8-Day Road Trip Itinerary: Hiking Around Iceland’s Ring Road

Day 1- Arrive in Reykjavik

Pick up your rental car and head straight to the Blue Lagoon to refresh after your long journey. Located about 25 minutes from the airport, the Blue Lagoon sits amid a dramatic setting of black lava boulders. You will be blown away by the stunning blue pool. After soaking in this famous lagoon, head to Reykjavik for a late afternoon walking tour to get your bearings here.

Day 2- Dive to Borgarfjordur

Before setting off today, pop into the grocery store to stock up on snacks, lunch supplies and cold drinks to keep you fueled for your adventures.

Depending on the time of year, you can head up to Into the glacier for an ice cave tour of Europe’s second largest glacier. Here you can stroll through a 500-meter ice tunnel 30 meters under the glacier.

After exploring under the ground, head to Hraunfossar - Barnafoss Waterfall for a quick trail that visits two cascading waterfalls.

Day 3 - Snaefellsnes Peninsula

Today you will drive and see things in the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, a region in Iceland that is famous for its beautiful landscapes. While in the area, you can opt to make a day of in/out of the car sights or add in a few longer hikes.

A few not-to-miss stops:

• Stykkisholmur is a small town in the summer. You can go to the Hafnarvaginn Fish and Chips shop for a delicious lunch during the summer and then go on to do more.

• Kirkjufell: The most photographed mountain in the country

• Arnarstapi to Hellner: Hike: This 6-mile round-trip hike takes you from one town to another through ancient lava fields and along the coast. The path is rocky at times — wooden walkways, lava rocks, etc. A great way to experience the landscapes from outside the car.

Day 4 - Golden Circle

One of the most famous areas of Iceland is the Golden Circle. Today's top things to do include visiting Thingvellir National Park. You can snorkel between the tectonic plates, or just watch the plates move apart from the main walking path.

From here, you can go on a Geothermal Bread Baking tour, which ends with delicious samples. Families love this quick, fun educational stop.

A not-to-miss sight on the Golden Circle is the Strokkur Geyser, which erupts every 6–10 minutes.

Finally, today, you will go to the most impressive waterfalls in Iceland, the Gullfoss Waterfall. Gullfoss is the largest waterfall in Europe by volume, but what makes Gullfoss special is the beautiful two-tier cascade waterfall.

Day 5 - Drive down South Coast to Vik

We highly recommend starting today off with a visit to the LAVA Center Museum to learn about the geography of Iceland

One of the most famous waterfalls you have probably seen many pictures of is Seljalandsfoss Waterfall. It is famous because there is a small hiking trail that lets you go behind the waterfall. Wear rain jackets.

Next up is the Skogafoss Waterfall that you can view from below and for the adventurous, also above (after a 300-stair climb!).

End your day at the Dryholaey Black Sand Beach, by checking out the basalt columns of Reynisdrangar.

Day 6 - South Coast

The main recommendation for today is Fjallsarlon Glacier Lagoon boat ride among floating icebergs and a visit to Diamond Beach

If you need to stretch your legs, head to Skaftafell (national park) to check out the Svartifoss Waterfall hike.

Day 7 - Drive to Reykjavik

You can add in anything that you missed on the previous days as you head back, or you can also check out other hikes here near Vik, such as the Crashed plane hike (Flat 4.5 miles on sand) etc. If you drive straight back, without stops, it will be about 2.5 hours and you can spend the rest of the day exploring Reykjavik or shopping for last-minute souvenirs.

Day 8 - Fly Home

In Reykjavik, grab a late afternoon snack or early dinner at the famous Icelandic Hot Dog, Baejarins Beztu Icelandic Hot Dogs, located near the harbor. The classic option is to get "eina med ollu" or "one with everything." This order includes a remoulade (a mayonnaise-based sauce), sweet mustard, ketchup and a mix of crunchy and raw onions.

Other thoughts for the capital:

• Grai Kotturinn for a cozy atmosphere

• Svarta Kaffid for tasty soup served in a bread bowl

• Icelandic Street Food - another soup in a bread-bowl type place with free waffles too! (All you can eat, but mostly offers three soups — lamb, shellfish and tomato)

• Reykjavik Roasters for some of the best coffee in town

• Cinnamon buns from Braud & Co Bakery - several around town

• Icelandic Fish & Chips - quick and easy option