Explore/IS/IS/Iceland Ring Road — Route 1 Circumnavigation

ISReykjavik, ISModeratePaved7-day tripMotoVault Pick

Iceland Ring Road — Route 1Circumnavigation.

Distance

1,330 km

Duration

7 days

Climb

8,500 m

Rating

5.0 / 5

678 reviews

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Curated by Rider · Updated Jun 2026

Overview

Iceland Ring Road — Route 1 Circumnavigation.

The ultimate motorcycle adventure: 7 days circling Iceland's entire coast on Route 1 (Hringvegurinn), 1,330km through glaciers, volcanoes, geysers, lava fields, waterfalls, and fjords. No other road on Earth offers this concentration of geological wonders. Ride in June–August for near 24-hour daylight. Cold, wet, and utterly magnificent.

Quick facts

SurfacePaved

Distance1,330 km

Days7

Total climb8,500 m

Fuel stops2 along route

DifficultyModerate

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Day-by-day

7 days, 7 moods.

A suggested split across 7 days with 44 waypoints to discover along the way.

DAY 01

Reykjavik → Selfoss

5 stops

ReykjavikStart · Start in Reykjavik. Rent or collect bike. Gear up — Iceland weather changes every 20 minutes. Layers essential.

Þingvellir National ParkScenic Point · UNESCO site — the rift valley where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet. Iceland's historical parliament site.

Geysir Hot SpringsPhoto Spot · The original geyser. Strokkur erupts every 5–10 minutes to 30m. Give yourself 30 minutes here.

Gullfoss WaterfallPhoto Spot · The 'Golden Falls' — a massive two-tier waterfall on the Hvítá river. Gets loud. Rainbow in the spray on sunny days.

SelfossOvernight · Overnight in Selfoss — south Iceland's largest town. Good guesthouse and restaurant options. Fuel up for Day 2.

DAY 02

Selfoss → Höfn

9 stops

SelfossStart · Early start — long day ahead on the south coast. Check aurora forecast for tonight.

Reviews

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678 verified rides logged on this route.

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DAY 03

Höfn → Egilsstaðir

6 stops

HöfnStart · Morning start into the East Fjords. Some gravel sections possible — check conditions. Scenic but remote.

Stokksnes Peninsula & VestrahornPhoto Spot · The jagged Vestrahorn mountain rises from black sand. Short detour south from Höfn — stunning and worth it.

DjúpivogurRestaurant · Charming small harbour town. Coffee and snack stop at the art installation of 34 stone eggs on the foreshore.

ReyðarfjörðurScenic Point · The longest fjord in Iceland. WWII Allied base here — museum worth a visit. Road hugs the fjord wall.

SeyðisfjörðurScenic Point · Stunning fjord village, accessible via dramatic mountain road with waterfall views. Ferry to Denmark departs from here.

EgilsstaðirOvernight · Overnight in Egilsstaðir — East Iceland's hub. Good supermarket and fuel for the highland roads ahead.

DAY 04

Egilsstaðir → Akureyri

6 stops

EgilsstaðirStart · Day 4 — heading northwest toward the volcanic heartland. Weather often dramatic here.

Dettifoss WaterfallPhoto Spot · Europe's most powerful waterfall by volume. 193 cubic metres per second. The roar is heard before it's seen. Humbling.

Lake MývatnScenic Point · Volcanic lake surrounded by bizarre lava formations, pseudocraters, and boiling mud pots. The Mývatn Nature Baths are the quieter Blue Lagoon.

Námaskarð Geothermal AreaPhoto Spot · Bubbling sulphurous mud pots and steaming fumaroles. Mars-like landscape. Smell is intense — part of the experience.

Goðafoss — Waterfall of the GodsPhoto Spot · Where Iceland's lawmaker threw his Norse idols when adopting Christianity in 1000 AD. Beautiful horseshoe falls.

AkureyriOvernight · Overnight in Akureyri — Iceland's 'second city' and northern capital. Excellent restaurants and coffee culture.

DAY 05

Akureyri → Blönduós

6 stops

AkureyriStart · North Iceland leg — fewer tourists, more genuine rural Iceland. Horse farms, turf farmhouses, wide valleys.

Hólar CathedralScenic Point · Iceland's second bishopric since 1106. The red sandstone cathedral in a wide glacial valley is one of Iceland's oldest religious sites.

Skagafjörður Horse CountryPhoto Spot · The heartland of the Icelandic horse breed. Hundreds of free-roaming horses across the valley. Classic Iceland image.

Glaumbær Turf Farm MuseumScenic Point · Preserved Viking-era turf farmhouse complex. How most Icelanders lived until the 20th century.

HvammstangiFuel Stop · Seal-watching capital of Iceland. Fuel stop on the Vatnsnes Peninsula loop.

BlönduósOvernight · Small north coast town. Practical overnight stop. Limited dining — stock up in Akureyri if you have preferences.

DAY 06

Blönduós → Borgarnes

6 stops

BlönduósStart · West Iceland day. Snæfellsnes Peninsula is a detour but unmissable — often called Iceland in miniature.

Borgarnes — Settlement CentreRestaurant · Excellent interactive museum on Iceland's Viking settlement history. Lunch at the attached café.

Snæfellsjökull GlacierPhoto Spot · The glacier-capped volcano from Jules Verne's 'Journey to the Centre of the Earth'. The road circles below it on the peninsula tip.

Arnarstapi & Djúpalónssandur BeachScenic Point · Basalt arch cliffs at Arnarstapi, then black pebble beach with shipwreck remnants at Djúpalón. Wild, atmospheric, windy.

GrundarfjörðurPhoto Spot · Best view of Kirkjufell — Iceland's most photographed mountain (the 'arrowhead' mountain from Game of Thrones). Worth the timing.

BorgarnesOvernight · Return to Borgarnes for overnight. Good guesthouse options. Hot pot at the community pool is the Icelandic way to end the day.

DAY 07

Borgarnes → Reykjavik — Keflavik Airport Zone

6 stops

BorgarnesStart · Final day. Easy ride south via Reykjavik and the Reykjanes Peninsula.

Þórsmörk Valley ApproachScenic Point · Optional: brief detour toward the famous valley between Eyjafjallajökull (2010 eruption) and Mýrdalsjökull glaciers.

Reykjavik City Ride-ThroughScenic Point · A loop through the capital. Hallgrímskirkja church, the harbour, Laugavegur street. Compact and very walkable.

Reykjanes Peninsula Lava FieldsScenic Point · The Road to the Blue Lagoon crosses a vast, eerie, UNESCO-listed lava field — like riding on the moon.

Blue LagoonScenic Point · End the Ring Road circuit in the most Icelandic way: soak in 38°C geothermal milky-blue water. Book in advance — always full.

Reykjavik — Keflavik Airport ZoneEnd · Return bike to Reykjavik or Keflavik. Ring Road complete. 1,330km of the world's most extraordinary island circumnavigation.