South Iceland Whistlestop

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3 days / 2 nights
Seljalandsfoss waterfall in Iceland from above
View over Reykjavík with Hallgrímskirkja
Dyrhólaey black sand beach in Iceland
Erupting Geysir in Iceland
A boat on Lake Þingvallavatn, in Þingvellir National Park
A boat on Lake Þingvallavatn, in Þingvellir National Park
Seljalandsfoss waterfall in Iceland from above
View over Reykjavík with Hallgrímskirkja
Dyrhólaey black sand beach in Iceland

Discover top attractions not far from buzzing Reykjavík 

On this express trip, you’ll get to explore the mind-blowing natural wonders on Iceland’s famous Golden Circle route. Plus, you could make time for a blissful soak in the Blue Lagoon’s geothermal waters.

Arrive in Reykjavík, where you can tour the city’s cultural highlights, delve into the food scene, and browse for local souvenirs. Then, take the wheel on a road trip to remember as you drive the Golden Circle and venture along the country’s stunning south coast.

Travel styleSelf-drive
Trip length3 days / 2 nights
VibeShort & sweet
SeasonSummer
(1 Apr–31 Oct)
TransportRental car
Starts fromReykjavík
Tour codeSD32

On this tour you will...

  • See where tectonic plates split in Þingvellir National Park, a UNESCO-listed site

  • Enjoy delicious local cuisine in Reykjavík and visit a couple of the city’s museums

  • Look out for puffins nesting on the Dyrhólaey sea cliffs in summer

  • Walk behind Seljalandsfoss waterfall on Iceland’s south coast

  • Head to the viewpoint at the top of Skógafoss waterfall, one of the country’s tallest

  • Watch as Strokkur geyser erupts, shooting bubbling water high into the air

South Iceland Whistlestop Winter

Top attractions

The Tjörnin pond in Reykjavík in summer

Downtown Reykjavík

The Gullfoss waterfall in summertime

Gullfoss

Þingvellir National Park, Iceland, in autumn colors

Þingvellir National Park

The Strokkur geyser erupting in winter against a sunset

Geysir and Strokkur

The Seljalandsfoss waterfall covered in icicles

Seljalandsfoss

Why book a self-drive trip with Iceland Tours?

  • Start your tour on the date that suits you

  • 24/7 emergency helpline in Iceland

  • Secure your booking with just a 5% deposit

  • New rental cars with 2 drivers as standard

  • Handpicked local accommodation options

  • Best Price Guarantee

Your 3-day self-drive itinerary

Staying inReykjavík
Driving distance50 km (31 mi)

Your memorable, Iceland adventure begins the very moment you arrive at Keflavik Airport. Once you pick up your rental vehicle, you’ll head directly for Reykjavik and your exciting, first night in Iceland.

Highlights

The Tjörnin pond in Reykjavík in summer

Downtown Reykjavík

Extra activities

Riders on FlyOver Iceland above a virtual waterfallExtra

FlyOver Iceland

The Sky Lagoon at sunsetExtra

Sky Lagoon Saman Pass

whale breaching in front of orange and yellow sunsetExtra

Classic Whale Watching from Reykjavík

An Atlantic puffin perched on a cliff in IcelandExtra

Puffin Watching

Close up of a hand holding a hot dogExtra

The Reykjavík Food Walk

Group on a horse riding tourExtra

Horse Riding from Reykjavík

A group of people being lowered into a lava cave © Inside the VolcanoExtra

Inside the Volcano tour from Bláfjöll

Staying inReykjavík
Driving distance480 km (298 mi)

You can start by a drive to Þingvellir National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site and one of the geological wonders of the world, where you can see the effects of the tectonic plate movements which have opened various cracks and fissures in the earth’s crust. 

You continue to the famous Geysir area where the Strokkur hot spring ejects its water column high into the air every 5–10 minutes and where numerous small springs are boil and bubble. Afterwards you only have a short drive to reach Gullfoss, surely one of the country’s most beautiful waterfalls.

On your way along the south coast, you will pass the Seljalandsfoss waterfall and you can actually walk behind it. 

A little further you pass Skógafoss waterfall, one of the highest in Iceland. Next you can stop at the magnificent Dyrhólaey cape. You can either take the road up to the top of the cape, and have a look at the bird cliff there or drive to a beautiful black sand beach at the foot of the cape. 

Please note that Dyrhólaey is closed during nesting season from 14 May to 23 June  and from mid-August the puffins will have gone to sea.

Driving distance50 km (31 mi)

Now it is time to head back home, after an amazing journey through one of the world’s most picturesque landscapes. You will drive back to Keflavík Airport for your flight back home. Depending on your flight time, you may be able to enjoy your last day strolling around Reykjavík. Or, even better, consider booking an extra night in Reykjavík to really give yourself time to experience all the amazing things Iceland’s capital city has to offer.

What’s included?

Detailed itinerary

Budget, Comfort, or Quality accommodation every night

Continental breakfast every day

Rental car of your choice for 2 days

2 authorized drivers as standard

Unlimited mileage

Unlimited in-car Wi-Fi

Collision damage waiver

24/7 emergency helpline when you’re in Iceland

VAT, taxes & service fees

Flights to Iceland

Fuel & parking charges

Food & drink, unless otherwise stated

Attraction entrance fees, unless otherwise stated

Personal travel insurance

Don’t take our word for it

See what hundreds of fellow travelers have to say about their trips with Iceland Tours.

Read customer reviews

FAQs about our self-drive trips

On a self-drive trip with Iceland Tours, you’ll be at the wheel of the rental car of your choice and free to go pretty much where you want, whenever you want.

We provide a detailed itinerary to help you plan your route and where you want to stop along the way. But it’s up to you whether you want to stick to it or go your own way. If you do take detours, make sure that you aren’t too far from your accommodation on any given night.

That said, it’s a good idea to stick to the suggested itinerary if you’ve never visited Iceland before. Created by our Reykjavík-based travel experts, it contains plenty of things for you to and see and do on each leg of your trip. One thing’s for sure: you won’t be short on ideas!

You also get unlimited in-car Wi-Fi, so you can stay connected and use maps on your phone for navigation.

It’s best to book your trip at least a few weeks before you travel. This gives us enough time to organize your preferred accommodation and itinerary. For this reason, we’re unable to accept bookings with less than 1 week’s notice.

In the summer, which is the most popular time of year, booking a few months ahead is a good idea. In certain parts of the countryside, accommodation options are more limited and can be booked up well ahead of your trip.

You have to be at least 20 years old to rent a car in Iceland, or 23 years old for larger vehicles like jeeps and vans. You’ll need to have held a valid driver’s license for at least 1 year and present a credit card when you collect your car.

You don’t need an International Driving Permit unless your license is not in Latin script (for example, Arabic or Chinese).

Find out more about car rental in Iceland.

Yes! It’s possible to add extra activities or extend your trip with additional nights in Reykjavík or the countryside. Check the itinerary above to see what activities are available on what day.

Of course you can add extra adventures! We want you to be able to get the absolute most out of your trip to Iceland, so you can pick optional extra activities at checkout. You’ll be shown exactly what’s on offer for each day of your trip.

And if you feel like you just don’t have enough time to fit it all in, you can also add extra days.

The rules of the road in Iceland are similar to most other countries, although there are some local quirks that you might not be familiar with.

Iceland drives on the right and steering wheels are on the left side of the car. Distances and speed limits are given in kilometers only.

Roundabouts are very common in Iceland, especially in towns. If you’re not familiar with these, make sure you understand how to give way (yield) to other traffic.

In the countryside, you might encounter sheep on the road, or even reindeer in East Iceland. You may also come across gravel roads, single-lane bridges, and blind summits.

For all the info on how to handle these, see this guide to driving in Iceland.

Once you’ve paid your deposit for your trip, we’ll finalize bookings for your accommodation, rental car, and any activities. As soon as we receive confirmation of everything, we’ll email your travel documents to you.

We aim to finalize everything within a few weeks of receiving your booking request, but in busy periods this might take longer. That said, you’ll always receive all of your documents before your departure date.

You’ll be able to pick up your rental car at Keflavík International Airport from the arrivals hall. Before your trip, we’ll send you information about where to go in the terminal to collect your keys.

Make sure you have your driver’s license and credit card ready when you collect your vehicle.

If you land late at night, you can use the out-of-hours phone at the pick-up desk to contact someone who will be able to help you.

You also have the option to collect your rental car in Reykjavík, if you’re planning to spend some extra days in the city before your trip starts. If you’d like to do this, please let us know in the ‘Special requests’ box at checkout.

Yes, you can easily collect your rental car from Reykjavík instead of Keflavik Airport.

During the booking steps on our website, just let us know you'd prefer your pick-up/drop-off location to be in the city centre. We'll take care of it for you, no problem.

Just a quick heads-up: if you request different pick-up and drop-off locations (e.g. collect from the airport, drop off in the city, or vice versa) there's a one-way fee of around ISK 7.900 ISK (EUR 60). You'll pay this directly to the rental company when you pick up the car.

All of our self-drive tour packages include the following as standard:

  • Rental car of your choice, with unlimited mileage
  • Basic liability insurance coverage
  • Collision damage waiver
  • Authorization for second driver
  • Unlimited in-car Wi-Fi
  • Accommodation level of your choice
  • Breakfast every day
  • Detailed itinerary crafted by local travel experts
  • 24/7 helpline in Iceland, just in case you need it

When you book your vacation on our website, you’ll be able to choose your preferred rental car and accommodation level.

You can see what vehicles are available on this car rental page.

On a self-drive package with Iceland Tours, you can choose from 3 levels of accommodation:

  • Budget – Guesthouses and country hotels, with shared bathrooms
  • Comfort – Hotels or guesthouses of around 3 stars, with private bathrooms
  • Quality – Hotels or guesthouses of around 4 stars, with private bathrooms

Each accommodation level offers different types of rooms. We’ve described them below to help you choose the best one for you. Just keep in mind that not every hotel has all these room types available.

  • Single room: one single bed in a room, perfect for solo travelers.
  • Double room: a full-sized double bed for 2 people.
  • Twin room: a room with 2 single beds that fit 1 person each.
  • Triple room: these vary in size and layout, but are designed to fit 3 adults. Triple rooms feature a combination of double, single or sofa beds, depending on the hotel.

No matter which accommodation level you pick, breakfast is included. Read more about the differences between the levels on this accommodation page.

Feel like getting closer to nature? Check out these self-drive camping tours.

In Iceland, you can expect all weathers no matter what time of year you visit. With that in mind, it’s good to make sure you’ve got everything you need to stay cozy, warm, and dry.

Here’s a packing list to help you get ready for your trip:

  • Tough, waterproof walking boots
  • Thermal underlayers
  • Sweaters or fleeces
  • Waterproof raincoat
  • Warm winter jacket
  • Scarf, hat, and gloves
  • Sunglasses
  • Swimwear (for pools and hot springs)
  • Lip salve and moisturizer

For more tips on what to bring with you, see this Iceland packing list.

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Adults

Ages 12+

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