Top 10 Attractions on Iceland Route 1 [+10 Extras Nearby]

Route 1 or the Ring Road, is Iceland’s main road. It circles the country so following it (and some of its branches) is the most popular way to go round the island. If you want to make the most of your time here and you only happen to have a week or up to 10 days, driving along Route 1 is a great idea to begin with.

The Ring Road starts and ends in the capital – Reykjavik. As you plan your trip you may want to schedule a day or two to look around the capital city. You can easily throw in some nice places to see near Reykjavik, but not quite on Route 1. These are the so-called Golden Circle, the area around Grindavik (Reykjanes peninsula) and the Snaefellsnes peninsula. Things that require more effort, more time and a longer detour from Route 1 are Westfjords and – accessible only in summer – the Icelandic interior. All these places and activities are described for you in separate articles.

If you like it better, all these places are also covered in two videos on our YouTube channel. The original voice over is in Polish, but they are both subtitled in English. The first one is right here below and the other one you’ll find further down (and on the YT channel). They say that a video is worth a thousand images 😉 so we invite you warmly to watch these.

Video: Top 10 Places to See on the Ring Road in Iceland.

And here’s the map of all these top spots. Places from the Golden Circle, Westfjords and Snaefellsnes are also marked there. You can save the map in your Google profile by clicking it first to activate it and then clicking again on the small star to the right of the map’s title. This way you can access it later at any moment by going to Google Maps > Your Places > Maps

Map: Top 10 Attractions on Route 1, Iceland.

Map: Top 10 Attractions on Route 1 [+ extras].

You can also go to the list of all articles on the attractions of Route 1: Things to see on Route 1.

Myvatn area

Myvatn (in Icelandic: lake of flies) is located in the north-east of the country and is the fourth largest lake in Iceland. It is home to many bird species and it can surprise visitors with peculiar water color. But it is not the lake itself that is the main attraction here. What’s even more interesting are the plentiful exciting geological sites in the area. Many of them are unique on a global scale!

Most of these attractions are on the eastern shore of lake Myvatn, however, some can be found on its northern and southern shores. Some of the major ones include pseudocraters (rootless cones) Skutustadagigar, a huge, peculiar lava field Dimmuborgir, called the Dark Fortress; a tuff crater/volcano Hverfjall; a crater Krafla and lava field called Leirhnjukur as well as the geothermal area of Namafjall Hverir. All this is complete with the second largest – after Blue lagoon – geothermal pool complex in Iceland – Myvatn Nature Baths.

The Myvatn area is an absolute must-see. Read more on its history and interesting sites: Geology of Myvatn.

Jökulsárlón and the Diamond Beach

Jokulsarlon

Jökulsárlón lake, (in Icelandic: a glacial lagoon), is a true gem. It is a place where a glacier meets a lagoon and small icebergs “tear away” from it (the glacier is calving) and through a narrow pass got into the ocean. On the way these small icebergs melt and crack allowing the waves to take these smaller pieces of ice to the Diamond Beach – right on the opposite side of the road and the pass. The way the sun reflects off these crystalline chunks of ice scattered around black volcanic sand creates a truly enchanting landscape.

Read more about this magical place: Jokulsarlon lagoon and the Diamond Beach.

Reykjadalur hot river

Reykjadalur

Reykjadalur (Steam or Smokey Valley) is full of hot springs and boiling mud. It is surprising that the place is often overlooked in trip plans and guides. And it is totally worth seeing, not least because of the hot stream flowing through it. A nice dip in a natural mountain creek with invigorating fresh air around you is a must-experience on your trip to Iceland.

See the detailed article here: Reykjadalur – a hot dip in a mountain stream.

Seljalandsfoss waterfall

Seljalandsfoss

Seljalandsfoss is just over 60 meters tall, so the size in not what makes it special. However, it is one of the very few waterfalls that offers you a peek behind the water curtain, where lies a big cavern that is easily accessible as long as there’s no ice. Please don’t forget your waterproof gear though because the “spray” can be quite wet. There is another nice waterfall nearby – Gljúfrabúi. Read about all these sites in the article here Seljalandsfoss and Gljufrabui – two beauties.

Black beaches and cliffs around Vik

The vew from Dyrholay

Vik and Myrdal is the southernmost town of the main island of Iceland. Its biggest attractions include Reynisfjara and Kirkjufjara beaches, Dyrhólaey peninsula the view they offer of amazing oceanic rock – Reynisdrangar. The vista (in season) comes with colonies of incredibly cute puffins.

A bit farther away, but still close, you can find “Yoda’s cave” (Hjorleifshofdi), a DC-10 plane wreck on Solheimasandur beach, Solheimajokull glacier and Thakgil canyon (though this takes a longer detour and it is not really on Route 1.).

You can learn more about all the attractions of the area from these articles: Vik and nearby attractions

Skaftafell Nature Reserve

Svartifoss with basalt columns

Skaftafell is a wilderness reserve in southeastern part of Iceland and belongs to the Vatnajökull National Park. Skaftafell’s major attractions include waterfalls – the beautiful Svartifoss framed by basalt columns and the tallest Morsarfoss (230 m). Svartifoss is rather easy to reach on foot and you can admire it up close. However, the trail to Morsarfoss is longer and you still see it from afar (and even reaching that place takes a few hours).
While visiting Skaftafell you absolutely need to go to the Svínafellsjökull glacier (you can even walk on top of it for a little bit) and the remnants of Skeiðará bridge, destroyed by the flood that was caused by a nearby volcanic eruption.

Find out more about all the tourist attractions in the area and very nice hiking trails you can follow: Svartifoss –a waterfall in the Skaftafell nature reserve

Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon (aka Justin Bieber’s)

Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon is often, and wrongly, forgotten and overlooked by various guides. It is over 1 km long and 100 m wide and offers one of the most picturesque vistas on the whole island. What you see both from the top and the bottom is truly breathtaking, so do consider it while planning your trip. To get there you need to take a detour of some 3 km on a gravel road.

T
he canyon has been attracting significantly more tourists since it was featured in Justin Bieber’s video for “I’ll show you” and has been since called the “Justin Bieber Canyon”.

Víðimýrarkirkja church

Cemetery behind Vidimyrarkirkja church

A historic building of the church in Víðimýri is one of the few traditional Icelandic churches preserved to this day. Its special feature is the turf roof, mostly covered in grass. The church is located in northern Iceland and dates back to 1834. It is maintained by the National Museum of Iceland. Its original structure has been fully preserved, which makes it one of the most valuable exhibits of 19th century Icelandic architecture.

Skógafoss waterfall

Another top waterfall on Route 1 is Skógafoss. It is a perfect combination of impressive (though not the largest) size, beautiful shape and great location. There are metal steps that lead to the top of the waterfall. The view of the surrounding area and tumbling water is truly amazing and something you will long remember.

Sólheimajökull glacier

Hikers on Solheimajokull

The last amazing attraction at Route 1 is a close encounter with the icy part of “The Island of Fire and Ice” – the Sólheimajökull glacier.

Sólheimajökull is a part, or a tongue, or a larger glacier – the Mýrdalsjökull. It is on the Iceland South Coast and the nearby parking lot is about 30 km (20 mi) northwest of the town of Vik.

While there’s plenty of glacier tongues you can see on the South Coast and some of them have a parking lot right next to the tongue’s end (like Svínafellsjökull or Skaftafellsjökull), it is very dangerous to walk on the glacier without extensive experience and proper gear. And so those other places are nice to see, but if you want to get on a tour and actually walk the glacier (and do so safely), you’re best off at Sólheimajökull.

Professional guides lead 3-hour hikes to the Sólheimajökull year-round and it is certainly the best chance to see – or rather: meet – the might of a glacier. A glacier might not look like much from afar, but once you’re on it, it’s an unforgettable experience.

You can book your tour here: Solheimajokull 3-Hours Glacier Hike. It’s about $110 per person and all the necessary gear (and some training) is included.

Extra: Top 10 attractions close to Route 1:

If you have a bit more time to explore and can afford to stop or take a detour, here are the most interesting additional places to see once you are on the Ring Road.

As you’ll notice, some of the places on this part of the list are not individual points of interest, but rather larger areas, full of attractions. We place them at the end of the list exactly because they are not individual spots to see, but rather require a 1, 2 or maybe even a 3-day detour to visit all the interesting places there. You still want to consider them for your trip.

And again – if you’d rather watch it, then read it, or if you’re interested in seeing more about them, there’s a dedicated video on our YT channel which we link below. It’s Polish audio, but subtitled in English – shouldn’t give you issues.

Video: 10 Top Most Important Places NEARBY Route 1 in Iceland.

Húsavík – whale watching cruise

Husavik port

If you find yourself in northern Iceland, whale watching is a must. A boat trip to see the whales is a rare and unique occasion to admire these enormous and majestic creatures. The port in Húsavík, which is the starting point of whale watching cruises, is about 50 km north from Route 1.

Whale watching cruises in Iceland – how, where, when and how much

Glymur – a trek to Iceland’s second tallest waterfall

Glymur waterfall

Glymur is Iceland’s second tallest waterfall and the tallest one you can see up close quite easily (which is really impressive!). The hike takes you through rivers, there are some uphill sections and a bit of rock climbing. You get to see breathtaking landscapes the whole length of the hike, which is highly motivating.

The parking lot at the start of the trail is fairly close to Route 1, but the whole hike takes about 4 hours, so a good part of the day is consumed. This can be perfectly combined with visiting the Kalmanstunga region, as described further down.

Dettifoss waterfall

Dettifoss waterfall

Dettifoss is one of the most “energy-rich” waterfalls in Europe. The mass of its tumbling water is unimaginable, so being able to see this wonder with your own eyes leaves a big impression. Dettifoss is also unique for its greyish water that contains a lot of dust. Learn more here: Dettifoss – Iceland’s most powerful waterfall.

Dettifoss usually carries murky, greish water, as it’s power and speed picks up a lot of sand from the river bed, so that’s not very pleasing to the eye. You can however see it from both sides – east and west – and compare the views. And when you go from one to the other you can stop on your way to visit the Asbyrgi canyon – a hugely interesting place up north.

Hafrahvammagljúfur canyon

Hafrahvammagljufur

To get here one needs to turn off Route 1 and go nearly 100 km inland. But the road that takes you there is asphalt and you don’t need a 4×4 at all. It is the most massive canyon in Iceland, in the east. Read this article for more information, including the power plant on top of the canyon: Hafrahvammagljúfur – massive and beautiful canyon in eastern Iceland.

Interestingly – it is one of the canyons that support a nearby, largest in Iceland, hydroelectric power plant. It’s surprising design and somewhat intimidating scale are worth seeing too.

Puffin colony at Hafnarholmi

Hafnarholmi is a tiny peninsula just off the harbor of Borgarfjordur Eystri, in the Eastern Iceland. It’s claim to fame is a large puffin colony, which chose this as their home ground. The birds are not only numerous, but also can be seen from a very close distance, which is not always the case in other puffin top spots. Some tourists even claim that this is THE #1 place to visit puffins on Iceland.

You can expect the colony to be here from mid April to late August.

Haifoss waterfall

Haifoss waterfall

Haifoss is not far from the Hekla volcano and is over 120 m tall, which makes it one of Iceland’s tallest waterfalls. To see it you need to go off Route 1 and drive some 2-3 km on gravel (a rather steep section), but only motorhomes can have a difficulty reaching the parking lot at the top. Haifoss – a beauty of a waterfall off the beaten track.

Alternatively you can park near Gjain and hike on a mostly flat land all the way to the foot of the waterfall.

Snaefellsnes peninsula

Kirkjufell mountain

Nicknamed “miniature Iceland”, Snaefellsnes peninsula is situated in the west of the country, north of Reykjavik. This rather small region is full of exciting places to visit, so it makes sense to plan some time there, even 2 to 3 days. One of its top sights is the mountain called Kirkjufell; the delightful black church Budakirkja; the black beach of Djupalonssandur; the Julius Verne cave Vatnshellir; the seal colony Ytri Tunga; the enchanting rocks of Arnarstapi; the huge rock crevice (canyon?) called Raudfeldsgja and many, many more.
For all articles about Snaefellsnes and its attractions go here: The greatest attractions of Snaefellsnes.

Kalmanstunga region

Vidgelmir Cave

This region is right next to Route 1 in western Iceland. if you have an extra day it can be used nicely to see some interesting places in the area, especially: Grábrók crater, Deildartunguhver (the largest geothermal spring in Iceland), Surtshellir and Víðgelmir – the longest Icelandic lava caves, Krauma Spa, as well as Barnafoss and Hraunfossar waterfalls. See all the articles about Reykholt and its attractions.

You can book a tour around that area here: Lava Cave & Geothermal Adventure.

Westfjords peninsula

Latrabjarg

Westfjords peninsula is commonly admired for its breathtaking views. Iceland’s austerity combined with its unquestionable beauty hits you full on in this place. When you go to Westfjords, don’t forget to visit such places as Hornstrandir reserve (where you can encounter arctic foxes), 400-meter-tall cliffs of Látrabjarg (home to massive puffin colonies) and the powerful Dynjandi waterfall. What to see in Westfjords.

Vestmannaeyjar archipelago

Eldfell volcano

This archipelago sits 9 km from Iceland’s souther coast. One of its many exciting sites is Eldfell – the world’s youngest volcano. These islands also have the world’s largest puffin colony. The archipelago includes an island called Surtsey – one of the youngest ones in the world – that was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For more information, see this article: Vestmannaeyjar – an archipelago off the south coast of Iceland.