Read Rick's book, but decided to do it a tad differently. Please help me see if my plan would work!

I love this itinerary. We've been to Iceland a few times and you really do need a car. While we almost always follow Rick's itineraries we always take things slower too usually adding a day or two to our stays. I hate being in a hurry. But looks good to me!

We went a few years ago, before there was even a Rick Steves guidebook. Looks like you’ve got a good plan, and in August, you’ll have better road conditions than we had in April. We couldn’t do the Westmanns, so that’s still on the wishlist - should be fantastic when you go!

We did a driving road trip one day up to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. Didn’t get to the end of it, but it was a great day. We got homegrown (greenhouse) strawberries at a roadside stand. Just leave your money in the box and take your berries - what a great place, where you can do that!

It would probably be far more cost effective to rent a car straight from the airport than to pay for transport to Reykjavik and pay for the golden circle tour, neither are very cheap. Also, I think you would enjoy being able to go at your own pace and stay at each site as much as you want. Maybe even add on slight detours that aren’t always on the tour like the kerid crater or Efstidalur.

Also, is there a reason why you chose to split your time in Reykjavik? Since you like to travel slower, how about renting a car from the airport and driving straight to the south coast to spend the first half of your journey, then Reykjavik for the second half. You could easily return the car in the city (they don’t usually charge extra) if you don’t want to keep it the whole trip. That way you’re only moving locations once during your trip.

You mentioned ice cave tours and I’m pretty sure they only operate during the winter so that is something to investigate and consider. For one of your day trips you could explore the Snæfellsnes peninsula if you were looking for other areas to visit. In response to a thermal bath convenient to Reykjavik, they just opened a new one near the city called Sky Lagoon that is right on the coast and opens up to a view of the ocean.

If you want to visit a thermal bath after Silfra, I can't remember for sure, but Fontana might be a good option. Right on the Golden Circle, I think it's closer than Krauma, but I may be remembering wrong.

Thanks for all the wonderful responses so far! Love them!

@Christina - I agree with you that it's far more cost effective to rent a car straight from the airport, but realistically I can't see us arriving early in the morning (6am) after a long flight (we aren't plane sleepers), figuring out airport logistics, navigating through covid requirement (if any at the time we travel), picking up a car and driving for 3 or more hours in a foreign country. That just seems too ambitious for us so we opted a slightly less convenient plan, but more realistic for us.

I would love to do an ice cave, but yes I have heard in the summer that might not be happening. I did see a couple tours but we need to look more into those tours. I love your suggestion on the Snaefellsnes peninsula! We will definitely look into that!
And Sky Lagoon looks absolutely stunning! That is why I love Rick Steve's forum. I often receive suggestions that I normally miss during my research. Thank you so much!

@Cyn thank you for such a helpful tip! I hope the berry stand would still be there when we visit. That sounds delicious!

One note on Day 8 - if I'm reading Google Maps correctly (which is a big "if"), the volcano is threatening to overrun the southern Ring Road such that it may not be possible to take the Ring Road from the south coast to the Blue Lagoon.

When we were there a few years ago, we took a tour of the Golden Circle as our first activity. Having a guide was a great introduction to the geologic features of Iceland, easier and more interesting than what you'd get from reading a guidebook.

You'll find that the majority of people visiting Iceland and not renting a car at the airport take the

Flybus

into Reykjavic. A cab will be extremely expensive as it is a 45 minute drive from airport to the city. And nothing in Iceland is cheap.

Thank you for all the wonderful tips and recommendations. I found these information so valuable! Love this community!