Are you planning a weekend stay in Reykjavik and want to make the most of your short trip? Here is the version of our perfect weekly trip to Iceland.
You land a Midsummer Keflavik on Saturday morning. Since you plan to take the return flight home on Monday morning and want to enjoy every moment of your short weekend, you have decided to rent a plane that is waiting for your convenience in the airport parking lot.
As you exit the terminal building, you will see a dark rock of soft clouds to the north, but it is not your concern. Also know how to pack for a trip to the island. You pack light, but you pack well, and the warm and waterproof layers are ready in your suitcase along with your hiking boots.
The Golden Circle
Just an hour’s drive, you reach Central Reykjavik, where you book your stay and decide to have your meals at one of Reykjavik’s five best restaurants, all within walking distance of each other. After a delicious but affordable feast, you leave the capital. You know that Iceland is home to countless sites and is unique in your time and attendance. Since this is a weekly trip, it has been decided to limit your travel to the larger southwestern region only. Less must be more around this time.
You pass through Nesjavellir, where wind gusts rise from the surrounding mountains and follow the winding road until it takes you to Kerið, another world volcanic reservoir made up of red rock walls embracing an opaque aquamarine lake at the bottom of a ravine.
Here you feel comfortable and take in the scenery before heading to the geological valley of Haukadalur, a museum of unlimited energy, where geysers Strokkur and Geysir compete for your attention.
Your last stop on this long day is Þingvellir National Park, where you walk in the folds of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and explore the beautiful region that is fundamental to Iceland’s history. The Icelandic parliament, Alþingi, was established in Ingelli in 930 and held its session here until 1799. The paddle of this Icelandic culture unchanged for millennia, and every rock and pebble has a story.
The Golden Circle Tour
Now that you have completed the solo tour of your weekend stay in Reykjavik in Iceland’s most popular tourist route, the Golden Circle Tour, you are ready to head back to central Reykjavík by driving through any landscape bathed in the soft light of the evening sun.
An Early Start
This is going to be the best part of your weekend stay in Reykjavik. Reykjavík is surrounded by mountains, the most popular and accessible mountaineering trails that provide great city views. Mount Esja would be an ideal choice. Throughout the centuries, ESJA has been a source of joy to both outdoor enthusiasts and an unlimited source of inspiration for countless poets and free thinkers. Esja is the “Mountain of Reykjavík.”
Thirty minutes away from the capital, you set your mind on the beautiful Reykjadalur (steam valleys) in the hills above the small town of Hveragerði. Reykjadalur is a geothermal region where hot water flows over the heated mountains, and it forms a river, where local and foreign travellers gather together to bathe and rest.
Spend An Evening in the City
You return to Reykjavík late at night in the afternoon. There are countless ways to spend an evening in town, but you have decided to walk through the port district of Grandi, which in recent years has evolved from an industrial area to a creative space full of workshops and galleries.
At the port of Vesturbugt, you have booked the most valuable whale observation trip, which takes you to Faxaflói Bay, where you spend the evening marvelling at minke and humpback whales, whale-baked dolphins, and countless other marine creatures.
Ending Thoughts
After spending a fantastic weekend stay in Reykjavik, you have a flight very early to catch the next day.
