Updated June 11th, 2021

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It wouldn’t be right to go to Reykjavík, Iceland and never leave the city. While there are a lot of things to do in Reykjavík, the real highlights of the country are found outside the capital city. Unlike many other European cities, exploring beyond the radius of Reykjavík with only public transport can be a bit tricky. Don’t despair, even if you don’t want to rent a car in Iceland, you can still take day trips from Reykjavík to see all the natural wonders of the country.

Which Day Trip from Reykjavík Should You Choose?

Base yourself in Reykjavík and take guided day tours from Reykjavík each day. Iceland is known for being a pricey country. Save your money for the tours and stay at Eric the Red Guesthouse, a nice bed and breakfast at good prices. Not to mention it is across the street from one of the designated tour pick up spots. 

Before you dismiss the idea of taking Iceland day tours, hear me out. Even if you typically prefer independent travel, you may want to re-consider for Iceland. The key is choosing the right tour. Remember three things when you are picking a tour.

1. Price: You get what you pay for. Spend more if you don’t want a cookie cutter tour where you are hurdled around like Icelandic sheep to be able to see five sights in two hours.
2. Group size: I had groups of 0 – 6 other people on all my activities and tours. There are so many benefits of small group tours including being able to have more time at stops, flexibility in the day, freedom to ask for additional pit stops and more camaraderie with your group and your guide.
3. Sightseeing Tours: Sightseeing tours typically involve visiting the major “sites” of the country such as waterfalls, volcanoes, glaciers, historical sites, etc. They usually only involve minimal walking to and from the site. Sometimes a little more walking can be done if going in or around a waterfall and of course if you are hiking on a glacier.
4. Active Tours: Active tours are sometimes less focused on a particular site, but more on doing a particular activity within a beautiful location. The majority of the tours below are sightseeing tours where you are able to visit some of the major spots, but also include some sort of active adventure like kayaking, rafting, hiking or snorkeling.

The Best Day Trips from Reykjavík, Iceland

With so many full-day and half-day tours from Reykjavik, it can be hard to choose. I took some of best day tours of Iceland when I visited. What I found really helpful is the option to combine two activities in one day, a sightseeing tour with an active adventure.

I was so overwhelmed before my trip because I wanted to do everything and wanted to go with the best company. Trust me, I spent HOURS of time researching these before my trip. Along with my actual experience and research I ended up meeting and talking to some Icelandic guides to get some tips on the best companies.

These are the top destinations to visit in Iceland with the best companies for the different types day tours from Reykjavík for each one. They all include pick-ups from Reykjavík from one of the designated spots in the city. 

Reykjanes & The Capital Area

It doesn’t take long to leave the city behind and be surrounded by natural wonders. This area is known for the moon-like landscapes and geothermal activity. Tours to venture into lava caves and soak in hot springs are included in the sections below.

Reykjanes peninsula is also home to the one and only Blue Lagoon. It is the most popular geothermal spa in Iceland. You have probably seen photos of the milky blue waters.

The following tours are great if you want to leave the city, but are short on time.

Sea Kayaking Day Tour – Fjord Serenity: Active & Sightseeing

• DESCRIPTION: If you love sea kayaking, you will enjoy it even more within the gorgeous scenery of Iceland near the shores of Reykjavík.
• HOURS: 4
• AVAILABILITY: May – September
• GROUP SIZE: 1 guide to 6 participants
• MORE INFO: Read about my fjord kayaking experience
• BOOK NOW

Blue Lagoon & Airport Transportation: Sightseeing

• DESCRIPTION: I recommend combining a visit to the famous Blue Lagoon with your transportation to or from the airport. Ideally if you have a late afternoon or evening flight save the Blue Lagoon for your last day. It’s a great way to relax after all your adventures and before your flight. 
• HOURS: Depends on how long you want to spend at the Blue Lagoon, but plan for no less than 4 hours total with transportation.
• AVAILABILITY: Year-round
• GROUP SIZE: Large group — but it is only for transportation so no reason to pay more for a smaller group.
• MORE INFO: Read about how I combined an airport transfer with a day at the Blue Lagoon.
• BOOK NOW

Northern Lights Tour: Sightseeing

• DESCRIPTION: If you are visiting in winter you don’t want to miss out on spotting the Northern Lights. 
• HOURS: 4
• AVAILABILITY: September – April
• GROUP SIZE: 16 max
• BOOK NOW

Golden Circle

The highlights of the Golden Circle along the Ring Road include Gullfoss, Geysir, and Þingvellir National Park make up the most well-known trio of sights in Iceland. Gullfoss is a gigantic waterfall that flows 30 meters down into a narrow canyon. Geysir, which gave it’s name to all the other geysers in the world, is a hot spring in a large geothermal area. You will see where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates are slowly moving apart at Thingvellir.

These main stops included on most Golden Circle tours are closer to Reykjavík so there will be a lot more tourists at all the stops compared to the other regions mentioned below. Like all touristy spots, they are impressive and busy for a reason. Be warned there are a lot of people fighting for the perfect photo though.

Golden Circle: Sightseeing

• DESCRIPTION: If you don’t combine a visit to the Golden circle with an active adventure, make sure you go with a small company like Back to Iceland so you can ditch the crowds. The owner is a hilarious guide and the luxury mini bus makes for a comfortable ride. Plus a few extra stops are included like an Icelandic greenhouse, Friðheimar Green House.
• HOURS: 8
• AVAILABILITY: Year-round
• GROUP SIZE: 16 max
• BOOK NOW

Golden Circle & River Rafting Tour: Active & Sightseeing

• DESCRIPTION: See the sights, but have an extra thrill by rafting down Hvítá River.
• HOURS: 10
• AVAILABILITY: Year-round
• GROUP SIZE: 19 max
• BOOK NOW

Golden Circle Tour and Snorkeling: Active & Sightseeing

• DESCRIPTION: Go snorkeling in Silfra, one of the best diving spots in the world and then visit the Golden Circle hot spots. 
• HOURS: 8 – 9
• AVAILABILITY: Year-round
• GROUP SIZE: 6 max per guide
• BOOK NOW

Golden Circle Tour and Caving in Leidarendi Lava Tunnel: Active & Sightseeing

• DESCRIPTION: Combine a trip to the main Golden Circle sights with a caving adventure in Leiðarendi, a lava tube. Iceland is not just ice, it is also the land of volcanoes, caves and geothermal activity. As long as you don’t get claustrophobic, caving is another unique way to tour the country. 
• HOURS: 8
• AVAILABILITY: Year-round
• GROUP SIZE: 8 max
• BOOK NOW

Caving in Leidarendi Lava Tunnel and Silfra Snorkeling: Active

• DESCRIPTION: You can skip the sightseeing stops on the Golden Circle and combine two of the adventures in this area. It’s the perfect way to explore the lava fields by water and land! 
• HOURS: 6.5 – 7 hours
• AVAILABILITY: Year-round
• GROUP SIZE: 8 max per guide
• BOOK NOW

Caving in Leidarendi Lava Tunnel and Horseback Riding: Active

• DESCRIPTION: You will venture into a cave and ride Icelandic horses on a family farm. Even a non-horse lover like myself was intrigued with these beautiful animals. 
• HOURS: 7
• AVAILABILITY: Year-round
• GROUP SIZE: 8 max
• BOOK NOW

Snorkeling in Silfra and Horseback Riding: Active

• DESCRIPTION: Finally you can also combine snorkeling and horseback riding. 
• HOURS: 8
• AVAILABILITY: Year-round
• GROUP SIZE: 8 max horse back riding, 6 max snorkeling
• BOOK NOW

South Iceland

While the Golden Circle is in South Iceland, tours of this name typically refer to Reynisfjara, Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, and two waterfalls.

The waterfalls, Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss, are two of the most impressive in the country. Skógafoss can be admired from the bottom of the waterfall and from the top after climbing a long flight of stairs. What makes Seljalandsfoss unique is that you can walk behind the falls. The famous black sand beach Reynisfjara, is just as the name implies, comprised of black sand. Jökulsárlón is an impressive glacier lagoon with large chunks of ice floating around.

The glacier, Sólheimajökull is also in this area and the most popular place to go on glacier hikes and ice climbing. Reykjadalur is a geothermal area that offers natural hot springs for relaxing and is another top place to visit. The hot springs are reached by an easy, but scenic hike.

You won’t be able to cover all of these places in one trip so you many want to do at least two Iceland day trips in this region.

South Coast: Sightseeing

• DESCRIPTION: This is the best tour if you are looking for a classic sightseeing tour of all the must-see’s along the south coast. 
• HOURS: 14
• AVAILABILITY: Year-round (similar shorter tour available in the winter, but without Jökulsárlón)
• GROUP SIZE: 16 max (there were 3 of us on my tour)
• MORE INFO: Read about my South Coast tour.
• BOOK NOW

South Coast & Glacier Kayak: Active & Sightseeing

• DESCRIPTION: Full day tour that combines the sights of Southern Iceland, such as two of the country’s most famous waterfalls, with a glacier kayaking experience.
• HOURS: 11 – 12
• AVAILABILITY: May – September
• GROUP SIZE: 2 – 8 per guide
• BOOK NOW

South Coast Tour & Glacier Hike: Active & Sightseeing

• DESCRIPTION: You will spend the majority of the tour hiking on the Sólheimajökull glacier near the famous Eyjafjallajökull volcano. When you are in the country of ice (even though it’s less icy than Greenland) you have to try a glacier walk or even a climb! Stops at the two main south coast waterfalls will also be made. 
• HOURS: 9
• AVAILABILITY: Year-round
• GROUP SIZE: 15 max (on my tour there were only 4 participants)
• MORE INFO: Read about my Ice & Fire tour. A similar tour that is no longer offered.
• BOOK NOW

Reykjadalur Hot Springs Hike: Active

• DESCRIPTION: Hike to and from the hot springs and enjoy a relaxing soak in the water. 
• HOURS: 4 – 5
• AVAILABILITY: Year-round
• GROUP SIZE: 8 max
• MORE INFO: Read about my Ice & Fire tour, which included a visit to the hot springs.
• BOOK NOW

Reykjadalur Hot Springs & Lava Cave: Active

• DESCRIPTION: Head into one of Iceland’s many lava caves. Then hike to the hot springs. 
• HOURS: 6 – 7
• AVAILABILITY: June – September
• GROUP SIZE: 12 per guide max
• BOOK NOW

Landmannalaugar Hiking Tour – Highlands of Iceland: Active

• DESCRIPTION: Hike for about 5 miles on the famous Laugavegur Trek in one day. End with a relaxing soak in the hot springs. 
• HOURS: 14
• AVAILABILITY: June – September
• GROUP SIZE: 14 max
• BOOK NOW

Thorsmork Volcano Hike in the Highlands: Active

• DESCRIPTION: Venture into the Thorsmork Valley, which is near the previous erupting Eyjafjallajökull (volcano). 
• HOURS: 12 – 14
• AVAILABILITY: April – October
• GROUP SIZE: 16 max
• BOOK NOW

Icelandic Mountain Guides (one of the best Reykjavik day trip providers for glacier walks and the company for many of the tours above) offers several other day tour combinations. Most of their tours take place on the South Coast and can include glacier hiking, snowmobile rides, ATV rides, hot spring visits, lava cave explorations, northern lights and more. 

Snaefellsnes Peninsula & West Iceland

Not as many tourists make the trek to West Iceland and the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. It’s a shame because these parts of the island are not as built up as south Iceland and contain many of the natural wonders of the country such as fjords, waterfalls and lava tubes. It includes the Hvalfjordur, known as the whale fjord. The old Icelandic whaling industry was in this part of the country.

West Iceland & Krauma Spa: Sightseeing

• DESCRIPTION: Highlights of the tour include the whale fjord, the Trolls’ Park, and a lava field. The day ends with two hours to relax at the Krauma geothermal baths. 
• HOURS: 10
• AVAILABILITY: Year-round
• GROUP SIZE: 16 max
• BOOK NOW

SUP into the Forgotten Fjord in West Iceland: Active

• DESCRIPTION: SUP in the much more remote western Iceland.
• HOURS: 4.5 – 5.5
• AVAILABILITY: Year-round a couple times a week
• GROUP SIZE: 8 max
• MORE INFO: Read about my SUP experience
• BOOK NOW

Enchanting Snaefellsnes Peninsula: Sightseeing

• DESCRIPTION: Visit the beautiful natural sights of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula and enjoy a local lunch. 
• HOURS: 12
• AVAILABILITY: All-year
• GROUP SIZE: 8 max
• BOOK NOW

SUP on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula: Active & Sightseeing

• DESCRIPTION: SUP near the Kirkjufell mountain and sightseeing and nature stops at waterfalls, small towns and more.
• HOURS: 12
• AVAILABILITY: Year-round a couple times a week
• GROUP SIZE: 8 max
• BOOK NOW

I still look back on my day trips from Reykjavík with fond memories. Traveling with a smaller group and having enthusiastic and knowledgable guides really made the difference. So did all the fun activities I did alongside the major natural landmarks of the country. 

More About Iceland

• Incredible Iceland
• One Day in Reykjavik
• How to Get from Keflavík Airport to Reykjavík, Iceland
• National Museum of Iceland in Reykjavik
• SUP
• Kayaking in Iceland
• Hot Springs Hike & Glacier Hike, 
• Jökulsárlón & South Island
• Books about Iceland & Finland

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