At A Glance!

Travel Overview: Road trip along the ring road starting in Reykjavík.

Duration: 7 days ( NOT including arrival and leaving days)

When I went: August 6-15, 2021

Airport: Keflavik Airport (KEF)

Rental Car: Six’t (We got a Toyota Yarros)

**While I have may waterfalls and sites listed here, I would HIGHLY recommend stopping along the ring road. There are so many hidden gems.

Day 1 - Thingvellir National Park

Lodging: AirBnb in Reykjavik

Total Driving : 3 Hours

Welcome to the land of the classic between two continents picture you find on social media. But it is a stunning park and a once in a lifetime location, so I would 10/10 recommend spending the day at this park. Start the morning by snorkeling between continents. It is very cold so you will be wearing some heavy duty gear. All of the gear was provided through the company we booked from. There are also options to dive, but you need to have special certifications, so we just participated in snorkeling. Yes, it was freezing, but there are very few places in the world where you can be between continental plates.

After snorkeling, we made are way back to the meeting point parking lot. The parking lot was by several hikes in the national park. You’ll never be laking in waterfalls this trip, so we went to our first of MANY waterfalls here. There is a lot of hiking to be done, so go wild and explore. Mixed in with the landscape is also some historic points to keep an eye out.

Before heading back to Reykjavik, we drove a little more in land to see Bruarfoss. It’s not the biggest waterfall, but the color is stunning.

Head back to Reykjavik after and relax for the evening. There is so much to see in downtown and lots of historic sites. Within down town, we walked around as saw the art and went down the main road. Especially being from the states, the amount of recorded history in the city is crazy. Pick up a fuzzy sweater while you’re at it.

Day 2- Reykjavik to Stykkishólmur

Lodging: AirBnB in Stykkishólmur

Total Driving: 5 hours

We left after breakfast that morning and made our way to Deildartunguhver. Deildartunguhver is boiling natural hot springs. Take a look at the steam rise, but don’t jump in. Not only is it not allowed, but also it could kill you. In the same are, there is a green house that you can walk through. Especially has two people who love plants, we loved to see the greenhouse.

We then made our way to Djúpalónssandur beach. The beach itself is pretty, but the really joy was all the hidden waterways, historic buildings, and rock formations on the way to the beach. We are also suckers for the a good lighthouse, and we found a good one. We also found a zip line next to the lighthouse which brought out our inner child.

We had a quick lunch in the car and then headed over to our next destination for the day: Kirkjufell. The mountain is stunning and looked surreal. On the day we went, the clouds above looked almost like a bowl that was reaching down to touch the top of the mountain. And of course, the adjacent waterfall was stunning. We took a million photos and went on another hike round the mountain.

Then we headed to our destination for the evening, Stykkishólmur. This is port town which also had a hike up to an observation area with a stunning view of the town and ocean. There are also cute restaurants around by the water which I would recommend. Worth braving the birds.

Day 3 - Stykkishólmur to Dalvik

Lodging: AirBnB

Total Driving: 4.5 Hours

Day 3 was a lot of driving, but with so many stops along the way. This is my favorite kind of day, because we had an ideal of the stops we wanted but we saw so many more sites than we originally thought. The first stop you’re going to make is Lísafoss. This is waterfall with very chill hiking around. We used this opportunity to have a breakfast bar as we walked around and stretched our legs ahead of this heavy driving day.

We then made our way to our favorite adventure of the day: Ullarfoss. This actually a series of waterfalls and although Google maps says it’s a tourist attraction, but it’s not well marked at all which felt like part of the fun of the adventure. There is no parking lot, but it’s next to someone’s drive way and parking is really limited. However, no one was there, so we were able to park right next to the entrance. You need to hike a ways and through right behind people’s backyards and at some point we questioned if we were trespassing. But thankfully, we found the waterfallS. Yes, multiple. It was so beautiful and all our own for the morning. Worth it!

We then made our way to Kolugljúfur Canyon. This was also the hike where we had our lunch. There are multiple hikes through the canyon, and the views were beautiful from the top which is also a great point to eat your lunch while looking at the beauty,

After lunch, you’re on the home stretch for the day with just one more stop before our final destination. We went to Fosslaug which was stunning. We did completely miss the hot springs that are evidently there, but we still loved the views nonetheless.

We the made our way to our AirBnb in Dalvik. We picked an AirBnb with a sauna which felt so good after a long day. The linked AirBnB is also right next to our first activity for the next day.

Day 4- Dalvik to Skútustaðahreppur

Lodging: Guesthouse Stöng

Total Driving: 2 hours

Day 4 was a day full of activities. We started the day riding horses in Dalvik. We were able to see the country side and learn about Icelandic Horse. They were really great about explaining how to the ride the horses and were able to pair with some easier horse. The activity lasted about 2 hours.

We then went to the Mývatn Nature Baths. These are baths similar to Blue Lagoon, but less crowded and a little more out of the way. One benefit to visiting this bath is that you are able to relax and feel more connected with the people you’re with. You are also able to see where the baths come from and explore the surround caves. There aren’t as many perks (i.e. no mud masks and less baths), but I think if you’re looking for a place where you can have a similar experience, with out the crowds, this is the place to be.

Afterwards, we headed to our lodging. The Inn is a bit rustic, and if you need a private bathroom, this isn’t the place. However, we loved the location because we were able to explore the near by lake and shops. Plus, the location was a great rest between stops.

Day 5 - Skútustaðahreppur to Fellabær

Lodging: AirBnb

Total Driving: 2.5 Hours

This was a minimal driving day because it was a maximal exploring day. The main and only attraction for today was Stuðlagil Canyon. This canyon is the one you see the classic photos of with the hexagonal basalt columns and they are hella impressive. The blue water is stunning and derives from beautiful glaciers that we would get to see later in the trip. I would fully recommend spending the whole day hiking. All the sites are breath taking and its worth trying all the different trails. I would also recommend going earlier in the day. This site is pretty popular and the later you go, the more crowded the trails. Also the more drones you’ll have to deal with flying around, so get there early for sure.

We spent hours there and even had our lunch in the canyon. After a long day, we headed to the AirBnB. It was beautiful and on a lake, but there was a graveyard in the backyard. Fun and possibly haunted. Would totally recommend for the plot.

Day 6 - Fellabær to Hof

Lodging: Adventure Hotel Hof

Total Driving: 5 hours

This is going to be another day of driving and hitting a lot of stops in between. Your first stop is going to be Nykurhylsfoss (Sveinsstekksfoss). This is a beautiful site to also have a little to go breakfast. It’s a short walk over to the waterfall and its just stunning.

The next stop we did was Eggin í Gleðivík. Honestly, this is a pretty optional step, but the sculpture was on the way to the next destination and for a long day in the car, it was nice to get out and stretch our legs.

At this point, we were about half way through our drive and needed to stretch out our legs, so we went to Hvannagil - The Golden Valley. This valley has a lot of options for hiking, so it’s a bit of a choose your own adventure. This was a fun stop too, because the it looked very different from the typical landscape of Iceland.

Next, make your way back out to the ocean for Stokksnes. This a black sand beach with surround hills and a lovely little lighthouse. We spent a decent amount of time walking around because similarly to the Golden Valley, there was a lot of space to explore. Overall, the landscape was stunning and it was another great stop.

We then headed to the highlight of the day - Diamond beach. This fell later in the day on our trip, so there were definitely more crowds. However, the number of people was still not big enough to take away from the experience. I would recommend going earlier in the day if your schedule allows it, but it doesn’t make too much of a difference in the long run. The view is breath taking because the stark contrast between the black sand and the clear and blue colors of the ice is just indescribably beautiful. If you get lucky, you may also see some native wild life like seals.

The last stop of the day is going to be Svartifoss. Depending on how tired you are, you can definitely hike around the area, but for us, we were pretty tired after spending most of the day hiking. This was still worth the drop by though. The water fall is huge and it also has those same basalt columns as the day before.

Day 7 - Hof to Garður

Lodging: Lighthouse Inn

Total Driving: 5 Hours

Yes, it’s another busy driving day, but it’s nicely divided into some pretty evenly spaced stops. The first stop is Fjaðrárgljúfur. As you can probably tell from the other days, we love a good view while we have a little morning snack. This canyon is beautiful and the walking paths are really chill so it’s a nice and easy hike to start off a big travel day.

Then we head to what was the highlight for me: PUFFINS!!!! We drove to Dyrhólaey which is one of the biggest puffin colonies in the southern part of the island. You go in knowing how small they are, but puffins are adorably small. And that is coming from someone who is notoriously scared of birds. Definitely spend a lot of time here and make sure to bring a good camera because this adorable guys are so derpy.

The next stop is Sólheimajökull. The most fun part about this day is that you will see a glacier and a volcano in the same day. It’s just fun to see something so cold and immediately something so firey. There are many ways to explore the glacier. We decided to walk, but there are plenty of tours that allow you to see the glacier in all sorts of way including via helicopter.

From freezing cold to lava hot! The last stop of the day is Sólheimajökull. Depending on how the volcano is feeling, this hike may not be possible, but if possible, I would totally recommend. There are several different trails. We did one off the beat and path a little bit and it was definitely a bit rough for someone who lived in flat England, but the views were cool because the volcano was bubbling a bit. We were able to go down and get close to the little eruption which was absolutely stunning.

We then headed to where we would be staying for the next 2 nights and called it a day.

Day 8 - A day in Garður

Lodging: Lighthouse Inn

Total Driving: NONE!!!

This was definitely the most relaxing day and a great way to the end the trip. The first stop was Blue Lagoon. Definitely get tickets for this in advance. When you book through the website, you are able to book one of three packages. We went with the premium package, honestly a lot because of the robes and because I love a good mud mask. We also booked a meal at the restaurant. The area is extensive so it’s nice to be able to tailor experiences to what means the most to you. I think if I were to rebook, I would have signed us up for some spa treatments and/or float therapy or something. I also think, while the meal was nice, I would have opted to do another experience in lieu. The extra mud mask was super worth it. We felt very pampered and my skin felt great. I do think it’s touristy but I honestly think it’s worth the visit if you don’t mind the crowds. The crowds honestly bothered me more when we were in the lockers rooms, but once you’re in the water, the space is so big, that you aren’t crowded by people.

Honestly, you could probably spend all day here. We did spend about half a day there. After, we did want to make the most of the last day, so we did check out the lighthouse at our Inn as well as the Reykjadalur Hot Spring Thermal River. But I honestly think, unless you really want to see stuff until the last minute, use this day to just relax.

Travel Tips!

When selecting a bag, if you are physically able to, select a backpack. I used my travel backing bag and it was very helpful on uneven/muddy streets especially when it’s raining.
Pack layers. The mornings are cold, but because you’ll be doing hiking and other physical activities, you’ll be getting warm.
Get the wifi that you can rent from the rental car place. This was a lifesaver when in the middle of no where and still navigating to the next destination. We loved getting side-tracked to other sites, and this was so helpful for finding our way back to the ring road.
In general, but ESPECIALLY if you have dietary restrictions, please consider getting groceries in the beginning of the trip. We got stuff for PBJs (including GF bread for me), as well as some breakfast items like yogurt. If saved us money, but also helped me when I had trouble finding food at dinner.
If you are able, spend more than a week here. I am so glad we spent so much time exploring but the chill day’s were my favorite.

Iceland Ring Road