The tour of Iceland on Route 1, the Ring Road: about 1,320 km, fully paved since 2019, which you can loop in 10 to 14 days from Reykjavik. The Golden Circle, the south coast and its waterfalls, the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, the Eastfjords, Lake Mývatn and Akureyri, with the Snæfellsnes peninsula as an option on the way back.
| Days | Stop | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1 to 2 | Reykjavik | Start |
| Day 3 | Laugarvatn | 78 km · 1h20 |
| Days 4 to 5 | Vík í Mýrdal | 231 km · 3h30 |
| Day 6 | Skaftafell | 140 km · 2h |
| Day 7 | Höfn | 121 km · 1h45 |
| Day 8 | Egilsstaðir | 245 km · 3h40 |
| Days 9 to 10 | Reykjahlíð (Lake Mývatn) | 165 km · 2h20 |
| Day 11 | Akureyri | 85 km · 1h20 |
| Day 12 | Hvammstangi | 196 km · 2h50 |
| Day 13 | Grundarfjörður (Snæfellsnes option) | 188 km · 2h50 |
| Day 14 | Back to Reykjavik | 178 km · 2h40 |
Road route calculated from the stops (OpenStreetMap). Driving times assume no stops and no traffic: add time for photo breaks.
June to September: roads clear, very long days, F-roads open from around late June until the first snow. In winter, Route 1 stays open but stretches close during storms, the F-roads are closed and some minor roads (Dettifoss, Öxi) are no longer cleared of snow; you need a suitable vehicle and should check umferdin.is every morning.
🚗 78 km · 1h20 of driving from Reykjavik
Route 1 then Route 36 across the Mosfellsheiði heath, paved and easy, to Þingvellir National Park.
🚗 231 km · 3h30 of driving from Laugarvatn
Routes 37 and 35 to Geysir and Gullfoss, then Route 1 along the south coast; single-lane bridges.
🚗 140 km · 2h of driving from Vík í Mýrdal
Route 1 across the black sands of Mýrdalssandur and Skeiðarársandur, exposed to the wind: sand and ash insurance pays off here. Single-lane bridges.
🚗 121 km · 1h45 of driving from Skaftafell
Route 1 between glaciers and ocean, then the new Hornafjörður section (June 2026, 12 km shorter): ISK 1,500 since September 2026.
🚗 245 km · 3h40 of driving from Höfn
Route 1 through the Eastfjords, winding, toll-free tunnel. In summer, the Öxi pass (939, gravel, steep gradients) cuts 71 km.
🚗 165 km · 2h20 of driving from Egilsstaðir
Route 1 across the empty Möðrudalsöræfi plateau, with no villages: fill up in Egilsstaðir.
🚗 85 km · 1h20 of driving from Reykjahlíð
Route 1 west, then the Vaðlaheiðargöng toll tunnel (ISK 2,216) or, in good weather, the free Víkurskarð pass.
🚗 196 km · 2h50 of driving from Akureyri
Route 1 over the Öxnadalsheiði pass and through Skagafjörður, paved; the Vatnsnes peninsula via the gravel Route 711.
🚗 188 km · 2h50 of driving from Hvammstangi
Optional: Route 1 then Routes 60 and 54 via Búðardalur. Otherwise, head straight back to Reykjavik on Route 1 via Hvalfjörður.
🚗 178 km · 2h40 of driving from Grundarfjörður
In 7 days the tour is still doable but tight: one night each in Reykjavik, Vík, Höfn, Egilsstaðir, Mývatn and Akureyri, then straight back to Reykjavik on Route 1. You skip Laugarvatn (the Golden Circle is done on day one on the way to Vík), Skaftafell, Hvammstangi and Snæfellsnes.
| Small car, July and August | $40 to $125 a day |
|---|---|
| 4x4, July and August | $90 to $335 a day |
| Small car, January to March | ≈ $45 a day |
| 4x4, January to March | ≈ $85 a day |
| 2026 mileage tax, passed on to you | ≈ ISK 1,390 to 1,550 a day |
| Vehicle | An ordinary car is enough on Route 1 in summer; a 4x4 is compulsory on F-roads and advisable in winter. |
|---|---|
| Where to pick it up | Keflavík airport or Reykjavik; a loop means no one-way fee, one-way hire costs extra (€50 at Go Car Rental). |
| Insurance | CDW included, excess of $2,000 to $3,000; super CDW at $10 to $25 a day to reduce it. |
| Iceland-specific options | Gravel $7 to $15 a day; sand and ash $13 to $21 a day (south coast). |
| Never covered | River crossings; doors torn off by the wind are covered only by some full-cover packages. |
| Age and card | 20 (23 to 25 for a 4x4), licence held for one year, physical credit card in the driver's name. |
⚠️ The included CDW leaves an excess of $2,000 to $3,000: gravel chips and sand damage are only covered by the dedicated options.
Recognised (Iceland is in the EEA), with no International Driving Permit; valid for the whole stay, held for one year to hire a car. Other licences: check whether an International Driving Permit is required.
You drive on the right and overtake on the left, as in mainland Europe.
50 km/h in town (often 30 in residential areas), 80 km/h on gravel, 90 km/h on tarmac; no motorways.
In practice, not a single drink before driving.
Dipped headlights day and night all year; seat belts in every seat, child seat under 135 cm.
Whoever is closest to the bridge goes first; slow down and watch the other driver.
Slow down where tarmac turns to gravel, a common cause of cars leaving the road; Blindhæð warns of a blind summit.
Often a ewe on one side and lambs on the other; a driver who hits an animal can be held liable.
Many fixed cameras and police checks; fines are due even after you leave. Hands-free phone only.
F-roads are for 4x4s only and open depending on snow: check umferdin.is (road.is) or call 1777.
≈ €1.90 per litre (ISK 265 on 21 September 2026)
Price recorded in September 2026: it changes every week, sometimes by 10 to 20 cents in a month. Check it before you go.
⛽ 1,627 km at 7 l per 100 km: about €220 at September 2026 prices, to share between passengers.
Rural pumps are often unmanned: a card with a 4-digit PIN or a prepaid card. Fill up in Egilsstaðir before Möðrudalsöræfi and before any F-road.
| Vaðlaheiðargöng tunnel | ISK 2,216, online by number plate within 24 hours, otherwise rental company fees |
|---|---|
| Route 1 at Hornafjörður | ISK 1,500 since 1 September 2026, on spolur.is |
| Hvalfjörður tunnel | Free since 2018 |
| Þingvellir, Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss, Fjaðrárgljúfur, Stuðlagil, Kirkjufell | ISK 1,000 per car per day |
| Reynisfjara | ISK 750 to 1,000 |
| Hverir | ISK 1,200 |
| Skaftafell and Jökulsárlón | ISK 1,110, second site half price on the same day |
| Highland F-roads | Closed in winter, from the first snow until opening, case by case |
|---|---|
| F35 Kjölur (Vegagerðin averages 2021 to 2025) | Opens around 1 June (30 May to 14 June) |
| F208 to Landmannalaugar | Opens around 2 June (23 May to 23 June) |
| F206 Lakagígar | Opens around 20 June |
| F26 Sprengisandur | Opens around 6 July (21 June to 13 July) |
| Route 862 to Dettifoss (west side, paved) | Not cleared of snow from January to early April |
| Route 864 to Dettifoss (east side, gravel) | Closed in winter, reopens around late May |
| Route 939, Öxi pass (gravel, 20% gradients) | Closed in winter: take Route 1 through the fjords |
| Route 1 | Open all year, exposed stretches closed in storms: umferdin.is, vedur.is |
Route 1 is about 1,320 km, a little less since the 12 km Hornafjörður shortcut (June 2026). You can loop it in 7 days; 10 to 14 days leave time for Skaftafell, Dettifoss, Stuðlagil and Snæfellsnes. Our loop, with the Golden Circle and Snæfellsnes, is about 1,600 km over 13 nights.
Not in summer: Route 1 has been fully paved since 2019 and an ordinary car is enough. A 4x4 is required by law on F-roads (Landmannalaugar, Kjölur, Askja), and driving them in a two-wheel-drive car voids your insurance. In winter, a 4x4 with winter tyres is recommended.
For 14 days in summer 2026: a small car at $40 to $125 a day, plus the mileage tax (ISK 1,400 to 1,550 a day). Estimated fuel: 115 litres at ISK 265 for 1,600 km, close to ISK 30,000 (€220) at September 2026 prices. Tolls: ISK 3,716. Parking: about ISK 1,000 per site.
The included CDW leaves an excess of $2,000 to $3,000. Gravel protection ($7 to $15 a day) covers stone chips, and sand and ash protection ($13 to $21 a day) covers the sandstorms of the south coast. No package covers a river crossing.
Online (website or app) with your number plate, within 24 hours before or after driving through, or at the machines at both entrances since July 2026. A car pays ISK 2,216 since March 2026. If you do not pay, the rental company charges the toll plus an admin fee.
Yes, Route 1 stays open, but stretches close during storms, the F-roads are closed and Route 862 to Dettifoss is not cleared of snow from January to early April. You need a 4x4 with winter tyres, shorter stages and a daily check of umferdin.is and vedur.is.
Driving rules, prices and closures checked in September 2026; hotels checked on OpenStreetMap and then on Booking. Rules change: read the official source before you leave, and check your own government's travel advice for the country. Stop photos: Wikimedia Commons, authors and licences under each image.
Off We Gooo road trip guide · offwegooo.com/en/road-trips/iceland · by Pierrick, updated 1 October 2026
