The 8 best road trips in Iceland

With gleaming glaciers, rugged fjords, black volcanic beaches and thundering waterfalls on all sides, driving in Iceland is a dreamy experience, and having your own set of wheels offers the freedom to explore the country at your own pace. The top road trips in Iceland show off the very best of this island of fire and ice.

Picture the scene: you’re gliding along a road curling around a snowy hillside. On your right, a steep, rocky slope rises like a fortress, its top shrouded in fog. On your left, the surf beats against vertical cliffs backing a black beach of volcanic sand, with seabirds circling overhead. Before you, the crystal waters of yet another fjord stretch out toward the horizon.

While almost everyone starts their Icelandic adventure in Reykjavík, there’s no better feeling than heading out of the capital and seeing where the road takes you. The so-called Golden Circle, linking historic sites and natural wonders east of Reykjavík, is just the beginning.

Before you head off into Iceland's rugged terrain, there are a few things to consider. Book a hire car ahead for the best prices, particularly during the busy summer season. Always check the latest weather reports on the Veður website, and confirm the status of the roads on the Umferðin website. Remember, you may need a 4WD for some routes in the interior of the island.

With the admin out of the way, it's time for an Icelandic adventure. For inspiration, here are eight of the best road trips in Iceland, covering everywhere from the Reykjanes peninsula to the remote Westfjords.

1. The Blue Diamond tourist route

Best road trip for volcanic scenery

Start/finish: Keflavík International Airport
Approximate distance: 75–115km
Duration: 1–3 days

From Keflavík International Airport, the popular Blue Diamond tourist route loops around the otherworldly lava landscapes of the Reykjanes Peninsula southwest of Reykjavík, passing through quiet seaside villages and the wondrous Reykjanes Geopark, recognized by UNESCO in 2015.

Nowhere else are the borders between the American and Eurasian tectonic plates so visible; all around are signs of geothermal and volcanic activity. The milky blue waters of the Blue Lagoon – Iceland's favorite geothermal spa – spill steam into the sky, while the volcanic valley of Geldingadalir (which last erupted in 2021) continues to wow visitors with its lava formations. It's currently inactive, but check safety alerts before you visit.

There are many more discoveries to be made on this route, including the windswept shoreline by the Reykjanes Lighthouse and Kleifarvatn Lake – home, according to legend, to a wormlike monster the size of a whale. And if you want to get even closer to nature, park up and explore one of the myriad hiking trails.

Planning tip: You can make a full circuit around the peninsula from Reykjavík in less than a day, but it’s worth staying for a few days to fully explore the region.

2. Road 435

Best road trip for summer

Start/finish: Reykjavík
Approximate distance: 225km
Duration: 1–3 days

For a different take on the Golden Circle route – Iceland’s most popular day trip – try following Nesjavallaleið (Route 435), which is only open in the summer. Beginning on the outskirts of Reykjavík, this mostly paved back route slings through moss-covered lava landscapes, sweeping up and down steep hills, with a breathtaking view of Þingvallavatn Lake in the distance. Along the road are quite a few marked hiking trails, inviting road trippers to temporarily ditch the car and get up close and personal with the stunning landscape.

Puffs of steam are the telltale sign that you’re approaching the Nesjavallavirkjum Power Plant and the exclusive ION Adventure Hotel, one of the island's most architecturally striking accommodations. The route continues along placid lakes, including Úlfljótsvatn with a lonely church on its banks.

You'll continue through a landscape dotted with summer houses used by city dwellers for weekend breaks, before meeting the main road near the perfectly circular Kerið crater lake, one of the obligatory Golden Circle stops.

After gawking at the surging Gullfoss waterfall and Geysir – the geothermal spout from which all other geysers take their name – you can drive back to Reykjavík via Þingvellir National Park, with a quick visit to the curious cave houses of Laugarvatnshellar, which were inhabited until the 1920s.

Planning tip: Bookworms should consider making a stop at the Gljúfrasteinn Laxness Museum in Mosfellsdalur. The museum is the former home of prominent Icelandic writer Halldór Laxness, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1955.

3. Remote East Fjords drive

Best road trip for exploring Iceland's maritime heritage

Start/finish: Egilsstaðir, East Iceland
Approximate distance: 820km
Duration: 2–3 days

Set up camp in Egilsstaðir in the east of Iceland to uncover the magical East Fjords. First, visit the village of Vopnafjörður, home to Selárlaug, an outdoor geothermal swimming pool on the banks of a salmon-filled river that is popular with fishers. In summer, you can cross the spectacular Hellisheiði eystri mountain pass on Route 917 to get here, but this narrow and steep gravel road is not for the faint-hearted.

Take the easy way back via Route 85 and Route 1 to Borgarfjörður eystri, and recharge at the village of Bakkagerði, which has a spa-hotel and a puffin-watching house. The village hosts the popular Bræðslan music festival every July. It’s also a good base for hiking in stunning surroundings; the trek to Stórurð, a turquoise lake enclosed by massive boulders, is a particularly popular route.

You'll have to return to Egilsstaðir before moving on to the next fjords on the route. In Eskifjörður and Neskaupstaður, the maritime heritage of this region is marked by elegantly renovated historic houses. Make a stop at Randulfssjóhús in Eskifjörður and Beituskúrinn in Neskaupstaður; both now operate as excellent, atmospheric restaurants.

Drive back through Fáskrúðsfjörður to Stöðvarfjörður, where the Petra’s Stone Collection museum glitters with crystals and rock specimens, showcasing the amazing variety of minerals that can be found in the mountains. From here, it’s a straight run back to Egilsstaðir for the last time – remember to watch out for reindeer by the roadside.

Planning tip: While you're in Egilsstaðir, drop into the East Iceland Heritage Museum and the turf-roofed Skriðuklaustur museum, set in the former home of Icelandic author Gunnar Gunnarsson, where you can view the ruins of a 16th-century monastery.

4. The Westfjords by road and ferry

Best road trip for beautiful scenery

Start/finish: Reykjavík
Approximate distance: 765km
Duration: 4–7 days

For true drama, head north from Reykjavík to the glacier-carved Westfjords. En route, you’ll drive through the peaceful rural region of Dalir, where the Erpsstaðir dairy farm makes a great first pit stop on the journey. Here, you can learn about traditional farming life and sample homemade cheeses and other treats.

There are several history-linked sights nearby, including Eiríksstaðir, a living museum exploring life in the Viking era, and Guðrúnarlaug, a replica of the pool where the beautiful heroine of Laxdæla saga (one of the most famous medieval Icelandic epics) used to bathe.

Leaving Dalir in the rearview mirror, the first Westfjordian town you’ll reach is Reykhólar, home to the SjávarSmiðjan seaweed baths, said to have all manner of healing properties (check locally to see if they're open). The rest of the drive along the peninsula’s southern coast on steep gravel roads is both awe-inspiring and borderline scary – check the status of the road before you start.

Your reward for conquering the drive is a stroll on the red-sand beach at Rauðasandur near Breiðavík and the view from Látrabjarg, Iceland’s westernmost point. Látrabjarg is also a haven for birdlife, with thousands of seabirds – including puffins, razorbills and guillemots – nesting in the cliffs.

You can take the ferry from Brjánslækur back to Stykkishólmur via Flatey, an idyllic island that seems to be frozen in time. It used to be the bustling center of the Breiðafjörður islands, but today, only a handful of people live here year-round.

From Flatey, the ferry takes you onward to Stykkishólmur on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, via a beautiful harbor overlooked by a distant lighthouse. It’s a view that might tempt you to stay a while, before you return to the bright lights of the capital.

Planning tip: If you have time to explore Stykkishólmur, check out the Library of Water, a modern art museum, and sample the locally sourced seafood on offer at Sjávarpakkhúsið.

5. The Snæfellsnes Peninsula

Best road trip for varied landscapes

Start/finish: Reykjavík
Approximate distance: 440km
Duration: 1–3 days

In clear weather, you can see the gleam of the Snæfellsjökull ice cap from Reykjavík. The drive to the scenic Snæfellsnes Peninsula is an adventure set amid ever-changing landscapes. You’ll find sand and pebble beaches, volcanoes, a glacier, rhyolite mountains, lava fields, grassy meadows, caves, bird-filled cliffs and waterfalls along the way.

The peninsula’s southern side is graced by Löngufjörur – a white-sand beach that has become a hot spot for horseback riding. Other highlights include the otherworldly lava landscape around Búðir and the many wonders of Snæfellsjökull National Park.

On the northern side of the peninsula are charming fishing villages and Kirkjufell, one of Iceland’s most photographed mountains. Snapping photos here is particularly popular in winter when the northern lights fill the sky.

Planning tip: Although it’s possible to do a whirlwind tour of Snæfellsnes in a day, you could easily spend a few days hiking, bird watching, sailing or simply taking in the views of the immense glacier. Summit Guides and other Icelandic operators offer walking and ATV tours around the lava fields and ice cap.

6. The ancient Kjölur route

Best road trip for exploring Iceland's rugged interior

Start/finish: Reykjavík
Approximate distance: 1378km
Duration: 1 week

You'll want to set aside at least a week (or perhaps even longer) for this trip into the barren interior of the country. Spice up your Ring Road (Route 1) adventure by cutting north along Route 35, which branches off Route 1 just past the Gullfoss waterfall. From here, you can continue along the ancient Kjölur route between the Langjökull and Hofsjökull glaciers.

This is an F-road, so it requires a 4WD vehicle and is only open in the summer, but it is not as difficult as some of the other highland routes, and there are no river crossings to worry about. Just remember to check the status of the road and the weather before you set off.

At around the halfway point is Hveravellir, an oasis in the snowy desert landscape, with a lodge, a natural pool for bathing and a multicolored geothermal area crossed by marked hiking trails, including one leading to the Kerlingarfjöll mountains.

You'll meet the Ring Road again about an hour’s drive from Akureyri, the “capital” of the north, which is a great place to catch up on some culture, visit some art galleries and enjoy a night on the town, with at least three bars to choose from!

The Ring Road will take you clockwise around the island and down the east coast, passing breathtaking fjords, eerie mountains and quiet seaside villages. Fáskrúðsfjörður is known for a museum that honors the legacy of French sailors, located inside the beautifully renovated French hospital.

In Breiðdalsvík, drop by microbrewery Beljandi (named after the waterfall of the same name), and in Djúpivogur, take a look at the granite egg sculptures in Gleðivík by renowned artist Sigurður Guðmundsson.

Planning tip: While you're in Akureyri, don't miss the chance for a dip in the geothermally heated Forest Lagoon, an upscale spa in Vaðlaskógur forest, overlooking the Eyjafjörður fjord.

7. The Diamond Circle

Best road trip for experiencing North Iceland

Start/finish: Húsavík
Approximate distance: 250km
Duration: 1–3 days

North Iceland’s answer to the Golden Circle is the so-called Diamond Circle, famed for its wild scenery. Make a base in the whale-watching town of Húsavík and head east to Ásbyrgi on the northern side of Vatnajökull National Park.

This horseshoe-shaped canyon is dominated by sheer, vertical cliffs – walk to the top of Eyjan for an amazing view of the North Atlantic and the sand beaches to the north. This is gyrfalcon territory, so keep an eye out for these majestic raptors – the largest falcons in the world.

With its lovely lake, lava fields, steaming fumaroles and bubbling hot springs, the Mývatn area is an obligatory stop on the drive back to Húsavík. It's centered on a vast lake and nearby are the manmade Earth Lagoon geothermal baths – a great lower-cost alternative to the Blue Lagoon.

Take time to marvel at the mighty Goðafoss waterfall in Skjálfandafljót; it’s called the “waterfall of the gods” because legend has it that the lawspeaker Þorgeir Ljósvetningagoði threw his pagan sculptures into the falls here after deciding that Icelanders should convert to Christianity in around 1000 CE. Further upstream is Aldeyjarfoss, another spectacular waterfall surrounded by columnar basalt formations.

Planning tip: Don’t forget to reserve some time for Húsavík itself, a bustling town with interesting museums and fabulous seafood restaurants, alongside excellent whale-watching cruises. Before or after a whale-spotting trip, visit the Geosea Geothermal Sea Baths, perched up on Húsavíurhöfði with an unobstructed view of Skjálfandi Bay.

8. The Arctic Coast Way

Best road trip for taking your sweet time along the coast

Start/finish: Hvammstangi/Bakkafjörður
Approximate distance: 900km
Duration: 1–2 weeks

Designed for slow travel, the Arctic Coast Way swings along Iceland’s northern coastline, taking in sleepy villages, six islands and amazing natural sites that few people get to see. It's a drive best enjoyed during the long days of summer; in winter, snow can close sections of the route and limited daylight hours mean you'll miss much of the scenery, though you have a good chance of seeing the northern lights.

The most enjoyable way to drive the route is to start at the seal-watching town of Hvammstangi in the northwest and end in windblown Bakkafjörður in the northeast. Along the way, you'll encounter dramatic views, lonely lighthouses and interesting stories.

At Þrístapar, you can learn about the gruesome fate of Agnes Magnúsdóttir, the heroine of Hannah Kent’s Burial Rites, who was the last woman executed in Iceland. At the Brimslóð Atelier Guesthouse in Blönduós, you have the option to go foraging for your dinner, and in Skagaströnd, you can have your fortune told at the Museum of Prophecies.

This is a supremely photogenic stretch of coastline. In summer, the midnight sun bounces off the ocean surface, and in winter, the northern lights dance across the night sky in between blinking stars, far from light pollution.

Other interesting stops include the Hvítserkur sea stack, the massive Arctic Henge in Raufarhöfn – a stone monument inspired by Norse mythology – and the gannet colony at Stóri Karl on Langanes.

Planning tip: Allow yourself at least a week to explore, and book whale-watching, kayaking or diving tours for a different perspective of this wild coastal region.