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Twelve August Days for a Family: Snæfellsnes, Two Lagoons and a Day on Heimaey

West first, then the whole South Coast to Vestrahorn, with a ferry day to the Westman Islands and the Golden Circle on the way back.

Editor's pick 12 days · August Families Medium pace Self-drive · 4x4Iceland in August: what to expect

Picked and annotated by · Iceland Lead & Content Curator· Updated

A family with an eleven- and a fourteen-year-old built this August plan around the places that are worth a detour and the bookings they had already made: two nights in Stykkishólmur for the Snæfellsnes peninsula, two at Hof between the glacier lagoons, and a full ferry day to Heimaey. Everything else is the South Coast and the Golden Circle done in order, with no day over five and a half hours of driving.

Snæfellsnes gets the coastal walk from Arnarstapi to Hellnar, Búðakirkja, the Vatnshellir lava cave, Djúpalónssandur and Kirkjufell. The south runs from the waterfalls to Vík, then Fjaðrárgljúfur, Skaftafell and a Zodiac on Fjallsárlón, Jökulsárlón and Diamond Beach, and the Stokksnes road to Vestrahorn.

Back in Vík, the Svartifoss and Yoda Cave hikes fill a day, and the Westman ferry from Landeyjahöfn makes a day of Eldheimar, Stórhöfði and Herjólfsdalur. The Golden Circle leads to Reykjavík, two nights in Borgarnes cover Deildartunguhver, Hraunfossar and Reykholt, and the Blue Lagoon is the last stop before the flight.

Why we picked it: It folds the two detours most family trips skip, Snæfellsnes and the Westman Islands, into a South Coast plan without a single hotel change in the middle of a long day, and the two-night stays are exactly where children need them.

Trip highlights

  • Arnarstapi to Hellnar Coastal Path
  • Vatnshellir Lava Cave
  • Kirkjufell & Kirkjufellsfoss
  • Fjallsárlón Glacier Lagoon
  • Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
  • Stokksnes & Vestrahorn Mountain
  • Svartifoss (hike)
  • Ferry to Heimaey
  • Eldheimar Museum
  • Stórhöfði Viewpoint
  • Hraunfossar
  • Blue Lagoon

Tips before you go

  • Day four, Stykkishólmur to Vík with the waterfalls, is the long one at about five hours of driving. Leave by eight and keep Dyrhólaey for the evening light.
  • Book the Landeyjahöfn ferry, the Fjallsárlón Zodiac and the Blue Lagoon ahead; all three sell out in August. The ferry runs from Þorlákshöfn, a longer crossing, if the sea is rough.
  • Stokksnes is a private road with a small fee at the Viking Café; the Vestrahorn view is from the dunes a ten-minute walk from the car park.
  • Puffins leave Heimaey by mid-August. For the birds, go in the first half of the month; later, the island is still worth the day for Eldfell and Stórhöfði.

Your route across Iceland

The journey, day by day

Open any day for the full plan — stops, drives, and where to stay.

  1. Arrival and Reykjanes ExplorationDAY 1

    Day 1 · 2026-08-02

    Arrival and Reykjanes Exploration

    7 stops2 hours 10 minsKeflavik
  2. Journey to Snæfellsnes South CoastDAY 2

    Day 2 · 2026-08-03

    Journey to Snæfellsnes South Coast

    5 stops3 hours 20 minsStykkishólmur
  3. Snæfellsjökull National Park & North CoastDAY 3

    Day 3 · 2026-08-04

    Snæfellsjökull National Park & North Coast

    5 stops2 hours 30 minsStykkishólmur
  4. South Coast Waterfalls & Black Sand BeachesDAY 4

    Day 4 · 2026-08-05

    South Coast Waterfalls & Black Sand Beaches

    5 stops5 hours 20 minsVík
  5. Glacier Views & Fjallsárlón ZodiacDAY 5

    Day 5 · 2026-08-06

    Glacier Views & Fjallsárlón Zodiac

    5 stops4 hours 10 minsHof
  6. Jökulsárlón & Vestrahorn SceneryDAY 6

    Day 6 · 2026-08-07

    Jökulsárlón & Vestrahorn Scenery

    4 stops3 hours 20 minsHof
  7. Skaftafell Hike & Return to VíkDAY 7

    Day 7 · 2026-08-08

    Skaftafell Hike & Return to Vík

    6 stops3 hours 50 minsVík
  8. Westman Islands Volcanic ExplorationDAY 8

    Day 8 · 2026-08-09

    Westman Islands Volcanic Exploration

    8 stops3 hours 25 minsVík
  9. Golden Circle Classics to ReykjavikDAY 9

    Day 9 · 2026-08-10

    Golden Circle Classics to Reykjavik

    6 stops4 hours 30 minsReykjavik
  10. Reykjavik City & Journey to BorgarnesDAY 10

    Day 10 · 2026-08-11

    Reykjavik City & Journey to Borgarnes

    4 stops1 hour 10 minsBorgarnes
  11. Waterfalls of Húsafell and Historic ReykholtDAY 11

    Day 11 · 2026-08-12

    Waterfalls of Húsafell and Historic Reykholt

    6 stops2 hours 40 minsBorgarnes
  12. Blue Lagoon Relaxation & DepartureDAY 12

    Day 12 · 2026-08-13

    Blue Lagoon Relaxation & Departure

    2 stops2 hoursKeflavik

Guides to the places on this route

Each stop below has a full guide on iceland-trip.com, our sister site written by the same team: how to get there, parking, seasons and what to expect.

Also on iceland-trip.com: Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon · Kirkjubæjarklaustur · Skaftafell · Svínafellsjökull · Fjallsárlón · Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon · Diamond Beach · Höfn · Stokksnes / Vestrahorn · Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach · Heimaey (Westman Islands) · Urriðafoss Waterfall · Selfoss: What to Do & How Long to Stay? · Kerið Crater: The Golden Circle Volcanic Lake · Gullfoss Waterfall · Geysir Geothermal Area · Þingvellir National Park: Parking, Walks & Visiting Tips · Settlement & Egils Saga Exhibition · Hraunfossar and Barnafoss: Visitor guide · Husafell Canyon Baths

Questions about this itinerary

Is the Westman Islands day worth it with children?

Yes, for children old enough for a thirty-five-minute ferry and a few hours on foot. Heimaey has the Eldheimar museum built around a house buried in the 1973 eruption, the Stórhöfði puffin viewpoint until mid-August and a walkable harbour town. Book the ferry ahead and keep the night in Vík so a sea cancellation costs only the day.

Why start with Snæfellsnes instead of the South Coast?

Because the peninsula is north-west of the airport and the South Coast is south-east, so doing the west first avoids crossing Reykjavík twice. It also gives the family two quiet nights to recover from the flight before the long South Coast days, and leaves the Golden Circle and Borgarnes for the way back.

Do you need a 4x4 for this family itinerary in August?

No. Every road on it is paved apart from short gravel spurs such as Stokksnes and the Djúpalónssandur car park, which a 2WD handles in summer. This family chose a 4x4 SUV for space and luggage with four people, which is the usual reason rather than the roads.

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