14-Day Northern Lights Winter Self-Drive Tour of the Complete Ring Road with Snaefellsnes Peninsula

Your fourth day in Iceland allows you to explore the beautiful town of Akureyri, the central hub for commerce and tourism in North Iceland.

Akureyri is a gateway to adventure in the northern region, surrounded by awe-inspiring natural beauty. The town's charming streets are lined with colorful houses, boutique shops, and cozy cafes, inviting visitors to explore and immerse themselves in its welcoming atmosphere.

While in town, stroll around the remarkable landmarks Akureyri offers. Akureyri church, in particular, is a sight to behold, gracing the town's skyline and offering panoramic views of the surrounding landscapes.

Akureyri warrants a day's exploration with its wealth of architectural and cultural sites. After all, it's the largest settlement outside the greater Reykjavik area. Those interested in Icelandic history will find museums, those who love art will discover galleries and public artworks, and those who love shopping will find many boutiques.

Even if you love nature, you'll find many things to do in the town. If you're into flowers and botany, you can discover the world's northernmost botanical gardens, with its array of arctic plants, which are lovely in winter and summer. The dim-lit paths offer a dark spot in the town, making it an ideal evening location for northern lights spotting.

Animal lovers are encouraged to opt for a whale-watching tour from the harbor to see humpback whales, white-beaked dolphins, and harbor porpoises. The lucky ones may also see blue whales, fin whales, and orcas. Akureyri's location by the coast of Eyjafjordur fjord, the longest fjord in Iceland, makes it an excellent base for spotting the sea's gentle giants.

Of course, as you have your car, you can use your day to explore the nature around the town. You'll stay in cozy North Iceland accommodation tonight.

On day five of your winter tour in Iceland, you'll head east along the Ring Road, continuing in your clockwise direction. Your destination is Lake Myvatn, one of the largest lakes in the land of fire and ice.

After a morning stroll and breakfast in Akureyri, you're ready to hit the road again for a day full of sightseeing adventures. 

The first site you'll come to is a beautiful waterfall called Godafoss, often garbed in ice and snow over the high winter. Besides a breathtaking cascade with a width of 98 feet (30 meters), Godafoss boasts a deep history. According to local stories, a chieftain discarded the Norse gods' statues into the falls upon converting to Christianity, hence its name, "Waterfall of the Gods."

After enjoying the site, you'll move into the Lake Myvatn area. Lake Myvatn is a lake and swamplands known for its unique and beautiful geological features and otherworldly surroundings.

Unlike most lakes in Iceland, Myvatn is unusually shallow, with an average depth of only eight feet (2.5 meters). However, it is vast and covers an area of 14 square miles (37 square kilometers).

The area around Myvatn lake is packed with exciting destinations. These include the Viti crater, the Dimmuborgir lava fortress, and the Grjotagja hot spring cave. The HBO show Game of Thrones used the last two features as a setting in some of their episodes.

As you're a few days into your travels, you'll undoubtedly want to relax in some of Iceland's beautiful geothermally heated waters. You can do this by adding a visit to the Myvatn Nature Baths, which are in a serene location by the lakes, as you reserve your holiday.

You'll retire for the night in your North Iceland accommodation. Like each night of your trip, you'll have another shot at seeing the northern lights.

On your sixth day, you'll enjoy more of the sites of the north, focusing on the waterfalls within the Jokulsargljufur canyon in the northern part of the Vatnajokull National Park.

If you want more time around the lake, you can spend the early morning visiting more features of Myvatn. For example, Skutustadagigar is a fascinating area with its large pseudo-craters covered in snow during winter. These geological features are unique because they are rootless landforms.

During summer, many birds nest in these craters and the surrounding lake. Some birds remain even during the snowy season as the lake doesn't freeze completely.

From Myvatn, you'll slowly drive northeast to reach the region's hidden gems. If you want a break from driving or a more thrilling experience, you can take a super jeep tour to these sites, as not all are accessible to standard vehicles during winter. A second optional tour is a dog-sledding ride over the strange and alien landscapes.

The most notable of the area's waterfalls is the most powerful in Europe, Dettifoss, which falls from over 66 feet (20 meters), with a width of over 328 feet (100 meters). This impressive landmark was used as the backdrop in the first scene of the movie Prometheus by Ridley Scott.

As the most powerful waterfall in Europe, Dettifoss is breathtaking to see up close, especially when its sides are covered in snow and ice during winter.

Dettifoss, however, is not the only waterfall in the valley. Just a little upstream is Selfoss, while downstream is Hafragilsfoss. While not quite as awe-inspiring as their giant middle neighbor, both are more than worth visiting if the roads are clear and passable.

You'll stay another night in North Iceland.

Moving on from the diverse north, you'll begin your exploration of the spectacular Eastfjords on the seventh day of your winter self-drive tour in Iceland.

Due to its distance from Reykjavik, the Eastfjords is one of the least visited and, thus, least crowded parts of Iceland. This, however, says nothing of the unbelievable beauty found here. The remote and sparsely populated area is ideal for spotting the northern lights, as there's little light pollution.

The Eastfjords are best defined by towering mountains, deep fjords, historic and quaint fishing villages, and wildlife. This wildlife includes birds, seals, and, most interestingly, reindeer. These animals were brought over to be farmed, but since the industry never took off, they have roamed free for decades in large herds.

Winter is the best time to spot them because they tend to move into the eastern Highlands in summer.

There are two settlements of great significance in the Eastfjords, the towns of Egilsstadir and Seydisfjordur.

Egilsstadir, the largest town in East Iceland, is a gateway to the area. There are many great shops, grocery stores, gasoline stations, and restaurants in town that you can visit to resupply before hitting the road again the following day.

Situated on the banks of Lake Lagarfljot, the town offers a peaceful setting with panoramic views of mountains and valleys. Visitors can explore the serene wilderness through hiking trails or enjoy the countryside's relaxed ambiance.

Just beside Egilsstadir is Seydisfjordur, a quaint coastal village nestled at the end of a fjord of the same name. Seydisfjordur's charm extends to its picturesque harbor, where you can enjoy fresh seafood at local restaurants. The Rainbow Road is a popular place to explore here, which leads to the village's shops and beautiful church.

You'll spend the night at a comfortable accommodation in Egilsstadir.

On your ninth day driving along the Ring Road of Iceland, you'll finally see one of the country's crown jewels, the Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon.

Southeast Iceland is home to two incredible sites. The first is the Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon, accessible throughout the year, and the second is the blue ice cave, accessible with a tour guide from November to March.

The glacier lagoon is Iceland's deepest lake, with a vast surface area that is ever-growing. It will slowly become a fjord over the next few decades.

Hundreds of giant icebergs, snapping from one of the glacial tongues of the great Vatnajokull ice cap, fill the waters of Jokulsarlon. You can admire these chunks of ice for hours as they twist, turn, and break apart. The area also attracts many seals, which rest on the ice and swim between the bergs.

When they eventually make it to sea, the icebergs are pushed onto the nearby coastline, and due to the way the white ice glistens on the black sands, this stretch has earned itself the name 'the Diamond Beach.'

If you're traveling between November and March, a trip into one of the ice caves is highly recommended, which you can add during booking. These are incredibly rare features worldwide and will provide lifetime memories. In addition, no two Vatnajokull ice caves are the same as they melt and freeze with the changing seasons.

If you have the time, you can remain at Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon until after dark and hope to see the northern lights dance above the icebergs, a truly phenomenal sight. With luck, you won't have to wait long to see this beautiful winter display.

You'll stay in the southeast this evening, as these sites warrant a full day's admiration.

Day 10 is your final hurrah to explore more attractions in the Vatnajokull National Park. You'll begin to make your way back to the west on the penultimate leg of your clockwise journey. This route goes along the South Coast, although the main attraction for this drive is a little inland.

As the largest glacier in Europe, covering at least 10 percent of Iceland's landmass, Vatnajokull features remarkable landscapes you can explore even in winter. One of these is Skaftafell, a beautiful natural reserve in Southeast Iceland.

Skaftafell was, in fact, a national park itself before it was incorporated into a much larger protected area. This is because of its diverse natural features, ranging from glacier tongues to lava fields, lagoons, and woodland. It's a favorite destination amongst photographers and hikers alike.

The best hiking trail, accessible for those with decent mobility, is generally considered the route to Svartifoss waterfall. Surrounded by black hexagonal basalt columns, its unique beauty has inspired artists and architects for generations. This waterfall was part of the inspiration behind Reykjavik's two most notable buildings, Hallgrimskirkja church and the Harpa Concert Hall.

To make the most of Skaftafell, you could join a guided glacier hike and head up into the white ice cap. Seeing the cracks and crevasses that seem to breathe on their own, filling the ancient glacier with life, is an experience you'll enjoy.

All essential glacier hiking and safety equipment are included when you add this optional experience during the booking process. An expert guide will lead you through this adventure, so first-timers are welcome to join.

After enjoying Skaftafell and admiring the changing landscapes of glacier tongues, black sand deserts, river systems, countryside, and coastal views, you'll drive further south to the village of Vik. You'll spend the night in South Iceland.