Are you looking for an example of a road trip through Iceland of about 2 weeks? I totally get that. Good news: I’m going to help you with that in this blog. What did we do there, which hotels did we sleep in, and which route should you take? I’m taking you along on our 13-day road trip through Iceland.
Contents
Day 1: Arrival in Reykjavik and on to Selfoss
We arrived early at Reykjavik airport and left straight away from there. Then we hit the road. With a lovely bit of sunshine, our adventure through Iceland began!
- Pick up the car
First, we went to pick up our car. It’s a small airport, so this is done in no time. The airport is a bit outside Reykjavik. That’s why we only visited Reykjavik on the way back. - Reykjanes Peninsula
We drove toward the Reykjanes Peninsula. It’s known for its lighthouses, volcanic and geothermal activity, and the Blue Lagoon. We visited the Blue Lagoon later on. The airport is also located here. - Gunnuhver
A fun first stop is Gunnuhver. This is a geothermal hot spring with beautiful minerals. - Krýsuvík
Krýsuvík is a stop you don’t want to miss. It’s the most active hot spring area in Southwest Iceland. - Lake Kleifarvatn
A fun stop on your route with gorgeous views over a blue lake surrounded by black rocks. - Kerið Crater
Kerið Crater is a very famous crater in Iceland and super easy to visit. I wrote more about it in our blog about the Golden Circle. - Arrival in Selfoss
Selfoss isn’t very exciting, but it is one of the bigger towns in the south. You can easily grab something to eat here at local restaurants. We slept 2 nights at Hotel Hjardalbol. A simple, but very welcoming hotel with a great breakfast. In the evening, you can enjoy the hot tub!
Day 2: Exploring the Golden Circle
Day 2 was all about the Golden Circle. Tip: read my blog about the Golden Circle—I go into a lot more detail there.
- Thingvellir National Park
From our hotel it was about an hour’s drive to Thingvellir National Park. Along the way, you’re only allowed to drive 50 km/h in many places, but with those views, that’s not a problem at all. Thingvellir National Park is one of the most iconic parks in Iceland and attracts thousands of visitors every year. The park not only offers breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and valleys, but also has a rich cultural and historical significance.
Thingvellir National Park has 5 parking areas. I would stick to Parking 1 (Google Maps) because from here you can do a beautiful loop walk, there are food options, and you can use the toilet. Prefer the quick route to the waterfall? Then park at Oxarafoss Parking (Google Maps). - Hike to the Bruarfoss waterfall
At the start of the afternoon, we set off for the hike to the beautiful Bruarfoss waterfall. This was a 6.6 km hike, but so worth it! - Geysir
Geysir is one of the best-known tourist attractions in Iceland and is famous for its spectacular eruptions of hot water and steam. The area also has beautiful walking trails, hot springs, and other geysers to explore. - Gullfoss waterfall
Around 5:00 PM, we wrapped up the day at the Gullfoss waterfall. It’s unbelievable how powerful this waterfall is.
After a long day, you’ll drive back to your hotel in about an hour. We slept for the second night at Hotel Hjardalbol.
Day 3: Route toward Skaftafell; the day of stunning waterfalls
Day 3 was all about waterfalls for us. For the first time we had to cover quite a few kilometers, because our hotel was in Skaftafell National Park, about 300 km further on. Along the way, we visited several gorgeous waterfalls!
- Seljalandsfoss
Seljalandsfoss isn’t on my list of the most beautiful waterfalls in Iceland for nothing. You can walk behind this waterfall. Beautiful photos guaranteed! Don’t forget to keep walking another kilometer to Gljufrabui. This is a hidden waterfall inside a gorge. - Skógafoss
Skógafoss is one of Iceland’s most famous waterfalls and a real must-see! Right next to the waterfall there’s a long staircase up to a viewpoint where you’ll see even more of the falls. The walk up is tough, but absolutely worth it. - The beach of Myrdalshreppur
We made a short stop at the black sand beach of Myrdalshreppur. It’s a very quiet little village, but it’s a nice change of scenery and you can pick up some groceries here.
We slept this day at Fosshotel Nupar in Kálfafell. This hotel is completely remote. You can eat really well here and they also offer a Northern Lights wake-up service. Ideal!
Day 4: Glaciers & beautiful Skaftafell National Park
Today we had a free day to explore the stunning Skaftafell National Park. On the agenda: glaciers and the Svartifoss waterfall.
- Glacier hike at Jökulsarlon
Want to do something truly awesome? Go on a glacier hike at Jökulsarlon. We did this early in the morning with a guide. An unforgettable experience. - Hike to Svartifoss
Svartifoss is known as the black waterfall. You can do a really great hike here too. - Walk to the foot of the Skaftafell glaciers
To end the day, we did a hike to the Skaftafellsjökull glacier. Over the years, these glaciers have left their mark on the landscape, with meltwater and mud forming rivers, carving out rocks and gorges, and leaving behind spectacular scenery. The area is so impressive that many films are shot here.
After a day full of natural beauty, we returned to our hotel, Fosshotel Nupar (Kálfafell).
Day 5: From Skaftafell to Egilsstadir
Today we continued our trip from Skaftafell to Egilsstadir, a drive of about 320 km. Along the way we were going to do something really cool: look underneath a glacier.
- Jökulsarlon glacier lagoon & ice cave excursion
We stopped at the Jökulsarlon glacier lagoon, which is known for its enchanting beauty. From here you can do several activities: a boat tour, see floating icebergs, and take an excursion to go underneath a glacier. We chose the last option. Definitely check the blog in the link above! - Route toward Egilsstadir
We continued through the beautiful Eastfjords. We still had a long journey ahead of us. Eventually we reached our destination, Egilsstadir, the largest town in eastern Iceland.
We stayed at Hótel Bláfell in Breiddalsvik, where we could recover after another awesome day.
Day 6: Hengifoss & relaxing in a geothermal bath
Eastern Iceland is much quieter and has far more trees than the rest of Iceland. You’ll see completely different things here. We did a hike to the Hengifoss waterfall and chose to relax at Vök Baths.
- Hike to Hengifoss waterfall
With its impressive height and surrounded by basalt columns, this waterfall is a natural wonder. A walk of about an hour and a half brings you to Hengifoss. We slowly ended up walking into the snow there because of the change in elevation. - Relaxing in the geothermal baths at Vök Baths
Iceland is famous for its geothermal baths and hot springs. Vök Baths is a smaller geothermal spot, but it’s also much cheaper than the Blue Lagoon.
We slept for the second night at Hótel Bláfell (Breiddalsvik).
Day 7: From Egilsstadir to Myvatn
Today we continued our trip from Egilsstadir to Myvatn, a drive of about 175 km. We really wanted to visit the Dettifoss waterfall and the Stuðlagil canyon, but because the road was snowy, that plan didn’t happen.
- Rjúkandi Waterfall
This waterfall is right along the Ring Road, so it’s super easy to visit. The waterfall is easy to see, making it a fun stop on your route. - Hverfell crater
Hverfell is an impressive crater in the Myvatn area. The walk to the top of Hverfell offers a great view over the surroundings and rewards you with a beautiful look at the volcanic landscapes. - Lake Myvatn
Lake Myvatn, also known as the “midge lake,” is a unique area in Iceland. With its volcanic landscapes and many craters. You can do some nice walks here.
Because of the thick layer of snow, we were somewhat limited in what we could do this day. Big attractions like the Dettifoss waterfall and the Stuðlagil canyon had to be skipped. We stayed two nights at Sel Hotel Myvatn.
Day 8: Whale watching!
Today our day started with an exciting whale safari from the little fishing village of Hjalteyri. We were originally supposed to depart from Husavik, but because of the weather it was moved to Hjalteyri.
- Whale watching
Whale watching is really special. You’ve genuinely never seen animals that big before! Just make sure you dress warmly. The operator provides all the necessary clothing to keep you dry. - Visit Akureyri
Akureyri, located on the Eyjafjördur fjord, is a big town by Icelandic standards. We explored the historic buildings, like the church and the old theatre, and picked up some groceries here. - Goðafoss waterfall
The Goðafoss waterfall is a fun, wide waterfall where you can make a quick stop. - Myvatn Geothermal Area
The Myvatn Geothermal Area is a fascinating region full of bubbling mud pools, steaming fumaroles, and colorful minerals. The unique geothermal activity creates an otherworldly and enchanting atmosphere you won’t find anywhere else. Since this was close to our hotel, we ended the day here.
We stayed for the second night at Sel Hotel Myvatn.
Day 9: Route toward Snaefellsness
Day 9 was all about driving: we had to cover around 460 km today. Luckily, in Iceland there’s always something to see or do!
- Horse riding on Icelandic horses
At the start of the day, we went horse riding. Icelandic horses are known for their small size, sturdy build, and thick coat, which protects them from Iceland’s harsh weather conditions. It was pretty chilly, so bundle up well. We visited the Lýtingsstaðir Horse Farm. - Barnafoss
What makes this waterfall truly special is the fact that there isn’t a direct river stream falling straight down. Instead, the water rushes through a narrow gorge and disappears into the earth.
We stayed at Hótel Borgarnes. The town itself is really nice, but I wouldn’t recommend this hotel.
Day 10: Exploring Snaefellsness
Snaefellsness is also called “Iceland in a nutshell.” I wrote a separate blog about this day. For convenience, I’m happy to refer you there!
Day 11: Exploring Reykjavik
We spent the day exploring Reykjavik, Iceland’s lively capital. We visited landmarks, did a walking tour with a local guide through the city, and we were honestly surprised by how fun the city is!
- Route to Reykjavik
From Borgarnes, we took the scenic route. If you set your navigation to go via Fossárrétt hin yngri (a small waterfall along the way), you’ll get to enjoy a really beautiful drive. No time for that? Then you’ll go through the tunnel on the Ring Road. - City walk with a guide
In big cities, we always start with a guided city walk. That way you discover all the special spots. After that, you can head out on your own! - Reykjavik attractions
Then we ticked off all the sights, including the famous church in Reykjavik. You can read more about it in our blog about Reykjavik.
A fun restaurant tip is Svarta Kaffið. They have just one thing on the menu: soup in bread (literally in bread—the bread is your soup bowl). There are two soups of the day: vegetarian or with meat. We loved it! And secretly, by Icelandic standards, it’s pretty affordable. We then slept at Hotel Cabin.
Day 12: Best for last: the Blue Lagoon & a helicopter flight over an active volcano
You’ve got to end your holiday the right way, right? Well, we definitely did. First we went to the world-famous Blue Lagoon spa, and then we hopped into a helicopter!
- Blue Lagoon
On our last free day, we fully relaxed at the Blue Lagoon, a world-famous geothermal spa and wellness retreat. We enjoyed the warm, mineral-rich waters and treated ourselves to refreshing experiences. - Helicopter flight over an active volcano
In 2021, the Fagradalsfjall volcano had just erupted again. We flew there by helicopter! The view was incredibly impressive. This was also the most expensive activity of the entire trip.
We ended the evening in Reykjavik and went out for dinner. We slept for the second night at Hotel Cabin.
Day 13: Back home
Our Iceland adventure was over. We returned the car at the airport and flew back to, in our case, the Netherlands.
2-week Iceland road trip summary
Below you’ll find all our activities and hotels. I definitely encourage you to explore Iceland. We did this trip in September 2021. I also hope this blog helps you get started with planning your own road trip. Just choose what you enjoy doing most. We didn’t have a 4×4 ourselves, so we couldn’t take the F-roads. Enjoy the planning, and be sure to click through to my more detailed Iceland blogs!
| Day | Summary | Hotel |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrival in Reykjavik Drive to Selfoss | Hotel Hjardarbol (Selfoss) |
| 2 | Visit the Golden Circle | Hotel Hjardarbol (Selfoss) |
| 3 | Route toward Skaftafell Enjoy beautiful waterfalls | Fosshotel Nupar (Kálfafell) |
| 4 | Glacier hike & the Svartifoss waterfall | Fosshotel Nupar (Kálfafell) |
| 5 | Route toward Egilsstadir Visit an ice cave | Hótel Bláfell (Breiddalsvik) |
| 6 | Hike to Hengifoss waterfall Geothermal bath at Vök Baths | Hótel Bláfell (Breiddalsvik) |
| 7 | Route to Myvatn Visit Lake Myvatn & surroundings | Sel Hotel Myvatn (Myvatn) |
| 8 | Whale watching | Sel Hotel Myvatn (Myvatn) |
| 9 | Route toward Snaefellsness (long travel day) Horse riding | Hótel Borgarnes (Borgarnes) |
| 10 | Visit the Snaefellsnes Peninsula | Hótel Borgarnes (Borgarnes) |
| 11 | Route to Reykjavik City walk & exploring Reykjavik | Hotel Cabin (Reykjavik) |
| 12 | Blue Lagoon Helicopter flight over an active volcano | Hotel Cabin (Reykjavik) |
| 13 | Flying back home |
Hopefully you’ll experience an Iceland road trip just as amazing with this mapped-out itinerary + tips! Use this 13-day sample route as preparation for your Iceland road trip, and let yourself be surprised by all the beauty this country has to offer!
