8-Day Self-Drive Tour of Iceland's Ring Road with In-Depth South Coast Exploration

Today is all about getting an introduction to some of the most popular attractions in Iceland. The Golden Circle is a collection of must-see attractions that includes the Thingvellir National Park, Gullfoss Waterfall, and the Geysir Geothermal Area. You will start by heading off from your accommodation with the three main attractions in mind.

Thingvellir National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Listed site. This part of the country is beautiful and incredibly important to Icelanders. It was here that the world's first parliament was formed by early settlers around 930 AD.

The Thingvellir area is filled with cliff faces, lava rocks covered in Icelandic moss, and views of distant mountains. It is a great spot to take in some views and learn about the history of this nation. While visiting Thingvellir, you could also choose to go snorkeling in the mesmerizing Silfra fissure. 

This body of water sits in the middle of the point where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates drift apart. The waters of Silfra have been filtered through lava rock for over a century, making them crystal clear. On a snorkeling tour of the fissure, you will see incredible underwater canyons with a visibility of up to 328 feet (100 meters). Participants need to be comfortable in the water and be able to swim.

Another stop is the impressive Gullfoss Waterfall. It is one of the most iconic waterfalls in Iceland. Its name means "Golden Falls," and it sits below the Hvita river canyon. Gullfoss stands at a height of 105 feet (32 meters). Its powerful flow cascades down two levels, creating a mighty spray.

The next attraction on the Golden Circle is the Geysir geothermal area. Geysir perfectly demonstrates the geothermal force that shaped Iceland. This part of the country is filled with hot springs and fumaroles. 

The main attraction that brings people to this area is the explosive geyser Strokkur. Strokkur erupts almost 66 feet (20 meters) into the air every five minutes or so.

If you want to add other attractions to this day on the Golden Circle, check out the Kerid Crater. This volcanic crater is not far from the sites of the Golden Circle. It is a relatively young crater at just 3,000 years old. 

Kerid's colors paint a vivid palette. Its bright red rocks sit beautifully against the deep azure blue waters at the bottom.

Reykjadalur is a steam-filled valley not far from the Golden Circle. This area of Iceland offers rolling hills with eerie steam vents popping out all over and numerous hot pools. 

If you would like some extra thrills on this day, you could add more adventures, considering your freedom to adjust the tour. You could choose to go on a horseback riding tour. The Icelandic horse is a unique species that has been isolated here for over a thousand years. 

They are sturdy, short, and very friendly creatures, making them ideal horses for riders of all abilities. Seeing the Icelandic countryside on horseback is a unique experience.

If you want a bit more adrenaline, you could opt for a snowmobile tour of Langjokull glacier. In this experience, you'll hop on the back of a snowmobile and take off along the snowy expanse of a natural glacier.

The intense feeling of the glacial breeze rushing past you while on a snowmobile is second to none. You will finish your day, retiring to your accommodation in Southwest Iceland.

Today, you will continue your Ring Road adventure and start heading south. The South Coast of Iceland is known for its incredible mountains, glaciers, black sand beaches, waterfalls, and abundant birdlife.

A great first stop along the south coast is Seljalandsfoss waterfall. This waterfall is incredibly popular for visitors to Iceland due to its proximity to the Ring Road and fascinating structure. The water of Seljalandsfoss drops a steep 197 feet (60 meters) in front of a rocky enclave. 

Not far from Seljalandsfoss is an equally enchanting waterfall, Skogafoss. Skogafoss is one of the largest waterfalls in Iceland. It cascades from a height of 197 feet (60 meters) and is up to 82 feet (25 meters) wide. The waters fall onto the almost flat ground creating a terrific mist. On some days, as the light reflects through the falls, visitors have been known to see a double rainbow.

As you continue along the South Coast, you will pass Solheimajokull, an outlet glacier of Myrdalsjokull. If you want some additional adventure today, you can choose to hike this landmark.

On this glacier hike, you will meet your guide, and they'll give you a safety briefing and some gear to take on this icy wonder. You'll receive a helmet, crampons, and an ice ax.

The next stop is Dyrholey, a small peninsula famous for its staggering cliff formations and abundance of birdlife. It is also the southernmost part of mainland Iceland. Here, you will have a great view of the shoreline and opportunities to spot native birds.

Not far from Dyrholey is the Reynisfjara black sand beach. This part of the Icelandic shore is known for its incredible waves crashing against black volcanic sand. On the beach, you'll also spot a cliff face with unusual hexagonal basalt rock columns.

Just offshore from Reynisfjara are the Reynisdrangar rock formations. These natural ocean monoliths point skyward from the sea. 

Further along is the quaint seaside town of Vik. Vik is a great place to stop and stretch your legs. You might want to head to the hilltop church that looks out to sea.

There are some other great activities you can take part in not far from Vik. You could visit the famous DC-3 plane wreck, an American Navy plane that crash-landed on Solheimasandur in 1973. Today, the wreckage makes for incredible pictures.

You could also choose to visit an ice cave. Ice caves are an incredibly unique attraction in Iceland. They form during the regular melt and freeze cycles of glaciers. Ice caves disappear each year, and new ones are created, meaning no two ice caves are the same. 

Inside an ice cave, you will witness what can sometimes look like a crystal palace. Curves and layers of ice marbled with blues, greys, whites, and black volcanic ash create a time capsule of hundreds if not thousands of years into the past.

After an incredible day of sightseeing and adventure, you will retire to your accommodation in South Iceland.

Today is all about exploring more of the South Coast and heading towards the east of Iceland. 

You will begin by traveling through Skaftafell Nature Reserve, which sits in Vatnajokull National Park. If you're feeling particularly adventurous, you could choose to start your day with a morning glacier hike of Skaftafell. This rugged landscape is known for its flora and presents many photography opportunities. 

Skaftafell has many incredible hiking trails featuring easy treks, making it a "hiking paradise." You will then head on to the crown jewel of South Iceland, Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon. This body of water is the deepest lagoon in Iceland, reaching depths of up to 820 feet (250 meters). 

Jokulsarlon fills with the meltwater from a tongue off Vatnajokull glacier, called Breidamerkurjokull. The icy waters are filled with icebergs that have broken off the glacier (a process called ice calving). These massive ice monuments seem to glow in whites and blues as they travel through the lagoon.

When visiting here, you can choose to take a boat trip into the waters of Jokulsarlon. You can take an amphibious boat tour, which will gently slide into the water, allowing you to better understand how this lagoon is formed. 

You might even be lucky to spot some seals playfully swimming or sunning themselves on icebergs. You could also choose to take a zodiac boat tour of the lagoon. A zodiac boat will allow you to get even closer to the massive icebergs of Jokulsarlon to gain a real appreciation of their size.

Next to Jokulsarlon is the famous Diamond Beach. It is a short stretch of shoreline where the lagoon's waters meet the sea. As icebergs are pushed around and melted by the saltwater, some of them rest on the black sands of the beach, giving it a jeweled appearance, hence the name Diamond Beach.

Your next stop is the eastern town of Hofn. This quaint, picturesque fishing town is famous for its lobster. It could be the perfect place to stop for dinner. Many of the restaurants in town offer plenty of menu items that include the town's most precious commodity.

You will then spend the night in Southeast Iceland.

On day six, you will head through the northeastern part of Iceland. This area of the country is well known for impressive waterfalls, sweeping planes, and incredible hot spots of geothermal activity. There are so many places you could visit here, so you will need to pick your favorites.

You might want to make your first stop at Dettifoss waterfall on your way north. Dettifoss is 328 feet (100 meters) wide and drops 141 feet (43 meters). When you stand next to Dettifoss, you can feel its powerful roar. This waterfall is so impressive that director Ridley Scott used it in the opening scene of his 2012 film "Prometheus."

The Lake Myvatn Area is active with a lot of geothermal activity. This region is home to the fourth-largest lake in Iceland, Lake Myvatn. Its name means "Fly Lake" which is a nod to the small flies that are very common here.

If you visit Myvatn, you might want to take a break at the Myvatn Nature Baths. This luxurious facility is often called "The Blue Lagoon of the North."

Other attractions in or near the Lake Myvatn Area include Krafla, a caldera just north of the Lake Myvatn area. It is part of a large volcanic system and one of the country's most explosive volcanoes.

In the Namfjall Geothermal Area, you will see boiling mud pots, fumaroles pouring steam into the air, and sulfur crystals in blues, greens, yellows, and whites.

Another attraction in the Myvatn area is Dimmuborgir. This rock structure is sometimes called "The Black Fortress" because it resembles a medieval castle. In Icelandic folklore, these rocks and the surrounding lava caves are the home to trolls, particularly "Gryla," the mother of the 13 Icelandic Santas.

If you are more inclined to get to the coast, you could head further north towards Husavik. This seaside village is often called the "whale-watching capital of Europe."

If you want to get out into the waters of the north and try to spot some whales, you can choose to go on a whale-watching tour from Husavik. There are two kinds of whale-watching tours you can take part in. 

You could opt for a traditional tour, where you take a standard boat ride out into the bay in search of whales, or you could choose a rib boat tour. You are in a smaller vessel on a rib boat tour, meaning you can get closer to these ocean mammals without disturbing them.

Husavik also presents the opportunity to indulge in the geothermal warmth of Iceland. The Husavik Geosea Baths are completely different from most hot pools in Iceland. They are filled with heated seawater. 

As you go to your final stop for the day, you can see Godafoss, another waterfall that holds a special place in the history of Iceland. In around 1000 AD, the Viking Chieftain threw his pagan idols away into this waterfall to symbolically show that Iceland was adopting Christianity.

By the end of the day, you will arrive in the Capital of the North, Akureyri. Your accommodation is around this area in North Iceland.