Full Ring Road Loop via the Eastfjords and Mývatn
A high-energy August loop with a glacier hike, a Jökulsárlón boat ride, Eastfjords waterfalls and Mývatn's craters.

Route 1, the Ring Road, is about 1,320 km around the whole island. Driven without stopping that is roughly 17 hours; driven properly, with the South Coast waterfalls, the Glacier Lagoon, the East Fjords, Mývatn, Dettifoss and the north coast, it needs seven days at a push and ten or more to enjoy. Every plan on this page goes all the way round.
Our editors picked these Ring Road itineraries from real trips for daily driving that stays under about four or five hours, overnight bases that exist and have beds, and the right direction for the season. Open one to see every stop, then duplicate it and set your own dates and pace.
Picked and reviewed by Nimrod Ron · Iceland Lead & Content Curator· Updated
A high-energy August loop with a glacier hike, a Jökulsárlón boat ride, Eastfjords waterfalls and Mývatn's craters.
A February loop in a 4x4 that pairs short daylight with short drives, hot water and long northern-lights nights.
A late-spring loop for friends with long light, few crowds and a boat ride among Jökulsárlón's icebergs.
A summer Ring Road that slows down in Vík, detours through Snæfellsnes and ends with a soak at Sky Lagoon.
Real trails at Skógafoss, Skaftafell and Glymur, plus an ice cave and whales, all on paved roads in a regular car.
A 10-day family loop in May with long light, a tomato-farm lunch, an ice cave, two hot springs and the whale capital.
A high-energy loop for friends that fits the Katla ice cave, the Eastfjords, Mývatn and two Snæfellsnes days into 11 days.
A summer Ring Road with a glacier hike, two unhurried nights in Vík, an iceberg boat tour and drives that rarely top four hours.
A July loop by 2WD with whale watching, the Lava Show, two nights at Mývatn and a seal-spotting detour on the Vatnsnes peninsula.
A full September loop in a regular car, adding the Tröllaskagi coast and two days on Snæfellsnes before a glacier finale.
A summer camper van loop with a horseback ride near Vík, canyon walks, three geothermal pools and a Snæfellsnes day.
A September 4x4 loop that adds Landmannalaugar, a Sólheimajökull glacier hike and a Glymur climb to the Ring Road classics.
A relaxed July Ring Road with two-night stays in Vík and Mývatn, a Superjeep day and a Snæfellsnes finale.
A July loop that starts in the west and north, then finishes with a glacier hike, an ice cave and the South Coast waterfalls.
West and north first, glaciers and waterfalls last, plus a day on Heimaey before the flight home.
A clockwise September loop with a glacier hike, a beach ride, whale watching, a lava cave and two days in Reykjavik.
A July Ring Road by camper van with a glacier hike, an ice cave, a lagoon boat ride and two chances to see whales.
The full loop by 4x4, plus a hiking day in Landmannalaugar and a super jeep run into Þórsmörk.
Sixteen unhurried days in early spring, with a big activity most days and no drive much over four hours.
A full Ring Road loop with a glacier hike, a summer ice cave, two nights at Mývatn and a detour around Tröllaskagi.
Seven days is the realistic minimum in summer, with 4 to 6 hour driving days and few detours. Ten days is the comfortable length most of these plans use, with time for a glacier hike, a boat tour and a two-night stay. Two weeks adds Snæfellsnes, the Westman Islands or a highland day without rushing.
Most travelers go counter-clockwise (South Coast first) so the biggest sights come early and the quieter north and west end the trip; it also puts the long East Fjords drive mid-trip. Clockwise saves the South Coast for the end and can suit a trip starting with a flight to Akureyri. In shoulder season, check the forecast and drive the exposed north and east stretch on the better days.
Not in summer: the Ring Road is paved apart from short gravel stretches, and a 2WD car handles it. From October to April a 4x4 with winter tyres is strongly recommended for the north and east, where snow and ice on the passes are normal. A 4x4 is only required if you add highland F-roads.
Our sister site covers every place in depth: access, parking, seasons, what to expect. Written by the same team.
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