It would be easy to spend a month or two road-tripping around Iceland, but did you know you can visit so many of its best bits in just a few days with the help of a hire car?
That's right. The Blue Lagoon, Silfra Fissure, Langjökull glacier, and the basalt cliffs of Reynisfjara Beach are just a few of the iconic Iceland destinations within a 2.5-hour drive from the capital of Reykjavik. This means that you won't have to miss out on the country's biggest highlights even if you are only visiting for three or four days.
Read on to discover more of the top things to do near Reykjavik from a 45-minute and 2.5-hour drive and see just how much of the island you can explore on your short Iceland break.
Quick Summary
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The Blue Lagoon, a natural hot spring with ice-blue pools, is located 50 km (30 miles) from Reykjavik and can be reached in about 45 minutes by car.
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Thingvellir National Park, which offers a variety of scenic hiking trails, is located 47 km (29 miles) from Reykjavik and can be reached in about 45 minutes by car.
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The Great Geysir, an impressive geyser that shoots boiling hot water up to 70 meters into the air, is located 106 km (66 miles) from Reykjavik and can be reached in about 1.5 hours by car.
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Gulfoss Waterfall, a cascading waterfall that falls 21 meters into a canyon, is located 116 km (72 miles) from Reykjavik and can be reached in about 1 hour and 45 minutes by car.
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Kerid Crater, a beautiful crater formed by a volcanic eruption, is located 69 km (43 miles) from Reykjavik and can be reached in about 1 hour by car.
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Renting a car is a convenient way to visit many of Iceland's popular destinations within a short drive from Reykjavik. The Blue Lagoon, Thingvellir National Park, The Great Geysir, Gulfoss Waterfall, Kerid Crater, Langjökull glacier, and the basalt cliffs of Reynisfjara Beach are all within a 2.5-hour drive from the city and offer a variety of natural wonders to explore. By renting a car, you can easily visit these destinations and make the most of your trip to Iceland.
Blue Lagoon
Distance from Reykjavik: 50 km (30 miles)
Travel time: 45 minutes
Whether you are planning a week-long holiday or just a long weekend stay in the Land of Fire and Ice, the Blue Lagoon hot springs are a must-visit Iceland attraction for any visitor. While the viral photos of its steaming ice-blue pools have certainly spurred its popularity, there is much more to the Blue Lagoon than its image. Its natural hot springs are an even more beautiful sight to see in real life.

Thingvellir National Park
Distance from Reykjavik: 47 km (29 miles)
Travel time: 45 minutes
Thingvellir National Park is one of the very best destinations to visit in Iceland if you want to see a wide range of natural wonders in a short space of time. Several scenic hiking trails, including the Oxarafoss Trail and the Lögberg ? Drekkingarhylur Trail, show off the park's best landscapes, waterfalls, rock formations, lakes, and more. However, the park is most famous for its Almannagja Trail which runs along a deep canyon caused by the Mid-Atlantic Ridge where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates collide.

The Great Geysir
Distance from Reykjavik: 106 km (66 miles)
Travel time: 1.5 hours
Geysir is one of the three geological highlights of Iceland's famous Golden Circle route, a 250 km (155 mile) circular sightseeing route from Reykjavik. As its name suggests, The Great Geysir is one of the most epic geysers you'll ever set eyes on. The stream of boiling hot water spurts up to 70 metres into the air with impressive force from an underground hot spring.

Gulfoss Waterfall
Distance from Reykjavik: 116 km (72 miles)
Travel time: 1 hour 45 minutes
It is often joked that Iceland has more waterfalls than people and so no visit is complete without witnessing at least one. If you're only in Iceland for a few days, we recommend seeing the Gulfoss Waterfall. Not only is the Gulfoss Waterfall one of the top three highlights of Iceland's easy-going Golden Circle driving route from Reykjavik, but it is also one of the most iconic waterfalls in the country.

Kerid Crater
Distance from Reykjavik: 69 km (43 miles)
Travel time: 1 hour
Iceland is nicknamed the ?Land of Fire and Ice' because while it's known for its cold climate, its land was largely formed by volcanoes. There are few active volcanoes in Iceland today, but several craters scar the surface as a reminder of its fiery past ? and the Kerid Crater is one of its most beautiful. At the mouth of the volcano (measuring 270 metres across at its widest point), you'll find a mossy green and burnt sienna caldera flooded with a deep turquoise lake.

Reynisfjara Beach
Distance from Reykjavik: 187 km (116 miles)
Travel time: 2.5 hours
While few have heard the name ?Reynisfjara Beach', most have seen images of its striking hexagonal basalt rock formations towering from the black sands of a moody shoreline to the far reaches of a surrounding clifftop. After all, it is one of Iceland's most remarkable and unforgettable landscapes.

Vik
Distance from Reykjavik: 187 km (116 miles)
Travel time: 2.5 hours
Vik is a charming fishing village of 300 residents on the south coast of Iceland. It's just a few kilometres away from the famous Reynisfjara Beach and Skogafoss waterfall which makes it an ideal point from which to visit some of the south coast's most spectacular natural wonders.

Snorkelling in Silfra
Distance from Reykjavik: 54 km (34 miles)
Travel time: 50 minutes
There are many ways to explore Iceland's incredible landscapes, but none are quite as exciting as snorkelling in Silfra, the fissure between two continents. Over millennia, glacier water has filled the cracks formed in the surface of Iceland created by the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates known as the Mid-Atlantic ridge.

Secret Lagoon
Distance from Reykjavik: 105 km (65 miles)
Travel time: 1.5 hours
The Blue Lagoon may be the most famous hot spring in Iceland, but is it the best? Well, it's icy blue pools are certainly striking, but it also gets much more crowded than many others in Iceland. If you would like to experience Iceland's generous geothermal benefits without the crowds, you might prefer the Secret Lagoon instead. It may not be as impressive as the Blue Lagoon, but it is much more affordable.

Langjökull
Distance from Reykjavik: 150 km (93 miles)
Travel time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Witnessing the intimidating grandeur of a glacier is a must on a trip to the Land of Fire and Ice and luckily, the Langjökull glacier is easily reachable from Reykjavik. Measuring 50 km (31 miles) long and 15 to 20 km (9 to 12 miles) wide, Langjökull is the second-largest glacier in the country.

Northern Lights
The Northern Lights can technically be seen from almost everywhere in Iceland during the dark winter months. However, your ability to see them is dependent upon the amount of surrounding light pollution. Therefore, you're unlikely to see them if you're based in the capital, Reykjavik. For the best chance of seeing the spectacle on a short trip to Iceland, it's best to rent a car to escape the bright lights of the city.

Secure car hire in Iceland for your adventurous mini-break
Since most of Iceland's highlights are within a 2.5-hour drive from Reykjavik, the country is best explored by car ? especially if you're limited by time! Speak to Northbound to secure your hire car today by contacting us on (insert info) and browse our selection of vehicles here. From spacious SUVs to swanky sports cars, our range of hire cars suits all kinds of driving needs.