The Essential Guide to Visiting Iceland's Ring Road

I drove Iceland's Ring Road in late September, when the tourist crowds had thinned and the first snow was dusting the mountains. On my second day, I rounded a bend and found myself alone on a black sand beach with basalt columns rising from the surf and a glacier visible in the distance. I stood there for twenty minutes without seeing another person. That kind of solitude, combined with scenery that feels genuinely otherworldly, is what makes Iceland's Route 1 one of the great road trips on earth.

"Iceland is not a country, it is a scenery." — Paul Theroux

Route 1: The Basics of the Ring Road

Iceland's Route 1, commonly called the Ring Road, circles the entire island in roughly 1,322 kilometers (822 miles). Driving the full loop without stopping takes about 16 hours, but nobody does it that way. A realistic pace is seven to ten days, which allows time for detours, hikes, and the inevitable stops at waterfalls, hot springs, and viewpoints that are impossible to travel past without pulling over. The road is entirely paved and is open year-round, though winter driving from October through April requires experience with snow and ice and a four-wheel-travel vehicle.

Most travelers start and end in Reykjavik, which is where the international airport (KEF) is located, about 50 kilometers from the city center. Rental cars are available at the airport from companies like Blue Car Rental, SADcars, and Hertz. A basic two-wheel-travel car costs about $50 to $70 USD per day in summer, while a four-wheel-travel SUV runs $100 to $150. Book well in advance for summer travel, as rental cars sell out months ahead. Fuel costs about $2.30 USD per liter (roughly $8.70 per gallon), which adds up fast on a 1,300-kilometer travel; budget $200 to $250 for fuel on a full Ring Road trip.

Accommodation along the Ring Road ranges from campsites ($15 to $25 per person per night) to guesthouses ($80 to $150 per night for a double room) to hotels ($200 to $400 per night). The best guesthouses fill up months in advance for the June through August peak season, so book early. In smaller towns like Vik, Hofn, and Egilsstadir, there may be only two or three options, and availability disappears quickly. The Booking.com and Iceland Travel websites are the most useful for finding rooms along the route.

The South Coast: Waterfalls and Black Sand Beaches

The travel from Reykjavik to Vik, the southernmost village on the Ring Road, takes about two and a half hours and passes some of Iceland's most iconic sights. Seljalandsfoss, about 120 kilometers from Reykjavik, is a 60-meter waterfall that you can walk behind. The path is slippery and the spray is heavy, so bring waterproof layers and sturdy shoes. There is no entrance fee. About 30 minutes further east, Skogafoss is an even more impressive waterfall, 62 meters wide and dropping from a cliff that you can climb via 527 steps for a view across the southern lowlands.

Reynisfjara, the black sand beach just west of Vik, is one of the most photographed places in Iceland. The basalt columns, hexagonal rock formations that rise from the sand like a natural cathedral, are genuinely striking. The Reynisdrangar sea stacks, visible offshore, are said to be the petrified remains of trolls caught by sunlight. The beach is dangerous; sneaker waves can appear without warning and have killed several tourists. Never turn your back on the ocean, and stay well above the waterline. Vik itself has a population of about 750 and a few guesthouses including the Icelandair Hotel Vik, which has rooms from $200 per night and direct views of the beach.

If you have an extra day, the Fimmvorduhals hike connects Skogafoss to Thorsmork, a valley between two glaciers. The full hike takes about 10 to 12 hours and is considered challenging, but the first section to the viewpoint at the 2010 Eyjafjallajokull eruption site takes about three hours return and rewards you with views of two glaciers, a new lava field, and the southern coast stretching to the horizon. The trail is marked with stakes and is passable from June through September. A bus from Thorsmork back to Skogar runs about $40 USD.

Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon and the Diamond Beach

Jokulsarlon, about five hours east of Reykjavik, is the kind of place that makes you pull over and stare. A massive glacier calves directly into a lagoon filled with icebergs that range from brilliant white to deep blue. The icebergs float, rotate, and eventually wash out to sea through a narrow channel. Seals swim in the lagoon, and on a sunny day, the light on the ice is almost blinding. There is no entrance fee, and the parking lot is right on the Ring Road. Boat tours on the lagoon cost about $40 to $80 USD depending on whether you choose an amphibian vehicle or a Zodiac boat.

Just across the road from the lagoon, the Diamond Beach earns its name from the ice chunks that wash ashore and glisten on the black sand like scattered jewels. The best time to photograph it is at sunrise or sunset, when the light is warm and the ice contrasts sharply with the dark sand. The beach is free to visit and is accessible at all hours. In winter, the ice formations are larger and more dramatic, though the days are short and the wind is brutal.

About an hour west of Jokulsarlon, the Svartifoss waterfall in Skaftafell National Park drops 20 meters over a cliff of dark basalt columns that look like organ pipes. The hike from the visitor center takes about 45 minutes each way and gains about 130 meters of elevation. The visitor center has maps, restrooms, and a small cafe. Further west, the Skeidararsandur is a vast plain of black sand formed by glacial outwash from the 1996 Vatnajokull eruption. It is a surreal, almost lunar scenery that stretches for kilometers between the glacier and the sea.

The North: Akureyri, Myvatn, and Beyond

Akureyri, Iceland's second-largest city with a population of about 19,000, sits at the head of a long fjord in the north. It has a surprisingly lively cultural scene for its size, with several good restaurants, a botanical garden, and the Hof Cultural and Conference Center, which hosts concerts and events year-round. From Akureyri, the travel east to Lake Myvatn takes about an hour and passes through a scenery of rolling green hills and volcanic craters. Lake Myvatn itself is a shallow lake surrounded by pseudo-craters, fumaroles, and lava fields that make the area feel like a geology textbook come to life.

The Myvatn Nature Baths, about five kilometers east of the lake, are a less crowded alternative to the Blue Lagoon. An entrance ticket costs about 5,000 ISK ($36 USD) and includes access to natural hot pools ranging from 30 to 40 degrees Celsius. The facilities are clean and well-maintained, and the views of the lake and surrounding lava fields are stunning. Nearby, the Dimmuborgir lava formations, a maze of dark volcanic rock towers, are free to explore and take about an hour to walk through. According to Icelandic folklore, Dimmuborgir is the gateway to hell.

Further east along the Ring Road, Dettifoss is the most powerful waterfall in Europe, with an average flow of 200 cubic meters per second. The west bank, accessed via Road 862, offers the best view and requires a 30-minute walk from the parking area. The east bank, accessed via Road 864, is closer to the falls but the road is gravel and may be rough. Both sides are free to visit. The noise is thunderous and the spray reaches the viewing platforms; bring waterproof gear and a camera with a fast shutter speed if you want to freeze the water.

The West Fjords: The Road Less Traveled

The West Fjords, a peninsula in the northwest corner of Iceland, are not technically on the Ring Road but are accessible via a 150-kilometer detour from the town of Brudarlond. Most travelers skip this region because it adds two to three days to the trip, but that is precisely why it is worth visiting. The roads are narrow, many are gravel, and the scenery is wilder and more dramatic than anything on the main Ring Road. Dynjandi, a tiered waterfall that cascades 100 meters down a mountainside, is the signature sight and is free to visit.

The town of Isafjordur, the largest settlement in the West Fjords with about 2,600 residents, has a few hotels and guesthouses, a good seafood restaurant (Tjoruhusid, where the fish stew costs about 2,500 ISK or $18 USD), and a small airport with daily flights to Reykjavik. The travel from Isafjordur to the stunning red sand beach of Raudasandur takes about two hours on a gravel road and passes through a scenery of fjords, mountains, and isolated farms that feels genuinely remote. The beach itself stretches for kilometers and is almost always empty.

Budget at least two full days for the West Fjords detour, and three if you want to explore at a relaxed pace. Fuel stations are sparse; fill up in Isafjordur and again in Flokalundur before heading south. The road over the Oshlid pass is steep and narrow and is not recommended for large vehicles. If you are visiting between June and August, the midnight sun gives you almost unlimited daylight, which is useful on the long gravel roads. In winter, many roads in the West Fjords are impassable, and the region is best avoided by casual travelers.

When to Go and What to Budget

Summer (June through August) is the most popular time to travel the Ring Road, with 20 to 24 hours of daylight, average temperatures of 10 to 15 degrees Celsius (50 to 59 Fahrenheit), and all roads and facilities open. The trade-off is crowds; popular sites like Jokulsarlon and Seljalandsfoss can feel overrun with tour buses between 10 AM and 4 PM. Visit major sights early in the morning or late in the evening for a more solitary experience. September and October offer fewer crowds, lower prices, and a chance to see the northern lights, though the weather is less predictable and some highland roads may close.

Winter driving in Iceland is not for the faint of heart. Daylight lasts only four to six hours, temperatures regularly drop below freezing, and high winds can make driving dangerous even on paved roads. If you must visit in winter, rent a four-wheel-travel vehicle, check road conditions daily on the SafeTravel.is website, and do not attempt to travel if conditions are listed as difficult or impassable. A winter Ring Road trip takes longer because you will need to travel more slowly and may encounter road closures that force long detours.

A realistic budget for a seven-day Ring Road trip in summer, including rental car, fuel, accommodation, food, and activities, is $1,500 to $2,500 USD per person for a mid-range trip. Camping brings the cost down to $800 to $1,200 per person. Food is expensive in Iceland; a restaurant meal costs $25 to $50 USD per person, and grocery prices are roughly double what you would pay in the US. Buy groceries at Bonus supermarkets (look for the pink pig logo), which have the lowest prices. Many guesthouses include breakfast, and some have kitchen access, which can save you significant money on meals.