How Long Does it Take to Drive Around Iceland?

A lot of our customers ask us how long it takes to drive around Iceland and the answer is always the same: “Oh dear, hmmm … 2-100 days?” It’s an impossible question to answer. Like, how many stars are there in the universe, or why didn’t Iceland win the World Cup? There are so many variables and different possible outcomes that we feel the better question is:

How much time on average does it take to drive and see all the magnificent sites around Iceland?

Ok, this is a question we can answer!

• In theory, you could drive the ring road nr. 1 in 13-15 hours or so, but that would suck, a lot.
• We recommend you spend at least 1 week driving the ring road.

The Southern Coast:

Start your road trip by heading down to the south coast of Iceland. From Reykjavik we recommend heading towards the town of Vik. Stopping along the way at Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss. Once you reach Vik, take time to explore Reynisfjara black sand beach and Dyrhólaey. From Vik continue your journey east and visit Skaftafell National Park. The final and for many the most exciting sight on Iceland's southern coast is Jökulsárlón. This glacier lagoon is an absolute must see in Iceland followed by Diamond Beach right next to it. 

The Eastfjords: 

East Iceland is short of a hidden gem full of treasures. Following the Ring Road will take you through an epic scenery of deep fjords, with towering mountains, beautiful waterfalls and cute little fishing villages. We recommend heading towards the town of Egilsstaðir. From there you can take great trips to cool places such as Hallormstaðarskógur, Seyðisfjöður and Stuðlagil Canyon.

North Iceland:

North Iceland is buzzing with amazing sight. If we had to pick out the best of the best it would be Dettifoss waterfall, Húsavík and Mývatn Geothermal area. Akureyri is the biggest city in North Iceland and referred as capital of the North. With a thriving center full of shops and restaurants it’s a fantastic place to explore Iceland’s culture outside Reykjavik.

Iceland’s Westside:

The Ring Road takes you through West Iceland as you finish your journey around the land of Ice and Fire. Passing through the green hills of Borgarfjörður and the town of Borgarnes until reaching Reykjavik again. We recommend stopping at Borgarnes, visiting the Settlement Center or take trips to areas off Road 1. Such as Snæfellsnes Peninsula, Hraunfossar, The Cave Víðgelmir or Húsafell.

But honestly, why only drive the ring road? We know it sounds cool and maybe you’ve read somewhere that most of the natural wonders are close to the ring road. But, if you skip some parts and the detours we talked about earlier, you´ll miss out on a lot. If you look at a map, you´ll see that the ring road doesn’t go along the coast so you´ll miss out on certain parts of Iceland.  

For example, you won’t see Iceland’s most photographed mountain, Mt. Kirkjufell in Snæfellsnes. Or the beautiful Dynjandi waterfall in the Westfjords. You won’t look at the puffins in the Westman Islands, the geothermal area around Deildartunguhver Geysir in Borgarfjörður or the Hallmundarhraun lava field. These are just a few places at the top of our minds, but there are loads more you´ll miss if you never leave the ring road.

Ok, so what would be the perfect length of a trip around Iceland?

Really, it’s 2-3 weeks. If we would be going for a great vacation around Iceland with our friends or family, we’d give it 2-3 weeks. That way we’d have time to explore the country without feeling rushed. We’d have more time to stop at all the quirky little places and see natural wonders that are not crowded with other people.  

We have many other blogs with more information on driving in Iceland, which we highly recommend for all planning a trip to Iceland. We also have great articals on natural wonders and practical information about Iceland.

These useful information are great to have along with your rental car from Blue Car Rental when traveling in Iceland.

Image: Bianca Soffer