1Why go north?
About 80% of Iceland's visitors never leave the southwest corner: the Golden Circle, the South Coast, Reykjavík. The country's top quarter — the ring from Borgarnes around to Akureyri and back via the east-coast road — has the same waterfalls, the same lava fields, the same otherworldly landscapes, with about a tenth of the people. Plus, the midnight sun in June and the aurora in February make the north the only part of Iceland that offers a real sky show.
2The 5-day loop at a glance
| Day | Drive | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3.5h / 290 km | Reykjavík → Borgarnes → Akureyri (via inland route) |
| 2 | 1h / 90 km | Akureyri → Goðafoss → Mývatn |
| 3 | 2h / 140 km | Mývatn (geothermal loop) → Húsavík |
| 4 | 2h / 150 km | Húsavík → Dettifoss → Egilsstaðir |
| 5 | 5h / 380 km | Egilsstaðir → Reykjavík (via south coast) |
3Day 1 — Into the north
Skip the slow coastal Route 1 on this first leg and take the inland Route 35 (Kjölur) — a 200-km gravel road that crosses the Icelandic highlands between two glaciers. A 4×4 is required (most rental cars explicitly forbid it otherwise). Highlights:
- Hvítárnes — photogenic viewpoint at the Kjölur junction.
- Kerlingarfjöll — rhyolite mountain range with steaming vents and hot springs you can bathe in (free, no facilities — bring a towel).
- Hveravellir — a geothermal oasis with a natural hot pool at the hut. About 1,200 ISK to use.
Push on to Akureyri for the night (300 km from Reykjavík total). Akureyri is Iceland's "second city" with 19,000 people — a tidy fjord town with excellent restaurants, a famous red heart-shaped traffic light, and a botanical garden that grows palms thanks to a microclimate.
4Day 2 — Goðafoss & Mývatn
Morning in Akureyri: walk the fjord-side church (Akureyrarkirkja), have a coffee at Bláa Kannan, then drive 50 minutes east to Goðafoss — the "Waterfall of the Gods," 30 metres wide and 12 metres high, on the Skjálfandafljót river. There's a free parking area on both sides of the river; the east side has the better angle.
From Goðafoss it's 50 minutes further to Mývatn, a lake surrounded by pseudocraters, lava formations, and the most surreal landscape in Iceland. Don't miss:
- Hverir — a geothermal field of boiling mud pots and fumaroles, 5 minutes off the main road. Free. The smell (sulphur) is intense.
- Dimmuborgir — a lava field of twisted rock formations. The 2.5-km "church circle" walk is the highlight.
- Grjótagjá — a lava cave with a thermal spring (no bathing allowed any more, but still very atmospheric — the GoT filming location).
- Mývatn Nature Baths — the cheaper, less-crowded alternative to the Blue Lagoon. 6,900 ISK. Cyan-blue water, infinity edge, surrounded by lava fields.
5Day 3 — Whale-watching in Húsavík
Drive 50 minutes north-east to Húsavík, the whale-watching capital of Europe. Minke, humpback, and (with luck) blue whales are seen on 95%+ of tours from April to October. Book a 3-hour tour with North Sailing (12,900 ISK) — they use the only hybrid-electric whale boats in the world, and the wooden schooner is half the experience.
Húsavík is also a great lunch stop: try Salka Restaurant for a smoked Arctic char flatbread, or Naustið for a proper Icelandic fish stew (plokkfiskur).
6Day 4 — Dettifoss & the east
Drive back via Jökulsárgljúfur (part of Vatnajökull National Park). The headline act is Dettifoss, Europe's most powerful waterfall, 100 metres wide and 44 metres deep — 200 m³ of water per second. Park at the west-side car park (newer, paved) and walk 10 minutes to the viewing platform.
Continue east to Egilsstaðir, the only real town in Iceland's east, for the night. It's small but functional; eat at Salt Café and stay at Hótel Eyvindará (forest setting, €130/night with breakfast).
7Day 5 — The south coast, faster
The drive back to Reykjavík is 380 km, 5 hours on the coastal route. Two worthwhile stops if you have time:
- Höfn — the langoustine (Nephrops norvegicus) capital. Lunch at Pakkhus is non-negotiable.
- Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon — icebergs calving off the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier, floating toward the Atlantic. Adjacent Diamond Beach has ice chunks scattered on black sand. Crowded, but worth it.
8Best season
| Season | What you get | What you trade off |
|---|---|---|
| June – August | Midnight sun, all roads open, 18+ hours of usable daylight, puffins in Látrabjarg | Peak prices, no aurora, mosquitoes at Mývatn |
| September – October | Fewer tourists, northern lights begin, autumn colours | Some F-roads closed, shorter days |
| February – March | Best aurora (10+ hours of darkness), ice caves, fewer tourists | Cold (-10 °C), some roads closed, limited daylight |
My pick: late September. Daylight still long enough to drive, aurora starts in earnest, most F-roads (mountain tracks) are still open, and accommodation is 30% cheaper than August.
9Cost reality check
Iceland is not cheap. A 5-day self-drive trip in shoulder season, two sharing, runs about €1,500–2,000 all-in (€1,000–1,300 in winter):
- 4×4 rental: €80–110/day
- Fuel: €25–35/day (Iceland is expensive)
- Accommodation (mid-range): €130–200/night double
- Food: €40–60/person/day if you mix restaurants and supermarket runs
- Whale-watching: €85/person
- Mývatn Nature Baths: €45
10Hidden detours
- Aldeyjarfoss — basalt-column waterfall 30 minutes off Route 1, north of Akureyri. Often missed. 4×4 only.
- Grímsey Island — straddles the Arctic Circle at 66°33'N. Reachable by a ~3.5-hour ferry from Dalvík (40 km north of Akureyri) or a 25-minute flight from Akureyri. Café, puffin colony, and a "you are here" marker on the Arctic Circle.
- Mánárbakki — black-sand beach in the east, often empty. Combine with Hvalnes for a half-day loop.
- Vestmannaeyjar (Westman Islands) — 30-minute ferry from Landeyjahöfn. Volcanic island with 8 million puffins, a 1973 lava flow you can walk through, and the world's only "pomato" — a potato-tomato hybrid.
If you're here in February, download the My Aurora Forecast app and the Vedur (Icelandic Met Office) cloud-cover map. KP index 3+ plus clear skies = good chance. Best viewing spots near Akureyri: Fnjóskadalur (30 minutes east of town, no light pollution) or the lake at Mývatn (combine with the baths — you leave at 23:00, see the aurora, sleep). Tours from Akureyri run €60–80; most have photo tripods you can borrow.
11Is Iceland solo-friendly?
Yes — Iceland consistently ranks in the top 3 safest countries in the world. Solo self-drive is very normal. The catch is the cost: single rooms add 50–80% to your nightly accommodation. Stay in farm-stay B&Bs (look for gistiheimili on Booking) — cheaper and warmer than hotels. Read more in our solo travel guide.