Two weeks on Iceland's Ring Road is the ideal duration — enough time to drive the full 1,332km circuit with significant stops, detours, and unhurried exploration of at least one region beyond the main route. This itinerary includes the full Ring Road, a Snaefellsnes Peninsula detour, Golden Circle d
Two weeks on Iceland's Ring Road is the ideal duration — enough time to drive the full 1,332km circuit with significant stops, detours, and unhurried exploration of at least one region beyond the main route. This itinerary includes the full Ring Road, a Snaefellsnes Peninsula detour, Golden Circle day, and specific highlights in the North and East that a 7-day circuit cannot accommodate.
Days 1-3: Reykjavik, Golden Circle, Blue Lagoon
Day 1: Arrive, drive to Reykjavik. Blue Lagoon if evening flight. Day 2: Golden Circle — Thingvellir, Silfra snorkelling (if booked), Geysir, Gullfoss, Secret Lagoon return. Day 3: Reykjavik city — Settlement Exhibition, National Museum, Hallgrimskirkja, hot pool evening.
Days 4-6: South Coast
Day 4: South Coast east — Seljalandsfoss, Skogafoss, Reynisfjara, Vik overnight. Day 5: Skaftafell glacier hike (morning), Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon (afternoon and evening), Diamond Beach overnight near Jökulsárlón. Day 6: Jökulsárlón at dawn, drive east to Hofn (langoustine dinner).
Days 7-9: East Fjords and North
Day 7: East Fjords Ring Road — Seydisfjordur detour (rainbow street), Petra stone collection, overnight Egilsstadir. Day 8: Drive north via Dettifoss (both viewpoints), Myvatn (Hverfjall crater walk, Dimmuborgir), Hverir geothermal field, overnight Myvatn. Day 9: Krafla volcano, Myvatn Nature Baths morning, Godafoss, Husavik whale watching afternoon (3.5 hours), overnight Husavik or Akureyri.
Days 10-11: Akureyri and West
Day 10: Akureyri city day — botanical garden, art museum, Rub23 dinner. Day 11: Drive west via Vatnsnes Peninsula (Hvitserkur rock formation), Borgarnes (Settlement Centre museum).
Days 12-14: Snaefellsnes and Reykjavik
Day 12: Snaefellsnes full day — Stykkisholmur, Kirkjufell, western tip. Overnight Grundarfjordur. Day 13: Western Snaefellsnes — Snaefellsjokull national park, Djupalonssandur, Arnarstapi, drive to Reykjavik via Búðir church. Day 14: Reykjavik final morning, Blue Lagoon stop if evening departure, Keflavik.
Planning Two-Week Budget
A realistic 14-day Ring Road budget for two people sharing: Flights GBP 400 to GBP 600 (UK return, both people). 4x4 rental 14 days GBP 900 to GBP 1,400. Accommodation (mix of guesthouses and budget hotels, 13 nights): GBP 1,000 to GBP 1,400 total sharing. Fuel approximately 2,500km total: GBP 200 to GBP 250. Activities (glacier hike, whale watching, Myvatn Nature Baths, one fine dining dinner): GBP 500 to GBP 700 total. Food (mix of self-catering and eating out): GBP 50 to GBP 70 per person per day. Total per person: approximately GBP 2,000 to GBP 3,000 for a well-managed 14-day Ring Road including flights.
The two-week Ring Road reward for the additional time investment over a 7-day circuit is substantial. Seven days requires compressed driving days with limited stop time; 14 days allows you to wake early at Jökulsárlón for dawn photography, spend two nights at Mývatn to properly explore the volcanic area, take the Seydisfjordur mountain pass in both directions at different times of day, and sit in the Rub23 restaurant in Akureyri without checking the time. The difference between rushing Iceland and taking Iceland at appropriate pace is the difference between an impressive itinerary ticked and a genuinely transformative journey completed. The Ring Road was made for the second approach.
Planning to drive Iceland’s famous Ring Road? Hire a car through Discover Cars — compare hundreds of rental options, find the best deals, and book with free cancellation.
Looking for the best car rental deals in Iceland? Compare prices from all major rental companies with Northbound — Iceland’s largest car rental comparison site. Free cancellation included.