Are you ready to embark on a road trip through the insanely beautiful country of Iceland?

Iceland Ring Road Trip 7 Days Itinerary Includes:

1. Explore Reykjavik

2. Relax in the Blue Lagoon

3. Visit Pingvellir National Park & Kerid

4. Witness Strokkur Geyser

5. Stop at Iceland’s top waterfalls: Gullfoss, Seljelandsfoss, Paradisarhellir  & Skogarfoss

6. Stroll the black sandy beaches of Vik

7. Visit the magnificent Vatnajökull glacier and Jokulsarlon glacial lake

Keep reading for your full itinerary plus tips!

But first, you should know a few interesting facts about Iceland. . .

Facts about Iceland and its inhabitants

Icelanders are very chauvinistic. They want to keep their language as pure as possible so they keep away from foreign words and phrases.

Iceland has its own breed of horses, the Icelander.

No other horses may be introduced on the island to keep the breed pure.

Napoleon has never been here, that’s why there are only a few last names.

All others have as a surname the name of their father with the suffix “son” (son) or dottir (daughter).

Day 1: Explore Reykjavik

The best way to explore Reykjavik is with the city card.

For one low cost ($50 USD for 48 hour pass) you get free entry into museums, galleries, thermal pools, public transportation and more discounts.

Reykjavik, well Iceland as a whole, is very expensive so opt to save money wherever possible.

Head to Seltjarnarnes to watch the northern lights. Located in Reykjavik peninsula,  is this tiny town offering big views!

September through April are peak times to see the northern lights, but if you can’t make those months, then be prepared to look up between 9pm-2am.

Day 2: Relax in the Blue Lagoon

It’s worth spending two days in Reykjavik, especially since visiting The Blue Lagoon, a hotspot in a lava field can easily take up an afternoon.

Take a bath so you can start your trip completely relaxed.

The water is extremely salty (12.5%) and comes out 1800m deep wells. It has a temperature of 70 ° C.

The soil consists of a type of white clay that would be very good for the skin (among others for the treatment of psoriasis).

Make sure you arrive prepared. Check out these 12 things to know before your visit.

Day 3: Pingvellir & Kerid

The first stop is Pingvellir (pronounced Thingvellir) a national park that is, in fact, a large prolapse where you can clearly see the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (a geological boundary between the North American and European continent).

Nature is stunningly beautiful. The water in rivers and lakes is so clear you can take a sip of it.

The next important stop is the famous geysers, but first, you pass Kerid, an explosion crater that is filled with the bluest water you’ve ever seen.

Day 4: Geysers & Strokkur

After Kerid, you arrive at one of the main attractions of Iceland, the geysers.

Iceland is called a hotspot (like Hawaii), which is an area with an above-normal magma production.

These high temperatures and exceptional activity of the underground explains many of the wonderful natural phenomena.

Iceland lost one of his most famous geyser (Geysir) to pollution.

Previously they threw detergent in the water to let it burst on command.

Because of this, it bursts now only 1 or 2 times per day.

However, the nearby Strokkur bursts approximately every 10 minutes from 10 to 20 meters high.

It’s really spectacular to see how the water is boiling, shows a large bell and eventually sprays meters high.

Day 5: Waterfalls, Rainbows, Caves Oh My!

A short ride further you pass Gullfoss or Golden Waterfall, one of Iceland’s most beautiful waterfalls.

The falling water caused large clouds of fine mist, so most of the time you see a beautiful rainbow above the waterfall.

The next day you start again with some amazing waterfalls.

The first one is Seljelandsfoss, a narrow but very high waterfall.

Provide sturdy walking shoes and take a walk on the slippery path that runs behind the waterfall.

Stroll around on the hill and find the Paradisarhellir or paradise cave.

The next one,  Skogarfoss is a 60-meter high waterfall.

According to legend Colonel Prasi has a treasury of gold hidden under the waterfall.

Many have searched, but no one found it. Give it a try!

Day 6: Vik

In Vik you should visit the black sandy beach.

From the beach, you have a view on a number of high cliffs into the sea.

It claims that these are the remains of a three-master drawn into the sea by trolls.

However, they were surprised by the dawn and turned into stone.

A few other must-sees

In Nupsstadur you can visit a tiny turf church from the 17th century.

Laufskalavördur is a hill dotted with innumerable cairns (piles of stones).

Nobody knows why, but everyone who comes here for the first time has to put a stone on the hill in order to stay protected from bad luck.

Kirkjubaejarklaustur was long one of the largest farms in the region.

Nowadays it’s a large village that owes its name to a Benedictine monastery that stood here from 1186 to 1550.

Two nuns that lived here were burned to death because they had evaded the monastic rules.

One had stopped men and the other said unkind things about the Pope.

Day 7: Vatnajökull & Jokulsarlon

Iceland is of course also known for its glaciers. Vatnajökull, is after the one in Greenland the largest glacier on earth.

Get out of your car and take a short walk to the glacier.

It’s pretty impressive to see how huge it is.

After the glacier, you drive through a huge desolate sands coil.

This terrain was formed by glacial rivers.

In 1974, they finally managed to build bridges here that were not washed away.

In 1996, however, it went wrong.

By the eruption of Vatnajökull (the volcano that even a few years ago spread huge ash clouds) emerged large quantities of meltwater.

That mass of water lifted the glacier around the lake and all the water went out of the lake.

This created a  huge wave. At its peak, 45000 m³ of water per second and ice ran towards the sea.

Ice blocks the size of a 6-story building were left.

At the end of your road trip, the most beautiful scenery (according to me) is waiting for you. Jokulsarlon, a beautiful glacial lake.

I have never seen a place like this. It’s truly breathtaking.

They filmed the openings scene of the Bond film “A View to a Kill” over here.

The water is beautifully colored, giant icebergs float around and with some luck, you see a seal swim by.

Definitely, book a ride on an amphibious vehicle. Provide some warm clothes because it’s really freezing!

After all this natural beauty you return to Reykjavik.

Of course, you can make a road trip around the island. In that case, you need about 2 weeks. The trip we made took one week. For more unforgettable adventures in Iceland, check out this post jammed packed with even more inspiration.

Psst. . . Looking for more European adventures? Check out a few of these posts:

• 20 Ridiculously Fun Things to do in Budapest

• The Rookies Guide to Oktoberfest

• 30 Things to do in Prague for First Time Visitors

What item stuck out the most to you on this list? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Author: Wendy Maes

World Wide Wendy

Wendy is a travel addict, foodie, and bon vivant who takes you along all her travels with her husband, two sons, and a dog. Through her journey’s Wendy shares honest hotel and restaurant reviews mixed with a few trips down memory lane.

Make sure to follow Wendy on all her amazing adventures!

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