4 days in Iceland is a great amount of time to get a good feel for the country, see plenty of incredible sights and do some fun activities!
With your 4 day Iceland itinerary, you can explore the Southern Coast of Iceland including the 2 ultra-famous waterfalls of Seljalandsfoss & Skógafoss, see a glacier, swim in the Blue Lagoon, eat great food in Reykjavik and do an activity you’re passionate about like horse riding, an ATV experience, hike or pamper yourself in another hot spring.. not bad for just 4 days in Iceland hey!
In this Iceland travel blog, I will give you my ideal four days in Iceland itinerary, perfect for whether you’re visiting Iceland in Summer or Iceland in Winter based on my recent long weekends in Iceland!
Iceland 4 Day Itinerary
This itinerary for Iceland is based on you staying in Reykjavik, hiring a car and seeing the country from Reykjavik or doing organised day tours from Reykjavik without a car since this is one of the great ways to see Iceland, especially when travelling solo.
In fact, this 4 days Iceland itinerary can be completely recreated by solo travellers not wanting to drive themselves around Iceland as well as families and groups who prefer seeing Iceland with a tour and guide.
This isn’t a 4 day Iceland road trip itinerary since this isn’t how I saw Iceland when I visited but this is a great road trip in Iceland itinerary if you are looking for this option instead!
Can you do Iceland in 4 days?
Why 4 days in Iceland? Well, you wouldn’t want to visit Iceland for any less time, to be honest.
Yes, Reykjavik can act as a great city break destination, especially when travelling just 2-3 hours from a nearby European country but once you’re there you really want to see some nature and countryside, not just the city, and you need time to do that!
Iceland isn’t that big and the weather can be unpredictable meaning a 6-hour outing could easily become 8-9 hours if the wind picks up or a snowstorm comes in and chances of cancelled activities can be high, so to ensure you don’t waste your days in Iceland or run out of time, 4 days is a good amount of time.
I recommend looking for an early morning flight into Iceland and a late evening flight leaving Iceland to maximise your four days in Iceland which is how I’ve based the below 4 day Iceland itinerary so let’s get into it!
Best hotel for 4 days in Iceland
For this Iceland 4 day itinerary I recommend staying in Reykjavik city centre and I’ll share with you the hotel I stayed in recently and loved so much because of its comfort, location and staff – Sand Hotel Reykjavik!
There are so many hotels in Reykjavik so check out more of the hotels online here however if you’re looking for a solid recommendation for a boutique-style hotel (with the best buffer breakfast I’ve ever had!), check out Sand Hotel in Reykjavik here!
Iceland Day 1 – Blue Lagoon from Airport
The Blue Lagoon is easily the top tourist attraction in Iceland and one of the reasons for this is that it’s located so close to Iceland’s main airport – Keflavík Airport.
The best way to visit the Blue Lagoon to save time and money on journeys is after landing in Iceland on your first day on the way to the city, or, on your last day before heading to the airport.
And don’t worry, the Blue Lagoon is set up for travellers with all their luggage with suitcase lockers on arrival and towels included in the price.
Blue Lagoon Airport Transfer Package
Unless you are hiring a car, the best way to visit the Blue Lagoon after landing in Iceland is by booking an airport and city transfer package directly on the Blue Lagoons website.
This includes:
- Pick up from Keflavík Airport to the Blue Lagoon at a designated time
- Entry into the Blue Lagoon including a towel
- Transfer from the Blue Lagoon to your hotel / the bus stop closest to your hotel at a designated time
When booking, the Blue Lagoon website will advise which times are best for you based on when you arrive so you have enough time. On my recent visit to Iceland, I landed with 1.5 hours before my bus to the Blue Lagoon but there’s a cafe in the airport to get food and chill in so it wasn’t a problem.
Northern Lights Evening Tour
Between September and April, you have the chance to see the Northern Lights in Iceland and there are plenty of tours to take you out Northern Light hunting.
I advise booking this tour on your first night in Iceland because there is a chance it is cancelled because of the weather or, you go out and don’t see them and this means you still have another 3 nights to reschedule… which is what happened to me!
Make sure you book a tour like this which is the tour I took, because if it gets cancelled because of the weather and you don’t go at all, you’ll get a refund. And if you go out but don’t see them, you can book the tour again for free!
Iceland Day 2 – South Coast Iceland Tour
Your 4 days in Iceland must include heading out of the city and seeing some of the iconic Iceland attractions and I suggest the South Coast of Iceland Tour for this.
Many people want to do the Golden Circle as they’ve heard about it but honestly, I think the Golden Circle is a bit boring and only worth it if you have time, with four days in Iceland, the Southern Iceland Tour is much more worth your time as the attractions are far more impressive!
This is the South Coast of Iceland day tour I booked. I booked a smaller tour which meant we had a minibus instead of a big coach. This is a huge positive I think and worth paying a bit more for because there are less people getting off with you at each stop and fewer people to wait on.
The guides in Iceland are fantastic and they ensure they arrange the day to best suit the weather as much as possible.
The order of the South Coast of Iceland itinerary can change but generally, you’ll visit the following epic places in about 10-12 hours:
- Skógafoss Waterfall
- Seljalandsfoss Waterfall
- Black Sand Beach
- Sólheimajökull Glacier
- Town of Vik
Iceland Day 3 – Big Activity / Attraction Day
On the third day of your 4 day Iceland itinerary, choose an activity or attraction that makes you excited and what you came to Iceland for!
This could be horse riding, whale watching, visiting a Glacier, ATV riding, a Lagoon.. honestly, Iceland has a tour option for almost every activity!
Here are some great options to give your 4 day Iceland trip a thrill:
Into the Glacier Tour
If you’re organising a 4 day Iceland itinerary in winter, doing a glacier tour is a great option! From Reykjavik, you can book an ‘Into the Glacier’ Tour taking you on a 12 hour day tour from Reykjavik to Langjökull, Iceland’s second-largest glacier.
You’ll be treated to amazing views of the Western side of Iceland during your drive and do a few stops to start with. Then, you’ll be taken to the Into the Glacier office where you’ll switch your bus for a monster truck and travel 25km on this truck deep inside a glacier! This is an Iceland bucket list experience!
Horse Riding
Many people think of cute, fluffy Icelandic ponies when they think of Iceland and Iceland is full of horses and ponies with lots of chances to go riding.
Many tours will pick you up from Reykjavik and take you to a stable, you can choose a full-day tour with a horse ride and a visit to see more of Iceland like the Golden Circle or go out for just a few hours like this and they welcome riders of all abilities.
These are some of the best options to choose for horse riding tours in Iceland:
ATV Quad Bike Safari Tour
If you want a thrill, get an ATV / Quad Bike ride booked! One of my friends did this during our long weekend in Iceland and she had so much fun, even in a total snowstorm!
You can choose to go out on a South Coast trip like this and quad bike to the abandoned plane wreck and along the beach, or head inland to mountains like this!
If you’re planning your 4 day Iceland itinerary in summer when the sun doesn’t set, there’s even the chance to do a midnight sun ATV tour… I told you, Iceland has a tour for everything!
Snorkelling Between Tectonic Plates
One of the top things to do in Iceland is to visit the Thingvellir National Park where two continental plates meet. This is one of the stops on the Golden Circle and it is okay to see from the land but it’s much more fun to swim and actually SEE the tectonic plates!
There’s the option to dive or snorkel between the tectonic plates with lots of tour companies able to take you out:
One of my friends is a keen diver and she did the tectonic plate dive in January in the freezing cold and still enjoyed it! Icelanders don’t let the cold cancel their fun!
Whale Watching
Whale Watching is another one of the top activities to do in Iceland and it’s available all year round but April to late September-early October are the best months, with the summer months of June, July and August being the peak months.
You can go out Whale Watching on a tour like this in the morning, afternoon or evening, whatever best fits your Iceland 4 day itinerary. Expect to dress up warm and be out for a good few hours!
I recommend booking with a company like this who have a policy that if you don’t see any Whales, you can return on one of their trips for free on this visit to Iceland or in the future!
Sky Lagoon
The Blue Lagoon has a bit of a competitor these days – the Sky Lagoon so if you fancy relaxing on your second to last day in Iceland, this is a great place to visit!
You can get a 10-minute taxi from Reykjavik City Centre to the Sky Lagoon costing about £20-25 and enjoy the ocean view from a thermal pool.
To be honest, I didn’t have the best experience at the Sky Lagoon as the weather was bad (it was hailing and it hurt a lot!) and it was pretty busy meaning the 7-step spa experience was crowded and not enjoyable, however, I have heard people who have gone and enjoyed it!
HERE ARE GREAT DAY TOURS YOU CAN BOOK TO FILL YOUR 4 DAYS IN ICELAND:
Iceland Day 4 – See Reykjavik before Leaving
On your last day in Iceland, set aside some time to see Reykjavik city before leaving (or visit the Blue Lagoon if you didn’t do it on day 1).
There are plenty of things to do in Reykjavik like museums, finding street art, eating good food and if the weather isn’t good, I have you covered with this list of things to do in Reykjavik when it rains.
Here are a few of my top Reykjavik recommendations depending on how much time you have that will not only give you a great experience in the city but let you see more of Iceland:
Perlan Museum
I wouldn’t advise going here unless you have a minimum of 2 hours but if you do, it’s a great place to visit! Especially if you’re visiting Iceland with kids as it’s super interactive.
‘The Pearl’ as it’s also referred to is a high-tech museum with several displays and exhibitions however there are 2 that really stand out are – the Northern Lights Planetarium and Ice Cave.
Yes, inside Perlan Museum in Reykjavik, you can go inside an ice cave with real ice surrounding you! Our Ice Cave tour actually got cancelled so although this wasn’t the same, it was a great alternative, and we didn’t get to see the Northern Lights properly, so seeing them inside the planetarium was also great.
You can easily book your ticket and entry time here with a great cancellation option!
If you’re doing this as a 4 day Iceland summer itinerary when the Northern Lights are not on show and ice caves are closed, at least you can see them in this museum!
In addition, Perlan has a 360 outside viewing deck with incredible views over the city so you’re getting a viewpoint included in the price!
FlyOver Iceland
VR is all the rage and this is one of the best uses for it! You get buckled into what looks like a roller coaster chair and all of a sudden, you’re flying over Iceland! I enjoyed this experience so much. It was so moving seeing the different types of scenery in Iceland and at different times of the year.
You can easily book your ticket and time online here with a great cancellation option!
I recommend doing this on the last day of your 4-day Iceland itinerary as by then you will have seen some of the places included and will be able to recognise them which is super cool!
Again, this is another one of the great things to do in Iceland for kids!
View from the Church
For one of the easy and simple things to do in Reykjavik, head to Hallgrímskirkja Church which you literally can’t miss and pay to visit the 75m high viewing deck to see epic views over the city, water and mountains.
Find out all you need to know about the Hallgrímskirkja viewing deck here!
LINKS TO ALL THE DAY TOURS FROM REYKJAVIK AND ACTIVITIES I DID AND RECOMMEND FOR YOUR 4 DAYS IN ICELAND ITINERARY:
I hope this has helped you plan your 4 days in Iceland itinerary based in Reykjavik with plenty of Iceland attractions from Reykjavik!
- For more of my posts see:
- 10 AWESOME Things To Do in Reykjavik when it Rains!
- Visiting Iceland in May and June – What it’s Like, Weather & What to Pack!
- 2 Days in Oslo | Itinerary for the City & Day Trip Ideas!
- 3- 5 Day Norway Road Trip Itinerary! Bergen to Alesund & Atlantic Ocean Road.
- 30 BEST Places to Visit in Europe in December!
- 27 DIFFERENT & BEST Places to Visit in Europe in July & August!