5 Day Self Drive Tour | Golden Circle, South Coast & Jokulsarlon

A self-drive tour is a package that includes accommodation, car rental, and a suggested itinerary. Travelers receive detailed information outlining where to go and what to see in Iceland, along with general tips and practical guidance. 

Each package includes accommodation and car rental (as specified for each tour), a suggested route with points of interest, GPS coordinates for key stops (hotels, activities, highlights), and a comprehensive self-drive handbook with helpful travel information. 

During winter months (October to April), a 4WD vehicle is recommended for added safety. It does not need to be a large jeep—smaller 4WD cars are often more comfortable for those unfamiliar with driving bigger vehicles.

In summer, any car is suitable depending on group size, luggage, and budget preferences.

A variety of local accommodations are used throughout the itinerary. 

Comfort category rooms are private and include a private bathroom. These are typically found in guesthouses, hotels, motels, or lodges, and align with an approximate 3-star standard. 

Driving time varies by itinerary. Some tours are faster paced, while others allow for a more relaxed experience. Expect to drive between 200–400 km per day, with most days staying under 350 km. As the tour is self-guided, travelers are free to make detours or additional stops at their own pace.

You never know what might happen while in a foreign country so we highly recommend you to have good travel insurance. Sure it costs a bit extra, but it can take a load off the mind and end up being a totally worth it in case something sudden could happen.

Take a look at what type of insurance is provided with your credit card, alternatively buy special travel insurance from an insurance provider.

As for the car rental, you can opt to buy extra insurance at the time of collecting the car. It may be wise to buy extra insurance such as windshield protection, as a cracked windshield from a stone being thrown off another car is among the most common incidents on Icelandic roads.

Other extra car insurances would be for example sand and ash protection, or additional insurance to lower the self-risk in case of an incident.

Self-drive adventures have been optimized for the best value experience, which includes doing some thrilling activities in the amazing Icelandic nature. As the packages are offered at the best possible price, no partial refunds or modifications to the itinerary can be permitted. That includes opting out of an included activity and getting a refund for that activity. You can, of course, choose not to do the activity, but as mentioned, there would be no partial refunds of the package price. 

In case of issues during the trip, it’s best to contact the service provider directly. 

• For car problems, contact the car rental company. 

• If there are difficulties finding the hotel (which is unlikely with GPS and address details provided), contact the accommodation. 

• For activity-related questions, reach out to the operator listed in your documents. 

All relevant contact information is included in your travel documents. 

Iceland is known for unforeseeable weather. It is likely that you can see all 4 seasons in one day.

Dressing for that kind of weather can always be demanding, so we suggest dressing in layers. 3 or 4 upper layers are highly recommended, for example, a light t-shirt (preferably wool) next to the skin, then a fleece or heavy wool garment topped off with a waterproof windbreaker.

Jeans are not recommended for our trips as they are not suitable for the weather conditions, they become very heavy, cold and uncomfortable to wear when they get wet.

Lightweight hiking pants, track pants or long cotton pants are convenient and wear wind/waterproof pants over them. There is high UV and sunlight reflecting off on the glacier so we highly recommend using sunglasses and sunscreen even if it is cloudy.

You will need sturdy hiking boots that fit crampons for the glacier hiking tours. If you do not own a pair then we rent out suitable hiking boots as well as a waterproof raincoat and trousers.

It is good to bring your own backpack on our full-day or half-day tours. It’s the best carry-on for a small lunch, extra clothes, and other necessary items.

The scenery on the tour is full of stunning, breathtaking views that you’ll almost definitely want to capture forever, so you should definitely bring your camera along. Your tour guide will also be happy to take your photo.

This is surely a personal choice, we do not deny pregnant women on our glacier trips but we highly recommend you to take a closer look at our trip description and difficulty ratings, they will hopefully give you a better idea. We also recommend you to contact your physician, as pregnant women’s health can be quite different. If you have any further questions or concerns then feel free to contact us.

Lunch is not provided on any of our trips, therefore we recommend you bring your own lunch, snacks, and a bottle of water (you can refill it on the trip). It is especially important to make sure you bring lunch on our longer trips.

Crampons enable you to walk on the glacier ice without slipping. They are metal spikes that we attach to the soles of your hiking shoes.

Yes, we have specially trained and certified glacier guides on every glacier tour that we offer. And for our 3rd party tours we only partner with operators that meet our quality and safety standards.

Yes, we provide you with all the necessary glacier gear for our glacier hiking tours. Ice axes, crampons, harnesses, and helmets are provided. This will help you to complete the tour safely. The minimum shoe size to attach crampons is EU 35.

Iceland is known to have a lot of snow and when the snow stays long enough in one place than it turns to ice. Over long periods of time, the ice layers up becoming huge blocks called glaciers. It forms to create ginormous glaciers that sweep across huge masses of land. Iceland is home of the largest glacier in Europe that is called Vatnajökull. The Glacier Guides can tell you more about and everything you need to know about the Glaciers.

Rain is common in Iceland but we never let the rain be in our way to go forward with our tours.
That’s why we highly recommend appropriate clothing so you can stay warm and dry.
Nature is out of our control and therefore we need to adapt to the weather. Your safety is our priority so if your safety is compromised by going on the tour then we will cancel it and you will get full reimbursement.

The guide on your glacier hiking tour will provide you with all the information you might need when preparing for a glacier hike.

Yes, the parking fee depends on your car category.

Category A - Passenger car, 5 seats or less: ISK 750

Category B - Passenger car, 6-9 seats: ISK 1,000

Motorcycles: ISK 300

You can always check the newest fees here.