Iceland in 7 Days: A South Coast Ring Road Itinerary

This Iceland 7-day itinerary follows Sharing the Road's video of their one-week road trip: Reykjavík, the Silfra fissure and the Golden Circle first, then the south coast waterfalls out to Diamond Beach, puffins near Vík, and a final soak at the Blue Lagoon. Their route fills six days from landing to flying out, which leaves a seventh day free for weather or a slower pace, and every stop below comes from what the creators show and say, with links to each moment in the video.

Iceland 7-day itinerary at a glance

The source is Our One Week Itinerary in Iceland by Sharing the Road, a couple who filmed in the high summer season and published the video in June 2025. It runs about 21 minutes, and a car rental platform sponsors it.

Is this a full Ring Road itinerary?

No. As a general note, the main road along Iceland's south coast is part of Route 1, the Ring Road, and this trip drives that southern stretch out to Diamond Beach and back. It doesn't continue around the north and east. If you want to compare it with other ways to structure a drive, our guide to planning a driving route covers loops versus out-and-back routes. For a longer loop with a similar mix of glaciers, lakes and long drives, our South Island road trip spends 10 days between Christchurch, glacier country and Milford Sound.

Days 1-2: Reykjavík, Silfra and the Golden Circle

Day 1 is arrival. The airport is about 45 minutes from the city; the creators took a shuttle to pick up their rental car, drove to an Airbnb in Reykjavík (about $200 a night) and rested.

Day 2 packs in the capital and the first stretch of the Golden Circle:

• Hallgrímskirkja. The creators park near the towering church (free to enter) and visit the Leif Erikson statue out front. They found parking with a parking app.
• Self-guided audio walking tour. Reykjavík is small, and you can see most top sights in around two hours. Their route passed sculptures, colorful houses, street art, the concert hall and City Hall, which stands on a lake and has a free bathroom.
• The rainbow street. Their favorite photo spot in the city, a rainbow-painted street that runs straight up to the church.
• A quiet waterfall. About an hour out, a waterfall a few minutes off the Golden Circle loop (unnamed in the captions) with free parking and a 5-minute walk down. Wear stable shoes and a raincoat for the spray.
• Silfra. In Þingvellir National Park, the creators snorkeled the Silfra fissure, a rift between the North American and Eurasian plates. The water is barely over 35°F all year, so you need a tour and dry suits; they booked with Dive.is and spent about an hour in the water.
• Overnight near Geysir, 50 minutes further on.

Days 3-4: Geysir, the waterfalls and Diamond Beach

Day 3 is the longest:

• Geysir. Walk from the hotel into the geothermal park, free to enter, with smooth trails, boiling pools and a geyser that erupts every 3 to 15 minutes. About 45 minutes is enough.
• Gullfoss. A 10-minute drive to one of Iceland's most visited waterfalls, a double plunge with paved paths. Expect company unless you come at odd hours, and wear a rain jacket. They spent about 20 minutes.
• Faxi. About 20 minutes on, a smaller, much less crowded waterfall with boardwalks and wooden overlooks, good for a picnic. Allow about 30 minutes.
• The walk-behind waterfall. An hour and 20 minutes later, the creators' possible favorite waterfall of the trip, where the trail loops behind the falls. The captions don't name it, but that description fits Seljalandsfoss. It gets wet and slippery, so bring a raincoat and good shoes.
• Vík, then east. A stop in Vík for fuel and groceries, then nearly three hours to a hotel near Diamond Beach, the longest drive of the trip.

Day 4 works back west:

• Diamond Beach. Two parking areas on either side of a metal bridge: one side has icebergs and sometimes seals, the other a black sand beach where polished ice chunks wash ashore. Kayak and boat tours are optional. They spent about an hour and 15 minutes.
• A glacier lagoon stop, 10 minutes away, for a quick photo.
• A national park hike. About 40 minutes on, a moderate trail of about 45 minutes round trip with glacier views.
• A moss-walled canyon. An hour further, up about 15 minutes of rough gravel road, a canyon with an easy rim trail and metal viewpoints.
• Vík's black sand beach. After the red-roofed church on the hill, the creators spent nearly two hours on a beach of black sand, cliffs and sea stacks, watching puffins during breeding season. It was surprisingly empty in high summer.
• Lighthouse viewpoint. Ten minutes uphill, a clifftop with a 100-year-old lighthouse that they describe as the southernmost tip of Iceland.

Days 5-6: Back to Reykjavík and the Blue Lagoon

Day 5 is deliberately calm. After a short waterfall stop near Vík, the creators detour to Kerið, a volcanic crater lake with a small parking fee and a trail around the rim (about 45 minutes). Then a picnic lunch and a home-cooked dinner in a Reykjavík Airbnb.

Day 6 ends at the Blue Lagoon, near the airport. They spent a couple of hours soaking and trying silica mud masks, then returned the car and flew home.

Day 7: where to use the spare day

The video's week fits in six days, so you have room to adjust:

1. Split day 3. It combines four stops with a nearly three-hour drive. Sleeping near Vík breaks it in two.
2. Add an excursion. The creators mention full-day trips from Reykjavík to larger puffin colonies, kayaks and boat tours at Diamond Beach, and glacier trekking gear for rent near the national park hike.
3. Keep it as a buffer. Iceland's weather can close roads or wash out a day. A spare day, plus a rainy-day backup plan, protects the stops you care about most.

What the creators recommend

• A self-guided audio tour of Reykjavík, which follows efficient routes and points out details you would miss.
• Snorkeling Silfra with a tour company that provides the gear.
• A raincoat at every big waterfall, and good shoes for wet trails.
• Both sides of Diamond Beach, for icebergs on one and ice on black sand on the other.
• Puffin watching near Vík if you visit in breeding season.
• The Blue Lagoon on your last day, booked well ahead.

What the creators say to skip or watch out for

• Kerið if you're short on time. They enjoyed it but say it's the one they'd cut.
• Unpaid parking. Pay at attractions or risk fines after you leave the country.
• Low-clearance cars on the canyon road. Large potholes could make you bottom out.
• Wetting your hair at the Blue Lagoon. They heard the water can wreck hair texture, so they applied conditioner first and kept their heads above water.

Driving and where to stay

The creators chose an automatic car that could handle rough terrain, and they bought groceries for picnic lunches and home-cooked dinners. Expect sheep along the roads. Download maps before you set off; our guide to an offline travel itinerary explains how.

Their beds, in order: a Reykjavík Airbnb, a hotel steps from the Geysir park, a hotel near Diamond Beach (Wi-Fi in the lounge but not the rooms), a converted shipping container on a farm near Vík (toilet and sink, no shower), and a Reykjavík Airbnb again.

Check before you go. Road conditions, parking fees, tour availability and Blue Lagoon access can change quickly, especially after volcanic activity. Confirm on official sites and book Silfra and the Blue Lagoon ahead.

Make this route your own

This is the creators' summer pace with one long driving day. If your month, budget or pace are different, you can turn this same video into an Iceland plan built around your own trip on Vidtrip, with each stop linked back to its moment in the video.