There aren’t enough superlatives to describe Iceland and its iconic Ring Road.
Iceland is a place steeped in a thousand years of Nordic history, much of which helped define the culture of Scandinavia and other European regions. It’s a land of wild weather, wonderful and welcoming people, scenery that absolutely blew our socks off, fabulous cuisine, geothermal wonders, and incredible wildlife. And it’s a spotless, progressive country that is consistently ranked high for happiness and quality of life. Visiting Iceland was an indelible experience that rivals our favorite trip to date, last year’s journey through the South Atlantic.
After two nights in the capital city, Reykjavik, we spent the next 18 days driving clockwise around Highway 1, famously known as Iceland’s Ring Road. In this post, we’ll focus on how we managed the journey, with plenty of tips for folks planning their own Icelandic adventure. In an upcoming post, we’ll delve more into everything we loved about this enchanting country.
Because there’s so much to cover here, we thought we’d try a new format: questions and answers.
What’s the best time of year to travel Iceland’s Ring Road, and why did you choose May?
We went in May because we’re not terribly fond of driving in snow and ice, and Iceland’s winters can be brutal – with up to 20 hours of full darkness. By May, the sun was up and shining for all but a few of the wee hours, and it never got completely dark. It played havoc on our sleep, but it meant we had more daylight to see stuff! In our opinion, May has only two cons: A few museums, restaurants, and other attractions were not open yet for the season, and the Northern Lights have usually played out by early April.
We also wanted to get a jump on the peak tourist crowds (June through August) and take advantage of the lower prices of shoulder season. On some days in western and northern Iceland, we would drive for an hour without seeing another car. Most of the attractions were only lightly touristed, and we were only turned away from one restaurant without a reservation.
Did you plan the trip yourselves, or did you use a tour company?
On the recommendation of friends who had done the same a year before, we took the full 18-night self-driving tour of Iceland’s Ring Road with Iceland Tours. The tour company booked the rental car, handled all hotel reservations, and gave us an itinerary with suggestions for what to see in the areas where we’d be on each day. Then they turned us loose to fill the days as we saw fit, as long as we fetched up at the right hotel every evening.
We chose the “Comfort” (mid-range) hotel option because we’re partial to having a private bath. With a couple of exceptions, all of the hotels were outstanding, and all included breakfast. And it was so nice (and a little fascinating) to arrive at a hotel and simply be handed the key to our room without needing to register or show our passports. Iceland Tours had already vouched for us and paved the way!
Most of the hotels on our itinerary can be booked independently. Here are links to our favorites. (Full disclosure: We have an affiliate partnership with Booking.com, but we can personally vouch for these hotels and Booking’s ratings are spot-on.)
In Reykjavik: Hotel Klettur
In Stykkishólmur: Fosshotel Stykkishólmur
In Isafjordur: Hotel Isafjordur
In Egillstaðir: Hotel Valaskjálf
What are the options if a visitor doesn’t have three weeks to spend in Iceland?
It’s entirely possible to drive the entire Ring Road, or portions of it, in less time. Iceland Tours, for example, offers lots of shorter trips and other types of tours. And even if you just have a week, you can see plenty of marvels in and around Reykjavik, including an area called the Golden Circle. Just be aware that, during the tourist season, you’ll be sharing the experience with hordes of other folks, including cruise ship visitors.
How was the weather?
In a word, CRAZY. We started the trip from Reykjavik with near-freezing temperatures and sideways-blowing snow. The temps warmed slightly and the snow stopped, but it was still pretty brisk through the first third of the trip. By the time we reached North Iceland and the city of Akureyri, the country was in the grips of an unprecedented warm spell. At one point, the temperature reached into the low 20s (70s F). The locals were abuzz, since this kind of weather is rarely seen even in the height of summer and NEVER in May. It was unsettling, but glorious nonetheless. Now that we’re home, we especially realize what a gift that was: For several days, most of Iceland has been under a red weather alert, meaning strong winds, torrential rain mixed with snow, and single-digit temps with travel discouraged.
The moral is to prepare for any kind of weather, and pack accordingly. Which brings us to . . .
How did you pack for Iceland’s Ring Road? What clothing was essential, and what would you have left at home?
Layers are a must, since Iceland can be such a mixed bag in springtime. Because we had such weather extremes, we ended up using and wearing almost everything we took (a first for us!). I have a couple of wool base layers that turned out to be perfect for almost all of the weather we encountered, except for the warm spell. We were bundled up with our down jackets and beanies for probably half of the trip. We took winter gloves and scarves but didn’t use them much. When it turned warm, we were both really glad we’d thrown a couple of t-shirts in our suitcases, and we wished we’d had more.
It rains a lot in spring and summer, so a good waterproof jacket or rain poncho, rain pants, and waterproof boots or shoes are essential. I ended up wearing my trusty Keen hiking boots for most of the trip, and I was glad to have them. An umbrella is also a good idea.
Be sure and bring a swimsuit for visiting the thermal baths, although some resorts rent them. Towels are seldom included in the entrance fees (they’re usually available for rent), so we brought our own beach towels.
One thing to note is that Icelanders dress very casually, even in Reykjavik. In most of the restaurants, you’ll feel right at home in hiking pants, boots or running shoes, and a nice sweater. Leave the jeans at home – they won’t keep you warm, and if they get wet, you’ll be sorry.
How was the food?
In a word, scrumptious. We never had a bad restaurant meal in Iceland. The seafood is spectacular, with creative preparations for cod, Arctic char, and local salmon. One of my favorites was gellur, which is actually the muscle located under the tongue of a codfish. When marinated and roasted with lots of spices, it’s tender and delicious! John also reveled in the fresh oysters and local lamb. We did, however, take a pass on two traditional Iceland delicacies, the fermented shark and the boiled sheep’s head! In some restaurants, you’ll also see horse, whale, reindeer, and even puffin on the menu.
Icelandic bread and baked goods are plentiful and delectable. But chicken is scarce on menus, as are SALADS and other green veg. It was a bit surprising, since Icelanders grow a lot of local produce (especially tomatoes) in geothermally heated greenhouses. The paucity of salad became a running joke that’s hung around since we got home. (“Honey, what do you want for breakfast?” “SALAD!”)
One of our favorite dining experiences was in the Westfjords town of Isafjörður at a cozy place called Tjöruhúsið. Housed in a cod warehouse built in 1704, Tjöruhúsið is famous for its fantastic seafood buffet – with many different varieties of fish cooked in an array of creative and delicious sauces. It’s over-the-top delicious and a must if you find yourself in Isafjörður. Just be sure and make a reservation, because there’s only one dinner seating.
We’ve heard Iceland is really expensive. How did you economize on your trip?
Iceland is the most costly country we’ve ever visited. If we were really hungry, we could easily spend well over $100 US on a restaurant meal for both of us. A glass of wine costs upwards of $17, and a draft beer in a microbrew can be up to $12. A cappuccino, $10. And gasoline was a whopping $10.50 a gallon. Note that these are off-season prices; they’re certain to be higher now that Iceland is headed into the peak tourist season.
But there are ways to save money. Here are our tips:
Booking the entire trip through Iceland Tours resulted in big savings compared with what we’d have spent trying to arrange all the hotels and rental car ourselves – not to mention the time savings. Tour companies are able to leverage economies of scale to get discounted prices.
Foodies and relaxation lovers that we are, we prioritized great meals and visits to the thermal spas over the long list of paid activities available along Iceland’s Ring Road. No doubt, there are some amazing experiences: hiking inside a glacier, whale watching, and a lava show (complete with live molten lava) to name a few. But they can be frightfully expensive, some costing upwards of $200 per person! It really comes down to what types of memories you want to make. For us, it was the eye-popping scenery and closeness to nature, which is free!
All of our hotels included a buffet breakfast and sandwich fixings. This being Europe, sliced bread, cheese, and cold cuts were usually available at breakfast. We had bought a jar of dijon mustard, so we’d make a sandwich to split for a picnic lunch later. A couple of the hotels frowned on this and actually posted signs saying not to take food out, but others were really helpful and even offered to wrap our sandwich for us. We always asked permission, of course.
We tried to limit restaurant meals to one a day, and we often shared entrees. Portion sizes are very generous in Iceland.
We brought some packable snacks from home, like nuts, crackers, and Clif Bars. In Iceland, we picked up a few groceries, such as bread, cheese, and fruit (and that mustard) that lasted us almost the entire trip. The lowest grocery prices are in the national supermarket chains like Bónus and Krónan. Avoid the “10-11” convenience stores that charge much higher prices.
The best place to buy alcohol is the duty-free shop at the Keflavik airport, so stock up before you fetch your car. Elsewhere, wine and spirits are only available at the state-run Vínbúðin stores, which are somewhat pricier but are located everywhere, even the smaller towns. Many hotels, bars, and restaurants have generous happy hours.
You won’t need to buy bottled water in Iceland. Bring your refillable bottles! The tap water is some of the best we’ve ever tasted, and it’s completely safe to drink everywhere you go. At almost every restaurant, the server brought over a big glass bottle of water as soon as we sat down.
The thermal spas are not necessarily pricy. One of our biggest splurges was a visit to the Sky Lagoon near Reykjavik (more on that in our next post!). However, the further you get from the capital, the less costly are the spas. Another inexpensive option is to indulge in one of the public thermal pools that can be found in almost every city and town. These won’t have the amenities of the fancy spas, but they’ll offer you a local and cozy experience.
For knitters and crocheters, Iceland is world-renowned for its homegrown wool. If you want to buy some yarn to take home, wait until you’re out of Reykjavik and away from the fancy tourist shops. You’ll find high-quality yarn at a lower price in many grocery stores.
A few more random tips
Iceland is nearly cashless. Almost everywhere, you can make contactless payments with your credit or debit card or your phone or watch using digital wallets like Apple Pay or Google Pay (sometimes you’ll be asked for a pin or signature). In some places, like parking lots at the national parks, “tap to pay” is the only option. We only visited the ATM once and paid with cash only a couple of times.
Don’t rely solely on the tour company’s itinerary. In many areas, we found fantastic sights and attractions that weren’t listed on Iceland Tours’ daily list. We supplemented their suggestions with info from the Lonely Planet and John’s extensive pre-trip research gleaned from other travelers’ blog posts and YouTube videos. With these things saved in Google Maps in advance, it was well worth John’s effort.
Petrol stations can be scarce, so fill up when you see one. This is especially true in the Westfjords. We never let our tank go below half, which meant we were topping off every couple of days or so.
Spend a bit more and rent a hybrid or electric vehicle. Gasoline was one of our biggest expenses on this trip, so if we had a do-over we would rent a hybrid or EV. As a country powered by inexpensive renewable energy, Iceland is committed to someday eliminating gas-powered vehicles. There are charging stations everywhere, and we were surprised at the large number of Teslas (yeah, those) being driven by locals and tourists alike!
Take eye shades if you visit Iceland in the spring or summer. Several of our hotels did not have adequate blackout curtains, which meant we were contending with sunlight streaming through the gaps pretty much through the night. Our eye shades really helped us get a good night’s sleep.
Take “C” or “F” power adapters if you’re coming from North America. Iceland uses standard Europlug outlets with two round prongs.
29 Comments
Great post – thank you as we’re heading to Iceland next month for the second time. The first was in 2013 on our first international trip together when we spent a few days traveling the Golden Circle area before taking the Siberian Express across Russia, then across Mongolia, and China. We’re also doing a self-drive trip around the Ring Road for about the same length of time, before heading to Greenland, and Arctic Canada. We’ve reserved everything independently as we hadn’t heard of an agency that could prebook the rental car and accommodation. Appreciated reading your tips on thermal baths, the grocery stores, bringing snacks, and stocking up at breakfast time, if possible, for a sandwich lunch later. I hope your next posts will arrive in my inbox soon!
That sounds like a fabulous trip, Annie! I’m glad the post is helpful, and you will love the Ring Road. We were constantly on the go, so it wasn’t the most relaxing trip ever – but we saw and experienced so much. I’m trying how to figure out how to encapsulate all that in my next post! Coming soon, I hope 🙂
Wonderful information. I’d love to take our own camper (whichever one that’ll be in the future) to Iceland and explore the country that way as I’m pretty sure we wouldn’t be able to afford it – and do it justice – any other way.
You two are doing really well with amazing “highlight” trips and experiences these years! Almost two in a row. 🙂
Thanks, Liesbet! Hmm, I’m sure there’s a way to ship a camper over to Iceland, maybe from Newfoundland? I have no idea of the cost, however. We saw lots and lots of rental campers and campervans traversing the Ring Road, and it seems like a really cool way to see the country. I’m sure there’s plenty of info out there about how to do such a trip on a budget. Seems like gas would be the biggest expense. Anyway, it would be fantastic if you guys could do it someday. I’ll cross my fingers!
What a wonderful trip! I especially loved the photos of the Lupines. They reminded me of the tall bluebonnets found in Big Bend National Park!
Thank you, Mimi! The lupines in Iceland are so beautiful but different from the Texas bluebonnets – bigger and brawnier. But it was a joy to see them everywhere.
Great trip of Iceland by you two & thanks for your handy tips to make the trip to this costly place reasonably budget-friendly !We too have visited Iceland from 17/05/25 to 22/5/25 and had a great time seeing great places at the same time making the trip quite reasonable in terms of expenditure!If you find time please visit my site for the same dear friends!
Thanks so much, Dhirendra! You have a lovely blog. You saw many things in Iceland that we didn’t see – I guess we’ll add them to the list for next time! I especially liked your post with all the great information about Iceland the country. Thanks for the connection!
I’ve been to Iceland, but I did not do the Ring Road. Rather, I based myself in Reykjavik and took day trips to nearby parts of Iceland; I have not explored eastern Iceland yet. You got good tips on how to navigate the Ring Road, very useful! Should I be brave and try driving it some day, I’ll use your guide! Thanks for sharing 😊
Thanks, Rebecca! As we said, your approach is also a great way to see some of Iceland’s best sights. But with the ring road, it felt like we were really getting off the beaten path sometimes (in a good way). I hope you get to drive it someday!
Thanks, Susan. Hope you are both doing well. Greg and I started our research this year and this helps a lot. Hugs to both of you.
Elisabetta! Great to hear from you. Glad you and Greg are planning a trip to Iceland – you will love it. It was fun to see Gretar in Reykjavik :). Hugs back!
Sounds an incredible experience!
It was!! I checked your blog and it doesn’t look like you’ve been to Iceland yet. Any plans to go?
Not at this stage….but the Northern Lights are absolutely on our wish list….
And ours! Maybe in Norway.
This sounds like yet another epic adventure! I love how you explored all parts of Iceland as that’s the only way to really know a country. The lack of salads would probably drive me crazy too, but not as much as the exorbitantly high prices! However, from your photos, it looks like it’s worth every penny.
Thanks, Bama. Definitely worth every one of the (many) pennies we spent. I think Iceland will be in our psyches forever! And we’ve been making up for lost time and eating salads with every meal 🙂
My goodness. The places you visit. Thanks for taking me along. Cheers, Muriel
Glad you came along, Muriel! Iceland is really special.
I love the Q&A format – very helpful for planning a trip to this amazing country.
Thanks, Hannah! It made the writing easier, too. 🙂
Wow. The first shot and Gulfoss are stunning.
Thanks – and thanks for visiting our blog!
What a wonderful trip! Ring Road is also on our list, so thank you for all these useful tips😊
Christie
What a great trip!
im thinking about planning a trip.
If you dont mind my asking how much was
your tour of 18days?
Judy
nor cal
Hi Judy, and thanks for reading. We don’t give out that type of info, because everyone’s experience is different. If you’re considering using Iceland Tours, they can give you a quote for the hotels and car rental. I don’t know where you live, but depending on your local cost of living, expect to pay a lot more for restaurant meals and gas. Groceries aren’t necessarily more expensive; it depends on where you shop. Good luck on your planning!
Hello John and Susan,
We wanted to thank you for your thorough posts on Iceland – we read them all ahead of my 60th birthday celebration trip!
We loved the soup company and sampled many dishes, which were all delicious! We went in September and also had crazy weather (icy blizzards!), but as a shoulder season there were few crowds except for the most popular tourist locations.
It was a good time to see the northern lights, but sadly we had too much cloud cover. We also missed the puffins by a couple of weeks. Guess we’ll have to go back!
For driving the Ring Road, we took your advice and worked with Iceland Tours to book the rental car and all the hotel reservations. It was really nice to have all that handled for us, and we’d highly recommend this service. Like you, we chose the “Comfort” range and found the hotels clean and adequate. However, toward the end of our trip, we found ourselves longing for more luxury (and a little variety for breakfast), so if we did it again, we might splurge on the “Quality” level for another $40 per person per day.
Love following your adventures!
Thanks so much, Sunny! Glad the posts were helpful. We really enjoyed following along on your trip on Facebook and reliving so many of the sights we loved. It’s funny you mentioned you were ready for a little more luxury by the end of the trip. We had the same experience. But wasn’t it so nice, after a long day of driving, just to walk into the hotel and have them hand you your key? I’m so happy you had a great trip!