About a year ago the idea of traveling to Iceland came to mind. Most probably influenced by social media. When I saw cheap flights to Reykjavik, I took it as a sign. My boyfriend and I booked the flights, read a few related blogs and embarked on a great adventure.

The little bit of research we did indicated that a road trip on the ring road is the way to go.

We rented an RV from Reykjavik Viking campers. We found them through Airbnb. Their vans were the most affordable at the time. Our trip was before the end of tourist season 22 - 29 Sept. Tip: prices are lower the closer you get to off season.

Iceland has a concentrated tourist season, peaking from mid-June through August. Many Icelanders think the summer tourists don't know what they're missing. Iceland offers plenty to do in spring, fall, even winter, and prices are dramatically lower for airfares, car rentals, and accommodations. —Frommers

The best thing about the RV is flexibility. We had no plans except the direction of the Ring Road we intended to take. With the portable wifi in the car we could plan as we go. The lack of plans made our trip unique and spontaneous. Tip: add a portable wifi to your RV rental. The weather was a bit unpredictable. It rained the first and last days, but was cloudy to sunny in between. It was ±8 °C daily and the temperatures dropped to ±5 °C at night. Early mornings and cleaning dishes were our main reminders of the cold.

What is the Ring Road?

Route 1 or the Ring Road (Icelandic: Þjóðvegur 1 or Hringvegur) is a national road in Iceland that runs around the island and connects most of the inhabited parts of the country. The total length of the road is 1,332 kilometres (828 mi). —Wiki

We had 8 days in Iceland. We spent 7 of the 8 days on the Ring Road.

I struggled to find a single website that lists all the landmarks one could see in Iceland. It was also hard to find a specific route to follow. So whe just started driving and stopped when we found the landmark aka place of interest sign as seen on the left. I listed the landmarks in the order we visited them at the end of this post.

Tip: Check on google maps if the landmark is something you’re interested in seeing. Google maps indicates all landmarks with a description, reviews and pictures.

This post should not be followed to the point, but should be used as a rough guideline with time allowed for venturing off track.

Day 1 - arriving to Reykjavik

We landed in Reykjavik at 17:40. We took a flybus to town. It seemed like the best and only option for tourists ±35 Euro return. The bus has free wifi. Our RV was waiting for us at the flybus drop off point at the BSI Terminal. The key of the RV was in a lock secured onto the driver’s door.

We brought most of our dry foods from home like pasta and sauces. We bought the perishables from Kronan like tomatoes and milk. The only beer we could find was 2.25% Egils Pilsner beer. We bought and tried Skyr and Harðfiskur. Skyr is a sour, thick yogurt. I did not like the taste at first, but I could see that one could acquire the taste. Harðfiskur is a common snack for Icelanders. It is thinly sliced dried fish. Surprisingly, the taste of fish does not linger. We enjoyed it.

We wanted to get a bit of road behind us. We chose to start the Ring Road in the anti-clockwise direction for no particular reason. After a few wrong turns and a rainy drive we decided to stop next to the road. We initially thought this would not be allowed and someone would come knocking to inform us of to move. We soon realised that you can find RV’s pretty much everywhere next to the road early in the morning.

We ate cold sausage rolls and went to bed.

Day 2 - the south

The next morning we woke up to a snowy mountain view. We made coffee and ate homemade rusks at Gluggafoss, close to where we slept the previous night. It’s a small waterfall. We filled our bottles with clean, fresh water.

Our first stop after breakfast was Seljalandsfoss. One can walk behind the waterfall which makes for great photos. Gljúfrafoss is right next to it. It’s a small waterfall and you have to climb steep rocks to unveil the real beauty of it.

We headed to Skógafoss. You can view Skógafoss from below or from the top. You have to climb quite a few steep stairs to reach the top. It was pouring with rain by the time we reached Skógafoss.

By lunch time we were very cold and wet. I read somewhere about a geothermal pool closeby and we decided to head there. The thermal pool is located to the left before Skógafoss on your way to Seljavellir. ±15 minutes walk over two streams. It’s free. The water is luke warm and the changing rooms are dirty. The pool is man made.

The next stop was the Solheimasandur plane wreck. This stop was the most anticipated stop on my list. The walk was ±3km one way. It was pouring with rain and my boyfriend’s jacket started to soak through. We found the walk quite lengthy. It might be because we did not research how long it would take to get there. There were no signs indicating the distance. The landscape was moonlike and the site of the plane was eerie. It was worth the walk!

In 1973 a United States Navy DC plane ran out of fuel and crashed on the black beach at Sólheimasandur, in the South Coast of Iceland. Fortunately, everyone in that plane survived. Later it turned out that the pilot had simply switched over to the wrong fuel tank. The remains are still on the sand very close to the sea. —Guide to Iceland

Our last stop of the day was Dyrhólaey, a viewpoint in a nature reserve with great bathrooms. We could not see anything due to the rain and mist.

Some things we saw on the first day includes caves, small houses built into the mountains, icelandic horses and goats. We slept close to Vík.

Day 3 - glaciers

We woke up fairly early due to the howling wind and rain pushing our RV around. Our first stop was Reynisfjara Beach aka Black Beach. We drove to Schwarzer Strand where we made some coffee. The sun started shining for the first time in two days. We were delighted.

We started driving towards Vatnajökull National Park. The landscape started changing into what I can explain as moss covered mushrooms. It’s almost impossible to capture on camera. The effect is just not the same. We stopped at the first landscape sign along the way, Fjaðrárgljúfur. A canyon up to 100m deep. It was quite a trek up to the view point. A must in my opinion and one of my favourite landmarks.

After that there are two waterfalls next to the road Foss a Sidu and Foss. ±5 minutes stop each. We reached Skaftafell which is a wilderness area in the Vatnajökull National Park. It was still a bit misty when we drove in so we headed straight to the parking lot. The hike to the Svartifoss waterfall was ±1.4km uphill. By this time we had seen a lot of waterfalls, but this one was a little bit different. The views from the top is worth the hike alone. By the time we reached the parking lot, the mist had cleared. We ate peanut butter sandwiches before we started driving again.

We were greeted by a glacier stretching from the top of the mountain to the bottom. We had missed it driving into the park due to the weather. We had to stop. Everyone warns you against walking on glaciers unguided. We hesitated to enter the glacier area, but it was fine to walk up to the glacier to view it. Just don’t walk onto it. The trail to the glacier is called Skaftafellsjökull Trail ±1 hour.

The next stop was Jökulsárlón, the glacier lagoon. It stopped raining, but the cold air blowing over the lagoon made it impossible for us to stay outside for more than 5 minutes. Luckily we found a first row seat in our car from the parking lot. The floating blocks of ice glisend in the sun. Seals were playfully swimming in the icy water. There were blocks of ice on the beach when driving out of the parking area.

It was time to find a sleeping spot. We needed water to clean our dishes and decided to park off on a dirt road next to a meadow filled with beautiful swans. It was the first night we could sit outside and prepare our food. The squawking of the swans cradled us to sleep.

Day 4 - long drive, desert and volcanos

Day 2 and 3 were active days. Our clothes were still wet from the first day’s rain. So we were a little bit broken. We welcomed a driving day. The drive was coastal with beautiful sea views. The road loops inland and outwards quite a bit. We entertained ourselves with a few old South African soundtracks.

The landscape changed from sea views to dessert. We stopped at Dettifoss, the most powerful waterfall in Europe. It is off the main road and takes ±1.5 hours in total for the trip there and back. This was my favourite waterfall. If you only see one waterfall, it should be this one.

We ventured on even though it became quite late. We had to get out of the desert. We came across Hverir, a geothermal spot noted for its bubbling pools of mud and steaming fumaroles emitting sulfuric gas. One can see the steam from the road. The smell is egg-like and sticks to your clothes. Tip: Avoid standing in the fumes.

Driving over the last hill revealed Mývatn, a volcanic lake. Next to it is the Grjótagjá cave famous for its appearance in Game of Thrones. After three days of sleeping in an RV and using wet wipes to clean myself I was ready for a warm pool to relax in. The cave is on private property. The sign at the entrance states that swimming is not allowed and entering the cave is at your own risk. There were quite a few people so we decided to dip only our feet in the warm water.

Our final stop for the day was Dimmuborgir. I wish we spent more time there, but it was getting dark. Dimmuborgir is unusually shaped lava fields. Pathways inside and around the fields allow for a pleasant stroll.

We slept next to a dam.

Day 5 - geothermal pool and views

It was so cold in the morning that we decided to persevere without making breakfast. Our gas canisters were empty and we needed to buy an additional one. These were relatively easy to find at petrol stations. Our first stop was Goðafoss, a waterfall. After Dettifoss, we weren’t too impressed with this one. We drove to Hofsos, a quite fishermans town, along the coastal road. We filled up our water bottles in one of the many small waterfalls next to the road. We had to drive through a few one lane tunnels which were quite the experience. The coastal road views were incredible. We stopped to make coffee and egg-mayo sandwiches.

Hofsos has the most beautiful warm water designer swimming pool overlooking the ocean. It closed at 1pm when we arrived. We were disappointed, but we headed to Grettislaug nearby instead. Grettislaug is one of the most authentic geothermal pool experiences you can have in Iceland. It is ±30 minutes drive from the main road. It is privately owned and cost ±7 Euro.

This legendary bathing spot at Reykir in Skagafjordur in North Iceland is the bathing place of Grettir the Strong from Saga lore. Located by the seaside with amazing views, the geothermal pool has been constructed with natural stones. —Iceland Travel

There are one small and one larger pool. The water hot, but perfect. One can see and feel the warm bubbles rising from the bottom of the pool. The pool is filled with algae, but it does not hinder. The toilets and changing rooms are very clean. Allow minimum 2 hours at this pool.

We moved on to the west side of Iceland where we slept next to running water. It was warm outside and we could make dinner and enjoy our 2.25% beers outside.

Day 6 - golden circle and northern lights

We headed back to civilization. On the way to Reykjavik we drove through an under the sea tunnel, Hvalfjörður Tunnel. We decided to do the Golden Circle since we were close to finishing the Ring Road. This is a popular tourist route which has a few landmarks and is ±300 kms. The amount of tourists at each stops increased by 80%. There were shops, toilets and restaurants at every stop.

Our first stop was the Geysir. It started raining again. The walk was minor. The Geysir only erupts after an earthquake. The Strokkur geyser, however, erupted promptly every 5-7 minutes. I loved it. We stopped at the Gullfoss waterfall. It is a bit of a walk down and we were a bit numb to seeing waterfalls by this time.

The last stop on our trip was Kerið, a volcanic crater lake. ±8 Euro to enter. You can walk around the top of the volcano as well as in the bottom rim of it. The color of the blue clear water next to the red of the volcano dirt was breathtaking.

It felt like an accomplishment for finishing the Ring Road and the Golden Circle. It felt great!

It was time to find our last overnight stop. We drove along the coast towards Reykjavik and stopped next to the road in a field. We drank our last beers, ate our last pasta and watched series in our warm car. It was one of the only nights the sky was clear enough to see stars. We started seeing white shapes in the sky. At first I thought nothing of it. It became clear that we were seeing the Northern Lights aka Aurora. The gray lights were stretching over our RV, dancing in the sky. The colour is grey due to the weather.

What are the northern lights? The northern lights (Lat. aurora borealis) appear when electrically charged particles, emanating from the sun, travel at a high speed towards Earth, resulting in a collision with the highest air particles. The different colors of the lights are in accordance with the different gases that are found up there. Most northern lights are green in colour, due to collision with oxygen. —travelade

It was the best end to our road trip we could ask for.

Day 7 - Blue Lagoon

We drove ±1 hour back to Reykjavik. We visited the Reykjavik lighthouse while we still had the car. We dropped off the car at BSI Terminal around 10am. We walked to town which took ±20 minutes. We left our luggage at Downtown hostel. They have the the friendliest staff. We packed our swimming costumes and towels and headed to bus stop 4 to get picked up to go to the Blue Lagoon.

We had some time to spare and went to look at the Sun Voyager and the opera house. We had hot dogs at the famous Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur stand for ±4 Euros each. The cheapest dining experience you will get in Reykjavik. The hot dogs were small, but delicious. You could taste the lamb in the sausage and the sauces were special too.

The bus ride to the Blue Lagoon took ±50 minutes. You feel pampered from the moment you get there to when you enter into the pool. Tip: apply a lot of conditioner to your hair, leave it in and tie it up when in the pool.

The pool area is enchanting. The water is baby blue. The perfect temperature welcomes you. There are a mask bar, an alcohol bar, fresh water to drink, saunas, steam rooms and obviously the large pool area. We opted for the cheapest ticket which includes pool entry and a mask which is plenty. Note: the beers at the pool is Gull, which we enjoyed, but was very pricey.

We left the Blue Lagoon after ±4 hours feeling relaxed and tired. We went home to cook dinner at the hostel. The white goose feather and down duvets greeted us with open arms.

Day 8 - shopping in Reykjavik

We started the day with a delicious homemade egg breakfast at the hostel. We made and packed some peanut butter sandwiches for lunch. We ventured out to do some shopping.

Reykjavik is filled with exciting artsy and hip stores. The prices are a little bit out of reach, but not exorbitant. I bought a wool beanie from Farmer’s Market and a book. “From the Mouth of the Whale” by Sjón an Icelandic poet. I read most of it on the plane back. A very interesting fictional tale set in Iceland. I can recommend it.

We left Reykjavik to the airport on the flybus at 2pm. We were satisfied with our experience and ready to go home.

List of landmarks. Category, difficulty and how we rate them.

In the order they appear anti-clockwise on the Ring Road.
1 “stop if you have time” to 5 “a must stop”

Seljalandsfoss [waterfall] [easy] [5]
Gljúfrafoss [waterfall] [difficult] [1]
Skógafoss [waterfall][medium][5]
Seljavellir geothermal pool [thermal pool] [easy] [3]
Solheimasandur plane wreck [plane wreck] [difficult] [5]
Dyrhólaey [viewing point] [easy] [-]
Reynisfjara Beach [beach] [easy] [4]
Schwarzer Strand [beach] [easy] [1]
Fjaðrárgljúfur [canyon] [difficult] [5]
Foss a Sidu [waterfall] [easy] [1]
Foss [waterfall] [easy] [1]
Svartifoss waterfall [waterfall] [difficult] [4]
Skaftafellsjökull Glacier Trail [glacier] [medium] [5]
Jökulsárlón [glacier] [easy] [5]
Dettifoss [waterfall] [medium] [5]
Hverir [boiling mud pits] [easy] [4]
Mývatn [lake] [easy] [-]
Grjótagjá [thermal pool] [easy] [2]
Dimmuborgir [lava fields] [easy] [4]
Goðafoss [waterfalls] [medium] [1]
Grettislaug [thermal pool] [easy] [5]
Geysir [geyser] [easy] [5]
Gullfoss [waterfall] [medium] [3]
Kerið [volcano] [medium] [4]
Blue Lagoon [thermal pool] [easy] [5]

Important road signs

For more road signs, see here.

Things you need to know

Cleanest, running water available EVERYWHERE. No need to buy bottled water. Refill bottles at waterfalls next to the road.
Watch out for the landmark road sign. See above.
Foss means waterfall in Icelandic
Vík means bay in Icelandic
Portable toilets available at allocated stops. Clean with toilet paper and hand sanitizer.
Some landmarks require walking, hiking or climbing to reach. Wear appropriate clothes - hiking shoes, rain jacket etc.
Allow ±1 hour per stop
Entrance to landmarks are free except Kerið ±8 Euro
Icelanders don’t eat horse. The Icelandic horses are used for companionship and exporting.
Icelanders are the friendliest people. Don’t hesitate to ask for directions or assistance. They will gladly help with a smile.
Speed limit for paved roads is 90 km/h

Tips

Bring a warm water flask, a car charger and wet wipes. Plan your meals. Bring dry foods with you and buy perishables at Kronan. Avoid restaurants. Use google maps available on your phone. All landmarks are marked with a description, reviews and picture.

Things we didn’t do due to time constraints, but wish we did

Glacier hike
Icelandic horse ride
Puffin watching
Vatnajökull National Park, there are more hikes we didn’t have time to do

Cost breakdown

Flights 305 Euro
RV rental and Insurance 849 Euro
Petrol 191 Euro
Blue Lagoon entrance and transport 194 Euro
Hostel 82 Euro
Food 243 Euro
Flybus transfer 72 Euro
Miscellaneous 30 Euro

Total cost for two people in Iceland on a budget for 8 days is ±1966 Euro, ±983 Euro per person, ±123 Euro per day.