I just got back from a 4 day trip to Iceland and I thought I would share my itinerary.
The day we landed we took a detour to Reykjavik and stopped by Brúin milli heimsálfa to stand on the black sand between the Eurasia and North American tectonic plates. Then took a quick look at Brimketill which are lava pools along the coast that look so unique and quite beautiful. We had the entire place to ourselves and it was so serine. After a nap at the apartment, we spent a few hours at the Blue Lagoon and then I hiked to the Volcano. I decided to hike the closed trail A which was probably a mistake as the last bit is a hike straight up a rocky mountainside that is not cleared, but the view of the volcano from the top was well worth it and I was mere inches from the lava field. It took about an hour and a half to hike up and an hour to hike down.
On day two we did the golden circle. We started with the lava bread tour at Laugarvatn Fontana. The bread was absolutely delicious and our tour guide was very engaging. We learned a lot about the surround area and hot springs as well. They have tours everyday at 11:30 and 2:30. We then had lunch at Friðheimar which is a popular tourist stop. A greenhouse that specializes in cucumbers and tomatoes and a menu that revolves around it. I don’t even like tomatoes but thought their tomato soup was absolutely delicious. I think this place lives up to all the hype. The rest of the day was spent hitting up the typical stops, Gullfuss, Geysir, and Thingvellir.
The next day was a trip to the south coast which included Seljalandsfoss, Skogafoss, Sólheimajökull glacier, and the basalt columns on the black sand beach. The highlight of the day was definitely Gljufrabui which is a waterfall just left of Seijalandsfoss and is simply magical. Wear a full rain suit to these waterfalls to be able to fully experience them and not be soaked head to toe.
On our last day we headed up to the Snæfellsnes peninsula. Stopping at þórufoss, Kirkjufellsfoss, the black church of Búðir, and Rauðfeldsgjá Gorge. The gorge was probably the highlight of this day as walking through it feels almost as walking through the portal to Narnia. If you come prepared with a waterproof outfit and shoes, you can rock scramble quite far down the gorge.