Day 1 — Downtown Reykjavik
Start at Hallgrímskirkja, taking the tower lift for the city's best viewpoint before the crowds build. Walk down through Skólavörðustígur's design shops to Laugavegur, the main street, and spend the morning browsing wool shops for a lopapeysa and stopping into a bakery for skyr and coffee.
In the afternoon, walk to the Old Harbour (Grandi). Lunch at Grandi Mathöll, then wander the Maritime Museum or, better, book an afternoon whale-watching trip with Elding — Faxaflói Bay has strong minke whale and porpoise sighting rates, particularly June to August.
Evening: Harpa Concert Hall on the waterfront for its shifting glass facade, then Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur near the harbour for a classic Icelandic hot dog before dinner downtown.
Day 2 — Golden Circle
A full day on Iceland's essential loop. Þingvellir National Park first — walk the rift valley where the tectonic plates are separating and see the site of the Althing, Iceland's parliament since 930 AD.
Continue to the Geysir geothermal field, where Strokkur erupts every 5–10 minutes, then to Gullfoss, a thunderous two-tiered waterfall on the Hvítá river. If you have room, add Kerið crater lake or Friðheimar's geothermal tomato farm for lunch on the way back. Return to Reykjavik for dinner.
Day 3 — South Coast: Waterfalls & Black Sand
An early start for Iceland's other essential day trip. Drive about 2 hours east to Seljalandsfoss, a 60-metre waterfall you can walk fully behind — bring a rain jacket, you will get wet.
Continue to Skógafoss, a wider and more powerful falls with a staircase to a viewing platform at the top for a view down the coastline. Both waterfalls are short stops but worth 30–45 minutes each.
Finish at Reynisfjara, the black sand beach near Vík with its basalt column cliffs and Reynisdrangar sea stacks visible offshore. The waves here are genuinely dangerous — sneaker waves have killed visitors who turned their backs on the ocean, so keep well back from the waterline. On clear days, the Eyjafjallajökull glacier-volcano is visible inland. Drive back to Reykjavik in the evening; it's a long day, roughly 5–6 hours of driving total.
Day 4 — Blue Lagoon & the Reykjanes Peninsula
A slower, recovery day after the South Coast drive. The Blue Lagoon, 40 minutes from the city on the Reykjanes Peninsula, is worth the hype — milky geothermal water at 38–40°C set in a black lava field, with silica mud masks and a swim-up bar. Book weeks ahead; it sells out, especially in summer.
If you want more of the peninsula, Reykjanes is Iceland's newest volcanically active area, with lava fields from recent eruptions, the Bridge Between Continents (a footbridge symbolically spanning the tectonic plates), and the Reykjanesviti lighthouse. Otherwise, treat the day as rest: soak, have a relaxed lunch at the Lagoon's café, and return to the city by late afternoon.
Evening: explore the Vesturbær neighbourhood, quieter and more residential than downtown, and finish with dinner somewhere serving fresh Arctic char or cod.
Day 5 — Museums, the Sun Voyager & Departure
A lighter final day. The National Museum of Iceland gives useful context on everything seen over the previous days, from Norse settlement to modern independence. Walk the Sæbraut waterfront path to see the Sun Voyager sculpture, a steel Viking-ship skeleton facing the bay — striking any time of day, exceptional at sunset.
Spend your last hours at a geothermal pool — Sundhöllin downtown is the most convenient if you're pressed for time. Icelandic pool etiquette requires a thorough naked shower before entering, taken seriously by staff and locals alike.
If your flight departs Keflavík and you haven't already visited the Blue Lagoon, it sits directly on the airport route — a pre-flight soak, booked in advance, is a fitting way to end the trip.