Iceland 6-Day Itinerary (August 2026) - would love some feedback!

Iceland 6-Day Itinerary (August 2026), would love some feedback!

So we finally booked our first Iceland trip, flying in early August, and I've been deep in planning mode for weeks. I've been through the wiki and a load of past itinerary threads here, so I've tried to do my homework, but figured I'd post our rough plan before I lock anything in for a sanity check. Mostly want to know if the timing is realistic or if we're trying to cram too much in (probably the latter, knowing me).

Couple of things I'm genuinely excited about. One is Volcano Express at Harpa, it's that 4D volcano ride thing, and honestly it also looks like a solid backup for if the weather turns, which I hear it does constantly. The other is that I really want to do one proper glacier or ice cave tour while we're on the south coast.

Day 1, Sat Aug 8: Arrive + Reykjavík

• Land at Keflavík around 16:00, pick up the rental
• Check in, then just wander downtown, get dinner, see the Sun Voyager and Harpa in the evening

Day 2, Sun Aug 9: Reykjavík city day

• Volcano Express at Harpa in the morning (the thing I'm most curious about tbh)
• Hallgrímskirkja + going up the tower
• Old Harbour and lunch at Grandi Mathöll
• Geothermal pool in the late afternoon, leaning Laugardalslaug for the local feel over Sky Lagoon

Day 3, Mon Aug 10: Golden Circle

• Out the door by 9
• Þingvellir, Geysir/Strokkur, Gullfoss
• Kerið crater on the way
• Overnight at a guesthouse around Hella/Selfoss

Day 4, Tue Aug 11: South Coast

• Seljalandsfoss + Gljúfrabúi
• Skógafoss
• Reynisfjara black sand beach
• Dinner and night in Vík

Day 5, Wed Aug 12: Glacier day (+ eclipse??)

• Glacier hike or ice cave tour in the morning
• Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon after
• Then, ok so I only realised this recently, the total solar eclipse is THIS day. Kind of can't believe we accidentally booked the right week. From what I've read the south coast is in the path of totality, so we're planning to be somewhere with an open western horizon for the early evening.
• Heading back toward Reykjavík/Reykjanes for the night

Day 6, Thu Aug 13: Reykjanes + fly home

• Fagradalsfjall / the recent eruption areas
• Lava tunnel tour if we have time
• Evening flight out

The main thing I'd love a gut-check on: is a full day in Reykjavík (Day 2) worth it, or would you cut it short and get out to the landscapes sooner? That's the part of the plan I'm least sure about. Otherwise, just hoping someone can tell me whether this pace is realistic or whether we're being wildly optimistic about drive times.

Thanks so much in advance