Iceland:
The Ring Road
Embark on an unforgettable adventure along the captivating Iceland Ring Road, where breathtaking landscapes and awe-inspiring wonders await at every turn. This legendary route encompasses the very best that Iceland has to offer, taking you on a journey through dramatic coastlines, cascading waterfalls, ancient glaciers, and volcanic landscapes. Immerse yourself in the ethereal beauty of the Golden Circle, witness the mesmerizing dance of the Northern Lights, and unwind in the soothing waters of natural hot springs. The Iceland Ring Road promises a spellbinding expedition that will leave you with memories to last a lifetime.
Iceland Travel Video
Check out a drone video of traveling through Iceland to gain inspiration for your trip.
DAY 1: Arrival in Reykjavik
DAY 2: Drive to Akureyri
Iceland Ring Road
7 Day Itinerary
The following itinerary is meant to be for those wanting to see the entire island while completing a full loop of the Ring Road. Due to the time constraint of trip length, which is intended for those taking a week off of work, there may be certain sights or places skipped. This is the guide I used on my trip and I believe it provided a great way to see as much as possible with the time given.
Most flights to Reykjavik (KEF) from the United States arrive early in the morning, which gives ample time to take advantage of the first day of the trip. The Keflavik Airport (main airport on the island), is a very nice and modern, Scandinavian style building. After going through customs, you will be directed out to the parking lot of the airport to jump on a shuttle to your rental car facility. We ended up walking to the rental car facility as no shuttles came by while we were waiting at the stop, but I wouldn’t recommend this.
Our plan was to immediately start driving the Ring Road, so our only chance to visit one of the most famous things on the island (The Blue Lagoon), was upon landing at the airport. The Blue Lagoon is actually only about 20 minutes from the airport and on your way into Reykjavik as you head inland off the Reykjanes Peninsula. We had made reservations in advance, which you should probably plan on as the entrance times can fill up. The Blue Lagoon has lockers and showers, so you can easily change there before getting in the hot springs. It’s a little touristy, but worth it to swim in the silica filled water. There are even swim up bars where you can buy beer and wine.
The rest of the day was spent checking into our hostel and exploring Reykjavik. The city is the most northern capitol in Europe, and has plenty to entertain you with. The main street, Laugavegur, is lined with shops, restaurants, and bars, and at night turns into a party street letting you walk down the street with your drinks. For dinner, a great spot to kick off the trip is Fish Market.
We spent the next two nights in Akuryeri to ensure we saw all that the area had to offer. The first stop was at Godafoss waterfall, also known as "The Waterfall of the Gods," which holds great historical and cultural significance in Iceland. According to legend, in the year 1000 AD, the Icelandic chieftain Thorgeir Thorkelsson made the decision to convert the country to Christianity. As a symbolic gesture, he threw his statues of Norse gods into the waters of the waterfall, thus giving it its name. The waterfall stretches about 30 meters (98 feet) wide and drops approximately 12 meters (39 feet) into a turquoise-colored pool below.
To go off the beaten path, we drove out to Aldeyjarfoss Waterfall, which takes about 45 minutes to get to from Godafoss, and over a bumpy dirt road at the end. The waterfall is 60 feet tall and surrounded by Basalt Columns, which are hard to believe they formed naturally once you see.
The rest of the day was spent driving around Lake Myvatn which boasts a surreal combination of rugged lava fields, steaming geothermal vents, and dramatic craters making the area feel otherworldly. A good hiking area is Dimmuborgir, a labyrinth of lava field dotted with unique rock formations and towering volcanic pillars.
We stopped at the Myvatn Nature Baths. These were much less touristy than The Blue Lagoon and had a view looking west over the area which is where we watched sunset.
After returning home, we had dinner in Akuryeri and while we were having drinks in the pub in the town square, the northern lights made an appearance. To see them better, we drove up the hill to the base of the ski area above the town.
We were extremely fortunate to have phenomenal weather the entire trip, but this day was the exception. Due to this, we didn’t explore as much of the East Fjords as we would have liked. Starting towards the coast from Egilsstaðir, you head down a steep road that has a good stop off and view down the valley with waterfalls.
Our route took us along the main highway out towards the ends of each fjord, which I’d definitely recommend instead of trying to take the most direct route. We stoped at Petra’s Stone Collection which is right off the road. It’s an old woman’s house where she has collected thousands of interesting rocks around the island and has them on display.
Further along, we Nykurhylsfoss which was a cool waterfall with easy access from the parking lot. There are so many waterfalls coming off the fjords, another thing to do is stop on the road and hike up to one of them on your own. This is way to do something off the main trails, and lets you take advantage of how open Iceland is.
Here are some other ideas of things to do in the area:
Reydarfjörður - city with WWII History Museum
Berufjörður - Fjord with areas to walk and explore by foot
Before getting to Almannaskarð Tunnel, turn right and go up on the mountain road for view of Vatnajökull Glacier
The town of Hofn was our stop for the night. It’s a smaller fishing town, but Pakkhús Restaurant is a great place to eat for the night.
After waking up and packing, we took our car up to the Hallgrímskirkja Church which sits at the highest point in the city and is one of the most recognizable parts of Reykjavik. The views are great looking down over the city and out across the bay with the mountains in the distance.
The drive to Akureyri is long (270 miles), but since it was our first day, we didn’t mind seeing hours worth of landscape go by in the car. If we had an extra day, we would have stopped at the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, but it would have added too much to the already long road trip day. The first stop of the day was at Hraunfossar Waterfall. The car park is right at the main view point, and you can hike up the river bank and over a bridge if you choose. Its a very cool effect as the water flows out of the rocks up the side of the bank and creates a cascading effect.
There were not too many other places we wanted to stop that were within a reasonable drive from the main road we were on, but a few to consider are the following:
Hvitserkur Cliff
Víðimýrarkirkja (Old Turf Church)
You’ll have plenty of chances to pull over and take pictures at the ever changing landscape.
Despite being a long day, it was worth it to get to Akureyri where not many tourists go and serves as a great location to start exploring the far sides of the island. A link to our Airbnb is provided and it was one of the best and nicest ones you can find. The location is right in the town center with walking to distance to all the restaurants and pubs.
DAY 3: Lake Myvatn Area
DAY 5: East Fjords
Today we transferred to our next accommodation in the town of Egilsstaðir, but had plenty of places to stop along the way to break up the drive. The first town we went through was Husavik, a historic whaling town with picturesque harbor. Other than taking a few pictures and walking by the harbor, we didn’t spend too much time here.
As you take the road north out of town, you drive along the cliffs overlooking the north Atlantic. You feel as if you’re at the edge of the world, and you essentially are with nothing between you and the North Pole. We stopped along the road and walked out to the edge of the cliffs to fly our drone.
Heading back inland, you will pass by Ásbyrgi Canyon. The formation of Ásbyrgi is attributed to a catastrophic glacial flood around 10,000 years ago. As a result of volcanic activity under the Vatnajökull glacier, a massive subglacial eruption occurred. The intense heat melted vast quantities of ice, causing a sudden release of water. The force of the release of water was so powerful that it carved out the horseshoe shape of Ásbyrgi canyon. Its so unique that its worth a stop to walk on the many trails in the canyon and think about the power of nature that shaped the surrounding walls.
As you continue south, you again will reach a dirt road and the landscape changes so that you feel you’re on the moon. The vegetation is gone entirely, and instead you are left with rugged and vast rock fields extending as far as you can see. Eventually you reach Dettifoss, the largest waterfall in Europe by volume. Dettifoss cascades down a dramatic cliff, plummeting approximately 148 feet into a narrow gorge below. The sheer volume of water that rushes over the falls creates a thunderous roar and a misty spray that adds to the dramatic atmosphere. I would say this was the most powerful and best waterfall I have seen to date.
Continuing out from Dettifoss, the barren landscape continues until you reach the main road and continue on to Egilsstaðir. We had spent so much time at our stops, that we drove the rest of the way in the dark, so be sure to take note of your time and when you want to arrive in Egilsstaðir as its 100 miles from Dettifoss.
That night we had a fantastic dinner at Gistihúsið - Lake Hótel Egilsstaðir. With its remote location, the town is a great place to watch the Northern Lights so be sure to stay up and look.
After leaving Hofn, you’ll have about an hour drive before coming upon the Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon. This is the beginning of Iceland’s most famous spots, and the rest of the way back to Reykjavik will be packed with places you see all over social media. There’s a lot of excursions you can do on the lagoon, but we chose to just walk around, fly the drone, and admire from the bank instead of taking kayaks or a guided boat tour. This is also where you’ll find Diamond Beach, where mini icebergs wash out to sea and get caught in the surf, making a cool effect on the beach.
Continuing on another 45 minutes, you’ll arrive at Skatafell National Park. This is a great park off the highway right at the base of glaciers and the Iceland highlands, with plenty of hiking trails. We took the trail up to Svartifoss, which was another waterfall surrounded by Basalt Columns. There’s a number of routes you can choose to take once there depending on how far and long you want to be there.
Once back on the road, the next good place to stop is Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon. This canyon is is characterized by its steep walls and meandering river that has cut its way through the ancient lava. Its a very unique canyon that is definitely worth the stop.
After a long day of exploring, you’ll arrive at the town of Vik, which is one of the most picturesque in Iceland. It has an old church overlooking the town and the nearby black sand beach. We had a another great dinner at Restaurant Sudur Vik.
DAY 8: The Golden Circle
The Golden Circle includes three main attractions: Þingvellir National Park, Geysir Geothermal Area, and Gullfoss waterfall. There is no specific "entrance" or "exit" for the Golden Circle as it is not a physical circuit or loop with designated entry and exit points. Instead, it's a route that you can start and finish at any point along the way.
From Selfoss, we took H35 towards Geysir as our first stop in the Golden Circle. It’s very similar to Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park. Just past Geysir, is the parking lot for Selfoss. It’s another famous waterfall, but much more touristy.
Heading towards Reykjavik, we took the route that looped through Þingvellir National Park. There are many trails here you can take as well. It’s the filming location of the entrance to the Eyrie in Game of Thrones and there’s unique landscape as this is the site of where two tectonic plates are separating. You can also dive the waters between the two plates.
Back in Reykjavik, we spent another night out on the town before catching out international flight home in the morning.
DAY 4: Husavik, Ásbyrgi, Dettifoss and Egilsstaðir
DAY 6: Jokulsarlon Lagoon, Skatafell National Park, and Vik
Leaving Vik, you’ll drive around the large mountain that borders the western edge of town. Before going too far, make sure to turn left and head down to the Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach. It’s a good stop where you can walk on the beach and admire the basalt columns which create places to climb and sit on the wall. You will also be able to see big pillars coming out of the ocean just off the beach.
Looking to the west, miles on the other end of the beach, is a huge rock with the Dyrhólaey Lighthouse on top. You definitely should drive to the top and see the view of the black sand beach stretching for miles in both directions.
After these two morning stops, we had booked a guide to take us for a walk on the Mýrdalsjökull glacier. Unfortunately, the glacier is receding so the walk gets further from the parking lot each year. If you need food or drinks, there’s a small shop at the parking lot you can stop in. The hike took about two hours, and you’re provided with crampons and ice picks. The guide takes you all over the glacier through the ever changing terrain and lets you try an ice climb up one of the steeper walls (all with fixed ropes). This is also the filming location for the ice planet in Interstellar.
The rest of the drive takes you by steep ridge lines on the inland side of the road as the high elevations come down to the beach and steeply fall off. This creates a number of waterfalls to see, with the two most famous and best being Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss. Skogafoss is the most iconic in Iceland, and you can walk right up to the base or hike up the stairs on its side to look down on it. Seljalandsfoss has much less water, but has a trail to walk behind the falls and look out through it, creating a great place to watch sunset.
That night we stayed in Selfoss, as it was too far to drive all the way back to Reykjavik and it allowed us to enter the Golden Circle from the south the next morning.
