Duration
5 Days
Availability
September - April
Difficulty
Easy
Minimum Age
No age limit
5 Days
September - April
Easy
No age limit
See the beautiful colours of Iceland in the winter, from the green northern lights and silvery waterfalls to white glaciers and blue ice caves. This fantastic 5-Day Self-Drive Tour was designed for travellers seeking freedom, flexibility, and adventure.
On this amazing road trip, you’ll travel around southern Iceland, from Reykjavík to Vatnajökull National Park. Along the way, you’ll stop at the Golden Circle, the waterfalls Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss, Reynisfjara black sand beach, Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, and more. Then at night, you’ll have plenty of free time to hunt for the elusive northern lights.
Your journey is fully customisable, meaning you can choose the level of accommodation and car, add extra nights and spice up your days with an additional activity. These include visiting the Blue Lagoon, snowmobiling, hiking up a glacier, and stepping inside an authentic ice cave.
Get away from it all and enjoy the beauty of Iceland in winter! Book your adventure today!
Welcome to Iceland! You’ll arrive at Keflavik International Airport. Once you’ve picked up your luggage, find your rental car and head to this country’s vibrant capital city, Reykjavík.
Once you’ve settled into your hotel room, you can explore the city. We recommend visiting the Hallgrímskirkja Church, Laugavegur Shopping Street, and Harpa Concert Hall. The last of these is exceptionally beautiful once the sun’s set, as its facade is illuminated by multi-coloured lights.
Today after breakfast, you’ll leave the city behind for the beautiful Icelandic wilderness. You’ll explore the three sites that make up the Golden Circle route before heading to your accommodations in South Iceland, perhaps with a few additional stops along the way.
First, you will visit Þingvellir National Park. Here is where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet. The area’s rough and rugged terrain is the result of the movement of these massive plates. You can see their boundary at Almannagjá Canyon; it is one of the few places on earth where you can see edges exposed like that.
Þingvellir is also historically significant. For centuries, Icelanders would gather here for Alþingi, the national parliament, starting with the Viking settlers over a thousand years ago.
Next up is the Geysir geothermal area, where you can watch the geyser Strokkur erupt multiple times. Finally, a few minutes’ drive from Geysir is Gullfoss Waterfall. This stunning feature is fed by Langjökull, this country’s second-largest glacier. You can watch the frosty glacial water fall down 32-metres from one of two viewing platforms, ensuring you’ll get at least one fantastic photo of the falls.
Your accommodations today will be in or near the town of Hvolsvöllur in South Iceland. However, if you wish, you can make a few stops before you make your way there. En route to Hvolsvöllur is Kerið Crater Lake, Friðheimar Tomato Farm, and Selfoss Town.
Today, you’ll explore the diverse attractions of Iceland’s southern coastline. You’ll see waterfalls, glaciers, and black-sand beaches.
Your first stop today is at Seljalandsfoss, a beautiful waterfall that falls off a 60-metre-tall cliff. A short drive away is another equally impressive feature, Skógafoss Waterfall. Skógafoss falls off a similar height as Seljalandsfoss but is much wider and more powerful.
From Skógafoss, you’ll continue your journey of the south coast, stopping next at Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach. Here, you can watch the unruly waves of the North Atlantic Ocean crash upon the shore. There is no landmass between Reynisfjara and the Antarctic, so the waves here can get quite intense. Towering over the beach are grey cliffs made of natural columns, and the massive Reynisdrangar sea stacks stand out in the ocean.
From Reynisfjara, you’ll go to Vatnajökull National Park, named after a glacier of the same name. Vatnajökull is Europe’s largest glacier and the world’s second-largest. You will spend your night here, in the realm of this massive ice cap. If the sky is clear of clouds, check it for signs of the northern lights before bed.
Now it is time to head back to Reykjavík. However, you will, of course, make a few stops first.
Iceland has some amazing natural wonders, but none compare to Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon. This stunning glacial lake sits at the foot of the Vatnajökull Glacier and is filled with massive icebergs that have broken off it.
A short walk away from the lagoon is Diamond Beach. This is a stretch of a black sand shoreline littered with crystal-like ice chunks that have washed up from the lagoon. This is a fantastic spot for photographs, especially in the wintertime.
As you drive back to Reykjavík, you can choose to visit again any of the sites you saw in the previous days. During the winter, these attractions are ever-changing, so seeing them in a new light will provide new photo opportunities. Alternatively, you can explore some new sites such as Hjörleifshöfði Cape or Eldfell Lava Field.
Today, you will bid farewell to this land of fire and ice. Then, in good time for your flight, you will drive across the Reykjanes Peninsula to Keflavík Airport, where you will return your rental car and board your plane.
If your flight leaves in the evening or afternoon, you can spend some time exploring the city. We recommend walking around Tjörnin Lake, one of the most scenic spots in the city. You can also head to the Old Harbour and watch the boats bob up and down with the current.
You’ll have a choice of three accommodations levels. See details about each one in the boxes below. All accommodations for this tour have been hand-picked by our local travel experts.
For budget-level, single rooms will be allocated to bookings for one person. Shared twin/double or triple room(s) will be arranged for two or more people. Groups with an odd number of participants will be allotted a single room in quality-level. Children and teenagers will be arranged in the same room as their parents. Additional cost may occur if additional room(s) is needed.
Please keep in mind that hotel quality in Iceland varies between regions and that not all locations offer quality-level accommodations. At those particular locations, comfort level accommodations will be arranged, which has already been calculated in the upgraded price. We do our best to accommodate special requests, but additional costs may incur.
Nice and comfortable rooms with shared bathroom facilities and shower located in farmhouses, guesthouses or hostels, in good locations with breakfast included. An example of this in Reykjavík would be Kex Hostel.
Comfortable rooms in three-star hotels or quality guesthouses, centrally located, very close to popular attractions. Private bathroom and breakfast included. An example of this in Reykjavík would be Fosshotel Rauðará.
Rooms in four-star hotels or superior rooms in quality three-star hotels at fantastic locations near popular attractions. Private bathroom and breakfast is included. An example of this in Reykjavík would be Icelandair Hotel Marina.
You’ll have a choice of three options for your rental car. See details for each option in the boxes below. We only work with highly reputable dealerships, ensuring you a smooth ride throughout your holiday.
The vehicles for all levels are current models, no older than two years. They all come standard with a medium protection package including CDW (Collision damage waiver), GP (Gravel Protection), Super Collision Damage Waiver (SCDW), Personal Accident Insurance (PAI) and a Theft Waiver (THW). They also come equipped with free Wi-Fi with 3GB total. You will also get 24-hour roadside emergency services from the car rental agency. In the wintertime, all cars have winter tyres.
The driver must hold a valid driving licence which they have had for at least 12 months before the date of the rental. Age requirement varies for each level, and you can find more information on that in the boxes below.
Please note that off-road driving is illegal in Iceland.
2WD vehicle such as a VW Golf, good for city driving and shorter trips. Fits up to 5 travellers & light luggage. No Highland capabilities. Driver must be at least 20 year old.
4x4 jeep or SUV. Fits up to 5 travellers and 2 large pieces of luggage. Decent for snow and off-asphalt driving. Basic highland capabilities. Driver must be min. 20 years old.
Large 4x4 like a Toyota Land Cruiser. Comfortable up to 5 travellers with 4 large pieces of luggage. Full highland capabilities. Driver must be min. 21 years old.
Visit MEILI EXPERIENCE for Luxury Travel Experiences
From 71,620 kr. /pp.
Per person based on 4 persons travelling together
(Discounts applied in cart – Amount charged in ISK)
For further information, please see our Terms and Conditions.
Scheduled international and domestic flights are non-refundable, be they a part of a package, multi-day tour, or any other service purchasable on the Traveo website, unless the Cancellation insurance is purchased. If a cancellation insurance is purchased, a full refund is given.
If flights are a part of a tour listed as a Day-Tour, standard terms of cancellations of day tours apply to a full refund. For cancelling and refunding of private flights (flights specifically arranged and scheduled for you personally or your group in specific), please contact your service agent.
If your tour is cancelled by the tour provider due to weather conditions or any other environmental circumstances you will always receive a full refund. Exempt from this are any rescheduled second tries of tours which already have been serviced as a first departure. In the case of a volcanic eruption taking place on Icelandic soil stopping you from getting to Iceland, you will also receive a full refund on all products booked on Traveo.
All booking change requests must be made via email by the person who submitted the original booking request.
Changing the number of people in a booking to a smaller number is considered cancellation for the change in number of participants.
For multi-day tours and packages, all requests for changes must be made minimum 7 days in advance. Please note that we might not be able to fulfil your changed requirements due to lack of availability, though we will always do our best, and do offer alternative options.
Depending on how far in advance a tour package has been booked and when changes to a booking are requested, an administrative fee of 5000 ISK may be charged each day/night of the itinerary that is modified. Additional supplier costs may still apply depending on the changes requested.
For bookings made within 60 days of arrival, changes can be made without incurring the administrative fee until services have been confirmed and the travel documents have been issued. However, for bookings made 30 days or less before arrival, the administrative fee and any applicable supplier fees may be charged due to the short processing time.
Day tours and activities booked on the Traveo.is that are serviced by independent operators can be changed up to 24 hours before departure.
A booking may be transferred from one party to another, provided that the new party upholds the terms and conditions of the booking. An administrative fee of 5000 ISK will be charged for the transfer, and both parties must assume joint liability for this fee and any other costs that may be incurred by changes to the booking.
Should two parties wish to book separately but travel together, they should inform travel agents of this prior to booking. If a co-travel request is sent after the booking process has been finished, the change to a package is counted as a tailoring and is subject to a 5000 isk service fee.
If a package is significantly changed from the original package setup/route as offered on the site, the product will be considered to be a tailored tour and might be subject to a 15% service fee of the total price of the package. This does not apply to added nights at the end or at the beginning of a package as this does not change the original package setup/route.
For budget-level, single rooms will be allocated to bookings for one person. Shared twin/double or triple room(s) will be arranged for two or more people. Groups with an odd number of participants will be allotted a single room in quality-level. Children and teenagers will be arranged in the same room as their parents. Additional cost may occur if additional room(s) is needed.
During the booking process you will be able to choose a pickup location and starting time. If you do not show up for the scheduled pickup time and location stated on your booking, your reservation is non-refundable.
If you do not know your pickup location at the time of booking, you can choose to update your pickup location later, up to 24 hours before tour departure. Please call the number listed on your voucher if you do not receive a confirmation of your pickup location.
Traveo cannot be liable to any loss, damage, accidents, injuries, death or sickness during your tour. The same applies for any changes in tour schedule due to weather, strikes or any other force majeure. Tour operators reserve the right to change routes, schedules and itineraries if needed because of weather, road conditions or should the necessity arise because of unforeseen reasons or circumstances.
We advise all travellers to purchase a comprehensive travel insurance to minimize possible losses due to unforeseeable situations during your travel. Traveo does not offer any travel insurance, so please contact your preferred private travel insurance company.
If you have a complaint about any of our partners please contact us at [email protected] and we will protect your rights.