9 Days Self Drive Iceland Ring Road Classic with Snaefellsnes
This is a classic circle tour around Iceland, including all the major sights of interest along the ring road with the addition of the beautiful Snaefellsnes peninsula.
Over the course of your journey you will come across highlights such as the Golden Circle, Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon, Lake Myvatn and Dettifoss waterfall, just to name a few. This tour is a best-seller for good reason: travelling at an even pace gives you the chance to enjoy the serenity of Icelandic nature and having plenty of options each day to fit your interests.
Highlights
- Snaefellsnes Peninsula
- Lake Myvatn
- Godafoss and Dettifoss Waterfalls
- Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon
- BLack sand beaches and waterfalls of the South Shore
- The Golden Circle
Daily itinerary
Day 1 – Tuesday or Thursday: ARRIVAL IN ICELAND – REYKJAVIK (ca. 50 km)
Arrival in Iceland. Pick up the rental car at Keflavik international airport and drive to your accommodation in Reykjavik.
Day 2: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE – HVOLSVOLLUR (ca. 320 km)
Start the drive around the country by visiting three of Iceland’s best known sights in the Golden Circle: Thingvellir national park, the site of the first parliament, a UNESCO World Heritage site and a place of great geological interest; the Geysir geothermal area with where the geyser Strokkur spouts a column of water into the air every 5-10 minutes; the Gullfoss waterfall which drops in two cascades deep into the deep gorge of Hvita glacial river.
Continue towards the southern coast and end the day in the area of Hvolsvollur.
Day 3: SELJALANDSFOSS-SKOGAR-REYNISFJARA-VIK-KIRKJUBAEJARKLAUSTUR (ca. 200 km)
Drive east along the south coast of Iceland with possibilities to stop at the waterfalls of Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss. Driving along the Eyjafjoll mountains there are good views of Eyjafjallajokull glacier, under which rests the infamous volcano of the same name that caused disruption in air traffic all over Europe in 2010.
Continuing east you can stop for an easy short hike at Reynisfjara black beach with a view of the cliffs of Dyrholaey. Drive on to the village of Vik with its black sandy beach stretching as far as the eye can see, with impressive views of the Reynisdrangar cliffs rising out of the ocean. Continue across the sand and moss-covered lava fields towards Kirkjubaejarklaustur. Accommodation in the area.
Day 4: SKAFTAFELL – JOKULSARLON – EASTFJORDS (ca. 400 km)
The drive to Skaftafell national park crosses the volcanic sands of glacier rivers. Skaftafell is a green oasis surrounded by glacial outlets where you can take a walk through the park to Svartifoss waterfall or go on a glacier hike. Driving further east along the ring road with a view of Iceland’s largest glacier Vatnajokull will bring you to Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon where you can take an optional amphibian boat tour among the icebergs. If you get lucky, you might spot a seal near the shore of the so-called – Diamond Beach – or even in the lagoon itself. Drive further towards Hofn and continue along the Eastfjords towards Djupivogur/Breiddalsvik for the next overnight.
Day 5 – EGILSSTAÐIR – DETTIFOSS – HUSAVIK (ca. 480 km)
Drive further along the Eastfjords to Egilsstaðir – the largest municipality in East Iceland. The route then passes through the green Jokuldalur valley with numerous waterfalls dropping from the top of the hills alongside the road and crosses the desert land of Modrudalsoraefi. Take the road to Dettifoss, Europe’s most powerful waterfall in the gorge of Jokulsargljufur national park and continue north towards Asbyrgi – the horseshoe-shaped canyon. Finally, drive around the Tjornes peninsula to Husavik for the next overnight.
Day 6: MYVATN – GODAFOSS – AKUREYRI (ca. 200 km)
We recommend visiting either the Whale Center or the Exploration museum in the morning or going on a whale watching tour. Then start the drive to Lake Myvatn where you spend the day exploring the numerous natural wonders of the Myvatn volcanic area with several possibilities for short hikes and a chance for a relaxing bath in the Nature Baths geothermal lagoon.
Late afternoon drive to Godafoss waterfall, then crossing the Vikurskard mountain pass and along the eastern coastal road in Eyjafjordur towards Akureyri where you stay overnight.
Day 7: AKUREYRI-SKAGAFJORDUR-BORGARFJORDUR (ca. 400 km)
Drive north along the western coastal road of Eyjafjordur with panoramas of the alpine landscape with high mountains, glacial valleys and Hrisey Island. Driving through Dalvik, Olafsfjordur and three tunnels, we reach the charming fishing village of Siglufjordur where we recommend a visit to the award-winning Herring Era museum. Continue to Skagafjordur with views of the Islands of Malmey, Drangey, then to Blonduos and further south along the fjords and across the Holtavorduheidi heath towards Borgarfjordur. Accommodation in Borgarfjordur area.
Day 8 – SNAEFELLSNES PENINSULA – REYKJAVIK (ca. 420 km)
Drive to one of the most beautiful parts of Iceland, the Snaefellsnes peninsula. Here we can observe most of the natural phenomena that can be found around Iceland – only on a much smaller scale: lava fields, volcanic craters, Snaefellsjokull glacier, waterfalls, sandy beaches, charming fishing towns, bird cliffs and more. One of the landmarks you pass is Mt. Kirkjufell – one of the most photographed mountains in Iceland; another spot not to be missed is Arnarstapi. From Snaefellsnes continue through Borgarnes and via Hvalfjordur submarine tunnel to Reykjavik for overnight.
Day 9 – Wednesday or Friday – Departure day (ca. 50 km)
Drive to Keflavik airport in time for check in for your international flight. If your flight departs late afternoon, then you have a chance to add an optional whale watching boat tour in the morning, drive around the Reykjanes peninsula or visit the Blue Lagoon before dropping off the rental car at Keflavik airport.
Dates & prices
Included in the package price:
- 8 days car rental with unlimited mileage, GP, TP, CDW, SCDW, tax; pick up/drop off at Keflavík airport
- 8 nights accommodation in double/twin rooms with private facilities, breakfast included
- A detailed itinerary with multiple daily options based on pre-booked accommodation
- Service and VAT
Not included in the package price:
- Optional tours
- Admission to museums
- Meals others than specified above.
| High Season: 1 June – 10 Sept 2020 Price per person | 2 pax sharing car | 3 pax sharing car | 4 pax sharing car | 5 pax sharing car |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B – Suzuki Swift / Toyota Yaris | 214.800 | 197.200 | ||
| N – KIA Ceed Sportswagon – auto | 234.400 | 210.300 | 198.200 | |
| FG – Toyota RAV4 – auto 4WD | 254.000 | 223.400 | 208.000 | |
| I – Toyota Landcruiser 4WD | 342.500 | 282.200 | 252.100 | 234.100 |
Single room supplement: ISK 133.600
| SHOULDER SEASON May & 11 – 30 September 2020 | 2 pax sharing car | 3 pax sharing car | 4 pax sharing car | 5 pax sharing car |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B – Suzuki Swift / Toyota Yaris | 193.400 | 177.700 | ||
| N – KIA Ceed Sportswagon – auto | 218.800 | 194.600 | 182.600 | |
| FG – Toyota RAV4 – auto 4WD | 228.500 | 201.100 | 187.400 | |
| I – Toyota Landcruiser 4WD | 312.300 | 257.000 | 229.300 | 212.700 |
Single room supplement: ISK 111.900
Please note: accommodation for some departure dates may follow the route in the opposite direction which offers flexibility and will not affect the quality of your Iceland experience.
Good to Know:
- This tour is also available on any given day from May to September, so you can pick the dates that work best for you! However, prices may be vary depending on accommodation availability at the time of booking. Shoot us an email at traveleast(at)traveleast.is with your preferred dates and we´ll take it from there!
