Iceland Road Trip Planner: Free Itineraries, Maps and Car Rental Tips

Most people who visit Iceland end up in a rental car at some point, and I think that’s the right call. The country is built for it: one ring road, very little traffic, and something worth stopping for every twenty minutes.

I’m Jón Heiðar, editor of Stuck in Iceland. I’ve lived here all my life and written about travel in Iceland since 2012. This page is where I’ve gathered everything I’ve written for people planning a road trip: free itineraries with interactive maps, straight answers on renting a car, and the reader discounts I’ve arranged with Icelandic rental companies.

My one piece of advice before anything else: you are on holiday. Sleep in, drive two to four hours a day, and give each place the time it deserves. You’ll see more that way, not less.

Updated September 2026 · By Jón Heiðar Ragnheiðarson, Reykjavík

Pick your route: free road trip itineraries

These are the plans I give my friends. Each one has a day-by-day itinerary with real driving times, where to sleep, and links that open each day in Google Maps on your phone. The Ring Road, Golden Circle and South Coast plans also have interactive maps where you can tap any stop and read what’s there.

How many days do you need for an Iceland road trip?

This is the question I get most, and the honest answer is: fewer places, more time in each. Here is what I’d do with the days you have.

Don’t pick up a rental car and set off around Iceland after a night flight. Spend the first day in Reykjavík, go for a swim, sleep, and collect the car the next morning. My Keflavík Airport arrival guide explains how.

Should you rent a car in Iceland?

For most people, yes. Public buses between towns are few, and most of the sights are outside towns. With a car you stop when you want, stay as long as you like, and reach the waterfalls and pools the tour buses skip. For two or more people it’s usually cheaper than booking tours every day.

A car isn’t for everyone, though. Book tours instead if:

• you’d rather look out of the window than at the road,
• you’re travelling alone, and the car would cost as much as the tours,
• you’re coming in winter and have never driven on ice,
• you’re staying in Reykjavík, where you can walk everywhere, and a car is mostly a parking problem.

Many people mix the two: a few days in Reykjavík with day tours, then a car for the South Coast. I go through the pros, the cons and the alternatives in detail in should I rent a car in Iceland?

Which vehicle: small car, 4×4, minivan or camper van?

• A small car is fine for two people in summer on the Ring Road, the Golden Circle, the South Coast and Snæfellsnes. It’s the cheapest to rent and to fill up.
• A 4×4 is what I’d take from October to April, with proper winter tyres. It’s required by law on the mountain F-roads into the highlands, which open roughly from late June to September.
• A larger car or minivan makes sense for families and groups of four or more. Count the suitcases, not just the seats. Four adults and four big bags don’t fit in a compact car.
• A camper van rolls transport and a bed into one and can save money in summer. You must sleep at campsites, since overnighting at the roadside isn’t allowed, and most campsites are open from May to September.

Only pay for a 4×4 if your plans call for it. In summer on paved roads, an ordinary car does the job.

Why is car rental in Iceland so expensive, and how do you pay less?

Rental companies here buy their cars for a short, busy summer and have to cover the rest of the year with them. Import costs are high, insurance carries extra cover for gravel and blowing sand that you don’t need in most countries, and fuel is expensive. So the car is often the biggest item on a trip budget. A few things that help:

• Book early for June to August. Prices climb as the fleet fills up.
• Rent from a reputable Icelandic company, even if it costs a little more. I’ve heard too many stories from people who saved a few dollars and then argued for weeks over scratches that were already on the car.
• Pay for the cover that matters here (gravel, sand and ash) and skip what you don’t need. Read the terms, since they differ between companies and change, and ask the company directly if anything is unclear.
• Look at longer rentals. Many companies lower the daily price for a week or more.
• Use a reader discount. I’ve arranged codes with four Icelandic car rental companies and three camper companies, all of which I’d recommend to a friend.

Driving in Iceland: what I tell my friends

Never stop on the road

Not for a photo, not for sheep, not for the northern lights. I once had to swerve at the last second around a car parked in the middle of the road while its passengers photographed a flock of sheep. The roads are narrow, and the shoulders are soft. Use the pull-outs and car parks.

Keep to the speed limit

90 km/h on paved roads, 80 km/h on gravel, 50 km/h in towns and often 30 km/h in residential streets. The limits are low because the roads are narrow. Speed cameras are common, police enforce the limits, and fines are steep.

Single-lane bridges, blind hills and sheep

Single-lane bridges are marked Einbreið brú: slow down, and whoever reaches the bridge first goes first. Blind hills are marked Blindhæð. In summer, sheep wander onto the road without warning, often with lambs on the other side.

Hold the door in the wind

A gust can bend a car door right back on its hinges, and that damage is often not covered by any insurance. Park facing into the wind and hold the door with both hands.

Fuel up at half a tank

Fuel is expensive here. Most stations are self-service and want a card with a PIN, so bring one or buy a prepaid card from the station. Stations are far apart in the East Fjords, on the plateau between Egilsstaðir and Mývatn, and in the south-east. More in how to pay for things in Iceland.

No off-road driving, ever

It’s illegal, the fines are heavy, and the moss you drive over takes decades to grow back. Quite frankly, it’s more pleasant to be fined by the police than to get a dressing-down from an angry farmer.

F-roads and rivers

F-roads are mountain roads for 4×4s only, and some have unbridged river crossings. Rental insurance usually doesn’t cover river crossings or damage to the underside of the car. If you’ve never crossed a river, don’t make your first attempt alone.

Respect road closures

Nobody closes a road for fun. If you ignore a closure and the volunteer rescue teams have to come and get you, you’ve put them at risk too. Check these three every morning:

• umferdin.is for road conditions and closures,
• vedur.is for the weather, especially the wind,
• safetravel.is for alerts and to leave your travel plan.

In an emergency, call 112. More in my guide on staying safe in Iceland.

The tunnel toll in the north

The Vaðlaheiði tunnel just east of Akureyri has a toll that you pay online. Some rental companies handle it for you, so ask yours. In summer, with the roads in good shape, you can take the old Víkurskarð pass instead. The view is pretty good.

Driving in Iceland in winter

From October to April, a road trip here is a different trip. In December you get four to five hours of daylight, roads ice over, and storms can close mountain passes for a day or more. If you go:

• Rent a 4×4 with proper winter tires, studded or certified all-year, and never a car with worn tires,
• Drive only in daylight and plan no more than three hours at the wheel a day,
• Keep a spare day or two, and don’t book non-refundable nights back to back,
• Scrape the windows clear and keep the lights free of snow.

Many winter visitors are better off staying in the south: the Golden Circle and South Coast as far as Jökulsárlón, with ice caves and the Northern Lights thrown in. See Iceland in winter.

Iceland road trip FAQ

Iceland road trip stories

Not everyone who writes for Stuck in Iceland had the road trip they planned, but the best adventures seldom are. Here are the stories from the road.

Written by Jón Heiðar Ragnheiðarson, editor of Stuck in Iceland. I was born in Akureyri and have written about travel in Iceland since 2012. If something on the road has changed, let me know, and I’ll fix it.