5 Day Self Drive Tour | Golden Circle, South Coast & Jokulsarlon

Our adventure begins with the famous Golden Circle sights: Thingvellir National Park, the Geysir geothermal area, and the Gullfoss waterfall. We start at Thingvellir National Park, the birthplace of the ancient Icelandic Parliament, or Althing (Alþingi), where Iceland’s supreme legislative and judicial authority was established in 930 CE. 

The route continues to the famous Geysir hot spring area, where you’ll get the chance to witness the iconic Strokkur eruption. The Golden Circle tour wraps up with a visit to the mighty Gullfoss waterfall and its roaring drop. The final stop, Faxafoss, bids you farewell with a peaceful cascade.  

Day Highlights

• Thingvellir national park
• Geysir geothermal area
• Gullfoss waterfall
• Faxafoss waterfall

Included

• Rental car
• Accommodation

After breakfast, your tour route provides excellent views of the volcano Eyjafjallajökull. Its glittering ice cap is a reminder of the 2010 eruption that disrupted air traffic across Europe. Of course, on a self-drive tour, it’s entirely up to you where you stop—but we’ll share a few suggestions to help you make the most of your trip.

Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss waterfalls are great stops before continuing to Sólheimajökull glacier for a guided 3-hour hike. All necessary equipment is included, and an expert guide will lead you across the ash-and-snow wonderland. After that comes Dyrhólaey, the black sand beach at Reynisdrangar, and the charming village of Vík.  

Driving across the Sólheimasandur volcanic sand plains gives you your first glimpse of the lunar-like scenery Iceland is known for. Other interesting places nearby include the Skógasafn Museum and Gljúfrabúi, a picturesque waterfall surrounded by scenic hiking paths. 

Day Highlights

• Seljalandsfoss waterfall
• Skogafoss waterfall
• Solheimajokull glacier
• Eyjafjallajökull volcano views
• Vik village

Included

• Guided glacier hike tour
• Accommodation
• Rental car

Early in the day, we will take a glacier hike in Skaftafell Nature Reserve. Drive to the meeting point at Skaftafell and meet your expert glacier guide. At Falljökull, we will strap on our ice crampons and get ready for the magical moment of setting foot on the glacier!

After the glacier hike, we highly recommend you take the time to enjoy the short hike from the Skaftafell Visitor Centre to Svartifoss, a waterfall that drops from a dramatic wall of black basalt columnar formations. With shimmering white water pouring over black basalt, it is no surprise that these falls have inspired Icelandic architecture!

The next segment of your route takes you to the stunning Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon. The glacial lagoon is vast and stretches as far as the eye can see. Icebergs drift slowly toward the ocean, less than 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) away. The scenery feels like a film set… and in fact, it is one! Tomb Raider, the reality TV series Amazing Race, Batman Begins, and the James Bond movies Die Another Day and A View to a Kill all include scenes shot here. 

Day Highlights

• Vatnajökull National Park
• Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon

Included

• Rental car
• Accommodation

Today we explore even more of the South Coast! Your route continues with a visit to Kirkjugólf, the amazing basalt column floor which is situated just outside of Kirkjubæjarklaustur. The lovely Fossálar (waterfall), Dverghamrar, Lómagnúpur, and the old buildings at Núpsstaðir are all great stopping points.

If you want to explore more areas near Reykjavík, you can visit Stokkseyri and Eyrarbakki. Both are charming and atmospheric coastal villages with delightful, brightly painted wooden houses. Þorlákshöfn is another small village with the kind of scenes and atmosphere historic seaside villages used to have. It’s unspoiled and beautiful. 

Day Highlights

• Lómagnúpur
• Kirkjugólf
• Fossálar
• Dverghamrar
• Fjaðrárgljúfur

Included

• Rental car
• Accommodation

Reykjanes has far more to offer than just being the peninsula where the international airport is located—though that does make it very convenient! You’ll find mossy lava fields, volcanic craters, and unusual cones. The silhouette of one particularly elegant cone, Keilir, stands out clearly on the horizon.  

While it’s not visible from Þorlákshöfn, a major town in the area, it’s especially prominent from Lake Kleifarvatn, which also has some great hiking paths if you have the time. Be sure to visit the hot springs at Krýsuvík for one last look at the surreal steam rising from the ground. The Gunnuhver hot springs (linked to a famous ghost saga) and the bridge between the continents are also well worth a visit. 

If you have the time, we definitely recommend a visit to the Blue Lagoon—an iconic and now world-famous geothermal spa. It’s located near Grindavík, a fishing town that became a ghost town following the 2023–2025 Sundhnúkur volcanic eruptions. While Grindavík remains abandoned, the Blue Lagoon has reopened safely and continues to draw visitors for its mineral-rich waters and dramatic volcanic surroundings. 

Day Highlights

• Þorlákshöfn
• Kleifarvatn
• Seltún Geothermal Area
• Grænavatn Lake
• Blue Lagoon (optional)

Included

• Rental car

Choose between pickup at Keflavik International Airport (KEF) or Reykjavik City office in downtown Reykjavík. It is very centrally located and easy to reach on foot for those staying in downtown Reykjavik. Picking up from the downtown office is from 8 AM - 6 PM.

For the best experience, we recommend picking the car up early on departure day and returning it in the afternoon or evening on the last day.

Pick-up and drop-off in the same location (optional to change by sending a request).

Comfort accommodation is included in the package. Good locations, breakfast included and you get a private bathroom.

Note: If you book for 2 or 4 persons you get twin / double rooms. If you book for 3 or 5 persons you get a combination of double/twin rooms and triple rooms.