5 Days in Iceland: Ultimate Iceland Winter Itinerary

Are you thinking about visiting Iceland in winter and looking for the perfect itinerary?

Exploring Iceland during the winter offers a very different experience than the other seasons! As snow blankets famous landmarks and the Northern Lights dance across the Arctic sky, you feel like you’ve been transported to another planet!

My husband and I spent 5 magical days in Iceland in February, soaking in thermal baths, hiking to ice caves, and chasing the Aurora Borealis.

Now, I’m sharing it all with you! With this guide, you’ll get to explore the capital city of Reykjavík and learn about Icelandic culture, plus venture out to the South Coast to see waterfalls, an ice cave, and a black sand beach! And of course, the legendary Northern Lights.

Although you may not be able to drive the entire Ring Road, there is plenty in Iceland to keep you busy for 5 days during winter!

Map of Iceland and Itinerary Download

Before exploring a new country and reading a detailed itinerary, I always like to make sure I have a feel for the layout and where everything is!

So, I created this custom Google Map of Iceland for you that shows everything mentioned on this itinerary to make your life easier!

It’s even broken down by day! To save this Google map, just hit the little star next to the name 🙂

P.S. Want to save this itinerary for later? I created a downloadable PDF version of this Iceland itinerary that you can print out for your trip! It also has the link to this map 🙂 Just click the link above and enter your email address so I know where to send it!

Getting to Iceland

If you are traveling to Iceland from another country, you’ll need to fly into Keflavík International Airport (KEF), which is located about 45 minutes outside of Reykjavik.

Many major airlines fly into Iceland, including Icelandair, jetBlue, Fly Play, Alaska Airlines, Delta, KLM, Air France, Lufthansa. British Airways, and more!

We actually took a direct flight from Orlando International Airport (MCO) on Icelandair, which was awesome!

Flights from the east coast of the USA typically take between 5 and 7 hours. The cost will vary depending on the time of year, but you can definitely find flights for less than $1000, maybe even $500 during the winter!

Driving During Winter in Iceland

Before arriving in Iceland, you’ll need to decide if you want to take on this Iceland winter itinerary in a rental car or through tours. Let’s talk about the pros and cons of both options!

Renting a Car in Iceland During Winter

Of course, many people are concerned about driving in Iceland during winter, and for good reason! Iceland is known for its extreme weather, at all times of year! During the winter, Iceland can see intense wind, snowstorms, hail, sleet, and everything in between.

If you don’t have any winter driving experience and the thought of unpleasant conditions makes you anxious, you may want to skip renting a car during your winter road trip to Iceland. However, for those with some experience, it is totally doable!

We rented a car and were lucky enough to have bad weather only one of the days. We encountered some wild wind and mild snow, but we took it slow, and it was fine!

If you decide to drive, make sure to rent an SUV, which will be better equipped to handle winter weather. You can also opt for a four wheel drive vehicle (4×4) if you feel comfortable with that!

Also, I highly recommend booking through DiscoverCars.com. They compare pricing across multiple companies so you get the best rate, and they have a great cancellation policy too! We were able to get a rental car for 5 days for less than $200!

Obviously, driving allows you to have way more flexibility in your schedule and itinerary! For example, on our first day, we decided to get out of the cold and just go for drive. It also allowed us to stay in an Igloo hotel outside the city on our last night (more on that later)!

🚗 For more details on the pros and cons of renting a car, make sure to check out my guide on Renting a Car in Iceland in Winter! 🚗

Relying on Tours During Winter

If you don’t rent a car, you’ll have to rely on organized tours during your trip. For those not a fan of driving in winter weather, this is a great option. You can rely on an experienced local to face the Icelandic weather, kick back, and relax!

Although you won’t have to drive, you will be subject to whatever schedule the tours set for you. In addition, this will probably make your trip more expensive, as these tours add up quickly, and rental cars aren’t that expensive in the winter!

Here’s a quick analysis I did to compare costs between the two for our February trip to Iceland!

Based on the above, it was actually cheaper for us to rent a car! However, choose whichever option you feel most comfortable with!

Day 1: Arrival, Sky Lagoon & Food Tour

Early Morning: Arrival into Iceland

Now that we’ve covered all the details about preparing for your trip, let’s get into this Iceland winter itinerary!

This itinerary assumes you arrive first thing in the morning on your first day. If you don’t, feel free to adjust your schedule as necessary.

For us, we took an overnight, direct flight from Orlando and arrived around 7am into Keflavík Airport.

If you decided to book a car, the easiest place to pick it up is from the airport! However, keep in mind that some rental car companies will require you to take a free shuttle to their pick up location outside the airport. We had to do this, but it wasn’t a big deal!

For those not renting a car, I recommend booking your private transportation to the hotel ahead of time, especially if you are arriving first thing in the morning like us. This way, you don’t have to worry about finding a taxi and can just get into your comfy ride!

There are also shared bus transfers from the airport to Reykjavik that are much cheaper than the private options!

If you need a recommendation for a place to stay in Reykjavik, here are my top picks:
Hotel Von ($$): Where we stayed! Perfect location, reasonably priced, comfy beds
Canopy by Hilton ($$$): Heart of Reykjavik, large and modern rooms, on-site restaurant
Tower Suites Reykjavik ($$$$): Luxury hotel with panoramic, sky high views of Reykjavik

Late Morning: Experience the Luxurious Sky Lagoon

After dropping your bags off at your hotel, it’s time to head straight to the Sky Lagoon!

Never heard of it? Sky Lagoon opened in 2021 and rivals the famous Blue Lagoon for popularity! It’s also only 15 minutes away from downtown Reykjavik (whereas the Blue Lagoon is 45 minutes away).

While Blue Lagoon is a family-friendly tourist attraction, Sky Lagoon boasts a more serene, relaxing experience. It’s famous for its 7-step ritual that takes you through a hot spring, a cold plunge, a sauna, a steam room, and more!

Plus, there’s a swim-up bar, a waterfall, and an infinity pool! It is truly luxurious, and the perfect place to visit after a long plane ride!

I recommend making a reservation before your trip so you have a guaranteed spot! The tickets to Sky Lagoon are timed-entry, so if you want a morning slot before the crowds arrive, book early.

If you decided not to rent a car, you can book this ticket option that includes a transfer from Reykjavik!

We loved visiting the Sky Lagoon in winter, even though it was freezing outside. The temperature of the hot spring stays around 38 to 40ºC (100 to 104ºF), so you definitely won’t be cold!

You can only do the full 7-step ritual once during your visit, but you have unlimited access to the hot spring and bar before and after, with no time limit!

If this doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, Blue Lagoon is also a great, classic choice!

P.S. The best time slots for Sky Lagoon sell out in advance! Book your Sky Lagoon tickets here to secure your spot! ❄️

Afternoon & Evening: Eat Your Way through Reykjavik

After you finish up at Sky Lagoon, make your way back to your hotel in Reykjavik and check into your room. Take a shower or a nap if needed, as you’ll need your energy for this evening!

To start your first night in Iceland, you’ll be partaking in the iconic Reykjavik Food Walk. Rated the #1 thing to do in Reykjavik, this food tour with Wake Up Reykjavik is the perfect way to learn about Icelandic culture!

You’ll be paired up with a local guide who will take you to 4-5 restaurants and food stalls around Reykjavik. During the tour, you will get to try a variety of local specialties, including Arctic char and the famous Icelandic hot dog!

We loved hearing stories about Iceland from our tour guide who grew up in Reykjavik! It was the perfect introduction to Iceland for our first evening.

And while most of the food was delicious, you’ll also get to sample some interesting Icelandic specialities, like fermented shark and very strong liquor!

Day 2: Explore Reykjavik & Northern Lights Hunting

Afternoon: Lunch and Shopping

By now, you’ve probably worked up an appetite. Head back into the city center and grab lunch at Reykjavik Chips. This place has incredible fish and chips with tons of yummy sauces! We had to talk ourselves out of going back a second time!!

After lunch, spend the afternoon walking around downtown Reykjavik. I highly recommend checking out the Hallgrímskirkja, a stunning, Lutheran church that towers over the city. You really can’t miss it!

While the inside of the church is beautiful, the real highlight is riding the elevator to the top! From the bell tower, you’ll get incredible, 360º views of downtown Reykjavik and beyond.

Then, head down Skólavörðustígur street, which runs right down the center of the church. After a few blocks, you’ll see the most famous portion of this street, which is appropriately named Rainbow Street!

A small portion of the street was painted with a rainbow in 2015 to celebrate Pride, and the city of Reykjavik decided to keep it! It’s now one of the most photographed spots in Reykjavik, as the street is perfectly framed with the church looming in the background.

Along Skólavörðustígur street, you’ll find plenty of local spots to explore and do some shopping, especially if you’re interested in hand-knitted wool sweaters and Icelandic volcanic salt.

Evening: Hunt for the Northern Lights

Alright, you’ve waited long enough! Tonight, you will go hunting for the famous Aurora Borealis, aka the Northern Lights! This is a must-do on any Iceland winter itinerary.

If this is your first time in Iceland, I highly recommend booking a Northern Lights tour. On a guided tour, you’ll learn all about the Lights from a local who will know the best spots, how to read the forecast, etc.

We booked this Super Jeep Tour with Arctic Adventures, which was epic! It’s a small group tour, and the Super Jeep allows you to go off-roading where the large buses can’t venture.

MY TOP PICK

Northern Lights Super Jeep Tour with Arctic Adventures

• Price: Starting at $195 per person
• Duration: 4 hours
• Rating: 4.2/5 stars ⭐
• Includes: Hot chocolate, blankets, photos, and more!

book it here!

Most tours leave between 8:30pm and 9:30pm, with pick up and drop off right in downtown Reykjavik!

Make sure to book a tour that has a “No Lights Guarantee”, so if you don’t see the lights, you can re-book the next night for free!

As a side note, I recommend booking a Northern Lights tour even if you have your own car! Why?

First, tour guides in Iceland know all the best spots to see the Lights and are professionals at reading the aurora forecast information.

In addition, most tours have several buses or trucks that go out each night to slightly different spots, and the drivers communicate with each other during the trip. So, if one group sees the Lights, the tour guides can let each other know! 

If you drive yourself, you’ll miss out on all of these perks, plus you’ll have to deal with winter weather and driving in the darkness, which does not sound fun!

For more tips on seeing the Northern Lights and which tour to choose, make sure to check out my complete guide on Iceland Northern Lights Tours!

Day 3: Experience the Golden Circle

Your third day in Iceland will be action-packed, as you’ll be conquering the famous Golden Circle!

The Golden Circle is a 190-mile driving route that covers 3 of Iceland’s most popular tourist attractions: Thingvellir National Park, Geysir Hot Spring, and Gulfoss Waterfall.

There are plenty of tour groups that conquer the Golden Circle from Reykjavik, so if you didn’t rent a car, no worries!

Here’s a quick overview of each spot! Or, you can check out my detailed guide on Exploring the Golden Circle In Winter for a complete breakdown of our day and what to expect!

• Thingvellir National Park: A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Thingvellir National Park is one of the only places in the world where you can see tectonic plates pulling apart. Within the park, there’s tons of gorgeous hiking trails, waterfalls, and more! Things get a little frosty in the winter, so crampons are recommend if you want to explore further. You can also snorkel or scuba dive between continental shelves here!!
• Geysir Hot Spring: Arguably the world’s most famous hot spring, Geysir, located in the geothermal area of Haukadalur Valley, is a great place to stop along the Golden Circle, although there isn’t a ton to do here. This is actually where the name “Geysir” comes from! There are a few different hot springs and thermal baths in the area.
• Gulfoss Waterfall: Possibly Iceland’s most famous waterfall, Gulfoss is extremely impressive, even in the winter! Gulfoss translates to Golden Falls and is very important to the Icelandic people and a protected natural site.
• Fridheimar (BONUS): The three spots above make up the traditional Golden Circle route; however, you must add a stop at Fridheimar Tomato Farm to your itinerary! This tomato farm and restaurants lets you dine inside a greenhouse among the tomato plants while eating unlimited tomato soup. Sounds like heaven, right?!

If you do rent a car, you can start in either direction, but here is the general itinerary I recommend you follow!

9:00am: Leave Reykjavik
10:00am: Arrive at Thingvellir National Park
12:00pm: Leave Thingvellir National Park
1:00pm: Arrive at Fridheimar Tomato Farm for lunch
2:00pm: Leave Tomato Farm
2:30pm: Arrive at Gulfoss Waterfall
3:00pm: Leave Gulfoss Waterfall
3:15pm: Arrive at Geysir Hot Springs
4:00pm: Leave Geysir and head back to Reykjavik
5:30pm: Arrive back at Reykjavik

Once you arrive back in Reykjavik, grab dinner at La Primavera Ristorante for delicious Italian food with an Icelandic twist!

Then, if you didn’t see the Northern Lights on your tour last night, use tonight to try again (this is what we had to do!)

Day 4: Ice Cave Tour and Black Sand Beach

Morning: Katla Ice Cave Glacier Tour

On your last full day in Iceland, you’ll be checking out of your Reykjavik hotel and making your way to the South Coast! (If you don’t have a rental car, you can stay in Reykjavik and conquer the last two days through organized tours).

You’ll want to get an early start out of Reykjavik and make your way towards Vik, a picturesque village on the south coast of Iceland!

From here, you will be embarking on an Ice Cave Tour, one of the top things to do in Iceland in winter!

This tour with Arctic Adventures takes you to the incredible Katla Ice Cave, which is inside a glacier on top of the Katla Volcano! How cool is that?! Katla is one of the only ice cave tours that are available year round.

You’ll gear up with a helmet and crampons before hiking up the glacier and wandering through natural ice caves. The beautiful blue and black ice walls will take your breath away!

Make sure to book your Katla Ice Cave tour in advance!! It sells out quickly!!

This tour was quite possibly one of the coolest things we’ve ever done!! It felt like we were marching North of the Wall in Westeros, which unsurprisingly was filmed nearby!

And as we started hiking up the glacier, it started snowing heavily, which just added to the magic.

The structure in the photo above (the giant hole) is actually a natural opening that is growing larger and larger thanks to the wind and has since collapsed.

However, different formations are constantly evolving, and this tour is still worth doing, as you get to walk through and under real ice caves and drink fresh glacier water. How cool is that?!

Read my full review of this Katla Ice Cave tour here for more information on what to expect!

Afternoon: Lunch and Black Sand Beach

After your tour, have lunch at the incredible Suður-Vík right up the road in Vik. I highly recommend the reindeer burger and an Icelandic beer! We absolutely fell in love with this adorable spot.

In the afternoon, make your way down to the famous Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach. The most iconic black sand beach in Iceland, Reynisfjara has stunning basalt columns that look like something straight out of Game of Thrones!

When we visited, it was extremely cold and windy, so we couldn’t stay at the beach long. However, it was definitely still worth visiting. Just be careful of the waves – they are called “sneaker waves” because they come out of nowhere!

Tonight, you can stay right in Vik for convenience, or make your way to the town of Hella for a truly iconic glamping experience at the Aurora Igloo Hotel!!

We absolutely loved our stay in this Iceland igloo! It may have been my favorite part of the trip.

Each igloo has a heated bed, space heaters, a small table, and that’s about it! The restrooms and showers are located about 100 feet away in a heated standalone structure. However, they now have igloos with their own connected bathroom!

While these igloos feel super isolated, they are right off the main road, so you don’t have to worry about your safety. They all face northward as well, so this is the perfect spot to watch the Northern Lights if they make an appearance!

Read my full review of staying in the Aurora Igloo Hotel here! 🌌

Day 5: South Coast Waterfalls and Fly Home

Today is the last day of this epic 5 day Iceland winter itinerary 🙁

If your flight isn’t until the evening, I recommend making the most of your time like we did by exploring the two famous South Coast waterfalls: Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss. Or, you can squeeze these into Day 4 if you have to fly out earlier in the day.

If you stayed the night in Vik, both of these waterfalls are on your way back to the airport! We stayed in Hella, which meant backtracking a bit, but we didn’t mind!

Both Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss are absolutely stunning, even in winter! I do recommend crampons if you want to explore around the waterfalls, as the pathways can get a bit icy. However, we did not have them and fared ok!

Skógafoss is completely free to visit, while you do have to pay for parking at Seljalandsfoss (less than $10 USD).

These waterfalls are both worth the visit as they are actually quite different. While they are around the same height, Skógafoss is wider and has more water passing through it, so it’s a bit more impressive in person!

Skógafoss also has a ladder along the side of the cliff that you can walk up to get an aerial view. In the winter, however, these stairs get very slippery, so crampons are recommended.

Seljalandsfoss, on the other hand, typically has stairs that lead to the cave behind the waterfall that you can typically walk through. When we visited, however, this pathway was closed due to the snow.

Seljalandsfoss also has a bit more to do around it than Skógafoss. There is a long walking path that takes you past some smaller waterfalls, over little wooden bridges, and more here!

Once you’re done exploring the waterfalls, it’s time to make your way to the airport! Make sure to give yourself plenty of time for the drive and to fill up your gas tank before dropping off your rental car!

Bonus Activities

If you have more time during your winter Iceland trip, here are some other activities to consider adding to your itinerary!

Glacier Lagoon: The Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon is a very popular place to visit in Iceland in both winter and summer! Within the lagoon are large icebergs that are truly a sight to see, especially if they have wildlife floating on them! The Lagoon is still accessible during the winter and is about 2 hours north of Vik. You can also take zodiac boat tours through the Glacier itself!

Diamond Beach: Just beyond the bridge of the Glacier Lagoon is Diamond Beach. The beach is named after the chunks of icebergs that wash up on the black volcanic sands that look like large diamonds! It’s particularly beautiful during sunrise or sunset in the golden light.

What to Pack for Winter in Iceland

Packing for Iceland in winter was probably the most stressful packing I’ve ever done, since I am a Florida girl!

While you might look at the temperatures in Iceland and think they aren’t that bad, think again! The wind in Iceland makes it feel much colder than what the thermostat might read.

If you have been skiing or to winter destinations before, your packing list won’t look much different. Below is a summary, or you can check out my detailed Iceland Winter Packing List here!

• Thermal base layer (preferably wool!)
• Warm mid-layer (sweaters, fleece jacket, etc)
• Windproof snow pants
• Outer layer/shell jacket (preferably long like this one!)
• Snow boots (make sure they will keep your feet warm!)
• Thick, wool socks
• Gloves, scarf, beanie, and a neck warmer!
• Crampons (optional)
• Hand warmers (like Hothands)

Shop my Iceland Winter Essentials here!

Final Thoughts

As you can see, there is plenty to do when visiting Iceland during the winter, and this winter Iceland itinerary just cracks the surface of what this remarkable country has to offer!

Whether you’re visiting to hunt the Northern Lights or see the incredible Icelandic landscapes dusted in snow, Iceland in winter is a great idea! Make sure to try plenty of Icelandic food, embrace the Viking culture, and relish the frosty, snowglobe vibes.

➡️ Next up, I recommend reading my One Day Reykjavik Itinerary to get started with planning the details of the first leg of this adventure.

Read More Iceland Blog Posts Below! ⬇️🇮🇸❄️
Visiting Iceland In February: Everything To Know!
13 Incredible Things to Do in Iceland in the Winter!
Ultimate 5 Day Iceland Winter Itinerary
Renting A Car In Iceland In Winter: Is It Worth It?
The Only Iceland Winter Packing List You Need!
How To Spend One Epic Day In Reykjavik
A Guide To Exploring Iceland’s Golden Circle In Winter
Is an Iceland Northern Lights Tour Worth It? Things to Know!
The Most Magical Stay at an Iceland Igloo Hotel!
An Epic Glacier Hike To The Katla Ice Cave In Iceland

Don’t forget to pin this post for future planning!