Waterfalls, glaciers & volcanoes
The Ring Road
A full lap of fire and ice
Distance
~1,320 km (full island loop)
Duration
7–10 days
Best season
Jun–Aug; Sep–Mar for auroras
Difficulty
Easy–moderate · weather-dependent
Iceland's Route 1 circles the entire island in a single loop, linking thundering waterfalls, black-sand beaches, a glacier lagoon full of icebergs, steaming geothermal fields and tiny fishing villages. In summer the light barely fades; in winter the same road runs beneath the northern lights.
Along the wayStops
Reykjavík
The compact capital and usual start and end of the loop.
Seljalandsfoss & Skógafoss
Two of the south coast's great waterfalls — one you can walk behind.
Vík
A village beside black-sand beaches, basalt columns and sea stacks.
Jökulsárlón
A glacier lagoon where icebergs drift to the sea and wash up on Diamond Beach.
Mývatn
A geothermal wonderland of craters, bubbling mud and nature baths in the north.
Akureyri
The "capital of the north" on a long fjord, gateway to whale-watching at Húsavík.
Good to know
- Weather and roads change fast — check road.is and the vedur.is forecast every morning.
- A 2WD is fine on the paved Ring Road in summer; winter or the interior F-roads need 4WD and experience.
- Fuel and food are pricey and spread out; keep the tank topped and carry snacks.
Getting the car
Fly into Keflavík, rent a car (4WD recommended outside summer) and drive the loop clockwise or counter-clockwise over a week or more.
Next route
Great Ocean Road