Iceland Ring Road: Complete Self-Drive Adventure - 8 Days

On a self-drive trip with Iceland Tours, you’ll be at the wheel of the rental car of your choice and free to go pretty much where you want, whenever you want.

We provide a detailed itinerary to help you plan your route and where you want to stop along the way. But it’s up to you whether you want to stick to it or go your own way. If you do take detours, make sure that you aren’t too far from your accommodation on any given night.

That said, it’s a good idea to stick to the suggested itinerary if you’ve never visited Iceland before. Created by our Reykjavík-based travel experts, it contains plenty of things for you to and see and do on each leg of your trip. One thing’s for sure: you won’t be short on ideas!

You also get unlimited in-car Wi-Fi, so you can stay connected and use maps on your phone for navigation.

It’s best to book your trip at least a few weeks before you travel. This gives us enough time to organize your preferred accommodation and itinerary. For this reason, we’re unable to accept bookings with less than 1 week’s notice.

In the summer, which is the most popular time of year, booking a few months ahead is a good idea. In certain parts of the countryside, accommodation options are more limited and can be booked up well ahead of your trip.

You have to be at least 20 years old to rent a car in Iceland, or 23 years old for larger vehicles like jeeps and vans. You’ll need to have held a valid driver’s license for at least 1 year and present a credit card when you collect your car.

You don’t need an International Driving Permit unless your license is not in Latin script (for example, Arabic or Chinese).

Find out more about car rental in Iceland.

Yes! It’s possible to add extra activities or extend your trip with additional nights in Reykjavík or the countryside. Check the itinerary above to see what activities are available on what day.

Of course you can add extra adventures! We want you to be able to get the absolute most out of your trip to Iceland, so you can pick optional extra activities at checkout. You’ll be shown exactly what’s on offer for each day of your trip.

And if you feel like you just don’t have enough time to fit it all in, you can also add extra days.

The rules of the road in Iceland are similar to most other countries, although there are some local quirks that you might not be familiar with.

Iceland drives on the right and steering wheels are on the left side of the car. Distances and speed limits are given in kilometers only.

Roundabouts are very common in Iceland, especially in towns. If you’re not familiar with these, make sure you understand how to give way (yield) to other traffic.

In the countryside, you might encounter sheep on the road, or even reindeer in East Iceland. You may also come across gravel roads, single-lane bridges, and blind summits.

For all the info on how to handle these, see this guide to driving in Iceland.

Once you’ve paid your deposit for your trip, we’ll finalize bookings for your accommodation, rental car, and any activities. As soon as we receive confirmation of everything, we’ll email you, letting you know your travel documents are available in our portal.

We aim to finalize everything within a few weeks of receiving your booking request, but in busy periods this might take longer. That said, you’ll always receive all of your documents before your departure date.

You’ll be able to pick up your rental car at Keflavík International Airport from the arrivals hall. Before your trip, we’ll send you information about where to go in the terminal to collect your keys.

Make sure you have your driver’s license and credit card ready when you collect your vehicle.

If you land late at night, you can use the out-of-hours phone at the pick-up desk to contact someone who will be able to help you.

You also have the option to collect your rental car in Reykjavík, if you’re planning to spend some extra days in the city before your trip starts. If you’d like to do this, please let us know in the ‘Special requests’ box at checkout.

Yes, you can easily collect your rental car from Reykjavík instead of Keflavik Airport.

During the booking steps on our website, just let us know you'd prefer your pick-up/drop-off location to be in the city centre. We'll take care of it for you, no problem.

Just a quick heads-up: if you request different pick-up and drop-off locations (e.g. collect from the airport, drop off in the city, or vice versa) there's a one-way fee of around ISK 7.900 ISK (EUR 60). You'll pay this directly to the rental company when you pick up the car.

All of our self-drive tour packages include the following as standard:

• Rental car of your choice, with unlimited mileage
• Basic liability insurance coverage
• Collision damage waiver
• Authorization for second driver
• Unlimited in-car Wi-Fi
• Accommodation level of your choice
• Breakfast every day
• Detailed itinerary crafted by local travel experts
• 24/7 helpline in Iceland, just in case you need it

When you book your vacation on our website, you’ll be able to choose your preferred rental car and accommodation level.

You can see what vehicles are available on this car rental page.

On a self-drive package with Iceland Tours, you can choose from 3 levels of accommodation:

• Budget – Guesthouses and country hotels, with shared bathrooms
• Comfort – Hotels or guesthouses of around 3 stars, with private bathrooms
• Quality – Hotels or guesthouses of around 4 stars, with private bathrooms

Each accommodation level offers different types of rooms. We’ve described them below to help you choose the best one for you. Just keep in mind that not every hotel has all these room types available.

• Single room: one single bed in a room, perfect for solo travelers.
• Double room: a full-sized double bed for 2 people.
• Twin room: a room with 2 single beds that fit 1 person each.
• Triple room: these vary in size and layout, but are designed to fit 3 adults. Triple rooms feature a combination of double, single or sofa beds, depending on the hotel.

No matter which accommodation level you pick, breakfast is included. Read more about the differences between the levels on this accommodation page.

Feel like getting closer to nature? Check out these self-drive camping tours.

In Iceland, you can expect all weathers no matter what time of year you visit. With that in mind, it’s good to make sure you’ve got everything you need to stay cozy, warm, and dry.

Here’s a packing list to help you get ready for your trip:

• Tough, waterproof walking boots
• Thermal underlayers
• Sweaters or fleeces
• Waterproof raincoat
• Warm winter jacket
• Scarf, hat, and gloves
• Sunglasses
• Swimwear (for pools and hot springs)
• Lip salve and moisturizer

For more tips on what to bring with you, see this Iceland packing list.

No worries! Iceland Tours is already offsetting the carbon footprint of your tour package. We've teamed up with an environmental fund in Iceland to cover the carbon offset for all our tours.

Carbon offsetting for international flights is not included, but we suggest checking with your airline or through a local environmental fund for options.

Our 8-day Ring Road tour takes you clockwise around Iceland which is the perfect route for this timeframe! You'll start by heading north from Reykjavík through the scenic Borgarfjörður region on your way to Akureyri giving you a beautiful introduction to Iceland's countryside and dramatic landscapes. Going clockwise means you'll experience the quieter northern and eastern regions first when you're energized and excited then finish with the famous south coast attractions like Jökulsárlón and the powerful waterfalls when you're most comfortable with Icelandic driving. This direction also gives you the best photo opportunities since you'll be on the correct side of the road for the most scenic pull-offs. The clockwise route just flows naturally for an 8-day adventure!

The 8-day Ring Road tour during the warmer season from April to October is absolutely incredible with so many advantages! You'll have extended daylight hours from 15-19 hours per day during peak summer which means you can explore attractions from early morning until late evening without worrying about darkness. The weather is much more predictable with temperatures around 10-15°C and minimal chance of road closures due to snow or ice. Summer also brings Iceland's famous lupine flowers that paint the countryside purple, and you'll have the best chance to see puffins (usually between May and August) along the coastal areas. The long daylight hours are perfect for photography with gorgeous golden light that seems to last forever. If you're interested in winter experiences like Northern Lights viewing, we also offer our Ring Road & Northern Lights Road Trip which is specifically designed for the colder months with optimal aurora hunting conditions!