Self-Launched Taste of Iceland: Ring Road South Coast & Golden Circle

Fly into Keflavík International Airport and pick up your hire car — budget around £180–£250 for a small manual car for the full 5 driving days (book ahead via Rentacar.is or Sad Cars for best rates). Drive the 50km into Reykjavik (~45 mins) and check in to your hostel. Spend the afternoon doing a self-guided walking tour of the city's highlights: Hallgrímskirkja church (free outside, £8 to take the lift to the top), the rainbow street Skólavörðustígur, the waterfront Harpa Concert Hall (free to walk around), and Tjörnin lake. Grab a hot dog from Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur — a Reykjavik institution for under £4. In the evening, meet fellow travellers at the hostel or head to a bar on Laugavegur.

🚌Fly into Keflavík International Airport. Drive hire car ~50km to Reykjavik (approx 45 mins on Route 41). Parking available near most hostels.

🛏Reykjavik Downtown Hostel or Loft Hostel Reykjavik — both central, dorm beds from ~£35–45/night, private rooms from ~£80

• →Pick up hire car at Keflavík Airport — book in advance via Rentacar.is or Sad Cars (~£180–250 total for 5 days)
• →Self-guided walk to Hallgrímskirkja — free entry outside, ~£8 for tower lift (book on-site)
• →Walk the waterfront and view Harpa Concert Hall — free
• →Explore Tjörnin lake and the old town
• →Hot dog at Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur — ~£4

The classic Golden Circle loop is perfectly suited to self-drive and costs a fraction of a guided tour. Head out early (by 8am to beat the crowds) on Route 36 to Þingvellir National Park — walk the Almannagjá rift valley where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet, completely free. Continue to the Geysir geothermal area to watch Strokkur erupt every 5–10 minutes (free access). Drive on to Gullfoss waterfall — one of Iceland's most dramatic — free to visit. On your return loop, stop at the Secret Lagoon in Flúðir (~£30 entry, book ahead at secretlagoon.is) for a more affordable and atmospheric alternative to the Blue Lagoon. In the evening, a unique detour: Friðheimar Tomato Farm near Reykholt serves lunch in their geothermal greenhouse — book in advance online (~£25–35 per person). Stay near Hella or Selfoss to position yourself well for Day 3.

🚌Self-drive Golden Circle loop from Reykjavik: Route 36 to Þingvellir → Route 365 to Geysir → Route 35 to Gullfoss → Route 30/26 south to Hella area. Total driving ~250km, approx 4–5 hrs including stops.

🛏Guesthouse Árból in Hella or Midgard Base Camp (dorms from ~£30, private rooms from ~£70) — well-placed for Day 3 South Coast

• →Þingvellir National Park — walk the Almannagjá rift valley, free entry (national park parking fee ~£5)
• →Strokkur Geyser at Geysir geothermal area — free access
• →Gullfoss Waterfall — free access, short walk to viewpoints
• →Secret Lagoon geothermal pool, Flúðir — ~£30, book ahead at secretlagoon.is
• →Friðheimar Tomato Farm greenhouse lunch — ~£25–35, book ahead at fridheimar.is

Today is one of Iceland's most spectacular driving days. Head east along the Ring Road (Route 1) with stops at some of the country's most iconic landmarks. First stop: the LAVA Centre in Hvolsvöllur, an interactive museum about Icelandic volcanoes and earthquakes (~£20 entry, book at lavacentre.is). Continue east to Skógafoss waterfall — one of the biggest and most beautiful in Iceland, free to visit. Climb the 370 steps to the viewing platform and walk the Skógar trail if you have energy. Visit the nearby Skógar Folk Museum (~£10) to see traditional turf houses and artefacts. Drive on to the dramatic Reynisfjara black sand beach near Vík — free access, but heed the warning signs about sneaker waves. Stay in or near Vík for the night.

🚌Drive east on Ring Road (Route 1) from Hella area. Hvolsvöllur → Skógar → Vík: approx 120km, around 2.5 hrs driving. All stops are signposted directly off the Ring Road.

🛏Hostel Vík or The Barn Guesthouse near Vík — dorms from ~£30, private rooms ~£70–90

• →LAVA Centre, Hvolsvöllur — ~£20 entry, book at lavacentre.is
• →Skógafoss Waterfall — free access, climb the 370-step staircase to viewpoint
• →Skógar Folk Museum — ~£10 entry
• →Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach — free access (exercise caution with waves)
• →Optional: walk to Reynisdrangar sea stacks for photos

A longer driving day but absolutely worth it — this is arguably the most dramatic stretch of the entire trip. Head east on the Ring Road through vast lava fields and glacier tongues to Skaftafell, part of Vatnajökull National Park. Do the free self-guided hike to Svartifoss waterfall (approx 1.5 hrs return) through the wilderness area. Continue east to Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon — watch icebergs calve and drift, completely free from the shore. For a more immersive experience, book a Zodiac boat tour or amphibian boat tour directly on-site or at glacierlagoon.is (~£40–55). Just across the Ring Road, Diamond Beach is littered with transparent ice chunks washed ashore — jaw-dropping and free. Drive back west and stay in the Skaftafell/Kirkjubæjarklaustur area for a shorter return journey tomorrow.

🚌Drive east on Ring Road (Route 1) from Vík: approx 200km to Jökulsárlón, around 2.5–3 hrs. Return ~80km west to Kirkjubæjarklaustur for overnight.

🛏Guesthouse Steinsmýri or Kirkjubæjarklaustur HI Hostel — dorms from ~£28, private rooms from ~£65

• →Skaftafell Wilderness Area, Vatnajökull National Park — free entry, self-guided hike to Svartifoss waterfall (~1.5 hrs return)
• →Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon — free to view from shore
• →Optional: Zodiac or amphibian boat tour at Jökulsárlón — ~£40–55, book at glacierlagoon.is
• →Diamond Beach — free access, walk among the ice chunks
• →Optional: glacier hiking tour from Skaftafell with Icelandic Mountain Guides — ~£55–75, book at mountainguides.is

Drive west on the Ring Road back towards Reykjavik, stopping at Seljalandsfoss waterfall — uniquely, you can walk the path behind the curtain of water (free, bring waterproof gear). Nearby Gljúfrabúi canyon waterfall is a hidden gem just 500m away, also free. Continue west to Reykjavik to drop off your bags and freshen up, then head to the Blue Lagoon for your final evening. Book the Blue Lagoon well in advance (it sells out weeks ahead) — Comfort entry is ~£60–75 and includes silica mud mask and algae mask. Dinner at the Blue Lagoon's LAVA Restaurant is expensive (~£60–80 per person); consider eating in Reykjavik before or after and just enjoying the spa experience instead to save money. Return to Reykjavik and stay your final night centrally.

🚌Drive west on Ring Road (Route 1) from Kirkjubæjarklaustur. Seljalandsfoss is approx 155km from overnight stop (~2 hrs). Reykjavik is a further 120km (~1.5 hrs). Blue Lagoon is 50km south of Reykjavik on Route 43 near Keflavík (~45 mins). Return to Reykjavik after spa.

🛏Back to Reykjavik Downtown Hostel or Loft Hostel — dorms ~£35–45, private rooms ~£80

• →Seljalandsfoss Waterfall — walk behind the waterfall, free access (bring waterproofs)
• →Gljúfrabúi hidden canyon waterfall — free, 500m from Seljalandsfoss
• →Blue Lagoon geothermal spa — Comfort entry ~£60–75, book well in advance at bluelagoon.com
• →Optional: dinner at Blue Lagoon's LAVA Restaurant (~£60–80) or eat in Reykjavik before/after to save money
• →Final evening stroll on Laugavegur shopping street

Enjoy a final breakfast in Reykjavik — try Sandholt Bakery on Laugavegur for excellent pastries and coffee (~£8–10). If your flight is afternoon or evening, use the morning to visit any spots you missed: the Perlan Museum (interactive nature exhibits and observation dome, ~£25), a dip at Sundhöll Reykjavik public swimming pool (~£6 — a true local experience), or a browse of the flea market at Kolaportið (weekends only, free entry). Return your hire car at Keflavík Airport — allow at least 1.5–2 hrs before departure for the drive and return process.

🚌Drive hire car from Reykjavik to Keflavík Airport on Route 41 — approx 50km, 45 mins. Return car at airport rental desk.

🛏Check out this morning

• →Breakfast at Sandholt Bakery, Laugavegur — ~£8–10
• →Optional: Perlan Museum observation deck and exhibits — ~£25, book at perlan.is
• →Optional: Sundhöll Reykjavik public geothermal pool — ~£6 (a must-do local experience)
• →Optional: Kolaportið flea market (weekends) — free entry
• →Return hire car at Keflavík Airport — allow 1.5–2 hrs before flight