7 Amazing Day Trips From Reykjavik, Iceland

Are you wondering what the best day trips from Reykjavik are? After taking countless day trips from the capital, these are the 7 you should add to your list! 

It’s no secret that Iceland is full of dramatic landscapes and beautiful scenery. And while Reykjavik offers plenty to see and do, the true magic of Iceland lies beyond the capital. 

If you’re staying in Reykjavik, you can easily explore some of Iceland’s most stunning natural wonders on day trips. In fact, this is a fantastic way to experience the diverse landscapes of Iceland while having a single base to return to.

This is what we did during our first trip to Iceland, and we were so surprised at how easy this was. There are so many beautiful places you can reach within a few hours of the city.

So, if you’re looking for the best day trips from Reykjavik, here are our 7 top picks, from adventurous glacier hikes to iconic waterfalls and everything in between.

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1. South Coast

One of the most unforgettable day trips from Reykjavik is to the Southern Coast. 

This region is home to some of the most impressive falls in all of Iceland. However, you’ll also find black sand beaches, glaciers, ice caves, hiking trails and so much more. 

We’ve spent a lot of time along Iceland’s southern coast and it’s one of our favourite parts of the country. The scenery is incredible and you can spend much longer than a day here. 

👉 For our full guide, check out our 5-day south coast itinerary. 

However, if you are staying in Reykjavik or only have a few days in Iceland, it’s so simple to take a guided tour to the South Coast. We did this on our very first trip to Iceland and had the best time. 

Our guide was fantastic and took us to all of the top spots: Skogafoss Waterfall, Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach, and the town of Vik. We also had a glacier hike booked as part of our tour. 

This glacier hike remains one of the best things we’ve ever done in Iceland. 

There’s really no denying that the south coast is one of the best day trips you can take from Reykjavik, and I highly recommend it to anyone staying in the capital. 

❤️ This is the tour we recommend and it’s absolutely fantastic!

2. Snaefellsnes Peninsula

Compared to the south coast, this is a much less-visited part of Iceland. Nonetheless, if you love unique scenery, it’s well worth exploring. 

The Snaefellsnes Peninsula is known as “Iceland in Miniature” because of its diverse range of landscapes. The area is also home to more incredible waterfalls, a glacier, a volcano, several volcanic craters, and a beautiful coastline with both black and white sand beaches. 

When we visited, we hired a car and did a self-drive road trip; however, there are also guided tour options from Reykjavik. These will take you to many of the highlights in the Peninsula and usually include hotel pick up and drop off too. 

Some of our favourite stops here include Djúpalónssandur Beach, Arnarstapi Cliffs, Saxholl Crater, and Kirkjufellsfoss, but there is a lot more to see here!

❤️ If you love unique hidden gems, you’ll love this part of Iceland!

3. Solheimajokull Glacier

We weren’t kidding when we said this is one of the best things we’ve ever done in Iceland!

If there’s one thing you need to add to your Iceland bucket list this year, going on a glacier hike on Solheimajokull is a great place to start. 

If you’re staying in Reykjavik, this is the most accessible glacier from the capital. It’s close to the town of Vik, and many tours of the south coast include a glacier hike here. 

For our hike, this was one of the final stops on our south coast tour. We spent around an hour and a half out on the ice, which included hiking down into a glacier tunnel and drinking water fresh out of the glacier. It was such a fantastic day.

If you’re considering doing this, you’ll need to book a guided tour. It’s quite dangerous to go out on the glaciers without a guide, and you’ll need to ensure you have all the right equipment. 

But this is easy to book from Reykjavik, and you can check out the one we did here.

❤️ This is one of our favourite day trips from Reykjavik and a must-visit!

4. Reykjanes Peninsula

This is another underrated place to visit in Iceland. Although it’s gained a bit more popularity recently because of all of the volcanic eruptions taking place on the peninsula. 

This is where Keflavik Airport is located in Iceland, and also the famous Blue Lagoon. Besides those two spots, most people don’t explore the peninsula further. However, it’s another fantastic day trip from Reykjavik.  

Once again, you can either visit via a guided tour or hire a car and go on a road trip. Both options are good; however, they can offer different things. 

On a road trip, you can explore the area’s dramatic coastline and see places like the Bridge Between Two Continents and several hot springs. You can also combine this with a trip to the Blue Lagoon.

However, on a guided tour, you can also go hiking on a volcano. 

Many of the guided tours to the Reykjanes Peninsula offer volcano hikes, or you can even go on a volcano hiking tour of the area specifically and spend the day hiking the volcanic structures and admiring the impressive scenery. 

Of course, this doesn’t guarantee that you’ll see any active volcanoes, but it is a fantastic thing to do in Iceland and a great way to see the country’s volcanic landscapes. 

❤️ This is the best way to get up close and personal with volcanoes!

5. Katla Ice Cave

This is one of Iceland’s most popular natural attractions and for good reason. It’s definitely one of the most expensive things you can do in Iceland; however, it’s worth every penny because the scenery is just insane. 

Katla is located along Iceland’s south coast, just beyond the village of Vik. Similar to Sólheimajökull, you can also opt for a south coast tour that includes a visit to Katla Ice Cave.

While this is the most popular way to explore the ice cave from Reykjavik, it may involve revisiting some of the same sites if you’ve already explored the south coast. 

This is why, if you’re spending four days in Iceland or less, we recommend choosing either a glacier hike or a visit to the ice cave. If you have longer than that, we suggest staying in Vik and doing both!

The Katla Ice Cave is a truly unique experience. Not only is the cave breathtaking, but it’s also constantly changing. Since it’s a natural formation, it melts and shifts in different ways, so no two visits are the same.

6. Golden Circle

Of all of the day trips you can take from Reykjavik, this is probably the most popular. More or less everyone who visits Iceland will see the Golden Circle at some point – and to be honest, we recommend it. It’s quite an iconic spot. 

The route starts and ends in Reykjavik and encompasses 3 main spots: Thingvellir National Park, Gullfoss Waterfall, and Geysir Geothermal Area.

Many Golden Circle tours also include Kerid Crater, and you can also get tours that include the Secret Lagoon as well.

The Golden Circle is a wonderful part of Iceland, but it’s also very busy. This means it can get incredibly crowded. The second time we visited in winter, the crowds were quite insane, and we had to peer over a lot of people to watch the Geysir erupt. 

However, many tours depart from Reykjavik to the Golden Circle, from bus tours to private guides. Early morning tours or visiting during off-peak seasons can help you avoid the largest crowds, too. 

Despite the hustle and bustle, the Golden Circle is a must-see for any trip to Iceland. It’s a perfect way to experience its unique landscapes.

❤️ This is a must-visit day trip from Reykjavik!

7. Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon

Last but not least, we have Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon. The Glacier Lagoon is one of our favourite spots in Iceland, and it’s mesmerising. Anyone who loves Iceland’s natural beauty should visit this place.

However, we debated putting this one on the list because of its distance from Reykjavik. It’s a 5-hour drive from the capital. And that’s just one way, and in good weather. 

Bad weather or extreme wind (which is very likely in this part of Iceland, especially if you’re visiting in winter) can make your journey much longer. Despite the beauty of the area, we aren’t sure it’s worth spending 10+ hours in the car. 

Nonetheless, plenty of people make the trip from Reykjavik in a day, and there are lots of guided tours that offer this journey. So, we decided to add it. 

If you’re staying in Reykjavik and don’t want to drive, a guided tour may be your only option. Many of the tours start early in the morning, which increases the time you have at the lagoon.

However, if possible, we recommend spending longer here than just a day. There are lots of hotels near Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon where you can spend the night, and lots more to do in the area, such as hiking trails, glacier tongues, and glacier hikes. 

But if you can’t spare more than a day, a guided tour from Reykjavik is also a good way to see the glacier lagoon – if you don’t mind the long drive. 

❤️ This is one of our favourite places in Iceland!

Can I do these day trips without a car?

Yes, you can visit all of these destinations without a car, as there are guided tours available from Reykjavik to all of these places.

If you’re staying in the capital or aren’t comfortable driving, you can still visit. Plus, many tour operators offer pick-up services directly from your hotel in Reykjavik.

Can you visit these places during winter?

Yes, you can! Our first trip to Iceland was during the winter months, and we did several of these day tours. We also visited for a second time in March, which is still winter in Iceland, and visited almost all of these places. 

It’s always a good idea to book guided tours in advance because they can quickly sell out in Iceland, especially during the winter months when availability can be more limited. 

While winter offers a snowy wonderland and also usually has fewer crowds, it comes with its own challenges. This includes shorter daylight hours and unpredictable weather, especially between December and February. 

Many tour operators are well-equipped to handle winter conditions, so you’ll likely be more comfortable on a tour than driving yourself.

We’ve had some very questionable weather driving in Iceland in winter, from a snowstorm in Akureyri to seriously strong winds on our drive from Vik to Jokulsarlon.

Just be sure to dress warmly, check the weather, and be prepared for icy and snowy conditions.

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