Iceland Travel Guide

Iceland is a young island sitting on the mid-Atlantic ridge, and it shows. Glaciers, volcanoes, black sand, geothermal fields and waterfalls sit close enough together that a single day's drive can cover several distinct landscapes. It is also expensive, windy, and changeable enough that a single trip can give you four seasons before lunch. The Ring Road is the obvious framework, but the real highlights are often a short drive off it.

At a glance

Reference facts for planning Iceland.

Capital

Reykjavík

Currency

Icelandic króna (ISK)

Language

Icelandic (English near-universal)

Drives on

the right

Plug type

C/F, 230V

Best time to visit

Where the good months sit, and why.

Months to think twice about: Booking a rigid winter itinerary. Storms close roads and cancel tours regularly, and driving conditions change within an hour. Always build in a spare day around your flight.

Where to go

The places that justify the trip, and the guides we have written for them.

• The Ring Road

  Route 1

  1,332 km around the island, and the single most efficient way to see the country's range in one trip.

  Read the guide

• The highlands

  Central Iceland

  Landmannalaugar and Askja: accessible only in summer and only with a capable vehicle, but unlike anything else in Europe.

• Glacier lagoons

  South coast

  Where icebergs calve off the glacier and drift out to sea. Best in winter light, or at dawn in summer.

• The Westfjords

  Northwest

  The least-visited region, with dramatic fjord roads, seabird cliffs and almost no crowds even in July.

Visas & entry

Iceland is in the Schengen area; most visitors enter visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

• Citizens of the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and many others need no visa for short tourism stays.
• The 90/180 rule applies across the whole Schengen zone, not per country — plan multi-country trips carefully.
• ETIAS, the European travel authorisation, is being phased in for visa-exempt travellers; check whether it applies to your passport at the time you travel.
• Passports should be valid for at least three months beyond your planned departure from Schengen.

Verify requirements with the official Icelandic Directorate of Immigration or your nearest Icelandic embassy.

Daily budget

Rough per-person costs, excluding international flights.

• Car rental and fuel are the big costs. A small 2WD is enough in summer for the Ring Road; highland F-roads require 4WD and are excluded from standard insurance.
• Camping is the single biggest money saver, with campgrounds in almost every town from June to early September.
• Alcohol is expensive — buy duty-free on arrival if you plan to drink.
• Supermarket chains (Bónus, Krónan) are far cheaper than convenience stores, which can be twice the price.

Recommended routes

Three ways to structure a trip, depending on how much time you have.

Getting around

There is no passenger rail in Iceland. You drive, take a bus tour, or fly between Reykjavík and Akureyri. The Ring Road is paved and well maintained, but single-lane bridges, gravel shoulders and sudden wind mean you should check road conditions and weather forecasts every single morning.

Safety & hazards

The weather is the hazard. Wind can tear car doors off; sandstorms in the south strip paint; rivers on highland tracks rise fast. Check the official road and weather services daily, never walk out onto a glacier or into an ice cave without a guide, and stay behind barriers at waterfalls and geothermal areas.

Iceland guides

Long-form guides published for this destination.