Iceland Ring Road Epic Road Trip: Glaciers, Geysers & the Unexpected

The Ring Road (Route 1) is Iceland’s greatest hits album – but not the overplayed kind.

It’s big landscapes, tiny towns, and all the jaw-dropping drama you’d expect from a place built on fire and ice.

Driving it is less like ticking off sights and more like watching the world constantly re-invent itself: one minute you’re coasting past moss-covered lava fields, the next you’re in front of a glacier lagoon or showering under a hot waterfall in the middle of nowhere.

This road trip is epic not just in scale, but in variety. From volcanic beaches to Arctic-feeling fjords, this is Iceland unfiltered.

Plan for at least 7–10 days, longer if you’re prone to spontaneous detours, which you should be – Iceland rewards curiosity.

Route Overview

Reykjavík → Vík → Höfn → Egilsstaðir → Akureyri → Borgarnes → Reykjavík

Total distance: Approx. 1,300 km
Recommended time: 8 – 12 days
Best time to go: June to September for road conditions, longer days and no snow-blocked detours

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Start: Reykjavík – stock up, slow down

Iceland’s capital is small but packed with personality – a blend of clean Nordic design, quirky street art and restaurants that somehow make fermented shark a national talking point.

Spend a day or two getting your bearings. A city walking tour is a great way to start, helping you uncover hidden gems and local insights.

Stroll around Harpa Concert Hall, poke into the shops along Laugavegur, and grab a cinnamon bun at Braud & Co. before it sells out (which it always does).

The Sun Voyager sculpture is an obligatory photo stop, and if you’re after views, the Hallgrímskirkja tower delivers a full 360 of the city and surrounding mountains.

Pro tip: Do your major grocery and supply shopping here. Once you hit the road, options become fewer and significantly more expensive.

Stop 1: Vík – waterfalls & black sand

Heading south, the landscape escalates fast.

Within a couple of hours, you’re in volcano country, with snow-capped peaks on one side and windswept coastline on the other.

En route to Vík, make time for Iceland’s celebrity waterfalls.

Seljalandsfoss lets you walk behind the cascade (bring waterproofs), and Skógafoss is thunderous, dramatic, and sometimes blessed with a perfect rainbow.

Also worth a stop: the Sólheimasandur plane wreck, though the walk is longer than most expect (allow 45 minutes each way).

Just nearby, adventurers can join a guided glacier hike on Sólheimajökull, an unforgettable way to experience the raw, icy power of the region up close.

Vík itself is a blink-and-you-miss-it town, but the beach is next level.

Reynisfjara, with its jet-black sand and towering basalt columns, looks like it was built by ancient gods.

The waves are wild – don’t turn your back on them – and the surrounding cliffs often host puffins in summer.

Stop 2: Höfn – glaciers, lagoons & mars-like landscapes

This stretch is where things get surreal.

You’ll pass through Eldhraun lava field, an endless moss-covered expanse that feels post-apocalyptic, before edging into glacier territory.

Don’t miss Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon – Iceland’s most photogenic gorge (and for a while, one of its most overtouristed thanks to a certain Justin Bieber video).

The main event is Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, where blue-hued icebergs float silently toward the sea.

Walk across to Diamond Beach, where chunks of ice lie scattered across the black sand like oversized jewels.

Höfn is a good overnight base. It’s small and quiet but serves up excellent lobster (technically langoustine, but no one’s correcting you).

Höfn Cottages offer a cozy, convenient place to stay while exploring the area.

Stop 3: Egilsstaðir – remote roads & east fjords charm

This part of the Ring Road is often skipped – don’t. The East Fjords are rugged, remote and feel properly off-the-beaten-path.

You’ll drive hairpin bends along sea cliffs, pass tiny fishing villages like Djúpivogur, and probably see more reindeer than people.

If you’ve got time, take the slower Route 96/92 coastal detour instead of the direct Route 1. It adds time but gives you incredible views and quiet stops with not a soul around.

Egilsstaðir is more functional than charming – a good place to restock and refuel – but the surrounding area is beautiful.

Take a short detour to Seyðisfjörður, a colourful fjord town that looks like it fell out of a Wes Anderson film.

The drive there (across a mountain pass with waterfalls on both sides) is worth it alone.

Stop 4: Akureyri – deserted highlands & detour gold

This leg cuts across the wild, desolate interior.

Long stretches of lunar terrain give you that middle-of-nowhere buzz, and then – suddenly – things go full sci-fi around Lake Mývatn.

If you’re short on time or want a guided experience, consider a Lake Mývatn & Goðafoss Waterfall day trip to take in the highlights without the hassle.

Stop at Dettifoss, one of Europe’s most powerful waterfalls. It’s less about beauty, more about brute force – like the earth just cracked open.

Then continue to Hverir, a geothermal area with bubbling mud pots, sulphur-stinking steam vents, and a Martian palette.

Just up the road is Krafla, a volcanic caldera you can hike around for even more alien vibes.

Akureyri, your next stop, is Iceland’s second-largest city – though it feels more like a big town.

It has a lovely harbour, decent restaurants and even a botanical garden (because why not grow roses just below the Arctic Circle?).

It’s a good place to catch your breath, warm up in a café, and chat to locals who’ll tell you how weird last winter was.

Stay: Book a stay at Akureyri Holiday Apartments to make the most of your time in this charming northern hub.

Stop 5: Borgarnes – horses, craters & hidden hot springs

Heading west, you’re back in rolling-green-meets-mountain terrain. It’s less extreme than the east or south but full of character.

Make time for Goðafoss, a horseshoe-shaped waterfall with a particularly photogenic backdrop.

If you’re up for a detour, Hvitserkur (aka the “dragon rock”) is a basalt sea stack that looks like an elephant sipping from the ocean.

Or take a spin around the Vatnsnes Peninsula – great for seal spotting and wild, empty beaches.

Further along, you’ll find Grábrók crater, which you can climb for a 360-view of lava fields and distant peaks.

Borgarnes is a quiet, friendly town with fjord views and one of the best local museums (Settlement Centre) if you’re craving a bit of history with your soup.

Final stop: Reykjavík – back to base (but not before waterfalls)

You’re on the final stretch, but don’t coast through it. This region has some major sights.

Take a detour through the Snæfellsnes Peninsula – often called “Iceland in miniature” because it has a bit of everything: volcanoes, waterfalls, fishing villages, lava fields and dramatic coastal cliffs.

It’s a longer route, but it rounds out the trip perfectly.

Back in Reykjavík, reward yourself with a dip in a hot pool (locals love Laugardalslaug, and it’s far cheaper than the Blue Lagoon) or a final bowl of fish stew somewhere warm and candlelit.

Final thoughts

The Ring Road isn’t just one of the best drives in the world – it’s one of the most varied.

It’s not all glaciers and geysers. It’s the spontaneous detours down dirt roads that lead to nothing and everything.

It’s wild weather and empty roads and the feeling that you’re a very small human in a very large, beautiful world.