Complete 10-Day Iceland Itinerary (Ring Road)

Complete 10-Day Iceland Itinerary

Iceland – what a place! Known as the land of fire and ice, it’s one of those destinations that will truly leave you speechless. With the northern lights, volcanoes, waterfalls, glaciers, geysers, natural hot springs, black sand beaches, and stunning wildlife, the only difficult part about planning a trip to Iceland is trying to squeeze as much in as possible! However, with the help of this 10-day Iceland itinerary via the famous ring road you will be able to get a great taste of the country and a proper adventure!

In this Iceland itinerary, I will suggest sights, activities, campsites, and rough times to help you plan your trip.

Please note this is the route I took in October (borderline winter). Therefore doesn’t include Landmannalaugar and Haifoss which are only accessible during the summer months.

Day 1: Reykjavik and the Blue Lagoon

Given that there is so much to see in Iceland and you want to give yourself as much time as possible, I would recommend getting an early flight into the country. You will land at Keflavik International Airport on the outskirts of Reykjavik.

You may be tired from the journey so a great place to relax is in the Blue Lagoon. Located just a 20-minute drive from the airport, this makes a great first stop. You can spend as long as you want in the pools, but once you’re in it’s especially difficult to get out again! The Blue Lagoon is Iceland’s most famous geothermal pool, but Sky Lagoon is another newer alternative that is becoming increasingly popular. Sky Lagoon is located much closer to the capital city of Reykjavik.

Having relaxed in the geothermal pools, you can spend the rest of the day exploring Reykjavik and picking up any supplies you need. There are fewer shops in the north of Iceland, so I recommend grabbing what you can here. It also means you shouldn’t need to stop again for another shop.

Stay overnight in Reykjavik.

Campsite: Grindavik

Day 2: Snaefellsnes Peninsula

Your second day in Iceland begins with a northbound drive towards the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. There are plenty of stops along the way and it is a fantastic welcome to the country with beautiful scenery.

There are several places to stop off around the peninsula.

Gerduberg basalt columns

Bjarnafoss

Budakirkja

Arnastapi

Kirkjufell

Stay overnight on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. If you don’t feel like camping, then there is a hostel on the peninsula.

Campsite: Stykkisholmur

Day 3: Road to Akureyri

This is arguably the longest driving day of the trip, however, that doesn’t make it any less interesting. The landscapes on the route to Akureyri are beautiful. If you are following the main ring road, this is where you will have your first gravel-driving experience. The road gets a little bumpier but you get used to it quickly. As with any driving, be particularly careful if the weather takes a turn.

A couple of key stop-offs are Kolugljufur Canyon and Hvitserkur black sand beach.

Kolugljufur Canyon

Hviterkur Black Sand Beach

Stay overnight in Akureyri.

Campsite: Hamrar

Day 4: Godafoss and Husavik

The next day, visit Godafoss – my favourite waterfall in Iceland! Its shape allows you to see the waterfall from all angles! From there you can make your way to the northmost point of your trip to the coastal town of Husavik, one of Europe’s hotspots for whale watching.

Godafoss

Husavik

We booked our whale-watching experience through North Sailing which offers several tours, all with free cancellation and flexibility which helps when keeping your itinerary flexible.

Once your tour is over, you can drive to Myvatn where you will spend the night. Myvatn is a great place to see the northern lights as it is so far north and due to the lack of light pollution.

Campsite: Reykjahlíð Tjaldaverdi

Day 5: Myvatn

The whole area of Lake Myvatn is filled with unique features, you could quite easily spend 2 or 3 days here if you had more time. Equally, you can fit many of the key sights in one jam-packed day!

Viti Crater

Hverir Geothermal Area

Hverfell Crater

Depending on the light levels and your energy levels, you could spend another night in Myvatn, or drive towards Dettifoss and the East Coast.

One campsite near the East Coast is Egilsstadir.

Day 6: East Coast

Down the East Coast – start with Studlagil Canyon. Studlagil Canyon is a basalt column that looms over a blue glacial river.

Further south, you could make a short stop in Seydisfjordur, which sits at the bottom of a valley by the sea. I took the opportunity to have some lunch here.

Continue southbound and there are a couple of options for thermal baths – Djupivogur and Vok. Djupivogur is a hidden bath in the elements with space for 3 or 4 people. It’s hidden so if you’re lucky you’ll get it to yourself. Vok, on the other hand, is a more luxurious geothermal area that boasts Iceland’s only floating infinity pools.

End the day with a visit to Vestrahorn, a majestic mountain in the Stokksnes peninsula. The peninsula is a national park which costs 900ISK per person (approx £5). This area is a photographer’s dream and shouldn’t be missed off the itinerary.

Spend the night in Hofn.

Campsite: Hofn Camping

Day 7: Jokulsarlon/Diamond Beach + Vatnajokull, Svartifoss

The next day I recommend doing a tour of your choice near the Vatnajokull Glacier, the largest in Europe. Here there are opportunities to do glacier walking tours and ice cave tours – some of which last the full day and some as short as 3 hours.

The meeting point for several of these tours is also the starting point of the path towards Svartifoss Waterfall. It is definitely worth a visit while you are there. The walk to Svartifoss takes around 30 minutes.

Diamond Beach and Jokulsarlon

If you do an afternoon tour, this will give you time to visit Jokulsarlon, a beautiful glacial lagoon formed at the base of the Vatnajokull Glacier. The water flows through a channel into the Atlantic ocean, leaving a beach covered in ice. There are boat and kayak tours around the lagoon.

If you decide to do an all-day tour in the ice caves or glacier, you can make up time by removing the Golden Circle from the itinerary.

Campsite: Skaftafell

Day 8: South Coast

On the South Coast, there are a lot of stops in close proximity: Fjadrargljufur, Katla Ice Cave, Reynisfjara, Skogafoss, Seljalandsfoss, Sólheimasandur, Vik

Campsite: Gusthus Selfoss

Day 9: The Golden Circle

The Golden Circle covers Kerid crater, geysers, Gullfoss waterfall, Lava bread, and Thingvellir National Park.

Then drive back to Reykjavik.

That evening in Reykjavik is a great opportunity to explore the food scene. Be aware you may need to book in advance (particularly on a weekend).

NOTE: If you can book a bus from Reykjavik to Keflavik airport, then returning your vehicle on Day 9 rather than Day 10 may save you some money. If buses are sold out, the taxi to the airport may end up being more than the vehicle hire (depending on the vehicle you have).

Day 10: Reykjavik

Your final day in Iceland can be spent in the delights of bakeries, cafes, and walking around. Some things worth a visit are Omnom Chocolate factory (you can get a tour depending on time), Fjallsgrimkirkja, and boat statue.

10-Day Iceland Itinerary Tips and Trick

• When driving the ring road, watch out for N1 fuel stations…
• Check out my post on Everything you need to know about driving Iceland’s ring road.

10-Day Iceland Itinerary Summary

Iceland is an incredible country. However, the weather in Iceland can be tough so be prepared to alter your plans. Use this 10-day Iceland itinerary as a guide which you can modify as much as you like!

Going anticlockwise gets you driving the south of the island first, giving you practice on the easier roads and giving you some of the more famous sights. Going clockwise means you’ll get the longer driving days done first and can spend more time in the north searching for the northern lights.

Before you go

Thank you for reading my 10-day Iceland itinerary around the ring road. If guides, itineraries, and travel content like this interest you, head over to my blog page to find out more.

If you are new to Matt’s Next Steps, check out the About Me page to find out a bit more about who I am, my travel adventures, and why I wanted to become a travel writer.

Please comment below and let me know your thoughts and experiences, or if there is anything else you want information on.

Happy travelling!