Iceland Ring Road (Route 1)
Loop the whole island in 7-10 days: glaciers, waterfalls, geysers, black beaches, midnight sun
- Distance
- 971 mi
- 1562 km
- Driving
- 23 hr 12 min
- excl. stops
- Suggested
- 9 days
- balanced split
- Stops
- 10
- curated
Distance and driving time are measured along the mapped route through the 10 stops listed below. Officially signed versions of famous routes often quote a longer figure, since they include promoted detours this line doesn't take.
Opens the planner with every stop loaded. Free, no card needed.
Day by day
Distances are measured along the actual road geometry, not straight-line. Drive times exclude stops, traffic and ferry waits.
Before you go
Best time to drive it
June to August
Long daylight and open mountain roads. Shoulder months bring shorter days and a real chance of snow on the higher sections.
Indicative costs
- We haven't compiled cost data for Iceland yet.
Tolls assume ~65% of the distance on tolled road. Fuel prices move constantly: treat these as a range, not a quote.
Driving rules
Emission zones, mandatory equipment and licence requirements change country by country, and in 2026 several of them changed mid-year.
Driving in IcelandEvery stop on the Iceland Ring Road (Route 1)
- 1Reykjavík
- 2Þingvellir + Geysir + Gullfoss (Golden Circle)
- 3Vík
- 4Jökulsárlón
- 5Höfn
- 6Egilsstaðir
- 7Mývatn
- 8Dettifoss
- 9Akureyri
- 10Snæfellsnes Peninsula
Worth a detour
Curated places within 25 km of the road.
Hallgrímskirkja
cathedralReykjavik's towering expressionist church inspired by Iceland's basalt lava formations.
Vatnajökull National Park
national parkEurope's largest glacier covering active volcanoes, with ice caves, waterfalls, and dramatic volcanic landscapes.
Gullfoss
waterfallA stunning two-tiered waterfall on Iceland's Golden Circle route where the Hvítá river plunges 32 meters into a rugged canyon.
Northern Lights: Reykjavik
natural wonderIceland's capital offers accessible Northern Lights viewing from September to March, with tours departing nightly to dark-sky areas.
Geysir Geothermal Area
natural wonderHome to Strokkur, which erupts spectacularly every 5–10 minutes, and the original Great Geysir that gave all geysers their name.
Sólheimasandur Plane Wreck
landmarkThe eerie wreckage of a 1973 US Navy DC-3 sitting on a vast black sand plain, one of Iceland's most hauntingly photogenic sites.
Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon
natural wonderA stunning glacial lagoon where icebergs calved from Breiðamerkurjökull drift toward the sea, often with seals resting on the ice.
Stuðlagil Canyon
natural wonderA hidden canyon of extraordinary hexagonal basalt columns flanking a turquoise glacial river in eastern Iceland.
Kerið Crater
natural wonderA vivid 3,000-year-old volcanic crater lake with striking red and black slopes surrounding an aquamarine pool on the Golden Circle route.
Námaskarð / Hverir
natural wonderA Mars-like geothermal area of bubbling mud pots, steaming fumaroles, and sulphur-stained earth near Lake Mývatn.
Vatnajökull Ice Caves
natural wonderNaturally formed crystal-blue ice caves beneath Vatnajökull glacier, accessible only in winter and reshaping each year.
Diamond Beach
beachA black volcanic sand beach strewn with glittering ice chunks washed ashore from Jökulsárlón, resembling scattered diamonds.
Common questions about the Iceland Ring Road (Route 1)
How long does the Iceland Ring Road (Route 1) take?
The driving itself is about 23 hr 12 min across 971 miles (1562 km). Most people spread it over 9 days: the day-by-day breakdown on this page splits it into balanced stretches rather than equal ones, so no single day is all driving.
How many miles is the Iceland Ring Road (Route 1)?
971 miles, or 1562 km, measured along the actual road rather than straight-line between towns.
When is the best time to drive the Iceland Ring Road (Route 1)?
June to August. Long daylight and open mountain roads. Shoulder months bring shorter days and a real chance of snow on the higher sections.
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