This is the ultimate Iceland Road Trip! This tour is designed for you to see and experience all sides of Iceland by traveling around the country in only 9 days and 8 nights with local advice and hot tips in the provided Arctic Road Book. As all our road trips this one not only includes the car, accommodation and the open road but we‘ve fitted different adventures, activities and sightseeing unique to each part of the island for you to experience! You will raft a glacial river, relax in natural hot springs and see the erupting geysers in the south-west of Iceland, walk on the ancient ice of Vatnajökull Glacier in the south-east, visit the small fishing villages that dot the glacial fjords of east Iceland, sail into the North Atlantic ocean in search of the whales and hike up to the highest waterfall in Iceland in the south-west. You’ll also be given the opportunity to explore the volcanic craters of the Mývatn Lake, gobble down the best ice cream in world in Akureyri and be mesmerized by the chatter of puffins and skuas on the Dyrhólaey. This is not even half the story… Iceland awaits your discovery!

The Classic Roundtrip is a 9 days (8 nights) trip around Iceland. You can also choose to go with the express version which is 7 days (6 nights) or extend the time and add some extra days from our selection.

• Day 1: Your adventure begins. The Golden Circle and activity.
• Day 2: South Coast road trippin´. Glaciers, waterfalls, black sands and birds.
• Day 3: Explore Vatnajökull National Park and go glacier hiking on the biggest one in Europe.
• Day 4: Glacier fjords, fishing villages and the lush, green East Iceland.
• Day 5: Hallormsstaður, the road to Mývatn and Mývatn nature baths.
• Day 6: Highlights of the North. Dimmuborgir, Dettifoss, Ásbyrgi and Húsavík whale watching
• Day 7: Town of Akureyri. Explore the charming city center and the local specialties.
• Day 8: Skagafjörður activity day.
• Day 9: Borgarnes to Reykjavik via Hvalfjörður. Visit the highest waterfall in Iceland.

DAY 1: Your adventure begins. The Golden Circle and activity.
Your tour starts early morning at Reykjavik Backpackers collecting the car and travel information. After leaving the city you‘ll visit the Golden Circle, starting with Þingvellir National Park. There you can apparently see the meeting of the tectonic plates of Europe and North America and the site of the Viking parliament before seeking out the Geysir hot spring and the spouting Strokkur. This day includes a choice between three activities, you can go river rafting on the beautiful Hvítá River, snorkeling in the Silfra fissure in Þingvellir or horse riding. The first night you’ll stay in the southwest of the country, strategically located for you plan for the following day.

DAY 2: South Coast road trippin´. Glaciers, waterfalls, black sands and birds.
The second day is dedicated to the famous south coast of Iceland all the way to the Skaftafell National Park. We recommend an early start so you can make good use of the day as there many places to visit on the way to Skaftafell. Make sure you don’t miss Seljalandsfoss and Skógar waterfalls, the black sands and jagged cliffs of Reynisfjara and the island peninsula of Dyrhólaey with its huge population of birds. Not to mention the infamous volcanic glacier of Eyjafjallajökull and its bigger brother Mýrdalsjökull. This drive is one of Reykjavík Backpackers’ favorite road trips in Iceland, great natural beauty and plenty of points of interest. You should arrive in Skaftafell in Vatnajökull national park early evening. The second night you‘ll overnight in the area around Skaftafell national park.

DAY 3: Explore Vatnajökull National Park and go glacier hiking on the biggest one in Europe.
Your third day starts early in Skaftafell National Park with a guided glacier hike on Vatnajökull glacier and sightseeing tour. The activity will last until the afternoon when you‘ll continue to the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon where you’ll go sailing among the ice bergs. For the third night you’ll head over to the area around the small town Höfn í Hornafirði for an overnight.

DAY 4: Glacier fjords, fishing villages and the lush, green East Iceland.
The road from Höfn to Egilsstaðir, the main town in East Iceland, follows the coastline and its deep glacier fjords, dotted with traditional fishing villages and lush countryside. This is a road that seems to have been crafted to fit the phrase “slow travel” so we suggest you take your time and enjoy the views and the open road. Visit Steinasafn Perlu in Stöðvarfjörður, grab a local lunch and maybe take a few minutes to fish of one of the hundreds of piers you will pass, nothing is more Icelandic then fishing and as they say “when in Rome…”. You’ll overnight in the Egilsstaðir area, which is one of very few inland towns in Iceland making their summer nights unusually warm and cozy, a great place to toast the midnight sun with a cold drink.

DAY 5: Hallormsstaður, the road to Mývatn and Mývatn nature baths.
Start the day by visiting Hallormsstaður the largest forest in Iceland that lines the shore of Lögurinn glacier lake. Lagafljótsormurinn, a ferocious dragon or “ormur”  resides in the depths of the lake. Before you head North you go horse riding in the beautiful surroundings in Hallormsstaður. Then continue to the North of Iceland finishing your day in the Húsavík - Mývatn area where you‘ll have a ticket to an evening visit to the Mývatn Nature Baths. 

DAY 6: Highlights of the North. Dimmuborgir, Dettifoss, Ásbyrgi and Húsavík whale watching.
This day is dedicated to the many highlights of the North in the Húsavík - Mývatn region. Those include the lava wonderland of Dimmuborgir, Dettifoss, the most powerfull waterall in Europe, and Ásbyrgi in Vatnajökull national park. In the small town of Húsavík we’ve included an afternoon whale watching tour in old but beautifully restored oak fishing boats. During the night you’ll overnight in the area in or around Akureyri.

DAY 7: Town of Akureyri. Explore the charming city center and the local specialties.
Day seven is spent in the town of Akureyri, the capital of the North. This is great place to relax and enjoy the luxuries of this cozy place in the Eyjafjörður Fjord with towering mountain all around. Here you will find a great public swimming pool, with water slides for the kids and a multitude of hot pots for the grown ups. The main street is lined with great cafés, restaurants and bookstores and there are many good day hikes in the vicinity of the town. If you are a beer enthusiast make sure that a visit to the Kaldi brewery at Árskógssandur is at the top of your list. If you are an ice cream enthusiast then you are also in for treat for your tastebuds as Akureyri has one of the best traditional ice cream parlors at Brynja and very likely the best organic ice cream factory with dozens of flavors, located just outside the town at the Hofland farmhouse.

DAY 8: Skagafjörður ativity day.
Today you‘ll head from Akureyri region over to Skagafjörður where you'll enjoy an exciting day of river rafting. Skagafjörður boasts two of the most visited river rafting rivers in Iceland. There are two difficulty levels of river rafting available. The first river is top class rafting (ranking 4 to 4+) and the second one is a family friendly river with grade 2 to 2+ rapids. After enjoying the outdoors in a refreshing activity you‘ll continue to the Borgarnes area to overnight.

DAY 9: Borgarnes to Reykjavik via Hvalfjörður. Visit the highest waterfall in Iceland.
Today we suggest you explore the Borgarfjordur area before you head to Reykjavik. You can visit for example the great Deildatunguhver hot spring, Reykholt historical center, Hraunfossar and Barnafossar waterfalls. We also recommend the Hvalfjörður Fjord back to Reykjavik, bypassing the tunnel and taking the scenic road along the fjord. The best reason for your detour being that the fjord keeps the hidden secret of Glymur, the highest waterfall in Iceland. Hiking up the slope beside the canyon in which the waterfall hides you‘ll catch some magnificent views of it. After the stop, keep on driving to the capital city, finishing the tour in Reykjavik around dinnertime.