Iceland Ring Road & Snæfellsnes: Self-Launched Upgraded Adventure
9 days · Iceland
G Adventures charges £3,100
No-markup version: ~£1,575 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 9-day loop of Iceland's greatest hits — south coast waterfalls, Jökulsárlón icebergs, a guided glacier hike on Vatnajökull, the Golden Circle, and the wild Snæfellsnes Peninsula. Instead of a G Adventures coach group in upgraded hotels, you'll self-drive a small rental car (or use public Strætó buses on the busiest legs), stay in hostels, guesthouses and farm stays along the Ring Road, and book the same self-bookable experiences — glacier hike, lagoon boat ride, geothermal bread tasting — directly via GetYourGuide or with local operators. Realistic backpacker-plus costs land around £1,500–1,700 for 9 days including a share of the car and fuel, versus G Adventures' typically £2,800–3,400pp price tag. All figures are rough estimates for a solo traveller; sharing a car with one other person cuts transport costs significantly.
Day-by-day
Arrive Reykjavík — settle in and soak up the city
Reykjavík
Fly into Keflavík and take the Flybus or Airport Direct shuttle to Reykjavík's BSÍ bus terminal (~£22–30 one way; book online in advance for the cheapest fare). Check into a downtown hostel or guesthouse and spend the afternoon wandering the harbour, Hallgrímskirkja church and the Laugavegur shopping street. Pick up your rental car this evening or first thing tomorrow — booking a small economy car in advance is far cheaper than walk-up rates. Grab a cheap hot dog at Bæjarins Beztu and cook dinner at the hostel to keep costs low.
🚌Flybus/Airport Direct shuttle from Keflavík (~£22–30)
🛏Downtown Reykjavík hostel (dorm or private room in a guesthouse)
- →Hallgrímskirkja church (free entry to nave, small fee for tower)
- →Reykjavík harbour walk
- →Pick up rental car (if collecting today)
Reykjavík to Skaftafell via the south coast waterfalls
Skaftafell
Collect your car early and drive the south coast Route 1. Stop at Seljalandsfoss (walk behind the waterfall — bring a waterproof jacket) and the hidden Gljúfrabúi gorge a few minutes' walk away. Continue to Hveragerði to see the geothermal garden and, if you time it right, buy hot-spring-baked rye bread from a local bakery or the geothermal park. Stop at the LAVA Centre in Hvolsvöllur (~£22) to learn about Iceland's volcanoes, then push on past Vík and the vast lava fields to Skaftafell for the night. Fuel up in Hvolsvöllur or Vík — petrol stations get sparse east of here.
🚌Self-drive rental car, ~380km south coast Route 1
🛏Skaftafell/Höfn guesthouse or farm stay
- →Seljalandsfoss & Gljúfrabúi waterfalls (free)
- →Hveragerði geothermal garden & hot-spring bread tasting
- →LAVA Centre, Hvolsvöllur (~£22)
Jökulsárlón icebergs, Diamond Beach and Svartifoss
Skaftafell
Drive east to Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon to see icebergs calving off Breiðamerkurjökull and drifting to sea — seals often lounge on the floes. Cross the road to Diamond Beach where ice chunks wash up on black sand. Optionally take an amphibian or Zodiac boat ride on the lagoon (~£35–60; book via GetYourGuide in advance in summer). Return to Vatnajökull National Park for the easy 1.5-hour round-trip hike to Svartifoss, the striking basalt-column waterfall. On the way back, stop at the historic turf church at Hof in Öræfi.
🚌Self-drive, ~130km round trip from Skaftafell
🛏Skaftafell/Höfn guesthouse or farm stay
- →Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon (free to visit)
- →Diamond Beach (free)
- →Optional lagoon boat ride (~£35–60)
- →Svartifoss waterfall hike (free)
- →Hof turf church in Öræfi
Glacier hike on Vatnajökull, then black sand at Reynisfjara
Vík
Book a guided glacier hike on the Vatnajökull ice cap from Skaftafell in advance via GetYourGuide or directly with a local operator (e.g. a 3-hour glacier walk, ~£90–110 including crampons and guide). You'll walk on blue ice and see crevasses and ice formations up close — no experience needed but bring sturdy boots and warm layers. After lunch, drive west to Reynisfjara black sand beach near Vík to see the basalt sea stacks and cave (watch for sneaker waves — never turn your back on the ocean). Overnight in Vík.
🚌Self-drive, ~200km west on Route 1
🛏Vík hostel or guesthouse
- →Guided glacier hike on Vatnajökull (~£90–110, pre-book)
- →Reynisfjara black sand beach & basalt columns (free)
Skógar, Skógafoss and the Golden Circle
Selfoss
Start with the Skógar Folk Museum (~£15) to see turf houses and Iceland's history, then walk to Skógafoss — a thundering 60m waterfall with a viewing platform and a staircase up to the top if you have energy. Continue onto the Golden Circle: Gullfoss waterfall (free) and the Geysir geothermal area where Strokkur erupts every ~10 minutes (free). Optionally stop at Secret Lagoon in Flúðir (~£25) for a cheaper, quieter geothermal soak than the Blue Lagoon. Overnight in Selfoss — stock up at the Bónus supermarket for cheap self-catering supplies.
🚌Self-drive, ~180km
🛏Selfoss guesthouse or hostel
- →Skógar Folk Museum (~£15)
- →Skógafoss waterfall (free)
- →Gullfoss waterfall (free)
- →Geysir & Strokkur (free)
- →Optional Secret Lagoon soak (~£25)
Þingvellir, a farm-to-table lunch and on to Snæfellsnes
Snæfellsnes Peninsula
Morning walk in Þingvellir National Park, a UNESCO site where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates pull apart — free to enter, small parking fee (~£5). Drive on to a working farm for a farm-to-table lunch (many farms around Borgarfjörður and Snæfellsnes offer set lunches, ~£25–35; book direct or via a local food tour). Then head west to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula — the 'Iceland in miniature' region of glaciers, lava fields and fishing villages. Settle into a guesthouse in Stykkishólmur or Grundarfjörður.
🚌Self-drive, ~250km
🛏Snæfellsnes guesthouse or farm stay (Stykkishólmur/Grundarfjörður)
- →Þingvellir National Park walk (free, parking ~£5)
- →Farm-to-table lunch (~£25–35)
- →Scenic drive to Snæfellsnes
Full day exploring Snæfellsnes Peninsula
Snæfellsnes Peninsula
Explore Snæfellsjökull National Park — a glacier-capped volcano — plus the dramatic basalt cliffs at Lóndrangar and the black pebble beach at Djúpalónssandur with its shipwreck remains. Visit the tiny black church at Búðir in the middle of a lava field, and photograph Kirkjufell mountain (famous from Game of Thrones) near Grundarfjörður. Seal-spotting at Ytri Tunga beach is a free bonus. Return to your guesthouse for the night.
🚌Self-drive, ~150km local loop
🛏Snæfellsnes guesthouse or farm stay
- →Snæfellsjökull National Park (free)
- →Lóndrangar basalt cliffs (free)
- →Djúpalónssandur black pebble beach (free)
- →Búðir black church (free)
- →Kirkjufell mountain viewpoint (free)
- →Ytri Tunga seal beach (free)
Borgarfjörður waterfalls, Reykholt and back to Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Drive south along the scenic Borgarfjörður fjord, stopping at Hraunfossar and Barnafoss — two very different waterfalls where water streams out of a lava field. Visit the historic village of Reykholt (Snorri Sturluson's old homestead) and the Deildartunguhver hot spring, Europe's highest-flowing hot spring. Optionally soak at Krauma geothermal baths next door (~£28). Drive back to Reykjavík for a final evening — hit a happy hour bar on Laugavegur and a cheap local restaurant.
🚌Self-drive, ~200km; return rental car this evening
🛏Downtown Reykjavík hostel or guesthouse
- →Hraunfossar & Barnafoss waterfalls (free)
- →Reykholt historic village (free)
- →Deildartunguhver hot spring (free)
- →Optional Krauma geothermal baths (~£28)
Reykjavík departure
Reykjavík
Return your rental car if you haven't already, then take the Flybus or Airport Direct shuttle back to Keflavík for your flight home. If you have time, a final wander along the harbour or a cheap breakfast at a bakery before heading out.
🚌Flybus/Airport Direct to Keflavík (~£22–30)
🛏—
- →Final Reykjavík wander
- →Airport shuttle
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,575 | £3,100 |
| Duration | 9 days | 9 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,525 per person (49%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,575
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 & Snæfellsnes: Self-Launched Upgraded Adventure cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,575 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 G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £3,100 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,575 — a saving of roughly £1,525 (49%) 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, hiking, road-trip 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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