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Best of Iceland in 5 Days | Snæfellsnes, Golden Circle & South Coast

5 days, 4 nightsGroup: Small groupEasySmall-group minibus from ReykjavíkAge 8+All year
5.0(3 reviews)
Visitor in a red jacket inside a blue ice caveKirkjufell mountain reflected in still waterGullfoss waterfall at sunsetBlocks of ice on Diamond Beach at sunset
Seljalandsfoss waterfall from the path behind it, in winter

A 5 day small-group minibus tour that covers Borgarfjörður, the Snæfellsnes peninsula, the Golden Circle, Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon and the South Coast. A glacier hike and ice cave are included, along with four nights in hotels with breakfast.

Hraunfossar & DeildartunguhverSnæfellsnes & KirkjufellGolden CircleJökulsárlón & Diamond BeachReynisfjara
  • Snæfellsnes peninsula, the Golden Circle and the South Coast in one trip
  • Kirkjufell mountain and the fishing village of Grundarfjörður
  • A glacier hike and a natural ice cave with a certified glacier guide
  • Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon and Diamond Beach
  • Reynisfjara black sand beach and the South Coast waterfalls

Your day, stop by stop

Click a stop for photos and practical tips.
1Pick-up in ReykjavíkHotel pick-up around 9:00 AM.
2Hraunfossar waterfalls flowing out of the lavaDay 1: Borgarfjörður and West IcelandDeildartunguhver, Sturlureykir horse farm, Hraunfossar, Barnafoss and Gerðuberg.
Hraunfossar waterfalls flowing out of the lavaSteam rising from Deildartunguhver hot springThe basalt columns of Gerðuberg

You drive up the west coast to Deildartunguhver, the most powerful hot spring in Europe, meet Icelandic horses at Sturlureykir farm, and see Hraunfossar pouring out of a lava field next to Barnafoss. The day ends at the Gerðuberg basalt columns.

Overnight · West Iceland
3Kirkjufell mountain reflected in still waterDay 2: Snæfellsnes peninsulaArnarstapi, Vatnshellir lava cave, Hellnar, Djúpalónssandur and Kirkjufell.
Kirkjufell mountain reflected in still waterThe Gatklettur stone arch at ArnarstapiThe black pebble cove at Djúpalónssandur from above

A day around Snæfellsnes, often called Iceland in miniature. You stop in the village of Arnarstapi, walk through Vatnshellir lava cave below Snæfellsjökull National Park, have lunch in Hellnar and see the black pebble beach of Djúpalónssandur and Kirkjufell mountain.

Lava cave · Vatnshellir visit included
4Gullfoss waterfall at sunsetDay 3: Golden Circle & South Coast startÞingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss, Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss.
Gullfoss waterfall at sunsetThe Almannagjá gorge at ÞingvellirSeljalandsfoss waterfall from the path behind it, in winter

The three classic Golden Circle stops, Þingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss, then down the Ring Road to Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss on the way east. You stay overnight towards Kirkjubæjarklaustur.

Overnight · toward Kirkjubæjarklaustur
5Icebergs on the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoonDay 4: Jökulsárlón & glacier activityGlacier lagoon, Diamond Beach, and a glacier hike and ice cave on Falljökull.
Icebergs on the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoonBlocks of ice on Diamond Beach at sunsetVisitor in a red jacket inside a blue ice cave

Icebergs drift across Jökulsárlón and wash up on Diamond Beach. In Skaftafell you meet certified glacier guides for a glacier hike and ice cave tour on Falljökull. Ice caves only form in winter and change every year.

Overnight · Kirkjubæjarklaustur area
Read our Jökulsárlón guide →
6Black sand coast near Vík in winterDay 5: South Coast returnReynisfjara and more South Coast stops, then back to Reykjavík.
Black sand coast near Vík in winterThe basalt cave at Reynisfjara black sand beachBasalt columns at Reynisfjara

An early start, with a short detour to Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon if road conditions allow, then the black sand beach at Reynisfjara near Vík and more South Coast stops on the way home to Reykjavík.

About the 5 day Iceland tour

This five day route starts on the west side of the country rather than the more usual South Coast-first order. Day one covers Borgarfjörður, with a famous hot spring, Icelandic horses and waterfalls, and day two the Snæfellsnes peninsula, with a lava cave, small fishing villages and Kirkjufell mountain. From there the trip swings back through the Golden Circle before heading east.

The second half of the trip covers Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, Diamond Beach and a glacier hike and ice cave with a certified glacier guide, then finishes along the South Coast with Reynisfjara black sand beach on the way back to Reykjavík.

You spend four nights in country hotels or guesthouses with private bathrooms and breakfast included, and the guide drives throughout. Group size is kept fairly small, and the route can change order for weather, road conditions or which glacier activity is running at the time.

Make it your own

Optional extras, at extra cost
  • Vatnshellir lava cave tour
  • Single room
  • Luggage storage
  • Waterproof jacket and trousers rental
  • Hiking boot rental
  • Ice grips for your shoes, to buy (October to April)

Included

  • Pick-up and drop-off in Reykjavík
  • Small-group minibus with English-speaking guide
  • 4 nights accommodation with breakfast and private bathroom
  • Free WiFi on board
  • Glacier hike and Crystal Ice Cave tour with a certified glacier guide and equipment
  • Vatnshellir lava cave visit
  • Northern Lights walks in the evenings

Not included

  • Lunch and dinner
  • Gear rental

What to bring

  • Warm layers
  • Waterproof jacket and trousers
  • Hat and gloves
  • Sturdy hiking boots

Good to know

  • 5 days, 4 nights, starting and ending in Reykjavík
  • Minimum age 8
  • Easy difficulty; group ratio around 1:18
  • Pick-up around 9:00 AM from Reykjavík hotels
  • Runs all year; the glacier activity depends on the season
  • Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure

Questions people ask

Why does the tour start on Snæfellsnes instead of the South Coast?

This route runs the opposite direction to most 5 day tours, covering Borgarfjörður and Snæfellsnes in the west first before heading to the Golden Circle and South Coast.

Is there a glacier hike or an ice cave?

The tour includes a glacier hike and ice cave tour on Falljökull with certified glacier guides. Ice caves only form in winter and can look completely different every year.

How many nights are included?

Four nights in hotels or guesthouses with breakfast and a private bathroom.

Is this tour suitable for children?

The suggested minimum age is 8, mainly because of the glacier activity.

Reviews

Reviews from travellers who took this tour. A local reads every review before it is shown.
5.0Based on 3 reviews
5 stars3
4 stars0
3 stars0
2 stars0
1 star0
Amazing winter experience.

We absolutely loved our five-day Snaefellsnes peninsula and south coast tour in Iceland. The landscape is just extraordinary, the weather was wild, snowy and unpredictable and the experiences that you have are once in a lifetime. Our guide and driver, was wonderful, full of interesting stories of the island, while managing to drive and navigate some seriously hostile weather. Plus he is just a really nice guy! I can highly recommend the trip - put it on your bucket list!

Andrea · November 2023
Fantastic, Well Organised Tour

A well organised tour, which we thoroughly enjoyed. We saw lots of spectacular places along the way, and were given reasonable amounts of time to see each. Our guide, Þröstur, was very professional and friendly, telling us about Iceland and the sights as we were travelling. The hotel rooms booked for us were all very pleasant and larger than I expected. However, the buses were almost full to capacity, and a little cramped, but this is no different to other, similar tours I've been on. The highlight was the combined glacier hike and ice caving tour on day four: the guides there were great and it was a very unique experience. We even got snowed in on the last day, when the ring road 1 was closed until 3pm, but we still got to see our last couple of stops and our guide got us back into Reykjavik soon after 7pm. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see the Northern lights as such, other than some faint green streaks on a couple of photos. The itinerary suggests you go out hunting for them, like some tours from Reykjavik, when actually you just stay at the hotels, which isn't ideal when one has lots of outdoor lighting and the other has a mountain immediately to the north! It is a natural phenomenon, so entirely down to chance, but I feel we would have had a better chance if we had been able to travel around for an hour or two after dark.

Darren · September 2023
Best 5 days!

Thank you so much for taking us on this 5 day tour. It was the best 5 days of our lives and we are so happy with our guide on the tour. The guide was a fantastic communicator and gave us insights into the history of Iceland as well as the beautiful natural sights. The sights we visited were very well selected and we were very happy that the group was just small and the experience was very personal.

This tour will be so memorable for us for our entire lives! Thank you so much!

Kristin T. · January 2023
From195,990 ISKPer person

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Our guides to places on this tour:DeildartunguhverHraunfossarJökulsárlónKirkjufellReykjavíkReynisfjaraDiamond Beach
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