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If you’re feeling a little intimidated about planning a road trip in a different country, have no fear. I will share my experiences and advice on how to plan your own Iceland road trip. You can find a Google map of the places I will discuss at the end of this post.

Choosing to do a Road Trip vs. Guided Tour

If you’ve got more than just a weekend in Iceland, you should not limit your holiday to just seeing Reykjavik (though if that’s all the time you had, use my Reykjavik post as a guide for what to do in the Icelandic capital). Iceland is the perfect country for a road trip.

You can opt to venture outside of Reykjavik by booking various tours through a number of operators (Extreme Iceland and Reykjavik Excursions are good based on my own experiences). These companies will usually provide hotel pick up/drop off as well as transport to the destinations in your tour.

The most popular area is perhaps the South Coast of Iceland. This is because it’s not too far from Reykjavik, and there is plenty of attractions to see along this route. Another such popular tour is the Golden Circle, which covers parts of Þingvellir National Park, where you can see Silfra (where the tectonic plates meet), Gulfoss waterfall, and the Geysir Geothermal Area.

While this all may be convenient, you can get ultimate flexibility with time and price by hiring your own car, or even a campervan. There are many companies you can do this from (I went with GO Campers). This covers your accommodation and transportation and there are plenty of campsites throughout Iceland where you can shower and park for the night.

Figuring out what you want to see

I have broken down my trip by general geographic regions in Iceland: South Coast, Eastern Iceland, Northern Iceland, and the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. From this, I figured out what specific attractions I wanted to see in each region, figured out how to get from one to the other (w/ google maps), and assigned a certain amount of days to each region based on how many places I wanted to see and how much I wanted to rush or relax. Below are some highlights of each region as well as links to other blog posts of mine giving more detail about them.

The South Coast (Blog Post Part I, Part II, Part III)

• Glymer waterfall - Hike takes a good 3-4 hours from parking area. 2nd tallest in the country.

• Öxarárfoss - Close to parking. Small. Can get really up close. No spray. In Þingvellir National Park.

• Kerid Crater - Nice array of colors, can walk around crater and into it. Cannot fly drones.

• Bruarfoss - Gorgeous. Takes about 45-60 minutes each way. Will pass two other small waterfalls before getting to Bruarfoss.

• Gullfoss - Common waterfall on Golden circle tours. No drones allowed.

• Faxifoss - Barely any people, cafe nearby with excellent view of falls. Very wide. A bit of spray.

• Urriðafoss - Very nice during golden hour, not many people. 

• Seljalandsfoss - Very popular stop during South Coast tourist trips. Best to go at sunset or right before during golden hour since sun sits in the path of the falls from behind. Cannot go behind falls in winter. Lots of spray.

• Gljufrabui - Hidden falls near Seljalandsfoss. Have to walk on rocks in water to get through, but amazing chamber of water coming down. You will get wet, not as well known as the other so less people. 

• Þjófafoss - Will find side road on Road 26 with a sign leading you to the falls. Amazing spectacle with wildflowers growing. Road is gravel but easily manageable in a non 4x4. Highly recommend.

• Haifoss - Gorgeous waterfalls with small glacier. Deep canyon. Gravel road is longer but also manageable.

• Gjáin - Road is gravel, the worse I had driven so I did not go all the way to falls. Drone took last 0.5 km or so. Terrible road condition without 4x4.

• Hjalparfoss - Great converging falls and nice open area. 

• Skógafoss - Very popular waterfall, also no drones allowed. Can take pathway leading up to top of falls. Do not come in peak times. Lots of spray when you get closer. 

• Kvernufoss - Just a short drive/walk away from Skógafoss, sort of like a small Seljalandsfoss. Perfect for a picnic. Can get behind the falls as well.

• Sólheimajökull Glacier - Has receded a lot in recent years. Take a gravely path to edge of glacier. Lots of dirt/iron on glacier. Can organize hiking trips.

• Sólheimasander Plane Wreck - Remains of an American DC-3 plane. Hike is 7 km total, round trip. Very windy, and desolate conditions. Start from car parking area just off the ring road. Come prepared and do not jump on plane.

• Dyrhólaey Lighthouse - Gorgeous house on inlet. Bird nesting area, no drones allowed. Great for golden hour/sunset. Road up to lighthouse a bit gravely and lots of pot holes. Also narrow and sloped.

• Reynisfjara - Very popular at all times of day but best during golden hour/sunset. Beach goes on for awhile and has a great view of Dyrhólaey. 

• Þakgil - Great for camping. Best views of Iceland on the way there. Gravel road is long and a bit rough at times. Good facilities. Extra cold since higher in elevation.

• Hjörleifshöfði Cave - Great in the mornings. Really secluded area. Not many people. Gravel road.

• Eldhraun Lava Field - Just off the ring road. Very nice formations of former lava field with moss.

• Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon - Excellent. A must see. Get there in the morning, gets very full by lunch time. Go to last viewing point first.

• Stjórnarfoss - Nice waterfall, near a campsite. Great for swimming.

• Hundafoss/Svartifoss - Both in Skaftafell National Park. Nice waterfalls. Trek is uphill at first, pretty tiring.

• Skeiðará Bridge Monument - Cool to see. Part of a bridge but flooded river bent beams. Nice for picnic.

• Svínafellsjökull Glacier - Really cool. Have to drive gravel road. Not in best condition. Rock path leads to views of glacier. 

• Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon - Great, but really really crowded. Best time of day is morning or night. Good for sunsets.

• Fjallfjara - Beach nearby that is nice earlier in the day before glaciers have gone back into the sea/lagoon.

• Fjallsárlón Glacier Lagoon - quieter than Jökulsárlón, water is more still, can get some gorgeous photos. No drones allowed.

• Múlagljúfur Canyon - Best to hike in the morning. Multiple paths along the way. Best is one along main valley. 2-3 miles one way, at least 1 hour to get up.

Eastern Iceland (Blog Post Part IV)

• Stokksnes and Vestrahorn Mountain - Amazing. Go in the morning when sunrises behind mountain. Can camp at Viking Cafe. Good campsite with restaurant, showers, wifi. Nice area around.

• Hvalnes Lighthouse - Quiet. Basic, but good views of mountains.

• Litlanesfoss/Hengifoss - Two more cool waterfalls in one hike. About 1 hour each way.

• Klifbrekkufossar - Cascading waterfalls and amazing to see. Drive there on gravel road, which was manageable. High elevation meant driving through a cloud to come out on other side. No one else there. One of my favorites. 

• Seyðisfjarðarkirkja - Charming blue church in small town by the same name with rainbow steps leading up to it.

• Gufufoss - Can be seen on the way out of small town from church, better seen when leaving. Small car parking lot on side of the road.

• Stuðlagil Canyon - Nice drive on gravel road. Path down can be steep. Can get to the bottom near the water, just need to be slow and careful. Worth seeing.

• Campground Möðrudal - Excellent place to camp at. Surroundings are eerily beautiful. Good facilities.

Northern Iceland (Blog Post Part V)

• Dettifoss - Best from the EAST side. Lots of spray from the west side. Huge. Can get right up to it. Highly recommend.

• Selfoss - a 1.4 km hike south from Dettifoss. Also worth seeing, very long. Little puddles and pools leading up to the falls. 

• Námafjall Hverir - Amazing hot springs. Smells very awful. Very colorful. Right off the ring road.

• Krafla Crater - Blue lake, very high up in elevation, very windy. 

• Goðafoss - Just an insanely beautiful blue/turquoise waterfall. It’s popular but so worth it. One of the sides allows you to get on the water level.

• Hamrar Camping - big campsite just outside of Akureyri, good shower and facilities, very open.

• Lemon - Cafe in Akureryi, very cozy and chill.

• Hvitserkur - Pretty cool rock. Very windy and cold. Gravel road to get there is not very good. Can venture down to the pebbled beach. Use caution when going down.

• Glambaer Church - Really nice church, museum next to it. Small quaint town. Small detour from Route 1. 

• Kolufoss - Cool waterfall, can get up close to it. Within 10 meters of falls. Small detour from Route 1.

Snaefellsnes Peninsula (Blog Post Part VI)

• Gerðuberg Cliffs - couldn’t find road to get there, but can see it from the main road. Pretty neat hexagonal columns.

• Búðakirkja - Popular black church. Very nice to see up close.

• Rauðfeldsgjá Gorge - Nice canyon, have to wade in deeper, might be able to cross over rocks in the water, be careful, can be slippery.

• Gatklettur - nice rock formation with bird nesting area so no drones.

• Londranger - another rock formation nearby with more birds. No drones allowed.

• Malariff Lighthouse - Pretty nice. Sits on a black beach. Really chill and easy to get to.

• Djúpalónssandur beach - Another huge beach. Very wide open.

• Svörtuloft Lighthouse - Last few kilometers is gravel/rock road to get there. Manageable if you go slow enough and lighthouse is worth seeing. Nestled near a bird nestling area, so no drones.

• Öndverðarnes Lighthouse - same road as previous one, smaller, but also orange. Can walk down a path to the beach. Good for sunset.

• Ingjaldshólskirkja - A church that is really nice any time of day. Nestled up on top of a hill. Perfect for golden hour.

• Svöðufoss - Waterfall that you can only see from afar. Birds nesting area and roaming sheep there.

• Kirkjufellsfoss - Ideal for photographers, good for golden hour and sunset.

• Kirkufell - same from above, excellent views of mountain from any part of town (Grundarfjörður)

Reykjavik (Blog Post here)

• Hallgrímskirkja - Nice church in the heart of Reykjavik. Can go inside and go up viewing tower. Great at all times of the year. Can be very very cold in the winter.

• Þúfa - Art installation designed by the Icelandic artist Ólöf Nordal.

• Harpa Convention Center - Performing arts center in the city. Open long hours. Nice to relax at.

• Sun Voyager - Sculpture by Jón Gunnar Árnason. Along the sea and meant to convey the promise of undiscovered territory, a dream of hope, progress and freedom

• Blue Lagoon - outdoor thermal hot springs. Near Keflavik airport. A tourist trap but totally worth it.

• Perlan - an exhibition center with a planetarium, observation deck, and a restaurant.

Useful Information about traveling through Iceland

1. N1 is the most common gas station. To use the gas pumps, you can go inside the shop and purchase a N1 gas card (comes in 1000, 5000, and 10000 ISK). You can then take this card and use it on any N1 gas station pump in the country. Put in card face up, w/ magnetic strip to right side, facing down and select the pump you are at and fill ‘er up.

2. Iceland is a very electronic country, meaning that many places take card, even the campsites. During my two week road trip, I didn’t use cash at all. Be sure to confirm with your bank if you’re able to use your card in Iceland.

3. Since Iceland is a volcanic country, there may be times where you will take a shower or be visiting a geothermal areas and you will smell sulfur. This is entirely normal and poses no harm to you. Just the way it is!

4. No matter what season it is, remember to wear layers. The weather changes a lot and it can be windy as well, so this just allows you to be prepared for any type of weather. I find that a light, rainproof jacket is a must no matter the time.

5. You’ll want to stop everywhere on your drive to take photos, but be patient, you can usually find a turn off soon on the road. Do not stop in the middle of the road for photos. 

6. The Main grocery stores are BONUS, Kronan, and Netti and they more or less have everything you need for your road trip.

7. Skyr is Icelandic yogurt, and it’s amazing. Great for breakfast and fueling up for your day of exploring.

If you like some of my photos that you have come across, just know that I have many prints showcasing a variety of landscapes in Iceland, available for purchase below! (Sold as Posters, Canvas, or in Metal-Frames).

8. There are a TON of Horses and goats/sheep always on the road side. Slow down when passing them. They often cross the roads.

9. When renting your car or campervan, there are probably up to 5 or 6 types of insurance to add to the basic insurance that is already included. If you plan on taking a trip longer than a week and hoping to see some of the more secluded areas, but sure to also get the Gravel Insurance. My side window shattered in my car from an errant rock and I was able to swap out my campervan for a new one the same day and it cost me nothing.

10. Other Campervan companies in addition to Go Campers include, but are not limited to: Lava, Happy Campers, Kuku Campers, Campeasy, Rent.is, Cheap Campers, Affordable Campers.

If you have ANY more questions about planning a road trip, do not hesitate to drop me a message or a comment!

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