Self-Drive Trips of Iceland's Ring Road

work with local specialists to plan your custom itinerary

Get Started

How kimkim works

Our local travel specialists have been recommended by

Travelers love kimkim

- ., traveled to in

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

2-Week Ring Road Self-Drive Itinerary: Highlights of Iceland & the Remote Westfjords

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.

Drive along Iceland's famous Ring Road route

8-Day Ring Road Itinerary: Explore Iceland’s Top Places Along Its Most Famous Road

This itinerary packs a lot into 8 days, but if you have limited time and have your heart set on driving the entire Ring Road, then this guide will be your best friend for the journey.

Where To Go in Iceland: the Best Sights and 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 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

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

3 Days in Iceland: Blue Lagoon, South Coast, Reykjavik - 3-day itinerary

If you are short on time, or perhaps you are looking for an extended layover on your way from Europe to North America or vice versa, your options in Iceland are limited to closer to Reykjavik. Here is a 3-day itinerary that will still let you experience some of the spectacular beauty of Iceland.

Kirkjufellsfoss Waterfall and Kirkjufell Mountain, along the Snaefellsnes Peninsula

Snæfellsnes Peninsula, Southern Highlights, and Golden Circle: 7-9 day Itinerary

Explore the best of the west and south with this 7-9 day itinerary. Hike through lava fields, along cliffs, and up volcanoes in Snaefellsnes. Walk behind waterfalls, on black sand beaches, and on glaciers in the south, and finish with a tour of the famous Golden Circle with tips to avoid the big crowds.

See more travel articles about Iceland

How it works

Step 1

Tell us what kind of trip you want

Complete our quick travel quiz

Step 2

Chat with a local travel specialist

Work out the details together

Step 3

Securely book your trip

100% satisfaction guaranteed

Meet our Local Travel Specialists

Experienced travel agents with a passion for Iceland

active 24 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...

active 25 mins ago

Adam Warszawski

During three years of my Icelandic adventure, I had a chance to visit countless unique places around Iceland, both famous spots and hidden gems. Iceland never ceases to fascinate me! I believe...

active 1 min ago

Guðmundur Óli Pálmason

Born in Reykjavík, Iceland in 1978, from a young age I was already travelling all over Iceland with my parents. After a short stint as a driver guide on modified suv's in 2004, I pursued a career...

active 1 day ago

Rinolda J

I've been living in Norway, Sweden, Nepal, Austria and most of my adult life I've spent here in Iceland. Once I met some outdoor people who had so much fun on a glacier that I decided to become...

See all Iceland travel agents

Why travelers love kimkim

Custom trips for independent travelers who are too busy to plan

Customize your trip with the help of a local travel specialist

Kimkim has handpicked the world’s top local travel specialists so you will have peace of mind and an unforgettable trip that meets your exact requirements.

Authentic travel experiences

Kimkim’s local specialists ensure that you will have the best experience based on up-to-date local insights. On top of that, the vast majority of your money will go straight to support and grow local economies.

Secure & easy booking

Once you are happy with the trip, you can easily book via kimkim’s secure payment platform.

Local support during your trip

You can always reach your local specialist with a quick message or call in case you hit a snag during your trip, or simply want some great local recommendations.

Kimkim offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you are not fully satisfied with us, we’ll work with you to make it right.

A portion of every kimkim trip goes toward the removal of carbon from the atmosphere. Learn more

Kimkim is accredited by the Better Business Bureau with an A+ rating.

Seller of Travel Registration number: CST #2136279-40.
Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the State of California.

Trip Reviews for Iceland

The latest reviews by travelers who booked their trip on kimkim

Our second KimKim trip ...
Iceland | Nov 5 - Nov 11, 2024

Susan M.

Ashburn, VA | Reviewed on Nov 14, 2024

This was our second trip planned through KimKim in 2024. As with the first, it was tailored to our interests and seamless! Working with Eric was again a pleasure, he offered various ideas and options for the itinerary and was responsive to questions and concerns. Read more

Activity Reviews

Forest Lagoon

Iceland

The best of all seven great geothermal baths we visited on this trip! Such a beautiful setting and varied options for soaking and sauna.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Krauma

Iceland

Runner up for the best stop. Beautiful setting, multiple pools for soaking, infrared sauna and a steam room.

Quality of Experience

The view, the variety of soaking pool (temperatures), the saunas

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We were able to enter several hours earlier than reservation time, friendly staff

The Geothermal Vok Baths

Iceland

The beauty of the baths are best appreciated with a little daylight - we arrived after dark, and were unable to visual the setting very well. This is not a criticism of the facility - we understand the concept of keeping artificial lighting to a minimum!

Quality of Experience

The natural setting, several pools and the quiet - other than a few loud guests, but they were just enjoying themselves.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff were friendly and knowledgeable. Explained the process upon arrival.

Local specialist: Èric D

Èric D

Local specialist in France / Iceland | Replied on Nov 15, 2024

Hi Susan,

Thank you for trusting us once again to prepare this second trip to Iceland for you and Leo. As always, it was a pleasure working with you on creating this adventure and bringing it to life :-)

All the best,
Èric

Read all Iceland reviews

8 Days in Iceland!
Iceland | Nov 1 - Nov 8, 2024

Linda W.

Oregon City, OR | Reviewed on Nov 11, 2024

8 Days in Iceland! This was our second trip my husband and I have booked through KimKim and we really enjoyed it! Gummi did a great job planning our itinerary and was extremely responsive when we had questions or needed to tweak our plans. We travel a lot and using Gummi and KimKim really saved us time by booking hotels and activities and planning our route. This was a road trip, starting and ending in Reykjavik. We had a fairly aggressive itinerary and a lot of driving but we were able to fit everything in and are looking forward to another Iceland adventure. Loved the glacier hike and ice cave adventures, stopping at many beautiful beaches, waterfalls, cliffs and other geologic features of this unique landscape!! We loved riding Icelandic horses on the beach near Vik. We stopped at 3 different geothermal pools -- Sky Lagoon, Secret Lagoon and the Blue Lagoon. Each had its own unique vibe and definitely worth a visit. We were surprised at what an incredible foodie town Reykjavik is - Gummi provided restaurant recommendations for the city and smaller areas as well. The tasting menu at Fish Market in Reykjavik is spendy but not to miss! Our hotels in the outlying areas all had very good restaurants, too. There were a few days when we rolled in late and it was nice to be able to head to the dining room for a great meal - without having to get into the car again in search of dinner. We did have a couple of reservation mixups at two hotels but we called Gummi and he got things sorted out speedy quick. Things happen on trips, I get it, but the key is having a super-responsive travel agent who can fix the problem in a heartbeat.

Activity Reviews

Sky Lagoon - Experience the seven-step Sky Ritual

Iceland

What a fun experience! The 7-step ritual was unique! The outdoor setting and infinity pool view was gorgeous. Loved having a swim-up bar!

Quality of Experience

Solheimajokull Glacier Hike

Iceland

Beautiful area! We felt safe and well-taken care of. Fun going up and down - the crampons were easier than I expected. The only problem with these types of events is that there are always one or two people who maybe don't have the best fitness level for this type of activity. Our guide really wanted to be accommodating to all the guests but we ended up stopping a lot- and we were a little concerned! It's a good hike just to get to the glacier and then an uphill walk in crampons. The glacier ice was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Icelandic horse riding tour

Iceland

Fun, fun, fun! These shaggy little horses were so cute and friendly and well-mannered. The guides did a thorough demo before we set off. It was fun going along the black sand beach and lots of photo ops. My only wish is that we could've had a longer ride, but we had other sights to stop at and a drive back to Reykjavik that day so it worked out fine.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Crystal Blue Ice Cave

Iceland

Another great glacier walk! Guide was thorough but he could've used a helper as a "tail gunner" to keep an eye on everyone from the rear. As it was, Connelly and I took on that roll. The guide clipped in an older woman in our group to ropes anchored in the ice.

Transport

Phew! Our guide/driver knew the back road but it was rough and he drove (what I thought) was too fast. Lost of turns - i was feeling a little carsick in the back of the van on the way back to the parking lot.

The Secret Lagoon

Iceland

This was a lower-key outdoor pool experience than Sky or Blue Lagoon but equally enjoyable. Loved the gravel bottom. There were foam pool noodles that were fun to float around on.

Quality of Experience

Lower key than Blue or Sky Lagoon. Enjoyed floating around with the pool noodles - loose gravel bottom felt great under foot.

Local specialist: Guðmundur Óli Pálmason

Show 24 more photos

Guðmundur Óli Pálmason

Local specialist in Iceland | Replied on Nov 12, 2024

Thank you for the lovely review, it makes me happy to read how happy you were with the trip :)
I do hope we'll see you in Iceland soon again. There's still much to see, do and discover.
All the best
Gummi

Read all Iceland reviews