The Ultimate Ring Road Itinerary – Iceland’s Epic Road Trip

Iceland is undoubtably one of the most popular destinations in the entire world. With WOW Air opening up budget flights from destinations across Europe and the US, it has become easier and easier to get there. One of the most popular things to do in Iceland is make the epic road trip around the island on the now-famous Ring Road. Matt and I did just that when we visited this summer and I decided to put together the ultimate Ring Road Itinerary!

GETTING STARTED ON YOUR RING ROAD TRIP

The easiest and most logical place to start your Ring Road adventure is Reykjavik. Most international flights come through Keflavik, which is about 45 minutes away from Reykjavik. You can either take the bus service, or if you’re going to be renting a car for your Ring Road adventure, just go ahead and do that. (That’s what we did and I would recommend it.) Depending on what time your flight gets in, you might choose to spend the night in Reykjavik before taking off on a long day of driving the first day.

Because the Ring Road is just that, a ring road, you can start to the north or the south. Our recommendation for this Ring Road Itinerary is to start to the north. While the whole island is stunning, Matt and I both agreed that Southern Iceland is the best way to cap off the road trip. Either way you go, you’ll find loads of beauty to explore. We’ve also included the Golden Circle in our itinerary because it’s a relatively small detour and you can add it into the Ring Road Itinerary very easily! The Ring Road has many beautiful site right off the road, but many you have to hike to as well. Be sure to look into travel insurance policies – we love World Nomads!

Our guide is broken into 7 days and the times listed are the drive times. Don’t forget to take into account that you’ll be stopping some of these places as for a hike as well. The most important thing to remember, though, is to enjoy. It’s a truly spectacular road trip that you’re sure to remember.

RING ROAD ITINERARY DAY 1: REYKJAVIK TO AKUREYRI // Approximately 8 hours, 40 minutes

Day One of our Ring Road itinerary brings you to four waterfalls and a scenic view of one of the most famous mountains. In addition to that, you’ll see loads of spectacular views all along the way. You’ll be tempted to pull over to take photos at every overlook. Just don’t forget to keep an eye on the clock, especially if you’re doing this in the winter, you don’t want to lose all your daylight. KIRKJUFELL + KIRKJUFELLSFOSS – This is the famous mountain shaped like a wizard hat that’s often featured on Iceland Tourism information. The waterfall that shares the similar name is just across the street from the beautiful mountain. There’s a very small parking area just off of the road. It tends to fill up quickly, though, so getting an early start is always ideal. There’s a very short walk to the most famous vantage point. You follow the path up over the top of the waterfall and once you pass it, turn back for the perfect view.

HRAUNFOSSAR +BARNAFOSS – Hraunfossar (lava falls) is a waterfall with a series of small cascades. It’s a beautiful waterfall and is only about a 35 minute detour off the Ring Road. Just up the road from there is Barnafoss (childrens falls). There used to be a natural bridge over the falls, but legend has it that it was destroyed by a mother whose children (the children from the name Barnafoss) went to the waterfall while the family was at church and tragically fell to their deaths trying to cross the natural bridge over the waterfall. The mother was so devastated that she destroyed the bridge so no one else would die trying to cross it.

GLANNI WATERFALL – This lava waterfall is very similar to Hraunfossar. It’s much right off the Ring Road. So, if you’re pressed for time, this is one you can do right from the road.

TOUR OPTION – Akureyri is a great jumping off point for a Northern Lights expedition if you’re traveling from late fall to early spring.

WHERE WE STAYED

TOWN SQUARE GUESTHOUSE: We really enjoyed our stay here. We stayed in the bunkbed room because it was the cheapest option, but there was plenty of space for the two of us. Their wifi was really strong and there was an amazing common area and kitchen with lots of cooking utensils, which was perfect for us. The location was really great and near several stores and restaurants.

The only con I have is that they say there’s free parking. Although that is true in theory, it’s street parking. They use a clock system throughout the day and there is a 2 hour limit. You have to put a small little clock in your window with the time you parked on it and then you have two hours. In theory, you can go out every 2 hours and change it and that’s totally legal. Matt and I were trip planning one afternoon and lost track of time doing this. We were about 20 minutes late and we got a parking ticket. It was super frustrating and an expense that we were very annoyed to have to pay.

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RING ROAD ITINERARY DAY 2: AKUREKI TO EGLISSTAÐIR // Approximately 5 hours

Day two of our Ring Road itinerary is a day full of interesting and unique stops. There are three waterfall, a geothermal field of boiling mudpots, a geothermal bath and a geothermal pool in a lava cave. Be ready for an incredibly interesting day as the landscape will drastically change over and over again.

GOÐAFOSS – Goðafoss (waterfall of the gods) is located just off of the Ring Road and is a spectacular waterfall. It’s an impressive 30 meters wide and 12 meters tall. The story behind the name dates back to around the year 1000. When Þorgeir, an Icelandic lawmaker, declared Christianity to be the official language he threw all of the Nordic idols into this waterfall.
GRJOTAGJA – Grjotagja is a lava cave with a beautiful hot spring inside of it. It’s only about 10 minutes off of the Ring Road and it just looks like a big rift in the ground. However, there are a couple of entrances that you can crawl down into to access the spring. Watch your head when you enter. Also, people are not allowed to swim in these springs, so don’t. Luckily, there’s the nearby Mývatn Nature Baths where you can take a soak. This was one of my favorite stops from day 2 of our Ring Road itinerary.

MÝVATN NATURE BATHS – Mývatn Nature Baths is often dubbed the “other blue lagoon”. This geothermal pool is also very blue, super relaxing and have a beautiful view. They’re a bit more remote and are a good place to try to catch the northern lights in the winter. It costs $38-45 for an adult to visit, depending on the time of year. You can book your tickets here!
 
HVERIR or NÁMAFJALL GEOTHERMAL FIELD  – From Mývatn, you continue on the Ring Road, and it basically takes you to Mars. At least, that’s what Hverir looks like to me. There are boiling mudpots, steam chimneys and a hike to the mountain pass that looks over the top of this and then down on Mývatn. It’s sparse and barren and unbelievable beautiful all at once. However, I have to let you know, it smells so bad… really bad. DETTIFOSS – Dettifoss is actually the largest waterfall in all of Europe, in terms of volume of water. It’s seriously incredible. It’s about 20 miles down 862, for the west entrance. There are two places to visit Dettifoss. Entrance to the east side of the waterfall is up 864, which has a sign that says it’s difficult to get to, 862 was paved and an easy 20 miles. It’s a short walk to Dettifoss, and be prepared to get wet from the amazing spray! We could feel it from 200 meters away. Just up the river is Selfoss. It’s a super short hike and worth checking out.
UNNAMED ROADSIDE WATERFALL – There’s a waterfall about 30 minutes before you get to Eglisstaðir, it’ll be on the left side of the road. It’s tall and beautiful and there’s a very small parking area, but we never saw a sign with a name. 

WHERE WE STAYED

GUESTHOUSE SVARTISKÓGUR EGILSSTAÐIR: We actually stayed a little bit outside of Eglisstaðir in a small secluded guesthouse. We had a private room and private bath. It’s about 28 miles from Eglisstaðir, but it was so quiet and peaceful out there. We were surrounded by mountains, and there were loads of cute little baby sheep running in the fields nearby. You can rent larger rooms, cabins and more here as well. The larger rooms come with a kitchen.

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RING ROAD ITINERARY DAY 3: EGLISSTAÐIR TO HÖFN // Approximately 4 hours and 20 minutes

 
Day three of this Ring Road itinerary takes you to three different waterfalls and through the incredibly scenic east fjords. It’s an absolutely stunning drive you’re sure to enjoy. There will be plenty of pullouts to see different landscapes and overlooks over the coast. You’ll climb relatively high on the beginning of the drive which is a really cool and incredibly scenic experience.

FARDAGAFOSS – This waterfall is just outside of Eglisstaðir. It’s just under 1.5 miles to hike to it and back. It’s multi-tiered and absolutely beautiful. In addition to the beauty of this waterfall, you’ll also find a beautiful view of Eglisstaðir. In the summer there are beautiful wildflowers along the mountainside.
 
GUFUFOSS – This beautiful waterfall is a bit like a miniature Skógafoss. It’s a beauty, for sure, and even in the middle of a summer afternoon, it’s so peaceful because it’s much less-visited. Its parking area is just off of the Ring Road, so it’s a quick and easy visit.

MÚLAFOSS – Múlafoss is up a road that snakes around a mountainside. It’s just a few miles up the road, though. There’s no marking on the Ring Road letting people know that Múlafoss is there, but it’s well-worth the visit. There’s a little ledge that you can walk out on to get perfect view.

WHERE WE STAYED

 
SAUÐANES GUESTHOUSE: This guesthouse was absolutely wonderful. I loved our stay here. It was just a room in this cozy little house. We had our own room, but with a shared bathroom. However, there were multiple showers, and only a few rooms, so it wasn’t a big deal to have to share. The kitchen had all the equipment you could need to fix a meal. Plus, in the morning, there was a complimentary breakfast. There are also spectacular mountain views. I saw the most amazing display of the midnight sun from here.

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RING ROAD ITINERARY DAY 4: HÖFN TO HOLT // Approximately 4 hours and 45 minutes

Day four of was one of my favorite days of the drive. It was incredibly scenic, and had an amazing mix of geological wonders: icebergs, waterfalls, beaches, glaciers and more make up this day. Plus, we stopped at a real-life example of Icelandic folktales. It’s a full and beautiful day without needed a ton of driving time.

JÖKULSÁRLÓN or GLACIER LAGOON – This is the famous glacier lagoon that you often see on Instagram. The glacier calves into this small lagoon where icebergs float around and then make their way out into the ocean. It’s really stunning adn you can take boat tours out into the glacier to get up-close and personal.

DIAMOND BEACH – This is basically across from Glacier Lagoon. It’s where small and larger chunks of ice wash up on the beach and it looks like diamonds sparkling agains the black sand beach. In the winter you’ll find the most ice on the beach.

SVARTIFOSS – Svartifoss is a spectacular waterfall that tumbles about 60 feet over the beautiful hexagonal basalt columns. It’s about a 1.8 mile round trip and you’ll see a couple of other waterfalls along the way. Svartifoss is definitely the crowning jewel and is well-worth the visit. These basalt columns inspired some of the most famous architecture in Reykjavik.

REYNISFJARA BEACH – This is the black sand beach west of the cozy town of Vík. It’s the black sand beach with the basalt columns and views of the rock formations that sit out in the ocean. It’s a must-see!
SÓLHEIMAJÖKULL GLACIER – You can pay to do a glacier hike on Sólheimajökull glacier, or you can hike up to the edge of the glacier yourself. However, never go onto a glacier by yourself, always book a guide. Also, it’s much more impressive in the winter than the summer. It recedes a lot in the summer and picks up a bunch of the lava gravel, so it looks very dirty and loses the spectacular blue glow.

SKÓGAFOSS – This is probably the most iconic waterfall in Iceland. It’s so massive and powerful. Be sure to climb to the top, weather permitting, to get a view over the top of the falls. There’s also a gate up top, continue through it and back to see even more waterfalls all along the river. It’s stunning.
 

DRANGSHÍLÐ – I’m sure you’ve heard of the elves or fairies in Iceland. Just down from Skógafoss, you’ll find a perfect example of these. You’ll find these houses built into the rock with the grass roofs. There’s a small parking area and it’s worth checking out.

WHERE WE STAYED

RAUÐAFELL 1: This is another super cozy place. It’s only about a 5 minute drive from both Skógafoss and Seljavallalaug Hot Spring. It’s a house that’s shared with other guests. We had our own private bedroom and there were two shared bathrooms. There is also a shared kitchen and the hosts provided a wonderful breakfast in the morning.

The only con of this place was their dodgy Wifi. If your room was on the upper floor, you had no connection, but there was a connection in the common area near the kitchen.

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RING ROAD ITINERARY DAY 5: HOLT TO FLUDIR // Approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes

Day five of the ring road is where we recommend finishing up a lot of the Southern Coast and starting on the added bonus of the Golden Circle. The Golden Circle is one of the most traveled paths in Iceland. Even though it’s well-traveled, it’s still worth seeing. I highly recommend working it into your Ring Road itinerary. Before doing the Golden Circle, take a soak in a Geothermal Pool and check out some waterfalls! 

SELJAVALLALAUG HOT SPRING – This is a geothermal pool that sits in the foothills of Eyjafjallajökull volcano. It’s a one mile hike each way, but it’s a super easy hike. I highly recommend starting your day off with this. Be sure to bring a swimsuit and a towel.

SELJALANDSFOSS + GLJÚFRABÚI – Seljalandsfoss is another iconic Icelandic waterfall. It’s the waterfall that you can walk behind. If you continue down the trail you’ll come to Gljúfrabúi which is a hidden little waterfall back in a gorge. It’s really beautiful but be prepared to get wet! There’s a small parking fee here.

URRIÐAFOSS – This is a smaller waterfall right off of the Ring Road. It’s wide, short and well worth the stop since it’s so close.
KERIÐ CRATER LAKE – This is the first stop of our Golden Circle detour. Kerið is a volcanic crater lake with stunning turquoise water. You can walk the perimeter of the top and walk down to the edge of the water as well. There is a small parking fee here as well.
 
ÞINGVELLIR NATIONAL PARK – This national park is well-known as the place where the European and North American continental plates come together. You can walk between them and even snorkel between them. This is also the home to oldest parliament in the world. Also, be sure to hike to Öxarárfoss. It’s a beautiful waterfall that stands out against the black rock behind it.

WHERE WE STAYED

EFRA-SEL HOSTEL: This hostel is the perfect Golden Circle location because most of the Golden Circle highlights were just a short drive away. We had a private room with a shared bath. Their kitchen was well-stocked and easy to cook in. They also had a beautiful common area where you can be social with the other guests. They also apparently have a hot tub that you can use. We saw on a lot of reviews that said in the winter, they enjoyed it and saw the Northern Lights from there during the winter.

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RING ROAD ITINERARY DAY 6: FLUDIR TO REYKJAVIK // Approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes

Day six is a pretty laid back day, which you’ll likely need after an epic adventure. We recommend finishing up the Golden Circle before heading back to Reykjavik where you can finally enjoy the city. 

GULLFOSS: Gullfoss, or “golden falls“, is a stunning and massive waterfall along the Golden Circle. You can visit several different vantage points, just be sure to do so safely. In the winter, certain ones are closed. This waterfall is massive and, in my opinion, most impressive in the winter. I loved seeing the stark contrast of the snow falling.

GEYSIR, STROKKUR and THE REST OF THE GEYSIR BASIN: Did you know that the English word geyser comes from the name of the massive geyser, Geysir. It has basically gone dormant, erupting only sporadically due to damage from earthquakes.

REYKJAVIK: To get back to Reykjavik from the Golden Circle, we jumped back on the Ring Road to finish out the drive. Reykjavik has several things to see and do while there. I highly recommend climbing the tower of Hallgrimskirkja to get a view of the ceilings of the buildings and the mountains over the bay. A visit to Harpa Concert Hall is a must as well. I have to say one of my very favorite things to do is to hunt down all the amazing street art. If you’re there in the winter or the rain, it’s great to pop into shops to warm up a bit. Don’t miss the exciting night life of Reykjavik to top off the night.

WHERE WE STAYED

GUESTHOUSE GALTAFELL: This was actually where my mom and I stayed when she and I came to Iceland in 2017. It was totally booked by the time Matt and I were looking for a place in Reykjavik. This was my favorite place of the three I’ve stayed at in Reykjavik. It’s a small apartment sectioned out from a fairly large home. We had a room, 1.5 bathrooms, a living space with a kitchenette and a private entrance. It was so wonderful and centrally located in Reykjavik’s city center. We were able to walk everywhere with ease, even in the winter.

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RING ROAD ITINERARY DAY 7: REYKJAVIK TO THE BLUE LAGOON + BACK // 1 hour 40 minutes

Technically, your trip around the Ring Road is over, but while you still have your car we recommend checking out the Blue Lagoon. This is perfect if you’re taking the car back that night, or catching a flight out that night. Plus, you have more of Reykjavik to explore! 

 
REYKJAVIK – Start the day exploring Reykjavik’s waterfront. Stop to check out The Sun Voyager. If you’re really wanting to do something unique, and sure to make you giggle, check out the Icelandic Phallological Museum. It’s a museum that houses at least one the penis of each mammal that lives on the island of Iceland, plus even some mythical ones as well!

TOUR OPTION – Although Reykjavik is incredibly walkable, if walking in the cold, isn’t your style, try the Hop-On-Hop-Off Bus!

THE BLUE LAGOON – The Blue Lagoon needs no real introduction. It’s a decently expensive, but I have to say if you like a good, relaxing spa experience, this is worth a visit. I would recommend visiting in the evening to cap off a day. That way you can be incredibly relaxed right before you slip into bed. It also makes for a great stop just before getting on a plane if you’ve got a flight out the next day!

WHERE WE STAYED

GUESTHOUSE GALTAFELL: See the above description. It’s truly a great place to stay in Reykjavik.

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The Ring Road is an incredible adventure full of some of the most spectacular landscapes that you can see in the entire world. Hopefully this Ring Road itinerary will help you plan and carry out your own adventure!

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