Iceland is a country so beautiful, it will have you believing in myths and fairytales once you spy its magical landscapes. According to a YouTube video on the website of European travel expert and writer Rick Steves, the best way to see Iceland is by car. The reason road-tripping is so perfect here is that Iceland’s main road, Route 1, also known as the Ring Road, circles the entire country.
It is 820 miles long and provides easy access to some of Iceland’s most stunning locations, which include black sand beaches, geysers, waterfalls, mountains, lava fields, craters, glaciers, and hot springs. Once you’ve got your itinerary in place, you just need to decide on the best time of year to visit Iceland. Depending on how much you want to see, a road trip can be anywhere from three days to three weeks as there are plenty of natural wonders in this Scandinavian country.
What you need to know about driving in Iceland
In Iceland, they drive on the right and seatbelts are mandatory. Cars can easily be hired from the airport, or in the capital city of Reykjavík, just 45 minutes away. Steves recommends stopping at the famous Blue Lagoon geothermal spa for a unique outdoor bathing experience. It’s easy to visit as soon as you arrive or before you leave, as it’s just 20 minutes from the airport.
Iceland is a great place for an electric vehicle road trip as it has high-speed chargers available along the route, powered by the island’s geothermal energy. There is also plenty of great accommodation to be found along the way, especially in the towns that are close to popular areas of natural beauty.
The scenery in Iceland is so beautiful that the tourist board Visit Reykjavík actually warns drivers not to get distracted by the incredible views. If there is something you want to see, find a safe place to pull over and then you can photograph it to your heart’s content. One important tip is to download an offline maps app, where you can mark the places you want to visit so you can still navigate to them if you don’t have signal or Wi-Fi. Although, many Iceland car rental companies offer portable Wi-Fi devices that keep you connected throughout your trip.
Where to visit on a road trip in Iceland
There are so many reasons to visit Iceland, and some of the best are its geysers, waterfalls, and jaw-dropping landscapes. Steves also recommends the “Golden Circle,” which includes the famous Gullfoss waterfall, geysers in the Haukadalur geothermal valley, and Thingvellir National Park. If you go clockwise around Iceland, you can leave the Ring Road to explore the Snæfellsnes Peninsula which is a gorgeous coastline with the black sand Djúpalónssandur Beach, Glymur waterfall, and Kirkjufell mountain.
Then you can follow the ring road to northern Iceland where you can see the traditionally built turf houses in Glaumbaer and the impressive Godafoss waterfall. The North Coast is also a great jumping-off point for a whale-watching trip. A stop at Mývatn is essential as you can visit the Mývatn Nature Baths, the Hverir geothermal area, the Dimmuborgir lava field, and the Hverfjall crater. On the way back along the Eastern and southern coasts of Iceland, be sure to see the Stuðlagil Canyon, the puffins at Borgarfjörður eystri, the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, Diamond Beach, the Vatnajökull Glacier, and Skogafoss waterfall. This isn’t an exhaustive list of attractions that you can reach from Iceland’s ring road, and there are plenty more that you can add along the way!
