Iceland isn’t just a destination it’s a drive, a landscape, a journey across fire, ice, mountains and coastlines. We've explored them multiple times and here are four legendary road-trip routes that show off the best of the island’s diversity.
Explore Iceland’s four most iconic road trip routes: the Ring Road, South Coast, Westfjords, and the epic 4×4 Highland F-Roads. Find the perfect self-drive adventure for your style!
Route 1: The Iceland Ring Road
This is the classic 1,322 km loop around almost the entire country that connects Iceland’s major towns and landscapes.
On this drive you’ll cross glaciers and volcanoes, pass over plains and fjords, and see a wide variety of terrain: coastal cliffs, black-sand beaches, lava fields, glacial rivers, and fjords in the north and west. Because it’s fully paved and accessible even in off seasons you don’t need a 4×4 (in summer at least), making it ideal if you prefer a comfortable, all rounder road trip.
This is Ideal for travellers who are visiting Iceland for the first time since, it's more relaxed and easy going!
Route 2: The South Coast
This stretch of Iceland is like the “highlight reel” waterfalls like Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss, black-sand beaches near Reynisfjara, glacial lagoons, dramatic cliffs, and coastal beauty.Because much of it lies along the Ring Road, it’s an easy inclusion if you do the full loop or you can focus on just the south coast if you’re short on time.Expect a powerful dose of Iceland’s elemental beauty: glaciers, volcano-fed rivers, ocean meets rock.
This is Ideal for travellers who have planned a trip to iceland for less number of days You will witness dramatic landscapes, waterfalls and heartbreaking views of the coast!
Route 3: The Westfjords Way
The Westfjords Way is the wild, remote alternative a route hugging deep fjords, steep mountain fjord roads, and seldom-visited villages.
It’s more rugged, more isolated, and offers a sense of solitude and raw nature that’s very different from the crowds of the Ring Road. Expect quiet fjords, rugged sea cliffs, tiny towns, and old world Icelandic coastal life.Because it’s more remote and less travelled, driving conditions and amenities are more limited but that’s part of the charm. You’ll trade convenience for authenticity, remoteness, and a “back-to-nature” vibe.
Ideal for travellers who enjoy quiet roads, hidden spots, big natural views, and a calm, slow paced trip.
Route 4: The Highlands & 4×4 “F-Road” Routes- Our Favourite Adventure!
This is the wild heart of Iceland the remote interior, highlands, volcanic deserts, steaming hot springs, dramatic mountain plateaus. The roads here are called “F-roads” (mountain tracks), and only 4×4 vehicles are allowed.
These routes can be rough gravel, river crossings, no facilities, unpredictable weather but that’s what makes them epic. Expect raw landscapes, lava deserts, geothermal valleys, glacial rivers, and an extraordinary sense of isolation and freedom.
The highlands are typically open only in summer. Outside that window, many of the F-roads are closed. But during the open months, the Highlands route offers “Iceland as you imagine it in postcards” but almost all to yourself.
Ideal for travellers who love adventure, off-road driving, quiet wild places, big dramatic views, hiking, photography, and being close to untouched nature.
Why the 4×4 High-land Route Is Special (And Why We Love It)
The Highlands feel raw and untouched no busy roads, barely any tourists, just you, the wind, the sky, gravel tracks and endless mountains.Out here, you feel real freedom. You’re not following the usual tourist path; you’re carving your own route through volcanic deserts and otherworldly landscapes.
It’s the kind of place that changes you a little. The bumpy drives, the river crossings, the sudden wide-open views, the quiet geothermal valleys it all feels like stepping into another world.
If you love adventure, surprises, and the true power of nature, the Highlands show Iceland at its wildest and most unforgettable.
