Twelve Days Around Iceland — The Complete Ring Road Guide
Iceland is one of those destinations that people talk about for years before they go and then can’t stop talking about after. We spent 12 days driving the full Ring Road including the Westfjords in a campervan in mid-October and managed to cover the entire country. The weather was not perfect for much of it. It was still one of the most stunning trips of my life.
Why Iceland
Iceland sits on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge — the point where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet — which means the entire island is essentially one giant active geological event. Volcanoes that actually erupt. Geysers that go off like clockwork. Glaciers covering 10% of the land surface. Hot springs bubbling up from the ground seemingly at random. Waterfalls everywhere.
And almost no trees — Iceland was heavily deforested by early settlers and the climate makes regrowth difficult. On a clear day you can see for miles in every direction across open tundra and lava fields that look like the surface of another planet.
Also: Icelandic horses are the purest breed in the world — brought to the island by Vikings over a thousand years ago with no outside breeding since.
When to Go
Iceland is worth visiting in any season. Go when you can afford to go. Pack for everything regardless — the weather changes faster than anywhere I have been and four seasons in one day is not an exaggeration.
June — August
Midnight sun, warmest temperatures, all F-roads open, puffins on the cliffs. Peak season — busier and more expensive but the long days are extraordinary.
September — October
Shoulder season, cooling temperatures, Northern Lights starting. Significantly fewer crowds, most campsites still open. This is when we went.
November — February
Northern Lights peak season, snow-covered landscapes, dramatic dark skies. Limited daylight, many campsites closed and some roads inaccessible.
March — May
Snow melting, roads reopening, fewer crowds than summer. Decent chance of Northern Lights still in March and April.
Getting Around — The Campervan Question
The best way to travel Iceland is by campervan and this is not a travel cliché, it is practical reality. Iceland is essentially one main road — Route 1, the Ring Road — that circles the entire country. The campervan lets you stop wherever you want, sleep wherever you want and not worry about booking accommodation months in advance.
We used Camper Iceland and rented a Jeep Super Camper which handled the varied terrain well. Book well in advance for summer — the good vehicles sell out months ahead.
Campervan
The best option. Freedom to stop anywhere, sleep anywhere.
Hire Car
4×4 essential for F-roads. More flexibility than a tour.
Bus Pass
Strætó covers the Ring Road. Slower but budget-friendly.
F-Roads
4×4 only. Open roughly June to early September.
Essential campervan tips
Fill up your fuel tank whenever you see a station — in the Westfjords you can go hours without one. Never open campervan doors in strong winds, they can be ripped off. Do not stop in the middle of the road for photographs. High winds can push your vehicle across the road.
The Route — 12 Days Around Iceland
Day 1
Land at Keflavík, pick up your campervan, stop at the nearest Bonus supermarket to stock up before leaving Reykjavik. Doing a proper shop here before heading out saves significant money compared to buying food at tourist stops along the route.
Drive to Þingvellir National Park and set up camp. This is where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet — you can walk in the rift valley between them. It is also the site of Iceland’s ancient parliament, the oldest in the world, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Day 2
The Golden Circle is Iceland’s most famous day trip — a roughly 300km loop covering three of the country’s most iconic attractions. Do not skip it just because it is popular. It is popular because it is extraordinary.
- Þingvellir National Park — walk between the tectonic plates, dive Silfra if you are a diver
- Geysir and Strokkur — watch Strokkur erupt every few minutes like clockwork
- Gullfoss — the waterfall that stopped a hydroelectric dam. Standing at the edge you understand why
- The Secret Lagoon in Flúðir — more authentic and less expensive than the Blue Lagoon
- Kerið — a volcanic crater lake, small entry fee, worth it
Day 3
The South Coast drive is one of the most spectacular days on the entire route. Waterfall after waterfall, black sand beaches, glacier tongues reaching down to the road and the dramatic backdrop of Vatnajökull — Europe’s largest glacier — dominating the horizon.
- Seljalandsfoss — walk behind the waterfall. Get wet. Worth it
- Skógafoss — one of Iceland’s most powerful and beautiful waterfalls
- Sólheimasandur Plane Wreck — US Navy DC-3 that crash landed in 1973. 4km return walk from the car park
- Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach — dramatic basalt columns. Do not turn your back on the waves — genuinely dangerous
- Vík — the southernmost village in Iceland, worth a stop
- Skaftafell National Park — excellent base for evening camp
Day 4
Start early and hike to Svartifoss waterfall in Skaftafell — framed by perfectly hexagonal basalt columns that look almost architectural. Leave at dawn to have it to yourself.
- Svartifoss waterfall — hike at dawn
- Fjallsárlón glacier lagoon — quieter than Jökulsárlón
- Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon — non-negotiable
- Höfn — good resupply stop
Day 5
The Eastern Fjords are one of the least visited sections of the Ring Road and stunning for exactly that reason. Make a morning detour to Seyðisfjörður — a rainbow painted road leads to a blue painted church in a setting that looks almost impossibly picturesque.
- Seyðisfjörður — the rainbow road and blue church. Worth every minute of the drive in
- Krafla Volcano — active volcanic area with steaming vents and dramatic lava fields
- Hverfjall — a huge tephra crater you can walk around the rim of
- Dimmuborgir — extraordinary lava formations that look like a ruined city
- Mývatn Nature Baths — geothermal bathing in a dramatic setting. Better than the Blue Lagoon every single time
Day 6
The North delivers on every front. A big day of driving with extraordinary stops along the way.
- Dettifoss — one of the most powerful waterfalls in Europe. You feel it in your chest before you see it
- Selfoss — just upstream from Dettifoss, quieter and equally beautiful
- Ásbyrgi Canyon — horseshoe-shaped canyon with extraordinary geology
- Húsavík — Iceland’s whale watching capital. Book a tour — humpback sightings are frequent
- Goðafoss — the Waterfall of the Gods, where a Viking chieftain threw his Norse idols when Iceland converted to Christianity
Days 7–9
The Westfjords are the most remote region of Iceland and the least visited. Not many tourists make it out this way and the landscape rewards those who do — deep fjords, dramatic cliffs and hot springs you can have entirely to yourself.
Fuel warning
Fill up in Patreksfjörður — this is not optional. We rolled in on fumes having misjudged the distance. In the Westfjords you can drive for hours without seeing another car, let alone a fuel stop.
- Laugarhóll natural hot spring pool — end the driving day with a soak
- Wild hot spring hunting — coordinates in the dedicated Westfjords post
- Dynjandi waterfall — the crown jewel of the Westfjords. Do not miss this
- Látrabjarg cliffs — Europe’s largest seabird cliff, 14km of vertical rock face up to 440 metres high
- Rauðasandur — a genuinely red sand beach, completely unlike Iceland’s black sand beaches
Day 10
Sometimes called Iceland in miniature — glaciers, volcanoes, lava fields, black sand beaches, fishing villages and Kirkjufell, probably the most photographed mountain in Iceland, all in a relatively small area.
- Kirkjufell and Kirkjufellsfoss — the iconic mountain and waterfall. If you get clear weather here you are very lucky
- Snæfellsjökull glacier — the glacier Jules Verne used as the entrance to the centre of the earth
- Arnarstapi — dramatic basalt arch coastline
- Hraunfossar and Barnafoss waterfalls — a short detour worth making
Day 11
One of the most characterful small capitals in the world — compact, walkable, full of colour and personality with a food and nightlife scene that punches well above its size. We loved it.
- Hallgrímskirkja — the iconic church. Take the lift to the top for views across the city and out to the mountains
- Harpa Concert Hall — stunning geometric glass architecture on the waterfront
- The old harbour — good restaurants, lively atmosphere
- Try brennivín — Iceland’s signature spirit, made from fermented grain with caraway
- Try hákarl if you are feeling brave — fermented Greenlandic shark. A genuine cultural experience
Day 12
We camped near Grindavík the night before for an 8am opening. Is it overrated? It is expensive, it is busy and very much on the tourist trail. It is also genuinely spectacular — a vast geothermal pool of silica-rich water sitting in a black lava field with steam rising into the cold air.
Book in advance — it sells out, especially morning slots. Bring a hair tie if you have long hair — the silica will mat it.
The Best Hikes in Iceland
Fimmvörðuháls
The pass between Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull glaciers, connecting Skógafoss to Þórsmörk. One of the most dramatic hikes in Iceland, passing through a lava field created by the 2010 eruption.
Landmannalaugar
Highland hiking through rhyolite mountains in extraordinary colours — green, red, yellow, orange. Only accessible in summer via F-roads.
Svartifoss
Short hike in Skaftafell National Park to the basalt column waterfall. Doable for most fitness levels, spectacular reward.
Glymur
Iceland’s second highest waterfall, accessible via a trail that involves wading a river and crossing on a log. Genuinely wild and worth every step.
Kirkjufell
The iconic mountain on Snæfellsnes can be hiked. Steep and requires care but the views from the top are extraordinary.
Practical Information
All Iceland Posts
- Epic Iceland Road Trip Itinerary — 12 Days
- Iceland Day 1 — The Golden Circle
- Iceland’s South Coast — Waterfalls and Glaciers
- Discovering Iceland’s Eastern Fjords
- North Iceland — Volcanoes and Waterfalls
- Iceland’s Westfjords — Hot Spring Hunting
- From Snæfellsnes to Reykjavik
- Is Iceland’s Blue Lagoon Overrated?
- The Best and Most Beautiful Hikes in Iceland
Heading to Iceland?
Twelve days in Iceland in October means layers, waterproofs and more layers. Grab the cold weather packing list — everything I actually wore across 12 days of Icelandic road tripping, from Reykjavik to the Westfjords.
