Iceland is one of the most remarkable places I’ve ever been to. The country has it all, from stunning landscapes, incredible landscapes and plenty of wildlife. We decided to go to Iceland in December 2025 and stayed 4 days in Reykjavik, using this small capital as a base to see as much of the country as possible.
4 days in Reykjavik is certainly not enough to see the entire country. In fact, to do this you’ll need to hire a car and go during the summer. However, it is the perfect introduction to one of the most unique places anyone can go on Earth.
4 Days in Reykjavik | Your Quick Guide
Table of Contents
Planning for 4 Days in Reykjavik
Airport
Before we even get started, I’m giving you guys a top tip. Your plane will land at Keflavik International Airport, and not Reykjavik Airport. This means that you’ll be about 50 minutes out of the city and your hotel. I cannot recommend booking a coach before enough. This is still quite pricey and will cost about £30 per person. However, we stupidly didn’t realise this and forked out £140 for a taxi on the way in. It wasn’t the end of the world and we arrived just outside our door after our flight, but still impacted the budget of the trip.
Where to Stay
Reykjavik has plenty of hotels which are really varied. What I would say though is that Iceland is incredibly expensive. In fact, it probably is tied with Switzerland for the most expensive place I’ve been to. Meals out, alcohol and hotels come in at high prices and the tours around the island aren’t cheap either.
With all of this in mind, I’d seriously recommend a hotel which has a kitchenette in the room. We stayed at Hotel Fron which had a perfect location. We also were placed in the Penthouse Apartment after some issues with our original room, which really was the ideal location and base for exploring. It had a good-size kitchen area which meant we saved money on eating. I should also say that the hotel was also much more affordable than others. Our original room (a studio) was £150 a night, whereas the Penthouse would have cost £330. Breakfast was also included.
Of course, luxury options are available and it just depends on what you are after. However, I can’t recommend Hotel Fron enough.
Budget
As you’ve gathered, Iceland is expensive. How much to budget though depends on you and what you want to do. What I would say though is expect London prices plus a little extra. For example, a standard meal out for two will easily cost around £70-£100 in most places and a coffee will cost around £7.
We found that shopping at Bonus really helped. This is the Icelandic budget supermarket and we could get what we needed for a reasonable rate. It was still like we were shopping at a high-end UK supermarket in terms of what we paid.
Tours are also expensive and cost around £80-£100 per person per tour. Some companies combine tours together, but this rarely saves money. The Blue Lagoon is probably the most expensive of the lot though and from Reykjavik it will set a couple back £350 or so at the end of the day. For 4 days in Reykjavik, expect to spend at least £1,000 on tours for a party of two. If you are going in the summer, try to rent a car, but this will affect your accommodation options.
Day 1: Exploring Reykjavik City Centre
On your first day I’d suggest arriving relatively early. We landed at around 11am, and were in our hotel by midday. This meant that we had the entire afternoon to explore the city, which is more than enough time to see all of the main things.
Walk Along the Seafront
I’d begin at the seafront, wherever that may be from your hotel. We started our little exploration at The Sun Voyager. found at Sæbraut. This sculpture shows a nordic-style ship and is set against the backdrop of the New Harbour and mountains. Weirdly, it actually faces North – it was meant to face the West as a homage to norse explorations in previous centuries, but town planning changed that.
From here, head towards the Harpa Concert Hall. This is a highly modern building and has shows running all year, as well as the Volcano Express exhibit/ ride (which we both really enjoyed!). Nearby to Harpa you have some retail shops and the Icelandic Phallological Museum. However, I’d suggest walking towards the Old Harbour to see the boats and to get views over The Atlantic. From here, I’d then turn back towards the city centre.
Downtown and Laugavegur Street
From the Old Harbour, you’ll probably end up near the Ingólfstorg Square (you’ll see a polar bear and a puffin mural). From here, you can then begin to walk up Austurstræti Street. This is where you’ll find Braud & Co, which sells delicious cinnamon and vanilla rolls. Personally, I thought that these were definitely worth the hype!
Cross the main road and slowly walk along Laugavegur, which is the main shopping street in the city centre. Much of the shops here sell merchandise from local producers, including an incredible amount of jumpers and hats! You also have Baka Baka here, which has to be my favourite place in the city to pick up baked goods and coffee (their hot chocolates are particularly delicious). Alternatively, try a seasonal drink from Te and Kaffi, which we really enjoyed during our time in the city. Reykjavík Roasters were also fantastic.
Hallgrímskirkja & City Views
From Laugavegur, turn right into Skólavörðustígur – the rainbow-coloured street. There are a few more shops here, including Mjúk which is where I bought my new favourite hat.
Continue walking up the rainbow road towards Hallgrímskirkja, the iconic church and the city’s most famous landmark. As European churches go, it is surprisingly small and has a contemporary design, having been completed in 1986. Inside, the main attraction is to take the lift up to the top of the lift for the best views in the city. You can see all of the city’s colourful rooftops and the nearby mountains and ocean.
Dinner
Most of the restaurants are concentrated in the area you walked today, especially along Laugavegur. We didn’t really eat out because of our kitchenette, which saved us a lot of money. However, there are a lot of food halls dotted around the city where you can find cheaper bites to eat, including the Pósthús Food Hall, where you’ll find everything from Sushi to Burgers, as well as more traditional flavours.
Day 2: The Golden Circle Day Trip and Northern Lights
For our first day trip we did a double tour. In the morning we met at 08:30 to start the Golden Circle, which ended at 15:00. We then would meet once again at 21:00 for a tour to see the Northern Lights. This was a long day, but at least we had time in the middle to nap. We went with Reykjavik Excursions and our guide, Dylan, was absolutely amazing. He really brought the tour to life and was highly knowledgeable.
Of course, like any of these days I’ve mentioned, you can self-drive. This will save you money, but you may lose out on some of the knowledge. If you are spending your 4 days in Reykjavik during the winter I’d recommend tours. The roads are really icy and dangerous for people who aren’t experienced driving in Iceland.
Tip: Like my previous Iceland posts, I’d really recommend booking the Northern Lights in on your first day. The tour companies will always offer you additional nights to see the aurora at no extra cost, so you may as well hedge your bets.
Gullfoss Waterfall
We started our tour with Gullfoss, a powerful, multi-tiered waterfall that’s especially dramatic in winter. Our tour arrived at around 10:30-11:00, meaning that it was dawn and the sun was just rising. This is the perfect place to begin the tour and has to be one of the most impressive things I’ve ever seen. It was very cold though; minus 8 with a strong arctic wind, so make sure that you wrap up warm!
Geysir & Strokkur
Next, visit the geothermal area of Geysir. This is only about 10 minutes outside of Gullfoss. The main attraction is the Strokkur geyser which erupts every few minutes, sending boiling water high into the air.
Tip: You’ll know when the Geysir is about to blow as you’ll see the small waves appear on the water which eventually get larger. When it looks like it is pulsing / dancing, then it is only seconds away.
Þingvellir National Park
End the tour at the Þingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is particularly beautiful during golden hour and tour companies will do this last during the winter (or first in the Summer). It is where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates meet and you can actually walk through the rift as you explore. It’s also one of the most important historical sites in Iceland as it is where the first parliament was established during the 10th Century.
Optional Stops: Secret Lagoon
If you are doing the tour yourself, you could consider unwinding at a geothermal pool like the Secret Lagoon for a hot-spring experience.
Northern Lights
During the winter months you’ll be able to see the Aurora Borealis, one of the natural wonders of the world. Conditions need to be right; you’ll need clear skies and the forecast for aurora activity will range between 0 (nothing) to 9 (very high). Usually, this will be at around 1-3, but many tour guides say that this is not a true science. In fact, ours was at 1 and we saw an amazing aurora.
Unless the index is really high, you won’t see the lights how you expect to see them with the naked eye. You’ll need a camera with the shutter speed set down low. However, if it is high then you’ll see clear auroras in the sky. Whilst we didn’t see these in Iceland (our camera picked it up), we have seen strong lights in the UK, and this made the entire night sky turn pink.
If you are going with a tour, they’ll drive you out for about 45 minutes to escape the light pollution and it will usually run from 21:00 – 00:00 in the winter and 22:00 – 01:00 during the spring/ autumn.
Tip: If you can’t book onto a tour, check the skies of Reykjavik. We could see the aurora from our apartment in Hotel Fron.
Day 3: South Coast Adventures
On the next day of your 4 days in Reykjavik, take a tour to the South Coast of Iceland. Depending on who you go with, there will be parts of this tour which are either included or excluded. I’ve made sure that I’ve packed in everything that I saw so that you don’t miss out. There are some seriously cool things and landscapes on this tour.
Tip: For this tour make sure that you bring a waterproof outfit. The waterfalls spray a lot and will soak you! I would also recommend good footwear / boots as the paths are slippery.
Seljalandsfoss & Skógafoss
Your first stops will be two of the most famous waterfalls in Iceland. The first one you’ll likely see is Seljalandsfoss. This has to be one of the most beautiful and photogenic waterfalls in the world. What makes it so is the cave which has formed behind it, meaning that you can actually walk behind the waterfall to pick out the best angles. This is the place where you’ll need the waterproofs and boots. Whilst they clearly label it as a ‘path’, there are still lots of slippery rocks to climb over.
Next is Skógofoss, which is a larger, dramatic waterfall which plunges down 60m of sheer cliff. From the bottom of the falls you will get an incredible view and be able to see the full power of this breathtaking location. However, I think that the best views which we saw were from the top. You’ll need to climb some metal stairs first (which do go on for a long while, so be careful), but the views of the surrounding landscape are well worth the extensive calorie burn!
Black Sand Beaches of Vík
Next, drive towards Vik, a small settlement in the middle of the mountains famed for a red-roofed church. Nearby, there are plenty of black sand beaches, but none as iconic as Reynisfjara. This has to be one of the wildest parts of the country. The waves here are massive and really batter the cliffs and shore. You’ll also get to see the iconic stacks standing out of the water.
Tip: Stand far enough back whilst on these shores, especially when it is windy. The waves are unpredictable and we did see people being drenched / knocked over by them for getting too close!
Glaciers & Lava Landscapes
Along the way, you’ll pass glaciers, volcanoes, and vast lava fields that feel straight out of another world. If you’re doing a self-drive, make sure that you stop at least one of these.
We stopped at Sólheimajökull, which is one of the most accessible glaciers in the country. It is only a short drive from Vik and has its own car park for you to get out and explore. Lots of the tours of the South Coast will stop here and will give you enough time to walk up to the Glacier. Sadly, Sólheimajökull used to be right up against the car park, but now the start of it is almost a ten minute walk away.
Day 4: Blue Lagoon and Whale Watching
For your final day, you have to head to the Blue Lagoon. When we went for our 4 days in Reykjavik in December, we only had 4 hours of daylight to play with. This meant that the Blue Lagoon could be visited whilst it was dark.
We originally decided that we were going whale watching during the day and then would head to the Blue Lagoon after, arriving in the later afternoon during golden hour. However, our tour was cancelled due to windy conditions and so we went to the Blue Lagoon earlier.
In hindsight, I think that we could have easily merged these two activities into one day. The Blue Lagoon is lovely and relaxing, but I couldn’t have really spent much more time in there than I did. Whale watching is a must-do in Reykjavik and it was a shame that we didn’t get to do it.
Blue Lagoon Experience
Just outside Reykjavik, the Blue Lagoon is Iceland’s most famous geothermal spa. Soak in milky-blue waters surrounded by lava fields—a perfect way to recover after days of exploring.
Is 4 Days in Reykjavik Enough?
Before we move on to the final thoughts, I wanted to broach the topic of whether 4 nights in Reykjavik is enough. In short, no is the answer if you want to see everything, but yes if you just want an introduction. For us, it was the perfect amount of time. We felt that we experienced Iceland and had a Christmassy-getaway, but also now want to return to explore this country more.
If you are after a short getaway, then 4 days in Reykjavik is perfect. I’d also say that for regular travellers, 4 days was perfect for the budget as Reykjavik is incredibly expensive. If you still want to see more of the country, then consider spending longer.
Final Thoughts | 4 Days in Reykjavik
4 days in Reykjavik can really be the perfect short escape to experience one of the prettiest countries in the world. In just a short amount of time, you’ll be seeing glaciers, volcanoes, geysers and maybe even the aurora if you’re lucky! We loved our 4 days here and can’t wait to come back for a second round of exploring.
I hope that this post helped you plan your 4 days in Reykjavik, or answered any questions you might have. If you have any more questions though please get in touch; I always love hearing from you.
