The Ultimate 8-Day Iceland Ring Road Itinerary: A Self-Drive Adventure

Iceland’s Ring Road is one of the most dramatic road trips in the world, winding through volcanic landscapes, glaciers, black sand beaches, and thundering waterfalls. But planning a trip to Iceland can feel daunting, especially if you’re trying to see as much as possible without overpacking your days.

We drove the Ring Road, also called Route 1, over eight days as an anniversary trip, and it’s still the best holiday I’ve ever had. Iceland is like nowhere else I’ve ever been, and a lot of the time it felt like being on a different planet.

This 8-day Iceland Ring Road itinerary travels anti-clockwise from Reykjavik, and includes the exact route we followed, with hotel and restaurant recommendations (including what not to bother with), and practical tips I wish I’d had, especially for winter travel.

Read on for how to plan your perfect Iceland adventure.

The Full 8-Day Ring Road Route (Google Map)

The full route covers the whole of Iceland, starting and ending in Reykjavik, with hotel and restaurant suggestions. Without stops, the full drive would take 23 hours.

Day 0: Arrival and Dinner in Reykjavik

I’ve included day 0 as the arrival day in Reykjavik, because the drive to Vik on the first day takes around 3 hours without stops (and there are some great stops), so it’s best to do it on your first full day in Iceland, rather than having to rush there.

Keflavik Airport and Fetching Your Rental Car

Keflavik Airport is small, and the car rental spots are not actually in the airport terminal, like in most airports – you have to drive from the airport terminal to the car rental area.

There is a bus service which takes you there, and we milled around for a while with a few other lost-looking tourists, before realising it was not in service. We eventually phoned our car rental agency, and they sent someone to fetch us.

Unless you’re doing the Ring Road in summer, you must rent a car with Four Wheel Drive and snow tyres, which makes this an expensive aspect of the trip. We always make our car bookings through booking.com, which includes all the usual suspects and allows you to compare prices.

A word to the wise: Assuming you are doing this trip in winter, you will want to be wearing your waterproof boots as soon as you exit Keflavik Airport. Naturally, I was not (I just couldn’t bear to leave London in snow boots).

After about 20 minutes hanging around outside the airport in sneakers, my feet were wet and freezing. So either wear your boots on the plane, if you’re less of a fussy princess than I am, or pack them in your hand luggage, and change as soon as you arrive.

Hotel Check-in in Reykjavik

We had booked Center Hotels Laugavegur in Reykjavik, which was centrally located and, importantly, had a parking lot across the road. As a general tip, when you have a car in Europe, make sure the hotel you’re booking has a parking lot, or check that there’s a reasonably priced public parking area nearby.

Center Hotels Laugavegur was great – easy parking, easy check-in, a nice breakfast, and really nice pillows (this is a bit weird, but every hotel we stayed at in Iceland had excellent pillows).

Dinner in Reykjavik

Dinner at Skál in Reykjavik

For our first night in Reykjavik, we had booked dinner at Skál. At the time, it was in a covered market, a short walk from our hotel. It has since moved to its own location, but it is still about a 12-minute walk from Center Hotels Laugavegur.

Skál was great, and I’d definitely go back. They focus on Icelandic food and small plates (and they also have a tasting menu), and they do them really well. That said, the vibe is very relaxed and unfussy, which we found was typical in Iceland.

We didn’t use the car at all within Reykjavik, which was pretty walkable (although cold). Like most European cities, walking around Reykjavik is a lot easier than driving and having to find parking.

Day 1: Reykjavik to Vik – Waterfalls & Black Sand Beaches

Morning: Coffee and Pastries in Reykjavik

Ideally, you’d start the first day of your drive as early as possible, but naturally, we didn’t. We had breakfast at our hotel, and then went and got some good coffee in Reykjavik for the drive – I recommend doing this, because you’re not likely to encounter anything excellent outside of Reykjavik.

Reykjavik has a thriving coffee scene – we went to Reykjavik Roasters, which made delicous coffee, and had a stroll around the Hallgrímskirkja, Reykjavik’s striking church. Also, get a pastry for the road at Braud and Co, which is famous for its cinnamon rolls.

As with any road trip, get a few snacks and some large bottles of water for the trip at the first petrol station you come across. Nothing ruins road trip relations like low blood sugar.

By the time we got out of town, it was around 11 am, which was not ideal – we didn’t have time to do Reynisfjara, the famous black sand beach, as it was getting dark as we got towards Vik. We were ok to do it the following morning, which involved backtracking about 20 minutes, but keep that in mind.

The Golden Circle: Strokkur Geysir and Gullfoss

Detour from the Ring Road and see the iconic Golden Circle sights. The first stop is the Haukadalur Geothermal Field, which is about an hour from Reykjavik.

Haukadalur has mud pools, hot springs and two famous geysers, Strokkur and Great Geysir. As your first stop on the drive, it’s very impressive – for the first time (but definitely not the last) you’ll have a feeling of being on another planet.

Great Geysir, which is what all geysers today are named after, is no longer active, but Strokkur is a really impressive sight. It erupts every five to ten minutes, much to the delight of the tourists who gather to see it.

Your next stop is Gullfoss, a glacial waterfall, which is ten minutes from Haukadalur. Iceland has an almost ridiculous number of waterfalls, and Gullfoss does not disappoint as the first one on this trip.

Gullfoss means “Golden Falls”, because on sunny days, the glacial sediment turns the water a golden colour (I prefer the legend involving a Viking who threw his gold into the waterfall to keep it from his enemies). Also, if it is very sunny, there are beautiful rainbows over Gullfoss.

Even if you’re there in the winter, like we were, Gullfoss is spectacular. It is enormous, and the sheer volume of water thundering below you, combined with the dramatic black rocks covered in snow, makes Gullfoss stunning and very memorable.

Afternoon: Skogafoss

After Gullfoss, your lunch stop is about an hour and a half away. Have lunch at Eldstó Art Café, a cosy spot known for its homemade soups and pottery studio.

After lunch, your next stop is Skógafoss, which is about 45 minutes from Eldstó Art Café. The viewing point for Skógafoss is at the bottom of the falls, which is quite unique – most of the waterfalls in Iceland have viewing points from the top.

This makes for very cool views and great photographs, particularly in the snow (although I think the photos of Skógafoss in the summer are stunning too – bright green colours and all the rainbows).

But, it also means that you will definitely get wet – even if you don’t get that close, it is very misty. If you don’t have waterproof trousers, you at least need a waterproof parka, and you might want a change of clothing easily to hand in the car (the picture above was taken by my husband, who doesn’t care about getting his hair wet).

If you have time before it starts to get dark, your last stop of the day is Reynisfjara, Iceland’s famous black sand beach (we ran out of light, so we went the next morning), before a quick 20-minute drive into the town of Vik.

Evening: Vik and Activated Charcoal Pizzas

 Hotel Vík í Mýrdal in Vik

We had booked Hotel Vík í Mýrdal, which had modern decor and great views, with floor-to-ceiling windows. There was a restaurant on site for dinner, which looked good, but we opted to go across the road for pizzas at Black Crust Pizzeria instead.

The pizzas were delicious – the black crust is made with activated charcoal, inspired by the black sand beach, and they have some delightful toppings (langoustine, curried duck, truffle cream cheese…).

Day 2: Vik to Hofn – Glaciers & Icebergs

Morning: Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach

Víkurfjara and Reynisfjara Black Sand Beaches

We had an excellent hotel breakfast, and I filled up my thermos with extra coffee for the drive. I am a strict two-coffee-mornings girl, and there aren’t a huge number of options when you’re out on the Ring Road. I did this at every hotel in Iceland, and nobody seemed to mind.

After breakfast, we drove down to Víkurfjara, the black sand beach in Vik. This is a beautiful, long beach with soft black sand. There was still some snow, and the dramatic contrasts were amazing and so beautiful (cue Taylor’s snow on the beach!).

Víkurfjara also has great views of the famous Reynisdrangar sea stacks, giant basalt formations in the ocean. According to Icelandic folklore, these are two trolls who were trying to drag a ship ashore, but were caught when the sun rose, and turned to stone.

Then we backtracked about 20 minutes so that we could see Reynisfjara, Iceland’s most famous black sand beach, which has striking basalt columns (the beaches are next to one another, but you can’t walk between them).

We weren’t bothered about backtracking slightly, but it did mean that we ran out of time to see the Diamond Beach later in the day. If I were to do the trip again, I would leave Reykjavik earlier on the first driving day to avoid this, because I was sad to miss the Diamond Beach. Don’t be like us.

Like a lot of Iceland, Reynisfjara can be quite dangerous. You’re not allowed to swim, and there are signs up everywhereabout the freezing water and the rip currents.

The beach is also known for its “sneaker waves” – dangerously big, unpredictable waves, which seemingly come out of nowhere and sweep people from the beach into the ocean. Don’t mess around in Iceland!

Afternoon: Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and the Diamond Beach

If you’ve left late-ish and you’re in need of lunch about an hour away from Vik, we stopped at Systrakaffi. This was a small restaurant, pretty much in the middle of nowhere, but it served surprisingly delicious food. Another interesting thing about Iceland was that everything we ate was really fresh and well prepared.

The highlight of the day is Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, which is about an hour and a half from Systrakaffi (ie, about 2.5 hours from Vik, without stops). If you’ve been better about getting going early than we were, you aren’t likely to need lunch much before then, in which case, stop at Cafe Vatnajokull or get something at one of the food trucks at Jökulsárlón.

Jökulsárlón was definitely one of the best things we saw in Iceland – it is enormous, the water is icy blue, and the icebergs are magnificent. You can walk all the way round the lagoon (look out for very cute Icelandic seals hanging around on the ice!). We also got to see it as the sun was beginning to set, which was stunning.

Unfortunately, the sun starting to set meant we ran out of time for the Diamond Beach, as we still had another hour’s drive to Hofn. I was sad about that, so I would definitely factor in an extra 30-45 minutes for this – it is right across the road, so it was a real shame to miss it.

Evening: Langoustine in a Harbour Town

We checked into Hotel Höfn and then went into town for dinner. Hofn is a harbour town, and is small but very charming. It is known for its langoustine, and we had one of our favourite Icelandic meals at Pakkhús Restaurant. The harbour town is definitely worth a (cold) stroll around too.

Day 3: Hofn to Egilsstadir – The Remote East Fjords

Morning: East Fjords Views

If you have time, there’s a very pretty viewpoint at the edge of the town in Hofn (and you might see seals).

The drive through the East Fjords is one of the most remote and underrated sections of the Ring Road. Crossing multiple bridges over dramatic, icy black water was incredibly memorable.

There are some great photo spots to stop at here, too – try stopping at Djúpivogur, a harbour town known for its quirky egg sculptures, or Green Rock.

Afternoon: Lunch, Glaciers and Hot Springs

The best place for a lunch stop here is in Djúpivogur, which is about 1.5 hours from Hofn (although we took almost double that with all our stops).

We couldn’t find anything open when we drove through, and I have no recollection of what we ate for lunch (which probably means it was a petrol station hot dog). No matter, there is an excellent treat in store for you next.

From Djúpivogur, it is around an hour and a half’s drive to your stop for the night, in Egilsstadir. We stayed at Hérað – Berjaya Iceland Hotels, which we liked.

If you get to Egilsstadir early, check into your hotel and then do yourself a favour and go to Vök Baths (ten minutes from Hérað – Berjaya Iceland Hotels). We stumbled on these, which were newly opened at the time, and they were easily the best hot springs we visited in Iceland.

The Vök Baths are floating geothermal pools, with an infinity view, and a swim-up bar (the only kind of bar you want on holiday), set on a glacial lake. We preferred Vök Baths to the Blue Lagoon – it was smaller, less expensive, and a lot less touristy. We were there all afternoon and into the early evening, and we had a lot of fun.

You can jump out of the hot pool, directly into the actual glacier. There was such a great atmosphere whenever anyone went in, with everyone else cheering them on. Almost everyone swam out and touched a piece of glacial ice (except me – I did the quickest dip and got straight back into the warm pool).

Evening: Sundowners and Pizza

You can’t miss sundowners in the hot springs at Vok Baths, which was definitely the best pre-dinner drink we had in Iceland. For dinner, stay at Vok Baths, or try Askur Pizzeria and Taproom in Egilsstadir.

Day 4: Egilsstadir to Myvatn – Iceland’s Diamond Circle

Morning: The Hverir Geothermal Fields

Without stops, the drive from Egilsstadir to Myvatn takes just over two hours. But it ended up being one of the slower, scarier driving days, because it involved mountain passes with huge amounts of snow.

As you get closer to Myvatn, stop at the Hverir Geothermal Area, which is part of the Krafla volcanic system. It is a striking landscape, which feels like being on the moon – there are steam vents, mud pots and mineral deposits, and you get the feeling that the area is very alive (warning, it is also quite sulphuric).

Afternoon: Myvatn Nature Baths or Höfði Nature Reserve

Höfði Nature Reserve

We decided to skip Earth Lagoon Myvatn since we’d done Vok Baths the day before, but if you want to do it, this is the day. Get checked into your hotel early, if you can, and then change and head to the baths.

If you’re skipping it, like us, have a walk in the Höfði Nature Reserve. This was one of those lovely unplanned things you stumble upon on holiday, and I’m so glad we did. The nature reserve was pretty much deserted when we were there, and we weren’t even sure it was open.

But we ended up having an exquisite walk through very dense snow in the forest (serious Narnia vibes). There are also some beautiful viewing points out over Lake Myvatn, a volcanic lake formed by subglacial volcanic eruptions.

Afterwards, it’s a short, ten-minute drive to Hótel Laxá. We chose Hótel Laxá because it looked good and was better priced than Vogafjós Farm Resort, and it didn’t disappoint.

Evening: Dinner in a Barn

If you’re not staying at Vogafjós Farm Resort, you must book dinner at the restaurant (it is about 20 minutes from Hótel Laxá). I am not kidding when I say the restaurant is in a barn – the walls are glass and the cows are right next to you.

They actually have a lot of beef on the menu, which I wasn’t able to do (much to the smug delight of my vegetarian husband). The trout, Icelandic lava salt, and bread cooked on the geyser were amazing.

The glass-walled barn at Vogafjós Farm Resort

We had read that dinner guests were allowed into the barn, and we asked the staff when we paid our bill, who said the door was open and we were welcome to go and see the cows – I was delighted.

The cows are free-ranging, but are kept inside during the Icelandic winter because of the cold. They were sweet, playful and licky (actually a lot like dogs). Definitely don’t miss this.

Day 5: Myvatn to Hvammstangi – Iceland’s North Coast

Morning: Husky Dog Sledding

Dog sledding with Snow Dogs Iceland

We woke up in Myvatn to some very charming fresh snow, but also the coldest temperatures we’d ever experienced – it was -16°C.

If you’re going to do dog sledding, do it today. Snow Dogs Iceland is a 20-minute drive from Hotel Laxa. We didn’t plan this terribly far in advance, and only booked it on a whim a few days before – I’m so glad we did, because it ended up being one of the best things we did in Iceland.

One thing to note is that this was probably the most expensive thing we did in Iceland, and we chose it over a hike in a glacial ice cave (which was a similar price). I’m glad we did it, but I do still want to go back to Iceland and do the ice cave, so if you’re glacier-obsessed, keep that in mind.

We were a bit nervous about getting cold and not having the right gear, but when we called to check, we were told that we’d be given special snow suits. These were like overalls and kept us very warm.

Cute dogs at Snow Dogs Iceland

The dogs are Siberian Huskies, and they were sweet and friendly. They are working dogs, but a lot of them were just as cuddly and licky as our dog. They absolutely love the cold, the snow, and the exercise they get pulling the sled.

The dogs ran for between 6km and 8km, with a play break in the middle, and I was quite surprised by how fast the sled went. We also stopped for photos, and we got an opportunity to mush (drive) the sled ourselves.

Afternoon: Godafoss and Lunch in Akureyri

After Snow Dogs, take a short, 20-minute drive to Goðafoss, the “Waterfall of the Gods.” This is another absolutely spectacular Icelandic waterfall, and it was a lot less touristy than the ones on the Golden Circle. It was also much colder – I remember I could barely feel my face by the time we got back to the car.

From Goðafoss, it’s about an hour to Akureyri, Iceland’s second-largest city, known for its charming cafés and scenic fjord views. We had lunch here, at Plysuvagninn, Akureyri’s famous hot dog stand (in hindsight, given the hot dogs in my future, I should have chosen differently in a big city – North Restaurant looks good).

You don’t want to linger too long over lunch, because there is a fairly long (2.5 hour) drive to Hvammstangi.

Evening: Dinner and the Northern Lights

We stayed at Hótel Laugarbakki, which looks a bit weird from the outside, but is cosy and welcoming once you get inside. We had dinner there, but another option for dinner in town is Sjávarborg, which gets great reviews (I think we skipped it because we needed more vegetarian options).

After dinner, we took a drive out of town to look for the Northern Lights, and we saw them!

I had (naively) thought that the Northern Lights would just be hanging around, all beautifully green and purple and dancing above our heads, which was not the case – you have to go out looking for them. This was actually the second time we’d tried.

The Northern Lights are usually visible from around September to April, but even then, they are harder to see in cities, because of all the light. Your best bet is to go Northern Lights chasing in the countryside, and try to get away from the town you’re in.

When you eventually do see the Northern Lights, most of the time they look nothing like the pictures that you’ve seen. You get a much better view from your camera, which shows the green colours. To the naked eye, they mostly just look like clouds, unless they’re very strong.

We sat in the car on the side of the road for ages, looking at what seemed like clouds in the sky. I was falling asleep, cold and grumpy, and ready to leave when my husband (always the optimist), said he thought he could see them, and took a photo – lo and behold, what we thought were clouds was the Aurora!

I was ecstatic – life goals! We got decent photos with our phones, but if I’d known this in advance, I might have made an effort to get a better camera for the trip.

Day 6: Hvammstangi to the West Fjords – Remote Farmhouse Hospitality

Morning: The West Fjords

Our day started slightly dramatically with a car which wouldn’t start (we assumed it was something about the cold, but we’d just left the internal light on overnight after our night of Northern Lights watching).

This was a reminder of how friendly everyone in Iceland is. The hotel staff directed us to someone in maintenance, who spoke very little English, but who very kindly gave us a jump start.

The West Fjords are definitely the most off-the-beaten-track section of Iceland which we explored. I’m glad we did this, and I loved the farmhouse we stayed at, but if you only have 7 days, I would skip this day entirely.

There isn’t a huge amount to see, apart from the landscape, and the drive there and back is long and involves a lot of backtracking. It also got a bit scary with a snowstorm at one point. That said, I’m glad we saw the West Fjords, and we got some great photos.

Afternoon and Evening: A Quirky Farmhouse

Country Hotel Heydalur in Iceland

Country Hotel Heydalur was the most memorable place we stayed in Iceland, and the snow was beautifully thick when we got there. There are two enormous dogs, a fluffy cat which isn’t allowed indoors (apparently because it scares the dogs) and a parrot.

When we arrived and checked in, we were asked for our dinner order in advance. I asked for the trout, and the person checking us in smiled and said it was helpful for them to have enough time to catch the fish. I assumed this was a joke, until we saw someone walk past our room with a freshly caught trout – definitely the freshest fish I’ve had in my life!

There is a beautiful indoor swimming pool, set in a greenhouse, as well as natural hot springs on the property, and horses which you can ride if you like. We had a lovely, relaxing afternoon in the pool, before a delicious dinner in the barn.

Day 7: West Fjords to Thingvellir – Hot Springs & National Parks

Morning: The West Fjords

After a huge country breakfast, start the drive out of the West Fjords, towards Thingvellir National Park. You’ll want to start as early as possible – this is a long morning of driving, but the scenery is breathtaking.

Afternoon and Evening: Spa Time and the Northern Lights

Ion Adventure Hotel in Iceland

We spent our last Ring Road night at Ion Adventure Hotel in the Thingvellir National Park, which was excellent. One thing to note is that this was definitely the most expensive hotel we stayed at on this trip, but we justified it as an anniversary treat.

There is an outdoor pool set in the snow, as well as a sauna, so we had a fabulous afternoon chilling in the pool, before cocktails in the bar and dinner at the restaurant, which specialises in Icelandic cuisine.

The best thing about Ion Adventure Hotel is how easy it is to see the Northern Lights here – the windows are all floor to ceiling, and there’s very little light, since it’s in the middle of the national park. You can request a wakeup call from reception when there is Aurora activity, and watch it from your room, which we loved.

Day 8: Thingvellir to Reykjavik – A Relaxing Finish

Morning: Thingvellir National Park

This is a very short day of driving, so it’s worth trying to see as much as possible, if you’re so inclined. I was definitely not in the mood for outdoor adventure at this point, but you can go hiking or horse riding in Thingvellir.

Thingvellir means “Assembly Plains”, and is the site of the first Icelandic parliament, dating back to the tenth century. The park is on a rift valley, between two tectonic plates (as if Iceland needed even more natural drama!).

We had a lie-in, a swim and breakfast at the hotel before we checked out. Don’t miss the Kerid Crater in the Thingvellir National Park, which is a volcanic crater lake.

Afternoon: The Blue Lagoon

The Blue Lagoon in Iceland

On our way back to Reykjavik, we stopped at the The Blue Lagoon, the most famous geothermal spa in Iceland. It is surrounded by volcanic rock and has striking milky blue water. The water is rich in minerals and is naturally heated, making it beautifully warm all year round.

Your ticket includes a mud mask, which you get from a swim-up mud mask bar, and you can order drinks as well. The lagoon is enormous, and you could spend hours just mooching around in it.

Keep in mind that the Blue Lagoon is pretty touristy. We knew that in advance, but I wanted to do it anyway, because I am someone who suffers from major FOMO – I couldn’t go to Iceland and not the Blue Lagoon. From that perspective, I’m glad we did it, but I probably wouldn’t go back. If you’re on the fence, skip it and do one of the other geothermal baths instead.

Evening: Dinner in Reykjavik

We had a morning flight the next day, so we checked back into Center Hotels Laugavegur, and parked our (very snowy and filthy) car in the parking lot across the road.

For your last night, take a (cold) walk in Reykjavik. A great restaurant for your last night would be Grillmarket, a high-end restaurant serving Icelandic meats and seafood. We skipped it (we wanted more vegetarian options) and chose an indoor food market, Grandi Matholl.

The market was ok, but I wish we’d done a walking food tour instead – I’d definitely do this if I went back to Reykjavik. After dinner, don’t miss the Hallgrimskirkja, Reykjavik’s famous and very striking church – it is spectacularly lit up at night.

FAQs about this 8 Day Iceland Ring Road Itinerary

Planning Your Own Icelandic Adventure

Driving the Ring Road was easily the most memorable trip we’ve ever taken, full of lots of crazy moments that you don’t get on city breaks or on beach trips. It was also easier and more fun once we had a proper plan, and that’s what I hope this itinerary gives you.

Don’t forget to check weather forecasts, book hotels early (especially in winter), and pack your waterproof boots in your hand luggage.