Best Road Trips in Iceland

Three big sights on a short loop from Reykjavík: Þingvellir, where the continental plates pull apart and the original parliament met; Geysir, the hot-spring field that gave the word “geyser” to English; and Gullfoss, a two-tier waterfall you hear before you see. It is all paved, doable in a day, and the obvious first move if Iceland is new to you.

What you get: the greatest hits with the least driving. How long it really takes: a full but relaxed day — roughly 250 km loop of driving plus stops. Season: any, including winter. The honest caveat: it is popular, so the car parks are busy and it can feel like a conveyor belt in July. Go early or late in the day and it thins out. Check whether it is clear right now on the Golden Circle drive status.

Heading east on Route 1, the South Coast lines up the postcard Iceland in a row: Seljalandsfoss, which you can walk behind; Skógafoss, a straight wall of water; the black-sand beach and basalt columns at Reynisfjara near Vík; and, if you push on, the glacier lagoon at Jökulsárlón with icebergs drifting to the sea. It is the single most rewarding stretch of tarmac in the country.

What you get: the most Iceland per kilometre. How long it really takes: it is about 190 km to Vík, but two to three days lets you actually stop rather than blur past. If you want the glacier lagoon it is roughly 380 km one way, so that is firmly an overnight, not a day trip. Vehicle: 2WD, paved the whole way. Season: any, with winter care for ice and wind. The caveat: people try to cram it into one day from Reykjavík and end up driving in the dark — give it the time. Live status: South Coast to Vík. Most of these stops are on our waterfalls map too.

People call the Snæfellsnes peninsula “Iceland in miniature” because it packs a glacier-capped volcano, black beaches, lava fields, fishing villages and the much-photographed Kirkjufell mountain into one short loop. It sits about two hours north of Reykjavík, which makes it the strongest pick when you have a weekend rather than a week.

What you get: a lot of Iceland's variety in a small, drivable circle. How long it really takes: two days is comfortable — one to get there and around the tip, one to work back. Vehicle: a 2WD handles the main road, though a couple of side tracks are gravel, so a crossover is nice-to-have, not need-to-have. Season: best in summer; some side roads and the mountain pass get dicey off-season. The caveat: the weather on the peninsula turns fast — a clear morning can be sideways rain by lunch, so keep the plan loose. Check it live: Snæfellsnes drive status.

The Westfjords are the road trip for people who want the other cars to disappear. This is Iceland's wild north-west corner: heart-stopping fjord roads, the tiered Dynjandi waterfall, the Rauðasandur red-sand beach, and the Látrabjarg bird cliffs at the far edge of Europe. Fewer visitors come here precisely because it takes effort to reach — which is the whole appeal.

What you get: solitude and scale, with almost no crowds. How long it really takes: four to five days, minimum — the distances are long and a lot of it is unpaved, so your average speed drops and the map lies to you about timing. Vehicle: not legally a 4WD job, but the gravel makes a 4WD the more comfortable, less-chipped choice; see our 4WD guide. Season: summer, really — many roads close or turn hostile off-season. The caveat: this is not a rush trip; if you only have a few days, do Snæfellsnes instead and save the Westfjords for a proper run. Plan the route on the interactive map.

Route 1 circles the entire island — roughly 1,332 km of mostly-paved road that strings together the South Coast, the eastern fjords, Lake Mývatn and the geothermal north, and back down the west. It is the definitive Iceland road trip: every other route on this page is, in effect, a stretch of it or a detour off it. Drive it clockwise or anti-clockwise; it barely matters.

What you get: the full country, coast to highland-edge to coast. How long it really takes: seven to ten days is right. You can do it in five, but you will be driving most of every day — the Ring Road is the drive, and the stops are the reason you flew here, so do not starve them of time. Vehicle: a 2WD is fine in summer when it is all clear; off-season a heavier 4WD holds the road better in snow and crosswinds. Season: June to August is easiest, with long daylight and open roads. The caveat: weather can shut a pass on a few hours' notice, so build in slack and watch conditions — the north leg from Reykjavík to Akureyri is the one that most often catches people out. Live verdicts for every leg live on can I drive there today.