Day 5 of this itinerary features the most visited national park in Iceland – Þingvellir National Park. Throngs of people come year-round to see the rift valley caused by the separation of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, and it does not disappoint! After spending the morning there, this day’s itinerary will take you up towards West Iceland, offering magnificent views of the Hvalfjarðarvegur fjord along the way, and eventually have you stop to hike Glymur Waterfall, Iceland’s second highest waterfall. We promise this will be a day you won’t soon forget.
Type: National Park
Arrival Time: 9:30am
Departure Time: 1pm
Time Spent: 3 hours 30 min
Cost (For Parking): $9 / 1,000 ISK
Bathroom Available? Yes
Þingvellir is a stunning national park in Southwest Iceland, about 45 minutes from Reykjavik, that sits in a rift valley caused by the separation of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. Crowds of tourists flock to this attraction every year to walk between the two continents, see the beautiful Öxarárfoss waterfall, go snorkeling at Silfra and hike out to the abandoned farms of Skógarkot.
Þingvellir National Park is the closest attraction to Reykjavík along the Golden Circle, so it is naturally a widely popular attraction for anyone who visits Iceland. Due to this, there are tour buses that drop hundreds of tourists off on a daily basis starting in the morning. We would highly recommend getting here between 8-9am if you visit in the morning before the masses descend on the park. You could also save this attraction towards the end of the day when most of the tours have finished.
There is a $9 / 1,000 ISK parking fee and you pay at the visitors center, which is only a few minutes walk from the parking lot. Don’t forget to write down your license plate number before you leave your car, since that is what’s used to pay for parking.
Follow the map found within this post to hike out to Skógarkot and back. The trail is a flat, easy hike that gets you away from the crowds and offers some interesting sights along the way.
NOTE: We wouldn’t recommend hiking any further than Skógarkot since the trails aren’t well maintained – turn around and walk back on the other path that leads more towards Silfra.
Type: National Park
Arrival Time: 9:30am
Departure Time: 1pm
Time Spent: 3 hours 30 min
Cost (For Parking): $9 / 1,000 ISK
Bathroom Available? Yes
Þingvellir is a stunning national park in Southwest Iceland, about 45 minutes from Reykjavik, that sits in a rift valley caused by the separation of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. Crowds of tourists flock to this attraction every year to walk between the two continents, see the beautiful Öxarárfoss waterfall, go snorkeling at Silfra and hike out to the abandoned farms of Skógarkot.
Þingvellir National Park is the closest attraction to Reykjavík along the Golden Circle, so it is naturally a widely popular attraction for anyone who visits Iceland. Due to this, there are tour buses that drop hundreds of tourists off on a daily basis starting in the morning. We would highly recommend getting here between 8-9am if you visit in the morning before the masses descend on the park. You could also save this attraction towards the end of the day when most of the tours have finished.
There is a $9 / 1,000 ISK parking fee and you pay at the visitors center, which is only a few minutes walk from the parking lot. Don’t forget to write down your license plate number before you leave your car, since that is what’s used to pay for parking.
Follow the map found within this post to hike out to Skógarkot and back. The trail is a flat, easy hike that gets you away from the crowds and offers some interesting sights along the way.
NOTE: We wouldn’t recommend hiking any further than Skógarkot since the trails aren’t well maintained – turn around and walk back on the other path that leads more towards Silfra.
Travel Time from Þingvellir National Park to Hvalfjarðarvegur – 1 hour (Driving)
Type: Fjord
Arrival Time: 2pm
Departure Time: 2:05pm
Time Spent: 5 min
Cost: Free
Bathroom Available? No
While you can get epic views from just about anywhere along the fjord, here are the coordinates for a pull off area that offers the expansive sights pictured here.
Type: Fjord
Arrival Time: 2pm
Departure Time: 2:05pm
Time Spent: 5 min
Cost: Free
Bathroom Available? No
While you can get epic views from just about anywhere along the fjord, here are the coordinates for a pull off area that offers the expansive sights pictured here.
Travel Time from Hvalfjarðarvegur to Glymur Waterfall – 25 minutes (Driving)
Type: Waterfall & Hike
Arrival Time: 2:30pm
Departure Time: 6:30pm
Time Spent: 4 hours
Distance: 3.8 Miles (Roundtrip)
Type of Trail: Loop
Cost: Free
Bathroom Available? No
Considering this hike is a full 4 hours roundtrip, make sure you get here at a reasonable time so that you are back at your car before the sun sets.
You may read plenty of reviews across the internet that this hike isn’t for those afraid of heights – we don’t necessarily agree with this. The trail does follow the edge of the canyon and waterfall, but there is plenty of space at all times. It may make certain people a little uncomfortable, but we don’t think it should hold you back from experiencing one of the best hikes in Iceland.
While this is a truly amazing hike, it must be known that it requires crossing a river at the base of the trail and, if you’re doing the full loop, crossing the river above the waterfall. Doing the full loop is not necessary though – if you are uncomfortable crossing the river above the waterfall, you can just walk back the way you came. Please be aware of the water levels and your personal physical abilities.
Type: Waterfall & Hike
Arrival Time: 2:30pm
Departure Time: 6:30pm
Time Spent: 4 hours
Distance: 3.8 Miles (Roundtrip)
Type of Trail: Loop
Cost: Free
Bathroom Available? No
Considering this hike is a full 4 hours roundtrip, make sure you get here at a reasonable time so that you are back at your car before the sun sets.
You may read plenty of reviews across the internet that this hike isn’t for those afraid of heights – we don’t necessarily agree with this. The trail does follow the edge of the canyon and waterfall, but there is plenty of space at all times. It may make certain people a little uncomfortable, but we don’t think it should hold you back from experiencing one of the best hikes in Iceland.
While this is a truly amazing hike, it must be known that it requires crossing a river at the base of the trail and, if you’re doing the full loop, crossing the river above the waterfall. Doing the full loop is not necessary though – if you are uncomfortable crossing the river above the waterfall, you can just walk back the way you came. Please be aware of the water levels and your personal physical abilities.
Travel Time from Glymur Waterfall to N1 Gas Station – 1 hour 10 minutes (Driving)
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Type: Gas Station
Arrival Time: 7:40pm
Departure Time: 7:50pm
Time Spent: 10 min
Cost (Per Person): $4 / 450 ISK
Bathroom Available? Yes
This was a good pit stop on our way towards the campsite to stretch our legs, use the bathroom and grab a snack. We didn’t need to fill up at this point, since the tank still had plenty of gas. If you need to use the restroom, it usually costs 100 ISK or you need to buy something in the store, but if you don’t have any cash, be polite and ask if you can use the restroom for free.
Type: Gas Station
Arrival Time: 7:40pm
Departure Time: 7:50pm
Time Spent: 10 min
Cost (Per Person): $4 / 450 ISK
Bathroom Available? Yes
This was a good pit stop on our way towards the campsite to stretch our legs, use the bathroom and grab a snack. We didn’t need to fill up at this point, since the tank still had plenty of gas. If you need to use the restroom, it usually costs 100 ISK or you need to buy something in the store, but if you don’t have any cash, be polite and ask if you can use the restroom for free.
Travel Time from N1 Gas Station to Campsite Ólafsvik – 1 hour 55 minutes (Driving)
Type: Camping
Arrival Time: 9:45pm
Time Spent: Overnight
Cost (Per Person): $13.50 / 1,500 ISK
Bathroom Available? Yes
Campsite Ólafsvik is centrally located in town and recommended as a place to stay due to the amount of attractions nearby. The camping area is located near the town of Ólafsvik and is also close to Grundarfjörður, which has gas stations, restaurants, shops and popular attractions, such as Kirkjufell and Kirkjufellsfoss. There is plenty of space to park and you can arrive at any time.
You are able to pull up to the campsite at anytime during the night and you don’t need to book in advance, as there is plenty of space.
Campsite Ólafsvik offers electricity, toilets, showers (for free), a dining area to cook food and warm and cold running water to wash dishes.
Type: Camping
Arrival Time: 9:45pm
Time Spent: Overnight
Cost (Per Person): $13.50 / 1,500 ISK
Bathroom Available? Yes
Campsite Ólafsvik is centrally located in town and recommended as a place to stay due to the amount of attractions nearby. The camping area is located near the town of Ólafsvik and is also close to Grundarfjörður, which has gas stations, restaurants, shops and popular attractions, such as Kirkjufell and Kirkjufellsfoss. There is plenty of space to park and you can arrive at any time.
You are able to pull up to the campsite at anytime during the night and you don’t need to book in advance, as there is plenty of space.
Campsite Ólafsvik offers electricity, toilets, showers (for free), a dining area to cook food and warm and cold running water to wash dishes.
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