Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1 Arrival in Reykjavik
Morning Parc national de Þingvellir
Land at Keflavik Airport and drive to Reykjavik (45 min). Pick up your 4x4 rental and settle into your hotel.
Afternoon Geysir & Gullfoss
Explore Reykjavik's colorful center: Hallgrímskirkja church (tower view), Laugavegur shopping street, Harpa concert hall, and the Sun Voyager sculpture.
Evening Secret Lagoon
Taste Icelandic cuisine: lamb soup, fresh catch, or the adventurous fermented shark (hákarl). The bar scene on Laugavegur is lively.
Day 2 Golden Circle
Morning Seljalandsfoss & Skógafoss
Drive the Golden Circle starting with Þingvellir National Park (UNESCO). Walk between the tectonic plates — the only place on Earth to do this on dry land.
Afternoon Plage noire de Reynisfjara
Continue to Geysir (Strokkur erupts every 5-8 min) then Gullfoss, the "Golden Waterfall" cascading into a dramatic canyon.
Evening Vík & canyon de Fjaðrárgljúfur
Secret Lagoon at Flúðir (oldest hot spring pool) or drive to accommodation near Selfoss/Vik. In winter, watch for the Northern Lights.
Day 3 South Coast — Waterfalls & Black Beach
Morning Randonnée glaciaire au Skaftafell
Drive the south coast to Seljalandsfoss (walk behind the waterfall!) and Skógafoss (climb 527 steps for the view). Two iconic waterfalls within 30 km.
Afternoon Jökulsárlón — lagon glaciaire
Continue to Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach: basalt columns, roaring Atlantic waves, and the Reynisdrangar sea stacks.
Evening Diamond Beach
Stay in Vik, Iceland's southernmost village. Tiny, charming, with a black sand beach and a hilltop church.
Day 4 Glacier Lagoon & Diamond Beach
Morning Höfn & langoustine islandaise
Drive to Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, where icebergs calve from the glacier and float in an ethereal blue lagoon toward the sea.
Afternoon Route des fjords de l'Est
Walk Diamond Beach (ice chunks on black sand) then hike Svínafellsjökull glacier (guided tours).
Evening Egilsstaðir & forêt de Hallormsstaðaskógur
Stay near Höfn, the lobster capital. Enjoy a langoustine dinner — famous for sweet, fresh "humar".
Day 5 East Fjords
Morning Dettifoss — cascade la plus puissante d'Europe
Drive through the East Fjords, Iceland's most remote region. Steep mountains, narrow fjords, tiny fishing villages, almost no tourists.
Afternoon Lac Mývatn & pseudo-cratères
Stop at Seyðisfjörður: rainbow-painted street, wooden houses, art galleries, and a waterfall right in town.
Evening Mývatn Nature Baths
Stay in Egilsstaðir, largest town in eastern Iceland. Gateway to the highland interior.
Day 6 Lake Mývatn & Volcanic Wonders
Morning Húsavík — observation de baleines
Drive to Lake Mývatn, a volcanic wonderland. Visit Dimmuborgir lava formations, Grjótagjá cave, and the pseudocraters of Skútustaðir.
Afternoon Akureyri — capitale du Nord
Explore Námafjall (Hverir): bubbling mud pots, steaming fumaroles, sulfurous vents in a Mars-like landscape.
Evening Goðafoss & route vers l'Ouest
Relax at Mývatn Nature Baths, the northern Blue Lagoon but less crowded. Milky blue geothermal water with mountain views.
Day 7 Akureyri & the North
Morning Kirkjufell & Grundarfjörður
Visit Goðafoss, the 'Waterfall of the Gods' where Viking idols were thrown when Iceland converted to Christianity in 1000 AD.
Afternoon Plage de Djúpalónssandur & falaises d'Arnarstapi
Explore Akureyri: northernmost botanical garden in the world, iconic church, whale watching from Húsavík (whale capital of Europe).
Evening Glacier Snæfellsjökull
Stay in Akureyri. Walk along the fjord and enjoy the vibrant culture scene of this small northern city.
Day 8 Snæfellsnes Peninsula & Return
Morning Reykjavik — Hallgrímskirkja & centre-ville
Drive to Snæfellsnes, 'Iceland in miniature.' Visit Kirkjufell (most photographed mountain) and Kirkjufellsfoss waterfall.
Afternoon Blue Lagoon
Explore Snæfellsjökull volcano (Jules Verne's entrance to the Center of the Earth). Djúpalónssandur black beach, Lóndrangar basalt cliffs.
Evening Dîner d'adieu à Reykjavik
Drive back to Reykjavik (2h). Last Icelandic dinner. 8 days around the Ring Road — glaciers, geysers, volcanoes, fjords.