Iceland Ring Road in 7 days

Reykjavik, the Golden Circle, and two waterfalls before bed. Long day; June light helps.

1. 08:00 1

   Hallgrímskirkja

   Sight

   Tower elevator for the rooftops, then a Bæjarins Beztu hot dog on the way to the car.

   

   52.8 km · 45m drive to next

2. 10:00 2

   Þingvellir National Park

   Park & nature

   Walk the rift between the plates. Parking is 1000 ISK at the machine.

   

   52.5 km · 1h drive to next

3. 12:00 3

   Geysir

   Park & nature

   Strokkur goes every 5 to 10 minutes. Stand upwind.

   

   11.7 km · 10m drive to next

4. 13:00 4

   Gullfoss

   Park & nature

   Two tiers into the canyon. Lamb soup at the cafe upstairs.

   

   29.9 km · 45m drive to next

5. 15:00 5

   Secret Lagoon

   Activity

   The old pool at Flúðir, cheaper and calmer than the Blue Lagoon. Book a slot.

   

   78.2 km · 1h 30m drive to next

6. 17:30 6

   Seljalandsfoss

   Park & nature

   Walk behind the curtain, rain jacket on. Gljúfrabúi is five minutes north, hidden in a slot.

   

   33.0 km · 25m drive to next

7. 19:00 7

   Skógafoss

   Park & nature

   Sleep nearby. The staircase to the top is the start of the Fimmvörðuháls trail.

   

The south coast: glacier, black sand, canyon, lagoon.

1. 08:30 1

   Sólheimajökull

   Park & nature

   Glacier tongue 15 minutes walk from the car park; guided walks go onto the ice.

   

   24.3 km · 20m drive to next

2. 10:00 2

   Dyrhólaey

   Park & nature

   Puffins May to August on the cliff. The arch is best from the upper road.

   

   5.4 km · 15m drive to next

3. 11:30 3

   Reynisfjara

   Park & nature

   Sneaker waves are lethal here. Stay far above the wet sand.

   

   3.3 km · 5m drive to next

4. 13:00 4

   Smiðjan Brugghús

   Food & drink

   Burgers and their own beer in Vík. The church on the hill is the photo.

   

   73.9 km · 1h 15m drive to next

5. 15:00 5

   Fjaðrárgljúfur

   Park & nature

   Two km canyon rim walk. Sometimes closed in spring to let the moss recover.

   

   84.0 km · 1h 10m drive to next

6. 17:00 6

   Svartifoss

   Park & nature

   Basalt column waterfall, 1.5 km each way from the Skaftafell visitor centre.

   

   50.6 km · 1h drive to next

7. 19:00 7

   Jökulsárlón

   Park & nature

   Icebergs and seals; cross the road to Diamond Beach. Golden hour lasts till midnight in June.

   

Höfn and the east fjords. Fill the tank in Höfn.

1. 08:30 1

   Höfn

   Food & drink

   Langoustine town. Fill up here; the next real station is a while.

   

   14.6 km · 15m drive to next

2. 10:00 2

   Stokksnes

   Park & nature

   Vestrahorn over black dunes. Private land, small fee at the Viking Cafe.

   

   73.6 km · 1h 30m drive to next

3. 12:00 3

   Djúpivogur

   Sight

   The Eggs of Merry Bay sculptures along the harbour.

   

   25.9 km · 30m drive to next

4. 13:30 4

   Kaupfjelagið

   Food & drink

   The old co-op in Breiðdalsvík, now a cafe.

   

   19.9 km · 30m drive to next

5. 15:30 5

   Fáskrúðsfjörður

   Sight

   The French fishing village; street signs in French.

   

   54.2 km · 45m drive to next

6. 17:30 6

   Egilsstaðir

   Sight

   Base for the east. Vök Baths float pools on the lake if you want a soak.

   

   23.3 km · 30m drive to next

7. 19:00 7

   Seyðisfjörður

   Food & drink

   Over the pass to the rainbow street and the blue church. Dinner at Norð Austur sushi.

   

Into the north east: basalt canyon, the big falls, Mývatn.

1. 09:00 1

   Stuðlagil Canyon

   Park & nature

   Basalt columns and turquoise water. The east bank walk is the real view, 5 km return.

   

   115 km · 1h drive to next

2. 11:30 2

   Dettifoss

   Park & nature

   Europe’s most powerful waterfall. Road 862 on the west side is paved; 864 on the east is gravel.

   

   29.1 km · 1h 30m drive to next

3. 13:30 3

   Ásbyrgi

   Park & nature

   Horseshoe canyon, easy forest walk to the pond at the head.

   

   56.2 km · 40m drive to next

4. 15:30 4

   Hverir

   Park & nature

   Boiling mud and sulphur. The Námafjall ridge walk looks down on it.

   

   2.9 km · 1h drive to next

5. 17:00 5

   Mývatn Nature Baths

   Activity

   The north’s Blue Lagoon, half the price, better view.

   

   6.8 km · 5m drive to next

6. 19:00 6

   Dimmuborgir

   Park & nature

   Lava castle walk, then dinner at the Vogafjós cowshed cafe: geysir bread and local lamb.

   

Goðafoss, Akureyri, then the long empty stretch west.

1. 08:30 1

   Goðafoss

   Park & nature

   Waterfall of the gods; both banks are walkable from the car park.

   

   32.0 km · 35m drive to next

2. 10:00 2

   Akureyri

   Sight

   Capital of the north. Heart shaped red lights, the botanical garden, Brynja ice cream.

   

   223 m · 5m walk to next

3. 12:00 3

   Berlín Akureyri

   Food & drink

   Brunch place on the main street; the last proper lunch until Borgarnes.

   

   153 km · 2h 15m drive to next

4. 14:30 4

   Hvítserkur

   Park & nature

   The troll drinking from the sea. Low tide for the beach.

   

   38.9 km · 40m drive to next

5. 17:00 5

   Kolugljúfur

   Park & nature

   Canyon waterfalls five minutes from the car; nobody there.

   

   141 km · 2h drive to next

6. 19:00 6

   Borgarnes

   Sight

   The Settlement Centre for the sagas. Sleep here.

   

Snæfellsnes, Iceland in miniature, in one loop.

1. 08:30 1

   Ytri Tunga

   Park & nature

   Seals haul out at low tide. Bring the long lens.

   

   19.0 km · 15m drive to next

2. 10:00 2

   Búðakirkja

   Sight

   The black church on the lava field.

   

   16.6 km · 20m drive to next

3. 11:00 3

   Arnarstapi

   Park & nature

   Cliff walk to Hellnar, 2.5 km, past the Gatklettur arch.

   

   2.9 km · 5m drive to next

4. 13:00 4

   Fjöruhúsið

   Food & drink

   Fish soup in the cove at Hellnar.

   

   15.8 km · 20m drive to next

5. 14:30 5

   Djúpalónssandur

   Park & nature

   Black pebble beach, shipwreck iron, the lifting stones.

   

   45.8 km · 45m drive to next

6. 16:30 6

   Kirkjufell

   Park & nature

   The mountain from the show. Shoot it from the waterfall side.

   

   40.3 km · 30m drive to next

7. 18:30 7

   Stykkishólmur

   Food & drink

   Harbour town. Dinner at Sjávarpakkhúsið.

   

Lava falls, a hot spring, and back to the city for a soak.

1. 09:00 1

   Hraunfossar

   Park & nature

   Springs pouring out of the lava edge; Barnafoss just upstream.

   

   27.4 km · 25m drive to next

2. 10:30 2

   Deildartunguhver

   Park & nature

   Europe’s biggest hot spring; Krauma baths next to it.

   

   81.3 km · 1h 30m drive to next

3. 12:30 3

   Sægreifinn

   Food & drink

   Lobster soup at the fisherman’s shack on the old harbour.

   

   1.3 km · 10m walk to next

4. 14:00 4

   Harpa

   Sight

   Glass facade, free to wander. Sun Voyager is ten minutes along the water.

   

   3.5 km · 15m drive to next

5. 16:00 5

   Sky Lagoon

   Activity

   Seven step ritual, infinity edge on the sea. Closer to town than the Blue Lagoon.

   

   3.1 km · 15m drive to next

6. 19:00 6

   Laugavegur

   Food & drink

   Last dinner and the bar street.