Highlights of Iceland’s Ring Road

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4.1 . Great
87%
Travel Style: Array Relaxed
Physical Level: Walking or physical activity half to most of day - no carrying equipment. Easy
Lodging Level: Mid-range budget with accommodations ranging from comfortable lodges, guesthouses, and homestays to three star hotels. Value (3*)
8 days
From: $ 2,057 $ 257 / day
Checking price

Overview

Highlights (Bullets)

  • This Icelandic adventure gives you everything you’ll need- a rental car, SIM card, and GPS.
  • Drive the rugged coastline of the East Fjords with their towering mountains and charming fishing villages.
  • Explore the Thingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  • Spot whales, orcas, and more during your Whale Watching Tour!
  • Drive along the South Shore and admire the Seljalandsfoss Waterfall and the black sand beaches around Vik.

Short Description

This vacation has been carefully crafted for a great independent travel experience. This isn’t a bus, group, or tour guide vacation but one where you can set your own pace of discovery every day. However, you’re not alone – if you need any help during your trip, we’ re just a phone call or an email away.

This extremely popular classic circle self-drive vacation gives you the opportunity to visit all of Iceland’s main attractions, in eight days and seven nights! The Ring Road is an 800-mile national route that connects most of the major towns, with many of Iceland’s most popular tourist sites along (or near) the way.

*Please note that this car rental is based on seven 24-hour rental days, starting at the time of rental. If your flight arrives early on day 1 and departs late on day 8, an additional supplement will be necessary unless you choose to return the car in Reykjavik when the 6 day rental is up, and use a departure shuttle transfer instead.

*Must be 23 years of age to rent a car.

Style Self-guided tour
See all the highlights and popular spots on a classic tour.
Itinerary Focus Classic Highlights
Mid-range budget with accommodations ranging from comfortable lodges, guesthouses, and homestays to three star hotels.
Lodging Level Value (3*)
Flight & Transport Inclusions Transport not included
Start City Iceland
End City Iceland

Destinations

Iceland

Attractions & Cities Visited

Akureyri Lake Myvatn

N/A
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Itinerary

Day 1 Welcome to Iceland!

Upon arrival in Reykjavik, pick up your rental car and start your Iceland experience! From Keflavik International Airport we recommend driving the southern coast of the Reykjanes Peninsula towards your first overnight stay.

Reykjanes is a great introduction to Iceland’s unique geology and volcanoes. You’ll see unusual and stunning features around the peninsula, including craters, lava cliffs, fissures, and the Mid-Atlantic ridge itself. You can even walk on a bridge that divides Europe and North America. We also recommend a stroll in the surreal Gunnuhver area where you can view quirky colorful mud pools and steam vents bubbling away. Reykjanes is home to the renowned Blue Lagoon, and you might enjoy the chance to relax in the soothing azure waters. (Important: admission to the Blue Lagoon needs is not included in this package, and needs to be booked separately, in advance).

If traveling in March, April or October: Drive to your hotel in Reykjavik, the colorful capital of Iceland. Overnight in Reykjavik.

(Approximate distance: 30 miles; if stopping in the Reykjanes Peninsula, 55 miles)

If traveling May through September: Drive along the southern coast of the Reykjanes Peninsula to the charming village of Hveragerdi for your overnight. This village is one of the few sites in the world located directly on top of a geothermal area and, because of its many greenhouses heated by hot water from nearby springs, it is often called the “flower village.” There are plenty of outdoor and wellness activities to enjoy here, and several restaurants with a unique local focus. Overnight in Hveragerdi. (Approximate distance: 62 miles, if stopping in the Reykjanes Peninsula, 81 miles)

Please note: check-in for most hotels begins between 2:00pm-4:00pm


Day 2 Thingvellir - Gullfoss - Geysir - the South Coast

Today’s highlights include visits to the natural wonders of the Golden Circle region: Thingvellir National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site and place of great geological and historical interest); as well as the spectacular Gullfoss Waterfall and Geysir Hot Spring area.

Drive along the South Shore, viewing such highlights as the Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss Waterfalls, the black sand beaches around Vik, and Myrdalsjokull Glacier.

Approximate driving distance: 245 miles

Day 3 Kirkjubaejarklaustur - Skaftafell - Jokulsarlon - Hofn

Start the day with a drive through Eldruan, the strange-looking lava field by one of Iceland's most devastating volcanic eruptions. 

Drive through the village of Kirkjubaejarklaustur (site of a medieval convent), and explore Skaftafell National Park, a green oasis nestled below the great Vatnajokull Glacier. Skaftafell is part of Vatnajokull National Park, the largest of its type in Western Europe.

Continue across black sand plains created by glacial activity. Stop at the amazing Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon, a filming location for several Hollywood blockbuster movies. Then head onwards to the charming harbor town Hofn, also known as the lobster capital of northern Europe. Overnight in the Hofn area.

Approximate driving distance: 168 miles

Day 4 Hofn - Djupivogur - Reydarfjordur - Egilsstadir

After breakfast, we suggest you drive along the rugged coastline of the East Fjords with their towering mountains and charming fishing villages. Along the way, you may choose to visit Djupivogur village harbor and its unique egg sculptures, or Petra’s famous stone collection at Stodvarfjrdur. You can then either drive straight through Fagridalur to Egilsstadir or head along the coastal Eastfjords, one of the oldest regions in Iceland, shaped by glaciers during the Ice Age. Although many fjords are uninhabited, each fjord has its own grandeur. The natural harbors in the fjords led to the development of fishing villages that still hang on to a degree of Old-World charm. Overnight in the Eastern Fjords. 

Approximate driving distance: 165 miles

Day 5 Egilsstadir - Dettifoss - Husavik - Myvatn

Travel across the Modrudalsoraefi Highlands, renowned for their stark, untouched beauty, towards Dettifoss, Europe's mightiest waterfall. Then travel through the otherworldly canyon escapes of Northern Vatnajokull National Park. Visit the magnificent horseshoe-shaped canyon, Asbyrgi.

Drive onwards to Tjornes Peninsula and the friendly Husavik fishing port. Overnight in Northeast Iceland.

Approximate driving distance: 171 miles

Day 6 Myvatn - Akureyri/Skagafjordur

Explore and enjoy highlights of the Lake Myvatn area, including the mystical volcanic formations at Dimmuborgir, the pseudo craters at Skutustadir, the colorful sulfurous slopes of Namaskard, and the Hverfjall volcanic area. From there, drive to the Godafoss Waterfall en route to Akureyri, the charming “capital” of North Iceland. Overnight in the Akureyri or Northwest Iceland area.

Approximate driving distance: 100 miles

Day 7 Akureyri - Reykholt - Borgarnes - Hvalfjordur - Reykjavik

Drive through the historical region of Skagafjordur, renowned for horse breeding. You have an option to visit the old farmstead at Glaumbaer, a great example of historical Icelandic turf house architecture. Head across the Holtavorduheidi plateau, entering the Borgarfjordur area. Here you have the option to visit the beautiful Hraunfossar lava falls and Deildartunguhver, Europe’s most powerful hot springs. Near Deildartunguhver is Krauma, the intriguing “fire and ice” geothermal spa that uses water from the springs. Return to Reykjavik in the evening.

Approximate driving distance: 305 miles

Day 8 Depart Iceland

Your Ring Road adventure comes to an end today. At the appropriate time, return to Keflavik International Airport to return your rental car*; or, if you’ve already returned your car, return to the airport by shuttle transfer. 

*Please note that this car rental is based on seven 24-hour rental days, starting at the time of rental. If your flight arrives early on day 1 and departs late on day 7, an additional supplement will be necessary unless you choose to return the car in Reykjavik when the 6 day rental is up, and use a departure shuttle transfer instead.

Availability

Checking price
Price From $ 2,057
Price Per Day: $ 257 per day

18,859 Great Value Vacations Travel Reviews & Ratings

87%
4.1 out of 5 (100+ reviews)
Excellent 9,856
Great 4,428
Average 2,163
Disappointing 1,004
Terrible 1,408
Value
4.1
Guide
4.1
Activities
4.1
Lodging
4.1
Transportation
4.1
Meals
4.1

Highlights of Iceland’s Ring Road

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Company Reviews

Ireland Trip March 2023

4.0
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Value4.0
Guide4.0
Activities4.0
Lodging4.0
Transportation4.0
Meals4.0
The reservations, car rental, and hotel reservations all worked well, with no issues. The additional tickets to attractions also worked well. We really enjoyed our time there and would love to go back one day. The value for the trip was great. Now, on the not-so-great side was that two of the 5 hotels were far off course from the route we wanted to take and were not in synch with the attractions we purchased as an add on. Celtic Ross and Ocean Sands hotels were a bit far removed from our preferred route that we would have liked to have taken and not feel rushed. These two hotels, although nice, were nowhere near any of the attractions and cities we wanted to see (Cork and Galway), but we were forced to adjust our scheduled to hit the attractions and make it to the hotels. This made for a couple of days where we had to drive great distances ,in the rain and in rural Ireland, to make it to the hotels. We made friends from a couple from PA that made the same exact trip to Ireland with GVV and they were unable to see the Cliffs of Moher attraction because they just didn't feel like they could make it due to the extended drive ranges. I called in to GVV home office before we left USA to see if I could adjust the hotel arrangements to make the tour more enjoyable but was immediately told that I could make no adjustments to the itinerary. Hotels in Kilkenny and Limerick were both awesome and right in the heart of the city and easy to get to. The last hotel in Swords was nice because it was close to the airport for final trip back to the airport. So, to make this Ireland trip more enjoyable, the hotels need to be closer to the attraction packages you guys sell so as not force a huge amount of driving to see them and make it to the next hotel. Overall, we loved the Ireland trip. I am surprised they let us Americans jump in a car rental and drive on their opposite side of the roads (left). PS; Wild Kerry Tours did an awesome job as well, but the start point of the tour was a little challenging to find in Killarney.
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Great time in Ireland.

5.0
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Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
Everything was wonderful. Thank ou GVV.

The customer service was horrible

3.0
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Guide3.0
Activities3.0
Lodging3.0
Transportation3.0
Meals3.0
The customer service was horrible. I sent multiple emails, called multiple times and maybe got a response once. Outside of that my trip was good.

Excellent booking, poor quality hotels

3.0
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Value3.0
Guide3.0
Activities3.0
Lodging3.0
Transportation3.0
Meals3.0
Excellent flights to and from Dublin. Some issues with obtaining car insurance at the rental agency (it is required to purchase extra before they release the car to you). Only one out of the 4 hotels was a true 4 star hotel. The rest were closer to 2-2.5.
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Trustworthy and Professional

5.0
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Meals5.0
Every representative was friendly and professional. They were thorough and helpful. I will definitely book with them again!

This was our first time in Ireland

5.0
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Value5.0
Guide5.0
Activities5.0
Lodging5.0
Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
This was our first time in Ireland. We loved the accommodations and everything about Ireland. The itinerary and experiences were exceptional. Our only comment is that there was a lot of driving to the sites and locations. We would definitely recommend the 12 day. We were unable to see some recommended sites because we had to backtrack. We will be booking another vacation through Great Value.
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Details

Flight & Transport Inclusions

Transport not included

Group Size

Independent

Accommodations

Accommodations in hotels listed, or similar:

  • 1 night in Hveragerdi at the Hotel Ork
  • 1 night in Vik at the Vik Icelandair Hotel
  • 1 night in Hofn at the Hofn Hotel Edda
  • 1 night in the East Fjords at the Herad Icelandair Hotel
  • 1 night in the Myvatn area at the Hotel Laxa
  • 1 night in Northwest Iceland at the Hofsstadir Guest House
  • 1 night in Reykjavik at the Grand Hotel

Trip ID#:

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