Iceland Ring Road Explorer — Self-Launched
9 days · Iceland
Exodus charges £3,675
No-markup version: ~£1,620 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 9-day circuit of Iceland covering the Golden Circle, the volcanic south coast and Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, the glacier-carved Eastern Fjords, the volcanic north around Lake Mývatn and Akureyri, and the wild Snæfellsnes Peninsula. Instead of a guided minibus group tour, you self-drive (or use public buses/Strætó + organised day tours) between budget guesthouses and farm stays, booking each attraction independently — most Icelandic natural wonders are free to visit. Costs are approximate backpacker/budget rates in GBP and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Reykjavik
Reykjavik
Land at Keflavík and take the Flybus or Strætó bus 55 into the city centre (about £22 one-way). Check into a budget hostel or guesthouse near Laugavegur. Spend the afternoon exploring Harpa concert hall and Hallgrímskirkja church (tower entry ~£8) and wander the old harbour. If you land early and want the Blue Lagoon, book a timed ticket in advance (~£60-£75) and pick up a Flybus+ connection. Tonight, pick up a pre-paid Icelandic SIM or eSIM and stock up on groceries at Bónus or Krónan — self-catering is the single biggest money-saver in Iceland.
🚌Flybus or Strætó bus 55 from Keflavík to central Reykjavik (~45-50 min, ~£22)
🛏Budget hostel/guesthouse in central Reykjavik (e.g. Kex Hostel, Hlemmur Square, or similar) — dormitory from ~£35-£45/night
- →Harpa concert hall (free)
- →Hallgrímskirkja church and tower (~£8)
- →Reykjavik old harbour wander (free)
- →Optional: Blue Lagoon timed entry (~£60-£75)
Golden Circle: Þingvellir, Geysir & Gullfoss
Golden Circle / South Iceland
Join a self-booked small-group Golden Circle day tour via GetYourGuide or Reykjavik Excursions (~£60-£80), or if you've hired a car (from ~£55/day), drive it yourself — Þingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss are all free to visit and there's parking (~£5-£7 per site). At Þingvellir walk the Almannagjá rift between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates and see the site of the world's oldest parliament. Watch Strokkur geyser erupt every 5-10 minutes, then marvel at Gullfoss thundering into its 70m canyon. If you're self-driving, end the day with the smaller Gluggafoss before driving east to your guesthouse near Hvolsvöllur or Skógar.
🚌Self-drive (car hire ~£55-£70/day, split if sharing) OR guided Golden Circle minibus day tour (~£60-£80)
🛏Guesthouse or farm stay near Hvolsvöllur/Skógar (e.g. Skógar Guesthouse, Hvolsvöllur hostel) — ~£55-£75/night
- →Þingvellir National Park (free)
- →Geysir geothermal area / Strokkur (free)
- →Gullfoss waterfall (free)
- →Gluggafoss waterfall (free)
South Coast waterfalls to Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon
Skógar – Vík – Jökulsárlón
Continue east past Eyjafjallajökull. Walk the short trail to Kvernufoss and climb the steps beside the 60m Skógafoss. Stop at Dyrhólaey promontory for puffins and Arctic terns (spring/summer), then Reynisfjara black-sand beach and the Reynisdrangar sea stacks near Vík — heed the sneaker-wave warnings. Cross the Mýrdalssandur and Skeiðarársandur flood plains into Vatnajökull National Park and reach Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, where icebergs calve off Europe's largest ice cap. Walk the shore and cross the road to Diamond Beach. Optional zodiac boat ride on the lagoon (~£90-£120) — book ahead via GetYourGuide. Overnight in a guesthouse near Höfn or the lagoon.
🚌Self-drive (~3h 30min total driving) OR South Coast minibus tour to Jökulsárlón (~£95-£120)
🛏Guesthouse near Jökulsárlón/Höfn (e.g. Guesthouse Gerði style options) — ~£75-£90/night
- →Skógafoss and Kvernufoss waterfalls (free)
- →Dyrhólaey promontory (free)
- →Reynisfjara black beach (free)
- →Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon and Diamond Beach (free)
- →Optional: zodiac boat on the lagoon (~£90-£120)
The glacier-carved Eastern Fjords
East Fjords – Egilsstaðir
A scenic driving day (~5h) winding from fjord to fjord, sculpted by glaciers and volcanoes. Pass tiny farms clinging to flat hayfields and stop in the old French cod-fishing town of Fáskrúðsfjörður, whose street signs are still in French and Icelandic. Skrúður Island offshore is a puffin breeding hotspot from mid-April to mid-August. Fuel up at N1 stations en route (petrol is pricey — fill at larger towns). End in Egilsstaðir on the shores of Lake Lagarfljót. If you're on public transport, Strætó bus 56 links the east coast towns, but services are sparse — pre-book and plan around the timetable.
🚌Self-drive (~5h 20min) OR Strætó intercity bus 56 through the East Fjords (sparse, pre-book)
🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Egilsstaðir (e.g. Hótel Valaskjálf-budget alternatives, lakeside guesthouses) — ~£70-£85/night
- →Fáskrúðsfjörður French fishermen's town (free)
- →Skrúður Island puffin viewing (free, from shore)
- →Fjord scenic drives and viewpoints (free)
- →Lake Lagarfljót shoreline (free)
Volcanic north: Stuðlagil Canyon & Dettifoss
Jökuldalur – Dettifoss – Lake Mývatn
Head inland through the stark northeast highlands to Jökuldalur valley and the towering basalt columns of Stuðlagil Canyon — one of Iceland's best recent discoveries, with two viewpoints (park at the east side for the shorter walk). Continue to Möðrudalur, the highest inhabited farm in Iceland at 469m, for a coffee and huge highland views. Then drive to Dettifoss, Europe's most powerful waterfall, plunging into an arid canyon — a 1km walk each way from the car park. Finish at the Námafjall geothermal area (boiling mud pots and sulphur vents), the Skútustaðir pseudocraters, and overnight by Lake Mývatn.
🚌Self-drive (~3h 30min total driving across the highlands) — this leg is hard without a car; some long-distance tours cover it
🛏Guesthouse/hostel by Lake Mývatn (e.g. Sel Hótel or Hótel Laxá budget rooms, Vogar Travel Service) — ~£75-£95/night
- →Stuðlagil Canyon basalt columns (free)
- →Möðrudalur farmstead (free)
- →Dettifoss waterfall (free)
- →Námafjall geothermal area (free)
- →Skútustaðir pseudocraters (free)
Lake Mývatn, Goðafoss & Akureyri
Lake Mývatn – Akureyri
Spend the morning around Lake Mývatn: walk the lava towers and arches of Dimmuborgir, hike up the rim of the huge Hverfjall crater (about an hour round trip), and peer into the Grjótagjá hot-spring cave (made famous by Game of Thrones). Optionally soak at the Mývatn Nature Baths (~£35) — quieter and cheaper than the Blue Lagoon. Then drive to the beautiful Goðafoss 'waterfall of the gods' before reaching Akureyri, northern Iceland's charming capital. The afternoon is free: visit the northernmost botanical garden, the Lutheran church, or book a whale-watching trip (~£80-£100) or the Forest Lagoon hot springs (~£35).
🚌Self-drive (~1h 30min driving) OR local Strætó buses between Mývatn and Akureyri
🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel in Akureyri (e.g. Akureyri Backpackers, Hótel Norðurland budget rooms) — ~£65-£85/night
- →Dimmuborgir lava formations (free)
- →Hverfjall crater hike (free)
- →Grjótagjá cave (free)
- →Goðafoss waterfall (free)
- →Optional: Mývatn Nature Baths (~£35) or Forest Lagoon (~£35)
- →Optional: whale watching from Akureyri (~£80-£100)
Viking longhouse & Icelandic horses on Snæfellsnes
Kolugljúfur – Eiríksstaðir – Stykkishólmur – Lýsuhóll
Leave Akureyri and head west to the Kolugljúfur Canyon waterfalls, named after a legendary giantess. Visit Eiríksstaðir, a reconstructed Viking longhouse built using authentic Viking-era tools and materials, on land once home to Erik the Red and Leif Erikson (entry ~£10). Continue to the picturesque fishing village of Stykkishólmur on the north coast of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, where you can climb the Sugandisey lighthouse hill and look out over Breiðafjörður bay. End the day at Lýsuhóll, a family-run horse farm and guesthouse — meet the famous Icelandic horses and, if you like, book a riding session (~£60-£90).
🚌Self-drive (~4h driving with stops) — public transport is very limited on Snæfellsnes; a car is strongly recommended for this leg
🛏Family-run guesthouse/horse farm at Lýsuhóll or nearby (e.g. Lýsuhóll, Snorrastadir) — ~£80-£100/night
- →Kolugljúfur Canyon waterfalls (free)
- →Eiríksstaðir Viking longhouse museum (~£10)
- →Stykkishólmur fishing village and Sugandisey (free)
- →Meet Icelandic horses at Lýsuhóll (free)
- →Optional: Icelandic horse riding (~£60-£90)
Snæfellsnes Peninsula & return to Reykjavik
Snæfellsnes – Reykjavik
Explore the 'Iceland in miniature' peninsula: the iconic black church at Búðir, the bird-rich sea cliffs at Arnarstapi, and Djúpalónssandur's black basalt beach with its old shipwreck remains and 'lifting stones'. Snæfellsjökull volcano towers overhead — on clear, calm days whales can be spotted from shore. Stop for lunch in Ólafsvík or Hellissandur, then drive back to Reykjavik (~2h 45min via the Hvalfjörður tunnel, toll ~£6). Return your hire car and check back into your Reykjavik hostel for a final night out on Laugavegur.
🚌Self-drive back to Reykjavik (~2h 45min, Hvalfjörður tunnel toll ~£6) OR Snæfellsnes tour bus
🛏Budget hostel/guesthouse in central Reykjavik (e.g. Kex Hostel) — dormitory from ~£35-£45/night
- →Búðir black church (free)
- →Arnarstapi sea cliffs (free)
- →Djúpalónssandur black beach (free)
- →Snæfellsjökull views (free)
- →Final evening in Reykjavik (free)
Departure from Reykjavik
Reykjavik
After breakfast, take the Flybus or Strætó bus 55 back to Keflavík airport for your flight home (~45-50 min, ~£22). If your flight is later, you can squeeze in one last soak at the local Sundhöllin or Laugardalslaug municipal swimming pool (entry ~£8) — a much cheaper alternative to the tourist lagoons.
🚌Flybus or Strætó bus 55 to Keflavík airport (~£22)
🛏N/A (departure day)
- →Optional: Laugardalslaug or Sundhöllin public pool (~£8)
Self-launched vs. Exodus
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Exodus | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,620 | £3,675 |
| Duration | 9 days | 9 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £2,055 per person (56%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Exodus-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,620
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Iceland Ring Road Explorer — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,620 per person for 9 days in Iceland. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Exodus?+
Yes — Exodus charges around £3,675 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,620 — a saving of roughly £2,055 (56%) per person.
How long is the Iceland trip?+
This itinerary runs 9 days, covering 9 day-by-day stops through Iceland.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, culture, hiking trip through Iceland, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
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