The Top Itineraries That You Should Consider When Traveling to Iceland 

Even though I plan trips daily, I was completely lost on where to begin when planning a trip to Iceland. I wanted to see everything, but I also didn’t want to ruin the trip with too much time in the car, or move too frequently. While Iceland was one of the most challenging trips to plan, it was the most rewarding experience!

I traveled to Iceland with my family when my children were 13, 5, and 5. I knew we wanted a lot of adventure and outdoor time. My teen is very well-traveled, and I needed to balance her love of adrenaline-inducing activities with the fact that I was traveling with not only one, but two 5-year-olds. After hours and hours of research, trainings with my preferred tour companies, and calling in some colleagues who specialize in planning trips to Iceland, I came up with a few main itineraries that would make the most use of our time and check-off all of our bucketlist adventures. Eventually, I landed on the perfect choice for our family vacation.

(To read more about WHEN you should visit Iceland, check out this blog).

Main Itinerary Options That I did NOT choose:

1. Ring Road: the well-known and well-loved circle around the entire country. Ultimately, I decided against this because it would have meant more time in the car and more packing and unpacking. If you want to do Ring Road, 14 nights is the minimum amount of time I would spend trying to complete this route. I also would not recommend this route for families with younger children, depending on the children.

2. Reykjavik, Golden Circle, and the Highlands: Although I do want to experience the Highlands one day, I wasn’t ready to venture to the interior parts of Iceland with the kids. I would recommend this to travelers with older kids or adults-only travelers. The roads to access the Highlands are rough and require off-road vehicles, and the area is uninhabited. Only guided tours with a knowledgeable tour guide and reputable tour company are recommended when exploring the Highlands. The Highlands, and the roads there, are only accessible in the summer. It’s a good idea to add this in if you are really adventurous and want a couple unique days!

3. Reykjavik and the Golden Circle: This is the most popular and best short-stay route. It hits many of the most loved spots and gives an excellent overview while keeping you out of extended car rides! We did do this route, but ended up adding to it.

4. East Iceland Vik, Vatnajökull National Park and Glacier, and Jökulsárlón “Glacier” Lagoon: If you want to experience the glacier, glacier lagoon, Reynisfjara Beach, or what they call the world’s “deadliest beach,” and Diamond Beach, it’s a good idea to stay east for a few nights and hit these areas. I wouldn’t miss this; it was my favorite area of Iceland!

5. Westman Islands: Vestmannaeyjar (Westman Islands) is an archipelago off Iceland’s south coast formed by underwater volcanic eruptions. You can ferry to Heimaey and easily walk around, hike, and explore the gorgeous formations via the sea. This can be done as a day trip or overnight. It’s one of the less traveled spots and very unique. It’s also where you can release puffins in August! We added this and I absolutely loved it!

6. Snæfellsnes Peninsula: The Snæfellsnes Peninsula is a region in western Iceland known for its dramatic landscapes. It also has some iconic sites, such as Kirkjufell, which most will recognize from the Game of Thrones. This is more remote and peaceful than Reykjavik and the Golden Circle.

For my family, I chose a combination of the above options. I loved it because we saw plenty of waterfalls and geysers and found other highlights along the way!

My complete family itinerary for our trip to Iceland.

The option I put together for my family had plenty of adventure and nature without feeling like I spent the entire time in the car or rushing around. We only had one major road trip day (definitely something to consider when traveling with kids) and a ton of roadside attractions to break up the car travel. We saw waterfalls, glaciers, geysers, and lagoons, baked bread in the earth, ate tomato ice cream, and even got to stay in a glass lodge. 

Do you have more questions? Join my private Facebook community to discuss more, or check out my highlights on Instagram to watch us travel through the country!