Djoser · Iceland

Around Iceland in 13 Days

Waterfalls, glaciers and whales — the full circle

The complete ring road in one journey: the Golden Circle, hiking in the rainbow mountains of Landmannalaugar, icebergs at Jökulsárlón, thundering Dettifoss and whale watching at Húsavík — Iceland at its most elemental.

Around Iceland in 13 Days — Photo by Djoser on Djoser

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The story

The journey begins with Reykjavik's salt-tinged air and coffee shops still warm against the October dark, before the Golden Circle cracks the landscape open — geysers punching steam into a sky the colour of pewter, waterfalls roaring loud enough to feel in your chest. Landmannalaugar arrives like a fever dream: rhyolite mountains striped rust and lime, hot springs pooling between snowfields, the silence so complete it has texture.

The south coast unravels in slow motion — black sand beaches where waves arrive from nowhere, glacier tongues pressing down toward the road, and Jökulsárlón's lagoon scattered with blue-white icebergs drifting like sleeping animals. The east fjords narrow the world to steep walls and mirrored water, intimate after so much vastness.

Then the north opens everything again. Dettifoss shakes the ground beneath your boots. Mývatn steams and bubbles. Akureyri glows quietly above its fjord. By the time Reykjavik reappears on day thirteen, Iceland feels less like a place visited than something you briefly, breathlessly, lived inside.

The route

Highlights

The complete circle of the island in one trip
Hiking in Landmannalaugar
Icebergs at Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon
Whale watching at Húsavík
Golden Circle and (optional) Blue Lagoon

Day by day

1
Reykjavik
Day 1-2

The world's northernmost capital: colourful corrugated-iron houses, geothermal pools and the Harpa concert hall.
Explore Reykjavik →

Photo by Djoser on Djoser
2
Golden Circle
Day 3

Thingvellir rift valley, the erupting Geysir and the double cascade of Gullfoss in a single unforgettable day.
Photo by Nemanja Vucic on Pexels
3
Landmannalaugar
Day 4-5

Hike between rhyolite mountains in shades of red, yellow and green, and soak in a natural hot river afterwards.
4
South coast
Day 6-7

Seljalandsfoss (walk behind the waterfall), mighty Skógafoss and the puffin cliffs of Dyrhólaey — with an excursion to the Westman Islands.
- Seljalandsfoss
- Skógafoss
- Dyrhólaey
- Reynisfjara Beach
- Vestmannaeyjar (Westman Islands) — Heimaey
5
Vatnajökull & Jökulsárlón
Day 8

Europe's largest ice cap and the glacier lagoon where blue icebergs drift towards the black Diamond Beach.
- Vatnajökull National Park
- Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
- Diamond Beach (Breiðamerkursandur)
6
Höfn & the east fjords
Day 9

Lobster harbour of Höfn and a spectacular fjord-hugging drive to Egilsstaðir.
- Höfn
- East Fjords (Austurfjörður) scenic drive
- Egilsstaðir
7
Dettifoss & Mývatn
Day 10-11

Europe's most powerful waterfall, bubbling mud pools at Mývatn and whale watching from Húsavík.
- Dettifoss
- Námaskarð (Hverir)
- Mývatn Nature Baths
- Lake Mývatn
- Húsavík Whale Watching
8
Akureyri & the north-west
Day 12

Iceland's northern capital, then via Sauðárkrókur and the Grábrók crater back towards the south-west.
- Akureyri
- Akureyrarkirkja
- Sauðárkrókur
- Grábrók Crater
9
Reykjavik
Day 13

A last morning — optionally the Blue Lagoon — before the direct flight home.
- Blue Lagoon (Bláa Lónið)
Explore Reykjavik →

Photo by Jón T Jónsson on Pexels