Self-Drive Trips of Iceland's Ring Road

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Iceland is best enjoyed at your own pace, and a self-driving tour lets you spend the time where you want. With 1 week or more you can tackle the full Iceland Ring road, or spend some time focusing on the highlights in a few regions, such as the West, South Coast, remote Westfjords, Snaefellsnes Peninsula, or Interior. 

Summer brings large crowds to the south coast, and we recommend spending your time exploring more remote regions and small villages far from the crowds where you can enjoy Iceland on your own terms. 

Our local specialists will help you put together the perfect plan for your interests, arranging all details and crafting a detailed driving itinerary for each day of your trip.

Want to explore the best that Iceland has to offer? Get started by describing your ideal trip and we'll connect you with a local specialist to plan out the details.

Iceland Travel Insights

Explore Iceland on a road trip of a lifetime
Map of Ring Road Self-Drive Itinerary: Highlights of Iceland & the Remote Westfjords - 14 Days
Ring Road Self-Drive Itinerary: Highlights of Iceland & the Remote Westfjords - 14 Days

With two weeks in Iceland, you can complete the entire Ring Road and add incredible detours. This grand tour will take you to all the best places giving you plenty of time to hike, explore, and soak it all in. This 14-day itinerary covers all the major regions except the highlands, which you can see with a couple more days or by spending less time in some of the areas below.

Iceland
Map of Where To Go in Iceland: The Best Sights & Activities Region by Region
Where To Go in Iceland: The Best Sights & Activities Region by Region

Don't just stick to the Golden Circle and South Coast. You may see some great sights, but you'll spend a lot of time in lines and waiting for people to get out of your pictures. To see a side of Iceland that fewer travelers see, spend some time in Snaefellsnes, the Westfjords, or the North of the country. You'll appreciate more of Iceland's beauty and culture than you can by sticking to the most-visited areas.

Colorful sunset on Reynisfjara black sand beach, Iceland
Map of 1 Week in Iceland - 4 Unique Road Trip Itinerary Ideas
1 Week in Iceland - 4 Unique Road Trip Itinerary Ideas

With seven days in Iceland, hit the road and explore the incredible wonders farther afield from Reykjavik. Explore a variety of landscapes: volcanoes and lava fields, green pastures and farmlands, scenic vistas above fjords, beaches of every color, glaciers and ice caves, and the rugged interior. Here are our recommended drives, an option for all travelers and seasons.

Walk behind Seljalandsfoss on the South Coast
Map of 3 Days in Iceland: Blue Lagoon, South Coast & Reykjavík - 3 Days
3 Days in Iceland: Blue Lagoon, South Coast & Reykjavík - 3 Days

If you're short on time or looking for an extended layover on your way from Europe to North America or vice versa, your options in Iceland are limited to those closer to Reykjavík. Here is a three-day itinerary that will still let you experience some of the spectacular beauty of Iceland.

How it works
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Complete our quick travel quiz
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Meet our Local Travel Specialists

Experienced travel agents with a passion for Iceland
Travel specialist Guðmundur Óli Pálmason
active 14 mins ago

Guðmundur Óli Pálmason

Born in Reykjavík, Iceland, and from a young age I was already travelling all over Iceland with my parents. After a short stint as a driver guide on modified SUVs in 2004, I came back to it full...

read more...
Travel specialist Adam Warszawski
active 3 hours ago

Adam Warszawski

During several years of my Icelandic adventure, I worked in hotels and got to know the local tourism really well. But most importantly, I've had the chance to explore countless amazing places...

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Travel specialist Èric D
active 2 mins ago

Èric D

A while ago I was lucky enough to get a job in Iceland, and I must admit, I was completely unaware of what was ahead of me when I first set foot in the country. Working in the tourism industry...

read more...
Travel specialist Emanuela Grieco
active 1 min ago

Emanuela Grieco

I am an Italian Travel Designer mostly based in Iceland. Traveling has been my passion since I was young, being always fascinated by other cultures and people. In 2005, after living and...

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Trip Reviews for Iceland

The latest reviews by travelers who booked their trip on kimkim

My son and i had an amazing trip organized by...
Iceland | Dec 29 - Jan 4, 2026

A
anne w.
Newark, NJ | Reviewed on May 06, 2026
My son and i had an amazing trip organized by Emanuela to Iceland around christmas break/new years eve.
She made it so easy for us. i had an idea of what i wanted to do, but gave Emanuela a general description of the activities we liked and she was able to match them perfectly. We based ourselves out of Reykavik, with daily tours to all the main attractions. And then she added a hot springs trip for NYC Eve day that was wonderful. When i changed the departure date to be a day later, she...
Read more

My son and i had an amazing trip organized by Emanuela to Iceland around christmas break/new years eve.
She made it so easy for us. i had an idea of what i wanted to do, but gave Emanuela a general description of the activities we liked and she was able to match them perfectly. We based ourselves out of Reykavik, with daily tours to all the main attractions. And then she added a hot springs trip for NYC Eve day that was wonderful. When i changed the departure date to be a day later, she switched things around for me and suggested a 2 day tour out east to go hiking on a Glacier. this was the highlight of the trip. i didn't have to worry about a thing, and followed the itinerary. I would not have thought to hit the blue lagoon right off a red eye; but she highly recommended it and being one of the first people in the Blue Lagoon at 8am in the darkness and then watching the sun rise around 10am was an amazing way to start the vacation. Also Icelend for NYE was a wonderful time to go. Very little snow to hinder driving and the weather was cold but nothing out of the ordinary for someone that lives in the NYC area/USA. i wore my fancy ski pants a lot, sweater, jacket, boots and hat and was very comfortable.

Local specialist: Emanuela Grieco
Emanuela
Emanuela Grieco
Local specialist in Iceland | Replied on May 07, 2026

Hi Anne,
I am so happy to read the review of yuor trip after so many months. It truly made my day!
Thank you so much for your heartwarming words, and very happy to hear that you and your son had the best Winter vacation in Iceland.

I hope to have you back again here one day.
Emanuela

A memorable family trip!
Iceland | Apr 13 - Apr 18, 2026

Adam
Adam K.
Hartford, CT, USA | Reviewed on Apr 19, 2026
We worked with Gummi to create an amazing itinerary, tailored for our family, and we had the BEST week in Iceland!! It is hard to choose a favorite spot because we saw so many beautiful things! It checked all of our boxes for what we wanted to see and do, from exploring waterfalls to seeing puffins to climbing a glacier and experiencing an ice cave and a lava tunnel. We feel like we have a true sense of what Iceland is like, from its land to its people...and we loved it! Gummi was very... Read more

We worked with Gummi to create an amazing itinerary, tailored for our family, and we had the BEST week in Iceland!! It is hard to choose a favorite spot because we saw so many beautiful things! It checked all of our boxes for what we wanted to see and do, from exploring waterfalls to seeing puffins to climbing a glacier and experiencing an ice cave and a lava tunnel. We feel like we have a true sense of what Iceland is like, from its land to its people...and we loved it! Gummi was very responsive in answering our questions and he chose activities and hotels that worked really well for our family of 4. This was our first time using Kimkim and we have already recommended it others!

Hotel Reviews
Old Charm Reykjavík Apartments
Reykjavík

This "hotel" is a collection of different apartments across a few different streets in the area. The unit we had was a 3 bedroom upstairs apartment. in a really great location except that it was a very busy street in the shopping district. We had the windows open to keep the apartment cool and it was very loud. We could also hear the downstairs neighbors/tenants (and smell their cooking). While the apartment had been renovated and had a lot of charm, the age of the building also showed through in several places (very squeaky floors, low ceilings, finicky hot water), and the outside seemed run down. It was very nice to have off-street parking included behind the building, as it would have been hard to find other parking in this area. Walking distance to MANY restaurants and shops.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Close to shopping and restaurants, parking included, not far from the waterfront.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Could have been cleaner, appliances were old and well-used, wished for extra pillows, hot water was finicky.
Vík Apartments
Vik I Myrdal

This apartment is managed by the nearby hotel and was a great layout for our family with two bedrooms and even an in-unit (2-in-1) washer/dryer machine and dishwasher. Location couldn't be better for Vik, with a grocery store and several restaurants across the street. We enjoyed having the extra space to spread out a bit after some smaller rooms earlier in our trip.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Not much interaction with staff beyond the check-in reception desk, but they were very friendly.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Stracta Hotel
Hella

We had one of the 2-bedroom "houses" at this location (there are several different types of rooms available), complete with it's own hot tub. This layout worked great with our two teenage kids as they had their own room. The kitchenette was nice but not necessary for the one night we stayed there, as the on-site hotel bistro/restaurant had lots of good options too. The included breakfast was very good and had something for everyone. My wife with celiac was comfortable eating here and did not get sick.

Authenticity & Character
Location
This was a convenient location to stay after our "Golden Circle" day before we continued on to Vik.
Staff
We forgot something in the room after we checked out and the front desk staff happily walked with us back to get it.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Comfortable beds, nice amenities included, able to park right outside the "house".
Reykjavík Marina - Berjaya Iceland Hotels
Reykjavík

This was a very nice boutique hotel, located right next to the marina. Really cute decor and friendly staff. Well-located for whale watching and close to several restaurants. Our room had king-sized bunk beds, which our teenagers really enjoyed and thought were awesome. Everything was clean and well-thought out. Included breakfast buffet was excellent. My wife has celiac and was comfortable with the choices as long as we got to the breakfast early before anything was cross-contaminated with gluten. We would definitely return!

Authenticity & Character
Cool decor and little sitting rooms.
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Faxaflói Bay Whale Watching Excursion
Faxaflói Bay Whale Watching Excursion
Reykjavík

We had a great experience on the Elding Whale Tour. The weather ended up being perfect, and although they can't guarantee that you will see whales at all, we ended up seeing LOTS of humpback and minke whales surfacing and breaching! The guide and the captain were both clearly experienced and knowledgeable and knew exactly where to go. At one point we had so many whales alongside the boat that we had to stop and wait for them to leave before we could head back to the docks. We saw a number of seabirds as well, including Atlantic puffins which was a highlight for our kids.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Lava Tunnel Activity
Lava Tunnel Activity
Iceland

This was a great experience from start to finish. The guide was very laid back but full of information and humor. The lava tunnel itself was very impressive and well-lit, and held a few surprises that none of us expected (I won't spoil it here!). We learned a lot about how the lava tunnels are formed (and found) and it changed the way we looked at the Icelandic landscape for the rest of our trip!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
After the "tour" the guide let us stay and explore, answered lots of questions, and offered to take photos of us in different parts of the tunnel.
Glacier Ice Cave Experience
Glacier Ice Cave Experience
Iceland

Our guide Kamil was very knowledgeable about the glacier, the caves and the surrounding areas. We spent an amazing afternoon with a small group of people traversing the lava fields in an offroad van, hiking up the glacier, and exploring the ice cave.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Guide was very personable and shared a lot of information about Iceland and geology in general.
Transport
The offroading experience across the lava fields could have been it's own adventure! Very fun!
Laugarás Lagoon - Ösp
Laugarás Lagoon - Ösp
Iceland

This place is beautiful and very relaxing and not touristy (like Blue Lagoon is). We really enjoyed the lagoon itself, which feels very natural and part of the landscape. If we were to do this again, we would skip the package that includes the meal, because the timing constraints of the restaurant interrupted our flow at the spa (the food was delicious though, and on the fancier side - our children struggled finding something). The locker room was very clean and nice. The staff was not particularly friendly but it didn't bother us. Overall a very nice experience.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Local specialist: Guðmundur Óli Pálmason
Guðmundur Óli
Guðmundur Óli Pálmason
Local specialist in Iceland | Replied on Apr 19, 2026

Thank you for the kind review Andrew. I am happy to read that everything went well and that you were happy with the trip :)
I do hope we'll see you back in Iceland soon again
All the best
Gummi

Gummi the Great
Iceland | Apr 9 - Apr 17, 2026

S
stefanie c.
Atlanta, GA | Reviewed on Apr 18, 2026
Gummi put together a fantastic trip for us. The stops were well thought out. The hotels were wonderful and the restaurant recommendations were varied and delicious. He was available to quicky answer any questions we had. I would recommend this trip and Gummi to any of my friends. Read more

Gummi put together a fantastic trip for us. The stops were well thought out. The hotels were wonderful and the restaurant recommendations were varied and delicious.

He was available to quicky answer any questions we had. I would recommend this trip and Gummi to any of my friends.

Hotel Reviews
Alda Hotel Reykjavík
Reykjavík

Great location, nice staff, very nice breakfast included. Room is a bit noisy.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Easy to hear doors slamming g
Black Beach Suites
Vik I Myrdal

Scenic location by a black sand beach. Close enough to town to go to restaurants. Large comfy room.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hótel Grímsborgir by Keahotels
Ásborgir

Large, comfortable rooms. Hot tub, restaurant on sight with a very nice breakfast included.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hótel Búðir
Búðir

Boutique like hotel in a gorgeous but remote location. Staff was excellent.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Quiet, peaceful, beautiful
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Faxaflói Bay Whale Watching Excursion
Faxaflói Bay Whale Watching Excursion
Reykjavík
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Horse Riding on Black Sand Beach
Horse Riding on Black Sand Beach
Iceland
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Glacier Ice Cave Experience
Glacier Ice Cave Experience
Iceland
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Silfra Snorkeling Adventure
Silfra Snorkeling Adventure
Golden Circle
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Víðgelmir Lava Cave Experience
Víðgelmir Lava Cave Experience
Iceland
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
We drove ourselves
Local specialist: Guðmundur Óli Pálmason
Guðmundur Óli
Guðmundur Óli Pálmason
Local specialist in Iceland | Replied on Apr 21, 2026

Thank you so much for the kind review! I'm so glad to read that everything went so well and that you were happy with the trip!
I do hope we'll see you all in Iceland soon again! :)
All the best
Gummi

Why travelers love kimkim

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