Iceland Ring Road: Is It Still Worth Doing? Honest Self-Drive Guide

The Road That Circles a Country

Route 1 — the Ring Road — is 1,332 kilometres of tarmac that circles Iceland's entire coastline. Drive it and you will see more geological drama per kilometre than anywhere else on earth: active volcanoes, glaciers calving into the sea, waterfalls that fall off the edge of cliffs, geysers erupting every few minutes, and black sand beaches where the Atlantic crashes against the shore with a force that makes the ground shake.

Iceland is roughly the size of England, but the Ring Road takes at least 7 days to drive properly, and 10–14 days to do it justice. The road is paved for its entire length and is driveable in a standard car for most of the year, though winter driving requires care and a 4WD is recommended from October to April.

The Route: Clockwise or Anti-Clockwise?

Most travellers drive clockwise from Reykjavík, which means the South Coast — the most dramatic and most visited section — comes first. Anti-clockwise puts the North first and saves the South Coast for last — a strong finish. Either direction works. The key is to allow enough time at each stop rather than rushing to cover distance.

Reykjavík: The Starting Point

Give Reykjavík at least two days before you start driving. The city is small but excellent.

Hallgrímskirkja is the most distinctive building in Iceland — a Lutheran church whose concrete facade was designed to resemble the basalt columns found throughout the country. The tower offers the best view over the city.

Harpa Concert Hall is a glass building on the harbour whose facade changes colour with the light. The interior is extraordinary; the building hosts concerts and events year-round.

The National Museum tells the story of Iceland from the settlement period (870 AD) to the present day. The Viking-age artefacts are exceptional.

The Old Harbour is the centre of Reykjavík's food scene — fish restaurants, whale-watching boats, and the Reykjavík Street Food hall. The langoustine soup is extraordinary.

The Blue Lagoon is 45 minutes from Reykjavík and is worth the hype — a geothermal pool of milky blue water surrounded by black lava fields. The silica mud is good for the skin; the in-water bar serves cocktails. Book well in advance.

The Golden Circle

Before starting the Ring Road, most visitors do the Golden Circle — a 300km loop from Reykjavík that takes in three of Iceland's most famous sights.

Þingvellir National Park is where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet — you can walk between them in a rift valley. It is also the site of the world's first parliament (930 AD) and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Silfra fissure offers snorkelling and diving in water of extraordinary clarity.

Geysir is the original geyser — the word comes from this site. The Strokkur geyser erupts every 5–10 minutes, shooting water 20–30 metres into the air. The surrounding geothermal area is extraordinary.

Gullfoss is a two-tiered waterfall that drops 32 metres into a canyon. In summer, rainbows form in the spray; in winter, the falls are partially frozen.

The South Coast: Days 1–3

The South Coast is the most dramatic section of the Ring Road and the most visited. Allow at least three days.

Seljalandsfoss is the first major waterfall — a curtain of water that falls 60 metres off a cliff, with a path that allows you to walk behind it. The path is slippery; waterproof clothing is essential.

Skógafoss is 30 minutes further east — a wider, more powerful waterfall with a staircase to the top that gives views over the South Coast. The Skógar Folk Museum at the base is excellent.

Reynisfjara is the most dramatic black sand beach in Iceland. The basalt columns of Reynisfjall rise from the beach; the sea stacks of Reynisdrangar stand offshore. The beach is dangerous — rogue waves have killed tourists — but the views are extraordinary. Never turn your back on the sea.

Vík is the southernmost village in Iceland, with a black sand beach, a church on a hill, and the best fish and chips in Iceland at the Suður-Vík restaurant.

Skaftafell is a nature reserve within Vatnajökull National Park, with hiking trails to glacier tongues and the Svartifoss waterfall — a cascade framed by hexagonal basalt columns.

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon is the highlight of the South Coast: a lagoon filled with icebergs calved from the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier, floating slowly towards the sea. Boat tours take you among the icebergs. Across the road, Diamond Beach is where the icebergs wash up on the black sand, glittering in the light.

The East Fjords: Days 4–5

The East Fjords are the quietest section of the Ring Road — long, narrow fjords cutting into the mountains, small fishing villages at their heads, and almost no other tourists. The driving is slower here; the road winds in and out of each fjord.

Seyðisfjörður is the most picturesque town in the East Fjords — a village at the end of a dramatic fjord, with colourful wooden houses, a ferry terminal (the ferry to Denmark and the Faroe Islands departs from here), and a thriving arts scene.

Djúpivogur is a small fishing village with a sculpture installation of 34 giant eggs representing the bird species that nest in the area.

Höfn is the lobster capital of Iceland — the langoustine (called humar in Icelandic) from the waters around Höfn is extraordinary. The Humarhöfnin restaurant is excellent.

The North: Days 6–8

Dettifoss is the most powerful waterfall in Europe — 193 cubic metres of water per second crashing 44 metres into a canyon. The ground vibrates. The spray soaks you from 50 metres away. The approach road from the west (Route 862) is paved; from the east (Route 864) it is gravel.

Mývatn is a volcanic lake surrounded by extraordinary geological features: pseudocraters (formed by steam explosions when lava flowed over wetland), lava formations at Dimmuborgir, mud pools and fumaroles at Hverir, and the Námaskarð geothermal area where the ground steams and bubbles. The lake itself is home to extraordinary birdlife.

Húsavík is the whale-watching capital of Iceland. The waters of Skjálfandi Bay are home to humpback whales, minke whales, and blue whales. The Húsavík Whale Museum is excellent.

Goðafoss — the Waterfall of the Gods — is where the lawspeaker Þorgeir threw his Norse idols into the water when Iceland converted to Christianity in 1000 AD. The waterfall is wide and beautiful.

Akureyri is Iceland's second city — a town of 20,000 people with a surprisingly good restaurant scene, a botanical garden (the northernmost in the world), and a ski resort. The traffic lights are heart-shaped.

The Snæfellsnes Peninsula

The Snæfellsnes Peninsula is a detour from the Ring Road but essential. The Snæfellsjökull glacier — Jules Verne's entrance to the centre of the earth in Journey to the Centre of the Earth — dominates the western tip. The national park around the glacier has extraordinary hiking, birdwatching, and coastal scenery.

Kirkjufell mountain is the most photographed mountain in Iceland — a distinctive arrowhead shape rising from the sea near Grundarfjörður. The Kirkjufellsfoss waterfall in the foreground completes the composition.

Arnarstapi and Hellnar are small fishing villages on the south coast of the peninsula, connected by a coastal walking trail through extraordinary lava formations.

Ice Caves

The ice caves inside the Vatnajökull glacier are one of Iceland's most extraordinary experiences. The caves form in winter when meltwater drains from the glacier, leaving hollow spaces with walls of blue ice. Tours depart from Jökulsárlón from November to March. The blue colour is caused by the compression of the ice over centuries, which removes air bubbles and allows only blue light to pass through.

Northern Lights

The Northern Lights are visible from Iceland from September to March. The best conditions are clear skies, low light pollution, and high solar activity. Check the Aurora Forecast at en.vedur.is every evening — it gives a 1–9 scale of activity and cloud cover predictions. The lights are most commonly seen between 10pm and 2am.

When to Go

Summer (June–August): The midnight sun means 24 hours of daylight. The highlands (F-roads) are accessible. No Northern Lights. The most popular time to visit.

Winter (November–February): Short days (4–5 hours of daylight in December), cold, and the best chance of Northern Lights. Some highland roads are closed. Ice cave tours available.

Shoulder seasons (April–May, September–October): The best compromise — reasonable weather, some Northern Lights in autumn, and fewer crowds than summer. The landscape in autumn, with the first snow on the mountains and the golden light, is extraordinary.

Practical Tips

Car: A 2WD is sufficient for the Ring Road itself in summer. A 4WD is recommended for winter driving and essential for F-roads. Book well in advance — car hire is expensive and popular models sell out.

Fuel: Fill up whenever you see a petrol station. The gaps between stations in the East and North can be 100km+. Petrol is expensive in Iceland.

Accommodation: Book everything in advance for summer travel. The Ring Road has a good network of guesthouses, farm stays, and hostels. Camping is popular and well-organised.

Budget: Iceland is expensive. Expect €150–250/day for comfortable travel. Self-catering from supermarkets (Bónus is the cheapest chain) significantly reduces costs.

Weather: Icelandic weather is famously unpredictable. Pack waterproof clothing, warm layers, and sunscreen (for summer). Check road conditions at road.is before driving.