Iceland Ring Road in a Week

Your next day’s journey continues toward the northern part of Iceland, ending in the north’s capital, Akureyri. As you head toward Borgarfjörður, we recommend stopping by the magnificent Hraunfossar waterfalls, where the water seems to magically flows from the lava bed into the river below. You’ll then continue your journey toward Akureyri, passing through Skagafjörður, known for exceptional horse breeding; in fact, many stunning Icelandic horses can be seen on your drive

The whole day is dedicated to the marvels of Lake Mývatn Nature Reserve known as one of Iceland’s most fascinating areas of natural beauty. On the way to Mývatn you must make a stop at the impressive waterfall Goðafoss “The fall of the gods”. One of its main attractions near Mývatn is the Námaskarð geothermal area where you will find bubbling mud pools and hissing steam vents. You must not miss the Krafla area with the crater Víti and the Leirhnjúkur area. Later on you can venture a walk up to the top of Hverfjall crater or dip into the geothermal water of the natural baths located east of the Lake.

Today is the day to discover the Eastfjords. Start towards the fjord Reyðarfjörður, where a small-but-fascinating World War II history museum is located, and continue along the fjords toward Southeast Iceland. At times, the road hangs precariously high on the mountain slopes. Finally, you drive through the tunnel of Almannaskarð to arrive in the Höfn region, where you will spend that night.

Your next stop is Iceland’s scenic southeast. After passing various outlet glaciers belonging to Vatnajökull, Europe’s largest ice cap, you’ll arrive at the stunningly surreal beauty of Jökulsárlón, a glacier lagoon. This exceptional sight sits at the foot of Iceland’s highest mountain, Hvannadalshnúkur.

Skaftafell Nature Reserve is another area definitely worth a visit. This oasis, surrounded by glaciers and black sand plains, offers a broad range of options for great hiking. Continue through Kirkjubæjarklaustur village, the Eldhraun lava field and the Mýrdalssandur plain, before you arrive in the Vík area. We recommend you stop at Reynisfjara beach; a black sand beach famous for the Reynisdrangar rock stacks that rise from the sea just off the shore and for its basalt columns.

You can also stop at Dyrhólaey cape, which is the southernmost point of Iceland. Continue westbound; the village of Skógar is the next place of interest with its beautiful waterfall and the local folk museum. As you continue towards Hella you can stop at Seljalandsfoss waterfall, where you can actually walk behind the waterfall. You then follow the main road to arrive in Hella.

Continue westbound to the south coast of Iceland and explore the Golden Circle, which takes you to the most popular tourist attractions in Iceland: Gullfoss, Geysir, and Þingvellir National Park.

Your day will end in Reykjavík where you will spend your last night in Iceland.

It seems as if your journey to fabulous Iceland only began a moment ago, but now it is time to head back home, driving back to Keflavík Airport for your flight. Depending on your flight’s time, you may be able to squeeze in a last day in Reykjavík or an extra night in there to experience all the amazing things that the city has to offer.