Iceland: the Ring Road, Glacier Lagoon and Lake Myvatn

1. Day 1: Arrive in Reykjavik

   Keflavik International Airport to your hotel in Reykjavik

   • Drive about 45 min
   • Welcome dinner
   • Stay in Reykjavik
   Day 1 details

   Fly into Keflavik International Airport (KEF), about 50 km from Reykjavik across the lava fields of the Reykjanes Peninsula. Many flights from North America land early in the morning, so we arrange your transfer into the city and ask the hotel to hold your bags until your room is ready; early check-in is something we request but cannot promise. The day is yours to sleep, walk the old centre between the harbour and Hallgrimskirkja, or swim at one of the city's geothermal pools, where locals sit in the hot tubs in all weathers. In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a short briefing on the week ahead: how the days are paced, what to wear for wind and rain, and how the drives are broken up. Then we walk together to a welcome dinner in the centre, a first chance to try Icelandic lamb or fish and to meet the people you will share the minibus with.

   Included

   • Transfer from Keflavik International Airport (KEF) to your hotel
   • Welcome briefing with your guide
   • Welcome dinner in central Reykjavik

   Free time: Free until the evening briefing

2. Day 2: The Golden Circle and down to Vik

   Reykjavik to Thingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss, then south to Seljalandsfoss and Vik

   • Drive about 4 h
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Vik
   Day 2 details

   We leave Reykjavik at 8 am to reach Thingvellir National Park, about 45 minutes away, before most of the day buses. Iceland's parliament, the Althing, first met here in 930, and the park is listed by UNESCO. Walk down through the Almannagja rift, along the edge of the North American plate, to the Law Rock and the Oxararfoss waterfall. It is about an hour on to the Geysir geothermal field, where Strokkur erupts every few minutes, and ten minutes more to Gullfoss, where the Hvita river drops in two steps into a narrow canyon. Lunch is included near Gullfoss. In the afternoon we drive south through farm country to Seljalandsfoss, which faces west and is at its best in afternoon light; when the path is free of ice you can walk behind the curtain of water, so keep a rain jacket handy. We reach our hotel in or near Vik in the early evening. This is one of the two longest driving days, about four hours, split by five stops.

   Included

   • Thingvellir National Park with your guide: Almannagja, the Law Rock and Oxararfoss
   • Geysir and the Strokkur geyser
   • Gullfoss
   • Lunch near Gullfoss
   • Seljalandsfoss in the afternoon light

   Activity: Short, well-made paths at Thingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss. The path behind Seljalandsfoss is wet and slippery; waterproofs help.

   

3. Day 3: Reynisfjara, Dyrholaey and Skogafoss

   Vik to Reynisfjara and Dyrholaey, then west to Solheimajokull and Skogafoss, and back to Vik

   • Drive about 1.5 h
   • Breakfast
   • Stay in Vik
   Day 3 details

   A short driving day, and the reason we stay two nights. We are at Reynisfjara, ten minutes from Vik, by about 8:30, before the day coaches from Reykjavik: black sand, the basalt columns of the Gardar cliff and the sea stacks of Reynisdrangar offshore. The waves here are dangerous, with sneaker waves that run far up the beach without warning, so we follow the warning signs and keep well back from the water. Next is Dyrholaey, the headland with a great sea arch, where puffins nest on the cliffs from about May to August; parts of the headland can close to visitors during the nesting season. Then we walk to the snout of Solheimajokull, a glacier tongue flowing from the Myrdalsjokull ice cap, and drive on to Skogafoss, a 60 m fall that throws out rainbows on sunny days. Lunch at Skogar is your choice. We are back in Vik by mid-afternoon, with the rest of the day free to walk the beach, climb to the church above the village or rest.

   Included

   • Reynisfjara black sand beach early, before the day coaches
   • Dyrholaey headland and sea arch
   • Walk to the snout of the Solheimajokull glacier
   • Skogafoss

   Optional experiences

   • Guided glacier walk on Solheimajokull with crampons (extra, price shown at booking)

   Easier option: Skip the walk to the glacier snout and wait in the minibus, then see Skogafoss from the bottom.

   More active option: Climb the roughly 500 steps beside Skogafoss to the top and walk the first stretch of the Fimmvorduhals trail past the waterfalls upstream.

   Free time: Afternoon and evening free in Vik

   Activity: Reynisfjara has dangerous waves: stay well back from the water at all times.

   

4. Day 4: Skaftafell, Jokulsarlon and Diamond Beach

   Vik across Eldhraun to Skaftafell, then Jokulsarlon and Diamond Beach, ending in Hofn

   • Drive about 4 h
   • Breakfast, lunch and dinner
   • Stay in Hofn
   Day 4 details

   We drive east across the Myrdalssandur outwash plain and the moss-covered Eldhraun lava field, laid down by the Laki fissure eruption of 1783 and 1784, with a coffee stop in Kirkjubaejarklaustur. At Skaftafell, part of Vatnajokull National Park, listed by UNESCO in 2019, we walk up through birch scrub to Svartifoss, a waterfall framed by dark basalt columns: about 1.5 hours there and back, with a steady climb. Lunch is included near Skaftafell. In the afternoon we reach Jokulsarlon, the lagoon at the foot of the Breidamerkurjokull glacier, and go out among the icebergs on an amphibian boat, about 40 minutes on the water, often with seals hauled out on the ice. Across the road on Diamond Beach, pieces of ice carried out to sea wash back onto black sand. The last hour is an easy drive along the foot of the ice cap to Hofn, a fishing town known for its langoustine, where dinner is included tonight.

   Included

   • Eldhraun lava field and Kirkjubaejarklaustur
   • Skaftafell and the walk to Svartifoss with your guide
   • Lunch near Skaftafell
   • Amphibian boat trip on Jokulsarlon
   • Diamond Beach
   • Dinner in Hofn

   Easier option: Skip the climb to Svartifoss and walk the flat path from the Skaftafell visitor centre towards the Skaftafellsjokull glacier.

   Activity: The Svartifoss path climbs steadily on gravel; good shoes help. Life jackets are provided on the boat.

   

5. Day 5: Vestrahorn and the East Fjords

   Hofn to Stokksnes, then along the East Fjords by Djupivogur and Faskrudsfjordur to Egilsstadir

   • Drive about 4 h
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Egilsstadir
   Day 5 details

   We start at Stokksnes, a short drive east of Hofn, where the jagged Vestrahorn mountain rises behind black sand dunes; the land is private, and the small entry fee is included. Then the road leaves the glaciers behind and follows the coast north, in and out of the fjords. At Djupivogur, a fishing village that joined the Cittaslow network in 2013, walk out to Eggin i Gledivik, 34 granite eggs along the harbour, one for each bird species that nests in the area. Lunch is included on the way. In Stodvarfjordur we stop at Petra's Stone Collection, a house and garden filled over a lifetime with stones and minerals from the surrounding mountains, open in season. Faskrudsfjordur was a base for French fishermen until the early 20th century and still signs its streets in French and Icelandic. A tunnel takes us through to Reydarfjordur and over the Fagradalur valley to Egilsstadir, beside the long lake of Lagarfljot. It is about four hours of driving, broken by these four stops and lunch; the evening is free.

   Included

   • Stokksnes and Vestrahorn, with the landowner's entry fee
   • Djupivogur and the Eggin i Gledivik sculptures
   • Lunch in the East Fjords
   • Petra's Stone Collection in Stodvarfjordur (in season)
   • Faskrudsfjordur

   Optional experiences

   • Vok Baths, floating geothermal pools on Lake Urridavatn near Egilsstadir (extra)

   Free time: Evening free in Egilsstadir

6. Day 6: Across the highlands to Dettifoss and Myvatn

   Egilsstadir across the highland plateau to Modrudalur, then Dettifoss and Lake Myvatn

   • Drive about 3.5 h
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Lake Myvatn
   Day 6 details

   Route 1 climbs from Egilsstadir onto a high, open plateau of gravel and old lava, the emptiest country of the trip. Late in the morning we turn off to Modrudalur, at about 469 m one of the highest farms in Iceland, with a small turf-roofed church the farmer built in 1949; lunch is included at the farm's cafe. From there we head north on a paved road to Dettifoss on the west bank of the Jokulsa a Fjollum river, where grey glacial water about 100 m wide drops some 45 m into the Jokulsargljufur canyon. Spray drifts over the path and you can feel the ground shake. The walk to the edge is about 1 km each way over rocks, and Selfoss is a short way upstream. In the afternoon we cross the Namaskard pass, past steaming slopes we come back to in the morning, and down to Lake Myvatn, our base for two nights. About three and a quarter hours of driving.

   Included

   • Modrudalur highland farm and its turf-roofed church
   • Lunch at Modrudalur
   • Dettifoss and Selfoss with your guide

   Easier option: See Dettifoss from the first viewpoint, a shorter walk, and skip Selfoss.

   Free time: Evening free at Lake Myvatn

   Activity: The paths at Dettifoss are rocky and wet with spray; wear waterproof shoes.

   

7. Day 7: Lake Myvatn

   Hverir, Dimmuborgir, Grjotagja, Hverfjall and the Skutustadir pseudocraters, around Lake Myvatn

   • Drive about 1 h
   • Breakfast and dinner
   • Stay in Lake Myvatn
   Day 7 details

   We start at Hverir, below the Namafjall ridge, at about 8:30, before the day groups: boiling mud pots, hissing steam vents and ground streaked yellow and orange with sulphur. The smell is strong, and the path is roped for a reason, so we stay on it. Back at the lake, walk the lava labyrinth of Dimmuborgir, where towers and arches were left standing when a lava lake drained about 2,300 years ago, then look into Grjotagja, a small cave with a hot spring in a fissure (bathing is not allowed). Hverfjall, the tephra crater beside the lake, is about 1 km across, and the climb to its rim is today's active option. After lunch on your own, the pseudocraters at Skutustadir, made by steam explosions when lava ran over wetland, ring the south shore. The afternoon is free, and your entry to the Myvatn Nature Baths is included: milky blue geothermal water looking out over the lake. In the evening we sit down to a group dinner.

   Included

   • Hverir geothermal field early in the morning
   • Dimmuborgir lava formations with your guide
   • Grjotagja cave
   • Skutustadir pseudocraters
   • Myvatn Nature Baths entry
   • Group dinner at Lake Myvatn

   Easier option: Skip the Hverfjall climb, take the shortest marked loop in Dimmuborgir and go to the Nature Baths earlier.

   More active option: Climb the steep path to the rim of Hverfjall and walk part of the way around it, with the whole lake below; about an hour.

   Free time: Afternoon free

   Activity: Stay on the marked paths at Hverir: the ground beside them can be scalding.

   

8. Day 8: Godafoss, Akureyri and the flight to Reykjavik

   Lake Myvatn to Godafoss and Akureyri, then a domestic flight to Reykjavik

   • Drive about 1.5 h
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Reykjavik
   Day 8 details

   On the way west we stop at Godafoss, the waterfall of the gods, where the Skjalfandafljot river falls about 12 m in a broad horseshoe. The story goes that around the year 1000, when Iceland adopted Christianity, the lawspeaker Thorgeir threw his carvings of the old gods into it. Akureyri, the largest town outside the capital area, sits at the head of the long Eyjafjordur fjord. Your guide walks you up the steps to Akureyrarkirkja and through the botanical garden, then we sit down to lunch in town. In the afternoon we fly from Akureyri to Reykjavik's city airport, about 45 minutes in the air, instead of spending five hours on the road. A short transfer brings you to your hotel in the centre by late afternoon, and the evening is yours: a walk along the harbour, a soak in a geothermal pool, or dinner out with the group if you like.

   Included

   • Godafoss
   • Walk in Akureyri with your guide: Akureyrarkirkja and the botanical garden
   • Lunch in Akureyri
   • Flight from Akureyri (AEY) to Reykjavik (RKV), with transfers at both ends

   Free time: Evening free in Reykjavik

   Activity: Domestic flights carry a smaller checked-bag allowance than international ones; we confirm the allowance with your final itinerary.

   

9. Day 9: Reykjavik and home

   Reykjavik to Keflavik International Airport

   • Drive about 45 min
   • Breakfast
   Day 9 details

   The last morning is free. Climb the tower of Hallgrimskirkja for the view over the coloured roofs, walk the old harbour to the Harpa concert hall, or visit the National Museum, which tells Iceland's story from the first settlers in the 9th century to today. If your flight leaves in the afternoon there is time for a final soak at a city pool. Your transfer to Keflavik International Airport, about 50 km and 45 minutes away, is timed to your flight, with the usual check-in margin for an international departure. Many flights to North America leave Keflavik in the late afternoon, so they fit well; for an early flight the transfer leaves straight after breakfast. Your guide checks each guest's transfer time the night before and says goodbye at breakfast.

   Included

   • Transfer to Keflavik International Airport (KEF)

   Free time: Morning free

   Activity: Book a flight leaving after about midday to enjoy the morning in Reykjavik.

Wildlife and weather: From May to July the nights barely get dark, and puffins nest at Dyrholaey from about May to August. April and October can bring snow on the high passes, so your guide may change the order of stops on the day. The Northern Lights need dark, clear skies, so they are only possible on departures from about late August, in September and October, and in April.

• Reykjavik1 night
• Vik2 nights
• Hofn1 night
• Egilsstadir1 night
• Lake Myvatn2 nights
• Reykjavik1 night