One World Many Wonders

Land at Keflavík International Airport early morning

Check-in at Hotel Alda in Reykjavik

Drive to Blue Lagoon Geothermal Spa by noon to spend the day - For in-water massages, best to book in advance

Drive back to Reykjavik late evening

Dinner at Grillmarkaðurinn restaurant to try some Icelandic cuisine with modern twist or head to Gandhi Indian Restaurant if you are craving curry

Leave early morning and drive to Þingvellir National Park

Book snorkeling at Silfra tectonic plates - The icy water is cold would be an understatement! (Assume 4 hours for the entire activity)

Drive through the Golden Circle Route stopping by Strokkur geyser, Haukadalur, Gullfoss waterfall & finally Kerid Crater Lake

Check-in at Hotel Ion - approx 1.5hrs drive from golden circle

Drive to Þingvellir National Park Hakid point late night for Northern Lights - Check out the Northern Lights App (Google Play | Apple App Store) which provides real-time info on predicted probability and intensity of Northern Lights!

Catch up on some sleep! Start the day with a leisure breakfast at Ion Hotel Bar

Check-out from Hotel Ion and drive to Hveragerði, which is the starting point for a hike to Reykjadalur where you can also bathe in a hot river - You can join a hiking tour or horseback riding tour to Reykjadalur

Try geothermal baked breads at Kjot & Kunst Bakery

Check-in at Hotel Rangá, Suðurlandsvegur

Dinner at Hella restaurant at Hotel Rangá, an excellent place to try some Arctic fish.

Post dinner, grab some wine and relax away in an outdoor hot tub under a starry sky!

Hotel Ranga provides the perfecting setting in a secluded rural area and the hotel offers a number of outdoor activities as well

Keep in mind that Day 5 is going to be a long day with lots of driving, you could always use this day to laze around and sleep in!

Check-out form Hotel Ranga and target to hit the road by 7am

Just driving south along the Ring Road unfolds fantastic scenery, stop at Seljalandsfoss waterfall, Skogafoss waterfall and Dyrhólaey

Head south and stop by the quaint village of Vik to explore its black sand beaches

Head southwest, and make a wikiwiki stop at Skaftafell

Drive to Jökulsárlón glaciers - This is an absolute must see place! Book guided ice caving tour to crystal ice cave from Jökulsárlón glaciers. Check timings and assume 3-hours of total activity time

Time to head back, drive east and check-in at Vik HI hostel for the night

Check-out from Vik hostel by 8am and head to Reykjavik (2.5 hrs drive)

Drive around Reykjavik city, check out the Hallgrímstorg church and market street

Grab some food at Fiskmarkaðurinn (The Fish Market) restaurant near the airport

Take the last flight out of Iceland

Fairly straightforward as there is one circular road called Ring Road to follow

Four wheel drive cars recommended, as it gets really windy in some areas - Be extremely careful when you are opening the car doors

Driving by yourself is the best option as it gives you immense flexibility and is not that difficult - It also helps to drive around mindlessly at night in search of northern lights in absolute darkness than be in a tour bus

There are no streetlights once you move out of Reykjavik

Park the car against the direction of the wind to prevent it from toppling over

When visiting in winter, remember that days are shorter so check the sunrise and sunset timing and start your day as early as possible

Take a Journey towards the Center of the Earth in a unique Volcano Tour at Thrihnukagigur Volcano in Iceland - It's only available in summer, involves bit of a hike but perhaps the only place where you can actually descend down a volcano (One that’s still on my list!)

Take a tour of the stunning ice caves located in the south east at Vatnajokull