One of many first stuff you may take into consideration when planning a visit to Iceland is whether or not to drive the complete size of the ring street that goes across the complete nation – generally known as Route 1, and to not be confused with the Golden Circle which is near Reykjavik and offers you quick access to some key sights that may be seen in a single day.
To evaluate this, we would have liked to first understand how far it was and the way lengthy it could take. The reply to that query is that Iceland’s complete ring street covers 1,317 kilometres and, in idea, will be pushed in simply 16.5 hours (albeit by continuous driving – however even when sharing the driving, you’ll nonetheless must cease to alter drivers and to re-fuel!). This additionally assumes no site visitors by any means.
Given you could, in idea, comfortably get all the way in which round in simply two normal-but-long days of driving (8-10 hours), this leaves many individuals contemplating how achievable it’s for a circumnavigation of your complete nation by street, significantly if they’re staying within the nation for longer.
So how lengthy do you actually must comply with your complete size of the ring street? The final suggestion that I’ve learn for that is that realistically you could permit not less than 6 days to drive the route in Summer season or not less than 12 days if driving in Winter.
We had simply 8 days – 9 in the event you included the day of our departure however, since we had an early morning flight, it actually was simply 8 days. So, in idea, since we have been visiting in Summer season, we had greater than sufficient time to do a so-called 6-day street journey.
However the increasingly I studied the maps and examined what there’s to see and do alongside the way in which, I critically questioned whether or not 6 days is in any respect reasonable. There are such a lot of pure wonders to see in Iceland that, in the event you have been to drive all the way in which round in simply 6 days, I don’t assume you’ll do any of it justice. Your stops must be hurried and you would need to miss out many issues that you just may in any other case need to see. In brief, it simply wouldn’t be enjoyable, for my part.
Let’s take among the points of interest for example. If you happen to needed to see Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Seashore, which lies on the ring street… are you actually telling me you’d be pleased to cease right here, see it and hop again within the automotive once more 20 minutes later? No, I hope not! You need to take all of it in… admire the view, perhaps wander across the lagoon little, maybe even go on one of many boat rides. You’ll need to wander from the lagoon to the shore and see the big blocks of ice on the seashore, glowing within the sunshine. You may simply spend not less than an hour or two right here, and probably for much longer.
Equally, there are points of interest corresponding to the aircraft wreck which, though thought of to be on the Route 1 ring street, are in all probability a 45-minute stroll away. You in all probability want to permit not less than 2 hours to go to the aircraft wreck, presumably longer relying in your strolling pace and the way lengthy you need to spend there.
Waterfalls corresponding to Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss are the identical. They’re very near the ring street so, in idea, you may hop out of your automotive, take {a photograph} and be in your method… however the place is the enjoyable in that? At Skógafoss, you’ll need to climb the steps to the precise which really takes you alongside a path you may comply with for miles, taking in but extra waterfalls. At Seljandsfoss, you’ll need to comply with the trail that takes you around the again of the waterfall and perhaps even go to the a lot lesser-known and tougher to entry close by waterfall of Gljúfrabúi. All of this takes time, however it’s time properly spent and I’d sooner be doing issues like this than spending most of my time in a automotive.
It’s additionally value mentioning that lots of Iceland’s key points of interest – significantly for first time guests – like within the south and west of the nation. Provided that your journey will little question begin from the south-west, both from Keflavik Airport or Reykjavik, you’ll discover the best focus of points of interest don’t necessitate you driving all the way in which across the nation.
Then there are non-public excursions that you just may like to contemplate – for instance, we did a Katla ice cave tour that took up a complete morning and a snowmobiling tour that took up most of a day. In case your purpose is to get across the nation in only a handful of days, you’re going to should forego a number of these sorts of alternatives.
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And I haven’t even talked about stopping for meals. Wouldn’t you like to cease, sit down and chill out with some Icelandic meals, moderately than simply seize some snacks from a service station and press on? A few of Iceland’s well-known crimson sizzling lava soup, maybe?
In brief, permitting your self extra time to get across the nation, or figuring out your limitations and selecting to not try it in the event you don’t really feel you’ve sufficient days, is an important choice to make. It’s the distinction between have a rushed and frantic keep in Iceland or having a way more leisurely one you could correctly get pleasure from.
Returning to the advice of not less than 6 days to drive the route in Summer season or not less than 12 days to drive it in Winter…. all of it appears far too hectic and rushed to me. I believe it’s extra reasonable to counsel 10-14 days in Summer season and 20-25 days in Winter, and ideally selecting one thing on the latter finish of every of these ranges.
Because of this, since we had simply 8 days, we selected to not try to drive all the way in which round. Sure, it may have been accomplished. However I’m glad we made that call – there was nonetheless a lot for us to see and do within the time we had out there with out driving extreme distances. It’s straightforward to assume that you just’ll see extra by overlaying extra floor, however on this occasion I don’t assume this is able to have been the case.
Have you ever pushed your complete ring street? How lengthy did you allocate and did you are feeling it was sufficient?
Planning a visit to Iceland your self? You’ll be able to watch a video from our journey to Iceland right here:
Disclosure: This submit is sponsored by Icerental 4×4. Our journey to Iceland was additionally sponsored by Helly Hansen.
