Reykjavik (Hallgrímskirkja)Story N° 67
Reykjavik — Blue Lagoon, Golden Circle, Aurora
Three days at the edge of the Arctic — Hallgrímskirkja's basalt-organ steeple above the colourful tin-roof harbour, a milky-blue swim in the geothermal Blue Lagoon between flights, the Golden Circle loop past Geysir + Þingvellir + Gullfoss, and a northern-lights sky on the night the magnetic field cooperates.
The itinerary.
3 days · 17 stops
Friday
Day One
Fly into KEF, Blue Lagoon stop on the way into town (the spa is between airport + city, exactly designed for this), check in to a Reykjavik 101 boutique, evening aurora-watch from the harbour if KP-index cooperates.
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KEF → Blue Lagoon → Reykjavik
Reykjavik Excursions runs the Lagoon-bundled airport bus — KEF → Blue Lagoon (15 min) → store luggage → 3-hour spa visit → bus continues to Reykjavik BSI terminal (50 min). re.is
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Blue Lagoon
Silica-rich geothermal seawater at 38°C in a lava-rock basin — milky blue from algae + silica. Comfort ticket (towel + silica mud mask + 1 drink). Book the slot 1 week out, capacity-capped. bluelagoon.com
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Sand Hotel
Boutique on Laugavegur (Reykjavik's main shopping street) — 67 rooms, Nordic-minimalist, breakfast with skyr + smoked Arctic char. keahotels.is
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Hallgrímskirkja
Iceland's tallest church (74 m), designed 1937 by Guðjón Samúelsson to evoke basalt columns (the Svartifoss waterfall basalts inspired him). Free entry, with a lift to the bell-tower observation deck — Reykjavik laid out below in tin-roof grids.
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Dill — dinner
Michelin-starred New Nordic on Hverfisgata — 7-course tasting menu of Icelandic ingredients (langoustine, reindeer, sea-buckthorn). Book 2 months out. dillrestaurant.is
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Aurora chase — if KP ≥ 3
Check en.vedur.is for the KP index forecast — if ≥3 and clear, take the harbour walk to Grandi (5 min from hotel) or the Old Lighthouse on Seltjarnarnes (10 min taxi) for low-light-pollution viewing. Or book Aurora Reykjavik catamaran (2.5 hours).
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Hotel
Sand Hotel by Keahotels keahotels.is · AI hotel ratings: hotelist.com
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Getting around
- KEF → Reykjavik (direct): 45 min Flybus. KEF → Blue Lagoon → Reykjavik combined: 4 hours total.
- Inside Reykjavik 101: all walking distance.
Saturday
Day Two
The Golden Circle — Iceland's classic 250 km day-loop east of Reykjavik through three icons (Þingvellir continental rift, Geysir + Strokkur eruptions, Gullfoss two-tier waterfall), Kerið crater lake on the way back, aurora-window dinner in town.
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Reykjavik → Þingvellir drive
45 min east on Route 36 — rental car ideal (Hertz at downtown Reykjavik Harpa). Otherwise group tour (Reykjavik Excursions Golden Circle Classic, 8 hours).
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Þingvellir National Park
UNESCO 2004 — the site of the Alþingi parliament since 930 AD, in the rift valley between the Eurasian + North American tectonic plates. The Almannagjá gorge walk is 30 min, free. Silfra fissure underwater snorkel (dry suit) for the divers.
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Geysir + Strokkur
60 min east of Þingvellir on Route 37 + 35 — the original "geysir" (now dormant) and the still-erupting Strokkur (every 6–10 min, 20–30 m). Stand to the east, the prevailing wind blows the spray west. Free.
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Gullfoss waterfall
10 min further on Route 35 — two-tier waterfall on the Hvítá river, drops 32 m + 11 m. The upper viewing platform is the photograph. Free.
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Friðheimar tomato farm lunch
Glasshouse tomato farm 15 min from Gullfoss — the entire restaurant is in the greenhouse among the vines, the soup is unlimited from a cauldron. Bee hives pollinate the tomatoes (visible). Book ahead. fridheimar.is
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Kerið crater
55 m red volcanic crater with an aquamarine pool at the bottom — on the return route, 15 min walk around the rim. The contrast with the green moss + red scoria is what makes it photograph well.
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Snaps Bistro — dinner
French bistro in Reykjavik, the local choice for moules + frites + a 1664 — affordable counterpoint to the spendier Michelin night. snaps.is
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Hotel
Sand Hotel keahotels.is · AI hotel ratings: hotelist.com
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Getting around
- Reykjavik → Þingvellir: 45 min by car.
- Full Golden Circle loop with stops: 8 hours.
Sunday
Day Three
Slow Reykjavik morning — Harpa concert hall, Sun Voyager sculpture, Bakari Sandholt cinnamon-bun breakfast, fly out from KEF mid-afternoon.
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Bakarí Sandholt — breakfast
1920 Laugavegur bakery — the kanilsnúðar (Icelandic cinnamon bun) is the local breakfast tradition. Espresso, brown skyr. sandholt.is
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Harpa Concert Hall
Olafur Eliasson + Henning Larsen's 2011 honeycomb-glass concert hall on the harbour — daylight inside is its own show. Free to enter the lobby; guided tours available.
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Sun Voyager (Sólfar) sculpture
Jón Gunnar Árnason's 1990 steel ship-skeleton on the waterfront — points across the bay to Esja mountain. 5 min walk from Harpa, free.
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Reykjavik 101 → KEF airport
Flybus from BSI terminal — 45 min, every 30 min. Allow 2 hours before US/Canada departures, 75 min for EU.
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Hotel
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Getting around
- Reykjavik centre → KEF: 45 min Flybus (every 30 min).
Location.
Frequently asked
How many days do you need for Reykjavik — Blue Lagoon, Golden Circle, Aurora?
3 days. The itinerary runs from Friday to Sunday and covers 17 curated stops across 3 days.
How much does Reykjavik — Blue Lagoon, Golden Circle, Aurora cost?
Luxury — signature hotels and reserved access.
Where do you stay during Reykjavik — Blue Lagoon, Golden Circle, Aurora?
Sand Hotel by Keahotels is the recommended base for the trip; the full hotel list per day is in the itinerary section.
What's included in the Reykjavik — Blue Lagoon, Golden Circle, Aurora itinerary?
Day-by-day stops at 17 restaurants, museums, viewpoints and landmarks; transportation hints between each leg; and a hotel base in Reykjavik (Hallgrímskirkja).
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