The Ring Road
Thirteen hundred kilometres around an island that changes costume hourly: waterfalls you walk behind, black-sand beaches, glacier lagoons calving icebergs beside the tarmac.
- Best forRoad-trippers · Adventure seekers · Photographers
- In October6°C · 15 rainy days
- Ideal stay8–10 days
- Approx. flying time~8h 50m from Los Angeles
- CurrencyISKIcelandic króna
- LanguageIcelandic
- Local time09:261h behind the UK
- PlugsType C / FBring an adapter
- Drive on theRightOpposite to the UK
- Dialling code+354
Why go
Route 1 runs about 1,320 kilometres around the island, paved almost the whole way, and it delivers landscape in rapid succession: waterfalls beside the tarmac, black lava fields, glacier tongues and fjord after fjord in the east. The south is the busy stretch and the north and east are far emptier. Weather is the organising principle, changing within an hour and dictating what you do next.
Seven days is the minimum for the loop and ten is better, especially if you want the Eastfjords or a detour onto Snaefellsnes. Summer means long light, open mountain roads and full car parks, while winter narrows the daylight and adds northern lights, ice caves and real risk on the roads. Costs are high, so self-catering, a camper or supermarket lunches make a noticeable difference.
- Ideal stay
- 8–10 days
- The vibe
- Elemental, empty, weather-driven
From our guides
A week is the minimum; ten days lets you detour into the eastern fjords. Summer gives midnight sun and easy driving. Every fuel stop sells surprisingly excellent hot dogs — this becomes important.
Featured in Ten epic road trips for your someday list
Things to do
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Jökulsárlón and Diamond Beach
Icebergs calve off an outlet glacier into a lagoon beside the road, then wash out to sea and back onto black sand. Boat trips run through the summer.
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Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss
Two south-coast waterfalls half an hour apart, one you can walk behind and one you climb beside on a long staircase. Expect to get thoroughly wet at both.
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Reynisfjara black sand
Basalt columns, sea stacks and a beach that is genuinely dangerous. Sneaker waves have killed visitors here, so stay well back from the water line.
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Mývatn
A volcanic lake district in the north with pseudocraters, steaming ground at Namafjall, lava formations at Dimmuborgir and a large geothermal bathing lagoon.
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The Eastfjords
The detour most people skip: a slow, empty coastal road between fishing villages, reindeer on the slopes in winter and puffins on the headlands in summer.
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Snæfellsnes peninsula
Reachable in a day from Reykjavik and often called Iceland in miniature, with a glaciered volcano, lava fields, black timber churches and Kirkjufell above the coast.
Getting there
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Fly to
Reykjavík (KEF)
Nearest airport to Reykjavík, about 37km away as the crow flies.
-
Then
To Reykjavík
Almost all international flights land at Keflavík (KEF), about 45 minutes by airport bus or hire car into Reykjavík; RKV is the domestic city airport. Pick the car up at Keflavík and start the loop from there.
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On the ground
Getting around
Route 1 circles the island on sealed road, and a week is the minimum with ten days allowing the eastern fjords. Waterfalls, black beaches and the glacier lagoon sit within sight of the road, though F-roads into the interior need a proper 4x4.
Public transport: Buses serve the south coast and main towns in summer but infrequently, and the whole appeal is stopping where you like.
Flights
Los Angeles Reykjavík, Iceland
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Roughly 8h 50m in the air from Los Angeles (LAX), estimated from the distance — check for a direct route. Pick a month to see every available flight with live prices.
Check dates and prices
Pick your departure date, then your return.
Search flightsNot sure when? Compare fares across a whole month.
Flight times are estimates; prices open on Google Flights.
When to go
Daytime highs run from about 0°C in December to 14°C in July. Driest in July; wettest in May, with rain on about 18 days.
The year at a glance — pick a month for detail
October6° · rain 15 daysCold and often wet.
Monthly figures averaged from daily records for 2020–2024 at this location (ERA5 reanalysis). Live conditions from MET Norway, CC BY 4.0.
Where to stay
Guesthouses and farm stays with shared or private bathrooms, small country hotels, self-catering cottages and campsites. A few chains in Reykjavik and Akureyri, and nothing cheap anywhere.
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Best base overall
Reykjavík
Start and finish here, since the flights, the hire cars and the supermarkets are all in reach. Rates are the highest in the country, so limit yourself to a night at each end.
Find stays in Reykjavík -
Best with children
Vík and the south coast
Within easy reach of the waterfalls, the black beach and the glacier lagoon, with guesthouses, pools and places to eat. The one road through is busy in summer.
Find stays in Vík and the south coast -
Closest to the sights
Akureyri
The northern capital, handy for Myvatn, whale watching and the Diamond Circle, with proper restaurants and hotels. It is a long, empty drive from anywhere else.
Find stays in Akureyri -
Quietest
Farm guesthouses in the Eastfjords, around Seyðisfjörður and Egilsstaðir
Few visitors, dramatic fjord roads and simple rooms on working farms. Services thin out, so fill the tank and shop before you turn off.
Find stays in Farm guesthouses in the Eastfjords, around Seyðisfjörður and Egilsstaðir
Worth knowing before you book: Rooms outside the south-west are scarce and June to August fills by spring, so book the whole loop before you leave. A car with a kitchen-equipped stay saves a fortune on food.
Search everything else in Reykjavík by budget. These are indicative budget bands in GBP per night for two people, not live quotes or guarantees of hotel type. Check your dates, guests, taxes and final price on Booking.com.
Good to know
- Driving
- Check the official road and weather services daily. Single-lane bridges, blind summits and gravel edges account for most incidents, and off-road driving is illegal.
- Fuel
- Most pumps are unattended and need a card with a PIN. Fill up in the south and east whenever the gauge drops below half.
- Timing
- June to August gives near-endless daylight and open highland roads. September to March brings aurora, short days and a genuine need for winter tyres.
- Costs
- Eating out is expensive. Supermarket stops, a hot dog at the fuel station and a hire car with a kettle are how most people manage the budget.
- Pack this
- Waterproofs, layers, a swimming costume for the public pools and a sleep mask in summer. Watch the wind forecast, since car door damage is rarely insured.
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Quick answers
When is the best time to visit The Ring Road?
Daytime highs run from about 0°C in December to 14°C in July. Driest in July; wettest in May, with rain on about 18 days.
How long should I spend in The Ring Road?
Our suggestion: 8–10 days.
How do I get to The Ring Road?
Almost all international flights land at Keflavík (KEF), about 45 minutes by airport bus or hire car into Reykjavík; RKV is the domestic city airport. Pick the car up at Keflavík and start the loop from there.
Do I need a car in The Ring Road?
Yes, a car makes a real difference here. Buses serve the south coast and main towns in summer but infrequently, and the whole appeal is stopping where you like.
What currency and language are used in The Ring Road?
Currency: Icelandic króna (ISK). Language: Icelandic. Plugs: type C and F.
Who is The Ring Road best for?
Best for road-trippers, adventure seekers and photographers. In a phrase: elemental, empty, weather-driven.