Iceland Ring Road Itinerary 7 Days – 10 Days I A Complete Guide

An Iceland Ring Road itinerary 7 days to 10 days will enchant you from the very beginning and give you a great insight into the impressive land of fire and ice. You will discover the most beautiful sights along the ring road and experience the diversity of Iceland.

In our travel report we want to give you a good overview of the most beautiful Icelandic Ring Road sights, valuable tips on driving, travel planning and the best activities. Have fun reading!

Iceland Ring Road Map with Attractions

Here is an overview of the Ring Road and the most beautiful sights along the Ring Road of Iceland.

Facts about the Iceland Ring Road

What is the Iceland Ring Road?

The Ring Road is probably the most famous road in Iceland. The Ring Road (1) goes once completely around Iceland and is about 1332 km long.

Can you do Ring Road Iceland in 7 days?

How many days do you need on the Ring Road in Iceland? If you were to drive the entire route, you could drive around Iceland in about 15-17 hours. However, in order to visit the corresponding sights and to spend a relaxing vacation in Iceland, you should plan at least 10 days. If you leave out some sights you can do the ring road also in just 7 days.

How to explore the Ring Road?

The best way to explore the Ring Road is as a self-driver. This way you have the opportunity to discover the different sights along the Ring Road at your own pace.

Is the Iceland Ring Road paved?

The Ring Road is 98% paved. During our visit there were some smaller parts that were a gravel road. Also, some of the roads leading off the Ring Road are not paved.

How around should you drive the Iceland Ring Road?

If you drive the Ring Road clockwise or counterclockwise you should decide on short notice and depending on the weather. First drive in the direction where the weather is supposed to be good in the next days.

Is it possible to drive around the Ring Road by Public Transport?

Yes, the Ring Road can be circumnavigated by public transport. However, since the buses do not run so frequently, such a trip should be well planned.

Are there organized tours along the Ring Road?

Yes, you can also explore Iceland along the Ring Road with an organized tour.

Travel Tips for the Iceland Ring Road

Even though the Ring Road is the central main road in Iceland there are some things you should consider when planning your trip. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when traveling along Iceland’s Ring Road:

#1 Plan Enough Time

In addition to the driving times you can find on Google Maps or in our table below, you should always plan enough buffer. Depending on wind and weather, the trip can take longer or you can see a great spot from the road and take an additional break.

#2 Consider the Length of the Days

The length of the days is of particular benefit to you in summer. Because in summer it never really gets dark. This means that you can theoretically be on the road for a very long time in one day, or visit the sights on the Ring Road at night.

#3 Be prepared for any Weather

Although we traveled in Iceland in the summer, there were days when we experienced warm t-shirt weather, rain, storms and snow all within 24 hours. Depending on the region, the weather can be very changeable and you should always be prepared for any weather and have rainproof clothes with you.

#4 Do not plan too much

Do not plan too many sights or plan some only optional. You will want to stop again and again during the trip, take pictures or just enjoy a break in the beautiful nature, so you should not plan too much.

#5 Driving in Iceland

Even if you “only” drive along the ring road you should always drive with foresight in Iceland. Especially in summer, many animals are also on the roads. So you should expect to meet sheep and also various birds on the road. The birds do not fly away from a car but hop comfortably towards the side of the road. When animals are on the road, always drive slowly and honk if necessary.

Furthermore, you should always be prepared for the fact that due to the sometimes very changeable weather, parts of the Ring Road Iceland may be closed. Please check au road.is regularly for more information.

#6 Car Rental Recommendation for Iceland

Do you already have a rental car for Iceland? If not, we can recommend the provider Northbound*. We had a lot of fun driving through Iceland with our car. We were completely satisfied with the booking, the car, the whole process and the support of Northbound and can only recommend you to book here.

Read also: Iceland Rental Car Guide

#7 Gas stations and supermarkets along the ring road

In the larger towns along the ring road you will find enough gas stations and supermarkets. Nevertheless, you should be prepared to drive on the ring road for a longer time without passing a place. So always refuel in time.

#8 Consider the season

The season plays a decisive role when visiting Iceland. In the summer, you can easily drive along the ring road, visit the highlands and experience that it never really gets dark. In winter you have to be prepared that roads can be closed due to snow and storms (always check road.is ) and the days can be extremely short. But you will have the chance to experience Iceland in the snow and especially to see the beautiful northern lights.

Iceland Ring Road Itinerary 7 Days – 10 Days

Here is an example of an Iceland Ring Road itinerary 7 Days to 10 Days. You will visit the most beautiful things to do on the Ring Road. But we couldn’t resist to add a highlight from the highlands, Kerlingarfjöll. We were just so excited about this inhospitable area in the highlands that we can only recommend it to you. If you want to skip the highlands, you can make the remaining days a little more relaxed. If you don’t have time for a iceland ring road itinerary 10 days just skip the highlands and some other attractions.

Read also: Iceland itinerary for 10 days

Travel Day	Route / Highlight	Kilometer / Driving Time
Day 1	Reykjavik to Vik	190 km / 2,5 h
Day 2	Jökulsárlon Glacier Lagoon	190 km / 2,5 h
Day 3	Eastfjords Day 1	230 km / 3 h
Day 4	Eastfjords Day 2	280 km / 4 h
Day 5	Stuðlagil Canyon	150 km / 2 h
Day 6	Húsavík Whalewatching	150 km / 1.5 h
Day 7	Mývatn See	60 km / 1 h
Day 8	Goðafoss & Drive up F-Road F35	200 km / 2.5 h
Day 9	Kerlingafjöll & Hveradalir	200 km / 4 h
Day 10	Golden Circle & Blue Lagoon	180 km / 3 h

Top 10 Things To Do on a Iceland Ring Road Itinerary 7 Days

#1 Skogafoss

Skógafoss is a must-do on your Iceland tour and definitely one of the most beautiful sights on Iceland’s Ring Road. The special thing about this waterfall is that you can walk to the base of Skógafoss and get some really great shots.

The Skógafoss pours on a width of up to 25 meters almost 60 meters into the depth and offers particularly great photo opportunities, if you go close or zoom in with the camera. You can climb a staircase on the right side of Skogafoss to the top and see the waterfall from a completely different perspective.

What awaits you here?

A lot of tourists are waiting for you here, because this waterfall is located right on the ring road and is heavily visited. But it is worth it. And the closer you get, the better the perspective on this spectacular waterfall. But be careful, it could get wet.

#2 Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon

The canyon with the unpronounceable name is a canyon in the south of Iceland, located about 70 kilometers west of Vik and is for us one of the most beautiful Icelandic sights. The canyon is up to 100 meters deep in some places and has a length of about 2 kilometers. The canyon was formed about 2 million years ago and offers steep cliffs and fantastic views of the rugged rocky landscape. The canyon was formed by the river Fjaðrá, which rises far away in the highlands.

Since the river seems very puny today, it is hard to imagine how it has carved this gorge over the millennia. The gorge is as a colorful balance to the gray rock still overgrown with vast amounts of grass and moss which enhances the ambience again.

What awaits you here?

From the parking lot you can walk on a narrow path along the edge of the gorge in about an hour to a waterfall that pours into the gorge, and then back to the parking lot. In between there are always small natural “lookout points”, which are located directly at the steeply sloping gorge. However, these are closed since short for nature conservation reasons.

#3 Jökulsarlon Glacier Lagoon

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon is the largest and most famous lake in Iceland and one of the top Icelandic attractions on the Ring Road. Jökulsárlón Ice Lagoon is a lake fed by meltwater from the nearby Vatnajökull glacier (which, by the way, is the largest glacier in Europe) and is connected to the sea by a short section of river. This is also the reason why the lake does not freeze over in winter, because the tides push seawater into the lagoon, which is why the water here is salty.

What awaits you here?

The main attraction of this lagoon are the up to 30 meters high icebergs, which float by the thousands in the turquoise blue water of the glacier lagoon. As soon as you park your car at the nearby parking lot, you are standing in front of the huge lagoon and see the thousands of ice chunks and icebergs floating around in the glacier lagoon.

Activities	Price p.P.	Tickets
Crystal Ice Cave Day Tour	from 155 €	Book now*
From Reykjavik: Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon Full-Day Trip	from 160 €	Book now*
Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon & Boat Tour from Reykjavik	from 200 €	Book now*

Hotel Recommendation

During our visit to the glacier lagoon, we stayed at Skyrhúsid Guesthouse*, which is only 10 minutes away. You can reach Diamond Beach very fast and still sleep a bit away from the ring road. The rooms are lovingly decorated and there is a large communal kitchen.

Skyrhúsid Guest House | Check Prices*

#4 Diamond Beach

Diamond Beach is a black sand beach directly across from Jökulsárlón Lagoon and, in our opinion, one of the top Iceland sights you shouldn’t miss. It is not the only black sand beach in Iceland, but together with the ice chunks from the neighboring glacier lagoon, this landscape is absolutely unique. Diamond Beach gets its name from the many ice chunks floating in the sea and lying on the beach. In the sunlight they often glitter like little diamonds.

What is also special about this beach is that it never looks the same every day. Everything depends on the wind, the tides and the sun, and of course the glacier. Nevertheless, every day it looks just spectacular, as if someone had planned this beach. But nature is still the best builder!

What awaits you here?

From the parking lot you are in a few minutes on the pitch black sandy beach where – in the best case – hundreds, if not thousands of small and bigger ice chunks lie on the beach or swim around in the water. You can walk several kilometers along the beach, but most of the time it is not necessary, because right next to the strait that connects the lagoon and the beach are the most icebergs to be seen.

#5 Stokksnes

Stokksnes is a black lava beach on the south coast of Iceland. It consists of extremely fine, pitch black sand and you almost feel like you are in the Caribbean. On this very large beach, there are a lot of smaller hills that are covered in poison green grass, creating a perfect contrast to the black sand. You can walk all around here and take great photos. Best of all, of course, with Mount Vestrahorn in the background.

Mount Vestrahorn is one of the most breathtaking mountains in the country. With peaks that rise up to 454 meters, steep cliffs that rise on the sides of a stunning lagoon and black sand beaches, it’s a special treat for any nature lover. It is mostly made of gabbro, a plutonic magma rock and is almost 11 million years old.

What awaits you here?

This area is really totally crazy and unexpectedly beautiful. Although this beach is not far from the ring road, comparatively few tourists come here. You can take wonderful photos and stroll along the beach. If you drive through the road to the end, you also have the chance to see seals.

#6 Dettifoss

Not far from the whale watching capital Husavik is the powerful Dettifoss. This imposing waterfall pours into a long gorge from a height of 44 meters over a width of 100 meters and is also the most powerful waterfall in all of Europe. In rainy summer months, up to 1,500 m³/s pour into the gorge here. That is the content of a standard swimming pool, and that per second!

The whole spectacle is really very impressive, which is why the waterfall is also for us one of the most beautiful in Iceland. The spray that the waterfall swirls up is more than a hundred meters high and can be seen from a distance. In sunshine, the spray also creates a beautiful rainbow over the waterfall, which gives the whole thing a particularly beautiful face.

What awaits you here?

After a few hundred meters of walking you will reach the waterfall and you can wander around to your heart’s content, because there are no barriers. So if you’re as daring as we are, you can walk right up to the edge of the waterfall to witness the water masses pouring into the gorge.

#7 Husavík

Húsavík is the capital of whale watching tours in Iceland. Almost all the whale watching tours you can do in Iceland start in this small town. The perfect conditions for the whales in Skjälfandi Bay allow for a really good success rate of almost 98% for whale watching tours in Húsavík, at least that’s what the providers say. Mainly minke whales, humpback whales and sperm whales can be observed in Húsavík. With a little luck also orcas and rare blue whales.

What awaits you here?

Even if you are lucky enough to see the great animals from land, you should book an organized tour*. You can go out to sea by speedboat or you can start your whale watching a bit more quiet – and better for the animals – with slower sailing ships.

Book Whale Watching Tour in Husavik*

#8 Golden Circle

The Golden Circle is one of the top highlights in Iceland. Actually every tourist who travels to Iceland also comes here. Some even exclusively, because of the proximity to the airport, many stop here even with a one-day stopover and look at the famous Iceland sights of the Golden Circle. Accordingly, it is touristy here.

There are several sights to see here and the 3 most beautiful and famous of them are: The waterfall Gulfoss, the Strokkur Geysir and the National Park Thingvellir. You can easily spend 1-2 days, but the most important things also tick off in half a day.

What awaits you here?

First and foremost, you can expect a lot of tourists at all three major sights. There are large parking lots, stores and we have seen Iceland in no other place so touristy developed. Nevertheless, the visit of the sights is worthwhile in our opinion, because it has of course a reason (besides the proximity to the airport) why everyone comes here.

Activity	Price p.P.	Tickets
From Reykjavik: Golden Circle Full-Day Tour with Kerid Crater	from 65 €	Book now*
Golden Circle and Glacier Snowmobile Tour	from 240 €	Book now*
Golden Circle & Blue Lagoon Small-Group Tour	from 199 €	Book now*

Hotel Recommendation at the Golden Circle

We have found you a nice hotel near the Golden Circle, which offers a large common area and even a whirlpool. Great for relaxing after a long day.

Efra-Sel Hostel | Check Availability*

#9 Seljalandfoss

This waterfall is one of the most famous in Iceland and is famous for the fact that you can also get behind the waterfall here, giving you a great photo perspective. The waterfall plunges here 66 meters into the depths and is fed by the Eyjafjallajökull glacier, which spectacularly paralyzed air traffic throughout Europe in 2010. By the way, a visit is particularly attractive in the evening, because the sun is then wonderfully positioned when you stand behind the waterfall.

What awaits you here?

Here one of the most amazing Icelandic sights is waiting for you, because not in many places you can stand behind a waterfall. But beware… here you will get wet for sure. However, the proximity to the ring road also ensures that this highlight is well visited and even the parking lot is chargeable.

#10 Myvatn

Lake Mývatn is the fourth largest lake in Iceland and is of volcanic origin. The whole area around the lake is still volcanically active, because the border between the Eurasian and the American continental plate runs here. You can drive around the lake once here and take in the numerous sights.

What awaits you here?

Several Icelandic sights are waiting for you here. Besides the lake View you can visit caves filled with thermal water, the forest area Höfði or the thermal area Hverir. After a day of exploring, you can relax perfectly in the Myvatn Nature Baths*.

Activity	Price p.P.	Tickets
Myvatn Nature Bath	from 45 €	Book now*

Accommodation

Only 6 km away from the Mývatn Nature Baths is the Fosshótel Mývatn. Here you get breakfast, can rent bikes and that already from 120€ per night in a double room.

Fosshótel Mývatn at Booking.com*

Great Activities along the Icelandic Ring Road

Boat Trip on the Jökulsarlon Lagoon

If you want to get a little closer to the glacier as well as the ice chunks in the glacier lagoon, then a boat trip in the glacier lagoon is just the thing for you. Go by amphibious boat between the icebergs and visit the waterfalls Vik, Seljalandsfoss and Stjórnarfoss and much more.

Amazing Boat Tour on the Jökulsaron Glacier Lagoon I Check Availability*

Ice Caves (Winter Only)

Ice cave tours are probably one of the most spectacular activities you can do in Iceland. Enter the ice cave and immerse yourself in a magical world of ice. A guide will make sure you are safe inside the cave, so you can simply admire the heavenly shades of blue once you are inside.

Glacier Hike

In Skaftafell National Park, you’ll have the unique opportunity to experience a hike across a spur of the impressive Vatnajökull glacier. Put on your crampons and view wonders of nature like deep crevasses and ice sculptures and enjoy panoramic views of Skaftafell National Park. Learn more about the formation of glaciers and the uncertain future of the icy beauties in times of global warming.

Whale Watching

Board a typical Icelandic oak boat and experience a traditional excursion to see whales in their natural habitat in Iceland. Sail into Husavik’s Skjálfandi Bay and be enchanted by Mother Nature’s biodiversity.

Book Whale Watching Tour in Husavik*

Snowmobile (Winter Only)

Experience on a great day trip from Reykjavik first the highlights of the Golde Circle and afterwards an adventurous ride on a snowmobile at the foot of the glacier Langjökull.

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We hope you enjoyed our Iceland Ring Road Itinerary 7 Days to 10 Days? If you have any questions or tips about the Iceland Ring Road, please leave us a comment!