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Iceland's Ring Road by car: the 10 stops that make the loop

Route 1 goes all the way round Iceland, and a week on it is the best road trip in Europe that is not in Europe. These ten stops, in driving order from Reykjavík, are the ones not to skip.

Published 6 October 2026 · facts fetched from Wikipedia on 6 October 2026

Plan this trip

  1. 1 The Ring Road itself

    The Ring Road itself
    Photo by Pjt56 --- If you use the picture outside Wikipedia I would appreciate a short e-, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

    Route 1 or the Ring Road is a national road in Iceland that circles the entire country. Wikipedia

    Mostly two lanes of tarmac, a few gravel stretches, one lane on some bridges, sheep everywhere. Seven days is a tour; ten days is a holiday.

    Written about in 31 languages

  2. 2 Golden Circle (Iceland)

    Golden Circle (Iceland)
    Photo by No machine-readable author provided. Tmuehlbacher assumed (based on copyright cl, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

    The Golden Circle is a tourist route in southwest Iceland. It is a loop of about 300 kilometres (190 mi), from Reykjavík into the southern uplands of Iceland and back, and includes the most visited attractions in Iceland. Wikipedia

    Þingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss in one loop out of Reykjavík: the first day for most people, and worth it even with the coaches.

    Written about in 23 languagesStart a trip here

  3. 3 Seljalandsfoss

    Seljalandsfoss
    Photo by Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

    Seljalandsfoss is a waterfall in Iceland. Seljalandsfoss is located in the South Region in Iceland right by Route 1 and the road that leads to Þórsmörk Road 249. Wikipedia

    The waterfall you can walk behind, right beside the road. Bring a rain jacket for the path.

    Written about in 40 languagesStart a trip here

  4. 4 Skógafoss

    Skógafoss
    Photo by Hansueli Krapf, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

    Skógafoss is a waterfall on the Skógá River in the south of Iceland at the cliff marking the former coastline. Wikipedia

    Wide, loud and straight off the road, with a staircase to the top and the Fimmvörðuháls trail beyond it.

    Written about in 36 languagesStart a trip here

  5. 5 Reynisfjara

    Reynisfjara
    Photo by Strwiki2017, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

    Reynisfjara is a popular black sand beach in southern Iceland near the town of Vík í Mýrdal. It is part of the Katla UNESCO Global Geopark on privately owned land. Wikipedia

    The black beach with the basalt columns near Vík. The sneaker waves here are not a story: stay well back from the water.

    Written about in 5 languagesStart a trip here

  6. 6 Jökulsárlón

    Jökulsárlón
    Photo by Molechaser, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

    Jökulsárlón is a large glacial lake in the southern part of Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland. Situated at the head of the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier, it developed into a lake after the glacier started receding in the late 19th century. Wikipedia

    The glacier lagoon with icebergs drifting out to sea, and the Diamond Beach across the road where they wash up on black sand.

    Written about in 33 languagesStart a trip here

  7. 7 Vatnajökull National Park

    Vatnajökull National Park
    Photo by Gummao, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

    Vatnajökull National Park is one of three national parks in Iceland, and is the largest one. It encompasses all of Vatnajökull glacier and extensive surrounding areas. Wikipedia

    Europe's largest glacier and the park around it: Skaftafell for the walks, the ice caves in winter with a guide.

    Written about in 44 languagesStart a trip here

  8. 8 Mývatn

    Mývatn
    Photo by Pjt56 --- If you use the picture outside Wikipedia I would appreciate a short e-, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

    Mývatn is a shallow lake situated in an area of active volcanism in the north of Iceland, near Krafla volcano. It has a high amount of biological activity. Wikipedia

    The lake in the north with the volcanic landscape around it: pseudo craters, the Hverir mud pools, the Mývatn nature baths. A good two nights.

    Written about in 42 languagesStart a trip here

  9. 9 Dettifoss

    Dettifoss
    Photo by Tbc, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

    Dettifoss is a waterfall in Vatnajökull National Park in Northeast Iceland, and is reputed to be the second most powerful waterfall in Europe after the Rhine Falls. Wikipedia

    The most powerful waterfall in Europe by volume, a short detour north of the Ring Road. Take the paved western road, 862.

    Written about in 46 languagesStart a trip here

  10. 10 Snæfellsnes

    Snæfellsnes
    Photo by Agustaka, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

    The Snæfellsnes is a peninsula situated to the west of Borgarfjörður, in western Iceland. Wikipedia

    The peninsula west of the loop: Kirkjufell, the Snæfellsjökull volcano, lava fields down to the sea. Iceland in one day, at the end of the trip.

    Written about in 36 languagesStart a trip here

Riding or driving it

The F-roads into the highlands need a 4x4 and are off limits to most rental cars; the Ring Road itself does not. In winter check road.is every morning. Set the planner to 250 km days: the stops take longer than the driving.

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About the facts and photos

The descriptions in italics are the opening sentences of the Wikipedia article for each place, used under CC BY-SA 4.0, fetched on 6 October 2026. Photos are from Wikimedia Commons under the licence named beside each one. "Written about in N languages" counts the Wikipedia editions that have an article, from Wikidata; it is a measure of how well known a place is, not a rating. Everything else is the author's own opinion. Roads close with the seasons: check before you go.

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