Arrive at Keflavík International Airport, pick up your rental car and drive 45 minutes to the capital city of Reykjavík. (Flights from the United States typically arrive in the morning.) Drop off your bags at Tower Suites, your hotel for the next two nights, and walk a short distance to Reykjavík Kitchen for lunch. Start with the traditional meat stew, made with lamb, or the creamy seafood soup. Follow it up with a Rabbabararúna Nordurljós cocktail, made with Brennivín, a caraway-flavored aquavit popular in Iceland. Thus fortified, walk down Laugavegur, Reykjavík’s main shopping thoroughfare, and get a picture of the nearby “Rainbow Street,” a permanently painted roadway (also known as Skólavördustígur Street) that celebrates LGBTQ rights. Finally, check in to your hotel and rest in your room, situated on the top floor of Reykjavík’s highest building.

Iceland has a strong swimming culture. After enjoying breakfast in your room, drive 15 minutes to the new Sky Lagoon, a man-made lagoon with a spectacular cliffside setting (be sure to book the Sky Package, which provides guests with private changing facilities). Relax in its warm geothermal waters, enjoying the view of the harbor through the mist while drinking a glass of bubbly from the swim-up bar. After a good soak, participate in the spa ritual, which includes a cold plunge, sauna, cold fog mist, body scrub, steam room and shower. Before leaving, stop in the gift shop and get sustenance at the Sky Café or the Smakk Bar.

This afternoon, learn about Icelandic cuisine with the Reykjavík Food Walk. On our tour, the charming guide Dagur Lárusson led us around downtown sampling the staples of his home country: mini tacos made with fried langoustines and date purée; lamb medallions with parsnips and carrots; traditional lamb soup; refreshing Icelandic White Ale from Einstök Beer; and lamb hot dogs from the beloved Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur food stand, which opened in 1937. In the evening, visit the architecturally inspiring Harpa Concert Hall, with its famous exteriors designed by artist Ólafur Elíasson, and have dinner at Lóa.

Today is more open-ended. We recommend visiting the Reykjavík City Museum, which includes five separate sites. Highlights for us were the Settlement Exhibition, built around the ruins of a historic Viking longhouse, and the oldest wooden home in Reykjavík, Adalstræti 10. A must-stop is Hallgrímskirkja, an Evangelical-Lutheran church with a soaring height of 244 feet. Standing watch before it is an imposing statue of Leif Erikson, the Norse explorer. If you have more time, visit the Old Harbour, a vibrant new shopping area. Depending on the timing, either stop for lunch at the much-acclaimed Sægreifinn, or Sea Baron, a rustic spot known for its lobster soup, or have dinner at Forréttabarinn.

Check out of your hotel and drive 67 miles to your first stop on the Golden Circle sightseeing route: Thingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the home of Iceland’s parliament for nine centuries. With a rift valley caused by shifting tectonic plates, rocky cliffs and glacial depressions, Thingvellir is one of the few places to witness Earth’s dynamic geology in action. There are numerous walking and hiking trails here; more adventuresome visitors can snorkel or scuba dive between tectonic plates at the Silfra Fissure, where visibility is up to 260 feet. Drive across fertile farmlands to the Haukadalura geothermal area of hot springs, geysers and boiling pools of mud. Across the street is your next hotel: the family-run Hótel Geysir. Have dinner tonight at its restaurant.

Today, visit the Haukadalur geothermal area, which includes several active geysers, hot springs and fumaroles. (The word “geyser” comes from the Great Geysir here, but it is not currently active; nearby Strokkur puts on a good show, regularly spewing every four or five minutes.) Next, drive 10 minutes to Gullfoss, a stunningly beautiful waterfall that plunges 105 feet into a deep canyon. Back at your hotel, be sure to explore the Geysir Center next door. It contains the casual Geysir Glíma restaurant, which offers pizza, sandwiches and beer, and a high-end design store selling Icelandic-made outerwear.

Check out of your hotel and make your way to Hvolsvöllur on the southern coast. On your way, stop in Flúdir, the home of Secret Lagoon. Carved out of a geothermal area in 1891, it is the oldest natural pool in Iceland and a local favorite. Three geysers supply all the water in the lagoon, making it pure and clean, if slightly sulfurous-smelling. Note that there are men’s and women’s locker rooms but no private changing rooms or private showers. But do as the Icelanders do and don’t be shy; you’ll only be noticed if you take a pre-lagoon shower with your swimsuit on! Get lunch next door at the Fridheimar tomato greenhouse. Enjoy the scenery as you drive to your next hotel: Skálakot, a fourth-generation horse farm. After checking in, get a drink at the bar and enjoy dinner at the in-house restaurant.

Over the next two days, make Skálakot your home base as you explore the area around it. Visit Seljalandsfoss, a waterfall with a 197-foot cascade that you can walk behind, and Skógafoss, both of which are nearby. Become acquainted with Icelandic horses at Skálakot; this breed is known for its small stature, musculature and relaxed demeanor. Take a guided horseback ride (arranged through the hotel) to the black beach or toward the Eyjafjallajökull glacier. The following day, drive on the Ring Road to the town of Vík. Depending on the time of year, you can visit ice caves, puffin colonies or the black sand beach of Reynisfjara, with its striking basalt columns and sea stacks.

Check out of Skálakot and drive west toward The Retreat at Blue Lagoon. Break up the two-and-a-half-hour drive by stopping along the way to do some shopping. Just 25 minutes west of Skálakot is a woman-owned store called UNA Local Product, offering handicrafts, jewelry and gifts. Continue on toward Selfoss. Just before you arrive, be sure to stop at Thingborg Wool Shop, which sells hand-dyed wool and quality knitted sweaters out of a 1927 schoolhouse. While Selfoss itself is not exactly a handsome place, a new town center contains cafés, restaurants and shops carrying local brands. We most appreciated Motivo for women’s clothing, the Mistilteinn Christmas shop and Gallery Listasel for Icelandic art.

From Selfoss, take the southerly road along the coast to Blue Lagoon. You will pass through an expanse of ancient lava fields and see steam rising over the mountains from the Svartsengi geothermal power station, which supplies the mineral-rich waters of the lagoon. Upon arrival to The Retreat, you will be welcomed with a glass of Champagne in the lobby. Enjoy your stay here, taking in the three-step ritual at The Retreat Spa, eating at the Michelin-recommended Moss and relaxing in an otherworldly environment.

Drive to Keflavík International Airport and depart for home.