One week, one legendary route
The Ring Road, aka Route 1, is the most popular road trip in Iceland. On this 7-day self-drive tour, you’ll follow this epic route past lava fields, waterfalls, mountains, and glaciers.
If you want to pack a whole load of Iceland’s natural wonders into just 1 week, this is the trip for you. You’ll get to see all of the most popular attractions in the comfort of your own car. Stop where you like, and crank up the tunes!
On this tour you will...
Complete the classic Golden Circle route
Experience the tranquility of the Eastfjords region
Feel the power of Iceland’s wondrous waterfalls
Admire gnarly lava formations in North Iceland
Get up close to glaciers in Vatnajökull National Park
Have the chance to spot whales and puffins
Top attractions
Gullfoss
Geysir and Strokkur
Þingvellir National Park
Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
Vatnajökull Glacier & National Park
Seljalandsfoss
Skógafoss
Skaftafell
Lake Mývatn
Goðafoss
Akureyri
Hraunfossar and Barnafoss
Why book a self-drive trip with Iceland Tours?
Start your tour on the date that suits you
24/7 emergency helpline in Iceland
Secure your booking with just a 5% deposit
New rental cars with 2 drivers as standard
Handpicked local accommodation options
Best Price Guarantee
Your 7-day self-drive itinerary
Your memorable, Iceland adventure begins the very moment you arrive at Keflavík Airport. Once you pick up your rental vehicle, you’ll head directly for Reykjavík and your exciting, first night in Iceland.
Highlights
Downtown Reykjavík
Extra activities
ExtraFlyOver Iceland
ExtraSky Lagoon Saman Pass
ExtraPuffin Watching
ExtraClassic Whale Watching from Reykjavík
ExtraThe Reykjavík Food Walk
ExtraHorse Riding from Reykjavík
ExtraInside the Volcano tour from Bláfjöll
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 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.
What’s included?
Detailed itinerary
Budget, Comfort, or Quality accommodation every night
Continental breakfast every day
Rental car of your choice for 6 days
2 authorized drivers as standard
Unlimited in-car Wi-Fi
Unlimited mileage
Collision damage waiver
24/7 emergency helpline when you’re in Iceland
VAT, taxes & service fees
Flights to Iceland
Food & drink, unless otherwise stated
Attraction entrance fees, unless otherwise stated
Fuel & parking charges
Personal travel insurance
Customer reviews
Read what real customers had to say about Iceland Ring Road in a Week.
FAQs about our self-drive trips
On a self-drive trip with Iceland Tours, you’ll be at the wheel of the rental car of your choice and free to go pretty much where you want, whenever you want.
We provide a detailed itinerary to help you plan your route and where you want to stop along the way. But it’s up to you whether you want to stick to it or go your own way. If you do take detours, make sure that you aren’t too far from your accommodation on any given night.
That said, it’s a good idea to stick to the suggested itinerary if you’ve never visited Iceland before. Created by our Reykjavík-based travel experts, it contains plenty of things for you to and see and do on each leg of your trip. One thing’s for sure: you won’t be short on ideas!
You also get unlimited in-car Wi-Fi, so you can stay connected and use maps on your phone for navigation.
You have to be at least 20 years old to rent a car in Iceland, or 23 years old for larger vehicles like jeeps and vans. You’ll need to have held a valid driver’s license for at least 1 year and present a credit card when you collect your car.
You don’t need an International Driving Permit unless your license is not in Latin script (for example, Arabic or Chinese).
Find out more about car rental in Iceland.
Yes! It’s possible to add extra activities or extend your trip with additional nights in Reykjavík or the countryside. Check the itinerary above to see what activities are available on what day.
Once you’ve paid your deposit for your trip, we’ll finalize bookings for your accommodation, rental car, and any activities. As soon as we receive confirmation of everything, we’ll email your travel documents to you.
We aim to finalize everything within a few weeks of receiving your booking request, but in busy periods this might take longer. That said, you’ll always receive all of your documents before your departure date.
You’ll be able to pick up your rental car at Keflavík International Airport from the arrivals hall. Before your trip, we’ll send you information about where to go in the terminal to collect your keys.
Make sure you have your driver’s license and credit card ready when you collect your vehicle.
If you land late at night, you can use the out-of-hours phone at the pick-up desk to contact someone who will be able to help you.
You also have the option to collect your rental car in Reykjavík, if you’re planning to spend some extra days in the city before your trip starts. If you’d like to do this, please let us know in the ‘Special requests’ box at checkout.
