How to Plan Your Iceland Trip

There is a lot that goes into planning a trip to Iceland. Where are you going to stay, how long are the drives, what will the weather be like, how long will each stop take, where will you eat, what about food, and so much more...

There’s so much to see, distances are bigger than they look, and the weather can completely change your plans overnight.

But once you understand exactly how to structure your trip, everything becomes a little bit easier.

So, here's exactly how we'd plan a trip to Iceland, if this were our first time visiting:

STEP 1: DECIDE HOW LONG YOU HAVE

Your entire trip depends on this.

• 3–5 days: Focus on one region (don’t try to see everything)

• 5–7 days: You can cover a good portion of the south

• 7–10+ days: More flexibility + slower travel

👉 The biggest mistake is trying to cram too much in. The driving distances can be long and tiring, and the weather can make everything so much harder.

So, it's much easier to stick to a simple route to visit a few stops than trying to drive 6 hours in a day and also do 10 things!

STEP 2: PICK A ROUTE

Before you even think about specific stops, decide:

• Where you’re starting

• The general direction you’ll travel

• Whether you’re looping or returning the same way

• How long are you willing to drive per day?

This avoids wasted time and unnecessary backtracking, plus, it's much easier to plan a trip once you have an idea of the area you want to cover.

For instance, for our winter road trip, we specifically stuck to the south coast and decided from the start that we'd go as far as Jokulsarlon and then turn back.

STEP 3: BE REALISTIC WITH TIME

Driving in Iceland takes longer than you'd expect.

Not because of traffic—but because:

• You’ll want to stop constantly

• The weather can slow you down

• Roads aren’t always straightforward

👉 A good rule: always plan less than you think you can do. This way, you won't end up taking a little longer than you expected at one place and then having to do a 4-hour drive to your next hotel in the evening - we made this mistake, and it can be very frustrating!

STEP 4: BE FLEXIBLE

This is the part most people get wrong.

Iceland’s weather changes fast, so your plan needs to be adaptable.

Leave room to:

• Swap days around

• Skip things if needed

• Chase better conditions

On one drive to Jokulsarlon, the wind was so strong that it was buffeting our car around on the road. If it had gotten stronger, we may have needed to turn back.

Similarly, in North Iceland, we woke up one morning completely snowed in and needed to be plouged our by a local in order to get to our next destination.

In Iceland, sometimes, plans change, and you need to be able to make these kinds of calls for your own safety.

ALREADY FEEL OVERWHELMED?

We get it!

If this already feels like a lot to figure out… you don’t have to do it alone.

Let us plan your trip for you.

Alongside our Iceland map, we also offer custom itinerary planning so you can get the perfect trip for your needs. Just fill in a simple survey, and we'll give you a full itinerary that:

• Follows a clear, logical route

• Makes the most of your time

• And allows you to discover incredible places without hours of research

👉 [INSERT MAP LINK]