8 Perfect Days Traveling the Ring Road in Iceland

Day Zero - Traveling from the US to Iceland.

We arrived in Reykjavik Iceland in the evening, took a bus to the city, and settled into our Air BnB.

Day 1 - Explore Reykjavik!

There are so many incredible sights to see in this capitol city of Iceland. Wander through the streets to find cozy cafes, unique churches, the iconic Harpa Concert Hall, and much much more. Make sure to stop by the Hallgrimskirkja Church and go to the top to get a view of the city from the highest point of the city. Don't forget to make a quick stop by the Sun Voyager sculpture near the waterfront!

Day 2 - The Golden Circle

Many of the stops on day 2 of our trip were along the Golden Circle. The Golden Circle has many iconic sights of iceland, and is an easy day trip to make from Reykjavik City Center if you aren't planning on traveling around the entire country via the Ring Road.

Pro of the Golden Circle: Easy day trip from the city.

Con of the Golden Circle: PACKED with tourists due to the close proximity to Reykjavik.

We started off on the Ring Road, making our first stop to see the Strokkur Geyser. The geyser was erupting every few minutes. We gathered alongside the many tour groups to marvel at the natural phenomenon.

After seeing the magnificent spouts of hot water jumping into the sky, we continued on to Gulfoss to see our first Icelandic waterfall of the trip!

Our next stop was Kerid Crater!

This volcanic crater lake is filled with aquamarine water, surrounded by the black and red volcanic rock slopes. You can walk around the rim of the crater, or even walk down to the water.

Seljalandsfoss!!!

Our last stop of day 2 in Iceland was at Seljalandsfoss. This beautiful waterfall has a small cave behind it where visitors can walk to the back of the waterfall. Make sure to bring a poncho or waterproof clothes if you plan to do this though. You're sure to get hit by the mist of the falls! I didn't take nearly as many photos of this waterfall as I would have liked, because even though I brought a water cover for my camera, I was dripping wet as the wind blew the water in my face. When I eventually return to Iceland, I'll bring a poncho so I can more comfortably spend time at this waterfall taking photos.

Other random stops on day 2 were to take pictures of the beautiful Iceland horses, and sheep :)

Day 3 - Waterfalls, Plane Wrecks, Black Sand Beaches and Moss!

During the third day of our trip, we visited Skogafoss, the DC-3 Plane Wreck and Black Sand Beaches of Vik. As we finished our day and headed towards our next campsite, we stumbled upon the luscious fields of moss that extend further than the eye can see.

Skogafoss was our first stop of the day. It's never a bad idea to start of the day chasing waterfalls :) We walked up to the trail above the waterfall to see the water rushing through the beautiful green landscape.

DC-3 Plane Wreck

When we decided we were going to take a trip to Iceland, this mysterious plane wreck was one of the first destinations we added to our itinerary.

This plane wreck is one of Iceland's most iconic photographic locations. While we visited, a bride and groom were taking wedding photos on the plane.

History of the plane wreck:

On Saturday November 24th, 1973, a United States Navy Douglas Super DC-3 airplane was forced to land on Soloeimasandur's black sand beach in the south of Iceland after experiencing severe icing. All crew members survived the crash, but the airplane was abandoned. It is now a tourist destination that is worth the 4k walk from the road to the plane.

Reynisfjara Beach - Black Sand Beach of Vik

Many of the beaches along the southern coast of Iceland are covered in black sand. Reynisfara is often considered the black sand beach of Iceland. Famous for its basalt sea stacks and dark caves accessible during low tide, this beach is a must-see in Iceland. The black sand and pebbles are tiny fragments from the basalt lava that covers the area.

Definitely make a stop to check out the fields of moss in southern Iceland while making your way along the Ring Road.

As squishy as the moss is, and as much fun as it looks to roll around on, please do NOT step on the moss. Moss can be easily damaged and potentially irreplaceable. Moss areas are particularly sensitive and damage caused y footprints and tire marks can take a long time to heal. There are many signs in areas of moss vegetation that warn tourists not to step on the squishy green moss, so please stick to the trails to preserve this wonderful natural occurrence.

Day 4 - Fjadrargljufur Gorge and Jokusarlon Glacier Lagoon

Fjadrargljufur Gorge was our first stop for the day. We hiked through pouring rain that was blowing directly against us. We got soaked all the way to the skin and our shoes were filled with puddles by the time we got back to the bottom, but the view of the gorge was worth the hike. The pictures really don't do it justice. I'd recommend doing this hike, but if you have the opportunity to go on a day when it's not raining and windy, you'll likely get an even prettier view and the hike will be far more enjoyable.

The next stop we were planning to visit was Svartifoss. **DISCLAIMER** The picture below is not one that I took myself. This picture was obtained from the internet because we unfortunately did not make it to this destination.

After getting soaked at Fjadrargljufur Gorge, we made a stop back at the campsite we had stayed the night before. We changed clothes and tossed all our dripping (and I literally mean dripping) clothes into the dryer. This side trip took about an hour of our day, but was a necessity. Once we got back on the road, we made our way towards Svartifoss. We got to the parking lot of Svartifoss and almost every person we saw was wearing a poncho. At this point we found out that the hike was a much longer hike than we initially thought. Most waterfalls in Iceland were pretty easy to access without hiking, but merely walking a short distance. At this point, the rain was still pouring down and we had just gotten dry. We decided to skip this destination and make our way to the next point. We vowed at that time to come back again to Iceland and make sure to stop at this beautiful waterfall with its basalt stacks.

Jokusarlon Glacier Lagoon

The next and final stop of the day was the Jokusarlon Glacier Lagoon. Huge icebergs that break off from the Vatnajokull Glacier float in the lagoon and some eventually make their way to the Atlantic Ocean. The Iceberg that sunk the Titanic is thought by some to have originated from this lagoon. The exquisite blue and black streaked icebergs floating with the tide is a sight you won't forget. There are many options to go on boat tours through the Glacier Lagoon, but we decided to just see it from the shore.

Day 5 - More Waterfalls!

Rjukandi Waterfall, a hidden gem!

This waterfall was a favorite of mine and was also a hidden gem that we didn’t plan to see. We stopped at this waterfall because we saw other cars pulling off the road to see it and we are so happy we did! The colors of all the brush around made for a picture perfect view. We pulled out the tripod, focused the camera, and set the self timer to get a shot together surrounded by the natural beauty.

Detifoss - We made a very brief stop at Detifoss. Had we known the road to Detifoss was going to filled with as many potholes as it was, we probably would have skipped it and spent that extra time enjoying one of the other beautiful sights for longer. We were a little underwhelmed by Detifoss, though that may have been due to the road conditions on the way there. Had we been driving a 4x4 vehicle, this road would have been much easier. I'd recommend this stop for anyone with a 4x4, but for those of you that plan on traveling in a campervan or other similar (non 4x4) vehicle, I would recommend saving the time for another destination. Take this time to head to Godafoss, another exquisite waterfall in Iceland. Here's a picture of the road in case you think I'm joking...

Godafoss - God's Waterfall

This waterfall is one of the more popular Icelandic Waterfalls, and is a must see if you’re traveling the Ring Road. We spent quite a bit of time here as we watched the sun set over the magnificent waterfall.

After sunset, we made our way to Akureyri where we found a campsite to stay for the night. We explored the enchanting little town and grabbed a bite to eat before settling in for the night.

Day 6 - Akureyri to the Snaefellsness Peninsula

We started our day in Akureyri. We wandered some more and checked out the tourist shops before hitting the road. When we left Akureyri, we made our way toward the snaefellsness peninsula. We stopped a few times on the way to enjoy the view and visit a couple more unique churches. Eventually we ended up at Mt. Kirkjufell and Kirkjufellsfoss. Mt. Kirkjufell is known as the “church mountain” due to its shape from the side view. This mountain and its corresponding waterfall, are one of the most photographed destinations of Iceland, and it’s not hard to see why.

Day 7 - Snaefellsnes Peninsula

We couldn’t help but return to Mt. Kirkjufell and Kirkjufellsfoss again on day 7 to get a glimpse of the mountain as the sky cleared up and the sun came out.

Our next destination was the cute little town of Stykkishólmur. This town is known by some to be the town The Secret Life of Walter Mitty was filmed in. We went to Nesbraud Bakery to get breakfast, then walked around the harbor enjoying the sun. We walked up the Sugandisey cliff for views of the harbor and the North Atlantic.

We stopped at Skardsvik, the “white sand beach” in the area, and watched the waves crash along the cliffs.

We visited the Malarrif lighthouse as an impromptu stop as we were originally heading to the Londrangar Cliffs. We watched the sunset over the ocean as we sat on the volcanic rocks.

Immediately after sunset we rushed to the black church of Budir to see it before it got too dark outside. The lighting wasn’t the best for photos, but we got to see one of the most iconic churches of Iceland (and my personal favorite of the churches we saw).

Day 8 - Last day in Iceland

Our last full day in Iceland was relaxing and scenic as we headed towards the blue lagoon. We stopped at Fossarrett for more waterfall pictures (of course), then made our way back to Reykjavik.

When we got to Reykjavík we visited the national Museum of Iceland. After strolling around and learning more about the history of Iceland, we hopped back in the campervan for our final Iceland destination...the Blue Lagoon!

The Blue Lagoon

When planning our trip, we heard many people raving about the Blue Lagoon. We looked up the prices for entry and contemplated whether it would be worth the chunk of money to visit. All the travel blogs said “yes, it’s worth it” so we booked our tickets, not wanting to regret not going.

It ended up being hands-down, worth EVERY PENNY!

I’m SO happy we decided to go to the blue lagoon. The sulfur filled hot springs were so relaxing and we floated around for hours enjoying the incredible view, in-water-bar, and the various different algae and silica masks. The staff were friendly and efficient, and the facility had storage lockers to place your belongings in while you enjoy your time in the hotsprings.

Towels are provided, and showers are available both before and after your visit. You must shower prior to going in he lagoon in order to keep it as clean as possible.

The enchanting blue water is mesmerizing, and the water temperature is perfect. Theres a waterfall and a sauna, and various places to sit in the shallower areas of the water. There are even in-water-massages available, but those require an extra charge.

You can float around the lagoon relaxing as you drink a beer or sip on a smoothie.The silica and algae masks are a fun addition to the spa experience and are included in the cost of your entry. Each guest gets a nifty bracelet that is the electronic key to your locker, as well as the way you purchase drinks while at the lagoon. Before leaving, you turn in your bracelet and your card gets billed for any additional drink purchases. This way you don’t have to worry about bringing anything in the water with you, and all your valuables stay in your locker.

I definitely recommend getting a waterproof phone case or before you visit the lagoon. I brought my Joto waterproof phone pouch with me and was able to bring my phone in the water and take pictures of our adventure while we floated around. We even FaceTimed family members to show them the incredible experience!

We had a wonderful time at the Blue Lagoon and we definitely recommend the experience. Visiting the Blue Lagoon was the perfect end to a trip of a lifetime!

Our last night in Iceland was spent at a campsite on the coast of Keflavik. The campsite was essentially an open field next to a lighthouse. We had a beautiful view as we cooked our last ramen dinner and reflected on our time in the incredible country of Iceland 🇮🇸

Day 9 was our travel day. We dropped the campervan off at the airport and boarded our flight to Norway! We absolutely loved our time in Iceland and we cannot wait to visit again someday.