7 Days Overlanding Iceland

Iceland's Ring Road is one of the planet's greatest road trips — a 1,322-kilometer loop through a landscape that looks like another world. This seven-day overlanding itinerary takes you from Reykjavik through the Golden Circle's geysers and waterfalls, along the dramatic South Coast to the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, across the remote highlands, and up to the whale-watching capital of Akureyri before looping back. Iceland rewards the adventurous: hike behind Seljalandsfoss waterfall, walk on a glacier at Skaftafell, explore an ice cave inside Vatnajökull (Europe's largest glacier), and soak in hidden hot springs far from the tourist crowds. The country's unique geology — where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates pull apart — creates a landscape of volcanic black sand beaches, steaming geothermal fields, and erupting geysers. Wildlife highlights include puffins nesting on sea cliffs (June-August) and humpback whales breaching in Eyjafjörður. For Northern Lights hunters, September through March offers the best aurora viewing away from Reykjavik's light pollution. Driving in Iceland requires preparation: a 4x4 is essential for highland F-roads, fuel stations can be 200+ km apart, and weather changes in minutes. But that's part of the adventure. This is a country where you can stand between continents, swim in glacier-fed rivers, and watch the sun barely set — all in a single day.