THE TRIP
6 Days on Iceland’s South Coast
A hike up a volcano born in living memory, puffins by the thousands on the Westman Islands, diamonds of glacier ice on a black sand beach, and waterfalls that pour straight off the edge of the highlands.
ICELAND / JUNE 24–29 / SELF-DRIVE
Day-to-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival + Reykjavík
JUNE 24 · TUESDAY · STAY: CANOPY REYKJAVÍK
Land at 6:40 AM, pick up the rental car, and drive into the city; early check-in requested at Canopy Reykjavík by 8:30
Breakfast at Sandholt: cheese danish with almonds, shakshuka with sourdough, gourmet sandwiches, ham and cheese croissant
The nap that saves the trip, roughly 12 pm to 3 pm
4:00 PM Sky Lagoon – the seven-step Ritual: warm lagoon soak, cold plunge, dry sauna with ocean views, steam room, house-made body scrub. Leave the hotel by 3:30; Snack platter as a late lunch
Easy Reykjavík walk: Old Harbor → Harpa Concert Hall (sit by the windows over Faxaflói Bay) → the slow uphill stroll of Rainbow Street → Hallgrímskirkja → the waterfront path west to Sun Voyager
Shopping along the way: Lucky Records, 66°North, Handknitting Association of Iceland, Epal, Mál og Menning, Farmers Market Iceland, and the small ceramics galleries on Skólavörðustígur
Dinner the Icelandic way: Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur, order the lamb hot dog, “ein með öllu”
Nightcap options: Kaffibarinn, Röntgen, Kaldi, Microbar or Hús Máls og Menningar around 7:30, when the bookstore turns into a live-music bar
Day 2 — Þingvellir + Golden Circle
JUNE 25 · WEDNESDAY · STAY: CANOPY REYKJAVÍK
-
Breakfast free at the hotel (Geiri Smart), or Sandholt for quality and variety, Brauð & Co for quick pastries if hitting the road — depart ~10:00 AM
Þingvellir National Park (~50 min from Reykjavík): the Almannagjá Rift Trail between the tectonic plates — cathedral-like lava walls, move slowly — then the Öxarárfoss spur and the gentle Þingvallavatn lakeshore walk (trim the lakeshore first if running behind)
Brúarfoss, “Iceland’s bluest waterfall”: the full 2.2-mile river walk past Hlauptungufoss and Miðfoss if ahead of schedule and feeling good, or the 5-minute walk from the parking to the viewing platform — same waterfall, no time pressure
Lunch at Friðheimar (~3 PM): unlimited tomato soup + fresh bread inside a working greenhouse — try the bar/terrace if no reservation. Backup: Efstidalur II or Farmers Bistro
Gullfoss (~4:20 PM): powerful, dramatic, rainbows in the mist — walk both viewpoints
Brúarhlöð Canyon, 5 minutes from Gullfoss: quieter, intimate, layered basalt — a fitting close to the day
Optional on the drive home via Route 35: Reykjadalur hot spring thermal river (4-mile RT, skip if exhausted) and Kerið Crater, right on the road — skip guilt-free if tired
Back in Reykjavík by ~7:00 PM. Dinner: Apotek Kitchen + Bar, Skál! at the food hall, or Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur
Late night: Kaffibarinn, Röntgen, Kaldi, Microbar — or Paloma, Hax, and Auto for techno and experimental DJs
Day 3: South Coast + Westman Islands
JUNE 26 · THURSDAY · STAY: HÓTEL VESTMANNAEYJAR
-
Breakfast in Reykjavík (Geiri, Sandholt, or Reykjavik Roasters), leave by 10:00 AM — fill the tank in Hvolsvöllur, the last fuel before the ferry terminal
Seljalandsfoss (~11:50 AM): walk behind the waterfall for the classic perspective, rain jacket on
2:30 PM Herjólfur ferry from Landeyjahöfn (arrive 30 minutes early) — a 35–40 minute crossing to Heimaey
Check in at Hótel Vestmannaeyjar; kleina, cinnamon rolls, and famously rich hot chocolate at Vigtin Bakhús
Eldheimar Museum, built around a house excavated from the 1973 eruption, then the Eldfell volcano hike — extend the walk down into the lava fields on the west side
Early evening on foot around the harbor; beer at The Brothers Brewery
7:00 PM dinner at NÆS (reservation made): milkbread → puffed cod skin → fish crudo → lamb belly → cod wings add-on → salmon or beef hanger → skyr ice cream
8:45 PM puffins at Stórhöfði: bird-watching hut first, then sit still in the grass 15 minutes and they stop seeing you as a threat. Check vedur.is — under 10 m/s wind is pleasant, over 18 m/s stay in town
Herjólfsdalur for eye-level cliff views and Elephant Rock, then watch puffins rafting on the harbor water from the coastal path near Skansinn
Day 4: Heimaey + Vík
JUNE 27 · FRIDAY · STAY: HÓTEL KRÍA, VÍK
-
Best puffin window 7:00–10:00 AM — bring a windproof layer. Breakfast at the hotel, Vigtin Bakhús, or Stofan Bakhús
Beluga Whale Sanctuary at 10 AM — a short, intentional stop. Herjólfsdalur valley if the weather is good
12:00 PM ferry back to the mainland, then the south coast drive: Skógafoss (~30 min from the port, skip the staircase climb) and Kvernufoss, the hidden gorge waterfall behind the folk museum with almost no tourists
Lunch at Mia’s Country Van, the red fish & chips van near Skógafoss — some of the best fish & chips in Iceland, eaten outdoors
Sólheimajökull glacier: easy 15-minute walk to the glacial lagoon — ash-covered ice, icebergs, listen to the ice pop as it melts
Dyrhólaey lighthouse before check-in: standing on the cliffs looking west over the endless black sand is the narrative arc of the day — puffins here too
Evening in Vík: walk up to the church for the view, then Víkurfjara black sand beach in town (usually empty) with the Reynisdrangar sea stacks — or Reynisfjara tonight while the sun stays high
Dinner: Suður-Vík (reservation needed) for lamb, fish, and sea views. Also good: Drangar at Kría, Smiðjan Brugghus, Black Crust Pizzeria. Drinks: Smiðjan, Ströndin Pub, Halldórskaffi
Day 5: Reynisfjara + Diamond Beach
JUNE 28 · SATURDAY · STAY: HÓTEL KRÍA, VÍK
-
8 AM breakfast at Kría, then east on Route 1 – one of the best drives in Iceland, Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull right off the road, lupine fields everywhere in June. Let it breathe
Eldhraun lava field roadside pull-off: endless moss-covered lava, one of the most alien landscapes in Europe
Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon (~50 min from Vík, via Road 206): 1.5–2 miles along the rim, moss walls and a serpentine river 100 meters below. Walk to the end viewpoint, the best hike of the trip
Skeiðará Bridge Monument: twisted steel from the 1996 glacial flood
Fjallsárlón glacier lagoon: smaller, quieter, more intimate, the icebergs feel closer.
Lunch at cozy Café Vatnajökull
Jökulsárlón: Iceland’s deepest lake, filled with icebergs calving off Vatnajökull. Walk the full perimeter, watch the seals, watch the ice move — skip the boat tour, walking it in June daylight is better
Diamond Beach, directly across Route 1: ice fragments on black sand. Walk both the east and west parking areas — completely different angles. The payoff of the day
The ~2.5-hour drive back to Vík in soft evening light, glaciers to the north; stop nowhere unless something is unmissable
8:30 PM dinner at Smiðjan Brugghus: burger, sour raspberry beer, decompress
Where We Stayed
NIGHTS 1–2 · REYKJAVIK
Canopy Reykjavík
Our first base, in the middle of everything. A few minutes on foot from Sandholt, Rainbow Street, and the harbor.
NIGHTS 4–5 · VIK
Hótel Kría, Vík
Our base under Reynisfjall, with Drangar downstairs and the black beach a short walk away. Launch point for the Diamond Beach day.
NIGHT 3 · WESTMAN ISLANDS
Hótel Vestmannaeyjar
One night on Heimaey, steps from the harbor, Vigtin Bakhús, The Brothers Brewery, and the Eldfell trailhead.