Sometimes when you go on a cruise it is a little frustrating that you only have one day to explore each port. So when we had the opportunity to cruise around Iceland, somewhere that has been on my husband’s bucket list forever, we decided to make the most of it and went three days early. There is so much to do within a day’s drive of Reykjavik even three days in Iceland was a push. So we decided the best option was to go on day tours from Reykjavik. After extensive research, we chose what we believe to be the best day trips from Reykjavik, and we were not disappointed.
Not being fans of huge bus trips we chose small tour companies who had live commentary, not recorded. There were also some key attractions that we wanted to hit.
I am Kerrie-Anne Riles, an Ausie who is an avid world traveler, and owner of TravelWanderlust.com.au. Although our home is in Australia, we are currently living in Peru so we had a thirty-hour trip to Iceland and had to face our first day trip jetlagged!
My 3 choices for day trips from Reykjavik are:
- Inside the Volcano
- The South Coast Tour
- The Golden Circle with the Secret Laggoon
So if you are ready to find out what to expect on these amazing day tours from Reykjavik, read on!
Day trip from Reykjavik #1–Inside the Volcano
Yes, inside a volcano!
My husband is a geologist so from his perspective, the best day trips from Reykjavik had to include a volcano. Iceland is a “volcanic hot spot” with eruptions about ever 3-4 years. This is due to being situated on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates are moving apart. The Þríhnúkagígur volcano sits in the middle of this.
Þríhnúkagígur is a natural phenomenon. It is a dormant volcano that last erupted approximately 4000 years ago. The magma chamber we descended into is a mysterious cavern where the lava, or molten rock, has inexplicably disappeared leaving an empty space more than the height of the Statue of Liberty (as they like to illustrate on their souvenir tee shirts).
As the rest of our group strode off into the distance I kept a far more leisurely pace accompanied by the patient guide assigned to the slower participants.
Our first stop was at “base camp” where we had refreshments and were fitted with safety gear, harnesses and helmets, and had a safety talk before climbing to the summit.
All this makes it sound more challenging than it was. My real challenge was yet to come… descending the 120 meter drop into the cavern. Terrified of heights, I had dreaded this part!
We were each attached to the frame of the elevator cage by a cable, and the guide was at pains to assure us all possible safety precautions were in place. Surprisingly, the descent was so gentle and the surroundings so fascinating, I actually enjoyed it.
Once at the bottom you have 40 minutes to explore. You can walk around the walls exploring the multi-colored textures. Looking up, you are almost entirely enclosed except for the one hole through which you descended.
Due to weather conditions the volcano is only available for tourists from 10th May to 31st October each year.
This is definitely one of the most unique day tours from Reykjavik available, and it was truly a volcanic experience of a lifetime I would recommend to anyone!
Day Trip from Reykjavik #2–South Coast Tour
Our choice for our other two days was Your Day Tours. After much searching on the internet we had booked with Your Day Tours mainly because we wanted a small group tour with a live commentary for our tours of the South Coast of Iceland and the Golden Circle. Also, their South Coast tour had just been voted #5 Day Trip in the world by the TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice 2019 award so it definitely deserved to be one of our day trips from Reykjavik!
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As we glanced wistfully at some of the waterfalls and attractions in the distance that we had booked to see all we heard from our driver/guide Baldwyn was “no we’re not stopping now, we’ll see that on the way back…trust me”. Tourists from many huge tour buses were already enjoying these sights.
The weather was what we had expected in Iceland; overcast and dull even though it was summer; 6°C and they call this summer! However the atmosphere in the mini bus was bright and cheery. Baldwyn’s commentary was both informative and amusing.
Black Sand Beach
Our lunch stop was at Reynisfjara, the black sand beach with cliffs of vertical basalt columns. Baldwyn warned us not to go too close to the water. Although the water appeared calm, it can apparently be treacherous with unpredictable waves having washed people out to sea.
Puffins
Our puffin experience was less than we had hoped. There are supposedly about five million puffins in Iceland. We saw about five. Someone forgot to tell the puffins we were visiting that day!
Skogafoss
The waterfall at Skogafoss plunges 60 meters. Stand too close and you will get thoroughly soaked by the spray! It is one of the iconic waterfalls of Iceland, and one that everyone imagines when choosing their day tours from Reykjavik.
Sólheimajökull Glacier
The 15 minute walk to the easily accessible Sólheimajökull glacier took you to one of the most famous glaciers in Iceland. Sadly this glacier is in retreat, melting due to climate change.
Behind the Waterfall
The highlight of our day was definitely the visit to the Seljalandsfoss waterfall where we walked behind the huge waterfall! The water for this 60 meter fall originates from the volcano glacier Eyjafjallajökull (nicknamed E15 because no-one other than Icelanders can pronounce it!) that last erupted in 2010.
The walk into the waterfall was relatively easy; a short flight of stairs followed by a gravel-surfaced walk. Walking cautiously, we slipped and slithered on the mud and slippery rocks.
Generating thunderous noise, the water cascades down the mountain, then free falls in front of the cave creating a curtain of water. With the sun now shining and the spray wafting all around us we were treated to several full rainbows. Between photographs we cuddled our cameras inside our waterproof jackets to protect them from the dense spray that permeated the air.
After the main waterfall there was a small area where the spray was quite dense. Not surprisingly, there was a group of drenched young men, shirts off, daring each other to go further into the spray.
We had a choice of how to go behind the waterfall. You could go in and out the same way or walk a circular route. As we always try to follow the policy of never going back the same way wherever we go, and my husband assured me it wasn’t too hard, we chose the circular route. However, this turned out to be by far the more difficult option.
After leaving the waterfall we were faced with a steep cliff to climb over angular and slimy boulders that I found quite daunting. About halfway up there was a thick, knotted rope, secured at one end, dangling down over the rocks that you could use to haul yourself up. Once I had this I was far more confident that I was not going to fall and injure (or embarrass) myself so I made much better progress.
As we walked back to the bus we realized that Baldwyn was absolutely right. Taking the tour in the reverse order to the norm we had avoided the crowds, which was after all the reason we had chosen a small tour, and had found time for a couple of extra stops. We also had the benefit of the afternoon sun to create colorful rainbows and we were happily wet and muddy just for the return to Reykjavik.
Kröst
Being both muddy and tired we decided to eat at a food court near the bus stop for a quick evening meal. It didn’t take us long to realize that this was no ordinary food court. This was something special!
Built in a converted derelict bus station about two years ago, the building now holds nine gourmet food stalls– each a mini restaurant in their own right, plus a bakery.
After perusing all the menus we chose Kröst.
All their meals are cooked in their tiny open kitchen on a Josper wood grill-oven fueled by wood imported from Portugal. This seemed like an incredible extravagance. However we were reminded that there are virtually no native trees to use in Iceland as they were used by the Vikings when they first settled in Iceland late in the 9th century.
We chose three small plates to share: Grilled White Mould Cheese (1450KR), Grilled Cabbage with Cheddar (1250KR), and Garlic Potatoes (650KR). All delicious!
Day Trip from Reykjavik #3 -Golden Circle Tour
Having enjoyed the previous day trip we were glad to have also chosen Your Day Tours for our Golden Circle tour, a 300 km excursion into an area of outstanding scenic beauty. The Golden Circle is the most well known route for tourists, and it is often called one of the best day trips from Reykjavik. It includes the three popular attractions of Þingvellir, Gullfoss and Son of Geysir. Its name is derived from the name of Gullfoss that in Icelandic means “golden waterfall,” and it loops back to Reykjavik.
Þingvellir
Here you have the opportunity to walk down into the rift valley where the tectonic plates are separating.
Þingvellir was the first National Park in Iceland. It was decreed to protect the site where the Vikings formed the first people’s assembly later to develop into the base of today’s Parliament. Þingvellir was designated a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 2004
Icelandic Horses
With distant view to the Langjókull glacier, we stopped to admire some Icelandic horses. These sturdy pony size horses only grow to 13 or 14 hands but are ridden by full size adults for traditional sheepherding. Introduced into Iceland in the 9th century they are relatively free of disease. By law, no horses can be imported into Iceland nor are any Icelandic horses taken overseas allowed to return.
Gullfoss
Gullfoss is one of the largest waterfalls in Iceland. Water cascades down 32 meters in two drops. Wehter you spend 3 days in Iceland, or 30, you never tire of waterfalls in Iceland. Each one is spectacular in its own way, but this is one of the day tours from Reykjavik that had a bit of everything.
Strokkur
Lunch was at Strokkur where we stopped to see Son of Geysir. Across the road there was a selection of restaurants catering to the hundreds of tourists there. Our choice was at Supa Geysir whose menu board claims to specialize in tasty gluten free soups. The soup was tasty but the bread supplied with the soup was not gluten free which sort of defeated the purpose!
Son of Geysir
Standing behind the safety rope with cameras at the ready, hundreds of tourists wait for Son of Geysir to gush forth. Every six or seven minutes the geyser spurts boiling water 35 meters into the air. Its all over in a few exciting seconds and if you missed it you just wait another six or seven minutes for another chance at that perfect photo.
Faxi
Another beautiful waterfall you visit is Faxi. It is less well-known, but I am glad it was included in our day tours from Reykjavik, as I quite enjoyed it.
Salmon fishing is a favorite sport in Iceland. Beside the Faxi waterfall there are salmon steps built to allow the salmon to bypass the waterfall and follow their natural instinct to leap upstream to spawn further up the river.
Secret Lagoon
Leave your modesty at the door! Everyone is expected to shower naked in communal showers (separate for men and women) before entering the water.
Built in 1891, Secret Lagoon is the oldest swimming pool in Iceland. Situated near the town of Fudir in an area noted for geothermal hotspots, the pool is a constant temperature of 38-40o C. From 1909 to 1947 the naturally warmed waters were used for swimming lessons.
The Secret Lagoon remains “natural and unique for our guests so they can get the true Icelandic feeling”. Although I was disappointed this was not the beautiful azure blue lagoon I had been dreaming about from the travel brochures (a nearby Aussie said “ Its just like swimming in someone’s dam out in the paddock!”) I do have to admit it was totally relaxing; luxuriating in the naturally warmed mineral water with a glass of bubbly in your hand.
Driving back to Reykjavik we were amused to see pockets of steam randomly spurting out of the sides of mountains. Iceland harnesses this power for their geothermal power stations.
Are You Ready to Spend 3 Days in Iceland?
Going to Iceland was never on my bucket list. That was my husband’s list and I just went along for the ride. In the first three days there I knew he was right! If you don’t have time for a full vacation, 3 days in Iceland can get a good feeling for this beautiful and unique country, and the best day trips from Reykjavik are an ideal way to spend them.
If you go:
Inside the Volcano 350 USD (No child concession). You can reserve it right now!
Your Day Tour South Coast Small Group Day Tour
Adults 109 USD Child 55USD. You can reserve it right now!
Your Day Tour Golden Circle Secret Lagoon
Adult 101USD Child 51 USD (Includes admission to Secret Lagoon). You can reserve it right now!
- Pro Tips
- Direct flights from the major US cities take between 5 ½ – 9 hours. (Our flight from Boston took 5 ½ hours). You can also fly direct from Canada and Europe on several airlines code share with Iceland Air.
- When flying over the Atlantic with Iceland Air you can add an Iceland stop over (from 1 to 7 days) at no extra cost. This means you can easily add 3 days in Iceland to your longer vacation! (# days in Iceland would make a perfect stopover on the way to your vacation in Ireland or Germany, Amsterdam or Vienna!)
- From the airport you can take a Fly Bus to BSI central bus station and transfer to either a shuttle or taxi to your hotel. (no need to book on arrival but booking necessary for return to airport.)
- Tour buses pick up from about a dozen stops. However these are mostly unmarked so you need to find out from the hotel exactly where they are! Also it is a good idea to work out where the bus stops are before you book a hotel (the tour companies can tell you).
Iceland is a very popular destination, so there are numerous companies offering what the call the best day tours from Reykjavik, and longer tours. Options that vary from our choices include whale watching, northern lights, ice caves, and lava tubes. While we were very pleased with our choices, if you want more options, you can find many.
You can check out other day trips from Reykjavik right now.
You can also reserve a hotel room in Reykjavik right now.
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About the Author
Kerrie-Anne Riles is an Australian freelance travel writer currently living in Peru. She has lived in seven different countries and travels extensively.
Her travel writing includes traveling to unusual places and quirky travel experiences, luxury travel especially cruising and train trips, and gluten free cooking and restaurant reviews. You can read more from Kerrie-Anne on her website, TravelWanderlust.com.au. You can also find her on Facebook.
