA.
Drive time from Reykjavík: 1 hour 45 minutes.
Cost to enter: Free but you have to pay to park.
Facilities: There is no visitor centre here, but besides the car park, there are free bathrooms and a small gift shop and cafe.
Nearby is Skógafoss, another incredible waterfall, and also one of the largest in Iceland. It has a drop of nearly 200ft (60 metres) and is over 82ft (25m wide)! We got completely soaked trying to approach it on ground level. If you follow the steep staircase to the side however, you can view the falls from an observational platform.
Drive time from Seljalandsfoss: 28 minutes
Cost to enter: Free but you have to pay to park.
Facilities: There is no visitor centre here, but besides the car park, there are bathrooms.
Another attraction nearby is the Sólheimajökull Glacier. Nestled between two volcanoes, Katla and Eyjafjallajökull, the glacier is distinct due to its black stripes from the ash that once settled on the ice and became compressed under layers of snow.
The first time I visited here was over 10 years ago with friends, and as we were driving our hire car along the main road, we spotted ice in the distance.
We thought it looked like something worth exploring and trying to get closer to. A simple little left turn and a long gravel road led us to its little car park. To our absolute delight, we could follow the trail of a hiking group all the way along the black volcanic rocks to where the ice started. So you can see why it is considering the most accessible glacier in Iceland!
Today there is a viewing platform, perfect for admiring the glacier’s size and majesty! This is around a 15 minute walk from the car park area.
In order to climb up the ice and fully explore, we would have needed a guide and ice picks, but we were happy enough climbing around on what we could get to. However, I’ve been meaning to get back to the Sólheimajökull Glacier to do this activity, and would highly recommend. Due to the time required to ascent with a guide, it could be squeezed into a South Coast day trip, or could be worth a separate journey on its own.
Drive time from Skógafoss: 34 minutes
Cost to enter: Free but you have to pay to park.
Facilities: There is no visitor centre here, but besides the car park, there are free bathrooms.
From the glacier, you can easily drive onto Vík. This is famously known as the most southerly village in Iceland. Home to just around 300 people, Vík is a lovely stop for a tasty meal too, with two of the best eateries being Sudur-Vik and Halldorskaffi.
Another must-see attraction near here is to stop at Vík’s black sand beach, called Reynisfjara. Unfortunately on our visit in November, we only made it to here just after the sun had set so we didn’t really see it in the light. You can also go to the Katla Ice Cave from here too, but that might be hard to fit into one day on Iceland’s South Coast.
From Vík, you can drive back along the Highway 1 to Reykjavík. This takes around 2 hours 32 minutes.
Drive time from the Sólheimajökull Glacier : 41 minutes
Cost to enter: Of course the village and the black sand beaches are free, including parking.
Facilities: Plenty of shops, cafes and a beautiful church.
South Iceland organised tours:
- From Reykjavik: South of Iceland Full-Day Trip
- Reykjavík: Iconic Glacier Hike, South Coast & Waterfalls
- Iceland: Full-Day South Coast, Black Beach & Waterfalls Tour
- Sólheimajökull: Guided Glacier Hike
- From Vik: Katla Ice Cave and Super Jeep Tour
Sky Lagoon
This lagoon, which opened more recently in 2021, is another great excursion from Reykjavík. In fact, it’s only a 15 minute drive or so from the city centre. Offering extensive panoramic views and a distinctly different experience to the Blue Lagoon, it’s well worth considering visiting. I’ve written a full and detailed guide to the Sky Lagoon Iceland here.
- Reykjavik: Sky Lagoon Entrance Pass With 7-Step Spa Ritual
- Sky Lagoon: Transfers to/from Keflavik Airport to Sky Lagoon
- ATV & Sky Lagoon tour
Blue Lagoon
Of course I had to include the world famous Blue Lagoon!
The iconic Blue Lagoon has quickly become one of Iceland’s most famous attractions, and for good reason. We opted for the most basic entrance option but you can pay more for more experiences.
I’d check back regularly for prices, as they seem to be increasing all the time.
Oh, and there’s a bar too by the water’s edge so you can enjoy a drink and soak up this experience for longer.
Reykjavík
Don’t miss the opportunity to explore the capital of Reykjavík itself! It’s pretty, calm and friendly. But yes, a little on the expensive side.
Icelandic coffee culture is a vibe too, and there are some seriously great cafes around the city centre. A few of my favourites include Cafe Babalú, Kaffitár, Sandholt, Mokka Kaffi, Braud & Co and Te & Kaffi.
As well as day trips from Reykjavík, the city itself is well worth spending some time in. It’s safe, calm and ever so charming. Reykjavík is full of colourful buildings, interesting museums and excellent restaurants.
Where to Stay in Reykjavík
Every year, more and more excellent Reykjavík hotels keep opening up in the city centre and in the surrounding area. Fortunately, they span all kinds of budgets so here are some great options in Reykjavík at both of ends of the spectrum:
Some excellent budget hotels in Reykjavik Iceland:
- Kex Hostel (from around £65/ USD84 per night)
- City Hub Reykjavik (from around £88/ USD114 per night)
- Reykjavik Natura – Berjaya Iceland (from around £87/ USD113per night)
- Hilton Reykjavik Nordica (from around £130/ USD168 per night)
And some fantastic luxury hotels:
- The Reykjavik EDITION (from around £436/ USD565 per night)
- Radisson Blu 1919 Hotel (from around £152/ USD197 per night)
- Hotel Borg (from around £199/ USD258 per night)
- Canopy by Hilton Reykjavik City Centre (from around £224/ USD290 per night)
- 101 Hotel (from around £314 /USD407 per night)
Day Trips from Reykjavík Iceland
Are you planning to go to Iceland soon? I hope this post helps in planning your day trips from Reykjavík, or at least inspires you to visit this incredible country and all its amazing natural wonders! As mentioned, one of the best things about these day trips from Reykjavík Iceland is that they are nearly all free – with the exception of the Sky Lagoon and the Blue Lagoon.
If you’re looking for a longer and more structured itinerary, then Melissa’s 4 day southern Iceland itinerary here might be useful!
If you’ve already visited, let me know in the comments if you have any more top tips or any feedback! I’d love to hear from you 🙂
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Disclaimer: This stay was entirely paid for by myself and there was no involvement from a hotel or the tourist board. This is an independent review.
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