How to Spend One Week in Iceland: A Luxury Traveller’s Guide
There is something otherworldly about Iceland that resists exaggeration. The landscapes feel cinematic, the air startlingly clean, the silence profound. Yet this is a country that does luxury differently, not through excess, but through access to nature, space, and experiences that feel profoundly rare. A week here, done well, is not about ticking sights off a list, but about moving slowly, indulgently, and with intention.
This is Iceland at its most refined.
Day One: Arrival in Reykjavík, Nordic Cool Perfected
Touch down at Keflavík and begin as you mean to continue, with ease. A private transfer whisks you across lava fields to Reykjavík, where low-slung design hotels and discreet luxury define the capital’s aesthetic. This is where your luxury trip to Iceland begins.
Check into The Reykjavik EDITION or ION City Hotel, where clean lines, muted palettes, and harbour views set the tone. Spend the afternoon wandering the city’s galleries and boutiques. Icelandic wool, minimalist jewellery, and avant-garde ceramics dominate, before settling in for dinner at Dill, the country’s Michelin-starred temple to New Nordic cuisine. Expect foraged herbs, pristine seafood, and plates that feel as thoughtful as they are restrained.
Day Two: The Golden Circle, Reimagined
The Golden Circle may be Iceland’s most famous route, but seen privately, it feels entirely different. Travel with a dedicated guide in a luxury SUV, arriving early or late to avoid the crowds.
At Þingvellir National Park, walk between tectonic plates with only the wind for company. At Geysir, watch Strokkur erupt on cue, before moving on to Gullfoss, its raw power softened by mist and rainbows.
The afternoon belongs to indulgence. Skip the main lagoon and retreat instead to The Blue Lagoon Retreat Spa, where private pools, in-water massages, and a subterranean spa carved from volcanic rock elevate relaxation to an art form. Stay overnight at The Retreat, and see moss-covered lava fields stretch endlessly beyond your window.
Day Three: South Coast Drama and Design-Led Seclusion
Continue south along Iceland’s most visually arresting coastline. Waterfalls arrive in quick succession, Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss, each more theatrical than the last. A private guide will take you behind the cascades or to lesser-known vantage points, away from the crowds.
Lunch is casual but considered, fresh Arctic char or lamb soup at a locally loved café. Then onward to Reynisfjara, the black sand beach where basalt columns rise like a cathedral organ and the Atlantic crashes with operatic force.
Your base for the night is Deplar Farm-style luxury in the south, or a high-end countryside lodge near Vík, where floor-to-ceiling windows frame glaciers and dinner is paired with stories of storms, folklore, and resilience.
Day Four: Glaciers, Ice, and Private Adventure
Today is about immersion. Don crampons for a private glacier hike on Sólheimajökull, or descend into a crystalline ice cave, an experience that feels closer to art installation than adventure sport.
For those craving adrenaline, heli-hiking across remote ice fields offers the ultimate luxury, access. Otherwise, enjoy a slower pace with a guided photography tour or a champagne picnic overlooking glacial lagoons.
As evening falls, return to your lodge for a chef-led tasting menu showcasing Icelandic ingredients at their most elevated. If the skies are clear, step outside. The Northern Lights often arrive without announcement, swirling green and violet above the darkness.
Day Five: Into the Highlands or Eastward Escape
For seasoned travellers, the Icelandic Highlands remain the country’s most exclusive frontier. Accessible only by super jeep or helicopter, this is a land of rhyolite mountains, geothermal rivers, and complete solitude.
Alternatively, fly east to explore quieter fjords and fishing villages, where boutique lodges feel like private homes and time stretches generously. Expect whale watching, sea-angling excursions, and dinners that revolve around the day’s catch.
This is Iceland at its most intimate, unshowy, deeply atmospheric, and profoundly restorative.
Day Six: Slow Living and Spa Rituals
After days of motion, embrace stillness. Begin with a geothermal soak at Sky Lagoon or a remote hot spring known only to locals. Participate in Iceland’s bathing culture, hot, cold, steam, repeat, a ritual that feels both ancient and indulgent.
Spend the afternoon horseback riding on Icelandic horses, their gentle gait perfect for beginners, or enjoy a private art or architecture tour back in Reykjavík.
Dinner tonight is relaxed but polished. Think candlelit tables, natural wines, and a sense that nothing is rushed.
Day Seven: Farewell, the Icelandic Way
On your final morning, linger over breakfast. Fresh skyr, warm rye bread baked underground, strong coffee. A last walk along the harbour. One final inhale of that impossibly clean air.
Your transfer back to Keflavík passes lava fields once more, familiar now, yet no less surreal.
Iceland does not shout its luxury. It whispers it, through silence, scale, and experiences that feel quietly transformative. A week here is less a holiday than a recalibration. And once you have travelled this way, it is difficult to imagine doing it any other way.
Planning Your Trip
Even in a country as well-organised as Iceland, true luxury lies in access to the right guides, the right timing, and the places that don’t appear on Google Maps. This is where a specialist luxury Iceland travel company becomes indispensable.
For travellers seeking a seamless, high-touch experience, Hidden Iceland stands out as one of the country’s most respected boutique operators. Founded by locals and long-time residents, the company specialises in bespoke, private journeys that go far beyond the standard itineraries, even at Iceland’s most iconic sights. So, what are you waiting for? Book your trip now.