9-Day Self-Drive Tour around Iceland with Ring Road & Snaefellsnes Peninsula

This nine-day journey is shaped by the land’s rhythm, taking you from Iceland’s celebrated landmarks to the quieter corners many visitors never reach. Your adventure begins in Reykjavík, a lively capital where creativity, history, and daily life meet.

After collecting your rental car, you head straight into the countryside and begin exploring the famous Golden Circle, a route that locals often recommend as the perfect introduction to Iceland’s geology and culture.
At Þingvellir National Park, you stand where Iceland’s first parliament gathered more than a thousand years ago, with rugged cliffs marking the drift between two continents. Nearby, the geyser Strokkur erupts with clockwork regularity, sending hot water high into the air. A short drive away, the mighty Gullfoss tumbles into a deep canyon, showing you the strength behind Iceland’s glacier-fed rivers.

Following the ring road along the South Coast brings you to some of the country’s most photographed wonders. Seljalandsfoss gives you the rare chance to walk behind the falling water, while Skógafoss crashes down from a high cliff that once marked the shoreline. Reynisfjara, with its jet black sands and towering basalt columns, is a dramatic place where the North Atlantic meets volcanic rock. In summer, you may even spot puffins on the nearby cliffs. Farther east, the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon creates a dreamlike scene as icebergs drift slowly toward the sea.

Beyond the lagoon, the landscape shifts once again as you enter the Eastfjords. This region is cherished by locals for its slower pace, narrow fjords, and colourful fishing villages. The drive is peaceful, the mountains tall, and the coastline full of quiet bays where seabirds gather and fishing boats come and go.

In the north, you reach the Lake Mývatn region, one of Iceland’s most geologically active areas. Bubbling mud cauldrons, steam vents, ancient lava formations, and volcanic craters reveal how the island was shaped. A visit to Dettifoss is unforgettable. Its thunderous power can be heard long before you see the waterfall appear between the cliffs. Not far away is Húsavík, a harbour town known for its excellent whale watching and friendly local atmosphere.

Your final major destination is the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. This area contains so many natural features in a single stretch of land! Explore the quiet beaches of Djúpalónssandur, the charming coastal paths between Arnarstapi and Hellnar, and the black church at Búðir surrounded by lava fields. The glacier-topped Snæfellsjökull rises above the landscape and has inspired countless stories, including Jules Verne’s famous tale. Kirkjufell, one of Iceland’s most recognisable mountains, is also found here and is even more striking in person.

What truly sets a self-drive journey apart is the freedom it gives you. You can slow down, take a slight gravel turn to see what lies beyond the next hill, or stop at a hot spring that locals still enjoy. Small cafés, farm stands, hidden viewpoints, and lesser-known waterfalls become part of your route, giving you a taste of how Icelanders experience their own countryside.