Iceland Ring Road Self-Drive: The Complete Circle

Today you drive the classic Golden Circle, an easy and spectacular loop from Reykjavik. You stand in Thingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where the Atlantic tectonic plates pull apart in a dramatic rift valley and where the world's oldest parliament was founded in 930. You continue to the Geysir geothermal field to watch Strokkur blast boiling water high into the air, and gaze at the mighty Gullfoss thundering into its canyon. You might add the crater lake of Kerid, the Secret Lagoon hot spring, or a geothermal tomato farm. As the day ends, you return to Reykjavik for a second comfortable night, your route notes guiding you effortlessly. This evening, enjoy the capital's superb restaurants and, in the darker months, watch the skies for the aurora. Rest well, for tomorrow the road heads east along the South Coast.

Today you drive the cinematic South Coast to the village of Vik. You walk behind the curtain of Seljalandsfoss, feel the spray of the broad, powerful Skogafoss, and pass glaciers spilling from the highlands, perhaps walking to the Solheimajokull glacier tongue or visiting the Lava Centre. You reach the black volcanic sands of Reynisfjara, with its towering basalt columns, sea caves and offshore stacks, where Atlantic breakers crash (take great care and stay well back from the powerful sneaker waves), and the pretty seaside village of Vik beneath its green cliffs and red-roofed church. As the day ends, you settle into your hotel near Vik. This evening, enjoy fresh Icelandic lamb or seafood, and watch for the Northern Lights over the black-sand coast in season. Rest well amid the drama of the South Coast.

Today you drive east through some of Iceland's most spectacular scenery. You travel beneath the vast Vatnajokull ice cap, Europe's largest glacier, passing lava fields and the striking Skaftafell nature reserve, where you can walk to the black basalt-columned Svartifoss waterfall or take an optional glacier hike. You reach the sublime Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon, where luminous blue icebergs drift across the still water towards the sea, often with seals among them, and the neighbouring Diamond Beach, where crystal ice glitters on black sand; an optional boat trip weaves among the bergs. As the day ends, you continue to the harbour town of Hofn, famous for its langoustine. This evening, savour fresh seafood beneath the glacier, and watch the skies for the aurora in season. Rest well in the far southeast.

Today you drive north through the beautiful, little-visited Eastfjords. The road winds along a coastline of sheer mountains, quiet coves and tiny fishing villages such as Djupivogur and Faskrudsfjordur, with reindeer sometimes grazing the slopes and seabirds wheeling overhead. You might detour to the pretty village of Seydisfjordur, with its rainbow street and wooden church, framed by waterfalls at the head of its fjord. It is a gentler, more solitary day of great beauty, far from the crowds. As the day ends, you arrive in Egilsstadir, the main town of the east, set beside a long lake said to have its own monster. This evening, enjoy a country dinner and the deep quiet of eastern Iceland, watching the skies for the Northern Lights. Rest well, for tomorrow brings the geothermal wonders of Myvatn.

Today you drive to the geothermal wonderland of Lake Myvatn, one of the strangest and most spectacular corners of Iceland. Along the way you can detour to the mighty Dettifoss, the most powerful waterfall in Europe, thundering through a vast canyon. Around Myvatn you explore the steaming mud pools and fumaroles of Namafjall, the eerie lava pillars and pseudo-craters of the lake shore, the Krafla volcanic area with its warm blue crater lake, and the dark lava labyrinth of Dimmuborgir. You soak in the milky, mineral-rich Myvatn Nature Baths, the north's answer to the Blue Lagoon. As the day ends, you settle into your hotel near the lake, surrounded by volcanic drama. This evening, relax after a wonder-filled day, watching the skies for the aurora. Rest well amid the geothermal marvels of the north.

Today you drive west towards Akureyri, with wonderful stops along the way. You can detour north to Husavik, Europe's whale-watching capital, for a cruise on Skjalfandi bay, where humpbacks, minke and even blue whales feed in summer and the charming harbour and whale museum bring the giants to life. You admire the graceful Godafoss, the Waterfall of the Gods, where legend says an early lawspeaker cast his pagan idols into the falls. You reach Akureyri, the charming capital of the north, set at the head of a long fjord beneath snowy peaks, with its botanical garden, cafes and pretty centre. As the day ends, you settle into the town. This evening, enjoy its restaurants and relaxed northern atmosphere. Rest well, for tomorrow the road heads back towards the west.

Today you drive across the north and west of Iceland, a long and scenic day back towards the capital region. You cross high moorland passes and broad valleys, perhaps pausing at the turf-roofed farm museum of Glaumbaer in the Skagafjordur horse country, at a roadside waterfall, or at the volcanic crater of Grabrok, which you can climb for wide views. The landscapes shift from northern fjords to the green farmland and lava fields of the west. As the day ends, you arrive in Borgarnes, a historic settlement steeped in the Icelandic sagas, on a fjord near the gateway to the Snaefellsnes peninsula. This evening, enjoy a country dinner and, in the settlement centre, learn something of the dramatic saga of Egil Skallagrimsson. Rest well, for tomorrow you explore Iceland in miniature.

Today you explore the Snaefellsnes peninsula, often called Iceland in miniature, before returning to Reykjavik. You drive out along the peninsula beneath the glacier-capped Snaefellsjokull volcano that inspired Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth, photographing the iconic Kirkjufell mountain and its waterfall, strolling black-pebble beaches and dramatic sea cliffs alive with birds, and visiting tiny fishing villages, lava fields and golden coves. The astonishing variety of landscapes packed into one peninsula is a fitting finale. As the day ends, you drive back to colourful Reykjavik and return to the capital, perhaps stopping to soak in a geothermal pool. This evening, celebrate the completion of your great circuit of Iceland with dinner in one of Reykjavik's excellent restaurants. Rest well, having driven all the way around the land of fire and ice.

After a final Icelandic breakfast, perhaps a last stroll along the harbour or some souvenir shopping, you drive back across the lava fields of Reykjanes to Keflavik International Airport, where you return your vehicle for your onward departure. You leave having driven the complete circle of Iceland, the Golden Circle and dramatic South Coast, the sublime Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon, the beautiful Eastfjords, the geothermal wonders of Myvatn and mighty Dettifoss, the whales of Husavik and the charm of Akureyri, and the miniature Iceland of Snaefellsnes. The images stay vivid long after you land, the endless waterfalls, drifting icebergs, steaming mud pools, breaching whales and lonely fjord roads. Circling Iceland by road is one of the world's great adventures, and you depart with the freedom of the open road still in your heart and already dreaming of a return.