10 days in Iceland: itinerary

The 10-day Ring Road runs anticlockwise: out along the south coast, through the east fjords, around the north to Akureyri, then back west via Borgarnes or Snæfellsnes. It is one loop, so you never repeat a road.

Distances between stops are short by Icelandic standards but slow: single-lane bridges, sheep, gravel shoulders and weather all cost time. Plan 3–4 hours of driving a day and stop often; the sights are on the roadside, not at the end of the drive.

The loop ends back near Reykjavík. Spend the last night at Reykjanes, near Keflavík airport, so the morning flight is easy — that is the tenth night, not an extra stop on the route.

Day 1: land at Keflavík, take the airport bus or pick up the hire car, and sleep in Reykjavík. Do not drive far on arrival day.

Day 2: Reykjavík in the morning (Hallgrímskirkja, Harpa, a geothermal pool), then the Golden Circle in the afternoon: Þingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss. Sleep in Reykjavík again or in Selfoss.

Day 3: south coast. Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss, the Sólheimajökull glacier walk if you booked it, and the black beach at Reynisfjara near Vík. Sleep in Vík.

Day 4: east along the ring road past Vatnajökull to Jökulsárlón and Diamond Beach, then on to Höfn for langoustine. Sleep in Höfn or Skaftafell.

Day 5: the east fjords. Slow, quiet roads, fishing villages and reindeer country. Sleep in Egilsstaðir or Seyðisfjörður.

Day 6: north to Mývatn, with a stop at Dettifoss. Sleep at Mývatn.

Day 7: Mývatn in the morning (Dimmuborgir, Hverir, the nature baths), then Húsavík for whale watching. Sleep at Mývatn or Húsavík.

Day 8: Goðafoss on the way to Akureyri, then the northern capital: botanical garden, church, pools. Sleep in Akureyri.

Day 9: long drive west to Borgarnes or Snæfellsnes. If you take Snæfellsnes, Kirkjufell and the lava coast are the payoff. Sleep there.

Day 10: drive back through Reykjavík and out to Reykjanes near the airport for the last night, so the morning flight is easy.

A hire car is the practical way to do this route: buses are slow and do not reach most of the sights. Book early for summer; automatic cars and 4WDs sell out first. A 2WD car is fine for the Ring Road in summer, but F-roads into the highlands (Landmannalaugar, for example) need a 4WD and are usually open only July–August.

Fuel stations are frequent on the Ring Road but sparse in the east fjords and the interior; fill up when you see one. Many rural stations are unmanned and take cards only. Check road conditions and wind warnings before each day's drive; storms close roads on the south coast and in the east.

Buses exist (Strætó regional routes and long-distance services) but suit a shorter trip, not this loop. Domestic flights connect Reykjavík to Akureyri and Egilsstaðir if you want to skip a drive.

The route above uses seven bases in ten nights, which is at the limit of comfortable. The nights run: Reykjavík 2, Vík 1, Höfn 1, east fjords 1, Mývatn 2, Akureyri 1, Borgarnes or Snæfellsnes 1, then Reykjanes 1 — ten nights in all. If you want fewer hotel changes, cut the east fjords night and add it to Mývatn or Akureyri.

Reykjavík: 2 nights, city centre or near a pool. Vík: 1 night, book months ahead for summer. Höfn: 1 night, harbour guesthouses. East fjords: 1 night in Egilsstaðir or Seyðisfjörður. Mývatn: 2 nights, guesthouses and a few hotels. Akureyri: 1 night. West: 1 night in Borgarnes or on Snæfellsnes. Reykjanes: 1 night near the airport.

Farm stays, guesthouses and campsites are the mid-range options; hotels are concentrated in Reykjavík and Akureyri. Campervans are popular in summer but need campsite bookings and do not suit winter.

Iceland is expensive, and the car is the big variable. Two people sharing a mid-range car, guesthouses and self-catering meals should budget roughly 350,000–550,000 ISK per person for ten days (about US$2,500–4,000 in 2026), fuel included — treat this as a 2026 estimate and check current prices. Solo travellers pay more per person because the car does not split.

Eating out adds up fast: a casual meal is around 2,500–4,000 ISK, a restaurant main 4,000–7,000 ISK. Supermarkets (Bónus, Krónan) and guesthouse kitchens cut this sharply. Petrol is around 300 ISK per litre. All figures are 2026 estimates.

Winter (October–April): do not attempt the full Ring Road in ten days. Stay in the southwest and south coast — Reykjavík, Golden Circle, Vík, Jökulsárlón — and keep one spare day for a storm. Ice caves run November–March from the Jökulsárlón area.

Shorter trips: 7 days covers Reykjavík, the Golden Circle and the south coast to Jökulsárlón. 14 days adds Snæfellsnes and the Westfjords, with the Baldur ferry in summer.

If you want fewer drives, swap the east fjords for a domestic flight to Akureyri and loop the north, then fly back.