Looking for the Best Iceland 6 Day Itinerary in Summer at a Reasonable Price? Read On.
Chances are pretty high that at least one person in your social media circle has posted some stunning photos of their trip to the land of fire and ice. Iceland has soared to being one of the top destinations for travelers due to the rugged landscape, amazing Reykjavik culture, mouth watering cuisine, and very safe streets.
Another reason Iceland is very enticing to travelers throughout the world is the wide use of the English language. This makes it easy for travelers from all over the world, many who know English as a first or second language, to communicate which greatly reduces the anxiety of traveling abroad.
I spent weeks researching the best Iceland 6 day itinerary vacation package; I scoured review sites, emailed numerous travel companies, and created an entire excel table with pricing and all the details of each potential package.
In the end I have no doubt that I made the right decision on choosing the best Iceland 6 day itinerary vacation package.
What to Look For in an Iceland 6 Day Itinerary in Summer
As someone who loves the mountains, ensuring that getting out of Reykjavik for a couple days and seeing the rugged landscape Iceland has to offer was a must on my desired itinerary.
Since this was my first time visiting Iceland I didn’t feel comfortable doing a self driving tour so having a guided trip was also important in determining which best 6 day Iceland vacation package I’d choose.
Since I opted out of getting an international plan for my cell phone I planned on relying on WIFI for communication therefore having tour buses with WIFI access was something of interest to me.
In the end, through my extensive research, I believe I found the perfect 6 day Iceland vacation that fit all this criteria through Guide to Iceland.
My Iceland 6 Day Itinerary
Here’s a day by day breakdown of our trip and my take on each day.
Day 1 – Reykjavik City
We arrived to the Keflavik airport at 7am after a red eye from Philly so we had the entire day to explore the city.
Travel tip: A little FYI about the Keflavik airport, upon getting off the plane we were hungry and wanted to grab some food at the airport before catching our bus, what we weren’t aware of is that numerous cafes and quick marts within the airport will not allow you to purchase food in them unless you are transferring to another flight. So before you wait in line and carry all your snacks up to the checkout counter only to be turned away be sure to ask if you can buy food from them if Reykjavik is your final destination.
After we went through passport control, we found the help desk for our bus transfer ticket, showed them our voucher and they gave us tickets and directed us to the bus right outside the doors.
We hopped on the bus which was your standard greyhound size bus (~60 seats) and it took us through the black volcanic landscape of the Reykjanes peninsula for about 45 minutes until we arrived in the heart of Reykjavik. The ride in was really amazing seeing the contrasting colors of green vegetation and black volcanics across the land.
Depending on where your hotel is you may need to transfer to another bus when it stops at the station, for us since we went with the ‘comfort’ package our hotel wasn’t inside the restriction zone (some parts of downtown don’t allow for large bus pickup/drop offs) therefore we were able to be dropped off at the front door of the hotel – Hotel Klettur.
After checking in and dropping our stuff off in the short term storage (accessible via key card) until the room became available we grabbed a map, a day bag, and set out to explore Reykjavik. First on our list was probably the most notable landmark in Reykjavik – Hallgrímskirkja Church.
Hallgrímskirkja Church
As we walked toward the church we could see the steeple over the building roofs. Once we turned the corner we were in awe at the size and beauty of it. It towered over us and all the other tourists trying to capture the perfect shot.
Entry to the church is free so we got to spend some time inside which was just as amazing as the outside with the massive organs (largest in the country), stained glass windows, and 360 degree steeple view (steeple access cost 1000 ISK).
This is an absolute must see while in Reykjavik!
Reykjavik City Hall
When booking through Guide to Iceland we were directed to stop by their office in City Hall to pick up an information packet with maps, postcards, and information on the area and our itinerary.
The City Hall sits on Lake Tjörnin and has walkways giving you a closer look at the lake and the various birds that hangout there. Inside there is a 3D map of the entire country which is really neat to see.
Harpa Concert Museum
Harpa was one of the top must see sights in Reykjavik on “Guide to Iceland’s Top 10 Sights“, therefore had to be on our list. Entry is free and inside you’ll find amazing glass and mirror work that to me resembled a bee hive with all the hexagonal shapes.
Inside there is a café to grab a coffee and snack before walking up the various levels to get a view of the bay as well as the city.
Sun Voyager
From Harpa Concert Hall it was a short walk along the levy to the Sun Voyager. Contrary to what some believe the Sun Voyager does not reflect the Viking expeditions but the artist, Jón Gunnar Árnason, created the artwork as an ode to the sun. It is intended to convey the promise of undiscovered territory, a dream of hope, progress and freedom.
There were probably 15-20 other people here trying to take photos however most were polite as we all took turns getting our photos. You can either use the bay or the city as a backdrop to the sculpture.
After the seeing the Sun Voyager we headed back to the hotel to rest up and get ready for our dinner (see my post “Best Places to Eat on Your Icelandic Vacation” for more detail and photos about our cuisine adventures)
- Breakfast: Kafe Loke
- Lunch: Various snacks
- Dinner: Tapas Barinn
Day 2 – Golden Circle
Day 2 of our Iceland 6 day itinerary started moderately early with a hotel pickup at 8am by ‘Thor’ with Troll Expeditions for our day trip around the famous Golden Circle. The Golden Circle is the must do for anyone who doesn’t have much time in Iceland but wants to fit in the top sights you’ve probably seen posted throughout your social media travel feed.
Kerið
First stop on our day trip was the Kerið crater lake, a lake that is the product of a collapsed volcano that erupted ~3,000 years ago.
When you get here you can either walk along the ridge around the top looking down into the lake or veer to the left after the entrance to take the foot path down to the lake itself. Whichever you choose (or both) it’ll still be a great sight and start to everything else to come on the golden circle.
Faxi
This was a quick yet very rewarding stop not on the agenda the guide took us to. Here we saw a beautiful short yet wide waterfall coming off the Tungufljót river. There were virtually no other tourists here making it even better.
Gullfoss
Probably the most recognized and visited stop on the golden circle, the iconic and powerful Gullfoss. This waterfall has a drop of over 100ft and drops into a massive canyon that you can see from various viewing platforms.
The first platform at the start of the foot path leading to the falls gives you a good head on view of the falls while the foot path that goes right up to falls get’s you up and close, though does require some climbing up rocks (which can be slippery) to get right up next to the falls.
A third option is to go up to the welcome center and take a path running along the top of the ridge that gives you a view of both falls and the canyon (this was the least busy path of the three).
This was what I was most excited to see and don’t get me wrong, it is certainly impressive however it’s reputation has caught up to it and was absolutely flooded with tourists. It was as if you were in line for an amusement park ride waiting to get your turn in front of the falls. Definitely still visit these stunning falls but just prepare for it to be crowded!
Geysir
Next up on the Golden Circle tour was Geysir, Iceland’s version of Ole Faithful except it erupts even more frequently than Ole Faithful so you don’t need to hang around as long hoping you don’t turn away for the few seconds it bursts.
There are numerous other smaller geysers around the park that produce a little bubbling action however Geysir is the focus of this stop.
Thingvellir National Park
The final stop of day is a site of historical, cultural, and geological significance. Our tour guide told us this is where some of the earliest forms of Iceland’s parliament took place and people across the country would come here to hear the new laws of the land.
Around 930 AD, chieftains sent Úlfljótur to Norway to learn the laws and customs that could become a model for Iceland. He returned to Iceland and searched for a place to gain support for the establishment of an Alþing (parliament) in Iceland and Bláskógar in Thingvellir was the place he settled on, marking the beginning of the nation of Iceland.
Additionally, the geological significance of here is that it is where the North American & European tectonic plates meet which is a great site to see.
We saw a great little waterfall here, walked among rocky canyon trails, had amazing views of Þingvallavatn (lake), and had the option to scuba dive to see the two tectonic plates from underneath (we opted out). Definitely a must see on your Iceland 6 day itinerary.
Day 3 – South Coast
Day three we packed our overnight bag, threw our luggage in long term storage (provided by Hotel Klettur), and just as the day before we were picked up at our hotel door by our overnight tour guide, “Siggi”.
Seljalandsfoss
This was a very power waterfall that you can from both below, where there are usually a large amount of people (still not as much as Gullfoss), or you can hike a steep staircase to the top to see the falls from above. We did both and had a perfectly sunny day to see this, we even got a rainbow at the bottom of the falls!
Skógafoss
Here you can take pictures in front of and from behind the waterfall. If you plan to take the foot path behind the waterfall make sure you are wearing both the boots and rain gear I mentioned in my blog post “what to wear to Iceland in September“, as you will surely get wet otherwise.
Additionally if you choose to take the path fully around the waterfall the one side does get steep and you need to climb up rocks which are VERY slippery, therefore I would not recommend it for young kids or people with difficulties walking.
Sólheimajökull Glacier Hike
This was also included in our Iceland 6 day itinerary package and something we sure are glad we did. I mean how many people can say they hiked a glacier?
Siggi was our guide for this event as well where we pulled up to a landing area with storage containers to put on our hiking gear which included helmets, ice cleats, ice picks, and safety harnesses. From the landing point we walked about a mile back to the base of the Sólheimajökull glacier where we went over the safety protocol before forming a line and heading up the glacier together.
Being an ice fisherman, I am used to ice cleats and knew that you need to apply plenty of pressure with your feet with each step. Ultimately walk like you’re stomping the whole time so that they can dig into the glacier to get traction to prevent you from slipping and falling down into a crevasse.
As we headed up the glacier we met other groups coming down therefore would find ourselves on narrow ice ways while we passed each other. Once getting to the top we had great views of the glacier and the glacier deposit below. When we were there we could still see the black ash from the volcanic eruption in 2010 that had settled on the glacier’s snow.
This truly was an amazing experience with a great guide who kept us all safe while still ensuring we had a great time, a definite on your Iceland 6 day itinerary.
Black Sand Beach & Basalt Columns
The final stop of the day was the black sand beach in Vik. There was a small café at the beginning of the short trail that leads to the beach where we grabbed some lunch.
We were warned not too get close to the shore line as the waves are very unpredictable in terms of how far in they’ll come inland, we actually saw a few people get wet from the waves while we were there.
As we walked along the sandy beach and made our way to the basalt columns ahead we had amazing views of the rock formations to the east where the story goes they were two trolls who didn’t make it back before sunrise and were turned to stone. Looking to the west we could see Dyrhólaey overlook.
There is also a cave there you can go in to take some photos, I’m not sure if there is water in here at high tide or not though. I’ll admit it was tough trying to get a photo of just us on the basalt columns since there were a decent amount of people all vying for the same shot.
Accommodations
This night would be our only night not staying in Reykjavik. We stayed in Hotel Smyrlabjörg, which didn’t look like the most luxurious from the outside however was very large and cozy on the inside.
We each had our own bed in a private room along with a private bath (we opted to upgrade to these private rooms when we booked the 6 day Iceland itinerary). What we didn’t expect at this hotel was the quality of food they had in the restaurant that is on premise. The dinner we had there was by far in top three meals we had in Iceland, amazing!
Apparently this is a very tough hotel to get into as well, at least our other guide was surprised we were able to get reservations there when we told him that’s where we stayed.
Day 4 – South Coast
After a great breakfast at Hotel Smyrlabjörg we began our way back towards Reykjavik hitting up some more amazing stops long the way.
Fjaðrárgljúfur
Iceland’s version of the Grand Canyon, only with a lot more green, Fjaðrárgljúfur is a pretty cool sight to see. You can walk down to the base of the creek that runs through the canyon or head up the path along the top.
Since we were short on time we opted to head up to the top where we were able to get some great shots from both directions, there were about 3-4 different viewing platforms we were able to hit. This apparently was one of the locations used in a Justin Bieber music video.
Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
This originally wasn’t one of the stops I was extremely excited about in the beginning however after seeing this it is definitely in the top three sights of my trip. Seeing the base of the glacier and just how massive the breakoffs floating by were, was truly a breathtaking experience.
If you have time you can either take a boat ride out to the glacier or rent a kayak to take out, just make sure you don’t get too close, a breakoff can make some big waves and that’s some pretty cold water to take an unexpected dip in!
Diamond Beach
Just across the road from the glacier lagoon is another black sand beach peppered with small eroding glacier ice chucks. They’ve been worn down therefore are polished and look as though they are diamonds scattered across the beach.
Dyrhólaey
The view from here was one of the best we had along the south coast tour, to the left we could see black sand beach and the basalt columns and to the right we could see for miles as the black sand beach ran into the green mountains.
Bike Tour to Plane Wreck
This plane wreckage was also made famous by being one of the locations featured in a Justin Bieber music video. The bike tour and rental was included in the all-inclusive trip we booked so no need to schedule ahead or pay anything extra.
Having the bikes was a life saver because we were told that to walk to this wreck would take nearly two hours whereas using the bikes only took ~20 minutes.
When we arrived at the wreck there were numerous people around, inside, and on-top of it. We snapped a few shots, unfortunately couldn’t get anything without people in the background, then headed back to the bus.
Travel Tip: If you are running low on time and weighing your options on seeing this vs some more waterfalls, my suggestion would be go with the falls. This sight was a lot of work for little reward in my opinion.
Day 5 – Snaefellsness Peninsula
This was set to be the longest day trip of the Iceland 6 day itinerary however we would see a TON of sites. Just as the others, our tour guide ‘Mattie” who grew up on the Snaefellsness peninsula picked us up at our hotel early in the morning.
Gerðuberg Cliffs
The first stop of the morning were these neat cliffs where we pulled right up to the base of them and got to get out and take a few photos. What was nice about this quick little stop is that there were very few other tourists there.
Ölkelduvatn Mineral Spring
This was a unique stop since it’d be the first where we’d get to get a taste of Iceland, literally. Mattie pulled us up to a farm that had a well drilled deep into the ground tapping into an underground mineral reservoir. The taste of it was interesting, it defintely had a ‘tinny’ taste to it as well as was slightly naturally carbonated.
Travel Tip: Bring a decent sized water bottle so you can fill it up and savor this natural mineral water throughout the day.
Seal Beach
This was only a short walk from the parking lot and we were lucky enough to see a few seals at this stop, though they were still about 100 yards out basking on the rocks. Careful walking on the rocks as they were slippery with seaweed.
Búðakirkja (The Black Church at Budir)
This is another of those stops that is extremely recognizable, something you have likely seen as you scroll through any Iceland themed Instagram feed.
The church was erected in 1703 by Bent Lárusson, who was a merchant in Búðir. It is a popular place for weddings and of course tourism. It sits atop a lava field, now covered in flora and the black paint makes for a great contrast to the green (or white if you visits in the winter) mountainous backdrop.
Surprisingly this stop wasn’t as packed as I thought it would be so we were able to get some photos of just us under the church entrance.
Arnastapi (Gatklettur, Londrangar View Point, Bárðar Saga Snæfellsáss Statue)
This stop allowed us to get quite a few sights in as well as a nice little walk along the ocean cliffs. We were dropped off by a small boat launch where we took a foot path along the cliffs to see the natural rock bridge (Gatklettur) where some from our group walked over it, we opted out.
We followed the path to the Bárðar Saga Snæfellsáss Statue, got a few shots, then continued on to the Londranger view point which was amazing. To the left we had the cliffs we just walked along and to the right we could see the jagged earth protruding from the sea and land as the waves crashed into the stunning landscape, an amazing site for sure.
Djúpalónssandur beach
On the South Coast we got to see a plane wreck, here we got to see the remanence of an old ship wreck on the beach. Walking down to the beach was a neat experience with the rocky formations surrounding us as we descended down the ravine.
By the beach there were these round boulders that used to be used as a test to determine someone’s strength, I certainly could not pick it up nor do I think anyone else in our group could have!
Kirkjufell Mountain
This is by far the most photographed location on the Snaefellsness Peninsula, largely due to it being the backdrop for Game of Throne’s season 6 & 7 as “Arrowhead Mountain”. In Icelandic ‘Kirkjufell’ means ‘Church Mountain’ and stands ~1,500 feet high.
As the bus drove up to the mountain its prominence is astonishing. We pulled off the road to a gravel parking lot where we had some time to go walk the pathway crossing over Kirkjufellsfoss and take plenty of photos of the falls as well as with Kirkjufell as the backdrop.
We would have loved to hike the trails nearby however we were limited on time and a rain storm was rolling in. This was an amazing view and highly recommended for a visits in your Iceland 6 day itinerary.
Day 6 – Blue Lagoon
Our final day in Iceland was spent winding down in the picturesque Blue Lagoon. Our vacation package had the option to upgrade our experience here with the ‘premium’ entry, which I’d highly recommend doing since the line for the standard entry was extremely long and the premium package allowed us to skip all of it.
Upon arrival you will check-in (bring your printed voucher) where you will receive a towel, spa sandals, and a bracelet that is used to enter your locker as well as buy drinks and other masks in the lagoon. From here you will go to the showering room where you will use your bracelet to enter a locker to store your stuff then you will need to shower off before entering the pool.
Travel Tip: Don’t be surprised to see a lot of people in the shower room completely nude and talking to you while they’re nude. With America being more conservative with nudity it usually is a shock to many Americans visiting so I just want to give you a heads up about it! Nudity is not permitted outside of the shower/locker rooms though.
After showering you will be ready to enter the lagoon (perfect Instagram video opportunity as you enter the lagoon!). The lagoon is very thick making it difficult to move through (almost like a salt bath) and has a slightly ‘slimy’ feel to it due to all the great minerals attaching to your body.
Head over to the face mask kiosk to get your complimentary mask with minerals of your choice (I think there were three options), then if you are a drinker head over to the bar for a beer or wine (premium package comes with a complimentary drink as well).
We found that some areas of the lagoon had ‘warm spots’ where the heaters were keeping the lagoon warm, we hangout next to these and soaked up the minerals (and beer) and had an amazing time. The lagoon is actually quite large with plenty of areas to explore as well as has a café indoors if you get hungry during your stay.
The lagoon is a must for anyone putting together the ultimate Iceland 6 day itinerary!
Iceland Cuisine
One of the things I miss most about Iceland is the mouthwatering food. I did not expect Reykjavik to have food to the level of high end restaurants in New York City. The best way to describe Iceland’s food is that every single plate we had, regardless of it being in a restaurant or quick sit-down, looked and tasted as though it were prepared by a world class chef.
Day 1
- Breakfast: Kafe Loke, Reykjavik
- Lunch: Skipped and snacked while walking
- Dinner: Tapas Barinn, Reykjavik
Day 2
- Breakfast: Hotel Klettur
- Lunch: Restaurant Geysir Glima
- Dinner: Ostabúðin, Reykjavik
Day 3
- Breakfast: Hotel Klettur
- Lunch: Black Beach Restaurant, Vik
- Dinner: Hotel Smyrlabjörg, Þjóðvegur
Day 4
- Breakfast: Hotel Smyrlabjörg, Þjóðvegur
- Lunch: Lava Bakery & Café, Vik
- Dinner: Skál!, Reykjavik
Day 5
- Breakfast: Hotel Klettur
- Lunch: Rjúkandi Restaurant
- Dinner: Messinn, Reykjavik
Day 6
- Breakfast: Hotel Klettur
- Lunch: Keflavik Airport
Conclusion
Hopefully this itinerary gives you a good idea of how to pack in a ton of amazing sites into your 6 days in Iceland. We loved the food, the views, and the tour package we chose.
If you’re planning on visiting Iceland the all-inclusive vacation package we booked is perfect for making the most of your trip! Click the button below to get pricing and more detail on the best Iceland 6 day itinerary!