Iceland Ring Road Express
A whirlwind 7-day loop around Iceland's Route 1, covering massive waterfalls, glacier lagoons, and volcanic deserts.
KEF Airport → Vík → Höfn → Egilsstaðir → Akureyri → Golden Circle → KEF Airport
- Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
- Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach
- Dettifoss Waterfall
- Strokkur Geyser
Arrival & Lava Fields
Welcome to the land of fire and ice! Pick up your 4x4 and start your journey along the dramatic Reykjanes Peninsula before heading south.
Keflavík Airport
Pick up your rental car and grab a local SIM card at the terminal.
Blue Lagoon
Blue Lagoon (Icelandic: Bláa Lónið) (BLAU-ah LONE-eeth) is a geothermal spa in southwest Iceland, that is almost mid-way between Keflavik Airport and Reykjavík, close to the town of Grindavik. Entry is expensive, starting at 9,990 kr per person for the basic package at off-peak time slots (April 2023) and rises rapidly from there.
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.
South Coast Wonders
Drive past glaciers and black sand beaches toward the charming village of Vík.
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.
Dyrhólaey
Dyrhólaey, formerly known by seamen as Cape Portland, is a small promontory located on the south coast of Iceland, not far from the village Vík. It was formerly an island of volcanic origin, which is also known by the Icelandic word eyja meaning island. The volcano erupted about 100 thousand years ago during the Pleistocene.
Reynisfjara Beach
Famous basalt columns and sneaker waves. Stay far back from the water.
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.
Glaciers & Icebergs
Head east into Vatnajökull National Park to witness the power of moving ice.
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.
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
Ice chunks washed ashore looking like diamonds on black velvet.
Höfn
Höfn (pronounced something like "herpn", also known as Höfn í Hornafirði, is a town in East Iceland, at the south-eastern corner of the country. Höfn sits by the lagoon (or fjord) Hornafjörður which is also the name of the large municipality of which the town is the centre and which covers the entire area of the county Austur-Skaftafellssýsla.
The East Fjords
A scenic drive through narrow fjords, fishing villages, and steep mountains.
Vestrahorn
Dramatic 'Batman' mountain reflecting in the tidal flats.
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.
Geothermal North
Leave the fjords for the lunar landscapes of Lake Mývatn and powerful waterfalls.
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
Bubbling mud pots and steaming fumaroles. Smells like sulfur!
Mývatn Nature Baths
The 'Blue Lagoon of the North'. Less crowded and very relaxing.
Goðafoss
Fossholl is a small town in North Iceland, best known for the impressive horseshoe waterfall of Goðafoss.
Whales & Westward
Explore the capital of the North before heading back toward the West coast.
Akureyri Harbor
Morning whale watching tour. High success rate for Humpbacks.
Glaumbær
Glaumbær is an Icelandic town and church site in the middle of Langholt, west of Héraðsvötn in Skagafjörður, formerly a part of the rural municipality Seyluhreppur. It is now home to the Skagafjörður Folk Museum.
Hvítserkur
Hvítserkur is a 15 m high basalt stack along the eastern shore of the Vatnsnes peninsula, in northwest Iceland.
The Golden Circle & Departure
Finish strong with the most famous sights before heading to the airport.
Þingvellir
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
Upcountry Árnessýsla, or Uppsveitir Árnessýslu in Icelandic, is a rural area in South Iceland, home to many of the country's most famous attractions.
Gullfoss
Upcountry Árnessýsla, or Uppsveitir Árnessýslu in Icelandic, is a rural area in South Iceland, home to many of the country's most famous attractions.
Keflavík Airport
Return your rental car and check in for your evening flight.
- Weather changes every 5 minutes
- Gas stations can be sparse in the East
- Strict speed limit enforcement
- Day 2: hotel change (Hvolsvöllur → Vík) — allow 1-2h check-out + transfer
- Day 3: intercity transfer (Vík → Höfn ~120km) — allow 4-8h for travel + check-in
- Day 4: hotel change (Höfn → Egilsstaðir) — allow 1-2h check-out + transfer
- Day 5: intercity transfer (Egilsstaðir → Akureyri ~126km) — allow 4-8h for travel + check-in
- Day 6: hotel change (Akureyri → Staðarskáli / Hvammstangi) — allow 1-2h check-out + transfer
- Day 7: intercity transfer (Staðarskáli / Hvammstangi → Departure ~154km) — allow 4-8h for travel + check-in
- Day 7: Gullfoss → Keflavík Airport flight transit only 3.5h — allow ≥5h door-to-door
- Day 7: 6h 22m driving — plan rest stops