Iceland · Sample itinerary
Hot rivers, horses and the Golden Circle
- Length
- 11 nights
- Best for
- Couples and friends
- Best time
- September to March
- Style
- Self-drive or fully guided
Why I love this trip
Most visitors race around Iceland’s Ring Road and spend their holiday in the car. This trip stays in the south and slows right down, with time to bathe in a hot river, ride Icelandic horses, eat well and end every day in a hot spring.
It works two ways. Drive yourself with every stop and booking arranged for you, or travel fully guided with a private driver and small-group tours, so all you have to do is look out the window.
- Days 1 to 3
Reykjavík
3 nights in a central hotel
Take in the city from the top of Hallgrímskirkja, browse the design shops for genuine Icelandic wool, and walk the harbour and the city’s Viking history. End your days at an oceanside lagoon or a historic local pool, join a guided food tour one evening, and on day three head out whale watching or explore a lava tube with a guide.
- Days 4 to 5
Hveragerði
2 nights in the geothermal countryside
Hike into a steaming valley and bathe in a warm river at the top, then ride Icelandic horses through the lava fields with a local guide. Visit the town’s geothermal park, taste bread baked in the hot ground, and dine on food cooked with the earth’s own heat.
- Days 6 to 7
The Golden Circle
2 nights in the countryside
Walk between two tectonic plates at Þingvellir, watch Geysir erupt and stand at the edge of Gullfoss, on your own or with a private guide. Lunch inside a working greenhouse, soak in Iceland’s oldest natural pool, and look into the red walls of a volcanic crater.
- Days 8 to 9
Northern lights in the south
2 nights at a countryside lodge built for aurora watching
Spend the days among the south coast’s waterfalls and black sand beaches, with an optional guided glacier walk. After dark, watch for the northern lights from the hot tub or the lodge’s observatory, or head out with an aurora guide to wherever the skies are clearest.
- Days 10 to 11
Hvammsvík and the fjord
2 nights in a seaside lodge with private hot springs
Drive the quiet old road around the fjord to a peaceful estate by the sea. Soak in hot springs at the water’s edge, walk the black sand shore and watch for seals, and finish with Icelandic fish and lamb at the local bistro.
- Day 12
Fly home
About an hour and a quarter to the airport.
Make it yours
This is a starting point, not a package.
I design every trip with trusted experts who live and work in the region, and I can change anything here: your dates, your pace, the hotels, or how long you stay in each place. Where I can, I’ll add preferred-partner perks like daily breakfast and hotel credits to your stays. Pricing depends on season and the hotels you choose, so I’ll prepare a personal proposal for you.
Ready when you are