Iceland – the Land of ice and Fire – should be your next summer travel destination. If you are looking for a combination of untouched nature, friendly people, and excellent examples of natural phenomena, I would definitely suggest Iceland to you. We did a 12-day Iceland roadtrip to take in the sites that travellers who stay in the southwest often miss, including the Westfjords and Eastfjords – simply stunning!
Highlights of the roadtrip included some amazing waterfalls, fjords, hiking trails and even impromptu whale watching! Here is a list of the things we did each day:
Day 1: Arriving and Exploring Reykjanes Peninsula
The first day of our Iceland roadtrip was a long one. I flew from London at 9:30 p.m. the day before, landing at 12:30 a.m. (you read that right, 30 minutes past midnight). While I would usually have taken an earlier flight, I was meeting my parents and sister, who live in the US and were arriving at 6 a.m. on the morning of Day 1. As a result I stayed in the airport for 6 hours. Fortunately I was able to catch up on a lot of reading!
While the building is open since flights arrive and leave Iceland nearly 24/7, none of the shops or restaurants that are staffed were open. In the arrivals area, there is a small convenience store where you can purchase drinks and snacks. However, there are no hot food options until stores start opening again at 6 a.m.
So I met my parents and sister and we got the car. Time to hit the road!
Bridge between Continents
Iceland sits on the divergence of two tectonic plates – the North American and Eurasian plates. The fissure between the two are the reason that Iceland is so volcanic. While it runs through the island, the easiest place to see it is the Bridge Between Continents, which sits on Iceland’s southwestern coast.
You can read more about the Bridge between Continents and see more photos of this rare view here:
Driving from Continental Divide to Setlún Geothermal Area
From the Bridge Between Continents we drove south and then east, heading towards a geothermal area east of the famous Blue Lagoon. We drove through Grindavik as well, witnessing the recent lava flows and the defences erected against them. You can see the drive, as well as a lot more information about it in the full video here:
Setlún Geothermal Area
The Rekyjanes Peninsula is a hotbed for volcanic and geothermal activity in southwest Iceland and Krýsuvík is an area where lots of steam escapes. Bubbling water, pits of mud and even hot streams flow in this area. The lava sits close to the surface here and it has heavily influenced the landscape.
You can read more about Setlún and Krýsuvík here:
Driving from Setlún to Kleifarvatn
The next drive was a short one of a couple of kilometres between Setlún and Kleifarvatn, the draining lake, but it was a pretty one:
Kleifarvatn Lake
Part of the Setlún Geothermal Area and just up from Krýsuvik is Kleifarvatn Lake, also known as the “Draining Lake” as there are no visible inlets or outlets. It has changed shape, size and volume recently, which also lent itself to this name. Read more about it here:
Driving from Kleifarvatn Lake to Hafnarfjörður
From Kleifarvatn we then drove into Hafnarfjörður, a town just south of Reykjavik as we were staying in Álftanes next door. Hafnarfjörður has several shops, restaurants, and supermarkets/grocery stores, where we decided to buy some things for our roadtrip of Iceland.
Watch that drive here:
Accommodation: Flið Fisherman’s Village
Flið Fisherman’s Village is a small-ish accommodation located in the village of Álftanes just south of Reykjavik. It consists of several small cabins that sleep up to 4 people.
The entire place sits on its own small peninsula, offering some amazing views of the sea, some of the surrounding mountains, and lots of nature. You can see and read more here:
Day 2: Exploring Reykjavik
For the second day of our Iceland roadtrip, we decided to go to Iceland’s capital – Reykjavik. By international standards Reykjavik is a small city of just over 125,000 people; in fact it feels like a large town more than anything else.
We were not interested in shopping or museums really. Instead we wanted to see specific things:
Harpa Center
The Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Center is an award-winning example of some of the modernist architecture that has taken off in the past 50 years in Iceland. With a façade almost entire of glass, it sparkles and gleams in the sunlight.
While here we also saw the Volcano Express, a cinematic journey through Iceland’s geological history and volcanic prowess. You can read more about Harpa and the Volcano Express here:
Rainbow Road
Reykjavik also has a road that has been painted the colours of the rainbow! Located on Skólavörðustígur (the name of the street), it connects Laugavegur (a well-known shopping street) with Hallgrímskirkja (the famous towering church near the city center).
You can see and read more here:
Hallgrimskirkja
Standing tall at 74.5 metres (244 ft), Hallgrímskirkja is the tallest building in Reykjavik. It offers some amazing views of not only the city but also the surrounding mountains, ocean and coastal islands.
Read more about Hallgrímskirkja and its amazing architecture here:
Sun Voyager
Iceland was founded by Vikings and in 1990, a Viking-inspired sculpture of a longship made out of runic staves was installed on the waterfront. Promising freedom, adventure and just a bit of mystery, this is also an excellent locations to look north towards to some of the wild and untamed parts of the island.
See and read more here:
Driving to Snæfellsnes Peninsula
After a day in Reykjavik, we drove to our next accommodation, which was the Guesthouse Hof on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. Here is the video of us leaving civilisation and heading out into the more untamed areas:
The clouds were also doing some amazing things during the drive:
Accommodation: Guesthouse Hof
Our stay at Guesthouse Hof comprised two nights. These cabins on the southern coast of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula were great for these two days as they were close to everything we wanted to do on Days 3 and 4 for a good price. They were also cosy and very well insulated, which was excellent as the high temperatures in mid-September were barely reacing 10C/50F in the day and on Day 3, the winds were gusting to 42 mph / 68 kph (18.88 m/s)! We did not feel any of that though because of these cabins.
You can read my review of Guesthouse Hof here:
Day 3: Snæfellsnes Peninsula
Our third day of the Iceland roadtrip was focused exclusively on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, in particular Snæfellsjökull National Park. We got up early and made the decision to drive Route 574 anticlockwise/counterclockwise. Because the Snæfellsnes Peninsula is relativelty close to Reykjavik (you can reach the end by car in about 2 hours), it is a common destination for coach tours. However these usually stay in the south, so we started in the north, worked our way down the coast, and then finished in the south before returning to Guesthouse Hof to sleep.
Note that we were also going to go to Saxhóll Crater and Vatnshellir Lava Cave. While the crater would have been a great hike up the side of the cone and then around the mouth (the inside is empty, so the hike is safe… at least from volcanic activity!), due to the gusting winds it was advised against it. Unfortunately for Vatnshellir Lava Cave, you have to enter by tour and there weren’t any that fit in to our schedule. These places are on my list of things to do when I am in Iceland next time!
Our first stop was Búðakirkja, the drive to which you can see here:
Búðakirkja
Búðakirkja is a famous church in Iceland due to its photogenic nature and the fact that it is completely black – from its foundations and walls all the way to the top of the steeple. Set on a desolate landscape with mountains, waterfalls and dense clouds in the background, Búðakirkja is definitely worth a visit for the views alone!
See more of Búðakirkja here:
Driving from Búðakirkja to Snæfellsnesvegur View Point
From here we then drove to our next destination: Snæfellsnesvegur View Point
Snæfellsnesvegur View Point
Our next stop was the Snæfellsnesvegur View Point, which sits on Route 54 on the eastern edge of Snæfellsjökull National Park. At this point, the road goes up the side of the mountain pass steadily gaining altitude. As you near the top, this view point offers some amazing views back down the valley to Búðakirkja and the ocean:
Driving from Snæfellsnesvegur View Point to Skarðsvík Beach
We then continued the drive, stopping next at Skarðsvík Beach:
Skarðsvík Beach
While people from other countries near oceans might not find the beach out of the ordinary, for the average Icelander, Skarðsvík Beach is something of a rarity – a blond beach (a beach with sandy-coloured sand). Due to its volcanic nature and large number of historic eruptions, most of the beaches in Iceland have at least a lot of black sand mixed in if not entirely black. On the other hand Skarðsvík Beach is said to be one of the outliers with very little black sand.
Driving from Skarðsvík Beach to Svörtuloft Lighthouse
To get to Svörtuloft Lighthouse, continue down the same road (Route 579). Be warned that it is an unpaved and bumpy road with many potholes.
Svörtuloft Lighthouse
Set on a cliff on the eastern edge of the peninsula is the Svörtuloft Lighthouse, an orange lighthouse on an otherwise black cliff. While the road to get there is very bumpy – people who get travel sick beware! – the views make up for it one hundred-fold:
Driving from Svörtuloft Lighthouse to Dritvik Djúpalónssandur
We then returned to the main road and drove to a black sand beach: Dritvik Djúpalónssandur.
Dritvik Djúpalónssandur (Black sand Beach)
Dritvik Djúpalónssandur is one of the famous black sand beaches in Iceland along with Vikurfjara and Reynisfjara in southern Iceland. As it is also in Snæfellsjökull National Park, it is worth combining with other sites.
Driving from Dritvik Djúpalónssandur to Malariff Lighthouse
From here we continued the drive heading south to Malariff Lighthouse:
Malarrif Lighthouse
At the southwestern tip of the peninsula is Malarrif Lighthouse, a tall white lighthouse that warns ships of the presense and danger of the land. We also had some great views of Snæfellsjökull, the active volcano with a glacier on top that gives the national park its name. While the top was covered in clouds (as it usually is), we had some amazing cloudless views the day before while driving to Guesthouse Hof. You can see both here:
Lóndrangar and View Point
Lóndrangar is the name of some beautiful rock formations. Made up of voclanic basalt rock, they sit on the coast. Their shape and location make them a popular destination. Fortunately since we visited in the late afternoon, most of the bus tours had already left by this time, meaning we had the place nearly to ourselves!
After Lóndrangar and a long day out, we returned exhausted but fully satisfied with the day back to Guesthouse Hof (see the end of Day 3 for more information about the accommodation).
Ytri Tunga
Our final stop on Day 3 was to Ytri Tunga, a sandy/stony beach that hosts a permanent seal. In Iceland you can find grey and harbour seals in a couple of different locations; they are the only 2 species that are always here. The others migrate.
You can read more about seals and Ytri Tunga here:
Day 4: Snæfellsnes Peninsula and Drive to Þingeyri (Western Fjords)
Day 4 of our Iceland roadtrip was focused on the Westfjords region of Iceland, which is located in the northwest. Glaciers have cut deeply into the mountains here, creating high cliffs along which mostly unpaved roads run.
Driving the Northern Coast of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula
The first part of our drive was on Route 54 through the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. We decided that we watned to drive the northern coast as we had seen the southern coast already the past couple of days. We saw several interesting points along the way, such as Kirkjufell, the triangular mountain made world-famous by Game of Thrones, Kolgrafarfjörður (a bridge designed in the shape of a sword, and of course some of the many waterfalls that Iceland has.
Here is a video of the first leg of our drive:
Entering the Westfjords
After stopping for lunch in Búðardalur, we began our roadtrip of Iceland’s Westfjords in earnest, driving along Route 60. There were lots of twists, turns, bends and amazing scenery on this route.
Here is the next leg of the driving tour, from the beginning of the Westfjords to Dynjandi (Bridal Veil Falls):
Dynjandi: A Bridal Veil and 6 Sister waterfalls
Our aim for this day was to reach Dynjandi, a waterfall that is twice as wide at the bottom as it is at the top. This combined with the sloped cliff makes the waterfall look like a bridal veil. It was absolutely gorgeous!
You can read more about Dynjandi here:
Driving from Dynjandi to Accommodation in Þingeyri
The last leg of this day’s driving was a short trip from Dynjandi to our accommodation for the evening, The Guesthouse by the Fjord. Here is the drive:
The Guesthouse by the Fjord
Here is my review of our accommodation for this evening:
Day 5: Driving Tour of the Western Fjords
Day 5 of our Iceland roadtrip was purely a driving trip with no set, planned stops. Instead we simply drove the rest of Route 60 to Ísafjörður and then turned onto Route 61, the coastal road that runs the eastern side of the Westfjords before returning to the main part of Iceland.
There was some absolutely beautiful scenery as well, such as:
We also saw several amazing things, such as:
WHALES!!!!
During our drive, we suddenly noticed that there was something moving in the fjords. A puff of steam, a dark shape, but what could it be! Dear reader, I have spoilt it with the title of this section already, but it was a group of humpback whales! They were most likely hunting and we were able to watch from a view point on the bank:
Day 6: Horizontal Basalt Columns and Akureyri
On Day 6 of our Iceland roadtrip, we focus on driving north to see some interesting basalt column formations. While Iceland has many of these around the island, most of them are oriented directly out of the ground (i.e. standing straight up and down). There are more unique ones that go in all directions, such as the ones at Kálfshamarsvík.
On the way, we also went to Hvitserkur, which is an interestingly shaped rock on the northern coast with beautiful views into the bay area.
Driving to Hvitserkur
The drive to Hvitserkur started on Route 1 – Iceland’s Ring Road that reaches all parts of the country. From there we turned north on increasinly smaller roads until we reached this beautiful coastline. You can see the full drive here:
Hvitserkur
Located directly on the coast, this unique rock is said to look like several different mythical and real animals, depending on who you ask. What do you think?
Driving to Kálfshamarsvík
From Hvitserkur we went back down the coast, returning to Route 1 and then taking Route 745 up to Kálfshamarsvík, which is not only a major lighthouse for this section of the coast but also plays host to horizontal basalt columns – a rare find indeed!
Kálfshamarsvík and Basalt Columns
Set in a relatively flat part of Iceland, the lighthouse at Kálfshamarsvík serves an important function: making sure that ships do not crash into this well traversed part of Iceland’s northern coast.
This area of Iceland is very unprotected from the Arctic winds that can howl down from the north. As you read about the horizontal basalt columns and this stunnig lighthouse, know that I was wrapped head to toe with not even the smallest portion of skin showing. Despite that I was chilled to the bone and struggling to stay upright in the face of the gusts:
Driving to Akureyri
Our final trip was driving to Akureyri, Iceland’s second largest city in the north, which is frequented by tourists primarily for whale and seal-watching tours. We were not going for the tours; we were trying to visit a pink lamppost! Unfortunately there had been a storm with high winds the previous week and the lamppost had been knocked down and removed! We still enjoyed the drive and the town though!
Akureyri’s Rainbow Footpath
Our next stop on our Iceland roadtrip was for the one of the three famous rainbow ways in Iceland. This is Akureyri Museum of Art’s Rainbow Foot Path:
Hótel Tjarnir
That night we drove a bit to the east of Akureyri to Hótel Tjarnir, which lies in the mountain pass to the east. We were planning on heading east the next day as well, so this was the perfect place for us to stay – it also snowed overnight!
Here is the drive:
Here is more information about Hótel Tjarnir:
Day 7: Heading North
Driving to Goðafoss
On Day 7 of our Iceland roadtrip we decided to continue our clockwise direction around the island by heading farther into Iceland and going to the top of the Northeastern Region. However our first stop was just down the road at Goðafoss:
Goðafoss
Goðafoss is an important waterfall in Iceland history and mythology. It has deep connections with elves, Viking gods and Iceland’s conversion to history, all of which you can read about here:
Driving to Jökulsárgljúfur
Our next drive was a long one. We went from Goðafoss, which is just off of Route 1, up some very unpaved roads to Jökulsárgljúfur, a series of large waterfalls that originate in Iceland’s highlands and flow to the north coast. The drive was long and difficult but rewarding:
Jökulsárgljúfur
Jökulsárgljúfur is a large and impressive canyon that has been cut by a river originating in Iceland’s highlands. Along the way they have cut a canyon into the landscape, creating some interesting water flows and geological features:
Driving to Raufarhöfn
The last drive of the day took us up to the northern coast to a town called Raufarhöfn, which hosts the Arctic Henge. You can watch the relatively peaceful drive here:
Arctic Henge
The Artic Henge is a monument to Icelandic history, mythology and culture that is meant to revitalise this area of the country. Created by a local artist, this ongoing work has drawn people from around the world:
Hótel Norðurljós
As we ended the day near the Artic Henge, we decided to stay in a local hotel in Raufarhöfn. In addition to having the entire thing to ourselves, the owner/operator was very friendly. She had also been a former Herring Girl, which was the reason that Raufarhöfn existed in the first place.
Day 8: Welcome to the East Fjords
Day 8 of our Iceland roadtrip saw us enter Iceland’s eastern fjords. Unlike the Westfjords that stick out on a peninsula, the Eastfjords are part of the mainland. We started by visiting a canyon on our way and then stayed overnight in Seyðisfjörður.
Driving to Stuðlagil Canyon
The first leg of Day 8 was the drive to Stuðlagil Canyon, which offered some beautiful scenery of the northeastern coast. We then briefly rejoined Route 1 before getting off again to visit the canyon:
Stuðlagil Canyon
Stuðlagil Canyon has excellent examples of basalt columns throughout the canyon. You can read more about the canyon and how basalt columns are formed here:
Driving to Seyðisfjörður (and snow)!
The last part of our drive on Day 8 was to Seyðisfjörður, one of the main towns nestled in the Eastfjords and the location of the port for the ferry to the UK and Denmark. To get there, you have to drive up and over a mountain pass – where we saw snow!
Seyðisfjarðarkirkja
Seyðisfjörður is also known for its powder blue church, known as Seyðisfjarðarkirkja. This church stands out from the other architecture in the town not only due to its location but also because of the rainbow street that leads to its front door. You can read more about the rainbow street of Seyðisfjörður, one of the three in Iceland, here:
Snæfell – Hotel by Aldan
We then stayed the night at Hótel Snæfell, which throughout its history has been a post office, a taxi dispatch office and a shoemaker’s workshop. Read my review and recommendations here:
Day 9: Hiking and Waterfalls
The focus of Day 9 of our Iceland roadtrip was doing some hiking and seeing waterfalls. We had identified some excellent examples near the Eastfjords that we wanted to take a look at: Litlanesfoss and Hengifoss. Afterwards we continued our drive around the coast, heading to the beautiful peninsula of Vestrahorn.
Driving to the Waterfalls
Our drive from Seyðisfjörður to the waterfalls took us back over the mountain pass. The snow was still there but it was no longer snowing. We then drove to the eastern edge of the highlands where the waterfalls originate.
Litlanesfoss and Hengifoss
Litlanesfoss and Hengifoss are part of the same river and are a short distance from each other. Despite that, both are large drops that end in the river/lake below. While the hike is short in terms of distance travelled, the elevation change over this distance is proportionally very large – but they are worth it!
Litlanesfoss hasa excellent example of 5 and 6-sided basalt columns and Hengifoss has layers of iron oxide, making it look like the rock has red stripes!
Driving to Vestrahorn
Our drive from Litlanesfoss and Hengifoss to Vestrahorn took us down the remainder of the eastern coastline, which ends at the Vestrahorn peninsula:
Vestrahorn
Vestrahorn is known for not only its stark beauty, such as the barren mountains or the wind whipping the sand on the beaches and sand dunes, but also for the mirror-like qualities of its lake, which usually reflects the mountains. You can read more about that dichotomy here:
Driving to the hotel
After hiking, the waterfalls and Vestrahorn, we drove another hour to a hotel on the coast called Hotel Smyrlabjörg.
Hotel Smyrlabjörg
Hotel Smyrlabjörg is a 3-star hotel decorated in a country style. Good food, comfortable, you can read my review here:
Day 10: Diamonds!
They say that diamonds are a girl’s best friend – and my mother had certainly been looking forward to Diamond Beach on Day 10 of our Iceland roadtrip! What is not to like? Icebergs calve from the nearby glacier, get pulled out to sea and then washed back on the shores of a combination black sand/stony beach. The result is simply stunning!
Driving to Diamond Beach
Our drive from Hotel Smyrlabjörg to Diamond Beach was relatively short across the flatter land that you find in the south. You can watch that part here:
Diamond Beach
Diamond Beach was all it was said to be: black sand, stones, glaciers glimmering like diamonds in the intense sunlight. It was also the perfect day to visit in terms of the weather! We were very lucky.
Jökulsárlón
Whereas Diamond Beach is the result, Jökulsárlón is the cause. This is where icebergs break off the glacier, drift around in the lake and finally make an egress via the outlet. Read more about this famous lagoon:
Driving to Fjallsárlón
Jökulsárlón isn’t the only glacial lagoon in the area. Fjallsárlón is just down the road:
Fjallsárlón
While Jökulsárlón is large in its scope and the glacier is still far away, Fjallsárlón is smaller, so you can get up close and personal with the icebergs, lagoon and even the glacier. It is also a lot less developed, so it can be a better choice for nature lovers who want to beat the crowds.
Driving to the Accommodation
After a full day of adamiring diamonds, it was time to drive to our next accommodation, which was about an hour away.
Vestri Pétursey
Vestri Pétursey is a small group of 4 2-bedroom cabins on farmland in southern Iceland. Somewhat close to Vík, they still like you are in the middle of nowhere. We were also able to see a lot of stars at night – very cold but also worth it.
Day 11: Slowing Down
We had planned this Iceland roadtrip with the knowledge that by the end, we would most likely be tired from all of the sightseeing and driving, so Days 11 and 12 were planned to be lighter than the others. Due to needing to get back to Keflavik the following day to fly back to our respective places of origin, Day 11 was our last full day. We decided to see another example of the continental divide, this time in the middle of a small shopping centre, have some pizza, then go to a farm to feed horses and finally to Geysir Geothermal Area.
Driving to Sunnumörk and Continental Divide
The first leg of our drive was to Sunnumörk – a shopping centre built over the continental divide. Here is the drive:
Sunnumörk and Continental Divide
This shopping centre was built over the continental by accident. By that I mean that they broke ground, began construction and then found the continental divide. The reaction was “that is neat. Let’s build a glass floor so people can look at it”.
Ölverk Pizza & Brewery
Near Sunnumörk was Ölverk Pizza and Brewery, which uses geothermal energy in its beer brewing and pizza making processes…and both were delicious!
Driving to Brú Horse Farm
After pizza and beer, you sometimes just want to settle down and get cosy with a fuzzy animal. In our case we had to drive there first:
Brú Horse Farm
Icelandic horses! This farm near Geysir Geothermal Area – think Strokkur Geysir and The Great Geysir – allows visitors to feed Icelandic horses food and “horse candy”. Definitely worth it!
Geysir Geothermal Area
After a feeding sessoin with the horses, it was time to visit Geysir Geothermal Area, where Strokkur and Geysir are located:
Hotel Litli Geysir
We then stayed at one of the hotels directly across from the geysers. You can read my review here:
Day 12: Heading home
On Day 12 (well, 11.5 as it was not a complete day) of our Iceland roadtrip we took the morning easily as our flights were not until the mid-afternoon and the drive was approximately 1.5 hours. As the drive was nearly the same as we did the first day heading to Reykjavik, I decided not to record this last leg, which consisted mostly of built up areas and traffic.
We got to the airport on time, returned the car without any issues, and also had no problems at the airport.
My Thoughts
All in all this Iceland roadtrip was an excellent adventure. While I migth make some minor changes in the future, this itinerary served us very well for the 12 days we had in Iceland, allowing us to see a lot while also giving us some time to relax in the mornings and evenings.
I also think that our Iceland roadtrip was a good length. Many people try to travel the ring road in 6 days but even if you stay only on Route 1, I don’t think there i senough time to really enjoy what Iceland has to offer
FuturE Changes
I think we saw some amazing things on this roadtrip of Iceland. If I were to do anything differently on this trip, I would take out/most of Day 6. Hvitserkur frankly was not worth it and while it was interesting to see horizontal basalt columns at Kálfshamarsvík, it was a fair drive out of the way of the rest of our route and the reward was not really worth the time in my opinion. It was also extremely windy (bitterly so), so that could be tainting my memories of the place as well.
I also thought that Sunnumörk was made more of than was actually there. Having experienced earthquakes “in real life”, we did not do the earthquake simulation experience and so apart from the glass, which was hard to see through, it was not really worth it in my opinion. However if you are in the area, Ölverk was definitely worth it, so do not skip the delicious pizza a this amazing brewery.
Thanks for reading! Want to do some more exploring? Have a look at the travel map:
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