Iceland Self-Drive Itinerary

Arrive at Keflavik Airport in the early morning and pick up your rental car. Head to a nearby café for some breakfast. Refresh yourself at the nearby and oh-so-famous Blue Lagoon after your overnight flight (pre-booking recommended). Drive into Reykjavik and spend time at your leisure. Perhaps visit Hallgrimskirkja Church, FlyOver Iceland, Harpa Concert Hall, the Perlan Museum, Whales of Iceland, etc. Check in to your hotel for a much-needed rest. We stayed at the lovely Skuggi Hotel, which had a beautiful breakfast buffet.

Depart Reykjavik for the scenic Borgarfjordur region. You could take the Hvalfjordur tunnel, which will get you there pretty quickly. Or, you could take the slightly longer and much more scenic route that we took. I can give you a map with stops at waterfalls, an abandoned WWII naval base, interesting stone formations, a church that was used in the show Sense8, and more! If you arrive in Borgarnes around lunchtime, head to The Settlement Center and take advantage of their delicious wellness buffet before visiting the museum itself to learn more about Iceland and its people. Check in to your hotel for the night. We stayed at the Fosshotel Reykholt which is right next to the Snorrastofa Museum. If you're there during the winter months, keep your eyes peeled for the Northern Lights in this remote area.

Today you have the option of continuing to explore the Borgarfjordur region or visit the scenic Snaefellnes Peninsula. Borgarfjordur region: you can visit an ice cave built into Langjokull glacier, visit the Vidgelmir lava cave, go horseback riding, or visit some other geothermal baths. Snaefellnes Peninsula: Get an early start for the drive and see "Iceland in a Nutshell." Visit the Arnarstapi sea cliffs and enjoy a nice lunch. Visit Snæfellsjökull National Park, where "Journey to the Center of the Earth" was set. Along the drive, there are multiple scenic viewpoints to take your breath away. On the other side of the peninsula, visit Kirkjufell, the most-photographed mountain in the country (see photo), which was also used in Game of Thrones. Return to your hotel for the evening.

Head east toward several of Iceland's best-known wonders. First, stop at Thingvellir National Park (photo), where the first parliament in the world met. It's also the meeting point of the European and North American tectonic plates. Plus, it too was a filming location for Game of Thrones. Next, visit a farm-to-table restaurant that has been in the family for multiple generations. They even have an ice cream shop! Then, make your way up to Geysir--geothermal fields with multiple geysers, the most famous of which, Strokkur, errupts approx. every 10 minutes. From there, drive up to Gullfoss waterfall (see main itinerary photo) and be prepared to be blown away by it's awesome power. For dinner, we made reservations for another farm-to-table restaurant dedicated to tomatoes where you actually eat in their greenhouses! If you have time, you could visit some geothermal baths in this area. Check in to your hotel in the Hella or Hvollsvollur area. We stayed in the Stracta Hotel in Hella.

Get an early start and drive east on the Ring Road to hit some amazing sites today. First up: Seljalandsfoss--a waterfall you can walk behind (when the trail is accessible). Next, continue to Skógafoss, another amazing waterfall, which was used in Thor: Dark World. Next door, visit the Skógar Folk Museum, which has some wonderful exhibits and an open-air exhibit. Make your way to Vik to grab a bite and maybe catch the Icelandic Lava Show (reservations). Then, head down to Reynisfjara Beach to marvel at the black sand (used as a filming location for Sense8, Star Trek Into Darkness, Game of Thrones & Rogue One). Continue on your way and stop at Hjörleifshöfði. Around the back toward the beach, you'll find a special Star Wars surprise: Gígjagjá (The Yoda Cave). Check in to your hotel in the Kirkjubæjarklaustur area. We stayed in a little guesthouse in the area that was very nice.

On this day, consider pre-booking an ice cave and glacier hike tour that departs from Vatnajokull National Park. Seeing an ice cave and standing on a glacier is a once-in-a-lifetime experience! Afterward, head to Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon and Diamond Beach (which were used in A View to a Kill, Die Another Day, Lara Croft Tomb Raider and Game of Thrones). Here you can watch the icebergs float out to sea and rest on the black sand. It's beautiful at sunset. For a different glacier lagoon experience, Fjallsarlon Iceberg Lagoon is often less crowded. Overnight in the Kirkjubæjarklaustur area. We stayed in the Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon, which is where we were able to see the Northern Lights, in all their splendor!

Head back to Reykjavik today, but take advantage of the drive to make any stops you didn't make on the way out. Stretch your legs at the Eldhraun lava field to look at the woolly fringe moss (photo). Perhaps stop at the Eyjafjallajökull info point to learn more about the volcano famous for its massive 2010 eruption. Once back in Reykjavik, there are plenty of things to keep you busy, or you might decide to just relax in your hotel for the evening. Overnight in Reykjavik. We stayed again in the Skuggi Hotel.

If you have a later flight, you might have time to visit Blue Lagoon (if you haven't already; reservations recommended) or Viking World (a Viking history museum with a replica of a 9th-century ship inside). Return your rental car and head home after a wonderful tour of Iceland.