4 Days in Iceland: A Day-by-Day Itinerary

Four days in Iceland cover Reykjavík, a day of lagoons and the national park, and a south coast day that ends in Vík. The plan fits winter into early spring, when January sunshine in Reykjavík averages 0.7 hours a day, so each day is built around a short list of stops. It leaves the rest of the island for another trip.

At a glance

• Recommended length: 4 days
• Route: Reykjavík, Þingvellir, Laugarvatn and Flúðir, then the south coast to Vík
• Lodging tax: 800 kr. per unit for hotels and guesthouses, 400 kr. for campsites

Is 4 days enough in Iceland?

Four days cover the capital, one day of lagoons and the national park, and a south coast day that ends in Vík. Anyone who wants a long walk or a full day at one waterfall will want more time than this.

With one more day, give Reykjavík its own day. The National Museum of Iceland, Perlan and Sky Lagoon would then stop competing with the walk from Hallgrímskirkja to Harpa.

With one day less, drop Day 4 and turn back after Dyrhólaey. The canyon and the Vík museums are the stops that can wait.

When to plan 4 days in Iceland

The climate facts cover January to April, and the difference matters for this plan. Rain or snow falls on roughly 15 days of January and 12 days of April, and the April high is 44°F (7°C). Pack for wet streets in any of these months.

Where to stay in Iceland for 4 days

For the third night, sleeping in Vík puts the Katla Visitor Centre and the Hafnleysa Maritime Museum a short step from the bed on Day 4. Hotels and guesthouses pay a lodging tax of 800 kr. per unit, and campsites 400 kr.

Camping needs more planning. Most of the roughly 200 registered campsites open from the beginning of June to the end of August or mid-September, though Grindavík opens from mid-March into November. Pitching a camper van outside a campsite is illegal without the landowner’s permission, and a traditional tent may be pitched for one night on uncultivated land along public routes in inhabited areas.

Getting around Iceland in 4 days

The plan links stops in several parts of the country, so a car makes it easiest to follow. In Reykjavík, you may not park within 16 feet (5 meters) of a crosswalk or an intersection, nor within 49 feet (15 meters) of a bus stop sign. Park only on the right-hand side of the road.

A stop of less than three minutes to let passengers in or out, or to load and unload, is not considered parking. That is enough for a quick drop at Hallgrímskirkja.

4 Days in Iceland, day by day

Day 1: Hallgrímskirkja, Laugavegur and Harpa

Start at Hallgrímskirkja, a parish church and national sanctuary that is also the largest church in Iceland, with the largest organ in the country.

Perlan is a nature exploratorium with interactive exhibits on Iceland’s natural wonders, and Tjörnin and Mount Esja are also among the popular landmarks. For a rainy hour, the National Museum of Iceland is at Suðurgata 41. Sky Lagoon, at Vesturvör 44 to 48 in Kópavogur, makes an evening swim within Greater Reykjavík.

Day 2: Þingvellir, Fontana and Secret Lagoon

Begin at Þingvellir National Park, whose Service Center is at Leirar, close to the camping grounds. Fontana is at Hverabraut 1 in Laugarvatn, and Secret Lagoon is near Flúðir, so the day moves from park to lagoon to lagoon.

Secret Lagoon was made in 1891 at Hverahólmi and is the oldest swimming pool in Iceland. It has a main pool, a hot paddling pool and a cold pool. Its address is Hvammsvegur, 845 Flúðir. Pick one lagoon for the later hours of the day, since the days are short in winter.

Day 3: Seljalandsfoss, Gljúfrabúi and Dyrhólaey

Seljalandsfoss plunges over the cliffs of Vestur-Eyjafjall, on the boundary between Seljaland and Hamragarðar. Dyrhólaey follows, a promontory 394 feet (120 meters) high rising out of the black sand just west of Vík.

The small orange-roofed lighthouse at Dyrhólaey was built in 1927 on the highest point of the headland. Plan the stops so that Dyrhólaey comes while there is still daylight, then finish in Vík for the night.

Day 4: Vík and the Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon

Spend the morning in Vík. The Katla Visitor Centre is at Víkurbraut 28, in the historical Brydebúð building, and the Hafnleysa Maritime Museum is at Víkurbraut 17. Both are on the same street.

Fjaðrárgljúfur is a canyon about 98 feet (30 meters) deep and about 1.2 miles (2 km) long.

If the weather is poor, keep the museums for the middle of the day and shorten the canyon visit.