12 Days in Iceland: The Complete Ring Road Itinerary (September)
A relaxed counterclockwise loop around the whole island, from the south coast and the Eastfjords to the north and the Snæfellsnes Peninsula in the west.
trablog curation·12 days·42 places·september
Planning 12 days in Iceland? Driving the full Ring Road is the best way to see the country, and this itinerary takes you all the way around the island, through the south coast, the Eastfjords, the north, and the west. September is a sweet spot to do it. By now the midnight sun is gone, which means the nights finally get dark enough for the northern lights, and the summer crowds have started to thin out.
A few things to know before you go. A rental car is essential for the Ring Road, since this is a self-drive trip and there's no other practical way to reach most of these stops. For where to stay, you have options at every budget, from campgrounds to guesthouses to Airbnbs and hotels, so you can mix and match as you go.
One note on pace: this plan is built to be relaxed rather than packed. There's room to slow down, linger at the places you love, and skip the ones you don't. Treat it as a framework rather than a rulebook, and adjust it to your own travel style.
DAY1
Arriving in Iceland and Easing into Reykjavík
Your first day is all about landing, picking up your car, and easing into the capital. Reykjavík is full of museums, cafes, and street art, which makes it a comfortable place to shake off the flight before the long drive ahead. Keep day one light. Grab your rental, soak away the travel in a lagoon, stock up on groceries, and spend the rest of the day wandering the city center.
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Stock up on alcohol at the airport before you leave the terminal. In Iceland, drinks are only sold at state-run liquor stores with limited hours, and they can be hard to find once you're out on the road. The duty-free shop right after you land is the easiest place to buy whatever you'll want for the trip.
Your first stop is picking up the rental car that will carry you around the entire island. Since the Ring Road is a self-drive trip, this is really the heart of the whole plan. It's worth looking into full-coverage insurance when you book, since Iceland's gravel roads, strong winds, and fast-changing weather can do a number on a car. Once you've got the keys, you're set for the next twelve days.
After a long flight, a soak in a geothermal spa is a perfect way to reset. Sky Lagoon, on the edge of Reykjavík, has a warm infinity pool that looks straight out over the ocean. The famous Blue Lagoon is an equally good choice, and since it sits near the airport, it fits neatly into either your first day or your last one. Whether you go at the very start of the trip or save it for the end, right before your flight home, comes down to personal preference. Either way, slipping into the warm water is a gentle way to begin.
Before you leave the city, make a stop at Bónus, Iceland's most popular budget grocery chain (you'll spot it by the pink pig logo). Food and eating out get expensive fast here, so stocking up on groceries, snacks, and supplies for the road is one of the easiest ways to keep costs down over twelve days. Grab what you need for the next stretch of driving.
End the day in the center of Reykjavík at Hallgrímskirkja, the city's most recognizable landmark. This modern church was completed in 1986, and its 73-meter tower, designed to echo Iceland's basalt rock formations, rises above everything around it. It's worth taking the elevator up the tower for a wide view over the colorful rooftops below. From here, the rest of Reykjavík's museums and cafes are an easy walk away.
DAY2
The Golden Circle
Day two is the Golden Circle, the most popular day route in the country and a great introduction to what makes Iceland special. It loops out from Reykjavík and back, all on paved roads, taking in a continental rift, an erupting geyser, and a thundering waterfall within a short drive of each other. It's a relaxed day with plenty of time at each stop, and it ends with a soak in a quiet hot spring.
Thingvellir is where two of the Earth's tectonic plates, the North American and the Eurasian, are slowly pulling apart, and you can walk right down into the rift between them. It's also one of the most historic places in the country, the site where Iceland's first parliament was founded over a thousand years ago. Give yourself time to walk the main gorge and take in the views over the valley and lake below.
The Geysir geothermal area is a field of steaming vents and bubbling pools, named after the original Geysir that gave every geyser in the world its name. These days the star is Strokkur, right beside it, which blasts a column of water high into the air every few minutes. It's one of the most reliable natural shows in Iceland, so you can stand and watch it erupt again and again.
Gullfoss, the "golden falls," is the showstopper of the Golden Circle. The river Hvítá drops in two huge steps into a deep canyon, throwing up spray and, on a sunny day, the occasional rainbow. There are viewing paths at different levels, so it's worth walking down closer to feel the sheer power of it before you move on.
End the day at the Secret Lagoon in the village of Flúðir, one of the oldest natural hot springs in Iceland. It's simpler and more low-key than the bigger spas, just a warm, steamy pool out in the countryside with little geothermal vents bubbling away nearby. After a full day of sightseeing, it's an easy place to slow down and let the Golden Circle sink in.
DAY3
The South Coast: Waterfalls and Black Sand
Day three runs east along the south coast, one of the most scenic stretches of the entire Ring Road. The drive strings together a series of waterfalls, each a little different from the last, before opening out onto dramatic black sand beaches near the town of Vík. It's an easy day of short stops just off the main road, with no long distances between them, so you can take your time at each one.
Gljúfrabúi is a waterfall that hides inside a narrow, mossy canyon, just a few minutes' walk from Seljalandsfoss. To see it properly you'll need to step along the stream and into the cleft in the rock, where the falls pour down into a hidden chamber. It's easy to miss if you don't know to look for it, which is part of the appeal. Expect to get a little wet.
Seljalandsfoss is one of the most famous waterfalls in Iceland, and its trick is that you can walk all the way around behind it. A path leads behind the curtain of water and gives you a view out through the falls. It's a short walk, but you will get sprayed, so a rain jacket helps. This and Gljúfrabúi share the same parking area, which makes it easy to see both together.
Skógafoss is one of the biggest and most striking waterfalls on the south coast, a wide, powerful curtain of water dropping straight down from the cliffs above. You can stand close enough at the base to feel the mist, and on a bright day rainbows often hang in the spray. There's also a staircase up the side that leads to a viewing platform at the top.
Just a short walk from Skógafoss, Kvernufoss is a quieter alternative that far fewer people make the effort to find. A path leads up a small canyon to the falls, and like Seljalandsfoss, you can walk in behind the water. If the crowds at Skógafoss are heavy, this is a peaceful counterpoint a few minutes away.
Dyrhólaey is a rocky promontory with a huge stone sea arch and sweeping views along the black coastline in both directions. In summer it's a nesting site for puffins, though by September most of them have already left, so come for the views and the dramatic cliffs rather than the birds. It's a short detour off the main road and well worth the stop.
Reynisfjara is the famous black sand beach near Vík, backed by a wall of geometric basalt columns and looking out at the Reynisdrangar sea stacks rising from the water offshore. It's one of the most striking places on the whole south coast. Just keep the warning above in mind and admire the waves from a safe distance, because the ocean here is no place to take chances.
If you're ready for something different from Icelandic food, Wok In Vík serves Asian dishes and makes for an easy dinner in town. After a long day chasing waterfalls and beaches, it's a convenient place to refuel before you settle in for the night in Vík.
DAY4
Canyons, Lava Fields, and a Glacier Up Close
Day four is the drive east into glacier country, with the stops strung along the way from Vík toward your base for the next two nights. You'll cross an immense moss-covered lava field, peer down into a winding canyon, and reach the edge of the Vatnajökull ice cap, where hiking trails and a glacier tongue bring you close to the ice. It's a varied day on solid, easy terrain, with one base to come home to at the end.
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Two things to respect out here. First, never walk onto a glacier on your own. The ice hides deep crevasses, and the only safe way onto it is with a certified guide. Second, stay on the marked paths through the lava fields. The thick moss covering them is fragile and takes decades to grow back once it's trampled.
Eldhraun is a vast lava field left by one of the largest eruptions in recorded history, back in the 1780s, now blanketed in a thick layer of soft grey-green moss. A marked walking path lets you wander through it without harming the fragile ground. It's an otherworldly, almost lunar landscape, and an easy, gentle stop to stretch your legs early in the day.
Fjaðrárgljúfur is a deep, winding canyon with sheer green walls dropping to a river far below. A walking path runs along the rim, with viewpoints looking down its full length. It's an easy walk with a big payoff, and one of the most photogenic spots in this part of the country.
Skaftafell, part of the vast Vatnajökull National Park, is a hub for hiking with trails to suit just about any energy level. The most popular leads to Svartifoss, a waterfall framed by dark, geometric basalt columns that look almost man-made. Even the shorter walks here open up wide views of glacier tongues spilling down from the ice cap above.
Svínafellsjökull is a glacier tongue that reaches down close enough to walk right up to, and its cracked blue and white ice has appeared in more than a few films. You can take it in from the marked viewpoint, or, if you want to actually set foot on the ice, join one of the guided glacier hikes that set out from here. Either way, it's a chance to get close to the sheer scale of Vatnajökull.
DAY5
The Glacier Lagoons
Day five is all about the ice lagoons, the showpieces of the southeast and, for many people, the single most memorable stretch of the whole trip. With your base close by, you can take the day slowly, lingering at the lagoons and the beach where the icebergs come ashore. There's an optional canyon hike to start if you're up for it, and after that it's a day spent among floating ice.
If you have time to spare, Múlagljúfur is a lesser-known canyon that rewards the short hike in to reach it. A trail off a gravel road climbs to views of waterfalls tumbling into a deep green gorge, with a glacier off in the distance. It sees far fewer visitors than the big-name stops, which is exactly why it's worth the detour when the day allows.
Fjallsárlón is a smaller, quieter glacier lagoon just west of Jökulsárlón, and it sits right up against the glacier that feeds it. The view here feels more intimate, with the wall of ice close enough to take in all at once. If the bigger lagoon is busy, this is a calmer place to sit with the icebergs for a while.
This is the highlight of glacier country. At Jökulsárlón, a lagoon fills with icebergs that break off the glacier and drift slowly toward the sea, and a boat tour takes you out among them for a closer look. Just across the road is Diamond Beach, where chunks of that same ice wash up and glitter on the black sand. Together they're one of the most unforgettable stops on the whole Ring Road.
DAY6
Up the East Coast to Seyðisfjörður
Day six is a driving day, trading the glaciers for the Eastfjords as you make your way north to Seyðisfjörður, your base for the next two nights. The route starts near the harbor town of Höfn, climbs over a scenic mountain pass, and winds along the coast through some of the quietest, most dramatic scenery on the Ring Road. It's a longer drive than the past few days, so build in time for the stops and the views along the way.
Stokksnes is a black-sand peninsula sitting beneath Vestrahorn, a jagged mountain that's become one of the most photographed in Iceland. On a calm day the wet sand and shallow pools mirror the peaks almost perfectly. The land is privately owned, with a small café at the entrance, and it's an easy walk out toward the dunes and the shore. Time your visit for low tide if you can, when the reflections are at their best.
Höfn is a small harbor town known across Iceland for its langoustine, and Pakkhús, set in a restored warehouse down by the water, is one of the better-known places to eat here. Alongside the local seafood, the menu runs to Icelandic staples like lamb and cod. It makes a natural lunch stop before the longer drive north, so you're well fed for the road ahead.
Folaldafoss is a pretty waterfall that spills into a small pool, tucked along a scenic mountain road on the way north. It's an easy roadside stop rather than a destination in itself, but it's a good excuse to pull over, stretch, and take in the highland scenery before you drop down toward the fjords.
DAY7
Eastfjords: Basalt Canyons and a Colorful Town
With Seyðisfjörður as your base, day seven explores the Eastfjords at an easy pace. You'll head inland to one of Iceland's most striking basalt canyons, soak in geothermal baths beside a lake, and come back over the mountains to the waterfalls and the famously colorful little town at the head of the fjord. It's a varied day that mixes a scenic drive with time to slow down.
Stuðlagil is a canyon lined with dense rows of basalt columns rising above a blue-green glacial river, and it's one of the most spectacular sights in the east. There are two ways to see it: a viewpoint reached by a short walk on one side, and a longer trail along the other that brings you down closer to the water and the columns. Either way, the geometry of the rock here is unlike almost anywhere else in the country.
Just outside Seyðisfjörður, Vestdalsfossar is a series of waterfalls tumbling down the mountainside along a hiking trail. You can enjoy the lower falls with little effort, or follow the path higher for more of them and wider views back over the fjord. It's a quieter, less-visited spot than the big-name waterfalls further south.
Seyðisfjörður is one of the most charming towns in Iceland, set at the head of a long fjord and ringed by steep mountains and waterfalls. It's known for its rainbow-painted street leading up to a pretty blue church, and for an arts and music scene that gives the place a creative, easygoing feel. After a day on the road, it's a lovely town to wander on foot, with the mountains rising on every side.
DAY8
Into the North: Mývatn's Volcanic Landscapes
Day eight crosses into the north, leaving the Eastfjords behind for the volcanic landscapes around Lake Mývatn. This is one of the most geologically active corners of the country, where the earth steams, bubbles, and erupts in slow motion. The day takes in Europe's most powerful waterfall, a giant crater you can climb, and a geothermal field that looks like the surface of another world.
Dettifoss is the most powerful waterfall in Europe, a wall of glacial water thundering over a cliff in a remote canyon in the north. It's less about delicate beauty and more about sheer force, and you can feel the ground tremble as you get close. There are viewpoints on both sides of the river, reached by different roads, so it's worth knowing which side you're aiming for before you set out.
Hverfjall is a huge, almost perfectly round explosion crater rising out of the landscape near Lake Mývatn. A trail leads up to the rim, where you can look down into the dark bowl of the crater and out over the surrounding lava fields and lake. The climb is short but steep, and the views from the top make it worth the effort.
Hverir is a geothermal field straight out of another planet, with bubbling mud pots, hissing steam vents, and ground stained in shades of orange and ochre. Boardwalks and paths guide you through it, close enough to feel the heat coming off the earth. It's one of the most surreal landscapes in the north, and a vivid reminder of how alive the ground is in this part of Iceland.
DAY9
Goðafoss and Akureyri
Day nine is a shorter, gentler day as you make your way west toward Akureyri, the largest town in the north. Along the way you'll stop at one of Iceland's most beautiful waterfalls, and the day ends with a soak at a forest spa overlooking the fjord. With less driving than usual, it's a good chance to slow down, explore Akureyri, and catch your breath before the long push west.
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Akureyri is the largest town in the north and a good place to fill up on fuel, restock groceries, and have a proper sit-down meal. Options get sparse once you leave, so it's worth stocking up here before you move on.
Goðafoss, the "waterfall of the gods," is a wide, graceful horseshoe of falls on the road between Mývatn and Akureyri. It's not the tallest waterfall in Iceland, but its curved shape and the blue-white water make it one of the most elegant. Its name comes from a moment a thousand years ago, when Iceland turned to Christianity and, as the story goes, its old pagan idols were cast into the falls. Viewpoints on both sides make it an easy stop.
Forest Lagoon is a geothermal spa tucked into the woods just outside Akureyri, with warm pools looking out over the trees and the fjord below. It's a newer, peaceful place to soak, and the forest setting makes it feel a little different from Iceland's more open, treeless spas. After the drive from Mývatn, it's an easy way to ease into the afternoon.
DAY10
Snæfellsnes, "Iceland in Miniature"
Day ten brings you to Snæfellsnes, a peninsula in the west often called "Iceland in miniature" for the way it packs glaciers, beaches, lava fields, and dramatic coastline into one compact area. Getting here from the north is a long drive, so today is as much about the journey as the stops. Once you arrive, the peninsula rewards you with some of the most iconic scenery in the country, from a postcard mountain to hidden gorges and sea cliffs.
Kirkjufell, the "church mountain," is the steep, cone-shaped peak that's become a symbol of Iceland, and Kirkjufellsfoss is the small waterfall that sits perfectly in front of it. Together they make one of the most photographed scenes in the country, especially with the mountain framed behind the falls. A short, easy path loops around the waterfall, so it takes only a few minutes to find the classic view.
Ytri Tunga is a beach on the south side of Snæfellsnes known for its resident seals, and it's one of the more reliable spots in Iceland to see them year-round. On a good day you'll find them hauled out on the rocks just offshore. Bring binoculars if you have them, keep a respectful distance, and you've got a decent chance of watching seals in the wild.
Rauðfeldsgjá is a deep, narrow gorge slicing into the mountainside near Arnarstapi, almost hidden until you're right in front of it. A stream runs out of the crack, and you can follow it inside, scrambling over rocks as the walls close in around you. How far you go is up to you, but even stepping a little way in gives you a sense of the place. It's one of the more adventurous stops on the peninsula.
Lóndrangar is a pair of dramatic basalt pinnacles rising straight out of the coast on the southwestern tip of Snæfellsnes, the remains of an old volcanic crater worn down by the sea. A viewpoint and short paths along the cliffs let you take them in, with the Snæfellsjökull glacier often visible inland. It's a striking, wind-swept spot to end a day on the peninsula.
DAY11
A Last Day in Reykjavík
After ten days on the road, day eleven brings you back to Reykjavík to wind down in the capital. This is the day to slow right down: no long drives, no early starts, just time to wander the city, revisit anything you missed at the start, and soak up the last of the trip. Reykjavík is easy to explore on foot, so park the car and spend the day strolling between the waterfront, the museums, and the cafes.
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Reykjavík's main sights are clustered close together and easy to reach on foot, so you won't need the car much today. It's also your best chance to pick up any last souvenirs along Laugavegur, the main shopping street, before you head to the airport tomorrow.
Down on the waterfront stands the Sun Voyager, a gleaming steel sculpture shaped like a Viking ship pointed out to sea. It's one of Reykjavík's most photographed landmarks, with the mountains and the bay behind it. It's a quick, easy stop, and a nice place to start a slow day along the water.
Laugavegur is Reykjavík's main street, lined with shops, cafes, restaurants, and bars. It's the heart of the city's day-to-day life and the best place to pick up souvenirs, try Icelandic food, or just people-watch over a coffee. Give yourself time to wander the side streets too, where you'll find some of the city's colorful murals.
For a final look over the city, Perlan sits on a hill just outside the center, its glass dome housing exhibitions and a wraparound observation deck. From up here you get a 360-degree view over Reykjavík, the bay, and the mountains beyond. It's a fitting place to take in the whole city near the end of the trip.
DAY12
Keflavík and the Journey Home
Day twelve is your last, and it's mostly about the journey home. The drive from Reykjavík to Keflavík Airport takes under an hour, so depending on your flight time, there may be room for one final stop along the way. The Reykjanes Peninsula between the city and the airport has a few worthwhile sights if you have the morning, or you can keep it simple and head straight for your flight. Either way, it's time to return the car and say goodbye to Iceland.
If you saved the Blue Lagoon for the end of your trip, today is the day for it. It sits between Reykjavík and the airport, which makes it a natural final stop, a long, warm soak before you fly home. Just book ahead and time it around your flight, leaving plenty of room to get to the terminal afterward.
If you have a little time and want one last bit of Iceland's geology, the Bridge Between Continents on the Reykjanes Peninsula spans the gap between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. You can walk across it in a couple of minutes and stand, symbolically, between two continents. It's a quick, quirky stop close to the airport.
I planned out this twelve-day loop around Iceland, the land of ice and fire. It's a different kind of place, unhurried and vast in a way most countries aren't, and it's somewhere I think everyone should see at least once.
This route covers the full Ring Road, but you really don't have to do all of it. Reykjavík and the south coast on their own make a great trip, and if your schedule allows, you could add the Highlands too.
One honest tip: hotels and food in Iceland are expensive. Depending on your trip, it's worth mixing in some Airbnbs, campgrounds, and guesthouses rather than staying in hotels the whole way. They have a charm hotels don't, and they help with the cost.
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Iceland · 12 days · 42 places · edit freely after copying
