The Ultimate 17-Day Summer Ring Road Itinerary for Epic Views

Driving the Ring Road in the Summer is the best time to see the beauty of this diverse island because you have extended daylight hours. In this post, we’ll outline an ultimate 17-day itinerary for a summer Ring Road trip that capitalizes on epic views. We’ll take you counterclockwise, starting in Reykjavik and ending in Keflavik. Along the way, we’ll see the highlights of each region in Iceland:

You can do parts of this journey in less time, but you’d be missing out on the trip of a lifetime. This 17-day summer Ring Road itinerary will give you more epic views than you can imagine.

Here’s a visual overview of the places we’re going.

Why Drive the Ring Road in Summer

Now, I know this post is about a summer road trip. However, it’s essential to understand why we chose summer. The table below helps explain why, but primarily, we were planning to drive on several F-roads.

Iceland’s F-Roads

F-roads are roads that require 4WD vehicles because they are either rough gravel roads or have bodies of water with no bridges. We looked at the latest opening dates for the F-roads we planned to drive, and that was July 8th. So we pushed our plan out to arrive so that we would get to that section of road just after July 8th. We originally intended to go in June.

Vehicle Rental Considerations

After choosing what season to drive the Ring Road in, the next question is usually what kind of vehicle should I rent? But who you rent from is also important and depends on where you want to go. If you want to drive on an F-road, or more specifically, if you want to go to a particular attraction that is accessible via a gravel road, I would highly recommend getting an F-road-capable vehicle. I would also recommend getting the insurance that covers you for river crossings and water damage, and only a couple of companies offer that type of coverage. Yes, this will cost. But if you have such a vehicle, you can go pretty much anywhere in Iceland.

We rented a Jeep Renegade from Lotus Car Rental. Don’t rent a Jeep Renegade. Upon returning that bloody thing to the company, the person at the desk told us he once had to try three different Jeep Renegades before he found one that could get him out of where he was. Their electrical systems are terrible! The people at Lotus were okay, although I wish I had known about the Jeep Renegade issues ahead of time. He recommended getting a Land Cruiser instead next time. That would be twice what we paid, but possibly worth the diminished anxiety from thinking that an airbag was about to explode in my face every time we got in the vehicle.

This one splurge got us everywhere we needed to go, but it accounted for almost 1/3 of the amount of money we spent on the entire trip. If you don’t plan to cross rivers on F-roads or drive on gravel roads, rent from your favorite car rental agency. Just book it well in advance. They sometimes sell out in the summer, and you will find better deals if you book way ahead, like at least six months in advance. If you get the platinum insurance package from Lotus, it comes with free wi-fi too, and that was extremely helpful.

For tips on driving in Iceland, what to pack for an Iceland trip, and mundane topics like laundry, see our post that provides practical tips for traveling in Iceland.

Day 1 – From Keflavik, Drive to Reykjavik

We’re assuming you’ve reserved a vehicle to pick up in Keflavik. The drive to Reykjavik will take you about 45 minutes. Get settled into your hotel. You might need a nap, depending on where you came from and whether you slept on the plane.

Rest, Rejuvenate, and Get Acclimated

The point of this first day is to relax and get your bearings. After your nap, you can wander down to the Sculpture and Shore Walk. If it’s getting close to dinner time or you’re just hungry, you can take the main shopping road down to the city centre and see what looks good.

Food halls (also known as food courts), hot dog stands, and street food are generally less expensive than restaurants. Here’s a map that shows the available food halls in the city center.

We went to the Posthus Food Hall and ate at the Funky Bhangra. It was a very busy place, but we enjoyed the music and the chicken tower. The samosas lacked flavor, though.

After having a bite to eat, you could check out local live music if you have the energy.

If your room has blackout shades, close up the windows for the night and pull the shades. The tiny windows next to the big windows are meant to cool off your room if it gets too hot from the unadjustable geothermal heat piped throughout Reykjavik. But take a look out your windows to see whether there are any dumpsters around. If so, you should probably close up the small windows, too. If the garbage trucks come in the morning, you’ll hear them loud and clear if those small windows are open.

Day 2 – Explore, Learn, and Appreciate Reykjavik

If you’ve booked a hotel that provides breakfast, great! Enjoy that first. After years of international travel, Rick and I have learned not to count on consistently good coffee anywhere, so we bring our own. In Reykjavik, they’ve long had a saying, “we don’t have a Starbucks,” which, as of July 2025, is no longer true. Now, they have two! But that’s in Reykjavik. There aren’t any anywhere else in Iceland (yet). If your hotel didn’t provide breakfast, head out to find that first.

Take a Walking Tour

Something that will acquaint you with the city quickly is a walking tour. We did this audio tour by VoiceApp, and we enjoyed it. It took us through the city centre, including side streets and alleyways to see murals and other interesting sights, as well as architecturally stunning places like Hallgrimskirkja and the Harpa Concert Hall. You must go inside the latter location to fully appreciate its architecture. Here are the sights we learned about on our audio tour, with links to more information about each place. We did the tour in a slightly different order than what’s on the audio tour. I’m listing the order in which we encountered things.

And here are some photos from our audio tour. For more, see our post about Reykjavik.

Visit the Perlan (the Pearl)

From the many options for museums, galleries, and historical depictions, we opted to go to the Perlan, aka the Pearl. I read that, in addition to a walk-through ice cave adventure and a Northern Lights experience, they had a new “fall into an erupting volcano” encounter. The Perlan also has a panoramic observation deck on the fourth floor that wraps around the building, where you can take photos and videos of Reykjavik. Here are a few photos, but there are more in our post about Reykjavik. You can also have dinner in their restaurant.

And here’s a video that shows what you’ll see inside the Indoor Ice Cave Experience.

This will fill up Day 2, especially if you walk from your hotel to the Perlan. But if you’re not tired and you have a couple of hours, you could also take a soak at the Blue Lagoon or the Sky Lagoon (both open until 11 pm in the summer). But there will be other, less expensive opportunities for soaking on the Ring Road. For example, the advertised basic rate at Earth Lagoon in Myvatn is $65 per person, whereas the basic rate at Blue Lagoon in the summer starts at $116 per person. The basic rate at Sky Lagoon in summer is $165 per person.

If you’d like to learn about more things to do in Reykjavik, see our post on visiting Reykjavik.

In this post, we’ll take you to the top 15+ must-see sights on Iceland’s South Coast. This stretch along the Ring Road is beautiful and dotted with spectacular sights. Here’s an overview of this leg of the Ring Road journey:

• We’ll start by leaving Reykjavik and making our way to the top spots of the Golden Circle.
• From there, we’ll head south to see some stunning waterfalls and follow the Ring Road east to see puffins and cliffs.
• Next, we’ll stop in Vik for provisions and make our way to the highlands to see an uncrowded multi-level waterfall while hiking some beautiful terrain. If we’re lucky, we’ll come face to face with a herd of horses being moved from one area to another.
• We’ll visit a gorgeous canyon and hike to multiple waterfalls in Skaftafell National Park.
• Then we’ll make our way over to the glacier lagoons to watch the icebergs calve and float around and over to Diamond Beach.
• Finally, we’ll check out Vestrahorn to see if we can catch the reflections of the mountain range in the bay.

Day 3 – See the Golden Circle Highlights

Kick off with Thingvellir National Park, where the Eurasian and North American plates pull apart. Walk the rift, feel the earth’s cracks underfoot—it’s like stepping into geology class. History buffs love the old Viking meeting spot here. By the way, here’s how to pronounce Thingvellir. And, you never know, you might meet the most recent President of Iceland! In 2025, just after his last term in office, he worked a summer job as a guide at Thingvellir.

In our post on Reykjavik, we introduced you to where we stayed — Hotel Muli. But for anywhere you stay in Reykjavik, the information below will be similar.

Take a Short Hike to Öxarárfoss

In this National Park, you can take the trail to see Öxarárfoss. According to Guide to Iceland:

• Öxarárfoss is a stunning Thingvellir National Park waterfall known for its geological and historical significance.
• It is part of the Golden Circle Route, making it easily accessible for travelers.
• The waterfall was artificially created in the 9th century to supply water to Iceland’s parliament, Althingi.
• It was featured in “Game of Thrones,” adding to its appeal to pop culture enthusiasts.

My Google Review mentions that restrooms are walking distance from the parking lot, the trail was crowded, and it’s not handicap accessible due to stairs.

See the Silfra Fissure

Try snorkeling in Silfra fissure at Thingvellir if you’re up for it. Clear waters between plates make for unreal views. Book ahead—it’s a highlight that feels otherworldly. I read that you could see the fissure from above the water, and I suppose you could see some of it. But you will undoubtedly get a better view by snorkeling or diving. We saw a lot of people, mostly snorkeling. You have to be drysuit certified to dive here, which we are. But we haven’t dived in dry suits nearly enough to feel confident about going into the frigid waters for any length of time. So, we opted not to do that.

Here’s a photo of Öxarárfoss and one of the Silfra Fissure.We also posted our route on AllTrails, which shows how to get from the parking lot to Öxarárfoss and then up the main trail past the bisecting trail to Silfra, and back again, and over to Silfra. For more photos, see our post about the South Coast.

See a Turquoise Blue Waterfall, Bruarfoss

This one is not on most Golden Circle itineraries, but I added it to our plan at the last minute after watching an itinerary video on Natural Habitats, so we made an effort to squeeze it in. It is beautiful, but the word is out, and there were quite a few people here. There are no restrooms, but a food truck is available here. Rick was able to fly his drone, so he had some fun away from the crowded bridge.

Explore Dormant and Erupting Geysers

Where to Park at the Geysers

I saw some posts where people said you could park for free on the left side of the visitor’s center. Alas, this is no longer the case. You’re limited to parking in the main lot, which is a Parka lot. So, you need to use the Parka app to pay. From there, you need to walk to the busy road and cross at the crosswalk. You will need to wait for a lot of traffic to clear. There are restrooms at the Visitor Center.

What You’ll See at the Geysers

While the original Geysir, after which all others are named, is considered dormant, there is plenty of other activity to take in. Watch Strokkur erupt every few minutes, shooting water high. It’s a thrill that kids and adults both enjoy. You might want to plan to stay here for up to an hour to wait for the perfect eruption from Strokkur, though. Yes, it erupts often, but to varying degrees. You also need to aim your phone or video device so that you can capture the whole thing – especially when it might be an extra-tall explosion. Here’s the best video we got, which Rick captured.

And here are a few of the photos I took.

Drive to Gullfoss & Faxafoss

There are still two more waterfalls to see on this leg of the trip: Gullfoss, a massive waterfall that roars like a beast. Mist soaks you as you navigate the paths. And Faxafoss, a wide, beautiful waterfall with a fish ladder.

Visit Gullfoss

Since my camera is water-averse, I took the path furthest from Gullfoss, but it still offered an amazing view of it from that location. This is a no-drone area, too, so Rick could not fly here. Gullfoss did have restrooms and a visitor center. You can pay the parking fee on the Parka app.

Visit Faxafoss

This one is also not on most Golden Circle itineraries, but it should be. At Faxafoss, you pay for parking at the manned kiosk upon arrival. It’s a short walk to the viewing area, where you can see the waterfall. There is a walkway to a picnic area and on down to a restaurant, but the restaurant wasn’t open while we were there. There are restrooms, but those were also not open while we were there.

Here are a couple photos of Gullfoss (left) and Faxafoss (right). But you can find more photos in our post on the South Coast.

Stay the Night at Hotel South Coast

After visiting all of these places in one day, you will be tired! We stayed in Selfoss at the Hotel South Coast. Here are some photos of our room and the breakfasts we had.

After we ate breakfast, Rick waited around in the lobby until somebody showed up so he could get some ice from their bar. It took a while, but he eventually was able to get some ice, and off we went.

Day 4 – Check out Waterfalls and the South Coast Drive

Explore Selljalandsfoss and Gljufrabui

Next stop, Seljalandsfoss, where you can stroll behind the cascade. Water pounds down, creating a cave feel. Pack waterproof layers; you’ll get drenched, but the experience is worth it. When we first arrived, we did not see a sign for parking. We decided to try to capture some photos before we went hunting for parking info.

There’s a bridge over a river facing the waterfall. The river carries the water from the waterfall out to the ocean. So, it’s a pretty good vantage point for a photo, except that when people see you with a camera and a tripod, they tend to gather around you. Consequently, there was a lot of trampling on the bridge where my tripod was stationed, which is not conducive to taking shots at a slow shutter speed. At this point, there was only one tour bus in the parking lot.

So we decided to head over to nearby Gljufrabui, a tucked-away fall in a narrow gorge. We waited for most of the people to leave and then climbed in for a private splash. After visiting Gljufrabui, we went back to Seljalandsfoss, thinking the crowds might have died down. No such luck, though. The parking lot seemed to be mostly occupied by tour buses at this point. So, we got in the long line to walk behind the waterfall and then went back to the bridge to take some more pics.

Here are some of the shots we got at Seljalandsfoss and Gljufrabui.

As you can see from the photos, there is a little deli at Seljalandsfoss, and there are restrooms. Look carefully at the signs on the restroom doors because these are gender-specific, unlike almost every other place we went to in Iceland.

Also, make sure to pay the parking fee on the Parka app. This is the one place we missed on our whole journey, and it cost us three times the amount of the parking fee because we missed it while we were there.

Check Out Skógafoss and Kvernufoss

Next, you’ll head down the road to Skógafoss, which has stairs going up to a rainbow viewpoint. Climb the steps for the full spray, or stay low to dodge it. If you stay below, be prepared for lots and lots of selfie-takers and people walking through the river to get to the other side, which will put them front and center in your composition. If you walk up closer to the falls, you will find people taking turns to get their shots. This takes some time. Here are a couple of the shots we got of Skogafoss.

If you take the trail to the top of Skógafoss, you can continue on the trail where it runs along the river that feeds Skogafoss. And if you have time for a 16-mile hike, there are several other beautiful waterfalls behind Skogafoss. We, unfortunately, did not have time.

Instead of climbing up and behind Skógafoss, you could drive over to the nearby Skógar Museum, park, pay for parking, and take the trail to Kvernufoss. Bonus: If you pay for parking at the Museum, you can use their restrooms.

The trail to Kvernufoss runs along another river. Along the way, you’ll see sheep, but few other people. That’s because tour buses, which do park near the museum to let their groups get out and get something to eat at the nearby FreyaCafe, do not allow these groups to take a hike down this trail. This hike is very beautiful in itself, but what awaits at the end is an uncrowded, walk-behind waterfall. Here are some photos of it.

When you walk back to the parking lot at the museum, you can see some Icelandic turf houses. There is a lot to learn about turf houses, especially what they looked like inside. The turf houses here are reconstructions, but contain elements from the 1830s. Here’s what they looked like.

Drive to Dyrhólaey

Check out Puffins!

When we arrived around 4 PM at Dyrhólaey’s viewing area, which is high up, the fog was heavy. You couldn’t see the ocean or the arches. However, there were puffins galore because they weren’t flying out to sea in search of food. I got several great photos of them just walking around the parking lot. But we walked along the cliffs and found many more very inquisitive puffins. So we took quite a few photos of them. The first shot below I took with my phone were in the parking lot. The other I took with my camera farther along the cliff path.

Follow the Ring Road to Vik

Here, you’ll want to fuel up and get some groceries if you need to before you continue on. Vik has a very nice Krónan, but everyone is there, especially toward the end of the day. Pack your patience.

Watch Wild Horses and Hike to a Remote Waterfall

Ófærufoss is one of the prettiest waterfalls we saw in Iceland. One thing you must remember is to stop and get gas in Vik. Don’t do what we did — forget to stop for fuel.

The drive out to Ófærufoss is long and rough. The journey will take at least an hour and a half. It requires 4-wheel drive, clearance to cross rivers, and ample insurance to get you out should you get stuck in a river. The good thing is that the sun doesn’t go down until after 11 PM in early July.

Getting to Ofaerufoss via the Highland Roads

In the Winter, F-208 is typically closed as you get into the highlands. But if you go in the Summer or even up to early September, before the snow, you can take this route. Of course, check road.is before settling on a path.

See Wild Horse Drives in the Highlands

Another potential reason to make this trip , besides the beautiful waterfall, is the movement of the wild Icelandic horses throughout the highlands. When we were driving this road to the waterfall, we were almost there, and we saw a herd of wild horses running full blast down the single-lane road, headed right for us. There was a hill on our right, and a drop-off on our left. There was enough room for single-file horses to go around us on our left, but no room on the right, unless the horses scrambled up the hill. The herd was running four horses abreast. At first, I didn’t see riders, but after a while, I noticed there were a few riders up front, and eventually we saw a few riders in back.

Rick, whose phone was connected to CarPlay, was trying to take a video, which we found out later was impossible to do with CarPlay connected. I could not take my eyes off the horses, which looked terrified. I had stopped the car, of course, but there was nowhere else for me to go and not much space for them to go around, and they didn’t appear to want to slow down. Somehow, they divided themselves into two groups, one diverted up the hill around us on our right, and the other went single-file around us on our left. We were awestruck. Rick got one picture. This is what it looked like before the bulk of them got to us.

Later, when I was researching what this anomaly was, I found that it’s a regular occurrence, and you can participate in this horse-riding extravaganza yourself. Here’s a video where you can follow along on a six-day ride. An event called Réttir occurs in the fall, when the horses are moved from the highlands, where they’ve been free-roaming during the summer, down to the grassy south for the winter. It looks like fun, but these types of rides sell out far in advance.

Hike to Remote Ófærufoss

After that excitement, we went and forded the river to get to the waterfall parking lot. Two cars came from the other direction before we crossed, so we could see that it wasn’t that deep. We had no trouble crossing, but we crossed in an area that appeared to be shallower than the way the other cars went.

Here is what Ófærufoss looks like. (We took the highest trail going to it, which gave us a better view of the waterfall.) My Google review has more info about the trails, but in a nutshell, we took the trail that went up to the top of the mountain opposite the waterfall, and we came back via the trail that was level with the river (and was marked). Our AllTrails post has the route we hiked.

We drove conservatively both to the waterfall and back out due to our low fuel situation. But we made it to the next town with a fuel station, and it was still open. Whew.

Stay the Night at Adventure Hotel Geirland

We stayed the night at the Adventure Hotel Geirland. This place attracted hikers, glacier tour takers, and explorers. The main reason we stayed here was its proximity to Fjaorarglijufur Canyon. Here’s what our room and the hotel looked like.

Day 5 – Visit Beautiful Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon

Take a Hike Along the Canyon

Although the light is better in the evening, it’s still a beautiful place in the morning. Here are some of the photos we took in the morning.

Stop by a Lovely Waterfall Just off the Ring Road

View a Beautiful, Unnamed Waterfall

I have seen this waterfall called Hamrafoss Waterfall and Foss (waterfall) a Síðu. According to Google Maps, it’s simply called Waterfall now. It’s just off the Ring Road, 10 kilometers past the village of Kirkjubæklaustur. There’s a small, free parking lot just off the road. This is a no-drone area, though. Not only is the waterfall beautiful, but it has interesting folklore tied to it. Here are a couple of the photos we got.

Drive to Skaftafell National Park

In your navigation device, you want to put in either Skaftafellsstofa (which means Skaftafell Visitor’s Center) or Skaftafell Parking (aka Skaftafell – bílastæði). It’s a short walk from the parking lot to the Visitor’s Center, where you’ll find restrooms and can purchase refreshments if desired.

Hike to Four Waterfalls

The first viewing area we came to was on the east side, looking at Hundafoss. There were a lot of people there. But we walked a little bit farther along the trail and noticed there was a dirt path that went behind some bushes, and that view was much better. So, we stopped for some more photos and then continued on to view Magnusarfoss. Magnusarfoss turned out to be one of the prettiest falls, especially when viewed from the bottom near the base of the waterfall. But from here, we continued on the path to Svartifoss. That was a bit of a longer walk. Svartifoss is an interesting waterfall, more so because of its surrounding basalt walls. However, people were still playing in the water, despite signs posted that said not to do so. It took a while before we could get some decent pictures of the waterfall without people.

We highly recommend hiking the entire path to take in the views of the falls from the west side, but please note that the trail is rougher on this side. There are a couple of places where you can climb down to the river level to see the falls. The hike was approximately 3 miles in total. If you do go all the way around, you’ll find another small waterfall called Þjófafoss, which I wrote a Google Review about. We also posted our route on AllTrails.

Here’s a snippet of a video Rick took while we walked around the west side of the Svartifoss trail where we ran into some women building steps for the trail.

Here are the photos of the waterfalls, the path, and the views.

Hike to Skaftfell Glacier

It’s about a 3-mile hike out to the Glacier from the Visitor’s Center and back. You need to get a guided tour to actually walk on the glacier. I would go with this one from Arctic Adventures and book it in advance. We’ve walked on glaciers before, so we weren’t interested in doing that here. Instead, we went back to the car to make some lunch. By this time, it was 3 PM.

Here’s a snippet of the walk out to the glacier.

Here’s what the hike to the glacier looked like.

Explore Glacier Lagoons and Beaches

Fjallsárlón Glacier Lagoon

Fjallsárlón is a glacier lagoon with fewer people than there are at Jökulsárlón. While we were there, it was serene. The people who were there were enjoying the zen of the place. The calved-off glacier pieces don’t go beyond the lagoon. They sit there and melt. We saw a black glacier calf here, which was interesting. These dark icebergs can originate from the very bottom of the glacier, rich in sediment, or from volcanic layers mixed with ice, and their calving is a significant contributor to glacier mass loss. Here’s what it looked like in the lagoon while we were there.

Weirdly, there was no fee for parking. We looked and looked and even went back the next day to look for a camera. There was no such thing, nor did we receive any charge later on.

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon

There’s more activity here, more people, more wildlife, more calves floating down the channel and out to sea. You can watch seals swimming in the lagoon while birds land on the ice calves. We were mesmerized by watching the calves slam into each other, get stalled in the middle, tumble around, and eventually break free and head out to sea. After you watch the ice float out, don’t expect the pieces to land on Diamond Beach until the tides have washed them back up onto the beach. We waited overnight.

Here are a few of the photos we took while we were there:

Hunt Picturesque Ice Chunks at Diamond Beach

Walk Time: Jökulsárlón to Diamond Beach – 10 minutes

After we watched the ice calves make their way out to sea, we went over to Diamond Beach to see what was there. Unfortunately, there were no diamonds on the beach, probably because the tide was in already. We needed to wait for the tide to go out, fetch the ice, and bring it back in. By this time, it was getting late, and we were tired. So we headed to our hotel and in the morning came back to find that the diamonds had made it to the beach.

This is also the place where we brought one of the diamonds with us for our cooler. There was nothing on any of the signs that said not to take them. The day was starting cloudy, so the photos of the diamonds on the beach were not stellar, but here’s what one of the chunks looked like on the black sand beach.

Stay Near the Glacier Lagoons

We chose to stay at Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon. It was a fantastic place. And, although they don’t advertise it on their website, they do “wash and fold” your clothes overnight. They also have laundry facilities if you want to do them yourself, but based on what I read, it’s not worth the cost or time involved. The machines are small, requiring multiple loads, and they’re expensive.

But this hotel is beautiful. Here’s what it looks like.

Day 6 – Drive to Vestrahorn

Visit the Magnificent Vestrahorn

Getting to Vestrahorn may seem straightforward from a Google Maps perspective, but once you’re on the Ring Road, past Hofn, it’s not going to look like you think. First, if you see the turn and make the turn without bypassing it and having to turn around, excellent work! From the Ring Road, after you pass the turn to Hofn, you want to turn right on Stokksnesvegur. This is a gravel road that has a sign that says Stokksnes. It looks like this.

You’ll be boonie crashing on this road for 4.4 km. Soon you’ll see horses grazing on the grass between the road and the ocean. Once you get to the end of the road, you’ll see the Viking Cafe. Park in the lot to the left of the Cafe. When we were there, they were remodeling and adding on. Now they have guest rooms that you can rent. There’s also a campground here. In the cafe, they serve food and drinks, but primarily, they sell tickets to get to the peninsula so you can see Vestrahorn, Viking Village, and potentially seals swimming offshore. It’s ~1100 ISK per person. The tickets you get here get you through the gate at the road in front of the cafe that takes you to the peninsula.

Drive to the Vestrahorn Photo Location

Here are a couple of photos of the Viking Cafe and the gate across the road you take to get to the peninsula. Since I thought it was hard to see where things were, I’ve highlighted where the gate is on the second photo relative to the Cafe.

Once you get through the gate, you drive down the road out to the peninsula. You’ll pass the trail to the Viking Village on your left. Ordinarily, you could take the road that leads up the hill toward the Viking Village. The road is between Viking Cafe and the short-term parking area, but they have that blocked off, probably because there’s no ticket-taking gate there. Here are some topographical views of the area.

The first image on the left shows the path you drive down to the peninsula. It also shows a camera icon at the top, and that marks the Viking Village. The camera icon at the bottom is where people take photographs of Vestrahorn, which you can see in the distance, and ideally, some water in that bay allows for reflection. The image below that on the left shows where we parked. The image on the right shows where there is additional parking. It looked quite full to us as we drove by.

Find a Place to Park

Pretty soon, you’ll come to a parking area where you can leave the car and walk out to take photos of Vestrahorn, which is also on the left of the road. We did not take time to go to the Viking Village, but we did walk out to view Vestrahorn from the bay. There were several people who persisted in walking around the beach, but we waited for them to exit our frame. Fog started to come in, and the tide was out, so it wasn’t an ideal photo op.

I would suggest getting up early to get there early, but the Cafe doesn’t open until 9 AM. If you’re a photographer, you might want to book a couple of nights to stay at one of their new guest rooms, so you have sun up and sun down with tide in reflection options. But here are the shots we got.

Travel to East Iceland

If you plan to spend some time in East Iceland, you will be surprised to find fewer people and lots of interesting things to see. There are fabulous waterfalls and areas to see Icelandic horses as well as puffins. In this post, we’ll introduce you to East Iceland’s best stops for a road trip. We start this adventure, leaving from the beautiful Vestrahorn mountain. If, like us, you are low on provisions at this point, it’s good to stock up.

Get Groceries in Djúpivogur

When I was looking to see where there were grocery stores along our routes, Netto in Hofn appeared to be the only one nearest our route until we got to Egilsstaðir in East Iceland. It was slim pickings at the Netto. But when we stopped in Djúpivogur for a WC and for fuel, I walked into the store at the N1 and was flabbergasted. Unlike other N1s, this one was fully stocked like an actual grocery store. It’s apparently called Kjörbúðin. It had lettuce, whereas the Netto in Hofn did not. I suspect this store is stocked because there aren’t many alternatives in the area, but people do live here. If you’re staying at a guest house or someplace with cooking facilities, remember to get some food to cook.

There’s only one fuel pump at this N1, which some reviewers found to have a faulty payment card reader. There is a WC, but you have to go outside and downstairs to use it. There is another public WC nearby.

Explore More Waterfalls and Beautiful Views

There are many waterfalls in the East. We had to narrow down to the ones we could get to most expeditiously. By this time on our trek, I was feeling a bit run-down. We planned to see Gufufoss and Fardagafoss and then run up to a puffin viewing area called Borgarfjarðarhöfn. But the hike up to Fardagafoss did me in, and we opted to check into our guest house to get some rest instead of seeing puffins. Besides, I had two more puffin viewing spots on our itinerary.

This is also where we left the Ring Road. Up until this point, we’d followed the Ring Road the whole way. In the East, this means you’re winding your way around fjords constantly. (It’s this way in the West, too.) To reach Egilsstaðir and our guest house, as well as the next few waterfalls, we had to turn off the Ring Road and take Route 95 north. We didn’t realize ahead of time that this would involve a 43+ km ride on a graveled, potholed road. I’m sure it was quicker because we weren’t driving around all the fjords, but it was an arduous journey, especially when we encountered drivers who were uncomfortable navigating such treacherous terrain.

Appreciate a Short Walk to a Pretty Waterfall

We got to Gufufoss in the early afternoon. Unfortunately, that meant the sun was up high and right behind Gufufoss, not great for photographing the waterfall. It’s a nice place to have a picnic, but there are no services and only a small parking lot near the falls. I got a few pictures. The one on the left I took with my camera. The one on the right, I took with my phone. You can see the wind was blowing the water all over, and with the sun, it only obscured the beauty.

Get in Your Daily Workout on a Hike to Fardagafoss

We arrived at this trailhead in the late afternoon. It was warm, and the sun was still high in the sky. We posted our route for this trail on AllTrails. Its elevation gain was a little over 500 feet, but it felt like a lot more, probably because I felt run down. I just went a little slower than usual. It was a nice hike, with multiple falls along the way. Getting to the top waterfall was a little bit of a trick, especially if you have any issues with heights. There were chains to hold onto while you wound your way down the mountain to the falls. There’s a free parking area, but no WCs here.

Here’s what the trail and waterfalls looked like.

Ride an Icelandic Horse and/or Head to a Puffin Viewing Area

We had our up-close-and-personal adventure with Icelandic horses when we went to Ófærufoss on our journey along the south coast, so even though taking photos of them had been on my list and the places on my list were in the East, we opted to skip this visit. But if you want to take a ride, there are five horse-rental places in East Iceland along Highway 95, which runs to Egilsstaðir, the largest town in the East.

Horse Rental/Riding Sites

All of these places also offer accommodations.

Stora Sandfell Horse Rental has a campground, cottages for rent, and has horses to rent.

Gíslastaðir offers a farm stay in a cottage, book through Airbnb.com, with riding tours for guests.

Tina’s Horse Rental: you can book their cabin on Airbnb.com, or for horseback rides, contact Tina on WhatsApp at 00354-8665783. They also have two apartments for rent in Egilsstaðir.

Geirastaðir Horseback Riding Tours has overnight accommodations in a cabin or in their home. They offer riding tours for guests.

Finnsstaðir Horse Farm & Holiday Home has campsites and two houses that can be rented, and you can take horse riding tours.

Visit Puffins at Borgarfjarðarhöfn

This activity applies only to summer visits. Puffins can be found in Iceland from late May to the middle of August. But June and July are the best times to see them. Since I was not feeling up to it, we skipped this one. We did see them in Dyrhólaey, Grimsey Island, and Látrabjarg.

Choose a place to stay near or on the way to Hengifoss

In all of Iceland, if you’re going in the summer, it’s important to book your stays well in advance, like a year in advance. The same goes for renting a vehicle. But East Iceland does not have as many options to stay overnight as other places. Because of this, people have built add-on guest houses or cabins, which is fine. But again, there aren’t as many. You also have to make sure you look for “private bathroom” because some places rent rooms that share a bathroom. We did book everything a year in advance, but then we made some changes, and that meant moving where we were staying in a couple of areas. One of those areas was in the East.

Stay at a Guest House

The above-listed horse rental places all have some type of accommodations. The reviews for all of them are outstanding. So, if you can book well ahead of time, those are close to Hengifoss and close to the largest city, Egilsstaðir. They are good options.

We stayed at a place called Setberg House. This was a nice, cozy place that had an oven, a stove, a refrigerator (with freezer), and a microwave. It did not have great blackout blinds. So, we used our eye masks. The view from the property was stellar. Here are some photos of the guest house and the view.

Visit Hengifoss and other Waterfalls

This was the best-equipped waterfall area in all of Iceland. There was an easy parking lot with parking instructions and an ATM-like pay terminal; flush toilets with gender-neutral rooms, a visitor center, a café, a food truck, and a moderately elevated hike with multiple waterfalls. We saw no tour buses. Drones were allowed.

We’ve posted our route on AllTrails, which will take you to all the waterfalls, including the ones that many people miss because they’re in a hurry and don’t take the side trails. And, here’s what I wrote in my Google Review: This place was amazing! The trail is uphill, no matter which side you start from. We went clockwise starting from the left. It’s steep, but if you take breaks to see the other waterfalls along the trail, it’s easy to get to the end. Just allow about three hours to see them all. You can walk all the way up to the base of Hengifoss. We did not. Hubby sent up his drone to get some video. I thought the last waterfall, which we got from the east side, was the prettiest.

Here’s the video Rick got of Lower and Upper Hengifoss.

And here are some of the photos we took of the whole area, the trail, and the waterfalls.

Day 7 – Travel to the Wondrous North

This road trip through North Iceland will take you to breathtaking stops you can’t miss. You can enjoy hiking up a volcano, viewing what appears to be another planet with a multi-colored landscape — the backdrop to bubbling fumaroles, relaxing in a geothermal lagoon, enjoying magnificently powerful waterfalls, gaping with awe at the alp-like scenery in Siglufjörður, and riding a ferry to the remote island of Grimsey to experience puffins and other wildlife up close. Here you will find the wildness of Iceland at opposite extremes.

Explore the Highlights around Lake Myvatn

If you’re following along with our posts as we circle Iceland on the Ring Road (with small diversions), then you’re coming from the East and are now heading toward Myvatn. Myvatn is pronounced: Mý (Mee): like the English word “me”, vatn (vaht-n): Rhymes with “bought,” with the ‘n’ being a very soft release of air. There are a few interesting places to stop here.

Take a Hike at Námaskarð

According to Atlas Obscura, walking around Námaskarð is akin to walking on Mars. The colors are outrageous, but not as outrageous as the smell of sulfur. This is a popular stop as tour buses also stop here on their way back from Dettifoss. For us, we needed a place to stretch our legs. This allowed us to scale some serious volcanic mountains (Námafjall). We do a lot of hiking generally, and regularly walk six and a half miles a day with 1,000 feet of elevation gain. (We live in a hilly area.) So we’re not averse to hills. But getting up Námafjall involved careful balance and choosing our steps wisely. We did not take our walking poles, and those might have been helpful. You can see our route on AllTrails if you want to go the same way, but the first part of this hike was challenging.

I also posted our review on Google Maps, which mentions that there were no WCs. We did see WCs that were being prepped for installation while we were there. And, I notice that one of the reviews, a month after ours, said that they had pay toilets.

Here are a couple of videos of what you’ll see at Námaskarð without the smell. Like many Google reviewers said, if you’re sensitive to smells, you will need a scarf, a gator, or a mask to wear while you’re there because it’s not a pleasant smell.

Here’s a photo of what it looked like. You can find more photos of the area in our post about the North.

Take a Soak in Earth Lagoon Myvatn

Formerly called Myvatn Nature Baths, we had intended to go after Námaskarð, but we had to go to our accommodations first. By the time we got checked in and looked at the times for the Myvatn Nature Baths, they were about to close, which was weird because when I researched them, it seemed like they had late hours. And now their name has changed, and their website has changed, and the hours say 12:00 PM to 22:00. Regardless, it looks like fun, and I wish we could have gone. Here’s a video that shows what the experience looks like.

Climb Inside the Grjótagjá Lava Cave House

Okay, you’re not supposed to climb into the cave, but people do, and we did. But don’t touch the water as it can be scalding. You can learn about the history of the cave and which episodes the cave appears in Game of Thrones by checking out Guide to Iceland. This stop is easily done in 30 minutes.

Here’s a video Rick took.

And here are some of the photos we got.

Visit the Immense Hverfjall Crater

After visiting Grjótagjá, visit the Hverfjall Crater for a little more leg stretching. We recorded our route on AllTrails, which is another trail that’s easy to follow. I notice in our AllTrails route, it shows 0 elevation. Well, that’s just not right. So I looked at other people’s routes. One guy showed 334′ elevation gain, but his first comment in his review is that the elevation is definitely off. He thought the elevation was more like 334 meters or 1,000′. Rick’s fitness tracker shows 529′, but that could be because we didn’t walk all the way around the crater. I wrote a Google Review, but there are WCs near the parking area, and you need to pay for parking via the Parka app.

I will say it was not an easy hike, especially after having done the hike at Námaskarð. But the views at the top are worth the effort.

Here are some of the photos we took.

Stay overnight in Myvatn

We stayed very near Lake Myvatn. One thing to be aware of is that Lake Myvatn is home to hordes of midges. These are not like those you find in Scotland, which, of course, are treacherous because they bite and cause extreme itching. The ones in Iceland swarm you and are just pesky. Here’s a video of me walking from the reception building to our cabin. If you zoom in, you can see how many of them are swarming me.

There are other places to stay around Myvatn, but I doubt they have any more safeguards against the midges. We stayed at Dimmuborgir Guesthouse, which had a nice breakfast, and it had a fully functional kitchen, including a refrigerator with a freezer, which was shared by the cabins. The cabins themselves were small, but we were only there for a short time. I didn’t know ahead of time, but they will also do your laundry. This is definitely a plus in Iceland. Here are some of the photos of the property.

On our way out of Myvatn, we stopped to get some photos of a couple of Icelandic horses that were grazing in a grassy area in front of the lake. It was an ideal setting, and I had been looking for such a setting to take photos of Icelandic horses from the start of our journey. These two were very friendly and really wanted whatever treat I may have had. Unfortunately, I didn’t bring any treats with me. Here’s what they looked like.

Day 8 – Navigate the Northeast

We’re going to lean slightly to the east here to get to several magnificent waterfalls and other attractions in the area. We spend a lot of time at the waterfalls and in a magical area called Ásbyrgi.

Experience Europe’s Most Powerful Waterfall

From Myvatn drive to Dettifoss. Your navigator will take you to 862, which is fine. That goes to the west side of Dettifoss and Selfoss. There will be crowds of people here because this is a big stop for tour buses. There are WCs and a food truck/trailer, and lots of free parking. You can choose from several trails to see both falls. The route we took is on AllTrails. But while we were there, the trail closest to Dettifoss was closed due to a landslide that had occurred the month prior. It’s still not open, and I kinda wonder whether it ever will open. My Google Review has some additional details. But here are a couple photos from the west side.

Visit the Magical Ásbyrgi

This place is a nice break from crowds and gives you some nature to submerge yourself in before heading back to the lunar-like atmosphere surrounding it. This canyon/gorge is filled with trees, greenery, and wildlife like fish swimming in the pond and birds diving from atop the cliffs. There are trails you can take to explore further. If you’d like to learn more about how this gorge was formed or the folklore about it, you can find that info on the Guide to Iceland website.

Here is a video Rick took at a stop on the Botnstjörn pond trail.

And here are some of the photos we got.

Check out the East Side of Dettifoss, Selfoss, and Hafragilsfoss

The road (864) to the east side of these waterfalls is gravel, and you will encounter potholes, especially on the road to Hafragilsfoss. On this side, you definitely need 4WD. Hafragilsfoss is a pretty, low waterfall. It was quite windy while we were there, so we didn’t hang out very long. Some people were hiking down below, closer to the waterfall, while we were there. There is a loop you can hike, but it was lightly misting and not the best hiking weather, especially for boulder climbing. Hafragilsfoss has a free parking lot, which is challenging to negotiate. There are no services on the east side of these falls, though.

Feel the spray at Dettifoss then navigate boulders to Selfoss

From Hafragilsfoss, drive down to the Dettifoss viewpoint. On the east side, you can see Dettifoss much better. It’s such a powerful fall, you will feel it spray you from the observation area. From Dettifoss, you can walk down to see Selfoss. There’s a little bouldering involved, but it’s not bad.

Head North to Husavik

After you’re done on the East Side of the falls, drive to Husavik. I’ve linked directions to the Fosshotel Husavik’s parking lot in the back of the hotel. When we were there, the front was packed, and it was unclear where any additional parking might be; it’s easier to get your luggage from the back parking lot into the hotel.

But while in Husavik, grab some good fish & chips from the Fish & Chips take-out place in the harbor. Once you get your food, you can take it upstairs to the restaurant and eat while watching the sea and marina here. Here are some photos of the harbor and our fish & chips dinner.

Stay at Fosshotel Husavik

This is a very nice hotel with a very accommodating staff. Make sure to take your sleep masks, though, because the drapes lack coverage of the windows. Here’s my full review:

Booking.com Review posted

Jul 14, 2025

9.0

Lovely hotel and helpful staff, room needed better blackout curtains

Liked · The location was great. The room was spacious. The shower was great. The staff was wonderful. The breakfast was outstanding. There was a fridge in the room.

Disliked · The room was near the lobby, which had a lot of lounging areas. We stayed on a Saturday night, and there were a lot of people in the lounging areas of the lobby imbibing. So it was a little loud. Also, the curtains in the room didn’t quite cover the entirety of the windows, so it was lighter in the room than it should have been for sleeping.

Here’s what our hotel room looked like:

Day 9 – Explore More of the North

Husavik is a hub for whale-watching excursions. If you want to skip the next two waterfalls, you could instead take a whale-watching boat trip from here.

Hit the road to Aldeyjarfoss (unless you decided to whale watch instead)

The road to Aldeyarfoss from Husavik starts out paved. Once you get to Highway 842, however, you have a 41 km leg which is gravel, the last few km of which requires 4WD.

Photos of the Road to Aldeyjarfoss and Hike up to the Falls Beyond

While I was driving in, I caught out of the corner of my eye something lying on the ground in a pasture. I had to back up to see what it was. There were two Icelandic mares and their foals, which had apparently just been born. Both foals were on the ground. Their moms were standing, looking over them. Eventually, one of them got up, and later the other one did too, but I didn’t get a picture of that one. There’s a gate you have to get out and open to continue on the road to the waterfall.

There is an outhouse here and a small parking lot. When we first arrived, there was one other car in the lot. There’s a short hike out to the stunning falls, but we enjoyed the hike up behind the waterfall too. Rick launched his drone, and shortly after he did, he counted 5 other drones in the air nearby. I could hear people behind me, and when I turned around, I could see a fair number of other people coming to take photos where I was standing.

At the time I’m writing this, I have 8.3 million views of contributions I’ve made to Google Maps. Far and away the most popular thing I’ve posted has been a video Rick took, and here it is.

Here are photos of Aldeyjarfoss and the area beyond it.

Head over to Goðafoss

This one is very impressive. It’s downstream from Aldeyjarfoss. It’s also easier to get to, so there are more people here than at Aleyjarfoss, but not as many as you’d find at the south coast waterfalls. You’ll find lots of free parking, but no services. Here are a couple of photos.

Make your way to Akureyri

Akureyri is the second-largest city in Iceland, behind Reykjavík. It’s easy to navigate and has a cute downtown area. Akureyri is also home to one of the few locations where you can do your own laundry. It’s second to Reykjavik for finding a B&B, apartment, or home with a washing machine, too. This was our laundry and grocery stop. It also has a very large Krónan. We went to the Backpackers Laundry first, which was outside a bar/restaurant, and positioned within the smoke break area for the workers at the bar. You pay for the machines, washers, and dryers, 2 of each, with an app called Air Wallet. Once you’ve parked, follow the walking directions to the Backpackers Laundry. Here’s what the Backpackers Laundry looks like.

Hop on Highway 82 North and Head to Mígandifoss Viewpoint

This is a rocky, bumpy turnout from the highway to see the waterfall. It is a very tall fall into the ocean off the side of a cliff. If you’re planning to take the ferry to Grimsey the next morning, you will see this fall again from the ferry. It will be farther away, though. Here’s what it looks like from the turnout.

Continue on to Sigló Hótel in Siglufjörður

Next time we go to Iceland, we will spend more time here. This hotel is super cute. The food was great, but the setting is jaw-dropping. We used it as a launching point from which to get to the Dalvik Ferry, so we didn’t really have much time here. When we came in, however, the very large spa was elbow to elbow with people. Here’s what the hotel and breakfast looked like.

Day 10 – Spend the Day in the Extreme North

Visit Grimsey, the Island in the Arctic Circle

You want to book your ferry tickets in advance. The ferry runs five days a week during the summer. It leaves Dalvik at 9 AM, arrives in Grimsey at noon, and returns from Grimsey at 4 PM or 5 PM, depending on the day. Boarding time for departures is 30 minutes prior. There are restrooms on the ship. They do not have anti-motion sickness medications on the ship, so come prepared if you’re subject to motion sickness. I usually am, and I forgot my meds. But the sea was so calm, I had no trouble at all. They have minimal things to eat, mainly sugary snacks, on the ferry.

The hotel’s breakfast starts at 7 AM, so if you arrive first thing, you’ll have a little time to eat before hitting the road. You want to leave extra time, though, because there are occasions when the tunnel closes to southbound traffic to allow tour buses to drive northbound through the tunnel to pick up passengers for tours. (This tunnel is single-lane.) When we were going to Dalvik, we came to the tunnel, and the gate was down. There was no explanation as to why. We waited 10 minutes, and finally, a bus and a car came through, the gate raised, and we were on our way. Here’s what the ferry port looks like.

If you want to get a seat in the enclosed, warm second deck of the ferry, you need to be in line early. We got front seats in that space, but we ultimately moved upstairs to take in the views on deck. We got to see dolphins, puffins, and other seabirds, scooping up tidbits to bring back to home base. The water was incredibly calm. Here’s what the views looked like.

We booked a tour for Grimsey, but the island is so small, a tour really isn’t necessary. When we arrived, we couldn’t find our guide. We walked up to the town to see if someone was around holding a sign or something. When we couldn’t find anyone, we walked back down to the ferry, and there was a woman there who said she was looking for us, and she’d forgotten her sign. In any case, she directed us to her sister’s small SUV and started driving us around the island. Her name is Halla, pronounced Hatla.

She was very harried because she wears five hats on the island (power system manager, tour guide, B&B host, medical assistant, and grocery store clerk). The weather was so hot that day (mid-70s) that one of the diesel generators overheated, jeopardizing power on the island. So she had to coordinate with the remote diesel generator engineer, and then she commandeered the ferry’s engineer to help her get the diesel generator back online. She had to deal with that while we were on the tour. But since Rick spent most of his career working for a utility, we totally understood the need to maintain access to power.

We did learn a lot about daily life on the island and a little bit of history, and we did enjoy talking with Halla. Here are some of the photos I took of the town.

The new church was built after the old church (from 1867) burned down in 2021. The islanders are transitioning from diesel generators to renewable energy, so they’re building solar farms. The Community Center houses a small library, a community pool, a sauna, and a place to play chess. Cod dogs are a specialty that the locals devour, and we have to agree. They are delicious. The Ferry Port is where our Ferry docked while we spent the afternoon walking and driving around the island. Fewer than 100 people live on Grimsey. Most live there part-time. According to Halla, only about twenty people live there full-time, which is why many of them have to wear several hats.

So what’s Grimsey’s claim to fame (other than the Arctic Circle crossing)? It’s a wildlife photographer’s paradise. You can find thousands of puffins. June and July are prime times to photograph them. Other seabirds are plentiful, too. Then, there are whales, orcas, seals, and sometimes arctic foxes. Get ready for puffin overload!

After you’ve spent almost five hours on the island (on the days the ferry leaves at 5, that is), you make your way back to the ferry to depart for the mainland. We had an uneventful ride back and arrived about 8 PM. We then prepared ourselves for the long drive to Hotel Laugarbakki.

Find Your Way to Hotel Laugarbakki

This journey was almost 3 hours long, counting our fuel stops for the vehicle and for us. We arrived around 11 PM, which is past the normal hours for check-in. Our key and instructions were lying on the desk when we got there. (This is one of those things that you’d just never see in the U.S.) We were filling out the paperwork when a young man with headphones on came up and greeted us. He appeared to be a member of the nighttime cleaning staff. He gave us his phone number in case we needed anything and directed us toward our room.

We brought our luggage in and proceeded to our room. When we got there, we did not find a refrigerator. It’s rare to find a refrigerator in the rooms. So, since we still hadn’t been able to find ice consistently, I called the number the young man had given me. I got his voicemail, so I left a message. After we unpacked what we needed for the night, I hadn’t heard back from him. I decided to hunt him down in the hotel. This place is rather large, so it was a bit of an expedition. Finally, I rounded a stairwell and almost ran smack into him. I explained the need for ice, and he took me to the kitchen, which he unlocked and entered to fill a bucket for me. So nice!

In Iceland, when you request a double room, you will usually get two twin beds pushed together. In the case here, we got two twin beds, which were separated. We were so tired, it didn’t really matter, though. The reason we chose this hotel, even though it seemed to be out in the boondocks, was that it was close to the attractions we wanted to see, starting the next morning. We had a lovely breakfast here, too. It turned out to be a great choice. Here’s what it looked like.

Day 11 – Make Your Way West

Today you’ll see some sights on the way to the Westfjords. The first stop is fairly close to the hotel you’re leaving from.

Head to Hvitserkur, the Dragon-like Rock Formation

This guy is pretty easy to find, not too far off the Ring Road. When I saw pictures online while I was searching for things to do in the North, I thought he looked mighty interesting. What I didn’t count on was the bonus seals basking on the nearby beach.

To get to the beach, the easiest way is to take the trail that leads from the far right of the parking lot as you’re looking at it when you drive in. We did put our hike on AllTrails, but we went over to the observation area and climbed down from there. That was a treacherous direction to go. Here’s the AllTrails map but I’ve marked the way to go in red on it.

On the map, the black dot is the parking lot, and the end of the red line is the beach to the south of Hvitskersur. If you continue south on the beach, you may see seals lying around on the beach on the other side of the inlet. If you walk north, you’ll see the Hvitskersur. I would recommend going back to the parking lot the same way you came. Below are some photos of what we saw and the climb down to the beach from the observation point.

And here is what it sounds like at Hvitskersur.

Discover the natural wonders of Kolugljúfur Canyon

We spent more time here than we’d planned just because it’s magical and beautiful. We walked down one side and back, then down the other side and back. Here’s our route on AllTrails. Because it’s right off the Ring Road, there are more people here. But even then, they don’t stay. They hop out of their car, take a photo of the waterfall that’s right by the parking lot, and hop back in their car. But there’s plenty to see here. Unfortunately, there are no services.

Head to Hólmavík

These directions go to the N1 for fuel. The N1 is right by the Krambúðin Supermarket. They, too, were out of ice when we were there.

After driving that road to get to the Westfjords, we were ready to move our legs. Rick had found a hike in Hólmavík for us to take. There was free parking at the Hólmavík Sports Center, and the trailhead was roughly across the street from the N1. You can park here — the trail winds around a hill, which affords fantastic views of the sea and the town. Here’s what the trail looked like and the views along it.

Hit the Road for Holt Inn

The drive to Holt Inn takes you around the Westfjords, from which you can see glaciers and fabulous views. Try to pay attention to the road, though, since it’s fairly winding. Here’s an example of one of the views we saw on this drive.

Stay at Holt Inn, Farm and B&B

Here’s what the Holt Inn accommodations look like. It’s a comfortable, tasty, and educational place to stay. One morning, we learned that a cruise ship crowd was expected at the Inn because the proprietor gives a presentation on what it’s like to run a farm in Iceland. We were invited to attend. It sounded like a very interesting presentation, but we’d already planned to see waterfalls.

We got to Holt Inn pretty late. As was becoming common, our key was lying on the front desk when we arrived. This place has a large kitchen/events space, which they use to serve breakfast. We took advantage of the opportunity to make a quick dinner and store our groceries in the community refrigerator (with a freezer). They also had an ice maker in the lobby near the liquor fridge. Score!

Day 12 – Explore the Westfjords

The thing about exploring the Westfjords is that it’s a little like Scotland in the sense that a lot of it is still pretty rugged and untouched by civilization. You can find more places that are unexplored. It’s also harder to explore because the roads aren’t as good. They are making an attempt to fix that though.

A Volcanic Eruption Impacts Icelandic Life

The first morning after we woke up at Holt Inn, we learned that a volcano had erupted on the Reykjanes Peninsula. While we were concerned for the people who live in Grindavik (frequently disrupted by erupting volcanoes), we didn’t feel under imminent threat from the eruption. This shows how little we understood living on the island.

The Reykjanes Peninsula is roughly a six-hour drive from where we were staying. But, as the crow flies, it is about 145 miles away. Yet the eruptions began to affect the weather almost immediately. During breakfast, we checked the weather, and the app was predicting rain. That was new. We figured we better get going.

Visit Beautiful Bunárfoss, Just Not During a Thunderstorm

The waterfall we planned to visit is called Bunárfoss. It’s next to a campground. When we got there, the weather was cloudy with patchy sun. But, as you can see from the photos, the thunder clouds were visible in the distance over Islafjordur, the prominent cruise ship port.

This is a fairly arduous hike. In some of the photos, you can see how steep the trail was. Parts of it had anchored ropes that you could hold onto, but when the thunderstorms (with lightning) began, it was a slippery slide downhill. When we returned to Holt Inn, the woman in charge there told us this was their third thunderstorm in the last 40 years.

Here’s the video Rick got.

Drive to Valagil

Thankfully, the thunderstorm took a break after we ventured over to where our next waterfall was. This one is known as Valagil or Valagilfoss. It’s not the only waterfall in the area. The hike to it is quite boggy. Good, waterproof hiking boots are essential. On our way to Valagilsfoss (its proper name), we met a man returning from the falls. He was from Scotland and had tromped his way to the falls in dress shoes. He told us he wished he’d known better since he now had to return to his cruise ship with ruined dress shoes. The cruise ship provides a tour bus for passengers to see Valagil, but evidently, they don’t mention the trail conditions.

We walked along the trail, trying to avoid the soupy areas, and got to the base of Valagil, where Rick put up the drone, and I waited for the young man who’d scurried up to the base of the falls to finish whatever he was doing in front of the falls. Here are the shots we got along the trail and of Valagil and the other falls past Valagil.

Here’s a video Rick took of Valagil.

And here’s a video he took of the waterfalls at the far end of the trail past Valagil. The video starts with the waterfall on the left. You’ll see a higher fall above where this video goes. He couldn’t fly up that high due to altitude restrictions there. We could have hiked up there so he could fly higher, but to hike up there would have taken another couple of hours, and we didn’t have the time or the energy.

We decided to return to the Holt Inn for dinner, then happily went to bed early to get up and go again in the morning.

Day 13 – Continue Exploring the Westfjords

Take a Road Trip to Spectacular Dynjandi

This road trip was made more difficult by road construction near Dynjandi. Despite the road conditions, there were plenty of tour buses and people. The lines for the restrooms were ridiculously long. The hike up to the top involved a paved path partway up, stone steps some of the way, and a muddy, rocky trail for the rest of the way. This is where you’ll see the impact of the volcanic eruption on the weather the most.

Hike to the Top of Dynjandi

You can see in these pictures how the volcanic particulates were clouding the air and the views. Here too, we ran into the young man who’d been front and center at Valagil. Again, he was front and center here. This is also where Rick discovered he’d forgotten to leave the key at Holt Inn. I tried messaging the B&B, but got no answer. So we decided to head back the 43.8 km to return the key. When we arrived in the Holt Inn’s parking lot, I got a reply to my message asking me to send it in the mail. Oh well.

Drive to Garðar BA 64

Our journey takes us to the next fjord, Patreksfjörður, where our hotel is. But on the way, we go southwest a bit to see Garðar BA 64. According to Guide to Iceland, what’s special about the Garðar BA 64 shipwreck is that it’s not technically a shipwreck. It’s a ship that became unsafe to use. So it was beached here to allow people to peruse it. But don’t go inside. It’s unsafe to climb on it or enter it. It is kind of a strange juxtaposition of it plunked down in the wild nature of the Westfjords. While we were there and when we drove past it several times, there were seals nearby.

Here’s what the ship looks like.

Visit Rauðisandur Beach

Unless a volcano has recently erupted or there’s bad weather in the forecast, you should visit Rauðisandur Beach. Judging from other people’s photos, it’s quite lovely. However, it’s a hazardous drive out there if fog or volcanic ash has rolled in. Here’s what it looked like in the haze. We had the place entirely to ourselves, except for the sheep.

Sleep at Hotel West

We really liked staying at Hotel West. The best thing about it is that the proprietor used to be a guide in various areas of Iceland. He talked about the glaciers and the glacier lagoons. He also talked about where to see puffins. I’d already researched the puffin cliffs near here, so that wasn’t a surprise. But he also said that when there’s weather like what we were having, the puffins will be near the parking lot, and they were. But before I get to that, here’s what our room looked like. You can’t tell but the view out the window in the first photo is of the sea.

Day 14 – See Puffins and Waterfalls in the Westfjords

Make Your Way to Látrabjarg Cliffs

Driving to the Puffin Cliffs

The bumpy drive out there was very foggy due to the volcano. Road construction was underway while we were there, and more is planned for June/July 2026 to make it easier to get there for the solar eclipse, which is anticipated in August. The road construction will close sections of 612, so check road.is before you go. Here’s some video Rick took while I was driving our rented 4×4 Jeep Renegade.

When you’re almost to the cliffs, you’ll see a rest stop with WCs. We took advantage of those, not knowing whether there were WCs at the cliffs, which there weren’t.

Hike Látrabjarg Cliffs Trails

We hiked 2.5 miles along the cliffs and saw puffins toward the end. Then we hiked all the way back and found many of them near the parking lot. They were very entertaining and probably used to humans taking their pictures.

You can see how the volcanic weather was impacting our views here. But later it did clear up a bit. The “trail” is quite narrow, too. We ran into the guy we’d seen at Valagil and Dynjandi again. He was coming back from higher up the trail.

Visit the Unnamed Falls at Þingmannaá

If you’re into waterfalls, this one is not to be missed. It’s away from crowds, and its beauty is unrivaled.

When we got there, there was one other car in the parking lot. We saw a couple at the first set of falls, which we could see from partway up the trail. They were having a great time posing for their own photos. A little while later, they came walking down the trail and stopped to chat with us. They were from the Netherlands and were using Polar Steps, which their family used to follow them on their journey. We also use Polar Steps. Rick put up the drone to get this video (there are multiple falls along the Þingmannaá river).

And here are the photos we got of some of the falls.

We stayed so long at both Látrabjarg Cliffs and Þingmannaá that we had to skip two of the sights we’d planned to see later. Those were the Guðrúnarlaug hot spring, which is discussed in this Guide to Iceland story, and Eiríksstaðir, the Viking Longhouse. The Eiríksstaðir Viking Longhouse Museum’s website has more information about that. If you don’t have time for these. Then, the next stop is Stykkishólmur, which is on the Snæfellsjökull peninsula. It’s about a three-and-a-half-hour drive.

Drive to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula

Stay at Fransiskus Hótel

Here’s the review I did for this lovely hotel, where we stayed 2 nights so that we could explore the Peninsula thoroughly.

Have a wonderful breakfast in the morning and then drive to Grundarfjörður.

Day 15 – Explore the Snæfellsnes Peninsula

First, let’s explore what there is to see on this peninsula. We’ll start with Grundarfjörður. This town has a port that many cruise ships use to stop and drop off passengers so that they can walk to the ever-popular Kirkjufell mountain. It’s a 2.5 km, 30-minute walk. We noticed that it’s incredibly busy in the morning. But later in the day, most everyone has disappeared. So, you might want to drive through and check out whether there’s parking at the lot next to the waterfall from which you can photograph Kirkjufell mountain. There’s a lovely market in Grundarfjörður where you can get provisions for lunch if you need them. This is also the place to use the public WC. Definitely take advantage of that before you go anywhere else.

Check the Crowds at Kirkjufell Mountain, then go to Arnarstapi

Since it was busy when we arrived, we skipped Kirkjufell and visited it on the way back from skirting the rest of the peninsula. So, we’ll come back to it later. Next stop is Arnarstapi. Just a heads-up: the public WCs in Arnastapi are a ripoff. They’re set up such that you pay to use the stalls. And even if you pay, that doesn’t open the stall. It did when I was there, but more recent reviews indicate that they no longer work. So, steer clear and be prepared. The closest WC is at the Visitor’s Center for Lóndrangar. There are also WCs at the Snæfellsnes Visitor Center, and there’s a public WC on the other side of the peninsula from Arnastapi, here.

In Arnarstapi, you will find a fabulous trail along the cliffs above the beach. You can park at any of the three free lots. This is where you’ll find the cliff trail parking lot. And this one is the main car park. And this one is the trailhead parking lot.

Take a Moment at the Monument to the Bard of Snæfellsnes Peninsula

If you park in the main car park or the cliff trail parking lot, likely the first thing you’ll encounter is the Monument to the Bard of Snæfellsás, which is the half-man, half-troll protector of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula.

See the Gatklettur Arch

Continue on the trail headed toward the beach, and you will find Gatklettur, a basalt arch created through years of waves and wind. It’s one of many basalt structures you will find on the trail between Arnastapi and Hellnar. This is what it looks like.

Hike the Trail Toward Hellnar

The hike we took is on Alltrails. It follows the coast toward Lóndrangar. There are a lot of interesting basalt formations to see.

Drive to Lóndrangar View Point

The above directions go to the Svalthufa Parking lot, which is a free parking lot nearest the trail that takes you along the cliffs to see the beautiful basalt formations along the coast. There is another parking lot called Malarrif Parking, which has a longer trail that takes you to the Lóndrangar View Point, but it’s a paid Parka lot. It also has WCs in its Visitors’ Center, though, so that might be worth the 700 ISK. Many birds perch on the cliffs here. These are a few of the photos I took there.

That last image reflects the volcanic ash from the earlier eruption. Hopefully that mountain will be visible when you visit.

Journey to Djúpalónssandur Black Sand Beach

There are a lot of places to explore at this beach. Walking amongst the rock formations almost feels like you’re in an episode of Game of Thrones, especially at the far north end of the beach, where the rock formations hover over your every move. Some people found the beach to be the best place to nap, maybe the sun made the rocky beach warm. The sound on the beach was loud as the waves rolled in, churned up the rocks, and pulled them back into the sea. Check out the video below to hear the sound.

And here are some of the cool places on the beach where you can take photos and meander through the giant rock formations.

Head to the Stellar Svöðufoss

We got to Svöðufoss around 7 PM, and it was pretty quiet there. We parked in the free parking lot and walked the 1 kilometer to the viewing platform. Before we got there, I got probably the best photograph of the waterfall from out in the middle of the field on the trail.

Rick also put his drone up and got the video below.

Amble over to Kirkjufell

At the point we got to the parking lot, which is a pay lot, non-Parka, it was about 7:30 PM. There’s a sign to guide you through paying at the entrance to the trail to the waterfalls, although I have to say we did run into people who were confused about the instructions on the sign. The volcanic eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula three days earlier continued to plague our photos. Here, the volcanic ash shrouded Kirkjufell mountain.

This is also the place where a woman asked me when the clouds would clear over the mountain. First time I’ve ever been mistaken for a meteorologist. I explained that they weren’t just clouds, that it’s volcanic ash hanging in the atmosphere, and if there’s no wind, it’ll continue to hang there. She then asked if the volcanic ash was hazardous, and I told her, yes, it is. She quickly gathered all of her family and friends and hustled out like wildfire.

There were still a fair number of people here and some persistent stragglers who wanted to plant themselves in the middle of the waterfalls. Photoshop to the rescue. Here’s what it looked like, minus the people I took out.

Head back to the Fransiskus to stay for your second night.

Day 16 – Explore the Sights along the way and on the Reykjanes Peninsula

Before we head to Reykjanes, there are two sights to see just a short detour off the road to our next main destination. From the Fransiskus, you’ll drive to Grábrók to see several craters and some interesting historic remnants. And then, you’ll stop to see some amazing colors in the water at Hraunfossar and Barnafoss waterfalls.

Get to Grábrók Craters

The trail to the main crater is well maintained, but steep (558 feet), which deters some people. We saw crowds of people being dropped off by tour buses, so there were times when it got busy, at least at the base. No services are provided here, but the views are worth the hike. There were remnants of sectioned pens at the base of the crater. These rock walls were sectioned off for each farm that owned land nearby, where they kept their sheep. Parking was free, but it’s a small lot, and there can be buses parked in it. Here are some of the photos I took.

Stop by Hraunfossar and Barnafoss Waterfalls

The waterfalls here are along the river and are a short walk from the parking lot. Consequently, they are crowded. The waterfalls of Hraunfossar are a series of falls that run down into the river from creeks and ravines above the river. The series is stunning. Barnafoss is more of a rapid. But both can be a very vibrant blue in different lighting. Here’s what they looked like while we were there.

Make Your Way to Reykjanes Peninsula

Here are some of the sights to see on the Reykjanes Peninsula

Bridge Between Continents

Of all places in Iceland, this is the place you want to look at the road.is and SafeTravels.is sites before walking around any of them. For example, right now it’s showing large crevasses having opened up at the Bridge Between Continents, and advises people to stick to the path. There are lots of areas to play in the sand there, so when we went, we had no idea that there was a sinkhole warning, so we had been walking all around the sand area! You can find out more about the Bridge Between Continents on the VisitReykjanes site. Here’s what it looked like while we were there.

The Reykjanes Lighthouse

This place has public restrooms, but to use them, you must pay for parking. You can use the Parka app. This is one of the places that records your license plate as you drive in. Find out more about the Reykjanes Lighthouse on the VisitReykjanes site. Here’s what the lighthouse looked like while we were there.

Brimketill Lava Rock Pool

The wind was whipping, and the waves were wild while we were there. It reminded me of Queen’s Bath in Kauai and Devil’s Cupper in Sint Maarten. You can find out more about the Brimketill Lava Rock Pool on the Guide to Iceland site. Here’s what it looked like while we were there.

Reykjanes Peninsula Volcanoes (if eruptions have occurred recently)

When we were there, the Sundhnukur Volcano (or volcanic chain) erupted the week before we got to the Peninsula. It was difficult to apply a Google Maps review to the correct volcano because that particular volcano doesn’t show up on most Iceland volcano maps. I eventually was able to apply it correctly after viewing the activity on the Icelandic Meteorological Office website. As I look at the site now, it’s showing an increased likelihood of an eruption in that same area due to magma buildup. So, it’s also a good place to check before you head to the Reykjanes Peninsula.

The Perlan also has an excellent overview of the volcanoes on the Reykjanes Peninsula.

Here are a few pics of what we saw when we went out to view the still spewing volcano. It had erupted on July 16th, and these pictures were taken on July 20th. We took these from a rugged parking area that we got to by taking a dirt road turnout off of highway 43, roughly halfway between highway 41 and Grindavik. I’ve added a picture of our location from one of the photos.

Stay at or near Keflavik to Return Home

We chose to stay at the Park Inn by Radisson Keflavik. But there are plenty of choices near the airport. The Park Inn was nice, but the breakfast was ridiculously expensive.

Day 17 – Get to the Airport and Fly Home

One last comment on Icelandic Air: the flight crews were all very nice and patient. The terminal crews were very disorganized and confused, and they contradicted each other. It was a mess trying to board, and it ended up really being a free-for-all. I took some photos of what it looked like before the chaos began. It also took them a long time to man the station. We showed up about 30 minutes before boarding time, and there was no one there. Pretty soon, three flights were boarding at the same time, two of which were sharing a line, which further confused things. Next, two of the attendants started letting random people go through the preboard line, but made them condense their carry-ons after letting them through.

Conclusion

In this post, we’ve taken you around much of Iceland, mostly via the Ring Road. We hope you’ve enjoyed seeing the sights, and we’re sure you’ll love your in-person visit!