Ten days is the right length for a first drive around Iceland’s Ring Road. You’ll cover about 2,000 km including the Golden Circle and short detours, drive 3 to 4 hours on most days, and still have time for a glacier hike, the Jökulsárlón lagoon and a whale-watching trip from Húsavík. Drive counterclockwise from Reykjavík, book the car and the guided tours before you fly, and budget for Iceland’s new kilometre fee, which rental companies pass on to drivers.
The 10-day Ring Road route at a glance
| Day | Route | Approx. driving | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Keflavík airport, Blue Lagoon, Reykjavík | 1 hour | Blue Lagoon, Reykjavík old harbor |
| 2 | Golden Circle to Hella | 3.5 hours | Þingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss |
| 3 | South coast to Vík | 2 hours | Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss, Sólheimajökull glacier hike, Reynisfjara |
| 4 | Vík to Skaftafell | 2.5 hours | Eldhraun lava field, Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon, Svartifoss |
| 5 | Skaftafell to Höfn | 2 hours | Jökulsárlón, Diamond Beach, glacier hike or ice cave |
| 6 | Höfn to Egilsstaðir | 3.5 to 4 hours | East Fjords, Stokksnes, Seyðisfjörður |
| 7 | Egilsstaðir to Mývatn | 3 hours | Dettifoss, Hverir, Earth Lagoon Mývatn |
| 8 | Mývatn to Akureyri via Húsavík | 2.5 hours | Whale watching, Goðafoss |
| 9 | Akureyri to Reykjavík | 5 hours | Long scenic drive, break in Blönduós or Borgarnes |
| 10 | Reykjavík to Keflavík | 1 hour | Hallgrímskirkja, Harpa, flight home |
Driving times are approximate and assume summer roads without long stops. The 10-day Iceland route map on Guidez (in Hebrew) lays out a full 10-day loop around the island, handy to compare with this plan on your phone.
What does a 10-day Ring Road trip cost in 2026?
Car rental and accommodation are the big costs and swing widely by season, so get a real quote for your dates; Hertz car rental lets you compare 2WD and 4x4 options. These are the fixed costs we checked on official sites in October 2026:
| Item | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kilometre fee (cars up to 3.5 tonnes) | ISK 6.95 per km | About ISK 13,900 for 2,000 km if billed by distance; some rental firms charge a flat daily fee instead |
| Þingvellir National Park parking | ISK 1,000 per car | Valid all day in the park’s car parks |
| Skaftafell and Jökulsárlón regional fee | ISK 1,110 per car | Valid until midnight; 50% off at a second fee area the same day |
| Blue Lagoon | from ISK 11,990 | Entry price varies by time slot |
| Earth Lagoon Mývatn (formerly Mývatn Nature Baths) | from ISK 7,900 | Towel rental ISK 1,200 |
| Jökulsárlón amphibian boat | ISK 7,100 adult | May to November, 30 to 40 minutes |
| Jökulsárlón Zodiac boat | ISK 16,600 adult | May to October, about 75 minutes |
Sources: island.is on the kilometre fee, Þingvellir parking, the Vatnajökull National Park price list, Earth Lagoon Mývatn and the Glacier Lagoon boat company.
The kilometre fee, introduced on 1 January 2026, applies to all vehicles whatever their fuel. Ask your rental company how it bills the fee before you sign, because the method varies.
Guided activities are the other big line. When we checked, glacier hikes from Skaftafell were listed from about USD 100 per person and ice cave tours from about USD 150, so price your tours early along with the car.
When to drive the Ring Road
June to August is the easiest time. Days are very long, the highland roads open, and the weather is at its mildest. It’s also the busiest and most expensive season, so book early.
May and September are good shoulder months with fewer people and still long days. Expect cold nights and the occasional snow on mountain passes.
October to April is possible but harder. Route 1 is maintained in every season, yet Safetravel notes that winter conditions can also hit in spring and autumn. Daylight is short, storms can close sections of the road, and the mountain passes in the north and east often get the worst of it. If you go in winter, allow a buffer day, rent a 4x4 and check conditions every morning on road.is or by calling 1777.
What about F-roads and the highlands?
The highland F-roads open only in summer once the snow clears. According to Vegagerðin’s opening records, the road from Sigalda to Landmannalaugar opened on 2 June on average over 2021 to 2025, and the Sprengisandur route (F26) not until about 6 July. F-roads require a 4x4, and standard 2WD rentals aren’t allowed on them. This itinerary sticks to paved roads.
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1: Keflavík, the Blue Lagoon and Reykjavík
Pick up your car at Keflavík airport and drive about 20 minutes to the Blue Lagoon, which suits a first afternoon after an overnight flight. Book a slot in advance: the Blue Lagoon Comfort admission includes a towel, a drink and a silica mask. The lagoon sits on the Reykjanes peninsula near Grindavík, where volcanic eruptions since late 2023 have caused temporary closures, so check its status the day before. Then drive on to Reykjavík for the night.
Day 2: the Golden Circle
Þingvellir National Park is where the North American and Eurasian plates pull apart and where Iceland’s parliament met from 930. Pay the ISK 1,000 parking fee at a machine or online through Checkit. Continue to the Geysir geothermal area, where Strokkur erupts every few minutes, and Gullfoss, a two-step waterfall on the Hvítá river. Sleep around Hella or Hvolsvöllur to shorten tomorrow’s drive.
Day 3: south coast waterfalls and a glacier
Stop at Seljalandsfoss, where a path leads behind the falling water (bring a rain jacket), and Skógafoss, with stairs up the side to a viewing platform.
In the afternoon, walk on a glacier for the first time. The Sólheimajökull blue ice glacier hike covers about 6 km with a certified guide, provides crampons, a helmet, a harness and an ice axe, and suits beginners with reasonable fitness. Self-drivers can join at the glacier; there’s also a version with pickup from Reykjavík. End at Reynisfjara black sand beach near Vík. Stay well back from the water: sneaker waves there have pulled visitors into the sea, and the warning signs at the car park are there for a reason.
Day 4: Vík to Skaftafell
The drive east crosses Eldhraun, a moss-covered lava field. Detour a few minutes north to Fjaðrárgljúfur, a narrow canyon with a path along its rim. At Skaftafell, pay the regional parking fee (ISK 1,110) and hike to Svartifoss, a waterfall framed by black basalt columns; the round trip takes about 1.5 to 2 hours.
If you’d rather do your glacier hike here than at Sólheimajökull, the Skaftafell blue ice glacier hike on Vatnajökull goes onto an outlet of Vatnajökull, Iceland’s largest glacier.
Day 5: Jökulsárlón and Diamond Beach
Jökulsárlón is a lagoon of icebergs that have broken off Breiðamerkurjökull, an outlet glacier of Vatnajökull. Walk the shore for free (the same regional parking fee applies; you get 50% off if you paid at Skaftafell the same day) or go out on the water. Boats run from May: the amphibian boat costs ISK 7,100 and the faster Zodiac ISK 16,600. For a quieter way to get close to the ice, the Jökulsárlón kayaking tour paddles among the floes.
Across the road, Diamond Beach is where chunks of ice wash up on black sand. Drive on to Höfn for the night; the town is known for its langoustine.
Winter option: an ice cave. From roughly October or November to March or April, guides take small groups into natural blue ice caves in Vatnajökull. The original Vatnajökull ice cave tour from Jökulsárlón is run by a local family company, with a 4x4 ride to the glacier and a guided walk on the ice. Caves change every week and a big cathedral-style cave is never guaranteed. If your dates fall outside the Vatnajökull season, look at the Katla ice cave tour from Vík on Mýrdalsjökull and check that your dates are bookable.
Day 6: the East Fjords
The Ring Road follows the coast in and out of long fjords, past small fishing villages like Djúpivogur and Fáskrúðsfjörður. Just east of Höfn, the Stokksnes peninsula and the Vestrahorn mountain are a popular photo stop. Access crosses private land, and the landowner charges an entry fee. End in Egilsstaðir, and if you arrive early, take the 25 km mountain road over to Seyðisfjörður with its rainbow-painted street and blue church.
Day 7: Dettifoss and Mývatn
Drive across the high, empty north-east plateau to Dettifoss, one of Europe’s most powerful waterfalls. The west-side road (862) is paved; the east side is gravel. Continue to Hverir, a field of steaming vents and boiling mud pools below Námafjall, and end at Lake Mývatn.
Soak at Earth Lagoon Mývatn, the new name of the Mývatn Nature Baths, open daily from noon to 10 pm on its schedule from 1 September. Prices vary by time of day, so book ahead on its site or with the Earth Lagoon Mývatn entrance ticket.
Day 8: whale watching in Húsavík and Goðafoss
Húsavík is the best-known whale-watching harbor in Iceland. Humpback whales feed in Skjálfandi Bay, and you’ll often see dolphins and seabirds too. The Húsavík whale-watching tour on a traditional oak boat is run by North Sailing, includes warm overalls and hot chocolate, and offers another trip free of charge if no whales are seen.
On the way to Akureyri, stop at Goðafoss, a wide horseshoe waterfall right beside the road. Akureyri, Iceland’s largest town outside the capital region, has a good choice of restaurants and the Forest Lagoon spa just across the fjord.
Day 9: Akureyri to Reykjavík
This is the longest driving day, about 5 hours without stops. Break it at Blönduós or Hvammstangi, where you can look for seals on the Vatnsnes peninsula, and at Borgarnes. If you have energy left, Reykjavík’s swimming pools are open into the evening and cost far less than the spa lagoons.
Day 10: Reykjavík and home
Walk up to Hallgrímskirkja and along the waterfront to Harpa concert hall, then drive the 45 minutes back to Keflavík. Leave time to refuel and return the car; rental companies charge for missing fuel.
Ring Road driving rules you need to know
From Safetravel’s driving advice and Vegagerðin:
- Speed limits: 90 km/h on paved rural roads, 80 km/h on gravel, 50 km/h in towns, unless signs say otherwise.
- Single-lane bridges: 29 were still on Route 1 in 2023. Slow to 50 km/h; the car that reaches the bridge first has right of way.
- Headlights on at all times, day and night, all year. “Auto” isn’t enough.
- Off-road driving is strictly forbidden and fined heavily. F-roads and gravel roads don’t count as off-road.
- Never stop on the road for photos. Use a pull-out or a car park.
- Seat belts for every passenger, and no phone use while driving.
- Fill up often in the east and north-east, where fuel stations are far apart. Many pumps are self-service and need a card with a PIN.
Leave a travel plan with Safetravel if you hike away from the road, and save 112, Iceland’s emergency number. In winter, check road.is before every drive and turn back when it says a pass is closed.
What to book before you go
- The rental car, as early as possible for summer. Make sure the price includes gravel protection; chipped windscreens from loose stones are common.
- Accommodation along the route, especially in Vík, Skaftafell, Höfn and Mývatn, where options are limited and sell out in summer.
- Glacier hike or ice cave, a few weeks ahead in peak months.
- Húsavík whale watching, if your date is fixed.
- Blue Lagoon slot, timed for the afternoon you land or the morning you fly.
- Mobile data. You’ll use maps, road.is and weather apps every day. An Airalo eSIM for Iceland is an easy option; we compare it with local SIMs and roaming in Airalo vs local SIM vs roaming.
For a smaller island loop with hot springs and crater lakes, our 4-day São Miguel itinerary covers the Azores’ main island by car, and the 5-day Slovenia itinerary is a shorter road trip through lakes and mountains. If you’re flying via Lisbon, add a stop with our 3-day Lisbon itinerary.
