Iceland Ring Road Adventure
A complete circumnavigation of Iceland, covering the volcanic south, the icy east, and the geothermal north.
Reykjavík → Golden Circle → Vík → Jökulsárlón → Egilsstaðir → Mývatn → Akureyri → Reykjavík
- Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
- Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach
- Mývatn Geothermal Area
- Dettifoss Waterfall
Day 1 · The Golden Circle
Start your journey from Reykjavik, heading inland to witness the tectonic rift and powerful geysers that define Iceland's geology.
Þingvellir National Park
Þingvellir National Park (pronounced Thingvetlir) is a world-heritage national park in South Iceland. The park is home to the world's longest-running Parliament, which was established in 930 AD. It has a dramatic landscape formed as a result of sitting along the border between the North American and European tectonic plates. Parts of the Game of Thrones TV series were shot in this park.
Geysir Hot Springs
Watch Strokkur erupt every few minutes, shooting boiling water high into the air.
Gullfoss Falls
Feel the mist from the 'Golden Falls' as the Hvítá river plunges into a deep canyon.
Kerið Crater
A stunning volcanic crater lake with vivid red rock walls and neon blue water.
Day 2 · South Coast Waterfalls
Drive along the dramatic southern coastline, home to towering waterfalls and the famous black sand beaches.
Seljalandsfoss
Seljalandsfoss is a waterfall in Iceland. Seljalandsfoss is located in the South Region in Iceland right by Route 1 and the road that leads to Þórsmörk Road 249. The waterfall drops 60 m (197 ft) and is part of the Seljalands River that has its origin in the volcano glacier Eyjafjallajökull. Visitors can walk behind the falls into a small cave.
Skógafoss
Skógafoss is a waterfall on the Skógá River in the south of Iceland at the cliff marking the former coastline. After the coastline had receded, the former sea cliffs remained, parallel to the coast over hundreds of kilometres, creating together with some mountains a clear border between the coastal lowlands and the Highlands of Iceland.
Reynisfjara Beach
Marvel at the basalt columns and the powerful 'sneaker waves' of the Atlantic.
Vík í Mýrdal
Vík í Mýrdal, also known as Vík, is a village in South Iceland. The area is dominated by Mýrdalsjökull, the glacier which is home to Katla, one of Iceland's fiercest volcanoes. It's about half way along the south coast, the largest settlement in the surrounding area and it's one of the few villages on the sandy beach that makes up most of the south coast of Iceland.
Day 3 · Glaciers & Ice Lagoons
Witness the power of Vatnajökull, Europe's largest glacier, and the icebergs of the deep lagoons.
Skaftafell
Skaftafell is a preservation area in Öræfi, southeast Iceland. It was once a major farm, later being named a national park. Originally known as Skaftafell National Park, it was subsequently joined together with other nearby regions to form the larger Vatnajökull National Park.
Fjallsárlón
Fjallsárlón is a glacier lagoon at the south end of the Icelandic glacier Vatnajökull. Fjallsjökull which is part of the bigger glacier reaches down to the water of the lake and some ice-bergs are drifting by on its surface.
Jökulsárlón
Jökulsárlón is a large glacial lake in southeast Iceland where you can take boat tours to see the ever-changing ice formations. It is part of Vatnajökull National Park.
Diamond Beach
See the contrast of crystal-clear ice chunks resting on jet-black volcanic sand.
Day 4 · The East Fjords
Navigate the winding coastal roads of the East, passing through sleepy fishing villages and steep mountains.
Vestrahorn
Photograph the 'Batman Mountain' reflected in the shallow tidal lagoons.
Djúpivogur
Djúpivogur is a small town and former municipality located on a peninsula in the Austurland region in eastern Iceland, near the island of Papey and on the fjord Berufjörður. The municipality was formed by the merger of rural communities Berunes, Buland, and Geithellur on October 1, 1992. The coastline consists of three fjords Berufjörður, Hamarsfjörður, and Álftafjörður.
Seyðisfjörður
Seyðisfjörður is a town in the Eastern Region of Iceland at the innermost point of the fjord of the same name. The town is located in the municipality of Múlaþing and is notable for its artistic culture and innovation, exemplified by the LungA Art Festival and LungA School, as well as a vibrant community of local artists, galleries, and cultural events.
Day 5 · Mývatn & Geothermal Power
Enter the volcanic north, a landscape of bubbling mud pools, lava fields, and steaming vents.
Dettifoss
Vatnajökull National Park in Iceland is the second largest national park in Europe (the largest is Yugyd Va in Komi, Russia) and a natural world heritage site. The park was founded on 7 June 2008 and includes the former Skaftafell and Jökulsárgljúfur National Parks. Containing 12,000 km2 (4,600 sq mi), the park covers about 14% of the surface of Iceland.
Hverir
Walk among hissing fumaroles and boiling grey mud pots in this Martian landscape.
Grjótagjá
Grjótagjá is a small lava cave near lake Mývatn in Iceland. It has a thermal spring inside.
Mývatn Nature Baths
Soak in mineral-rich blue waters while looking out over the volcanic plains.
Day 6 · The Capital of the North
Travel from the volcanic Mývatn to Akureyri, stopping at the 'Waterfall of the Gods'.
Goðafoss
Fossholl is a small town in North Iceland, best known for the impressive horseshoe waterfall of Goðafoss.
Akureyri Botanical Garden
The Akureyri Botanical Garden is a unique and significant botanical garden located in the southern part of Akureyri, a city in Northern Iceland. Situated on the west side of the inland end of the fjord Eyjafjörður, at an elevation of about 45 metres, the garden is one of the northernmost botanical gardens in the world, just 85 kilometers south of the Arctic Circle.
Akureyrarkirkja
Akureyrarkirkja or The Church of Akureyri is a prominent Lutheran church at Akureyri in northern Iceland. Located in the centre of the city, it was designed by Guðjón Samúelsson (1887–1950) and completed in 1940.
Day 7 · The Road Back West
A longer drive through the rolling hills of the North-West as you return to the capital.
Víðimýrikirkja
One of the few remaining traditional turf churches in Iceland, dating to 1834.
Hvítserkur
Hvítserkur is a 15 m high basalt stack along the eastern shore of the Vatnsnes peninsula, in northwest Iceland.
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital of and largest city in Iceland and with an urban area population of around 233,000 (2019), it is the home to two-thirds of Iceland's population. It is the centre of culture and life of the Icelandic people, and is one of the focal points of tourism in Iceland. The city is spread out, and has sprawling suburbs.
- Weather can change in minutes
- Gas stations are sparse in the East
- Book lagoons in advance
- Day 3: Fjallsárlón → Jökulsárlón ferry transit only 1.5h — allow ≥2h door-to-door
- Day 7: 5h 33m driving — plan rest stops