Iceland Road Trip – planning tips + itinerary + best roads

Let’s plan your Iceland Road Trip!
Below is your step-by-step guide to start planning you Iceland Travels:

• when to visit,
• where to go (best roads and areas), 
• How to rent your car, 
• Tips to create your Iceland itinerary, 
• Tips to book accommodations;
• Tips to get ready to drive and travel. 

Note: This is for Spring, Summer and Autumn. if you are planning a road trip in Winter, better to read my specific Winter article.

STEP 0 – ESSENTIALS – How to Plan an Iceland Road Trip

As you go through the following steps to plan your road trip around Iceland, I recommend you keep the following in mind:

• Many amazing landscapes are very easy to reach, so don’t worry! No stress, keep planning
• Don’t plan too much every day – you will get frustrated not to be able to stop as much since it is stunning everywhere
• Don’t overestimate your 4WD capacity – if you plan on going on the Central Highlands track, know that there will be river crossings and they can be quite difficult and changing during the day
• As you are approaching your Iceland road trip, stop watching the weather forecast. It will change every day and during the day, so just go with the flow of your planned Itinerary.
• Note – if you don’t want to plan your whole Iceland road trip on your own, you can head to my article about choosing a self-drive package.

STEP 1 – Decide when to visit Iceland

Iceland is beautiful and magical all year around. And the weather is always unpredictable.
So, I don’t think weather should be too much of a factor when deciding when to visit Iceland (except for Winter vs Summer because of the snow).
To my opinion the best time to pan your Iceland Road Trip is based on what you want to see.

Here is a summary (For more info, read the full article on the Best time to visit Iceland including conditions and things to see):

June-August

• PROS – Long daylight hours, green scenery,
• You can see – lupine fields (June-July), midnight sun in June, whales, Puffins (May to mid-July)
• BUT Peak season: higher prices, more tourists; no chances of seeing aurora borealis (not enough dark hours)

May & September-beginning October

• My favorite time
• PROS – Still enough daylight hours, spring and autumn colors, roads still in good condition
• You can see – aurora borealis, Whales between May and September (Killer whales in May), Puffins in May
• BUT fewer accommodations are open, colder weather

Winter

• PROS – Not too many tourists, stunning landscapes with snow, interesting low light for photography, good prices
• You can see – aurora borealis, winter wonders such as the blue caves, frozen waterfalls, 
• BUT Difficult driving conditions, many roads closed, not many hours of light
• If you are planning a road trip in Winter – head to this article instead

STEP 2 – Where to go – Maps – Ring road or regions

CLASSIC – Iceland Ring Road Road Trip

The most classic road trip to do in Iceland is to tour the Ring Road, also known as Route 1. It is great to get an overview of the country.

• The Ring Road is 1332km long (828mi) – Without stopping at all and staying only on Route 1,
• It would take you 16 to 17h to drive all around Iceland.
• It is fenced on a large portion, reducing the risks of having a sheep on the road (but not everywhere, so be careful
• A lot of the most famous sights are along the Road: Waterfalls, glaciers, lagoon, geothermal areas, volcanoes.
• You can check out my selection of the Best stops on the Ring Road

OR – Exploring the regions

OR you can stick to a few regions either

• if you have limited time
• or if you want to explore them more

Below are the main regions of Iceland with the things you can expect to see in each of them.

South-West Iceland

• Area – Reykjavik and the Reykjanes peninsula
• Roads – easy, options for moderate
• Main towns – Reykjavik, Keflavik (airport), Selfoss (gateway to South Coast)
• Things to see – waterfalls, geothermal areas, movement of tectonic places
• Famous attractions – Blue Lagoon, and the Golden Circle with Thingvellir National Park, Gullfoss, Geysir
• Check out the top things to do in the region here

Snaefellsnes Peninsula

• Area – North West of Reykjavik – ‘Iceland in miniature’ 
• Roads – easy around, some moderate and 4WD options
• Main towns – Borgarnes to access the peninsula, Grundarfjordur on the North Coast
• Things to see – Waterfalls, fjords, glacier, craters, giant lava formations, black sand beaches
• Famous attractions – Kirkjufell mountain and its waterfalls, lava cliffs of Arnarstapi
• Check out the top things to do in the region in this article

South Coast

• Area – the south coast 
• Roads – Easy, mostly Road 1
• Main towns – Vik ad Höfn
• Things to see – waterfalls, black sand beaches, mountains, glaciers, icebergs…
• Famous attractions – Seljalandsfoss, Skogafoss, Jokulsarlon lagoon, Diamond Beach and so much more
• Check out the top things to do in the region in this article

North Iceland

• Area – My favorite region – as if on another planet
• Roads – mostly easy, some moderate and 4WD options
• Main towns – between Egilsstadir and the Northern capital Akureyri
• Things to see – Geothermal fields, volcanic craters, Arctic ocean, waterfalls, giant lava formations
• Famous attractions – Dettifoss, Dimmuborgir, Hverir geothermal area, Godafoss, Lake Myvatn
• Check out the top things to do in the region in this article

East fjords

• Area – Some of the oldest rocks in Iceland, on the East coast
• Roads – easy to moderate
• Main towns – No large towns in the fjords
• Things to see – Forest, lush farmlands, small fjords and fishing villages…
• Famous attractions – just driving

West Fjords

• Area – North West peninsula – Isolated region with relatively unspoiled wilderness
• Roads – Not easy, but open to 4WD
• Main towns – Isafjordur
• Things to see – Waterfalls, fjords, beaches, bird life
• Famous attractions – Dynjandi waterfall

Central Highlands

• Area – Wild mountains and glacier which can be explored during Summer only with a 4WD
• Roads – F-roads, 4WD only
• Main towns – none
• Things to see – magnificent unspoilt nature with colorful mountains
• Famous attractions – Landmannalaugar, Sigodulgljufur canyon
• Check out the top things to do in the region in this article

Best roads in Iceland for road trips

Some of the most famous roads in Iceland to include on your road trip are:

• The Ring Road that allows you to tour the island
• The Golden Circle, the most famous small loop not far from Reykjavik – in one or two days – learn more
• The Silver Circle, a lesser known road with lava tube and waterfalls – in one or two days – learn more
• The Road around the Snaefellsnes Peninsula to see the “Iceland in miniature” – learn more
• F-208 through the Central Highlands – 4WD mandatory (with river crossings)

All my favorite locations in Iceland can be found in my travel guide eBooks that help you plan your road trip:

STEP 3 – How long to plan for your road trip in Iceland

The first criteria is, of course: How much travel time can you have… 

If you have no flexibility, you can jump to the next step.
If you have flexibility, here are a few facts to keep in mind:

• Speed limit on the best paved roads is 90 km/hour but unpaved sections are at 80km/h 
• You will want to stop every 5 minutes to look at the changing scenery or take a photo – this is inevitable

How long does it take the drive completely around Iceland

• As written earlier, without stopping at all and staying only on Route 1, it would take you 16 to 17h to drive all around Iceland.
• However, if you wan to cover all of Iceland you have to add the Golden Circle, the Snaefellsnes peninsula, detours to northern areas of North Iceland and the West fjords – so maybe 50h of driving

Can you drive around Iceland in 7 days?

With the long days of Summer, it is possible to do the Ring Road within 7 days.
However, you have to be really careful where to stop. You have to limit yourself on the attractions you can see.
Therefore, I would not recommend attempting the all-around Ring Road in 7 days, you would have to rush all the time and it will be frustrating.

From my experience and discussion with local tour guides, I think to really enjoy it you need at least:

• Reykjavik – Golden circle: 2 to 3 days
• Snaefellsnes – 2 to 3 days
• South Iceland – 3 to 4 days
• West Fjords – 2 to 4 days
• East Iceland – 2 days
• North Iceland – 4/5 days (including 2 to 3 around Myvatn)
• Central Highlands – at least one day for Landmannalaugar with 4 WD but there is so much more to see!

Of course, you can do just a snapshot of each region with 1 day or max 2 days in each. But it will be rushed.

Driving times

And here is a map with some driving times to help you more:

The question of an Iceland road trip cost

Your time in Iceland might also be limited by your budget.
However it is very difficult to give you an idea of what it would look like because it depends on a lot of factors (use of campervan, type of accommodation, type of cars, number of travelers…).

The best is to plan your ideal road trip itinerary, check out the cost and see how to adapt to fit your budget.

Another option is to check self-drive packages, that give you an overall idea of prices:

• SUMMER – 7 days – South of Iceland + Golden Circle – Check out program and latest prices
• SUMMER – 10 days – Best of Ring Road + Snaefellsnes Peninsula – Check out program and latest prices
• SUMMER – 14 days – Complete Iceland overview including the Westfjords – Check out program and latest prices

STEP 4 – Book your flight

So now that you have chosen when to go, where to go and for how long, you are ready to book your flight.

Choose flight

Compare flight prices

Visa

First, check the Visa requirement for your type of passport.
Iceland is part of the Schengen Visa Agreement.
Here is the list of countries where a visa is needed to visit Iceland 

Airport

Note that all international flights arriving in Iceland land at the Keflavik airport. It is a 40min drive to reach Reykjavik from there.
They have shuttles and private transfers if you are not renting a car right away – book here
Whereas the regional airport for the few internal flight options (such as going to Akureyri in the North) is located near Reykjavik.

STEP 5 – Rent the right car for your Icelandic Road Trip

Now that you have a rough idea of where you are going and what type of roads you are going to take, you can decide on the car to rent. Here are a few tips to consider when renting a car in Iceland:

• TIMING – Iceland is a popular destination – for choice and good price, book as early as possible
• 2WD / 4WD – If you plan on driving on F-roads, a 4WD is mandatory – Otherwise 2WD is sufficient but a simple 4WD allows you to enter any road that looks inspiring without worry
• RENTAL COMPANIES – When choosing the company, don’t just look at price, consider the age of the fleet, included mileage, 24/7 customer service, servicing availability…
• INSURANCES – Check all types of insurance and decide on the level of risk you are ready to take. For peace of mind, I strongly recommend the Gravel Protection one
• BOOK early to have better price and good choice of cars

For more information, head to my complete guide to selecting your rental car of Iceland (car types, companies, insurance, tips…)

My recommendations:

• My favorite comparison site (one of the best rated internationally) – See here to compare prices on International rental brands: Discovercars.com
• Or consider a local brand – there are many local car rental agencies in Iceland. It is not easy to compare. But on this website GuidetoIceland.com, they have gathered almost all of them and you can compare the vehicles and prices for the dates you are interested in.
• Both websites collect many customer reviews / ratings

STEP 6 – Create a detailed Iceland Road Trip itinerary

Ok now it is time to dig deeper and create a more detailed itinerary.
This will help you decide where to sleep and for how many nights.

As before, to help you plan your itinerary you can:

• My suggested itineraries for 5 days in Iceland
• My suggested for 7 days in Iceland itineraries
• My 4 itineraries to spend 10 days in Iceland
• And my favorite itinerary for 14 days around Iceland

• Go through my 60+ articles on Iceland
• Get one of my eBooks with practical maps and structured information made to facilitate planning:

Essential tips for you Iceland itinerary:

When planning your itinerary don’t forget to consider the following essentials:

• Driving times – Always plan more time to go from point A to point B than what Google says. You will want to stop all the time to admire the scenery, so if you plan too much you will feel frustrated not to be able to.
• Daylight hours – Check out the daylight time you have available when you are traveling. Because of the latitude, the length of days varies greatly. Check out how long you have to see all the sites during the days 
• Road closures – Know that F-roads (difficult non paved tracks with river crossings most of the time) are only opened from mid-June to sometime in September. Dates change every year depending on the conditions. Most of those roads lead to the central highlands.
• Road conditions– Know that in Winter, road conditions can change abruptly, with sometimes snowstorms. Really don’t plan too much
• Accommodation options – You can’t just stop your itinerary on one day in the middle of no-where, you might not find accommodation. So, try to plan around the big hubs as listed in the next step.

Example: 10 day Iceland Ring Road Itinerary

• Day 1 – Reykjavik to Vik with at least Seljalandsfoss, Skogafoss, Reynisfjara beach –
  Sleep around Vik – check out best rated accommodations
• Day 2 – Vik to Jokulsarlon with at least Fjadrargljufur canyon and Skaftafell National Park (and Jokulsarlon for sunset)
  Sleep around Jokulsarlon – check out best rated accommodations
• Day 3 – Jokulsarlon to Höfn with at least Jokulsarlon for sunrise, Diamond beach, (ice cave in in Winter), Fjallsarlon, Höfn peninsula
  Sleep in Höfn – check out best rated accommodations
• Day 4 – Höfn to Egilsstadir – driving around the East Fjords
  Sleep in Egilsstadir – check out best rated accommodations
• Day 5 – Egilsstadir to Lake Myvatn (Reykjahlid) – enjoy some of the Myvatn attractions
  Sleep in Reykjahlid – check out best rated accommodations
• Day 6 – Myvatn – enjoy more of the Myvatn attractions
  Sleep in Reykjahlid – check out best rated accommodations (or in Godafoss to enjoy the sunset – see hotel)
• Day 7 – Myvatn to Akureyri with at least Godafoss, Town of Akureyri and Whale watching
  Sleep in Akureyri – check out best rated accommodations
• Day 8 – Akureyri to Borgarnes with longer drive, Grabrokargigar and small detours possible
  Sleep in Borgarnes – check out best rated accommodations
• Day 9 – Borgarnes to Reykjavik and visit the capital city (alternative: Tour of Snaefellsnes peninsula or Golden Circle)
  Sleep in Reykjavik – check out best rated accommodations
• Day 10 – Visit of Reykjavik
  Sleep in Reykjavik – check out best rated accommodations

Use my travel guides eBooks to choose the stops you are most interested in each day.

STEP 7 – Book accommodations

As one of my taxi drivers mentioned, with the boom of tourism in Iceland, accommodations are appearing everywhere, especially guesthouses. The options are as usual: camping, minivan/motorhome, hostels, guesthouses, hotels, farm stay.

A few points to keep in mind:

• During peak season, accommodations fill up quickly especially those well located
• Off peak season, many are closed so it can also be hard to find accommodation if you look at the last minute (I looked at it 6 weeks beforehand and options were limited for the Myvatn area)
• A lot of rooms in Guesthouses have to share bathrooms – I have seen many reviews by people who were surprised. So, when you book, check the details!
• Renting a campervan or camping is also a great option to save money, stay closer to nature. But know that it is cold at night, so be mindful of how you are willing to travel. In September I still saw a lot of campers. Layers Layers Layers! – Check out some Mini-camper and van options
• Or read my complete guide about the best places to stay in Iceland

Practical accommodation hubs to stay at around Iceland:

Accommodations in South-West Iceland

• Reykjavik of course – Check out the best rated accommodations in Reykjavik
• another option is to stay near the airport at Keflavik. It is also nice – Check out the best rated accommodations in Keflavik
• Selfoss is ideally located between the Golden Circle and the South Coast –  see best rated accommodations

Accommodations on the Snaefellsnes peninsula

• Grundarfjordur is the most sought after specially for photographers since it is 5 min away from the magnificent Kirkjufell – Check out the best rated accommodations in Grundarfjordur
• Or for a stop on the Ring Road that makes a great departure points of a day around the peninsula, choose Borgarnes – check out the best rated accommodations in Borgarnes

Accommodations in South Iceland + East Fjords

• Vik is the main touristic hub on the South Coast. Located between the waterfalls and the Lagoons, it has its own interest with basalt columns and black sand beach – Check out the best rated accommodations in Vik
• At the East end of the South Coast is Höfn. A good place to stop along the Ring Road before or after the East Fjords – Check out the best rated accommodations in Höfn

Accommodations in North Iceland + East Fjords

• Egilsstadir is a practical location to transition between East fjords and North Iceland – see best rated accommodations
• Lake Myvatn has so much to offer. It is a fascinating place to explore. I recommend staying several night in the vicinity to be able to see all it has to offer – Check out the best rated accommodations around Lake Myvatn
• Akureyri is the capital of the North – see best rated accommodations

Accommodations in the West Fjords

• The main touristic town in the west fjords is Isafjordur at the end of a magnificent fjord – Check out the best rated accommodations in Isafjordur

STEP 8 – Get all the equipment you need

Wondering what to take with you to Iceland?

What type of clothes and shoes would be the most practical? What you should not forget?
The main things to know is to bring Layers, Layers, Layers.
This way, whenever the weather changes during the day you can easily adapt what you are wearing – layers to get warm, to protect against the wind or to protect against the rain/snow

Check out my complete article with detailed suggestions and tips on what to wear and pack for Iceland – detailed lists for both Summer and Winter.

And keep track of your own trip!

STEP 9 – Get ready to drive

The main driving rules to know are:

• Alcohol limit = 0
• Lights shall be turned at all times
• Do not use cell phone while driving
• Speed limits is 50 km/h in urban areas. Outside towns, it is 90 on paved roads and 80 on gravel roads (although I rarely was driving at 80 on those…)
• Seatbelts are mandatory for all

You can learn more and get ready with my article about driving in Iceland.

Below is a video to give you an idea of what driving in Iceland looks like:

Fill your GPS with the coordinates

What I hate most when traveling is wasting time. Turning around to find a place, missing an exit.
Sometimes it leads to adventure, but most of the time it just leads to frustrationThis is why I don’t rent a GPS with the car. I have my own Tom Tom. This way I can use the MyDrive system on my computer to add all the hotel GPS coordinates as well as the carpark coordinates for all the attractions I would like to see.

This way I just pick the favorite and follow the directions!!!

Get it on Amazon

NOTE – All the locations in my eBooks include the GPS coordinates of the nearest carpark, exactly for that reason:

STEP 10 – Get ready to travel in Iceland

Communicate with locals

Of course, like in any country, it is always appreciated when you try a few words in their language (which is called Icelandic by the way).

• Hello – Halló
• Thanks – Takk or Takk fyrir
• Cheers! – Skál!
• Yes – Já.
• No – Nei

For more, check out the wikitravel phrasebook page

Understand the name of places

Also, there are a few words that are useful to be recognized so that when you see a sign you can realize what type of scenery it will be, and you can decide if you want to explore:

• Jökull – Glacier
• Kirkja – Church
• Sarlon – Lagoon
• Fell – Mountain
• Foss/Fossar – Waterfall
• Hraun – Lava

Money 

• Currency: Icelandic Kronur
• Tipping: not mandatory
• Payment : Cash dispensers only in the cities (so plan ahead) but credit cards are taken everywhere and for all amounts
• Exchange your cash before leaving because you will not be able to do it outside Iceland

Food and drinks

• If you like fish, you will be spoiled.
• For the meat you can find everything, but it serves a lot of mutton.
• A classic snack in Iceland is the hot dog. They mix sauces, but nothing very original.
• For snacking they like dried fish but the smell alone will discourage many of you…
• Enjoy the delicious fresh water that comes out of the tap from the ice cream parlors
• alcohol is rather expensive

Good to know

• Showers: hot water can smell like sulfur. Don’t worry, it’s just from the heating system. No danger.
• Visa: no visa required for French people with a valid passport and staying less than 90 days
• Wifi – often available for free in gas stations. All the accommodations where I stayed had wifi at least in the common areas
• Telephone – no problem along Route 1
• Physical level – I was a little worried before I left because I was not very fit but for most places, access is very easy.
• Don’t forget to have insurance!

SPECIAL TIPS – Iceland Road Trip in Winter

An Iceland Road Trip in Winter is quite different from one in Summer.
So here are a few things to keep in mind:

• December, January and February are the coldest months – but they are not as cold as we imagine!
• Don’t plan too much. The days are short! for example in January you have only 4h30 to 7h of daylight
• Beginning of March is often a popular month because the days are longer and you can see a bit more, the nights are still long enough to see Northern lights, and the ice caves are accessible
• Early winter can be wet, but you can have beautiful clear road with the top of the mountains covered in snow. I love those types of moments!
• If one of your main goals is to admire the aurora Borealis and you have the possibility to pick your dates, look at the moon calendar, and avoid the days where the moon is big and bright because it will reduce how well you can see the northern lights.

Learn more on my article about planning a Winter road trip around Iceland or the options to visit Iceland in Winter

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