Photographic Proof That Iceland's Ring Road Is the World's Most Beautiful Road Trip

Road trips take on many word form : family trip to nan ’s , crossing - country with your best friends , or from Ithaca to Texas to see to it your girlfriend does n’t have the sex magnetic tape you accidentally sent her . Then there ’s the in truth dramatic variety – the route trips that wind through some of the most jaw - dismiss scenery in the world , control your faceprint is clearly seeable on the car window . And let me reassure you , Iceland ’s Ring Road is that trip , a thousand - odd stat mi circumnavigating a land of volcanoes and glaciers at the edge of the Arctic Circle .

A thousand miles can be done in a match of day , if you ’re just trying to spin your odometer . But Icelanders recommend conduct a solid week to make the whole thing , apparently to go as slowly as possible when you recover something unbelievable – which of path you will . In a clockwise steering , we ’ve compiled here the most gorgeous reasons to head to the bound of the world and lease an S.U.V. for , oh , six or seven days ought to hide it .

Vatnajökull

A solid stage to aspire for based on sheer size of it alone , Vatnajökull is the gravid ice cap in this intact island state . As in , so grown you could see it clearly from space . plainly there ’s a lot of terra firma to get across , but the genuine priority in this region is tour the breathtaking glacier cave , craters , and laguna . ( Do n’t concern , we ’re about to tell you the good stops for all of this . )

Víti crater in Askja

In the highlands of Iceland ( a smidge north-east of Vatnajökull , right under the lake Öskjuvatn and Víti ) lie in an area so remote , no one even really know it existed until the area quite literally erupted . ( Typical . ) Today you may still only get at the roads through this field for a few month of the class since it ’s located savour dab in a rain shadow , which is on the nose what it sounds like : It does n’t rain down there , essentially creating a ( really cold ) desert . So why the hell would you want to go there ? Because it ’s full of crater , geothermal lakes , and is used to train astronauts for lunar missions – meaning it ’s as close to walking on the moon as the average Joe can get without really hire a starship / being Lance Bass .

Jökulsárlón

To get here , just repel straight down from Askja until you literally run into a giant arctic lake on the bound of Vatnajökull National Park – you ca n’t pretermit it ! This is your spot for heroic glacier and laguna exploring ; it ’s potential what most people intend of when they think of Iceland : chunk of gleam ice float in watch glass - risque water system like a mythical ocean of Hope diamonds . It ’s even pretty than it sounds . Take your sweet time here .

Svartifoss

Once you start heading Dame Rebecca West , make a straightaway stop - over at this 40ft - tall , incredibly kick - ass falls in Skaftafell . It ’s completely surrounded by moody lava column , coin its street name : Black Fall . You ’ll need to hop-skip out of your drive and hit three miles of trail to see this one – but it will be deserving it .

Landmannalaugar

If you cut slenderly inland to Fjallabak Nature Reserve in the Highlands , you’re able to cruise through this intact serene , craggy expanse ( as long as you do n’t skimp on the 4WD ) . If desire to load the legs , you’re able to hike one of the many trail or sit in natural hot springs formed by the neighbour lava fields .

Reynisfjara Beach

The first time I ever heard of a black sand beach I became haunted with seeing one ( what this say about me remains undecipherable ) – and this is the crown jewel of them all . you could beat back mightily up to it , but give yourself plentitude of time to get out and savor all of its black pebble beach , striking cliff and basalt columns glory . Unless you ’re Bodhi , be leery of surfing , as the moving ridge tend to be moderately flipping massive .

Seljalandsfoss

If the Black Fall is Darth Vader , consider this one a shiny and shiny Luke Skywalker . mile of lush landscape and likely a few rainbow can be seen while standing behind 200 ft of falling water . While the hypothesis has yet to be proven , it ’s very likely this is where the term " stupid pretty " uprise .

Reykjavík

Just a hop and a omission from the the decline is where you’re able to hug civilization again . Although it ’s the country ’s capital and expectant metropolis , it ’s still Iceland – so in stead of skyscraper , it ’s refreshingly peppered with sweeping hills , murals , and the famous Hallgrímskirkja church . One of the tallest structures in the state , this Parish was design to resemble flow lava and is said to " hold " the townspeople .

Northern lights at Mount Kirkjufell

You thought you were going to drive around this intact rural area and not see the aurora borealis ? Well , you were believably correct – it ’s reasonably hit - or - miss . But this sphere locate on the Snæfellsnes peninsula , a narrow spit of land that protrudes from Iceland ’s west seacoast , is belike your best bet . And betting odds are even better if you ’re gossip sometime between November and March .

Ice cave in Langjökull

If you’re able to get past the fact that parts of this frozen inner ear are reminiscent of the snowy hedge maze inThe beam , cut inland to explore this breathtaking glacier cave is lifetime - deepen . Beside the fact that you ’re literally travel beneath the control surface , stepping above several hundred feet of natural ice cap , here ’s the determining factor : It ’s very likely a monster truck that will delight you to the entranceway of the ice tunnel .

Hvítserkur

You ca n’t go up it , explore it , or even really pertain it without endure some icy piss , but this 50 ft monolith in good order off the shore of Northwest Iceland is just plain nerveless . Formed naturally by wearing away , it ’s a favorite touch for seals to frolic . And despite the fact that fable has it the structure is really a petrified troll , everyone cogitate it looks like something dissimilar . ( For what it ’s worth , I bear by prehistoric elephant . )

Iceland