The Ultimate Guide On Driving In The Icelandic Highlands

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Driving in the Icelandic Highlands is a thrilling adventure that takes you through some of the most remote and breathtaking landscapes in Iceland. This guide will help you prepare for the journey, offering essential tips, routes, and safety information to ensure a memorable and safe trip.

Now, traveling to places in the Highlands in Iceland isn’t the easiest and you’ll need to be well prepared. Before I left on our trip I had done a lot of research but I found it hard to find all of the info I needed in one article.

I had read some roads should be avoided at all costs but I couldn’t find clear info on which roads were the best to drive.

So, in this article I have combined all of the information that I gathered over the past weeks and I’ve combined it with my own personal experience.

That’s also why you won’t find any stock photos in this article. I’ve visited every single place myself cause I do believe that that’s the only way to give adequate info to you so you’re well prepared. By now I’ve traveled to Iceland three times and I hope to add a fourth time to that in the near future to explore the Highlands even more!

What are the Icelandic Highlands
💻 Useful resources for driving in Iceland
📱 Apps to download before driving in Iceland
🗓 When to visit the Icelandic Highlands
🚙 How to drive around the Icelandic Highlands
Can you drive on all F-roads in the Icelandic Highlands?
Off-Road Driving in Iceland
How to ford a river crossing in the Icelandic Highlands
Final Tips for traveling the Highlands in Iceland
Popular Highland Routes
The best tours to the Icelandic Highlands

What are the Icelandic Highlands

The Icelandic Highlands extend over 40,000 square kilometres and rank amongst Europe’s largest unpopulated areas. The Highlands is a centre of raw and powerful energy, where new lands are forged and old lands are pushed to the west and to the east, onto the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates.

With the Ring Road getting more crowded every single year I highly encourage you to visit these off the beaten path places in the Icelandic Highlands. They truly are the heart of the country and Iceland at its very best!

Think rainbow colored mountains, bubbling mud puts, majestic volcanoes and the largest glaciers in Europe. They all add to this incredible scenery where you can drive on for hours on end without encountering a single other car.

As soon as you arrive, the crowds from the Ring Road seem like a distant memory and it’s here that your real Icelandic adventure begins. No more standing behind a fence to marvel at natures beauty. Here you’ll get to experience what Iceland is truly about.

The Icelandic Highlands are a place to hike, to marvel and to take thousands of photos.

But just like with any other beautiful and secluded place, the journey there isn’t always the easiest. But no worries, we’ll get to that part!

💻 Useful resources for driving in Iceland

road.is – The weather in Iceland can change in the blink of an eye. Before you start driving always check the following steps:
- How are the road conditions? During the winter months several roads can become closed off due to heavy snowfall. Make sure to check this map every single morning before you leave so you don’t put yourself in danger. Red means that the road is completely closed and green means that it’s easy to drive. During the winter months in Iceland you need to pay extra attention to the blue and white colours.
  - White: the road is covered in snow
  - Light blue: there is ice on the road
  - Dark blue: the road is completely covered in ice
- If the road doesn’t look safe, don’t risk it. At times you can find yourself driving alone on the road for hours and there are no safety measures like guardrails alongside 95% of the roads.

Vedur.is – This website will give you all of the latest weather updates. Pay extra attention to the wind conditions. Especially when you’re driving around with a camper van, be aware, you catch a lot more wind and might lose grip.

Vegasja – Live webcams of roads around Iceland.

💡 TIP – Create your own travel map in Google Maps. I always save all of the locations that I want to visit on Google Maps and this way I can easily create a daily itinerary and see which places are located close to each other. To make your trip even more easy you. can also save the locations of the campsites in a different color. This way you have all of your travel information in one place and you can easily navigate from one place to the other.

📱 Apps to download before driving in Iceland

Vedur – An accurate Icelandic weather app. Official warnings get updated automatically.
112 Iceland – An application for the Icelandic Emergency Service
Aurora Forecast – This app will come in handy when you’re chasing the Northern Lights.
Hotpot – The perfect website to scan for those hidden hot springs around the island!

🗓 When to visit the Icelandic Highlands

For independent travelers the Icelandic Highlands are strictly a summer destination. The F-roads open near the end of June and close when the first snow fall arrives in September. You can stay up to date with all of the actual road information on the Icelandic Road website.

So if you want to do a self-drive tour like I did and you want to go on hiking adventures in the Highlands then the two best months to do so are July and August.

If you can only visit Iceland outside of these months you can still visit the Highlands but it will be an entirely other experience. You can’t do a self-drive tour and will have to go with either a guided Super Jeep tour or a snowmobile tour. Do know that the entire landscape will be covered in snow and you won’t be able to see the rhyolite mountains in all their glory.

🚙 How to drive around the Icelandic Highlands

The roads to Iceland’s Highlands are what they call F-roads. The “F” comes from the word “Fjallavegur”, which literally means “mountain road”.

They are unpaved gravel tracks and in some places very badly maintained. Some parts are easy to drive on, others are very bumpy and rocky. You can recognize these so called F-roads by the F prefix on a map or road sign. So for instance F35 means that you’re driving on an F-road.

You can pretty much expect anything when driving on these. From large potholes, pointy rocks, sand to sometimes well maintained gravel. The roads in the Highlands have it all. Even river crossings! When I first heard about them I have to admit I got a little scared. I started reading stories about people getting stuck in a river, drowning their engine and simply destroying the car they rented.

❗️Now, the most important thing to know is that you can only drive on an F-road with a 4×4 car. And if you’re thinking now “Ah, I’ll take my chances”… Don’t. For two main reasons! The first simply being that it’s not allowed. The second that not a single rental company includes insurance for water damage or gravel damage to the bottom of the car. If the car ends up damaged or worse you would get stuck in a river you would have to face a very high bill since you basically would have to pay for a brand new car.

When it comes to choosing a good 4×4 make sure not to go for a low model. Instead opt for one that’s’s a little more elevated. If it has a snorkel in front that’s even better. A snorkel will prevent your car engine from drowning if at one point water would enter.

So far I’ve done every trip to Iceland with a camper van from Happy Campers and their 4×4 van was an absolute champ on all of these rocky F-roads. Its wheels were sturdy enough for all the many potholes and the snorkel did its magic every time we crossed a river. They also have a sophisticated tracking system in all of their vans for travelers’ safety, which will alarm them whenever a driver enters a forbidden area.

You can also choose to rent a 4X4 SUV with SunnyCars if you’re not the biggest fan of camping. They also offer some great options and every single insurance is included in their price.

Can you drive on all F-roads in the Icelandic Highlands?

So here’s another tricky part! Some F-roads are so badly maintained and contain many dangerous river crossings that its best to avoid them at all cost.

F578 – This dangerous road is located north of Langjökull and features some extremely dangerous river-crossings.

F337 – This unmarked mountain road is located north of Laugarvatn. It is extremely difficult to drive and one of the steepest drives in Iceland.

F210 – Fjallbaksleið Syðri lies between the popular highland areas of Landmannalaugar and Þórsmörk. It includes very difficult terrain and dangerous river crossings, so it is forbidden for all seasons.

F26 – You can drive a small part of the F26, up until Aldeyarfoss but after that this road contains many dangerous river crossings.

F910 – This route leads to Lake Askja, north of Vatnajökull glacier. It is a very difficult road with dangerous river crossings.

7 Best Places To Visit In The Highlands In Iceland - A Complete Travel Guide — Map of the most dangerous F-roads thanks to Happy Campers!

The good part is that for visiting the places in this article you won’t have to drive on any of these dangerous roads!

While driving on the F-roads it’s always very important to stay concentrated. It’s a lot harder than driving on a regular road and at times it can be a little slippery as well. Be cautious and plan your journey ahead. In the Icelandic Highlands it’s important to know where you’re going!

Off-Road Driving in Iceland

Off-road driving in Iceland is strictly forbidden to protect the untouched nature we value so much. It can be tempting to drive off the small paths that sometimes don’t look too different from the surrounding environment. It’s important to realize that the tire tracks your 4×4 leaves might take years or decades to disappear. Always be respectful and stay on the roads.

Legally speaking, you can expect heavy fines and jail time up to 2 years if you break these laws.

How to ford a river crossing in the Icelandic Highlands

If you wish to visit the Icelandic Highlands you’ll have to do a couple of river crossings. But rest assured, none of them were dangerous or too deep. But there are a couple of things you need to know before embarking on this adventure!

Inspect the river – Do not try to cross a river where the water is higher than three-quarters of the height of your 4X4 rental wheels. Check if in some places the water is less deep and if you can see the bottom shining through. Cross the river where it’s more shallow. This will be where you can see more ripples, a smooth surface often means the water runs deeper. You can also look for other tire tracks and see how they went. Always try to drive downstream. If you drive upstream your car will have more trouble crossing and chances are higher that water can flood your engine.

Drive slow – If you’re driving an automatic that’s all you have to do. If you’re driving a stick shift/manual car then put in the lowest gear to start crossing the river.

❗️When in doubt, do not cross!

Final Tips for traveling the Highlands in Iceland

Fill up your gas tank – There are no gas stations in the Highlands so make sure your tank is full before heading inland. You really don’t want to run out of fuel in these desolate areas! If your plan is to stay in the Highlands for a couple of days then maybe get an extra cannister with gas.

Stock up on food and drinks – There are no restaurants or shops in the Highlands so make sure to go grocery shopping first. If you’re traveling with a camper van you can make your dinner with a stove. If you’re staying at one of the huts or resorts there’s usually a kitchen where you can prepare your meal and do your dishes.

Pack warm clothes – The weather in the Icelandic Hghlands can be very unpredictable, even more than in other parts of the country. The nights can get very cold so make sure to dress accordingly.

Safety Gear – Pack a first aid kit, a spare tire, a jack, and a tow rope. A GPS device or detailed map is crucial for navigation.

Popular Highland Routes

F26 (Sprengisandur)

Description – One of the longest F-roads, connecting the north and south of Iceland. It offers stunning views of the central Highlands.

Highlights – Views of Vatnajökull and Hofsjökull glaciers, vast lava fields, and remote wilderness.

Challenges – Multiple river crossings and long stretches without services.

F35 (Kjölur)

Description – A popular route running between Gullfoss and Akureyri. It’s one of the easier Highland routes and doesn’t have river crossings.

Highlights – Hveravellir geothermal area, Kerlingarfjöll mountain range, and Langjökull glacier views.

Accessibility – Suitable for 4×4 vehicles, but be prepared for rough terrain.

F208 (Fjallabaksleið Nyrðri)

Description – Leads to the famous Landmannalaugar area, known for its colorful rhyolite mountains and hot springs.

Highlights – Landmannalaugar, Eldgjá volcanic fissure, and beautiful lava fields.

Challenges – River crossings and rough, uneven roads.

F88 (Askja Route)

Description A route to the Askja caldera, a remote and stunning volcanic area.

Highlights – Askja caldera, Víti crater lake, and the barren yet beautiful lunar-like landscape.

Challenges – Difficult river crossings and long distances between services.

The best tours to the Icelandic Highlands

If you have any questions about driving in Iceland or if you want to share your experience, comment below!

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