Route 1 is a road trip of roughly 1,322 kilometres. The official tourism guidance says at least seven travel days; this guide deliberately gives it nine-plus nights. It does not include Highland F-roads, and a normal Ring Road label never guarantees that today's weather is safe.
A beautiful route is still a chain of real handovers, surfaces and weather decisions. Plan the exact journey, not the postcard.
Day one — Reykjavík
Collect the vehicle only when rested and able to understand its controls and breakdown procedure.
Reykjavík
Iceland's compact capital, with museums, harbour trips and the main concentration of visitor services.
Central terrain varies from level waterfront stretches to gradients, kerbs and winter ice. Check the exact hotel-to-pick-up route.
Our tip Keep the first day in the city so weather and travel disruption do not consume a fixed road-tour booking.
Plan your visit
- Booking
- Check current opening or operating times, live prices, weather, road conditions and assistance arrangements with the linked official source.
Visitor information checked 20 Jul 2026. Opening and prices can change.
Visiting — good to know
Partial wheelchair access
Routes differ block by block, especially in snow or ice; verify each venue and public-transport stop.
Sensory The centre can be lively at weekends; harbour walks and museums give quieter alternatives.
Access last checked 20 Jul 2026 — always confirm with the venue.
Worth watching
- Travelling to Iceland as a wheelchair user (Reykjavik, Sky Lagoon and Helicopters) Abi Evans
- Disability Adventures in Reykjavik and Southern Iceland Wheelchair Adventures
- Iceland | Snowmobile up a Glacier | Wheelchair Accessible ♿️🏔️ Wheelchair_World_Traveler
More Official site · Venue access information · Wikipedia
Also featured in Iceland
Day two — Borgarnes
Start with a short western leg and a live check of the northern passes.
Borgarnes
A small service town on Route 1 with museums, a pool and supplies before the northern drive.
A real overnight pause reduces pressure on the Reykjavík–Akureyri leg and gives time to reassess weather.
Our tip Check tomorrow's mountain-pass conditions before leaving, not after committing to the road.
Plan your visit
- Booking
- Check current opening or operating times, live prices, weather, road conditions and assistance arrangements with the linked official source.
Visitor information checked 20 Jul 2026. Opening and prices can change.
Visiting — good to know
Partial wheelchair access
Town terrain and individual buildings vary; weather and kerb conditions can change quickly.
Sensory A small, functional town with quieter waterfront space away from Route 1 traffic.
Access last checked 20 Jul 2026 — always confirm with the venue.
Days three and four — Akureyri
Use the northern city for a full rest day rather than passing through.
Akureyri
A compact northern city with gardens, museums, pools and services for a longer reset.
Akureyri is useful as a two-night base, but the city climbs away from the fjord and winter ice changes practical routes.
Our tip Put a low-driving rest day here before the Mývatn and eastern sections.
Plan your visit
- Booking
- Check current opening or operating times, live prices, weather, road conditions and assistance arrangements with the linked official source.
Visitor information checked 20 Jul 2026. Opening and prices can change.
Visiting — good to know
Partial wheelchair access
The centre includes slopes; verify parking, hotel access and the exact route to each venue.
Sensory More urban activity than nearby settlements, with calm gardens and museums available as alternatives.
Access last checked 20 Jul 2026 — always confirm with the venue.
Days five and six — Goðafoss and Mývatn
Make Mývatn a base and choose individual sites by current surface and weather.
Goðafoss
A broad waterfall close to Route 1 between Akureyri and Mývatn.
The two banks and their paths are not interchangeable; choose parking and viewpoint deliberately instead of chasing every angle.
Our tip Ask locally which side has the most suitable current surface and shortest route for your party.
Plan your visit
- Booking
- Check current opening or operating times, live prices, weather, road conditions and assistance arrangements with the linked official source.
Visitor information checked 20 Jul 2026. Opening and prices can change.
Visiting — good to know
Partial wheelchair access
Outdoor paths can be wet, icy and uneven, with gradients and edges near the river.
Sensory Loud water, wind and busy car parks are concentrated close to the main viewpoints.
Access last checked 20 Jul 2026 — always confirm with the venue.
Lake Mývatn
A broad lake district with geothermal areas, wetlands and many separate visitor sites.
Mývatn is a region, not one accessible attraction. Select each bath, crater, boardwalk or viewpoint individually.
Our tip Stay two nights so wind, insects, fatigue or a closed path do not force a rushed circuit.
Plan your visit
- Booking
- Check current opening or operating times, live prices, weather, road conditions and assistance arrangements with the linked official source.
Visitor information checked 20 Jul 2026. Opening and prices can change.
Visiting — good to know
Partial wheelchair access
Surfaces range from built facilities to rough lava and steep crater paths; access must be checked site by site.
Sensory Sulphur smell, midges in summer, wind and geothermal sounds can all be strong.
Access last checked 20 Jul 2026 — always confirm with the venue.
Day seven — Egilsstaðir
Keep the Eastfjords decision flexible and ignore unsuitable seasonal shortcuts.
Egilsstaðir
East Iceland's inland hub, with fuel, accommodation and alternatives when mountain or coastal weather closes in.
Use it as a logistics pause. Detours to fjords, forests or canyons have their own road and path conditions.
Our tip Check the live route before choosing the coast or any seasonal shortcut.
Plan your visit
- Booking
- Check current opening or operating times, live prices, weather, road conditions and assistance arrangements with the linked official source.
Visitor information checked 20 Jul 2026. Opening and prices can change.
Visiting — good to know
Partial wheelchair access
The town itself is practical, while excursions rapidly move onto variable roads and natural surfaces.
Sensory A quieter service town; wind and long drives are often the larger sensory and fatigue factors.
Access last checked 20 Jul 2026 — always confirm with the venue.
Day eight — Höfn
Break the exposed south-east leg before the glacier coast.
Höfn
A harbour town that breaks the long eastern leg before Jökulsárlón and Skaftafell.
The value is the pause: refuel, rest and recheck conditions before the exposed glacier-coast drive.
Our tip Book ahead in peak season; the alternative may be a much longer driving day.
Plan your visit
- Booking
- Check current opening or operating times, live prices, weather, road conditions and assistance arrangements with the linked official source.
Visitor information checked 20 Jul 2026. Opening and prices can change.
Visiting — good to know
Partial wheelchair access
Town and harbour surfaces vary; strong wind can materially affect short outdoor routes.
Sensory A small working harbour town, generally calmer than headline nature stops.
Access last checked 20 Jul 2026 — always confirm with the venue.
Days nine and ten — lagoon and national park
Treat the lagoon shore, any boat and each Skaftafell trail as separate access questions.
Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon
A glacial lagoon beside Route 1, opposite the coast at Diamond Beach.
Parking-area viewpoints and loose shore paths differ. Boat trips introduce separate boarding, seating and weather requirements.
Our tip Stay nearby if possible; it is too far from Reykjavík to treat as a casual Golden Circle add-on.
Plan your visit
- Booking
- Check current opening or operating times, live prices, weather, road conditions and assistance arrangements with the linked official source.
Visitor information checked 20 Jul 2026. Opening and prices can change.
Visiting — good to know
Partial wheelchair access
Firm areas near parking give way to gravel, sand and uneven lagoon edges; boat access must be checked with the operator.
Sensory Wind, cold, vehicle noise and busy viewpoints contrast with the slow movement and quieter sound of the ice.
Access last checked 20 Jul 2026 — always confirm with the venue.
More Official site · Venue access information
Also featured in Iceland
Skaftafell
A visitor area in Vatnajökull National Park with glacier views and a network of paths.
Do not describe Skaftafell as one walk. Ask about current surfaces, distances and gradients for the exact route from the visitor centre.
Our tip Use the visitor centre to select a realistic route on the day rather than relying on a generic trail list.
Plan your visit
- Booking
- Check current opening or operating times, live prices, weather, road conditions and assistance arrangements with the linked official source.
Visitor information checked 20 Jul 2026. Opening and prices can change.
Visiting — good to know
Partial wheelchair access
Paths range from easier approaches near the visitor centre to steep, rough hiking routes; weather and closures alter them.
Sensory A busy visitor hub opens into exposed, quieter landscapes with wind, water and changing light.
Access last checked 20 Jul 2026 — always confirm with the venue.
Day eleven — Vík
Use Vík as the final overnight rather than forcing a late return to the capital.
Vík
A small Route 1 town with food, accommodation and access to nearby coast scenery.
Use the town as a practical pause rather than trying to combine every beach and waterfall into one driving day.
Our tip Choose accommodation for its entrance and parking, not simply its photograph or sea view.
Plan your visit
- Booking
- Check current opening or operating times, live prices, weather, road conditions and assistance arrangements with the linked official source.
Visitor information checked 20 Jul 2026. Opening and prices can change.
Visiting — good to know
Partial wheelchair access
Town routes, parking and building access vary, with wind and ice adding seasonal barriers.
Sensory A small service town that becomes busy around coach stops; quieter periods return between tour waves.
Access last checked 20 Jul 2026 — always confirm with the venue.
More Official site · Venue access information
Also featured in Iceland
Day twelve — Reykjavík
Return with daylight and contingency still available.
Reykjavík
Iceland's compact capital, with museums, harbour trips and the main concentration of visitor services.
Central terrain varies from level waterfront stretches to gradients, kerbs and winter ice. Check the exact hotel-to-pick-up route.
Our tip Keep the first day in the city so weather and travel disruption do not consume a fixed road-tour booking.
Plan your visit
- Booking
- Check current opening or operating times, live prices, weather, road conditions and assistance arrangements with the linked official source.
Visitor information checked 20 Jul 2026. Opening and prices can change.
Visiting — good to know
Partial wheelchair access
Routes differ block by block, especially in snow or ice; verify each venue and public-transport stop.
Sensory The centre can be lively at weekends; harbour walks and museums give quieter alternatives.
Access last checked 20 Jul 2026 — always confirm with the venue.
Worth watching
- Travelling to Iceland as a wheelchair user (Reykjavik, Sky Lagoon and Helicopters) Abi Evans
- Disability Adventures in Reykjavik and Southern Iceland Wheelchair Adventures
- Iceland | Snowmobile up a Glacier | Wheelchair Accessible ♿️🏔️ Wheelchair_World_Traveler
More Official site · Venue access information · Wikipedia
Also featured in Iceland
Before you go
Open every place card for official source links and the recorded terrain or sensory caveats. Recheck live prices, opening or sailing times, road and weather conditions, assistance windows, vehicle access, toilets and the final transfer to accommodation. Natural sites can change with ice, wind, erosion, closures and crowd management.
Keep the pace kind
Leave recovery time after the longest travel legs and keep an indoor or shorter alternative for exposed days. Where an access detail is unknown, ask the operator or site rather than treating silence as confirmation.