Iceland Self-Drive Adventure: Ring Road Highlights, Fjords, Glaciers & Geothermal Wonders - 11 Days

Day 1: Arrival in Iceland & Reykjavík ExplorationArrival Day

Arrive at Keflavík International Airport and begin your Icelandic adventure. Today is dedicated to exploring Reykjavík, a city where history, culture and modern life come together in an inviting and colourful setting.

Stroll through the city’s streets and admire its distinctive houses, impressive architecture and cultural landmarks. Highlights include Hallgrímskirkja church, the striking Harpa Concert Hall, and the city’s lively cafés, galleries and music venues. Reykjavík offers a fascinating introduction to Iceland, blending Viking heritage with creativity, warmth and a contemporary Nordic atmosphere.

Accommodation: Reykjavík Meals Included: None Activities Included: Reykjavík city exploration

Optional Activities:

Lava Show Sky Lagoon FlyOver Iceland Whale watching Perlan Museum National Museum of Iceland

Day 2: Golden Circle Adventure

After breakfast, and following a brief meeting with the guide who will provide details about the trip, begin your adventure along Iceland’s famous Golden Circle.

Visit Þingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the location of Iceland’s first parliament, where the separation of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates can be clearly seen. Continue to the Geysir geothermal area, home to bubbling hot springs and the active Strokkur geyser, which erupts every 5 to 10 minutes. End the day at Gullfoss, one of Iceland’s most famous waterfalls, where powerful glacial water plunges dramatically into a canyon.

Þingvellir also holds an important place in Icelandic history, as the site of the Althing, widely regarded as the oldest parliament in the world.

Accommodation: Borgarnes area Meals Included: Breakfast Activities Included: Þingvellir National Park, Geysir geothermal area, Strokkur, Gullfoss waterfall

Optional Activities:

Silfra snorkeling between continents

Day 3: Explore the Snæfellsnes Peninsula

Today, explore the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, often known as “Little Iceland” because it contains such a diverse range of scenery found across the rest of the country. This region is famous for the presence of Snæfellsjökull volcano, immortalised by Jules Verne in Journey to the Center of the Earth.

Expect a dramatic mix of glaciers, volcanoes, sea cliffs, lava beaches and unforgettable coastal landscapes. Serious hikers will find full-day trekking options here, including routes around Snæfellsjökull National Park and longer coastal walks linking key viewpoints and natural landmarks.

Visit Ytri Tunga, where seals can often be seen resting on the yellow sandy beach with Snæfellsjökull in the background. Continue to Arnarstapi, where cliff walks reveal beautiful coastal formations and rich birdlife. Explore Djúpalónssandur, a black sand beach once home to an active fishing village, where shipwreck remains and traditional lifting stones still remain. You will also see the iconic Kirkjufell, one of Iceland’s most photographed mountains.

Accommodation: Borgarnes area Meals Included: Breakfast Activities Included: Snæfellsnes Peninsula sightseeing, Ytri Tunga, Arnarstapi, Djúpalónssandur, Kirkjufell

Optional Activities:

Vatnshellir Lava Cave

Day 4: Journey to Akureyri & Grábrók Crater

Travel north towards Akureyri, with the opportunity to stop at Grábrók, an impressive volcanic crater in West Iceland. Formed around 3,000 years ago, Grábrók is the largest of three craters in the area and offers an easy but rewarding walk to the top, with panoramic views over lava fields, surrounding mountains and Lake Hreðavatn.

Continue north, with a suggested stop at the Glaumbær farm museum, where beautifully preserved turf houses and period interiors provide insight into 18th-century Icelandic life and the country’s historic adaptation to harsh environmental conditions.

Arrive in Akureyri, often referred to as the “capital of the north”. Set on the shores of Eyjafjörður, Iceland’s longest fjord, the town is surrounded by mountains and offers a lively atmosphere, rich history and attractive streets for an evening stroll.

Accommodation: North area Meals Included: Breakfast Activities Included: Grábrók crater stop, onward journey to Akureyri, Akureyri exploration

Optional Activities:

Icelandic farm museum Glaumbær Whale watching from Akureyri

Day 5: Lake Mývatn, Goðafoss & Geothermal Landscapes

Begin the day with a visit to Goðafoss, known as the “Waterfall of the Gods”, one of North Iceland’s most beautiful waterfalls.

Continue to the Mývatn region, a shallow eutrophic lake surrounded by active volcanism and extraordinary geological formations. This is one of Iceland’s most fascinating natural classrooms, where visitors can observe pseudo craters, basaltic vents, tephra volcanoes and geothermal phenomena.

Explore Dimmuborgir, a lava field filled with dramatic rock formations, caves, columns and arches created by a lava lake around 2,300 years ago. In Icelandic folklore, this eerie landscape is said to connect earth and hell. Visit Námafjall, also known as Hverir, where steaming vents, boiling mud pools and colourful sulphur deposits create an otherworldly scene.

Accommodation: Mývatn area Meals Included: Breakfast Activities Included: Goðafoss, Lake Mývatn region, Dimmuborgir, Námafjall / Hverir

Optional Activities:

Earth Lagoon Mývatn (thermal baths)

Day 6: Dettifoss & the Eastern Fjords

Leave the Mývatn region and continue through volcanic landscapes towards Dettifoss, one of the most dramatic natural sights in Iceland and the most powerful waterfall in Europe. The roar of the waterfall can be heard long before it comes into view, as vast volumes of water crash into the gorge below.

On the journey east, there is also the opportunity to visit Stuðlagil Canyon, famous for its basalt columns and increasingly recognised as one of Iceland’s most photogenic natural sites.

Continue towards Egilsstaðir, the main town of East Iceland, before travelling south into the peaceful and remote Eastern Fjords, where winding roads, quiet villages and dramatic coastal scenery define the landscape.

Accommodation: Eastern Fjords area Meals Included: Breakfast Activities Included: Dettifoss waterfall, drive through East Iceland, optional stop at Stuðlagil Canyon

Day 7: Vatnajökull Region & Glacier Lagoons

Today’s scenic drive follows the coast south towards the spectacular Vatnajökull region. The route winds through fjords and glacial plains, with the immense silhouette of Iceland’s largest glacier becoming more dramatic as you travel.

Visit Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, where hundreds of icebergs drift across a vast glacial lake after breaking from the tongue of Breiðamerkurjökull. Nearby, Diamond Beach offers one of Iceland’s most striking scenes, where ice fragments wash up on the black sand shore like scattered crystals.

A stop at Fjallsárlón is also highly recommended. This glacial lagoon is quieter than Jökulsárlón but equally beautiful, offering a close view of floating icebergs and the surrounding glacier landscape.

Accommodation: Vatnajökull area Meals Included: Breakfast Activities Included: Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, Diamond Beach, Fjallsárlón

Optional Activities:

Fjallsárlón Zodiac navigation Jökulsárlón amphibian boat Glacier hike from Skaftafell

Day 8: Skaftafell, Svartifoss & Lava Fields

Make a stop at Skaftafell, part of Vatnajökull National Park, where contrasting landscapes of sandy plains, flowering valleys, waterfalls and glacier views make this one of Iceland’s most rewarding natural areas.

One of the main highlights here is Svartifoss, or the “Black Waterfall”, famous for the striking basalt columns that frame the cascade. Reaching the waterfall involves a scenic round-trip hike of approximately 4 km, taking around 1 to 1.5 hours, along a well-maintained trail with gradual ascent. There is also the option to extend the walk for a longer hike in the park.

Later, continue through the surreal Eldhraun lava and moss fields, where bright green moss stretches over ancient lava formations along the southern road between Kirkjubæjarklaustur and Vík.

End the day in Vík í Mýrdal, the largest settlement in South Iceland, known for its dramatic coastal scenery, black sand beaches and the nearby Reynisdrangar sea stacks.

Accommodation: South area Meals Included: Breakfast Activities Included: Skaftafell visit, Svartifoss hike, Eldhraun lava fields, Vík area visit

Day 9: South Coast: Black Beaches, Cliffs & Waterfalls

Start the day at the famous Reynisfjara beach, Iceland’s best-known black sand beach. Surrounded by dramatic basalt formations and crashing Atlantic waves, the beach also offers views of the legendary sea stacks Reynisdrangar, Skessudrangar, Landdrangar and Landghamrar, said in local folklore to be trolls turned to stone at dawn.

Continue to Dyrhólaey, a beautiful ornithological reserve known for its cliffs, basalt formations and puffin colonies during the summer months from mid-June to mid-August. The landscape here combines glaciers, black sand beaches and powerful Atlantic scenery.

Visit Sólheimajökull, one of the glacier tongues extending from Mýrdalsjökull, before continuing to Skógafoss, one of Iceland’s most iconic waterfalls, where legend says a Viking settler once hid treasure behind the cascade.

Later, visit Seljalandsfoss and Gljúfrabúi, waterfalls formed by meltwater from Eyjafjallajökull glacier. In summer, Seljalandsfoss allows visitors to walk behind its falling water, while in winter the area transforms into an icy spectacle.

Accommodation: South area / Hella Meals Included: Breakfast Activities Included: Reynisfjara, Dyrhólaey, Sólheimajökull, Skógafoss, Seljalandsfoss, Gljúfrabúi

Optional Activities:

Glacier hike (duration: 3 hours; 10:00–13:00h) – approx. €110 per person

Day 10: Reykjanes Peninsula & Geothermal Landscapes

Today, travel through the geothermal and volcanic landscapes of the Reykjanes Peninsula, one of the most geologically active regions in Iceland.

Visit the Krýsuvík area and the impressive Seltún geothermal field, where mud pots, fumaroles and mineral-rich soils have created a vivid landscape of yellow, red and green hues. Nearby lies Kleifarvatn, the third-largest lake in South Iceland, set in an atmospheric volcanic environment.

The Reykjanes Peninsula is also home to Iceland’s largest concentration of active calderas. This includes the Grindavík volcanic caldera, which erupted up to six times in 2024, and the lava fields formed during the 2021 eruptions of the famous Fagradalsfjall Volcano.

This is also the perfect opportunity to visit the world-famous Blue Lagoon, one of Iceland’s best-known attractions and one of the country’s most iconic geothermal spa experiences.

Accommodation: Keflavík area Meals Included: Breakfast Activities Included: Krýsuvík geothermal area, Seltún geothermal field, Kleifarvatn, Reykjanes volcanic landscapes

Optional Activities:

Blue Lagoon

Day 11: Departure Day

After breakfast, it is time to say goodbye to Iceland. Drive back to the international airport, return your rental vehicle, and depart with unforgettable memories of waterfalls, volcanoes, glaciers and the extraordinary landscapes of Iceland.

Accommodation: None Meals Included: Breakfast Activities Included: Rental vehicle return