A Week in Iceland's South Coast

It is likely that you will arrive in Reykjavík (Iceland's capital) early in the morning. After retrieving your rental car, I suggest heading to the famous Blue Lagoon as it is only 20-25 min away from Keflavík airport. The regenerative qualities of the geothermal spa make for a great post-flight activity by helping to beat the jet lag. You have the option to enter just the Blue Lagoon, or for additional relaxation, you can book access to the Retreat Spa. It is helpful to have a small bag easily accessible in your luggage that is prepacked with your bathing suit, flip flops, waterproof phone chase, hairbrush/comb and any other essentials. When you are finished at the lagoon, you can head to your hotel along the Golden Circle for check-in.

If you're looking for a unique dining experience in the Golden Circle area, I suggest Fridheimar. Their specialty is tomatoes and you can find them in pretty much everything on the menu, including unlimited tomato soup and fresh bread. The dining room is inside the greenhouse with the bees buzzing around to pollenate. It is best to reserve a table ahead of time, as the restaurant can fill up quickly.

The Golden Circle is a famous scenic route with some of the most stunning landmarks in all of Iceland. You'll be able to see a lot thanks to the short drives between sights.

Some of the top attractions include: Thingvellir National Park, Gullfoss, Brúarfoss, Kerid Crater, and the Geysir Geothermal Area. I would suggest splitting up the sightseeing between two days so that you don't have to rush through.

Start with Thingvellir National Park, which is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site as it contains the site where Iceland's Parliament was established. There are hiking trails, riding trails, fishing and even snorkeling/diving if you are brave enough to enter the icy waters.

After you finish exploring the park, head to Kerid Crater, which is a volcanic crater lake.

Continuing along the Golden Circle, you will begin your journey of chasing a few of the many waterfalls throughout Iceland.

Brúarfoss is known as Iceland's bluest waterfall. It takes about an hour to walk to, but you will pass two smaller waterfalls along the way as you travel along the river.

Geysir Geothermal Area became active over 1,000 years ago and is where the term geyser became coined. Although the Great Geysir is rarely active these days, you can still see the Strokkur Geysir erupt roughly every 8 minutes.

Gullfoss, also known as Golden Falls, is one of the most iconic Iceland waterfalls. Unlike Brúarfoss , it does not require any hiking, however, the pathway down to the viewpoint can be very windy and damp so dress accordingly.

On your way to Vík from the Golden Circle you will pass two more of Iceland's iconic waterfalls.

The first one is Seljalandsfoss, which you can walk behind so make sure to wear your waterproof clothing as you will get wet. And if you're okay with walking through water, you can enter a crack in the mountainside to see the hidden neighboring waterfall, Gljufurarfoss.

About 30 minutes down the road you will arrive at Skógafoss. If it is a sunny, clear day you will be able to see the rainbow that forms in the mist of the falls. It is the first waterfall at the bottom of the trailhead and requires no hiking to get to. However, you can take the trail up the mountain and continue to find more waterfalls along the way.

Once you have gotten your fill of falls in, you can check into your hotel in Vík.

Vík is known for it's black sand beaches, which are among some of the most spectacular non-tropical beaches around the world.

At Reynisfjara beach you will find basalt columns lining the mountainside. You will also have a view of Reynisdrangar, the large basalt rock formations situated in the water. Always remain alert while visiting the beach as "sneaker waves" can form at any moment, even when the weather is mild. Dyrhólaey, which literally translates to "the hill island with the door hole", is an arch shaped volcanic rock jetting out from the beach. You can travel upward to visit the viewpoint and lighthouse and also explore the beach below.

You can experience the only live lava show in the world in Vík. The Icelandic Lava Show recreates an eruption with real lava right before your eyes. The heat of the sizzling lava is sure to warm you up from the frigid temperatures outside. Continue the warm, cozy vibes at The Soup Company, which is in the same building as the show. Their specialty is The Red Hot Lava Soup, served in a black bread bowl.

After leaving Vík and traveling toward The Glacier Lagoon, you will pass Fjadrargljufur Canyon. This magical canyon has gained popularity after being featured in Game of Thrones and even a Justin Bieber music video. The hike through the canyon is very easy and takes less than an hour to get in and out.

When you are done taking in the beauty of the canyon, head toward the Glacier Lagoon to check into your next hotel. At Diamond Beach, you can get your first look at the ice chunks that have broken off the glacier. They flow out of the inlet of the lagoon and became scattered along the beach's shore, hence the name.

There are a variety of tours available to fully experience Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon. On a boat tour you will sail amongst the icebergs and alongside the seals. A glacier walk will take you hiking up on the glacier wall to see the massive expanse and then down into an ice cave. The final option is to ride in a super jeep across the glacier to a remote viewpoint.