An epic 821-mile journey that offers scenic views of glaciers, volcanoes and black sand beaches has been named the “best” to travel along in 2025.
Iceland’s Ring Road (Route 1) is a picturesque highway that encircles the island, connecting many of the country’s most iconic natural attractions and landscapes.
The incredible roadtrip has been secured the top spot in the list collated by Loney Planet in its book Dream Trips of the World.
Popular among travellers, it offers an unparalleled way to explore Iceland’s diverse geography.
The picturesque journey begins from Reykjavík, the vibrant capital of Iceland that is known for its arts, culture, and culinary scene.
On the way, travellers can enjoy Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss Waterfalls. These are two of Iceland’s most famous waterfalls, located along the southern stretch of the Ring Road. Seljalandsfoss allows visitors to walk behind the cascade.
After visiting the beauitful waterfalls, one can pay a visit to Vík and the Black Sand Beaches. It is located near the village of Vík with its dramatic basalt columns and striking black sands.
A must-see on the southeastern coast, Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon is filled with floating icebergs, offering boat tours and spectacular photo opportunities.
The next place to visit is East Fjords that features tranquil fishing villages, rugged coastlines, and stunning mountain views.
The route also features Akureyri, Iceland’s second-largest city. It is located in the north and is a cultural hub surrounded by picturesque fjords.
Completing the Ring Road typically takes 7-10 days, but it can be done in less time if fewer stops are made.
The best tme to visit is the summer season (June to August) that offers longer daylight hours and better driving conditions. On the other hand, winter (October to March) provides a chance to see the Northern Lights, though road conditions can be challenging.
A rental car or camper van is the most popular choice. For more adventurous travellers, a 4×4 vehicle is ideal for accessing detours and off-the-beaten-path locations.
One person wrote on TripAdvisor forum: “The most unforgettable trip in the world, you can understand why so many films that take place on other planets are filmed in Iceland, wonderful landscapes, breathtaking roads with excellent paving, majestic waterfalls, geysers, sheep, lots of sheep, it has to be on your bucket list.”
A second user said: “Iceland, s Ring road is fantastic,well constructed,and has all the sights to stop off at.If you don’t have a 4×4 and keep off the F-roads you’ll be amazed how good the ring road and all paved(tarmac) roads are here,considering they have big frosts and ice in winter there’s no potholes.
“(Unlike UK) Iceland is a very big surprise much bigger than we imagined! Road circumference is approx 850 miles but in 6 days we drove 1,360 miles and petrol is expensive here at £2 a litre(£9 a gallon).It would be fantastic to bring a motorbike here.And we heard that the speed limits are very strict and speeding fines are huge,but these limits seem to be mostly in the built up areas.The average speed we did in the vast open roads was 100 km so about 55mph.”
