A 5-day trip to Iceland, Aurora Borealis and all

Written By Aida Wen

If you’re like me, seeing the Northern Lights has been on my bucket list for an incredibly long time. Going to the green island of Iceland (not Greenland) was another. When October, the start of aurora hunting season, rolled around last year, I started diligently monitoring flights. Iceland’s volcanoes started erupting in December, slightly dampening my hopes. However in mid-January, my sign appeared in the form of a $260 direct, roundtrip flight — in 2 weeks. My friend and I booked it, got two equally crazy friends on board, and prepared for a fairly last-minute Iceland trip. Restricted by classes and finances, we planned a 5-day trip to Iceland, from taking-off Friday evening to returning Tuesday evening (We were just broke college students with a travel bug!). Have an upcoming long weekend or a couple extra PTO days left? Here’s how we did it:

Day 1: Fly into Keflavík International Airport (KEF)

  • Try to get a red-eye flight! We landed around 5am in Iceland and while a bit groggy, were ready to hit the road after a quick coffee. Not available? Use ‘Day 1’ to account for travel time.

  • Rent a four-wheel drive from one of the rental car companies at the airport in advance. You can opt to do Iceland completely through tours, but the $ adds up exponentially. Plus, it’s nice to explore and take things at your own pace.

  • KEF is around a ~50 minute drive to Reykjavík.

  • Rideshares from KEF to Reykjavik are unavailable and taxis can rack up to around $200!

Day 2: Explore the Golden Circle & stay the night in Reykjavík

  • The Golden Circle is a shorter alternative to the Ring Road, which circles the entire country and takes around 1 week to drive. Luckily, you only need 3 hours of driving, and 2-3 more accounting for stops along the way.

    • The main stops in order: Þingvellir National Park, Geysir Hot Spring Area (Geysir and Strokkur), & Gullfoss Waterfall.

    • Look out for Icelandic horses along the way!

    • Some people recommend going the other way (waterfall first) to avoid tour buses, but we didn’t see many on the normal route.

    • Other stops if you have time or interest: Silfra (snorkel between tectonic plates in the national park), Secret Lagoon, Sky Lagoon

  • Spend the rest of the evening exploring Reykjavík— a small but quirky city with a lot to see!

    • Rainbow Street

    • Thrifting: Rauði krossinn-búð, Red Cross Shop, Fatamarkaðurinn Second Hand Market

    • Rúblan bókakaffi — coffee shop, wine bar, library, & live music at night (heaven!!!)

    • Dinner at Íslenski barinn for a local Icelandic brew and those looking to try reindeer, puffin, whale, or fermented shark!

    • Stay: Kex Hostel

    • Nightlife: Kex Hostel (local artist shows), Lebowski Bar (lots of Kesha, Pitbull, 2000s, what’s not to love)

    • For a late night bite: Aktu Taktu (right across the street from Kex Hostel)

  • Optional: Book a Northern Lights tour from Reykjavík. We cancelled ours because the KP Index (scientific value for how likely it is to see the Northern Lights) was a 1. We heard from others who did a tour that they barely saw anything that night (& had to freeze their butts off all night!)

Day 3: Road-trip from Reykjavík to Vík (no, it’s not a nickname)

  • We hit the road around 10am, stopping at Extra, a grocery store in town for some breakfast foods & road-trip snacks. (Tip: Grocery stores are much cheaper than going to a restaurant in Iceland! Food & gas were our most costly expenses on this trip.)

  • The main stops (in order):

    • Hringsjá Viewpoint — Incredible viewpoint on the way. Be careful with the snow, several cars got completely stuck in the deep snow where the parking is.

    • Selijalandsfoss Waterfall

      • 1hr 45min drive from Reykjavik

    • Dyrhólaey Viewpoint & Lighthouse

      • 45 min from waterfall

    • Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach

      • 22 min from viewpoint

    • Town of Vík for groceries if needed

      • 10 min from viewpoint

    • Other stops if you have time or interest: Solheimasandur Plane Wreck, Eldhraun lava field, Jfaorargljufur canyon, Kvernufoss, Seljavallalaug Swimming Pool

  • After the main stops, we headed to our Airbnb, which was a cozy cabin on a horse farm. One side faces open fields and the mountains, while the other faces the ocean. Hvoll Cottages if you want to book directly.

    • This is the most worthwhile Airbnb in Iceland. There are two farm dogs running around the property and Icelandic horses you can pet and even ride in the summer.

    • Most importantly! We saw the Northern Lights from our front steps TWO NIGHTS in a row. The cabins are around a 20 minute drive from Vík, meaning they are far away from any light pollution that might lower your chances of seeing the aurora borealis. I’ll let the photos speak for themselves (SEE ICELAND GALLERY). Check out my Northern Lights 101 article for helpful things to know and prepare in advance to increase your odds.

Day 4: Drive to Eastern Iceland from Vík

  • The main activity — Jokulsarlon Glacier & Lagoon

    • ~4-5 hour drive from Vík

    • Tour required — This is the one tour that I strongly feel is worth the money! 1) You can only get to (and on and in) the glacier via a tour and 2) It was the most unique experience. We booked this tour with Guide to Iceland and it did not disappoint.

    • Reindeer & seals & icebergs, oh my!

    • Visit Diamond Beach

      • If I’m being honest this was a bit underwhelming after going inside a glacier, but it was across the street from the Jokulsarlon Lagoon, so if you’re over here you might as well. Or visit Diamond Beach before your tour!

    • Other stops if you have time or interest: Fjallabak Nature Reserve, Svartifoss

    • We opted to stay back in Vík since we had to get back to Keflavík Airport the next day, but if you have the time, I would stay one night in Eastern Iceland to fully explore the area.

  • On the way back, stop in Vík for more groceries if needed. Wait for the Northern Lights again.

Day 5: Drive back towards Keflavík + Blue Lagoon

  • I’m not going to lie, this was probably the only day we were really on a time-crunch. We checked out of our Airbnb fairly early in the morning and headed towards the Blue Lagoon (12pm slot tickets).

  • We caught the most insane sunrise along the way (and had to stop to take it in), but also had to account for time lost via the gas pedal afterwards.

  • Made it to the Blue Lagoon — Is it worth it? In the off-season yes, it was relaxing, warm, & exactly what we needed after a pretty crazy few days. It’s also conveniently by the airport, which for us fit perfectly into our travel plans. I can see how it would be underwhelming if it was crowded with tourists.

    • Best (and cheaper) alternatives? Sky Lagoon or Secret Lagoon.

  • 2 hours of rejuvenation later…SPEED to KEF Airport to return rental car and catch 4pm flight back to the States.

Did we make it? Perfectly on-time in fact, with a few extra minutes to spare to get Icelandic hot dogs at the airport stand (best hot dog of my life?!?!). 6 hours later, we were back in Boston, drowning in classwork, scenes of the most stunning landscapes playing in our heads. A trip of a lifetime, no question about it.

Check out our Iceland Gallery for trip photos!

Helpful Tips:

  • In the winter months (February for us), sunrise is around 10am and sunset is at 5pm. Use your hours of daylight wisely because the road conditions can get crazy & much more dangerous in the dark.

  • We saw this on a tow truck in case things go awry on the greatest road trip of your life (as things sometimes do):

  • For the days where you’re stopping at various scenic points, I recommend pre-mapping everything in Google Maps so you will still have the directions if your signal gets spotty.

Aida Wen
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