What To Do in Iceland for a Magical Week
Updated August 2026
Iceland is not known for being cheap, but this particular year when I was trying to decide where to go, the exchange with US dollar was the best it had been in ages. With that knowledge, my sister, our friend and I decided it was the year to visit Iceland.
We had about eight days total for the trip and stayed on the edge of Reykjavik, but still in walking distance. You don’t need much time to explore their capital, but it’s a great place to stay for a first trip to Iceland.
We took this trip the end of August and while there were plenty of tourists, it didn’t feel overwhelming when we were there. Iceland is large and so diverse, that it can feel overwhelming deciding what to do in Iceland for a week.
Here’s what I did on my visit, which ended up being a perfect introduction to this otherworldly destination!
Glacier Lagoon Tour
I don’t tend to prebook many tours, but I did book a tour that included the Glacial Lagoon. In planning, I found it easier to just stick with the one accommodation for the trip. This is not necessary, but worked for this trip.
If we had more time in Iceland, I’d try to circle the island, but with a limited amount of days I kept it simple (though I had also read about the sudden weather changes, which intimidated this Florida living, island born girl).
This tour for the Glacier Lagoon also included stops along the South coast at places like Skogafoss waterfall and the black sand beach. It’s worth noting this tour was ALL day due to the distance to the Glacial Lagoon from Reykjavik.
I did read that most people would drive and overnight near the lagoon. We did this all day tour instead and it was great!
Scroll for more photos from this tour!
Check availability and book the South Coast and Glacier Lagoon with Boat Tour from Reykjavik
Blue Lagoon
If you’ve seen any hot spring photos of Iceland, you have probably seen the Blue Lagoon. We spent half a day here and enjoyed the warm hot springs. I don’t remember the price we paid, but it was less than what I’m seeing listed now.
It looks like the package options are just different overall. While visiting this iconic spot could be worth it, my favorite hot springs memory came the day we rented a car to see the Fjords in the North.
Check availability for Blue Lagoon Entry Ticket with Optional Private or Shared Transfer
Renting a Car – Fjords
At this point in my travels, I had driven in other countries, but I had reservations about driving in Iceland due to the sudden weather changes I read about. Still, I decided driving up to the Fjords would be worth it. Again in keeping with my ease of planning, we didn’t overnight anywhere else. We only stayed in Reykjavik.
While we did stick to the main roads, we found out main roads don’t always mean paved roads.
Similar to the tour, this was a whole day of driving. We rented the car in the morning, and we were told to stay on main roads. They explained what the main roads were and while we did stick to the main roads, we found out main roads don’t always mean paved roads.
We drove on one road for a long time when suddenly it became gravel. I was scared we had taken a wrong turn, but after some deliberation, I continued driving and the road eventually was paved again.
We stopped at an info center in this area and asked about natural hot springs. We were given two recommendations. We tried to stop at the first recommendation, which had us going down a one lane gravel road. The hot spring was in a rock somewhere, but we never found it.
Hot Springs with a View
We continued on to the second recommendation. This one had bathrooms and the natural hot springs were put into a man made hot tub that overlooked the ocean.
There were only two other people in the hot springs, a Dutch couple, who advised us each of the three options were different temperatures. We chatted with the couple a bit and enjoyed the view. This whole experience was free (aside from the gas and car to get there) and an experience I still remember fondly.
The natural hot springs were put into a man made hot tub that overlooked the ocean. This whole experience was free (aside from the gas and car to get there) and an experience I still remember fondly.
The views on this drive were also breathtaking! It took longer to drive to this area than my original research suggested, so I would recommend staying a night or two, but overall I’d absolutely recommend exploring this area.
Horse Back Riding on Icelandic Horses
One thing you should know about me is I have a fear of animals. I enjoy them. I like learning about them. I like watching them. However, they are animals and unpredictable in my mind. I enjoy them from a safe distance or a cage, if shark diving ever happens (my first attempt failed in Cape Town, South Africa).
I have ridden horses a few times in my life and I have very vivid memories of all. I guess a little fear can have that effect. During my childhood in Florida, in New Zealand and this tour on Icelandic horses all left me with a strong memory of the experience.
This tour was booked in the info center in Reykjavik and not pre-meditated, but we chose this tour and a day trip to Greenland. I like to plan but leave a little room for the unexpected.
The weather in Iceland the day of the tour was cold and rainy. This was a rather large tour. I want to say about thirty or so of us. They gave us orange rain suits to wear, which weren’t completely successful at keeping the water out.
We mounted these small horses and were taken through the beautiful Icelandic land. I say beautiful, but my memories of the views barely exist. The rain was light but incessant and impeded the expansive views. Food was included in the tour and upon returning, we removed the rain suits and were ushered into a dining room.
Would I recommend this? Yes and no. It was a cool experience and the Icelandic horse is worth seeing and experiencing. Would I choose to do this crowded tour again, no.
Check availability for Icelandic Horseback Riding Tour from Reykjavik
Golden Circle Tour
The Golden Circle Tour is another tour I pre-booked and is common route to take in Iceland. It had several stops including to the famous Geysir.
The tour also includes Gulfoss waterfall and Thingvellir National Park. This is a typical day tour from Reykjavik and you will have plenty of options for tours.
- Golden Circle with Kerid Volcanic Crater Day Trip from Reykjavik
- Golden Circle, Blue Lagoon with Ticket and Kerid Volcanic Crater
- Golden Circle, Volcano Crater and Blue Lagoon Small-Group Tour
Day trip to Greenland
Looking at our tour option in the Reykjavik info center, we stumbled across a day tour to Greenland. This tour wasn’t cheap, but included round trip flights, and to the opportunity to visit Greenland. So we said “carpe diem” and booked it.
This was on the Saturday, our last full day of our 8 day Iceland trip. We flew to Greenland in the morning and our guide took us to a small village. He showed us these massive poles, which he pointed out were used for directional purposes when snow buried all but the top portion. Even visiting with no snow on the ground, we were able to get a sense of what winter is like in Greenland.
Soon we arrived to the village. First observation was the dead and gutted killer whale on their beach. The Inuit had hunted just the one whale and had begun the process of storing the meat and fat for the winter ahead. The village was small and felt poor. The grocery was tiny and the prices of those items were inflated, due in large part to the shipping costs.
There is a strong sense of depression and alcoholism, both of which makes sense in this very harsh and isolating climate. The eery sounds of the sled dogs howling and echoing each other stood out as well. We also saw a tribal dance put on by a local. The scenery didn’t feel as special as what Iceland offers. However, there was a massive glacier on the boat ride back which was stunning.
Would I recommend a day trip to Greenland? Yes! I love experiencing and learning about other cultures. While this culture wasn’t all “happy and prosperous,” their resilience in what is an extremely harsh climate is amazing.
During days and days of rain in Florida, I can start to feel some type of way. I can’t imagine navigating the extreme winter of Greenland. They seem to still have some traditions and ways of surviving still in tact, but the world is smaller now and perhaps that has had some negative effects as well.
Don’t go to Greenland expecting an Icelandic experience, but I very much enjoyed the day’s worth exploration and learning!
Explore Reykjavik
Reykjavik is the capital city in Iceland, though it’s not an overwhelming big city! You can explore the shops, enjoy the restaurants, and simply take in the sights of this Icelandic city.
Hallgrímskirkja is the church that dominates the skyline, and it’s genuinely striking, tall, distinctive, and visible from a lot of the city. Sun Voyager, the steel ship sculpture on the waterfront, was the other one that stuck with me, simple, but a nice spot to pause during a walk.
Beyond those two, Reykjavik was mostly where we slept, ate, and booked our extra tours (including the horseback riding and Greenland trip) at the tourist office. If you’re looking for the “wow” moments of the trip, you’ll find them outside the city, not in it.
Of course, I love wandering the streets of a city and Reykjavik was no exception.
Icelandic Food Scene
While in Iceland I tried minke whale steak and a monkfish skewer at Grill Market (Grillmarkaðurinn). Food in Iceland can be very unique, though it was a simple marmalade on cheese toast that I ate for a while once I returned home. Not a culinary masterpiece, but it was good comfort food!
Don’t neglect the food scene, because it can offer some tasty or memorable experiences (or both!). If you don’t feel like braving new things at restaurants or you’re just limited on time, consider booking a food tour!
Other Popular Things to Do (That I Didn’t Get To)
One day I’m sure I will return to Iceland. A return trip will either be in hopes of seeing the Northern Lights or exploring more of Iceland by car. Reminiscent of my Faroe Islands trip, I’d want to drive and complete the loop of the island.
It’s very easy to book tours in the Reykjavik Tourist Center. If you only partially plan your trip like I did, the tourist center is great for deciding what to do in Iceland. We added on the horse back riding tour and Greenland last minute!
Here are some tours and activities I would consider upon returning to add some fun to a road trip or winter trip!
Ring Road
The Ring Road is the thing I plan to do should I find myself back in Iceland during the summer months! Originally it was something I considered for my trip, but I got nervous about driving it with all the possible weather changes.
I’m a warm weather girl, so other than wind and rain, I don’t know how to handle what Iceland experiences. Additionally, it was three girls traveling, but I was the main driver and I know my limits.
So the Ring Road circles the island and really offers a fuller experience of Iceland! It’s popular for a reason, so if you’re up for driving around this beautiful country, make this your full experience!
Just don’t try to squeeze the Ring Road into a few days. Make sure you give it room to breathe so you can make enough stops to actually experience this island!
Places like Húsavík in North Iceland should be on the list and don’t forget the wildlife. Northern Iceland has even better whale watching and they also have their geothermal areas. I’d say a week in Iceland is the minimum you need for the Ring Road, but more is definitely better.
Snæfellsnes Peninsula
Speaking of driving, the Snæfellsnes Peninsula was an area I drove by on the way to the fjords. However, after having experienced that drive as a day trip, I don’t recommend it. I think it’s better if you can overnight in that area.
Cue Snæfellsnes Peninsula. This area is much closer to Reykjavik, making it a good day trip option! You can book a tour or just rent a car and explore on your own. However, you go about it, Iceland has so much beauty to explore!
Whale Watching
I’m not sure why we didn’t do this on our trip at the end of August, but it’s certainly worth considering if you visit during peak season which is June through August. As with any tour reliant on wildlife, you may get great sightings or you may get minimal, so it’s always good to have a healthy expectation.
If you tend to get sea sick, be sure to take motion sickness medication with you. Also dress for windier and colder weather on the boat.
Whale watching tours take place from a few places including Reykjavik or the northern city of Akureyri. Be sure to choose the right location when booking!
- RIB Whale Watching Small-Group Boat Tour from Reykjavik
- The Original Classic Whale Watching from Reykjavik
Northern Lights
Seeing the Northern Lights is on my bucket list and I imagine it may be on yours as well! While seeing them at the end of August was possible, it was less likely so we didn’t end up trying.
Since this is something I want to see with my naked eye (I’m not counting the pink skies I saw in my camera at home in Florida), I’ve done a fair bit of research. Like anything dependent on nature, there is no guarantee of seeing them or getting an impressive display if you do.
However, what Iceland offers that the Faroe Islands didn’t, is a tourist infrastructure that can help you see them! If you’re spending a week in the Iceland, consider booking a tour toward the beginning of your trip. The more nights you are in Iceland, the better your odds.
Booking at the beginning, allows you to get a lay of the land, ask questions of the guides, and decide if doing the tour again is worth it, or if trying on your own is possible throughout your week.
Some tours offer a discount if you book again, and some may offer some type of guarantee meaning you won’t even go out if the weather isn’t good.
Best Time to See the Northern Lights in Iceland
September, October and March are considered the best months to the Northern Lights in Iceland. I remember last year I had almost booked a trip in September based on a prediction of the Northern Lights. We ended up getting a hurricane so I was glad I was home, but that was when I saw the lights through my photo in Florida!
It would have actually been amazing! While you can’t really predict them far in advance, the timing wasn’t off by much, so I do recommend checking this site for predictions. Just remember, a month out is an unreliable predictor, so keep your expectations healthy.
Lastly, remember that the Northern Lights don’t disappear in the summer, but it’s just too bright to see them. So consider the fact that it needs to get dark enough at night and you need clear skies!
The clear, dark skies is actually what you are aiming for and a higher KP value. The higher the KP index, the brighter the sky!
Despite all my research, I’m pro booking a tour! It’s just too difficult trying to gather all the important information and then having to figure out where the clear skies are in a region I’m unfamiliar with. Plus, you want to get away from artificial light!
However, I hope all my research has helped you in deciding on the right time to visit for the Northern Lights, or to have a healthy expectation!
- Northern Lights Small-Group Tour with Hot Chocolate & Photos
- Northern Lights 4×4 Tour with Pastries and Cocoa from Reykjavik
Silfra Snorkeling or Diving
While I love the water, I detest being cold. Of course, for the right adventure I could be convinced, like the time I snorkeled with manatees on one of the coldest Florida days.
I did visit this between continents area on a tour, but I did not snorkel it! However, if you’re up for the adventure, it would certainly land as a memorable experience during your week in Iceland!
Reykjanes Peninsula – Volcano
I didn’t visit this area, because my trip happened before the volcano eruption. The amazing thing about Iceland is it’s ever changing! On a return trip, I’d definitely consider a visit to this area, especially if it happens sooner than later.
While I haven’t done this in Iceland, I have visited the national park in Hawaii (Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park) with older lava fields. It is super fascinating and if the volcano is at all interesting to you, consider adding this to your week in Iceland!
Final Thoughts on a What to do in Iceland
The people of Iceland are kind. The food was delicious, though not cheap. The terrain is beautiful and otherworldly and I only saw a small portion of it. This 8 day Iceland trip was full but not overwhelming and I wouldn’t change it!
The terrain is beautiful and otherworldly and I only saw a small portion of it.
I actually found notes from my trip where we did highs and lows daily. One of my lows was “dry spit on the tour guide’s mouth” and a few were to do with the wind chill! Pack layers, because I don’t think I knew enough at that time on how to pack for Iceland.
The highs were plentiful of course! The scenery, the Crocodile Dundee-esque guide we had to Greenland and the cynically humorous guide on the south coast to Glacier Lagoon tour. I can definitely see the value in taking these notes, which is why I created a travel journal. Hopefully my next trip, I can get back to capturing the memories in writing and not just in photos and videos.
I hope you have the best week in Iceland! If you’re still planning or considering other destinations, check out my Europe guides.
