Iceland is truly a unique land of natural wonders and out-of-this-world landscapes. Amazing moon-like terrain, jaw-dropping national parks, volcanoes, hot springs, giant glacier lagoons, and an endless supply of waterfalls, are just some of the few things that will keep you wanting to come to Iceland. Below we present our Travel Guide on the Best Attractions to See and Do along Iceland’s Ring Road.
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Obviously, the following list is not an exhaustive one, but we wanted to focus on the things that were indeed the most impressive to us. We also only wanted to include places that we visited ourselves — we wouldn’t feel comfortable recommending something or someplace we didn’t get to experience personally.
Here we will focus on attractions that are in close proximity to the Ring Road. If you want a more comprehensive list of attractions in Iceland, check out our page dedicated to the Top things to see and do In Iceland. If you are not keen on driving around the ring road yourself and would prefer to join a small group tour, there are several great options available. Finally, at the bottom of this page, we will also provide links to additional resources that you could find useful for your trip planning.
The Ring Road
The Ring Road (also known as Route 1) is a national road in Iceland that circles the entire country. It is without a doubt one of the most amazing roads we’ve ever driven on — and it should be at the top of your list of things to do in Iceland. It connects all the major towns with one another, has several dozen sites of interest that are just off the road, is never more than two lanes wide (one in each direction), and is constantly surrounded by amazing scenery and nature.
Yes, you can drive the full loop in less than 17 hours, and even if that will be the best 17 hours ever driven, you’ll have missed so much.
We recommend splitting this drive into at least 7 to 10 days, which means you’ll need to drive on average 2-3 hours per day along the Ring Road. It’s obviously doable in less time if that’s all you have, but it will definitely feel more rushed and you’ll have less time to explore the various attractions.
Another important consideration is whether you are visiting in summer, spring/fall, or winter, as the number of daylight hours varies dramatically. In mid-summer, you have 16-to-20-hour days, whereas daylight is restricted to just a few hours of daylight per day in winter. Not to mention that your schedule in winter has to be much more flexible in the event of bad weather and potential road closures.
In the next sections, we will cover the Best Attractions along Iceland’s Ring Road following a geographical sequence, as if you were driving around the Ring Road counterclockwise from Reykjavik. It’s important to note that because most of the attractions near Reykjavik, such as those that are part of the Golden Circle, or the Blue Lagoon, are not immediately near the Ring Road, they will not be included in our list of Best attractions along Iceland’s Ring Road.
In fact, this list will omit any attractions that require more than a 10 min drive from the Ring Road. For more information on these places, check out either our Top Things to See and Do in Iceland page or our Best day trips from Reykjavik page.
Sights of Southwest Iceland
What do two waterfalls, a plane wreck, and a black sand beach have in common? Not much, other than their close proximity to one another — that’s why we grouped them together here. They are all located along a stretch of 60 km of the Ring Road, just west of Vik.
Seljalandsfoss
The first major attraction along the Ring Road (other than the Hveradalir Geothermal Area which we, unfortunately, didn’t get a chance to visit), is the majestic waterfall known as Seljalandsfoss. The falls are approximately a 90-min drive from Reykjavik, and what makes Seljalandsfoss particularly interesting is one of its unique features: you can go for a stroll behind the falls!
Skógafoss
Another 20-25 min down the Ring Road from Seljalandsfoss (going east) you will find thundering Skógafoss. Where Seljalandsfoss has a walking path behind the falls, Skógafoss has one going to the top to provide you with amazing views from above the falls. And the occasional rainbow.
Sólheimasandur plane
While most love Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss, and Reynisfjara, most visitors seem to other love or hate the Sólheimasandur plane crash site (in 1973 a United States Navy DC plane ran out of fuel and crashed on the black beach at Sólheimasandur). On the one hand, it’s not particularly Icelandic, and it requires a fair bit of walking to get it — roughly 45-60min each way from the parking lot right off the Ring Road — so it’s understandable that it’s not for everyone and it might not end up on your personal list of top things to see and do in Iceland. On the other hand, if you are looking for an easy walk on flat terrain (especially if it’s nice out -like it was for us) and enjoy exploring abandoned and usual places, this might be for you.
Reynisfjara beach
Reynisfjara is a world-famous black-sand beach found on the South Coast of Iceland, just beside Vik í Myrdal, which is the southernmost village on the mainland of Iceland. It’s located approximately 25 km east of the Sólheimasandur parking lot. The beach is in a stunning setting of sea stacks and basalt columns and black volcanic sand. Because of the latter fact, it is often referred to as “the” black sand beach in Iceland, even though there are countless black sand beaches in Iceland.
Please be careful when visiting Reynisfjara Beach, the sea here has claimed several lives. Most of the south coast is very susceptible to “sneaker wavers”, huge coastal waves that can suddenly appear in a train of smaller waves. There are no significant landmasses in between Antarctica and the shores of Reynisfjara, meaning waves have thousands of kilometres to build. Visitors are advised to never turn their back on the waves, and keep a safe distance of at least 30 meters.
From Vik, it’s about a 50-min drive until you reach the very impressive…
Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon
Somewhat caught between Southeast and Southwest Iceland lies Fjaðrárgljúfur, a majestic 100m deep and 2km long canyon like no other. A short 3 km drive from the Ring Road brings you to the parking lot, from which you can hike along the canyon’s ridge and enjoy spectacular views. Its serpent-like shape, sheer cliffs, and green moss coverage definitely make it a very unique canyon to witness and explore. Deep in the canyon, a lazy river serpentines its way toward the sea.
Sights of Southeast Iceland
Skaftafell
Skaftafell is a wilderness area in Iceland’s Vatnajökull National Park. Here you’ll find lots of hiking trails, Iceland’s tallest mountain as well as its largest glacier. In truth, however, we didn’t spend enough time in Skaftafell. With only 10 days in Iceland, we had to cut a few corners so we only hiked to Svartifoss after our arrival (5.5 km return), spent the night, and then were on our way early the next morning to explore the glacial lagoons further down the ring road. But there is definitely more to see and do here with more time.
The Glacial Lagoons – Fjallsárlón & Jökulsárlón (& Diamond beach)
Fjallsárlón is a glacial lagoon in Iceland, located on the southern end of Vatnajökull glacier. Although not as popular as its bigger brother Jökulsárlón (10 km further east), because Fjallsárlón is so much smaller you can get much closer to the ice cap and you get the impression that Iceland’s largest volcano Öræfajökull, looms over Fjallsárlón.
The icebergs themselves are more impressive at Jökulsárlón, whose lagoon is roughly five times bigger than Fjallsárlón’s. Here you’ll find blue, white, turquoise and black streaked icebergs shifting and dancing across the lagoon. The icebergs are 1,000-year-old chunks of the retreating Oraefajokull glacier that have broken off and are floating out to sea.
Did we say floating out to sea? That’s right. Although the icebergs from Jokulsarlon tidal pond float out to sea, the ocean’s waves bring them back to shore where they end up on the black volcanic sand of Diamond Beach (the proper Icelandic name for the beach is actually Breidamerkursandur), just across the road from the lagoon.
Stokksnes & Vestrahorn
Vestrahorn, on the Stokksnes peninsula in Southeast Iceland, is one of the country’s most breathtaking mountains. It’s slightly off the beaten track, a 10 min drive off the Ring Road (roughly an hour from Jökulsárlón lagoon), meaning you’re likely to see fewer tourists around (in fact, we were somewhat curiously all alone when we visited).
Note that Vestrahorn is located on privately owned land, and the owners charge an entrance fee (900 ISK in 2023). The fee can be paid at the Viking Cafe, which will allow you to visit the Stokknes beach, the nearby lighthouse and the Viking Village (which is a movie set built in 2010 but was never used).
Sights of Northeast Iceland
Driving along the Eastfjords
If you want to escape the crowds and feel immersed in pristine coastline settings, the Eastfjords are the place to go. It’s pretty much as far from Reykjavik as you can be, and a great place is a great place to grab a sneak peek into the fishing and art culture in the heart of small-town Iceland. Egilstaðir, the largest town of the Eastfjords (and is unofficially referred to as the capital of the East) has a population of just over 2000.
With more time we would have loved to spend more time in the area (choosing to focus our time in Seydisfjordur and Borgarfjörður Eystri, with an overnight in Egilstaðir) – but we nonetheless thoroughly slow-driving across this quaint region of Iceland.
Myvatn Lake area and Hverir
Lake Mývatn is Iceland’s fourth-largest body of water and, while a beautiful lake, it is more its immediate surroundings that are the true draw to the area. Among these, you’ll find some incredible geological features, true Martian landscapes and hot springs rivalled only the Blue Lagoon near Reykjavik.
The most impressive area in our view is the Hverir Geothermal Area, which gives you the impression that you somehow landed on a geologically active Mars. The barren and dramatic red landscapes around Mount Námafjall and the swirling steam emanating from the fumaroles provide a unique setting like no other.
Be sure to stick to the walking paths though, as the ground around the fumaroles is unstable and filled with boiling water.
Closer to Lake Myvtan you’ll find the Dimmuborgir lava field. There are short walking paths throughout the lava field that will allow you to explore the wide variety of lava formations that can be found here. A 10 min drive north of the Dimmuborgir parking lot, you’ll find the parking lot for Grjótagjá, a hot spring cave renowned for its pristine beauty and azure waters and made famous by a Game of Thrones scene.
Finally, need a relaxing break from all that exploring? Look no further than the Myvatn Nature Baths! These Nature Baths are geothermally heated pools and one of the top attractions in North Iceland. They are less opulent and more basic than those found in the Blue Lagoon, but the entrance fee is also significantly cheaper, providing a great alternative for those not wanting to splurge at the Blue Lagoon.
As you can see, all 4 sites described here are in very close proximity to each other on the east side of Lake Myvatn.
Godafoss
Driving west from Lake Myvatn for about 30 min will lead you to the spectacular Godafoss, literally meaning waterfall of the gods, perfectly located along the Ring Road halfway between the scenic Lake Myvatn area and Akureyri.
Sights of Northwest Iceland
Akureyri
Akureyri, North Iceland’s unofficial capital (and Iceland’s second-largest city) straddles the line between Northwest and Northeast Iceland. Though we wouldn’t consider as one of the best attractions along Iceland’s Ring Road, it is convenient for a quick stop to stretch your legs and stock up on supplies.
Between Akureyri and Reykjavik, there are very few “must-see” attractions that are directly along the Ring Road. Most of the interesting sites that are worthy of a stop are on Icelandic peninsulas far removed from the Ring Road, such as the Tröllaskagi (Troll Peninsula) just west of Akureyri and the Snæfellsnes peninsulas a few hours northwest of Rekjavik, and thus will not be featured specifically on this page.
Map of Best Attractions along Iceland’s Ring Road
We hope you enjoyed our Travel Guide on the Best Attractions to See and Do along Iceland’s Ring Road and that it will prove useful in helping you plan your trip to Iceland!
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