Icelandic road trips are a one-of-a-kind adventure that have a plethora of magnificent landscapes, beautiful glaciers and grandeur mountains for travellers to explore during their journeys. If you’re looking for the perfect backpacking route around Iceland that will allow you to see all of these sights, then the Icelandic Ring Road is the perfect choice that won’t disappoint. It can be the perfect travel adventure for any solo backpacker, as it’s an experience that is impossible to replicate.
The Icelandic Ring Road encircles the entire country covering over 800 miles on Route 1, which gives you full scope of both the coastline and midland during your trip. You’ll go through some of the best town and cities in Iceland, such as Borgarnes, Blönduós, Egilsstaðir, Höfn, Kirkjubæjarklaustur, Vík, Hella, Hvolsvöllur, Selfoss and Hveragerði. So, it might be time for you to rent your camper van and get your Icelandic journey started!
Driving the Icelandic Ring Road
Driving around the Icelandic Ring Road could technically be done in 24 hours, but where’s the fun in that? With there being so many photo opportunities and wonderful sights to see, you’ll likely find yourself stopping every 5 minutes or so to take in something new. It’s heavily recommended that you go for at least a week to take everything in, but even this might not be enough. There’s several high-quality hostels where you can stay between driving shifts, or you can take a camper van and camp out surrounded by beautiful scenery (this is definitely the better option).
If you’re travelling with a camper van, you need to make sure that you pack all of the essentials to ensure that you aren’t missing out on anything. You’ll need to ensure that you have the necessary layers of clothing with several spares. Sturdy shoes and rain gear is also recommended, as there will be a lot of adverse terrain that you need to navigate safely. When sleeping in your camper van overnight, you’ll definitely need some of your favourite luxury throws to keep you warm. A portable hotplate hob, electric cooler and gas grill would also be beneficial and you can power all of these with a large solar panel.
Where to Start on the Icelandic Ring Road
The most popular starting destination for the Ring Road adventure is Keflavik due to the International Airport being located there. Another option is going to Reykjavik, which is one of the top cities to backpack in, and spending a night or two in a hotel first to get over any jet lag or fatigue you might have before you get started.
Once you start the drive, you can either go clockwise or anti-clockwise around Iceland. You should choose the direction based on what you want to end the trip with. If you go clockwise, you’ll likely end your journey at Thingvellir National Park and if you go anti-clockwise, you’ll likely end it with Kirkjufellsfoss Waterfall before you make the trip back to Keflavik to go home.
What to See on the Icelandic Ring Road?
There’s so many things to see during your Icelandic expedition, some you can experience on the fly and some you need to book in advance. Let’s take a look at some of these.
The Golden Circle
This short 1-day road trip segment of the Ring Road covers 300km and has many beautiful landmarks that you can see within a short time period. It has various attractions that include some of the most visited in Iceland, so getting these done straight away within a day will make the rest of the trip smooth sailing.
Thingvellir National Park
The Thingvellir Nation Park is a must-visit during your time in Iceland. It has multiple walking trails for you to explore and is the home to Silfra, which is an area where you can go snorkeling or scuba diving between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates.
Vatnajökull Glacier
With there being so many amazing glaciers in Iceland, it’s very difficult to choose one to highlight but if we had to, it’d definitely be the Vatnajökull Glacier. It’s one of the largest in the country and has some viewpoints that will leave you speechless.
Dettifoss Waterfall
Dettifoss is the largest waterfall in Europe by water volume, so it is a sight that you need to behold to believe. More than 132,000 gallons of water lashes down from the mountain bank to create an extraordinary visual for solo backpackers to enjoy. Both the east and west side of the waterfall offer you spectacular views and great photo opportunities.
Bárðarbunga Volcano
You can’t go to Iceland without having a look at one of their volcanos and we recommend Bárðarbunga Volcano. Take the chance to fly over the volcano by plane. These can be booked in advance from one of the many small airports in the location.
Snæfellsnes Peninsula
The Snæfellsnes Peninsula is home to two of the main Icelandic sights; Kirkjufellsfoss Waterfall and Búðakirkja Black Church. Kirkjufellsfoss is the most photographed waterfall in Iceland due to its insane beauty so it’s definitely worth seeing with your own eyes. The location of the church, Búðir, fully embodies a sense of wonderful isolation.
Blue Lagoon
If you’re going to Iceland solo and exploring the Ring Road, there’s no doubt that you’ll want to stop off at the famous Blue Lagoon. Located an hour away from the city center of Reykjavik, this geothermal lagoon allows travelers to bathe in warm mineral-rich waters surrounded by the breathtaking volcanic landscape.
Northern Lights
We’ll leave the most famous until last. The Northern Lights are by far the most popular tourist attraction of not just Iceland, but the entirety of the auroral zone, which includes Norway, Sweden, Finland, Canada and Greenland.
WRITTEN BY
After completing a University degree in Journalism, Darcy Fowler has dedicated a lot of time to travelling around the world and experiencing a variety of cultures. Darcy is determined to provide interesting and insightful content with the hope of inspiring others.