For most first-time visitors, 7–12 days is the ideal amount of time to spend in Iceland. This gives you enough time to experience the country’s major highlights without spending every day on the road. If you have less time, a three- or four-day trip can work well for Reykjavík and one or two private day trips. If you want to drive the Ring Road and explore Iceland at a more relaxed pace, we recommend allowing 11–14 days.
The right length of trip ultimately depends on the season, how you want to travel and how much of Iceland you want to see.
Having planned private journeys for first-time and returning visitors for years, we’ve seen how much difference the length of a trip can make. Iceland may look compact on a map, but its landscapes are spread across a surprisingly large area. In fact, it’s five times the size of the often compared, Hawaii. Trying to fit too much into too few days can leave you spending more time in the car than experiencing the country.
As a general guide we recommend:
- 3–4 days: visit Reykjavík and explore one or two private day trips
- 5–9 days: take in Iceland in the winter
- 7–12 days: ideal for a first-time summer trip
- 11–14 days: Ring Road without rushing
- 7+ days: a good starting point for returning visitor exploring beyond the classic routes
The longer you stay, the more flexibility you have to slow down, make worthwhile detours and spend more than one night in the places you enjoy most.
3–4 days in Iceland for a Long Weekend
A long weekend in Iceland is enough to experience Reykjavík and some of the country’s most accessible natural highlights. Reykjavík is always remarkable, from its Michelin-starred dining to its boutique hotels. It also makes an excellent base for private day trips into the surrounding countryside.
If you’re travelling for a short time, a private guided itinerary can also make the most of every day by removing the need to plan routes, activities and logistics yourself.
For a short trip, we’d recommend staying in or close to Reykjavík rather than trying to drive around the island. You could explore the Golden Circle, visit a geothermal spa or head along the South Coast to see some of Iceland’s famous waterfalls and black sand beaches.
Reykjavík itself is worth making time for. Explore its independent shops and galleries, dine at some of the city’s excellent restaurants such as Dill and Moss, and spend an evening experiencing Icelandic culture before returning to your hotel.
One thing to keep in mind here is that on both arrival and departure day, you will use up a lot of time getting to and from the airport and checking in, so these days are best to be left mostly open for city exploration, leaving you with only one or two days for full-day trips out of the city. In short, the more days the better, but this is the minimum.
5–9 Days for an Epic Winter Trip
For a winter trip, 5–9 days gives you enough time to experience Iceland without having to cover too much ground. Iceland in winter is a wonderland, one that rewards visitors who take their time. With a trip lasting between 5 to 9 days, you’ll have time to explore the experiences that make Iceland so enchanting. From stepping into ice caves beneath an ancient glacier to seeking out the Northern Lights, winter transforms the landscape in exciting and inviting ways.
Mountains become snow-covered, waterfalls freeze, nights are long and the mood is tranquil. The contrast between the warmth of the geothermal lagoons and the crisp winter air is an essential Icelandic experience, one where you’re likely to lose track of time as you clear your mind. Giving yourself several days means you travel without rushing, giving yourself time to explore detours and find the parts of Iceland outside of the main experiences.
Mountains become snow-covered, waterfalls freeze, nights are long and the mood is tranquil. The contrast between the warmth of the geothermal lagoons and the crisp winter air is an essential Icelandic experience, one where you’re likely to lose track of time as you clear your mind. Giving yourself several days means you travel without rushing, giving yourself time to explore detours and find the parts of Iceland outside of the main experiences.
For the shorter itineraries, we like to focus on the south, golden circle and west Iceland, but for anything more than 6 days, spending a couple of nights in the lesser travelled south-east of Iceland adds a whole new dimension to your trip. This is where the natural ice caves are situated.
7–12 Days for Your First Summer in Iceland
For a first time trip, especially in summer, 7–12 days gives you enough time to experience some of Iceland’s best-known landscapes without packing every day with activities. The size and grandeur of so much of Iceland can be overwhelming, so giving yourself a week or more to explore allows you to experience a little bit of everything.
The Golden Circle is Iceland’s most iconic driving route, bringing together some of the nation’s most notable natural wonders in one loop. Take in the captivating greenery of Þingvellir National Park, watch the geyser at Strokkur send boiling water skyward and feel the might of Gullfoss as the water thunders into the canyon below.
If you’re visiting Iceland as a family, a week or more is long enough to not have to rush yourselves. A longer stay means more two-night stays and fewer days spent in the car, as well as giving you time to enjoy the relaxing qualities of Iceland’s geothermal spas. A dip in the Blue Lagoon can be a memorable addition for families, giving children something completely different to experience while parents enjoy a chance to slow down.
As you approach the longer 12 day itineraries, we can really spend extra time getting into the highlands, across to puffin filled islands, and doing more family friendly activities – stepping further away from the more popular sights.
“Hidden Iceland planned an amazing trip 7 day trip for our family of 10. Everything was perfect from the planning to the actual trip. Our guide Robert was wonderful. Hidden Iceland planned a great trip and was great at making a last minute change when our plane was late. We have wonderful memories!!” – Mrsswril on Tripadvisor
11–14 Days in Iceland to Drive the Ring Road
For a full Ring Road journey, we’d recommend 11–14 days. Iceland’s Ring Road, also known as Route 1 or the ‘Grand Circle’, circles the country and connects many of its most celebrated landscapes. While it is technically possible to drive the route in much less time, doing so means spending long hours behind the wheel and leaving little opportunity to explore. Anything less than 7 – 8 days is going to be very rushed and relegates your dream trip to lots of driving and box ticking, which we don’t recommend.
From the thundering curtain of Skógafoss on the South Coast to the immense power of Dettifoss in the north-east, the landscapes shift dramatically as you make your way around the country. Stand beside glacier lagoons like the vast Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, where seals frequently glide between the icebergs or relax on the sparkling Diamond Beach – a black sand beach, one of Iceland’s unique icons.
Through a self-drive tour, you can stop and embrace your surroundings. The traditional route begins with the Golden Circle and the sights of South Iceland, before continuing to the east in a counter-clockwise direction.
Returning to Iceland? Allow for 7+ days
For many, the best trip to Iceland isn’t the first – or even the second, third or fourth. We should know, it’s why so many of our guides have made Iceland their home.
So if you’ve already experienced the best-known highlights, a return trip is a perfect opportunity to explore the places beyond the familiar routes. Give yourself a week or more to discover places such as the Westfjords, where dramatic fjords, remote villages and coastal landscapes offer a very different experience of Iceland.
In summer, the Westfjords are also home to abundant birdlife, including puffins and guillemots around the Látrabjarg cliffs. For experienced skiers, the slopes around Ísafjörður offer another reason to explore the region in winter.
North Iceland is another amazing choice for a second trip. From the volcanic majesty of Krafla to the vivid green water of the Víti crater, and from the roaring power of the Dettifoss waterfall to the whales surfacing in the waters off the coast, there are sights of breathtaking beauty across the region. You can drive here with ease, as part of the ring road tour, but more and more of our guests are opting to simply fly directly to Akureyri and spendin their entire trip in this wonderful region.
With seven days or more, you have the freedom to explore beyond Iceland’s best-known highlights and discover places you may have missed on your first visit. It gives you the time to travel at a slower pace and experience a different side of the country.
“This was our second trip to Iceland – and second with Hidden Iceland. Once again, they did an exceptional job throughout our whole experience. We highly recommend them because of the quality of their guides and their attentiveness to service.” – Ampersandi on TripAdvisor
How long should your journey to Iceland be? It’s entirely determined by what you want to get out of it, and with years of experience creating tailor-made journeys around Iceland (and thousands of positive reviews), we’ll be able to advise how much time you’d need. One thing is for sure, however many days you have, we’ll make the trip special without feeling rushed. Start your adventure today.
Or emailing us at info@hiddeniceland.is at call +354-770-5733 to start planning your luxury Iceland trip.