Heading to Iceland and planning on driving the Ring Road? You’ve come to the right place! Our detailed Iceland Ring Road itinerary will get you to all the sights you want to see, giving you all the information you need to tackle this epic Iceland road trip, including a day by day breakdown of the adventure.
We’ve spent a great deal of time exploring Iceland’s Ring Road in its entirety and we have also visited Iceland in both summer and winter. We’ve already written a number of comprehensive guides to visiting Iceland to help you plan your trip, but this is our first detailed Ring Road itinerary.
During our time exploring Iceland’s ring road we’ve seen the majority of the highlights along the route. Based on these experiences, and our other travels in Iceland, we’ve distilled the adventure down into the perfect Iceland Ring Road itinerary for a one-week ring road trip, starting and ending in Reykjavik.
This post contains everything you need to know to plan your trip, including a detailed day-by-day breakdown of the route, where to stay, what to see along the way, driving distances, and a full route map as well as all the planning information you need!
Let’s get started, first by answering some questions you might have about the route.
Table of Contents:
What is the Iceland Ring Road?
The Iceland Ring Road, also known as Þjóðvegur 1, or Route 1, is a national road that runs all around the country, connecting all the major towns and cities. The Ring Road is 828 miles long (1,332 kilometres), making it the longest road in Iceland.
The Ring Road is primarily two lanes wide and paved, although some sections are wider than this, and in some cases, particularly for bridges, it may only be a single lane road
Why Road Trip on the Iceland Ring Road?
Iceland’s Ring Road makes for the perfect Iceland road trip because it covers a great deal of the country, and passes right by, or very close to, a great many of Iceland’s most famous and noteworthy attractions, including natural attractions such as waterfalls, epic viewpoints and gorgeous towns and villages.
In addition, as the Ring Road passes through the major towns and cities of Iceland, it’s easier to find accommodation along the route if you follow the Ring Road. Finally, being the main route around Iceland, navigation is easy.
How Long Does it Take to Drive Iceland’s Ring Road?
As mentioned above, Iceland’s Ring Road is 1,332 kilometres long. For the majority of the route, the speed limit is 90km/h, so in theory you could drive the entire Ring Road in 15 – 20 hours.
Of course, we’d advise against that. We’d suggest that one week would be the minimum amount of time to do a Ring Road tour and take in all the sights in this itinerary. This will give you time to do plenty of sight-seeing along the route and not be too rushed. Of course, more time is better – on one trip we spent four weeks doing the full route, with lots of detours and diversions!
If you have less time in Iceland or don’t want to be too rushed, we’d suggest focusing on a specific region so you get the most out of your trip. Take a look at our itinerary for 5 days in Iceland for inspiration.
Which Way Should I Drive the Iceland Ring Road?
Being a circular route, you can drive the Iceland Ring Road in either direction. Our preference would be to drive it in an anti-clockwise direction, tackling the south of the country first.
In our experience, the south of Iceland is the busiest part of the country in terms of visitors, so as you travel, you will go from more busy places (the south) to less busy places (basically everywhere else). We think this will be an easier transition to manage than driving from relatively quiet to more crowded spots.
Of course, you are welcome to drive this route in any direction. Our road trip itinerary is set up in a counter-clockwise direction, but you can reverse it.
Can I Drive the Iceland Ring Road in Winter?
Whilst you can drive Iceland’s Ring Road in winter, we would generally advise against it. Road conditions can change very quickly, and sections of the Ring Road often close in winter, meaning you might have to retrace your route to get back to where you started. A storm can really negatively impact your trip.
In addition, the limited hours of daylight in the winter months mean you won’t have so much time for sight-seeing as you might want. In summer, you will have so many hours of daylight thanks to the midnight sun that you can really pack the sight-seeing in!
Ideally you’d want to do this trip between late April and October.
If you travel in late September or October you will also have the chance to see the northern lights. You won’t have to do anything special to see them – just find somewhere with no artificial light sources, hope for good weather and look up!
Of course, we don’t discourage coming to Iceland in winter in general! It’s the time of year when you have a great chance to see the northern lights, and the landscapes are quite wonderful when covered in ice and snow.
Instead of driving Iceland’s entire Ring Road in winter, we’d suggest you look at our 7 day Iceland winter itinerary, which we think is the best option for visiting Iceland in winter and driving yourself.
We also suggest taking a look at our guide to driving in Iceland in winter, and our guide to what to pack for Iceland in winter.
Another option is to take a guided tour like this. Let someone else handle all the logistics of planning and driving, and you can just enjoy your journey without worrying about driving in poor conditions.
Do you have to self-drive the Iceland Ring Road?
The road trip in this post is based on a self-drive itinerary which means you drive yourself. Driving in Iceland gives you the most flexibility in terms of your itinerary hiring a car; however, it’s not the only option!
One popular option would be to take a group tour of Iceland instead. This means someone else will handle everything for you, including the driving, itinerary and accommodation, and you get to just enjoy the sight-seeing.
If that sounds good to you (we know not everyone wants to drive in Iceland), there are a number of options, which we outline in the following section.
Tours of the Iceland Ring Road
The Iceland ring road is a popular road trip, and as such there are a number of tour companies offering trips, ranging from a few days to a number of weeks. We’d suggest 6 days as being the absolute minimum for a ring road tour, and ideally more like 7 days to 2 weeks.
We recommend this either 8 day tour or this 8 day tour.
If you are really pressed for time, this is a 6 day tour that will let you see the highlights. This is a similar 6 day tour.
Do be aware when comparing tours that you need to look carefully at what is included and what isn’t. Even if a tour has a higher price, if it includes all the meals then it might be better value than a cheaper tour without meals as food can be very expensive in Iceland.
Other things to consider include what attractions or experiences are included in the price.
For example, tours might cost more but the price might include higher quality accommodation, wildlife watching tours, Blue Lagoon entry and glacier lagoon boat ride, as well as many other activities.
For more inspiration on tours in Iceland, check out our guide to the best guided tours of Iceland, which will give you loads of ideas for what else you can do in the country for trips between 2 days and 2 weeks!
You can also see a selection of guided tours of Iceland on TourRadar here and on Guide to Iceland here, both of which offer a variety of tours from different companies in Iceland.
Now, having hopefully answered many of your questions about driving the Ring Road, let’s share our week-long Iceland ring road itinerary!
Iceland Ring Road Itinerary
Now, let’s take a look at a suggested itinerary for one week driving the Iceland Ring Road. This covers 8 days and 7 nights of travel, and we have tried to lay it out so each day has a similar amount of driving, although of course this isn’t always possible.
We’d also advise that you adjust the itinerary to suit your own interests and needs, as well as your arrival and departure times of course!
Day 1: Arrive, Blue Lagoon, part of Golden Circle.
On your first day you’ll arrive in Iceland at Keflavik International Airport. This is around a 40 minute drive to the south west of Reykjavik.
For this itinerary, we’re going to assume you arrive into Iceland in the morning. If you arrive in the late afternoon or evening, you’ll want to tweak this day a little bit.
On arrival, pick up your hire car (compare prices here) at the airport and consider heading straight for the famous Blue Lagoon if it is on your must-visit list. This is Iceland’s most well-known geothermal lagoon, and is a huge outdoor bathing area where the water is a funky shade of blue.
As well as the main lagoon (which has a swim up bar), you can also get treatments here and have a meal, as there’s an on-site restaurant. If you plan to visit the Blue Lagoon, you’ll need to pre-book a timeslot, which you can do here.
The Blue Lagoon is a very popular place, so don’t expect to be able to turn up and buy a ticket. See our full guide visiting the Blue Lagoon for more.
It’s only a short drive from the airport, but you’ll want to factor in the time it will take you to get through immigration and baggage claim as well as collect your hire car, which can take a while if the airport is busy. If you arrive in the afternoon or evening, you can either just do the Blue Lagoon and then stay nearby, or skip it and head further along the route towards the Golden Circle – our next adventure.
Another option to consider which is closer to Reyjavik city centre is the Sky Lagoon. This is a newer attraction which offers a similar hot springs experience, and is worth checking out too. You can book tickets for the Sky Lagoon here.
If you choose not to do the Blue Lagoon or Sky Lagoon on your first day, don’t worry, you can also do it at the end of your trip instead. There are also a number of other thermal baths all around the country, and we actually personally prefer the Lake Mývatn Nature Baths in the north of Iceland.
After the Lagoon, our suggestion is to get going on the road trip straight away. A week is not a massive amount of time to drive the Ring Road, so a head start is a good idea. With this in mind, we recommend you head out onto the Golden Circle.
The Golden Circle is one of the more popular short road trips in Iceland. Its proximity to Reykjavik makes it easy to do in a day, and it is a quick way to see some of the best of the country, from cultural attractions to waterfalls and geothermal activity. We have written a full guide to the Golden Circle to help you fully plan your time here.
If you’ve arrived in Iceland in the morning, you’ll have time to see Thingvellir National Park on your first day. Thingvellir, or Þingvellir, is one of the most important cultural sites in Iceland, and is on the UNESCO world heritage list. It’s where Iceland’s parliament met from the 10th to the 18th centuries.
As well as the cultural significance, the national park is interesting for it’s geological features. The Eurasian and North American tectonic plates have their boundary here, and you can see the rifts between these plates in the form of obvious canyons. It’s really interesting to see geography up close like this.
You can even go snorkelling to experience these plates. This is done in dry suits with specialist operators, as the water temperature hovers just above freezing year round. You don’t need to bring any special equipment, but booking in advance is definitely recommended. Here’s a tour booking link if you want to do that.
There’s also a beautiful waterfall here, Öxarárfoss, which is around a 10 minute walk from the car park. Game of Thrones fans will also enjoy visiting Thingvellir National Park as it was used for the filming of a number of Game of Thrones scenes, including the Gates of the Moon. This is found in Almannagjá gorge which is just near Öxaráfoss waterfall.
Once you’re done with Thingvellir, we’d suggest calling it a day, and heading on to your accommodation for the night. We recommend staying somewhere between Laugarvatn and Flúðir. If you have arrived early however and skipped the Blue Lagoon, you will likely have time to also do the Geysir Park and visit Gulfoss waterfall. For this itinerary though, we will describe these on our second day.
Day 1 Highlights: Blue Lagoon, Thingvellir
Start Point: Keflavík Airport
End Point: Laugarvatn / Flúðir
Distance driven: ~140 kilometres / 90 miles
Where to Stay
For your first night we recommend booking accommodation somewhere near Fludir Here are some options to consider.
- Farmhotel Efstidalur – as the name suggests this is found on a farm. Private rooms are en-suite and there’s an on-site geothermal hot tub
- Fludir Icelandair Hotel – We stayed here on one trip to Iceland and it was very comfortable, with an on-site restaurant.
- Garður Stay Inn by the Secret Lagoon – well reviewed and handy for Fludir’s “Secret Lagoon“, a lovely geothermal bath
- Farmer’s Guesthouse – just near the town of Hella, this is a good option if you want to complete the Golden Circle and start along the south coast. Another option found on a farm with cabins.
- Stracta Hotel – centrally located in Hella, a well reviewed option with hot tubs and on-site restaurant.
- Midgard basecamp – found in Hvolsvöllur, this highly rated hostel is a great budget option with a hot tub
See more lodging options in this area on booking.com here.
If you arrive later and want to overnight near the airport, we stayed at the Northern Light Inn, which is right next to the Blue Lagoon and about twenty minutes from the airport. See more Reykjavik options at the end of the itinerary.
Day 2: Golden Circle and South Coast
For the second day in our Ring Road trip we’re going to finish off the highlights of the Golden Circle, and start along the south Iceland coast, taking in some of the most famous attractions in Iceland.
First, we’re going to finish the Golden Circle. There are two more main attractions to see: Geysir and Gullfoss.
Geysir is a geothermal park which is home to the original “Geyser” – a geological feature whereby steam and boiling hot water are regularly ejected into the air. Today, we know this phenomenon as a “geyser”, which was the name given by the Icelanders to the geyser in the Geysir park.
The original geyser is now mostly dormant, but there are a number of other geysers in the park, one of which is regularly active, shooting into the air every few minutes. This is quite a spectacular thing to see, and well worth stopping for. Expect to spend around 20 to 30 minutes visiting this park.
From Geyser you’re going to drive on to Gullfoss. Foss, incidentally, is Icelandic for waterfall, and you’re going to see that word a lot in Iceland, as there are a lot of waterfalls!
Gullfoss is one of Iceland’s most spectacular waterfalls, with two tiers conveying a massive volume of water down a total of 32 metres. There are a number of good viewing areas, and a great deal of parking here, as well as an on-site cafe.
From Gullfoss, it’s time to start heading south where you’ll join the Ring Road, and which you will stay on for the majority of the rest of your road trip.
The first stop on your trip is going to be the Lava Center. This is a relatively new attraction in Iceland, which is well worth visiting if you want to learn about the volcanic activity in Iceland, and get an idea of what it’s like to experience massive geological activities like volcanoes and earthquakes.
The Lava Center is really interesting, and the exhibits here have already won a number of awards. There is a free part as well as a paid part, plus an on-site cafeteria-style restaurant so a good place to get some food. It’s definitely worth popping in to, even if you don’t tour the museum, just to get an understanding of some of the features you’ll be seeing on the rest of your trip.
If you do decide to visit, you can book your tickets online in advance here. Using our link gives you a small discount on the normal Lava Centre ticket price.
The next stop on your trip is Seljalandsfoss. Seljalandsfoss is the first of the major waterfalls on the south coast you’re going to want to stop at and try to pronounce.
Seljalandsfoss is pretty cool because you can actually walk behind it (although it is sometimes closed due to safety issues). Note that you are very likely to get wet doing this, so make sure you are prepared with with right clothing, sturdy shoes (it can be slippery), and that your camera or phone is suitably protected! It’s also a pretty waterfall in its own right.
Note that parking charges apply at Seljalandsfoss, when we visited it was 700 krona per car. These can be paid using a credit or debit card, and apply 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We did see parking officials enforcing these, and as these funds help maintain the facilities and parking here, we definitely recommend you don’t try to avoid paying them.
Whilst you’re at Seljalandsfoss, you might want to walk along the path here to Gljúfrabúi. This is about a ten minute walk north from Seljalandsfoss (it’s signposted and the path is paved).
Gljúfrabúi is a waterfall hidden inside a canyon, and you do have to walk a few metres up a river to access it. It’s worth doing if you have the right footwear and waterproofs, as it’s pretty cool. It’s really wet and slippery inside the canyon, as you might imagine given there’s a waterfall in here!
From Seljalandsfoss, it’s less than half an hours drive to the next location on our itinerary: Skogafoss. As you drive, if you have a clear day, you’ll also be able to admire some of Iceland’s volcanoes, including Eyjafjallajökull, the volcano which erupted in 2010 and caused worldwide air transport chaos!
Skogafoss is another beautiful waterfall, with a massive volume of water cascading over a sixty metre drop. It’s also 15 metres wide, with a sheer drop, so is quite mesmerising to behold. We also like that you can get very close to the crashing base, to really experience the power of nature. Although, be warned, if you get close, you’ll soon be soaked by the spray!
Before you worry that this itinerary is focusing just on waterfalls, fear not. Right next to Skogafoss is the Skogar Museum. This museum, which focuses on the cultural history of Iceland, has over 15,000 artifacts on display across 3 museum buildings. There’s also a large open-air area with six historic buildings, including some beautiful traditional turf houses. The museum complex is large so you can easily spend 2 to 3 hours here.
From Skogafoss, you’re going to continue your journey eastwards along the Ring Road. Depending on your stamina and the time of day, you might want to stop at the Sólheimasandur plane wreck.
This is about a ten minute drive from Skogafoss, and there’s a large marked parking area here. Be aware though that it’s a 40 minute walk each way to see the crashed plane and nothing much to see along the way.
If the plane wreck is of interest, read our full guide to visiting the Iceland plane crash at Sólheimasandur. Otherwise, continue east!
Our last stop on the second day of this itinerary is Reynisfjara black sand beach. This is one of Iceland’s beautiful black sand beaches, which is particularly notable for having stacks of basalt columns running along the edge of the beach. There are also sea stacks off shore which are pretty.
This is a popular (and often crowded) location, but do be careful here, as the area is known for “rogue waves” – large waves which can appear without warning, and sweep visitors off the feet and, in worst case scenario, out to sea. So just watch out for that.
Finally, we suggest you overnight at either the town of Vik, or head on a little further to Kirkjubæjarklaustur.
Day 2 Highlights: Geyser, Gullfoss, Seljalandsfoss, Skogafoss, Plane Crash, Reynisfjara Beach
Start Point: Efstidalur II / Flúðir
End Point: Vik
Distance driven: 207 km / 128 miles
Where to Stay
Our suggestion for your second night is to stay either in Vik or Kirkjubæjarklaustur (also called Klaustur). Some options to consider include:
- The Barn – this is a well reviewed and popular hostel in Vik, offering both dormitory accommodation and private rooms
- Hotel Vík í Mýrdal – found just 450 yards from the black sand beach in Vik, this is a well rated hotel offering private en-suite rooms
- Hunkubakkar Guesthouse – a family run guesthouse found five miles from Kirkjubæjarklaustur. WiFi, on-site restaurant and cute colourful cottages.
- Hotel Klaustur – a modern hotel in Klaustur, with simple but comfortable rooms. We’ve stayed here and had a pleasant experience
See more options in Vik here and Klaustur here.
Day 3: South Coast
On your third day driving the Ring Road in Iceland we’re going to finish the highlights of the south coast, and start to head up the east coast.
First stop on your third day is Fjaðrárgljúfur, a 2 million year old river canyon which has carved an incredible path out of the landscape here, making for a seriously photogenic location. It’s about a five minute drive off the Ring Road just before the town of Kirkjubæjarklaustur.
Whilst you can see the canyon from the bridge at the parking lot, we would urge you to take the 15 minute hike up to the main viewpoint, which is a metal viewpoint overlooking the canyon. Here you can see down the length of the canyon for a wonderful view.
From Kirkjubæjarklaustur, continue along the 1. At this point in your journey, you are on the Eldhraun Lava Field. This is the largest lava field in the world, caused by a massive eruption in the 18th century that lasted for a year, and nearly resulted in the whole country being evacuated.
Today, this vast 565-kilometre square site is known for the green moss that has grown over the lava field, which makes for a popular photograph. Just please be aware that it’s taken the moss a couple of hundred years to grow, and it is super sensitive to being stood on. There are dedicated parking areas with marked trails to follow, and sticking to these will help preserve this remarkable environment for future travellers. There are also some picnic tables along here if you are in the mood for a snack.
Continuing on through Eldrahaun, you will notice the massive Vatnajökull glacier in the distance before you. This is the largest glacier in Iceland, covering a staggering 9% of the whole country. This is protected as part of the Vatnajökull National Park.
Naturally, visiting parts of this national park is the the next thing on your itinerary for today!
The first stop in the national park is the Skaftafell region, which has its own visitor center and facilities. There’s a large parking area here, which does charge for parking. Fees when we visited were 700 krona per car, paid at the visitor center using automated machines.
Most people stop here to do a hike or two. One of the most popular is the hike up to Svartifoss, or the Black Falls. This is a 30 – 45 minute hike each way (it’s quite steep) to a beautiful waterfall that tumbles over black basalt columns. It’s fairly unique in this respect, so we think is worth the h
If you don’t want to hike up though, there are other walks in the area, including a flat walk that’s around 90 minutes total, which brings you close to the base of one of the glaciers as well. The visitor center has plenty of maps and staff who can give you assistance with choosing the best walk for you.
This would also be a good location to do a glacier hike or ice cave hike. Availability for these varies depending on the time of year, and you would have to plan accordingly as these guided activities usually last for around 3 – 4 hours. Most departures are from Skaftafell, and you definitely need to book these in advance, which you can do here.
The next stop is a five minute drive further along, to the Svínafellsjökull Glacier. Here there’s an excellent viewpoint from where you can see the tongue of the Svínafellsjökull Glacier – one of the outlet glaciers of the main Vatnajökull glacier.
Continuing further along, and you will come to the well known Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon. This lagoon is formed off the run off from the Breiðamerkurjökull outlet from Vatnajökull, and is a popular spot for taking a boat tour (seasonal), which will get you out between the icebergs and up close to the glacier itself, an experience you won’t quickly forget.
Directly across the road from Jökulsárlón Lagoon is the Diamond beach. This is where the icebergs which float out of the lagoon wash up on the shore, creating the impression of a beach littered with giant diamonds. Depending on the time of year you visit, you will find more or less of these (more in winter, less in summer!), but it’s worth five minutes to check it out whenever you visit.
Finally, the last section of the day has you driving on to Hofn, where we recommend you spend the night. If you prefer, you can also drive further, and overnight in Djúpivogur.
Day 3 Highlights: Fjaðrárgljúfur, Lava Fields, Vatnajökull National Park, Glacial Lagoon, Langoustines
Start Point: Vik
End Point: Hofn or Djúpivogur
Distance driven: 272km / 170 miles
Where to stay
For your third night on Iceland’s ring road we suggest staying in either Höfn or Djúpivogur. Options to consider include:
- Hotel Framtid in Djúpivogur – we stayed at this lovely hotel overlooking the harbour and enjoyed taking some short walks in the area
- Framtid Hostel – a well reviewed hostel in Djúpivogur offering a shared kitchen and shared bathrooms. A good budget option.
- Hotel Edda Höfn – found by the harbour in Höfn this hotel offers lovely views and rooms with private facilities
- Milk Factory – as the name suggests, this hotel is located in a former milk factory. Rooms all feature free WiFi and private bathrooms
- Höfn Guesthouse – this is a well reviewed centrally located budget guesthouse in Höfn, with shared bathrooms
See more options in Djúpivogur here and Hofn here.
Day 4: East Coast
It’s time to tackle Iceland’s east coast! Jökulsárlón Lagoon, which you visited yesterday, is the last stopping point for the majority of one and two day trips from Reykjavík, so from there onwards you should find that the roads and attractions will be a little less busy.
Your first stop today is the Vestrahorn, a fantastically photogenic mountain. In contrast to the flatter, glacier coated mountains of the south coast, the Vestrahorn is a spikey affair, in fact it is named for it’s “horns”. This is just one of a series of these mountains along the east coast, which makes for a seriously spectacular drive along the coast.
Note that you can see Vestrahorn from Route 1, but if you decide to drive off the 1 do come off the 1 and drive to Stokksnes for more views of the Vestrahorn, this is across private land. The landowner here charges a small fee to vehicles to manage the road and access.
You then are going to continue your drive along the coastal road, which is a really fabulous drive, and you are going to find yourself stopping regularly to take photos of the scenery here. Just be sure to stop at the actual pullouts and marked parking areas.
The first major stop is going to be the small fishing town of Djúpivogur. Here there are a few highlights, including an art installation of stone eggs (Eggin í Gleðivík), with each egg representing a bird you would find in Iceland. Djúpivogur is a popular spot for bird watching too and you can find a couple of hides in the area.
There are also local artists who have opened their quirky studios to visitors, and these are definitely worth a visit.
If you want to see something a little unusual (for Iceland at least), you can take a 15 minute hike from the east end of town to Búlandsnes, where you can see a lovely white sand beach. For more on what to do in Djúpivogur, see the official website here.
From Djúpivogur, continue northwards on Route 1. There are two waterfalls next on your route, Sveinsstekksfoss & Folaldafoss. The first is just off the road, with the best views found if you drive up the steep track a little way to the parking at the top, from where it’s a 1 minute walk to a viewpoint.
Folaldafoss is a five minute detour off the 1 on Route 939, and is viewable both from the car park, or you can walk down to be closer to the falls, which takes about five minutes. Both waterfalls are worth stopping at.
Note that GPS units will often recommend you continue on the 939 if you set your destination as Egilsstaðir. We’d suggest against doing this – the road is a windy mountainous pass, and you are unlikely to save any time. It also often closes in bad weather conditions. Instead, return to the 1 and continue onwards.
Another benefit of continuing on the Ring Road is that you will be able to stop at Petra’s stone collection.
Petra was a lady who lived in the village of Stöðvarfjörður, and who had a real passion for collecting stones. Her stone collection attracted visitors from all over the world, and it grew to take over her house and garden.
Petra died a few years back, but her family have maintained her collection – and it is truly impressive. A great stop if you want to learn all about the minerals of Iceland, plus get an insight into a locals’ life and hobby.
From Petra’s stone house, continue your journey to the town of Egilsstaðir. The stretch of Route 1 from near Reyðarfjörður into Egilsstaðir takes you through a truly stunning valley, which when we drove it seemed to have waterfalls crashing down the valley walls every few hundred meters. A wonderful sight to behold as you head into Egilsstaðir.
Egilsstaðir is the largest town in East Iceland, and a good place for shopping if you need to get any supplies. It’s also home to the largest forested area in Iceland, which you might find surprising after seeing so much barren and treeless landscapes!
For a culture fix, Egilsstaðir is where you’ll find the East Iceland Heritage Museum, which tells the story of the history and culture of this region of Iceland specifically.
You can overnight in Egilsstaðir, but, depending on time, you may also consider taking the half hour drive out to the town of Seyðisfjörður on Route 93.
The road out to this coastal town is truly spectacular, and fans of the movie “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” will recognise this road as the one the character Walter rides his long board down.
On the way there are a number of spectacular waterfalls – we’d definitely recommend stopping at Fardagafoss and taking the time to hike up to it (around 45 minutes round trip).
The town itself is also very pretty, with the rainbow painted high street that leads to the local church being particularly photogenic.
Day 4 Highlights: Vestrahorn, Djúpivogur, Sveinsstekksfoss, Folaldafoss, Petra’s Stone Collection, Egilsstaðir, Seydisfjördur
Start Point: Hofn
End Point: Egilsstaðir or Seydisfjördur
Distance driven: 281 km / 173 miles.
Where to Stay
For your fourth night on Iceland’s ring road we recommend staying either in Egilsstaðir or Seydisfjördur.
- Hotel Aldan The Bank – this lovely property is found in two historic buildings in the centre of Seydisfjördur, and was where we stayed. Rooms are en-suite and wonderfully decorated.
- Hafaldan HI Hostel – found in Seydisfjördur, this hostel offers rooms with either private or shared facilities, as well as a shared kitchen. A good budget option.
- Tehúsið Hostel – found in Egilsstadir, this hostel has a restaurant, shared kitchen and lounge. Rooms have shared bathrooms.
- Hótel Eyvindará – this family run hotel is just 2km from Egilsstadir. Rooms ave private bathrooms and some have private terraces
- Icelandair Hotel Herad – this Egilsstadir hotels offers a terrace bar, 24-hour room service and on-site restaurant. Rooms are comfortable and are all en-suite.
See more options in Seydisfjördur here and Egilsstaðir here.
Day 5: North Iceland
The fifth day of our Iceland road trip itinerary takes us out of east Iceland and into northern Iceland. Before you leave this area though, you might consider a Reindeer Safari, as this is the best part of Iceland (well the only actually as all the reindeer live in East Iceland) to see the wild reindeer. We did one of these trips, and were lucky enough to spot two large reindeer herds!
After leaving Egilsstaðir, your first stop on day five will be the Rjukandi waterfall. This is right by the road, around a 40 minute drive outside Egilsstaðir. There’s a parking lot here and it’s a five or ten minute walk up a relatively gentle incline to the best viewpoint.
Not long after the Rjukandi waterfall, you’ll come to a turning signposted for Sænautasel and Möðrudalur. This follows the F970 unpaved mountain road. If you have time and a proper 4×4 vehicle with high clearance, and if the road is open, then we can suggest a detour on this route, which will give you the opportunity to visit these two locations.
Sænautasel is an old restored turf farm house where you can now get coffee and pancakes in an authentic turf house. Möðrudalur also has a number of turf houses, and is a larger village. This detour will add more time to your trip today, but if you do have the time and a suitable vehicle, then we think it is a fun experience.
Our next stop is the waterfall of Dettifoss, which is one of the highlights of Iceland’s Diamond Circle – a popular circuit of attractions in the north of Iceland. Our Ring Road itinerary will cover some of these, but not all, just for reasons of time.
Dettifoss though should definitely be on your list. This is Europe’s most powerful waterfall by volume of water, with around 500 cubic meters of water passing over the falls every second. The falls are 100 meters wide and 45 metres high, and as you can imagine, are quite the sight.
You can access Dettifoss by taking either Road 864 or 862 off the Ring Road. These two options bring you to different sides of the falls, which offer slightly different views. Route 862, on the west side, is a tarmac road, whilst Route 864 is a gravel road. The views differ, so you should do a little research so you can decide for yourself which will be better for you. Also these roads may close in bad weather.
You can of course continue to explore the Diamond Circle if you wish. North from Dettifoss on the west side is Hljóðaklettar, home to some seriously funky columnar rock formations, which take around an hour to explore.
You could go further north and complete the Diamond Circle, even visiting Húsavík – one of the most popular places for whale watching in Iceland, and then rejoin the Ring Road at Lake Myvatn. If whale watching is high on your list, you might want to do that instead.
For the purposes of this itinerary, we’re going to assume you return to the Ring Road after Dettifoss, and continue to follow it.
You will now approach the Lake Myvatn area of northern Iceland, which is full of attractions, and where you could easily spend a few days exploring. The lake, which was created by a massive volcanic eruption a couple of thousand years ago (practically yesterday in geological terms), is a particularly popular spot for bird watching and is home to a large number of rare duck species.
There are also numerous attractions, from volcano craters to lava fields to areas of geothermal activity.
We would suggest that you split the attractions in the Myvatn area between your fifth and sixth day in Iceland. On this day, we’d advise stopping at Hverir, a geothermal spot which is known for its bubbling pools of mud and steam fumaroles, which is quite an impressive site.
We’d also highly recommend the Lake Myvatn Nature Baths. These baths are some of our favourite geothermal baths in Iceland. They have a similar outdoor feel to the Blue Lagoon, with that beautiful blue colour, but we thought that the view from the bathing area was just perfect. It’s a little way up a hillside here, and you can see right across the whole Lake Myvatn area.
You’ll want to book your ticket in advance, and we can recommend bringing a towel as towel rental is not included, and is a little bit expensive.
Day 5 Highlights: Rjukandi waterfall, Dettifoss, Hverir, Lake Myvatn Nature Baths
Start Point: Seydisfjordur
End Point: Lake Myvatn
Distance driven: 262km / 162 miles
Where to Stay
We recommend spending your fifth night in the Lake Myvatn area. Some options to consider include:
- Laxá Hótel – this is a nice design hotel with great views, just 2km from the lake. We had a lovely stay here.
- Skútustadir Guesthouse – set on a farm, this well reviewed guesthouse offers a shared kitchen as well as rooms with either shared or private bathrooms
- Vogafjós Farm Resort – this well reviewed family-run guesthouse offers rooms with private bathrooms and on-site dining
- Fosshótel Mývatn – this is a very well reviewed hotel offering comfortable rooms and an on-site restaurant
- Dimmuborgir Guesthouse – this farm stay offers self-catering cottages as well as rooms with access to a shared kitchen.
See more options in the Lake Myvatn area here.
If you decide to do the Diamond Circle drive instead, we’d recommend staying in Húsavík . We stayed at the Kaldbakskot Cottages, but there are lots of options, you can see listings here.
Day 6: North Iceland
Wow, day 6 of the road trip already! Today we’re going to continue to explore northern Iceland, starting with some more of the attractions around Lake Myvatn.
Lake Myvatn has a great many attractions to choose from, ranging from geological attractions through to bird watching and fishing. We’ve put a few of our favourite geological attractions here, but there is a great deal to do in this area, depending on your interests.
Depending on where you choose to stay in this area, the order you visit these attractions will vary. However, these are the attractions we’d suggest you visit.
The first attraction along the route is Grjótagjá Cave. This is a hot water filled natural cave which was once a popular bathing area, until a change in the water temperature made it too hot to bathe in.
It was also used as a Game of Thrones filming location, which led to its current popularity.
Unfortunately, due to vandalism by visitors in 2018, the landowner closed all access to the cave;. However, as of 2021 it was open. As it’s on private land and access is down the landowner, just check before your visit to see if it is open. If not, or if you want a cave you can actually swim in, check out nearby Stóragjá Cave.
If you want to climb a volcano crater whilst you’re in Iceland, you’re going to love the next stop on the itinerary: Hverfjall Crater. This is a kilometre wide volcano crater which is a steep 15 minute walk up, and the views from the top are magnificent.
From Hverfjall, you’ll want to head to Dimmuborgir. This is home to an incredible lava field full of interesting rock formations. There are a variety of walks you can take around the area, of varying length, and the paths are easy to follow and well marked. Or you can just get a good look from the viewpoint next to the parking lot. This was also a Game of Thrones filming location.
There’s a cafe and gift shop here, as well as toilets for customers of the cafe.
After Dimmuborgir, we can recommend a stop at Hofdi, a small nature reserve where you can walk near the lake and see rock formations jutting out of the water. Finally, head to Skútustaðagígar, where you’ll find a series of “pseudo-craters”.
These aren’t craters from eruptions, but rather that formed when gas in flowing lava exploded. There are a series of them here, and they are of different sizes. This is also one of the most popular spots for bird watching in the area.
You’ve now seen the major highlights of this area, so it’s time to head on. It’s worth mentioning Aldeyjarfoss, a waterfall around an hour detour to the south of Lake Myvatn, but as this is a fairly lengthy detour (2 hours!) we’d only recommend it if you’re a really keen waterfall hunter. Otherwise, head west on to the one to our next stop: Goðafoss.
Goðafoss is a spectacular horseshoe shaped rainbow which has good viewing options from both sides, and it’s only a couple of minutes drive between the two sides, so it’s not hard to get from one viewpoint to the other. It’s also right off the Ring Road, so you can’t miss it. Short walk from parking areas.
After Goðafoss, your journey will bring you to Akureyri, the largest town in northern Iceland, and where we suggest you spend your sixth night in Iceland. There’s plenty to see and do here, which we’ll cover on the next day.
Day 6 Highlights: Lake Myvatn, Hverfjall Crater, Dimmuborgir, Skútustaðagígar, Goðafoss
Start Point: Lake Myvatn
End Point: Akureyri
Distance driven: 110km / 70 miles
Where to Stay
For your sixth night on Iceland’s ring road we recommend staying in Akureyri. Some options include:
- Hotel Kea – this very central 4* hotel was where we stayed in Akureyri. Rooms were comfortable and we enjoyed the on-site restaurant
- Hotel Akureyri – this central hotel offers en-suite rooms and an on-site restaurant, as well as free parking and WiFi
- Centrum Hotel – this is a well reviewed and centrally located guesthouse with private bathrooms, free parking and a restaurant
- Hafnarstræti Hostel – this very well reviewed hostel offers single and double capsule beds as well as a shared kitchen
- Akureyri Backpackers – a popular and central backpackers offering shared and private accommodation as well as free parking, a bar, cafe and communal kitchen.
See more options for Akureyri here.
Day 7: North and West Iceland
We’re now going to explore the town of Akureyri, and then head across to west Iceland and almost back to Reyjkavik. Time limitations on this trip mean we can’t do things like visit the Trollskagi peninsula or Snæfellsnes peninsula, but if you have a bit more time to spare, these would be worthy additions to your trip for sure!
Akureyri has a lot to offer, particularly if you’re interested in visiting some cultural attractions. The town is home to a large number of museums, including the Motorcycle Museum of Iceland, the Industry Museum, the Akureyri Art Museum, Nonnahús and Safnasafnið, the Icelandic Folk and Outsider museum.
We took the time to visit a few of these for some indoor time, which is a great option when the weather is not so good outside.
Akureyri is also a good place for horse riding tours or a food tour, if these activities are of interest.
From Akureyri, it’s a bit of a drive back to Borganes, although along the way there are a number of worthy stops.
One suggestion, depending on time, is to take a detour to drive the Vatnsnes peninsula (or a section of it). This will take an extra 2 – 3 hours depending on stops, but will give you the opportunity to see the impressive Hvitserkur rock formations. There are also a number of other interesting rock formations and some beaches.
This area is also a great place for a chance to see seals in the wild. If you are interested in seals, stop off in Hvammstangi, where you can visit the Icelandic Seal Center, and learn all about these lovely creatures. Depending on the weather conditions and time of year, you can also take a boat tour to see seals and other wildlife.
If you choose not to do the Vatnsnes Peninsula, then Kolugljúfur Canyon is a beautiful canyon and series of waterfalls just a short drive off the Ring Road. You can also do this if you drive the peninsula, it will just require you to double back on yourself a little.
Finally, finish your day be heading on down to Borgarnes. In Borgarnes you might consider a visit to the excellent saga museum. Or, if you prefer, you can drive all the way to Reykjavik for your final night in Iceland!
Day 7 Highlights: Akureyri, Hvitserkur, Vatnsnes peninsula, Icelandic Seal Center, Kolugljúfur Canyon, Borgarnes
Start Point: Akureyri
End Point: Borgarnes
Distance driven: 370 km / 230 miles.
Where to Stay
For your final night we’d suggest staying in either Borgarnes or Reykjavik.
We’ve stayed at a number of hotels near the Reykjavik city centre which we are happy to recommend, and we’ve included some other popular options as well.
- Grand Hotel, around 1.2 miles from the city center, offering four star accommodation, free wifi, spa & fitness center and free parking. We’ve stayed here.
- Reyjkavik Natura Icelandair Hotel, near the city airport, this hotel offers free parking, a free city bus pass to all guests, on-site restaurant and spa facilities. We’ve stayed here.
- Guesthouse Galtafell – A good value option around ten minutes walk from the city center and quick walk from the BSI bus station. Offers both guest rooms in the main house as well as apartments that come with a small kitchenette. We’ve stayed here.
- Galaxy Pod Hostel – this well located hostel offers dormitory accommodation with a twist – each bed is in a self-contained pod, offering more privacy than a normal hostel. Pods vary in standard, but most come with TV’s, power and WiFi.
If you’d prefer to stay near the airport, we’ve also stayed at the Northern Light Inn. This is conveniently located right next to the Blue Lagoon and is about a 17 minute drive from airport. Travellers on more of a budget will like The Base by Keflavik airport, which offers both hotel and hostel style accommodation, as well as an airport shuttle.
We’ve also stayed in the Icelandair Hotel Hamar near Borgarnes. See more lodging options for Borgarnes here, and Reykjavik here.
Day 8: Reykjavik
For your final day, we’d suggest heading back to Reykjavik and doing a little bit of sight-seeing in the town. This would also be a good day to visit the Blue Lagoon or Sky Lagoon if you didn’t come here on your first day.
There’s a lot to see and do in Reykjavik – from visiting attractions like the Hallgrímskirkja church and the city’s many museums, through to taking whale watching or puffin watching tours.
Finally, it’ll be time to head back to the airport, return your hire car, and head home! You have successfully driven the whole Iceland Ring Road!
Iceland Ring Road Itinerary Map
To help you visualise the road trip route we’ve put it together as a map. This includes the suggested route, attractions and recommended lodging options. You can see this on Google Maps here.
Iceland Ring Road Itinerary Overview
Here’s a summary overview of each day of this Iceland ring road itinerary.
- Day 1: Blue Lagoon, Thingvellir National Park
- Day 2: Geysir, Gullfoss, Lava Center, Seljalandsfoss, Gljúfrabúi, Skogafoss, Sólheimasandur plane wreck, Reynisfjara black sand beach
- Day 3: Fjaðrárgljúfur, Lava Fields, Vatnajökull National Park, Svartifoss, Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon, Langoustines
- Day 4: Vestrahorn, Djúpivogur, Sveinsstekksfoss, Folaldafoss, Petra’s Stone Collection, Egilsstaðir, Seydisfjördur
- Day 5: Rjukandi waterfall, Dettifoss, Diamond Circle, Hverir, Lake Myvatn Nature Baths
- Day 6: Lake Myvatn, Hverfjall Crater, Dimmuborgir, Skútustaðagígar, Goðafoss
- Day 7: Akureyri, Hvitserkur, Vatnsnes peninsula, Icelandic Seal Center, Kolugljúfur Canyon, Borgarnes
- Day 8: Reykjavik
Planning A Self-Drive Ring Road Trip
We have written a whole guide to planning a trip to Iceland, so we would definitely recommend you take a look at that.
For this trip, if you want to drive yourself as we suggest, you have two major options.
First, you could take a self-drive tour. This is what we have done on all our Iceland adventures. The tour company handle everything for you, from booking the hire car and accommodation, to putting together a suggested itinerary.
This is definitely the easiest way to do a self-drive trip, and saves you the hassle of planning all your hotel stops, finding the hire car and so on.
You can see self-drive trips on Tour Radar here and on Guide to Iceland here, both of which offer a variety of tours from different companies in Iceland.
The other option is of course to book everything yourself. First, you’ll want a hire car, and you can check prices here on Discover Cars or here on Northbound.
Discover Cars compare a number of providers in the country so you can find the best price for you.
Northbound is based in Iceland, and they also search a range of providers with the added advantage that you can add the various insurances that are unique to the country should you so choose. This can help avoid the hard sell that you will otherwise likely get for these insurances at the checkout counter when you pick up your car.
It’s also worth mentioning that Northbound can also help you customise a tour to meet your exact needs, a process you can start here. Feel free to send them this blog post and ask them to help you plan a similar trip!
Once you have your car arranged, you’ll want to book your hotels. We’ve got some tips for booking tools further on the in post, and we have also included suggested hotel stops for each night as part of the route plan.
Finally, if self-driving seems too much, you can also of course do the ring road as part of a guided tour like this.
Where Can You See the Northern Lights in Iceland
You can see the northern lights from pretty much anywhere in Iceland. If you’re driving yourself, you just need to find a spot away from city lights with a good view of the sky, and hope for clear conditions and high solar activity. The Icelandic Met Office website has an excellent tool to help you find the northern lights in Iceland.
The northern lights are viewable from September through to March – basically, you need dark clear skies to see them. In summer, the days are too long for it to be dark enough to see them.
If you’re in Reykjavik, there are lots of tour operators who offer northern lights tours. This is a good way to see the northern lights, as the drivers will know the best places to go, and the tours will usually only go if there is a high chance of seeing the lights.
If you are planning on seeing the lights, see our guide to how to photograph the northern lights so you are fully prepared to get some great images.
Where to Stay in Iceland?
Iceland has a wide range of accommodation options, to suit a variety of budgets, from backpacker hostels through to more luxury properties.
It’s worth noting that Iceland is far from a budget destination (read our Iceland budget tips for money saving advice), but we found that especially for the mid-range properties, value for money was good.
For our self-drive road trips, our hotels were arranged for us. You can see a selection of self-drive tours like this here.
For the majority of the rest of our accommodation in Iceland, we use Booking.com. We find that they are usually the best option when we travel, as they have everything from hotels to apartments and hostels, with a massive choice, and the user review system makes it easier to find good properties.
We have also used apartment rentals platforms like Vrbo in Iceland. We prefer to use these for longer stays though, we think that for short one-night stops, especially on a road trip where arrival times can vary, the requirement to sometimes arrange arrival times with a host can be a problematic. Still, it can be an option.
Power in Iceland
Iceland uses a 220v system with the same two pin plugs as most of Europe. If you are travelling from the UK or US, you will need some form of travel adapter like this – see our Iceland packing list for suggestions.
See more on travel adapters and how to choose one for your trip in our guide to the best travel adapters. We highly recommend you pick anything up before you come as Iceland is not cheap.
Internet Access in Iceland
WiFi is generally easy to find in Iceland, and all the hotels and guesthouses we stayed in had good, free WiFi access. In addition, on our road trip with Iceland Travel, we were provided with a pre-paid SIM card which came with data, meaning we could get online easily.
If you want to get online with your phone, a SIM card from a local provider will likely be the cheapest option, and these can be picked up at Keflavik airport when you arrive.
If you don’t have an unlocked phone, take a look at my guide to getting online when you travel for more options.
For more practicalities for your trip to Iceland, including currency and safety, see our guide to planning a trip to Iceland.
Further Reading for Visiting Iceland
And that finished our detailed 7 day Iceland Ring Road itinerary! Hopefully it has everything you need to start planning your own epic road trip in Iceland.
As mentioned at the start of the post, we’ve travelled a fair bit in Iceland, and have written a number of guides to help you put together your trip and plan effectively. We think you’ll find them useful.
- We have a detailed guide to help you planning a trip to Iceland, which has everything you could need to help you plan an awesome adventure in Iceland, from budget tips to practical information and more. A must read and a good place to start your trip planning!
- We have a guide to driving in Iceland to help you prepare for the road trip. If you choose to do this self-drive trip in Iceland in winter, we also have a detailed guide to driving in Iceland in winter to help prepare yourself
- We’ve created a list of some of our favourite photography locations in Iceland from our travels there to give you some ideas of where to aim to get the best photos
- If you are interested in seeing Puffins in Iceland, check out our detailed guide to Puffins in Iceland, which has everything you need to know!
- Our guide to finding the Iceland Plane crash, which is a fun photography location (if a bit of a walk to get to!)
- If the Ring Road seems like too much to tackle in seven day, or you’d prefer not to drive it in winter, Jess has put together a detailed post outlining a 7 day winter Iceland itinerary to give you some route ideas.
- We have a detailed guide to visiting the Blue Lagoon to help you plan that experience
- We also have a detailed guide to the Golden Circle for planning that day trip
- If you’re visiting Iceland in Winter, check out our guide to the best winter activities in Iceland and my tips for cold weather photography
- On a budget? Here’s a guide to visiting Iceland on a budget to help you make the most of your trip
- We have a detailed packing guide to help you decide what to pack for Iceland
- We’ve also got a guide to the best day trips from Reykjavik should you wish to base yourself in the capital rather than self-drive around
- For car rental in Iceland, this website lets you choose between a range of car rental providers in Iceland
- The weather in Iceland can be fickle – the best website for real-time cloud cover is this one from the Icelandic Met Office.
- Whilst Iceland is a safe country to travel in when it comes to things like crime, the country itself is home to extreme conditions and all sorts of seismic activity. So to stay safe as you go, check out the safetravel Iceland page
- Finally, if you’re not sure what camera gear to take with, take a look at both our guide to picking a travel camera, picking a travel lens, and our personal travel photography gear
And that’s it! If you’ve got any questions or feedback on the above, just let us know in the comments below, and have an awesome trip in Iceland!
Zee says
Very informative post. I would like to do the whole ring road in six days. I know I am going to have to miss some things. What would you say the cities I should stay at? I want to do blue lagoon and Reykjavik at the end of the trip
Laurence Norah says
Thanks Zee! So with six days I’d probably recommend Selfoss or Vik, then Hofn, Egilsstaðir, Myvatn area, Borgarnes area. Of course, if there are sights or activities in specific areas that you are more or less interested in, then you might want to adjust where you overnight each day to account for that. If you are visiting in the summer months then you will have lots of daylight to see more, but if you are planning on visiting in winter just be aware that there can be limited daylight and driving at night means you will miss a lot of the scenery.
Have an amazing time in Iceland, let me know if you have any more questions!
Laurence
Anna R says
Hi. Just a note to say thanks for your amazing blog about driving the Iceland ring road. It was super helpful for informing the planning for our upcoming trip there in September.
Laurence Norah says
It’s my pleasure Anna, have a great trip and let me know if you have any questions!
Laurence
Eric says
Hi Laurence,
Thank you for your detailed guide. I will be travelling to Iceland in July and will be following your itinerary as the days line up perfectly. I just had a question with regards to your itinerary and car rentals – are there any stops in your itinerary that would require an SUV with 4 wheel drive capabilities (F-roads) or would a regular city car be sufficient? Thanks again for all the detailed information you’ve provided.
Best,
Eric
Laurence Norah says
Hi Eric,
On the map that I’ve shared there shouldn’t be any F-roads and you shouldn’t need a 4WD car for this trip, especially not in summer. For Dettifoss, I’d recommend taking road 862 rather than 864.
F roads are very clearly marked, normally with very large signs, so you shouldn’t find yourself on one by accident 🙂
Have a great time in Iceland! Feel free to stop back and let us know how you found the trip!
Laurence
Keehyuk says
Thank you so much for your really detailed guide as well as the other Iceland related content! We just got back from a week in Iceland and worked off a compacted version of your guide here. The result was easily one of the most incredible trips we have ever had! We’ve already talked about going back so we can drive up to the West Fjords and hit some of the spots we missed due to time crunch/weather.
Just something to update your guide, the langostine restaurant you recommended in Höfn (Humarhöfnin Veitingahús) is permanently closed. There is another restaurant in its place now. We were looking forward to trying it but ended up at the Z Bistro down the street instead (fantastic food with generous portions and as fairly decently priced as well).
Laurence Norah says
Hey Keehyuk,
Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and leave your thoughts on the article and your experience in Iceland! I am so pleased to hear that you had a great time! I also hope you guys are able to get back, the West Fjords are absolutely stunning, and very different to the rest of the country.
I must also thank you for your update on the langoustine restaurant in Hofn. To be honest we very rarely recommend restaurants because they seem to come and go more quickly than most other attractions. This was so good that we had to recommend it, and we are sorry to hear it has gone 🙁 I have removed it from this guide, and thanks for the alternative option 🙂
Safe travels!
Laurence
Emily says
Hi there! Some friends of mine and I are planning a trip but we were wondering what you would estimate your budget to be to do the full itinerary for a guided tour versus self drive?? We’re planning on going end of may-June.
Laurence Norah says
Hi Emily,
Great question. So a tour of around this length, such as this one, is going to cost in the region of $1600 – $2000 per person. Then you will have to figure out what the tour does or doesn’t include, such as meals and attraction entry. Most tours include breakfast but often lunch and dinner at your own expense, so that’s another $20 – $50 per person per day depending on your eating style. Food can be quite expensive in Iceland, especially in restaurants.
When travelling on your own, your main costs will be the car rental, accommodation, fuel and meals. With a group of you, you can obviously split the car rental and fuel, although this would depend on how many you are travelling with. For car rental, this site should give you an idea of the cost at your time of year.
For hotels, I will assume you are sharing, so a room for two will generally run you in the region of $100 – $200 a night for two people. Meal costs will be similar as to being on a guided tour as most hotels include breakfast.
There are quite a few variables to take into account, so I can’t give you an exact answer as it will depend on your group size and the level of comfort you are looking for. I would say that doing it yourself will normally work out a little bit cheaper, especially with a group of around four as you can split costs quite easily. It also gives you more flexibiity. However you obviously won’t have the benefit of a guide, and you will have to do all the planning yourself. So cost is not the only thing to consider.
I hope this helps a bit, let me know if I can offer any further input, and have a great trip!
Laurence
Mari says
Dear Laurence,
First of all, thanks for all the amazing range of info and all the practical tips you have on your site. It’s really my favorite travel site! We’re going to Iceland this summer and wondering about spending a day in the Westjords. Have you visited the area? Would you recommend going there if we have an extra day or two? What should we see there? Any recommendations where to stay overnight?
Laurence Norah says
Hi Mari,
Thanks very much! So yes, we have visited the Westfjords and it is a beautiful part of Iceland. It’s the oldest part of the country geologically speaking, and is definitely very different to the other parts of the country. I don’t include it on this itinerary as you definitely need at least two days to visit. The distances might not look long on the map, but the roads here are very winding as they follow the coastline, so it can take a long time to get anywhere! There’s a lot to see and do here – the cliffs at Látrabjarg are popular, and Djnjandi waterfall is spectacular. We stayed in Isafjordur which was nice, we also did some sea kayaking here and took a boat trip to Vigur island to see puffins which was lovely.
Let me know if I can offer any more information! I can definitely recommend taking the time to visit this area 🙂
Laurence
Christos & Inge says
Hello Laurence,
thank you for taking the time to answer my question. We indeed plan to spend our last night at Reykjavik. We fly out on Monday, the 18th, at 18.30, so we will have several hours to spend in this nice city. However, back to our arrival day on Sunday the 10th,..We should be done with immigration and rental car, by 16.30, I hope. So, I did look into going to Thingvellir straight from the Airport. I estimate that we would get there at around 18.00…Perhaps, late to actually see things at our leisure after a long day of travelling. Then, I check for possible accommodation close by there, and there are few options only, and most of them pricy even…So, perhaps it will be wiser to book something in Reykjavik anyway, get a taste of the city in the evening, and get a fresh start the next Morning. Come to think of it…My wife actually would not mind seeing the Blue Lagoon again after almost 20 years!! Plus, my 12 year old daughter and myself had not been there at all. Its Iceland…We will try to go to all the hot pools and springs we can find!
So, we could indeed follow your advice from your itinerary, and drive straight to the Blue Lagoon from the airport, enjoy it and then head towards Reykjavik…Its all good! Its a holiday after all,
Best regards and thanks again,
Christos
Laurence Norah says
Hi Christos
It’s my pleasure! I think your plan sounds good. I think you might feel stressed about having to go to the Golden Circle on your first day. This way you can all relax in the lagoon and then go to the city afterwards for the evening, then be ready for your adventures the next morning 😀 And yes, there is a lot more choice of places to stay (and eat!) in the city.
Have an amazing time!
Laurence
Christos & Inge says
Hello again! My plan is coming along, but I would appreciate your recommendation for something. We plan to do the Golden Cirle but, instead of heading back to Reykavik, to join the Ring road after the Kerid Crater. I expect to be there after 16.00 for sure…
So, what is your recommendation for our next overnight? What area or town? And if you have any options for accommodation, it’s more than welcome!
Thank you,
Christos
Laurence Norah says
Hey Christos,
This is a great question, and it’s given me the incentive to add all the lodging we recommend to the route map to make it easier to see where it is. You can see the map here with all the hotels added in.
I would say that if you are ok to drive a bit further then heading towards Hella or Hvolsvollur would make the most sense. You have the Famer’s Guesthouse the Stracta Hotel or the Hotel Kanslarinn in Hella, and then Midgard Base Camp in Hvolsvollur. There are other options too of course!
Christos & Inge says
Hi Laurence!
We will fly for Iceland on Sunday the 10th and since we will land at 15.30, i want your opinion on how to begin our trip. I have already booked our car for the Ring road drive we plan to do. We have just 8 nights, and i hope to make the best of it. We want to skip the Blue Lagoon on the 1st day, because my wife has already seen it , plus we plan to visit the less busy option at Lake Myvatn, that you guys also reccomend.
Based on the fact that we could be ready to begin at around 16.30, what is your best option for this 1st day? Go towards the Golden Circle, and see a bit of it and spend the night somewhere there or head towards Reykjavik instead and have a fresh start the next morning??
Laurence Norah says
Hey Christos,
Great to hear from you! So the answer depends a little on when you leave as well. If you are planning on visiting Reykjavik at the end of your trip, then I would go straight onto the Golden Circle. However, if you think you’ll be missing it at the end, then I would say you should definitely include it. It’s worth at least wandering around for a couple of hours, and there are a wide range of accommodation options to choose from. However, if you plan to do that already at the end of the trip, I’d probably get going towards the Golden Circle.
The first main attraction would be Thingvellir. As you land relatively late (by the time you have gone through security and picked up your car), the visitor centre will likely be closed. However as far as I am aware you can still visit and see the main sights on the trails if you wanted too. Or you could just overnight nearby and visit in the morning when everything is open.
Honestly though, the distance from the city to Thingvellir is not too great, so I think either option would work. It might come down to where you can find to stay 🙂
Have a great trip and let me know if I can help any more!
Laurence
Barbara says
Hi Laurence,
We are planning on spending 3 weeks in Iceland. We will be spending 3 days at the Snaefellsnes Peninsula and 3 days at the Golden Circle before beginning our tour of the Ring Road. We also hope to be returning to Rekjavik for 2-3 days before flying out. That leaves us with 9-10 days to spend on the Ring Road. We have your suggested 7 day itinerary, but could use some suggestions to spend extra days. We are active and enjoy hiking, but nothing terribly extreme. We will be staying in hotel, etc. on the road. Our kids will be doing the Ring Road as well, but plan to camp most of the time. We will not necessarily be traveling together. Do you have additional suggestions to extend this trip beyond your 7 day itinerary?
Thanks,
Barb Fast
Laurence Norah says
Hi Barbara!
So the good news is that it is very easy to extend this itinerary for as long as you like 🙂 We actually spent four weeks driving the Ring Road when researching this piece, and still could have done more. I would personally recommend adding a bit of extra time in either the east or north, where there is plenty to see and do. Alternatively, a good option would be to spend a couple of days visiting the Westfjords. This is the oldest part of Iceland geologically speaking, and is very different to the rest of the country. There are lots of hiking and other outdoors activities here like sea kayaking. So that would probably be my suggestion.
I hope this helps – have a great time in Iceland!
Laurence
Jason says
You are a star. xxx
Jason says
Hello to you both from an unusually sunny Noth Wales.
My wife and I have just subscribed to your monthly newsletter, the first time i have subscribed to anything like this, and is testment to the quality of your website, its’s absolutely brilliant.
I have booked 2 weeks in Iceland off the back of your website starting 13th August. We are both fit and are there to celebrate my Wife’s 50th Birthday.
Due to Covid we will pobably have to isolate in a hotel for the fist night (waiting for test results) but then we can get started.
I have booked the following
3 nights in Laugarvatn (we lose the day of arrival as a exploring day due to having to Covid isolate) to do everything on the Golden Circle
2 Night near Vik
3 nights 25km beyond Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
3 nights near Mývatn lake
2 night on Snæfellsnes peninsula
1 night near the Airport (due to a stupid O’ Clock flight the following morning)
We love hiking (absolute max of 20km) and want to see as much unusual geology / unusual landscapes / rare nature etc. as possible. We want a minimum 2 nights in a hotel as we don’t want to have to pack, unpack every night. So we have two questions…
How would you guys do things differently to our itinerary?
What paid tours would you do (ice cave, lava tunnels, snow-mobile, boat trips etc.) as we can probably only afford 2 or 3 max
Thank you for all of the Iceland Information, i have read EVERYTHING and you have made plannig the trip very easy.
Laurence Norah says
Hi Jason,
Lovely to hear from you! I was actually born in North Wales and am quite familiar with the area (and the vagaries of the weather!).
So I don’t know how flexible your bookings are. I also assume you are driving. Your itinerary looks good to me, but if I was going to make any changes I might suggest:
– Adding in a night or two on the east coast, between Jökulsárlón and Myvatn. East Iceland is very beautiful and it would be a shame to miss out on that. To stick to your minimum of 2 nights in a hotel, I’d suggest dropping 1 night in Laugarvatn and 1 night in Jökulsárlón perhaps. Seydisfjordur or somewhere in that area might be a good option to stop.
In terms of tours, I would recommend those that you can’t do safely by yourself. An ice cave for example is a great idea, but you can only visit those in winter. You might want to do a whale watching trip for example, or you might prefer snowmobiling, both of which are viable in August. A boat trip on the glacier lagoon is also a good option, although if you prefer something quieter there are also kayaking trips in this area which you might prefer. I’d also personally recommend a thermal spa experience – my favourite is the one in Myvatn which has gorgeous views. I preferred that to the blue lagoon for sure. Of course, there are also more natural pools if you prefer, many of which can be visited for free.
I think otherwise your itinerary looks very good and I am sure you will have a great time! Let me know if you have any more questions, I’m happy to help 🙂
Laurence
Jason says
Hello Laurence,
Thank you for getting back to us with your advice. We have tweaked our plans accordingly and we are now having a night near Seydisfjordur as you suggested. We will certainly be booking the kayaking in Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon so again thanks for the advice.
If we could trouble you for one further bit of advice – in the month you spent traveling Iceland which were your favourite walks / hikes (of less than 20km?)
Laurence Norah says
Hi Jason,
It’s my pleasure! So my favourite hike (so good I did it twice, once in winter and once in summer), was the hike up to the Glymur waterfall. It’s the second highest waterfall in Iceland and makes for a nice few hours of hiking 🙂 Of course, there are many more hikes in Iceland, but most of the ones we did were more like an hour or so rather than anything longer, so you might need to consult a hiking guide for longer walks.
I hope this helps a bit at least 🙂
Laurence
Jim F. says
I enjoyed reading about your travels on the Icelandic ring road. I was stationed at the NATO base in Keflavik which is now and was then an airport available to civilian flights as well. During our tour in Iceland we enjoyed driving the ring road three times, although it was not an entirely paved road then. There are so many wonderful things to see in Iceland and places to go that are off the beaten track if you have the time and of course the money.
Our children got to see a volcano fissure erupt at 3 AM, up close and personal while there. They walked close enough to feel the heat of the lava while standing in snow up to their knees, I have pictures of them with the look of amazement on their faces. We as a family united like never before and still talk about our trips when we look back over the pictures and movies.
One item not mentioned in your description is the Icelandic horses. They will come right up to the fences if you offer a treat. If I remember correctly the Icelandic horses are the only horses in the world that have a 5 step gait. They were also a favorite of our children.
One thing I would caution on is driving on the wooden bridges on the ring road ( I assume they are still wooden). They have poor traction and are often wet, you need to drive slowly and be prepared. In addition, I would never ever recommend driving the road in winter. I had to go to Hofn quite often in my duties for what was supposed to be a “two or three day trip” and ended up spending a week or more there because the road was closed due to snow and ice.
Would I do it again, in a heart beat.
Laurence Norah says
Hi Jim – thanks for stopping by and sharing your memories of your time in Iceland. It sounds like you had some really fantastic experiences!
I loved the Icelandic horses too! Somehow I didn’t mention them in this guide but I did include them in some of our other posts on Iceland 🙂
That’s a good tip on the bridges, although I don’t recall that many of them were wooden when we drove it. I also definitely agree about not driving the ring road in winter. Not only is the weather likely to be bad and the road subject to closure, but the long hours of darkness mean you can miss a lot too!
Thanks again for taking the time to leave a comment, it’s appreciated!
Laurence
Karen Buchsbaum says
Love your blog and have found it very helpful for our planning! We only have 7 nights and I had wanted to do the Ring Drive – but worry it might not give us enough time to enjoy the sights. We are older than your average readers, not too concerned about budget, and definitely not into rigorous active adventures (walks, boat rides, and scenery are of most interest). I was actually considering driving from Reykjavik by the Snafellsnes Penninsula to Akureyri so we can whale watch in Husavik. Then, if possible to drop the car, and fly back to Reykjavik. But, this would mean we would miss the Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Beach as well as the dramatic coast on the east, which I also wanted to see. If we dropped the car, I’ve considered taking a (long) day tour from Reykjavik to the Glacier Lagoon to give my husband a break from driving. Or, alternatively, skipping the Snafellsnes Penninsula and just going for the whole Ring Drive. Do you have any thoughts or input that could help us make the final decision?!
Laurence Norah says
Hi Karen!
Thanks very much. So yes, I would agree that with 7 nights it’s either the full ring road OR the Snaefellsnes Peninsula.
In terms of input, it will depend a little bit on the time of year you go. If you are visiting between March and September, the days will be much longer and you’ll be able to fit a lot more in. Outside of these months, the days will be much shorter, and the risk of poor weather closing the roads is also higher.
The reason the south coast is so popular is because it’s so accessible. Certainly, the waterfalls / glacier lagoon is impressive, but it’s not “better” than the scenery elsewhere in Iceland in my opinion. It’s just much more visited because it’s closer to Reykjavik, and there are lots of sights relatively close to each other. I’d also add that if you visit in the warmer months, the diamond beach will have very few diamonds on it.
The north, east and west of Iceland gets fewer visitors (basically anywhere that isn’t the south cost to the glacier lagoon), and I think makes for a great adventure. I think your plan of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula and north part of Iceland won’t disappoint. The Diamond Circle and attractions around Lake Myvatn are spectacular!
Have a great trip, whatever you choose to do!
Laurence
Karen says
Thanks Laurence! Your thoughts are very appreciated. I neglected to say we are going in early June! I have my plane tickets and now need to get going with booking the rest. It’s a compromise with my husband to just go for a week, since we have some other plans prior.
I also blog (non-monetized, independent, just for fun), so I have total appreciation for your excellent detail and photos! Regards, Karen
Chitra says
Hi We are planning to visit in the last week of June with a 21 month old. Is the 8 day self drive trip feasible with a toddler?
Thanks
Laurence Norah says
Hey Chitra,
So I have to be honest, we don’t have children so it is hard for us to answer this question definitively. My understanding from talking to other travellers with children is that it very much depends on the individual child as to what they like, and their tolerance for longer journeys. This is certainly a full itinerary with a lot to see and do, and I believe that travelling with a young child can definitely add overhead to a trip, so it may be that you have to skip a few things. You might also prefer to try and focus on a smaller area of Iceland. But really it’s up to you 🙂
Sorry I can’t be of more specific help! Have a great trip though 😀
Laurence
charissa says
Hi Laurence,
Your blog is amazing! My girlfriend and I are planning an Iceland trip in June 2020 and want to drive the ring road in 8 days, so we are going to use your ring road itinerary mostly. We are planning to camp during our trip. Do we need to make reservations at camp sites in advance or is there always an extra spot were we can pop our tent up?
Laurence Norah says
Hi Charissa!
Thanks very much! So June is a popular time, but in our experience you should generally be able to get a spot. However, if you know your dates and where you are going, then reserving will give you peace of mind 🙂
There’s also a camping card in Iceland which might save you money and works at many campsites – we have a guide to that in our post on travelling in Iceland on a budget.
Let me know if you have any more questions, and have a great trip to Iceland!
Laurence
Sridutt says
Hi Laurence..
Fantastic guide and great detailing..
We are planning on doing the ring road trip in March.. how many days do u think we should reserve for this trip considering the weather in March? And what are our chances of catching the northern lights?
Thank you..
Laurence Norah says
Hi Sridutt!
So 7 days is the absolute minimum in my opinion for driving the ring road. However, 10 – 14 days would be more comfortable. In March you should still have a good chance of seeing the northern lights, you just have to be lucky with the weather!
Have an amazing trip, and do feel free to pop back with any more questions and to let us know how it went!
Laurence
Lisa says
Thank you so much for this detailed post (and the others I have clicked on linked in your post!) I am planning a 7 day trip to Iceland next July and this was incredibly helpful to let me know where to go and where to stay!
Laurence Norah says
Our pleasure Lisa! Thank you so much for your kind comment 🙂 Have an amazing time in Iceland and don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions 😀
Laurence
Seetul Ghattaora says
Hi! This is a really useful itinerary, thank you! We plan on going to Iceland in October and following the 5 or 7 day itinerary. Could you give an indication of price? How much did you spend on travel/accomodation/food/petrol in the week?
Thank you!
Seetul
Laurence Norah says
Hi Seetul,
Thanks very much! It really depends on your travel style. Iceland is definitely not a budget destination though. We have a break down of various costs in our detailed Iceland budget guide, which you can see here:
https://independenttravelcats.com/iceland-budget-tips-how-to-save-money-in-iceland/
Have a great trip!
Laurence
Neo says
Hi Laurence,
Such a wonderful site. I am totally planning my road trip in late September using this. I am in Iceland for 9 days/8 nights. I am thinking where should i spend my extra day. Any suggestion?
Laurence Norah says
Hi Neo!
Thanks very much 🙂 My suggestion would definitely be to add the Snaefellsnes peninsula to your trip, that would be a great way to use that extra day 🙂
Have a great time and let me know if you have any more questions!
Laurence
Hazel Marzan says
Hello Thank you for this wonderful itinerary. We’re thinking of traveling early September with our 6 yr old daughter. Will the 7 day itinerary be too much for a 6 yr old. Should we follow your 5 day itinerary and stretch it to 7 .Any suggestions so we can make this better for her. Thanks.
Laurence Norah says
Hi Hazel,
This would be quite a full trip for seven days so you might find that your 6 year old finds the pace of the five day itinerary easier if stretched over 5 days. Of course, everyone’s family is different, so I can’t say for certain, but it would definitely be an easier trip with less long hours of driving if you did the 5 day route 🙂
Have a great time in Iceland!
Laurence
Neha says
Hi,
I am planning to visit Iceland in 1st week of August. Could you please suggest the best and scenic road trip route. I would be very grateful. I would also want to include the peninsula.
Laurence Norah says
Hi Neha,
So the best itinerary for seven days, if you want to drive the whole ring road, would be this route. However, we also have a 7 day and a 5 day itinerary that you might find useful, which cover different parts of Iceland. It’s really up to you to customise these routes to your needs and interests, but they should form a great basis to start from. The 7 day and 5 day itineraries can be seen at the following links:
https://independenttravelcats.com/visiting-iceland-in-winter-7-day-iceland-itinerary-by-car/
https://www.findingtheuniverse.com/5-day-iceland-itinerary/
Have a great trip!
Laurence
keke says
Good Morning, I am travelling to Iceland the last week of October. Would the Ring Road trip be feasible at this time? I am doing a guided tour of the south the first week of Nov, so I will be strictly driving through this part. If Ring road is not doable at this time of year, what would you suggest as a plan that do not include the south? Thank you
Laurence Norah says
Hi there,
So it is hard to say exactly as predicting the weather is definitely tricky in Iceland. I would say that it might be possible, it might not. The risk is that there are not any alternatives, so if a section of the ring road is closed, your only choice is to backtrack. An alternative to doing the whole ring road would be to fly to Akureyri and base yourself from there, exploring that area and the Lake Myvatn area. There’s a great deal to see in the area, and you wouldn’t be locked in to having to follow the singular route and get back to your start point. So that would be my suggested alternative option 🙂
Have a great trip whatever you choose to do!
Laurence
Pankhri says
Hi,
I am a fan of this page, Such detailed itenary and details. I have a quick question. We will be in Iceland for exactly 8 days and we want to do the Ring road trip. We are planning to use this itenary except that we want to relax it a little bit in some places, so we are planning to start driving from Reyjavik to Lake Myvatn area and then drop the rental car at AEY airport. We will take a flight from AEY to RKV. We will miss Snæfellsnes peninsula and Borgarnes if we follow above. Do you think its is worth the trade-off.
Laurence Norah says
Hi Pankhir,
Thanks very much 🙂 My response would be that I am always a fan of going slower and trying to see more rather than rushing around, so I think you are making a good choice. I would say that yes, it’s worth the trade off. East and North Iceland area really fantastic, I don’t think you will regret this decision 🙂
Have an amazing trip!
Laurence
Nirman says
Perfect blog. Planning to be there in December 2019. This blog made things very easy and doable.
Thanks
-Nirman
Laurence Norah says
Thanks Nirman – have a great trip 🙂
PARASAR KASHYAP says
Hi Lawrence,
Thanks for the detailed road trip plan. Its the most comprehensive itinerary available on the net.
I am visiting with my cousin towards September end and plan to self-drive this trip. Would this trip be possible then? What kind of precaution would you suggest – choice of cars, places to avoid?
We were also hoping to catch the nothern lights but dont want to opt for any tours. Please advise.
Regards,
Parashar
Laurence Norah says
Hi Parasar,
My pleasure. This trip would be possible in September. Snow is possible then, but not common, and it will be around 5C – 10C (it might feel colder due to the wind though, so pack warm clothes!).
So you shouldn’t need to skip anything or worry about having an extreme car, a normal car should work fine.
For the northern lights, it’s just a question of finding somewhere dark enough and hoping for clear skies and northern lights activity. Most of Iceland is going to be dark enough, just drive away from any sources of light like towns or villages and you will be fine. You shouldn’t need to take a tour 🙂
Let me know if you have any more questions!
Laurence
PARASAR KASHYAP says
Thanks for the quick reply Lawrence. Much appreciated
Jac says
Wow…reading this felt I was already there…will do this 7 day round trip while tent camping…will go in two weeks, so I hope I can write a wonderful report when I’m back on the 15th…thanks for all the tips!
Laurence Norah says
Hey Jac, our pleasure! Have a wonderful time in Iceland and do let us know how your experience met to expectation!
Laurence
Mary Anne Sander says
Thanks for your great guidance. We plan on following your 7/day itinerary. Do you offer a condensed version for easy printing?
Laurence Norah says
Hi Mary Anne,
Our pleasure! That isn’t something we offer right now, but hopefully it shouldn’t be too hard to take the relevant parts and turn them into a document 🙂
Have a great trip!
Laurence
Laurence Norah says
Hi Mary Anne,
I hope you had a great trip to Iceland! I appreciate this might be a bit late for your trip, but for others reading and in case you use our site in the future for other trips, we’ve now added a print button on all our posts ?
Happy travels!
Laurence
Gina Davis says
Thank you for the great suggestions! We have almost this exact trip planned in July. I noticed that you did not have any cave (lava tube) tours suggested. I wondered if you did any and what you thought about them? I am specifically considering Lofthellir Ice Cave and wondering if it’s worth the time and expense to visit. Thanks!
Laurence Norah says
Hi Gina! We did do a Lava cave tour on our trip 🙂 We visited Raufarhólshellir, also known as the Lava Tunnel. You can see there website here: https://thelavatunnel.is/
We enjoyed it, it’s definitely different to a normal cave experience as it is quite close to the surface and formed differently. I haven’t visited Lofthellir though so we can’t comment on that one specifically!
Enjoy your trip!
Laurence
Husain Pulav says
Hi Lawrence,
Thank you for the detailed itinerary. In your itinerary you haven’t mentioned anything about watching the Northern Lights. We’re planning to do the ring road in Sept-Oct which is one of the best times to watch the Northern Lights.
So is there a special place where we can see it or just drive away from city lights while on the ring road?
Thank you
Laurence Norah says
Hi Husain!
Good point! You are right, September / October are great times to see the northern lights. You just need to find a dark place, which to be honest, is not very hard in Iceland! I actually just wrote a guide to photographing the northern lights, you can see that here: https://www.findingtheuniverse.com/photograph-northern-lights/
Have a lovely trip, and let me know if you have any more questions!
Laurence
Husain Pulav says
Thank you very much Laurence
Johnar Håland says
Just wanted to ask why you do not include Snaefellsnes Peninsula on this route as you list it as an option for the 5 day route. You think there are other spots that are “better” and worth prioritizing instead?
Laurence Norah says
The Snaefellsnes Peninsula needs a whole day in my opinion to see, and I don’t think a week would be enough to drive the Ring Road and also to see the Peninsula, so that’s why I left it off. It’s also quite a detour off the ring road, and for the most part (except the Golden Circle), I tried to stick to the path of the actual ring road for the itinerary.
For the 5 day route I listed it as an option instead of visiting Reykjavik, rather than as an addition. The Snaefellsnes Peninsula is certainly beautiful and worth seeing, but so are many other parts of Iceland 🙂
Johnar Håland says
Thanks for a great post! We are going to Iceland in July. We have 6,5 days (excluding flights). Would you recommend us to follow this route or your 5 day trip? We understand it might be a bit rushed, but we do not mind some long drives. Could it perhaps be a good idea to start on this route and see how far we get and just turn around and head back to Reykjavik if we do not have enough time for the whole plan?
Other question is about accommodation. We understand that July is a busy season. Will it be risky to book accomodation on the day as we drive or should we arrange everything in advance? The latter will give less flexibility obviously..
Laurence Norah says
Hi Johnar!
Our pleasure 🙂 So personally with 6.5 days I would not do the ring road. It is a lot of driving, and whilst you say you don’t mind that, I feel that you should spend a bit more time seeing some areas in depth and having time to get out and explore, rather than sitting in a car. Of course, you get a lot of daylight in July, so it is do-able, but personally I wouldn’t.
I would also say that as it’s a ring, and there isn’t really a shortcut across the middle, you will get to a point where turning around wouldn’t make much sense as it would be further to go back than go forward 😉
If it was me, I would follow my five day itinerary with the extra Snaefellsness Peninsula section added on. So I would start with the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, then the Golden Circle, then the South Coast. If you feel you have more time, you could head further along the south coast past the glacier lagoon to the stunning Vestrahorn mountain.
July is definitely busy. We travelling in June and it was a challenge getting all the hotels we wanted, even booking in advance. I would definitely advise against booking on the day. Whilst there are more hotels being built all the time, and capacity is increasing, I think this would lead to a stressful trip trying to find places to stay rather than enjoying yourself. Again, you might be ok, but it’s not something I would recommend 🙂
I hope this all helps! Have a wonderful trip, and do let us know how it goes – whatever you decide to do!
Laurence
Victor H says
Very Interesting post… question, Starting which month after the summer it is possible to see the Northen lights and where?
Laurence Norah says
Hi Victor,
So in theory you can see the northern lights in Iceland from late August to late April. However, we’d say September would be a better month, as you get more hours of darkness, and September / October are good months with a higher chance of northern lights activity.
Have a great trip!
Laurence
Alberto says
Hi! Thanks for this post. It is helping me a lot to plan my Iceland trip 🙂
I will be travelling in September and have only 6D 6N for the trip – do you recommend doing the ring road or are there better alternatives (I am guessing covering only the Southern part..)?
Thank you 🙂
Laurence Norah says
Hi Alberto,
I’d advise against driving the ring road in 6 days, it would be a bit rushed. My suggestion would be to do a trip from Snaefellsnes, round the Golden Circle, and along the south coast as far as Jokulsarlon Glacier lagoon. That will give you more time to see things and less time driving.
If you wanted to have a quieter time, you could also do a road trip starting in Akureyri and focusing on the northern highlights. However, as this is your first time in Iceland, I think the south coast makes more sense as that’s where many of the most iconic sights are.
I’d suggest looking at our 5 day Iceland itinerary:
https://www.findingtheuniverse.com/5-day-iceland-itinerary/
Which has the option to add on Snaefellsnes. We also have a 7 day itinerary focusing on this region here:
https://independenttravelcats.com/visiting-iceland-in-winter-7-day-iceland-itinerary-by-car/
Have a great trip, and let me know if you have any more questions!
Laurence
Alberto says
Thanks 🙂
Would you recommend renting a camper or rather a compact and staying in hotels/inns? I have read very different opinions on this. We are a young couple so camper should not be much of an issue
Laurence Norah says
Hi Alberto – so when it comes to cost, you might not find too much difference unless you get a very small camper, as campervans are generally more expensive than vehicles. It’s also illegal to camp in Iceland in a van unless you get specific permission for the landower (see more on this in our guide to travelling in iceland on a budget here: https://independenttravelcats.com/iceland-budget-tips-how-to-save-money-in-iceland/#Can-I-camp-for-free-in-Iceland)
So you will still have to pay for a campsite. So whilst this is obviously cheaper than a hotel, the overall price of your trip once you factor in camper rental might not be that different. So if cost is the reason, I would suggest there might not be much difference – I would choose to camp if that is the style of travel you prefer, rather than as a cost saving measure if that makes sense. Of course, camping gives your the opportunity to cook for yourself too, which can also save money, but you can achieve the same in hostels, airbnb’s and so on 🙂
I hope this clarifies!
Laurence
Kirk Rydberg says
Thank you for such a comprehensive itinerary. It really helped me plan for my trip with my daughters coming up in June. I have three questions. First, We will rent a car but we are used to American car sizes. Most rental cars say they are good for one large and one travel bag. Is this accurate? We would have three and three. Should I look at bigger auto for rental? Second, are fuel stations available in most towns and villages on the Ring? Finally, in the eastern and northern regions should we get hotel reservations now or will there be some available during late June? I’m just afraid of being forced to stick to the itinerary if we find places we want to spend more time in. Thank you again for the great info.
Laurence Norah says
Hi Kirk!
My pleasure. Let me see if I can help with your questions.
First, I would say that yes, the rental car sites are likely to be quite accurate. Compact cars in Iceland (and Europe in general) tend to be quite small, certainly a lot smaller than your standard US car. If there are three adults and three bags, you will want at least a mid-size car I think.
Second, fuel stations are available all around the ring road, yes, we never had a problem finding fuel. I mean, sometimes you’ll want to top off when you see a gas station in more remote areas, just to be sure, but it shouldn’t be a problem. Note that some of them are unmanned and operate with a credit card, but the instructions are available in English on the terminals and easy to follow.
Third – June is a relatively busy time of the year, but the eastern and northern parts of Iceland get far fewer visitors than the busy south coast. So I would recommend booking on the south coast in advance, and you should have more flexibility along the east and north.
Of course, I should add a note that there are fewer hotels in those regions. So one option might be to use a platform like booking.com where you can take advantage of the free cancellation should your plans change.
Hope this helps – have a fantastic trip and don’t hesitate to follow up with any more questions!
Laurence
Kirk Rydberg says
Laurence,
Thank you for the quick reply. This helps me quite a bit. I figured it was pretty accurate on the car so I will get a bigger car.
Thanks again and I’m sure i’ll be asking more questions as we get closer.
Kirk
Graham Hurst says
Hi guys. Just wanted to get in touch to say thank you for providing all this useful information regarding the ring road. We are heading to Iceland in April and hope to follow what you have described above.
We plan to rent a small 2WD vehicle to reduce costs. Would you envisage this being a problem in April? Not sure what to expect weather wise ????
Laurence Norah says
Hi Graham!
Our pleasure, we’re pleased you found it useful 🙂 So a 2WD should be fine for this itinerary, as it’s largely on good sealed roads. The weather in Iceland is very variable – it can be cold even in the summer months. Snow is unlikely in April, but certainly not impossible, although the main roads should be fine to drive on unless you are particularly unlucky! Otherwise, make sure you take plenty of warm layers and waterproof clothing, as rain and wind are a possibility all year round (those waterfalls need to get their water from somewhere!)
Have a great trip!
Laurence
Graham Hurst says
Thanks for the quick reply Laurence. Useful to know. The other thing I was hoping you could help with is which glacier you would recommend visiting (for a 3 hour walk) that is close to the ring road and would fit the itinerary you have listed. Thanks again.
Laurence Norah says
Hi Graham!
My pleasure 🙂 I’d recommend a tour on Vatnajokull, where you can do both a glacier hike or an ice cave tour.
These are found just off the ring road on the south coast, and are easy to get to with parking 🙂
Graham Hurst says
Thank you. Hopefully we can still do the ice caves in April.
sandra says
Oh, no, I just saw that the ice caves aren’t open when we plan to visit in October??? Are any of them open? I want to go and see. Thanks so much… Sandra
Laurence Norah says
Hi Sandra!
This ice cave tour runs year round with departure from Vik 🙂
Best
Laurence
Sandra says
Can the ice cave tours be done independently or do we have to pay for a tour? Thanks!
Laurence Norah says
Hi Sandra,
I would definitely not advise trying to visit an ice cave by yourself, they can be quite dangerous and you would want an experienced guide who knows the area and conditions well 🙂
Laurence
Brian Balanoff says
Hello! We are wondering if you could suggest how you would shorten this just a bit if you only had 7 days including the dates of arrival and departure (arriving in the AM and departing in the early evening). Would your 5 day itinerary be a better idea?
Thank you!
Brian
Laurence Norah says
Hi Brian,
With the shorter time, I’d definitely suggest following our five day itinerary, and not trying to tackle the whole ring road as you’ll be quite rushed and not be able to enjoy yourself fully. You will be able to go at a more leisurely pace for the five day itinerary I suggest, including having time to see the beautiful Snaefellsnes Peninsula 🙂
Enjoy, and do let us know how it goes!
Laurence
Flora says
Hi Laurence,
I echoed with other readers. Your itinerary is very reasonable and covers all major points that we want to visit. Due to our daughters’ different school and work schedule, we plan to visit the Ring Road from May 19 to May 31. Is the weather safe enough for us to drive through the whole ring road? We are from Michigan and are used to driving in snow but were wondering if this is a good time to visit the Ring Road. Thanks in advance for your time in answering our questions. It is very kind and nice of you. God Bless!
Flora
Laurence Norah says
Hi Flora!
That is an excellent amount of time for the ring road, it will give you plenty of time to see everything on our itinerary plus a few more things if you wish.
May would be a good time for sure. It’s worth being aware that snow is still possible in May, but it’s not that likely. One thing to be aware of is that the highlands roads will still be closed at this time. They’re not featured in this itinerary, but essentially any F road generally won’t be accessible until June.
If you’re used to driving in snow, then I don’t think you’ll experience any difficulties in May. The days are also nice and long by May, so you’ll have lots of time for sight-seeing!
Have a great trip, and let me know if you have any more questions!
Laurence
Dave says
Hi There,
I first started planning my trip to Iceland to include the ring route using the Insight Guide travel book. After awhile I did an internet search of the ring road and came across your wonderful sight. I soon noticed that the attractions I highlighted matched up with a lot of the sights you mention so I then figured I might as well use your route as a guide. I did come across the Iceland Travel self-drive tours, however since I will be travelling alone I found them to be quite expensive for a single traveler. I plan on travelling mid-late August, maybe early September. Do you think it makes sense to book everything myself to save money? I’ve planned self-drive trips to Scotland and Austria so I am used to it. Any suggestions you have will be appreciated. I plan to take 7-8 days for the ring road then another couple of days in Reykjavík.
Thank you in advance.
Dave
Laurence Norah says
Hey Dave!
Great to hear that we’ve been able to help you out with your trip planning 🙂 Certainly, travelling on your own can be a bit more expensive as you can’t split costs of things like rental cars etc with someone else. I would say that booking everything yourself is certainly a feasible option, and likely cheaper as you are not paying for the convenience.
We have provided hotel options for each day to help out with doing that if you follow our itinerary, and we recommend this website for car rental!
Let us know if you have any more questions 🙂
Laurence
Eksteen Jacobsz says
Hi,
Thank you for the comprehensive info on Iceland. Before finding your site I didn’t have a clue how to tackle this trip but you’ve helped me tremendously. Keep up the good work!
Eksteen
Laurence Norah says
Thanks very much Eksteen! Do let us know if you have any questions we can help with 🙂
Emma says
Hi guys,
Thank you so much for sharing this itinerary & map!
Just wondering what type of car you did this trip in? Does it require a 4WD?
Cheers,
Emma
Laurence Norah says
Hi Emma! Our pleasure 🙂
So I would say that generally no, you won’t need a four wheel drive for this trip, particularly if you drive in summer. If you are driving in winter, we’d usually advise against a trip of this duration as the weather can really slow you down. There are a couple of minor detours on the route where a 4WD is a legal requirement, but they are only brief and not essential, so you could definitely skip them.
We did do the trip in a four wheel drive, but we were travelling for almost four weeks in Iceland when researching this itinerary, and we did a lot of more four wheel drive only routes as part of that 🙂
Let us know if you have any more questions!
Laurence
Brian Weekes says
Hi Laurence,
I had the same question. As we are going in early July, it is really the F-roads that I’m concerned with. Two stops that I flagged as maybe needing a 4×4 (legally) were Nauthusagil Waterfall and Fladrargljufur Canyon. It’s hard to tell though from Google maps and other maps found online. Do you remember if the roads leading to these two places are F-roads? Any other stops in your itinerary above that take you on F-roads?
Thanks!
Brian
Laurence Norah says
Hi Brian
For Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon, I believe that the road to the parking lot is not an F road, it’s just a gravel road that runs to the parking lot. There is an F road that runs from this, which goes to Laki, but as far as I recall and can see from the internet, you shouldn’t have a problem with that one.
Nauthusagil Waterfall on the other hand is definitely on an F road, so legally you would want a 4×4 for that waterfall.
I think that’s the only F road on the itinerary, so you should be fine otherwise with a 2WD 🙂
Have a great trip!
Laurence
Brian Weekes says
Ok great. Thanks Laurence!