Hringvegur Íslands: 7 daga akstursleiðarvísir

Seven Days, 1,322 Kilometres, and Every Stop That Matters

The Ring Road (Route 1) circles Iceland and is the single most popular driving route in the country. Seven days is the minimum for a satisfying trip — you can do it in five, but you will spend more time driving than experiencing. With seven days, you can stop at every major attraction, take short detours, and still have time for the occasional unplanned discovery.

This itinerary is based on driving clockwise from Reykjavík, which is the most popular direction because it puts the dramatic South Coast on Day 1 when energy and excitement are highest. It assumes summer conditions (June-August) with long daylight hours. For winter, add at least 2-3 extra days and skip some longer detours.

Day 1: Reykjavík to Vík (180 km)

Driving time: 2.5 hours direct, but you will stop frequently.

Morning: Leave Reykjavík by 9am. Drive south through Hellisheiði pass (stop at the geothermal exhibition if interested). Continue to Seljalandsfoss — the waterfall you can walk behind. Allow 30-45 minutes here. Then drive 5 minutes east to Gljúfrabúi, a hidden waterfall in a narrow canyon that most tourists miss.

Midday: Continue to Skógafoss (25 minutes). This is one of Iceland's most powerful waterfalls. If you have energy, climb the 370 steps to the top for views along the Fimmvörðuháls trail.

Afternoon: Drive to Vík (30 minutes). Stop at Reynisfjara black sand beach — but respect the warning signs about sneaker waves. They have killed people. Do not turn your back on the ocean.

Overnight: Vík. Several guesthouses and hotels. Book ahead in summer.

Day 2: Vík to Höfn (265 km)

Driving time: 3.5 hours direct.

Morning: Drive east through Eldhraun lava field — a vast, moss-covered lava landscape from the 1783 Laki eruption. Stop at Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon (short walk, spectacular views).

Midday: Continue to Skaftafell (Vatnajökull National Park). Hike to Svartifoss — the basalt column waterfall that inspired the design of Hallgrímskirkja church in Reykjavík. Allow 2 hours for the round trip.

Afternoon: Drive to Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon. Watch icebergs calve from Breiðamerkurjökull. Cross the road to Diamond Beach where icebergs wash up on black sand. This is arguably Iceland's single most spectacular sight.

Evening: Continue to Höfn (80 km). Höfn is famous for langoustine — eat at Pakkhús or Humarhöfnin.

Overnight: Höfn.

Day 3: Höfn to Egilsstaðir (250 km)

Driving time: 4-5 hours (the East Fjords are slow).

This is the least-visited section of the Ring Road and arguably the most beautiful for pure landscape. The road winds through narrow fjords with steep mountains dropping directly into the sea. Stop at Djúpivogur (small fishing village, Eggin í Gleðivík sculpture), then follow the coast through Berufjörður, Stöðvarfjörður, and Fáskrúðsfjörður.

If you have time, detour to Seyðisfjörður (25 km from Egilsstaðir) — a picturesque village at the end of a fjord, known for its colourful houses and the rainbow-painted road. This is also where the Smyril Line ferry from Europe arrives.

Overnight: Egilsstaðir.

Day 4: Egilsstaðir to Mývatn (170 km)

Driving time: 2 hours direct.

Morning: Drive north. Optional detour to Dettifoss (30 km off Route 1 on Route 862) — the most powerful waterfall in Europe. The spray can soak you from 100 metres away. Allow 1.5 hours for the detour and walk.

Afternoon: Arrive at Mývatn. This area deserves a full afternoon and morning. Visit the Mývatn Nature Baths (less crowded, cheaper alternative to Blue Lagoon), walk around the pseudocraters at Skútustaðir, explore the lava formations at Dimmuborgir, and hike the volcanic crater Hverfjall.

Overnight: Mývatn area.

Day 5: Mývatn to Akureyri (100 km)

Driving time: 1 hour direct — but spend the morning at Mývatn.

Morning: Continue exploring Mývatn. Visit Námaskarð geothermal area (boiling mud pots, fumaroles) and Grjótagjá cave (a hot spring in a lava cave — no swimming allowed since 2010 due to temperature, but worth seeing).

Afternoon: Drive to Goðafoss (the "waterfall of the gods" — where Iceland's parliament voted to adopt Christianity in 1000 AD and the chieftain threw his Norse god idols into the falls). Then continue to Akureyri, Iceland's northern capital. Walk the town centre, visit the botanical garden, and eat well — Akureyri has surprisingly good restaurants for a town of 19,000.

Overnight: Akureyri.

Day 6: Akureyri to Blönduós (245 km)

Driving time: 3 hours direct.

This is the least dramatic day of the trip, but it covers important ground. The drive follows the north coast through rolling farmland and passes through Skagafjörður — Iceland's premier horse-breeding region. Optional stops: the turf church at Víðimýri (one of the last remaining turf churches in Iceland), the Herring Era Museum in Siglufjörður (a 40-km detour through stunning Héðinsfjörður tunnel).

Overnight: Blönduós or Hvammstangi (the latter is the gateway to the Vatnsnes seal colony — worth an early-morning visit).

Day 7: Blönduós to Reykjavík (240 km)

Driving time: 3 hours direct.

The final day. Drive south through Hraunfossar and Barnafoss waterfalls (a 15-minute detour off Route 1 at Borgarnes). These are unlike any other waterfalls in Iceland — Hraunfossar seeps out of a lava field over a wide area, creating a curtain of small cascades. Then continue to Borgarnes for a coffee stop at the Settlement Centre.

Arrive in Reykjavík by early afternoon, return the rental car, and reflect on 1,322 kilometres of the most varied, dramatic, and humbling driving on earth.