Road trip, 15 days

This is an itinerary for a road trip along the Ringroad or the 1. It is to give you an idea of the possibilities along this road. Do you like it and love to know more about the areas or stop? Check out this page about the different regions of Iceland. Or if you want to know more about the waterfalls of Iceland, you can check out this map. Enjoy!

Day 1 , Lets start the journey

The journey starts with a flight from Amsterdam to Keflavik airport. We arrived at the airport around 17:45 local time. Because we forgot our tablet on the plane, we had to wait to get it back. This was quite fast, but nonetheless we were a little later than planned for our car pick up. We have rented our car, a Hyundai Tucson 4×4 hybrid, with Northbound with the renter Lava Cars. Because it is already dark, and later than expected, we are going to our hostel for the night, Hostel B47. This hostel has a simple room, with a shared bathroom, and we had breakfast included. There were also some options for food. The hostel is located a few blocks behind the Hallgrímskirkja, which we could see through our window.

Day 2 , Blue Lagoon

This morning we planned a visit to the Blue Lagoon. We booked the comfort ticket with a clay mask and first drink included. Everything is well arranged at the Blue Lagoon, and you’re really in for a treat. The water is a milky blue and nicely warm. Near the entrance of the lagoon you can get your silica mask. This is of course, really worth the picture. You have a wide variety of drinks from which you can choose. Although this is not a natural spring but waste water from the nearby Geothermal powerplant, this is a big touristic attraction. If you have never been, I would recommend going just for the experience. After the relaxing morning, we went to Reykjavík to enjoy the capital. We walked past the Sun Voyager, near the harbor and strolled over to The Reykjavík Fish restaurant for lunch. If you decide to go here you should try the traditional Plokkari. After lunch, we went to the Hallgrímskirkja, which also has an elevator to go all the way up to the bells. Up here you have a beautiful view and can almost see the airport. To do some shopping, we walked over Skólavörðustígur and stopped at the Handknitting Association. If you are looking for an Icelandic handmade or Icelandic made wool product, this is the place. I got my Kidka wool plaid here, and I need to go back to get a real Lopapeysa. Tonight we are staying at Hotel Laxnes in Mosfellsbær, which I highly recommend. It is just outside of Reykjavík. Within a 15-minute drive, you are in the city center. But it is quiet out here. This evening, we drove back to the city center to go on a Northern Lights tour. Although the tour was really nice, and we had a lovely tour operator, if possible I would recommend not doing a tour and driving yourself.

Day 3 , Golden Circle

We started our day driving over the 1 and then the 35 towards Kerið Krater. You can park on the official parking. It costs a few Króna, but we got a nice flayer about the crater. You can walk around and downwards into the crater and walk around the crater lake. After this gorgeous stop, we continued over the 35 towards our first waterfall, Faxi waterval Vatnsleysufoss. Here is also a small parking for which we had to pay. After that, it is a small descent towards the foot of the waterfall. We continued our journey over the 35 towards Gullfoss. This was maybe the biggest stop on the Golden Circle. It is a two-step waterfall crashing into a beautiful canyon. At Gullfoss, you can walk above the waterfall and see it from higher up or walk down a path, feel the mist and stand on the plateau between the top and the bottom fall. There is a nice restaurant and gift shop. This makes it a good, but pricey, stop for lunch. Then we began our travels back to the hotel. Back on the 35 towards Geysir Geothermal Field to see Strokkur blow off some steam. If you only want to stop to see the geyser ”explode” it goes off around every 5 minutes. We drove back over the 35, 37, 365, 36 into þingvellir National Park. Here we passed the Hrafnagjá Observation Deck and drove around Þingvallavatn all the way back to Hotel Laxnes. 

Day 4 , þingvellir National Park

Most of today was spent in þingvellir. We drove over the 36 around þingvallavatn and parked at P5. From there you can walk towards the visitors center, from where you can start the walk in/ to Lügberg. This walk will take you past Drekkingarhylur and all the way to Öxarárfoss. Most tours, unfortunately, don’t give you enough time to see everything at þingvellir. So if you go by car, you can see and do it all. We also walked past Snorri’s booth and Öxarárhólmi. We also walked past Silfra’s snorkelling pond. If you have time left, visit the museum as well. It is very informative and explains not only the important history of the place but also the geological side of the place. On our way back, we stopped at the Laxness horse farm to see and pet the horses. After dinner, we booked a Folklore tour in Reykjavík (operated by Your friend in Reykjavík). This was very fun to do, it makes you look a bit different at places in the city. We had a very nice guide who knew a lot.

Day 5 , Start of the South Coast

We start our drive by taking the 1 going south. In Hella, we switch to the 25 and take a very bumpy road towards a small parking lot. From here you can walk towards Ægissiđufoss, but the stairs down to the water are private property, so you are not allowed. But you have a nice view from this point as well. After this stop, we drove further over the 1 and continued to 261 towards Gluggafoss. There is a parking lot, and you can take a hike up on the right side of the waterfall. We walked up for about 20 minutes and already had a great view. Our entire walk was about an hour, but we had a really good day with no rain. After this beautiful stop, we drove further towards the next waterfall. We take the 250 and then the 1 towards this waterfall. Seljalandsfoss is a beautiful waterfall where you can walk behind the water. If you park your car on the parking lot, you will pass a small coffee shop where you can get a nice warm drink. A 10-minute walk from Seljalandsfoss is Gljúfrabúi. This is a nice small hidden waterfall. Most of the time, people from tour buses are not able to visit this one, which makes it a quieter waterfall. Because we have a 4×4 car, we can drive a bit further on 249. Along this road is Nauthúsafoss. After wandering the gorge of this hidden waterfall, we continue to the last waterfall of the day. Driving further south, you will reach Skógafoss. You can put your car on the car park and walk towards the waterfall to enjoy the power of nature. There is also a path leading up to the top of the waterfall. After all the adventures of today, we drove over the 1 towards the Black Sand beach of Vík to see the sunset. When the red moon was rising from out of the waves, it was time for some sleep in Skammidalur Guesthouse.

Day 6 , Katla Ice cave

Although there was a lot of rain and hard winds during the night, the weather settled down in the morning right before our tour in Vík. We booked the Katla Ice cave 4×4 super jeep tour (with Troll expeditions). From the pick-up point, the Lava show, we went out with the tour group. The drive is about half an hour and the tour in the cave about 40 minutes. After this incredible experience, it is time for lunch and coffee at Skool beans Micro roaster. When our energy is reloaded, we drive further south on the 1 and take a right onto Hjörleifshöfði towards Gígjagjá, also known as the Yoda Cave, but this is a tourist name. After feeling the force, and enjoying the amazing surroundings, we continued on the 1 past the geological formation Dverghamrar and up to Jökulsárlón (glacier lagoon) & Breiðamerkursandur. We walked along the shoreline of the lagoon looking at the icebergs and spotting seals and in the last light of the day we drove to Guesthouse Nýpugarðar to call it a night.

Day 7 , Long way and listen to Veður

This day we had planned the longest drive, but we had a weather warning for strong winds. I have learned that weather warnings in Iceland are not to be ignored. But, we were ignorant and did it and learned the hard way. We started our day by starting by going to the Víkingaþorpið (Viking Village Prop For Movie) near Vestrahorn. We bought a ticket at the café and drove towards the parking lot. The Viking Village is probably not what it used to be, but if you are in the area and have time to spare, it is a fun place. Then we wanted to drive further over the 1 all the way up to Fossholl. We went over the 95 for a tiny moment and were really happy to see the first snow. When we passed Egilsstaðir, we probably missed a sign saying that the 1 was closed. We also had lost the signal and connection somewhere, because when we restarted our phones we got a few texts. Even from the emergency number. Therefore, we had to stop our journey today earlier than planned. We had to book a night at Guesthouse Skjöldólfsstadir and wait until the 1 will be re-opened.

Day 8 , Long wait

During the afternoon and during the night, the area was hit by a blizzard. Everything was covered with snow and or ice and the 1 had to be cleaned. Around half past one, the road re-opened and we were allowed to continue the journey. Because of the amount of snow, we are not used to anything, we were a bit scared that the 1 would be closed again today. So, we unfortunately drove past Mývatn, and left that experience for another time. We ended the day at Fljótsbakki Farm Hotel, near Fossholl and Godafoss. But, after the blizzard and the 24-hour delay, we got a beautiful Northern light spectacle. It felt a bit like an ”I’m sorry” note.

Day 9 , Snowdogs

The reason why we wanted to be in this place today is because of our tour booked for today. We booked a dry-land cart ride, but because of the snow, it has been rebooked to a snow ride! Snow Dogs dogsledding is a family business near lake Mývatn. They own 29 Siberian Husky sled dogs in their open kennel. This was such an exiting thing to experience. The dogs were so cuddly and eager to go out. Unfortunately, the tour was over in a heart beat. After this unforgettable ride we head out to Húsavík on the 1, 845 and then into the village on the 85. Here we visited the Húsavík Whale Museum (Hvalasafnið á Húsavík). This is a, for me as a biology lover, very interesting museum with a really cool collection of whale skeletons. After pointing out which whale we would love to see, it is time for lunch, and we found a lovely restaurant in the harbor, Gamli Baukur. Here you can enjoy lovely food like traditional fiskflokkur with rye bread and Smjör. Afterwards, it is time for a drink in the Jaja Ding Dong Húsavík café with a visit to the Eurovision exhibition. If you do not recognise this, you really have to watch Eurovision with Will Ferrall on Netflix. As an end of the day treat, we went to see Goðafoss. This gorgeous horseshoe shaped waterfall, actually two streams making one waterfall, is rich with stories about statues of the pagan gods at the bottom of the pool. From the parking lot it was not even a 10-minute ride to our warm Guesthouse room.

Day 10 , Whale watching

After spotting the whale skeletons in the museum yesterday, it was now time to spot the live animals. We booked a tour with a typical Icelandic herring boat with North Sailing (Húsavík Whale Watching). The tour was about 3 hours, 3 really cold hours. But totally worth the loss of a few fingers. We saw a few Humpbacks, which was the first time seeing big whales. The tour operators have a lot of knowledge and will tell interesting things when we are just waiting or going from one spot to another one. At the end of the tour we got hot chocolate milk and and a piece of pastry to get our bodies warm again. After this we slowly went back to the harbour. After setting foot on the ground again, it is time to continue the drive over the ring road (1) through Akureyri, for groceries, and continue to Tangahús Bođeyri. On the way we had to pay for the tunnel. You can pre-book this so you don’t forget to pay. This guesthouse is in a remoter area next to a fjord. If we are lucky we can spot some wildlife here.

Day 11 , Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft

We wanted to visit the Arctic Fox Center in Súðavík, but saw this morning that it was closed for the season. So we drove the 68 to Hólmavik Galdrasýning á Ströndum, also known as the Museum of Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft. This museum tells you the history of, well, the Sorcery and witchcraft that people used to use in Iceland. It also has a list of people who were killed for being a witch or warlock. Which, in Iceland, were mostly men! Only one female made the list. After the visit, we enjoyed our lunch here, which was really good, and then we headed back home. We still had a few hours of the day left, so we decided to go to Hvammstangi. We wanted to go to the Icelandic Seal Center, but it was closed. Instead, we went to the Vínbúðin next door to get some beers to enjoy at dinner. We also went to Gallerí Bardúsa Handicraft & Museum. We didn’t visit the museum but enjoyed all the goodies in the handicraft store. When the sun started to set, we went back home to the guesthouse.

Day 12 , Lava tunnel

We drive down from Bođeyri over the 68 back to the Ring Road (1) down to Bifrost. Right before you enter Bifrost there are two craters on the right side of the road. You can climb up on one of them. Grábrók is a beautiful crater with steps to go all the way up to the brim. From here you can see Grábrókarfell (the second crater). There is also an archeological site next to the step. It is probably an old rétt, a wagonwheel shaped structure to divide the sheep. After our morning walk, we drove further towards Staldriđ food truck, which is next to Deildartunguhver and Krauma hot springs. The foodtruck is next to a glasshouse with tomatoes from which you can taste all types of products. We ate our hotdogs and hot drinks inside the glasshouse and walked past Deildartunguhver, which is/was the most powerful hot spring in Iceland. After a good lunch, we went on with our tour of the day: The Cave Víðgelmir. This tour is about 1,5 hours, including the walk towards the entrance of the cave. The tunnel is in Hallmundarhraun, which was created during the eruption around 900AD. This natural Lava tube/tunnel is about 1,5km long, but the first 700 meters are prepared for tour groups to visit. After waving goodbye to Hallmundur, the troll that lives in the Víðgelmir cave and on the hraun, it is time to go to our last accommodation, Hotel Viking in Hafnarfjörður. This hotel is, as the name states, in Viking style with a lot of beautiful woodwork. It also has a hot tube and sauna available. Next to the hotel is their restaurant, of course, also in Viking style. This is a real recommendation. The food was superb, we had a live bard who was amazing, and the decoration brought everything to life.

Day 13 , Horseback riding

This morning we drove towards Reykjavík City Center, and parked near the old harbor. We were a bit early, and there was not much to do yet. Soo, a breakfast cake and coffee at Mama Reykjavík at the corner of the Rainbow-road. After the calm start of the day, it is time to spend some money at the Kolaportið flea market. This is a big flea market that offers everything from food and drinks to Lopapeysa and jewellery. We strolled around for about an hour before getting a drink and a muffin and getting picked up for our last tour of this trip. We are being picked up by a Sólhestar horse rental tour to do a 2,5hours tour in the Reykjavík area. This is, of course, with Icelandic horses and includes the extra gait that these horses have, the Tölt. After our tour over a lava field and view of the city, we are brought back to the pick-up point. It is still too early for our dinner reservation so we decided to go to the Aurora Reykjavík: The Northern Lights Center. This lovely museum tells you about the myths and legends about the northern lights. It also explains the science behind this natural phenomenon in a very understandable way and with beautiful pictures. At the end, there was a relaxation space in which you could lay on sheeps wool or big pillows, or sit on a chair, and enjoy moving images from the northern lights. Then the time came to go to our restaurant, Þrír frakkar. This nice restaurant offers really good food. The horse meat and desserts were amazing! With little hope, but no signs of the northern lights, we returned to the Viking hotel. 

Day 14 , Museum day

We begin our day at FlyOver Iceland. We wanted to have this experience yesterday, but it was fully booked, so we gave it another try. FlyOver Iceland takes you over Iceland in a helicopter view. The filming is amazing, just like the film. It is a whole experience which you should try to do if you have time left. After this ”helicopter ride” we wanted to learn more about the history of Iceland, so we went to the Saga museum. This museum has an exhibition with wax figures that show multiple moments in the history of the island. All the scenes are enhanced with scent and sounds. It is quite an impressive exhibition for a museum that seems a bit small to house all the historical stories. After these last few hours, we have seen Iceland from above and we’ve learned about its history. Now it is time to learn about its nature. So, we visited the Perlan. This was an impressive museum. It has a lot of interesting sections and even an ice cave. The Perlan has a beautiful collection of native species of, for example, birds and their eggs. It also has a rooftop restaurant. From here you have a 360° view over the area surrounding the Perlan. You can see the city of Reykjavík and the lava fields on the Reykjanes peninsula. We lunched here with a view on the Hallgrimskirkja. After lunch, we went to the 360° planetarium and enjoyed the show Áróra, about the northern lights. When we had seen enough for one day, we headed back and grabbed a burger along the way. On our last evening, we got a notification from the Aurora app saying that we had a high chance of seeing the northern lights within half an hour. We prepared ourselves and started to head out. But, the lights were already playing above our heads. We quickly drove to a place with less light and enjoyed the show for almost an hour. After this amazing show, it was time to go to bed.

Day 15 , Last day

Today we had a late flight, which meant that we could spend the last hours exploring the Reykjanes peninsula. We started by driving towards Gunnuhver on the 41, 43 and the 425. Gunnuhver is a hot spring, with hot seawater and an interesting story. After exploring this area, we drove back over the 425 and passing Gríndavík before continuing on the 427 which splits, to Hópsnes. On this path you can find the Hrafn Sveinbjarnarson III Ship Wreck. This ship was pushed over the cliffs by a big storm and was stranded. All the people on board survived the crash. There were a lot of beautiful sheep in this area too. After driving through Gríndavík again, we went back on the 425 again. On the 425 towards Keflavik is a tourist stop, The Bridge Between Continents or Brú Milli Heimsálfa. Here is a bridge between the North American plate and the Eurasian Plate. These two plates drift apart, which means that the distance between them keeps getting bigger and bigger. It was almost time to return the car, so we ate our lunch at the Jon Kökulist bakery in Njarðvík. Before we know it, our time is up, and we have to head back to the airport and with that our trip to Iceland has ended.