Iceland private tour: 12 tailor-made days of self-drive

The pointed Kirkjufell mountain reflected in a calm lake on the Snæfellsnes peninsula — Kirkjufell, Snæfellsnes

This Iceland private tour takes you through the south of the island with little driving and time to walk every day. In 12 days you bathe in the Blue Lagoon, drive the Golden Circle, walk in the colourful mountains of Landmannalaugar and in green Þórsmörk, and see the waterfalls and black beaches of the south coast. A super jeep takes you to the Laki craters, in Skaftafell you cross a glacier on crampons and on Jökulsárlón you sail between the icebergs.

You travel privately, as a couple, a family or with friends, in your own 4x4. There is no group and no tour leader. You stay at five bases and make day trips from each one without luggage. Everything is arranged in advance: the guesthouses and hotels, the rental car and the activities. This is my recommended route, and you can change whatever you like. It suits travellers who love being outdoors, don't mind wind and rain, and would rather walk than spend all day at the wheel.

At a glance

Recommended length: 12 days (11 nights); can be cut to 8 or extended to 18
Style: fully arranged private trip, from 1 traveller
Start date: any day you choose; I recommend July and August
Transport: self-drive with a 4x4 rental car (suitable for the F-roads, full insurance with zero excess); highland bus to Þórsmörk and a super jeep with driver-guide to Laki
Indicative price, per person for 2 travellers, excluding the international flight:

Level	Self-drive
Budget	€4,260
Comfort	€4,900
Premium	€6,600

International flight: not included; allow approx. €400–550 pp in July (often much cheaper outside summer)
4 travellers together: €4,420 pp instead of €4,900 (Comfort, self-drive) · solo traveller: €8,270 pp (Comfort, self-drive) (indicative)
Best months: July and August

Prices are estimates and may change once quotes from local partners are in.

Best time to visit Iceland

For this route, the best time to visit Iceland is July and August. It is light almost all night, the highland roads are open and you see puffins at Dyrhólaey. Two highlights, Landmannalaugar and Laki, lie in the highlands, and the F-roads only open once the snow has gone, usually at the end of June. In June or September those two depend on the road opening dates, and I adapt the route. Even in July it is fresh (approx. 10–15 °C) and it can be windy and rainy, so your roadbook has a plan B for every day.

Striped rhyolite mountains in yellow, pink and green behind a wet plain at Landmannalaugar — Colourful rhyolite mountains of Landmannalaugar

My recommended route and why it runs this way

The route is built around little driving: five bases (Keflavík, Hella, Vík, Öræfi between Skaftafell and Jökulsárlón, and Reykjavík), about 1,450 km in total, and most days 2 to 3 hours of driving at most. Only day 4 (Landmannalaugar, about 4 hours return) and day 9 (about 3h30) are longer.

Blue and white icebergs floating in the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon with the glacier behind — Icebergs in the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon

After a flight of approx. 3h15 you spend the first night near Keflavík airport. Next morning you collect your 4x4, start gently in the Blue Lagoon and explore the Reykjanes peninsula: the Reykjanesviti lighthouse, the bird cliffs of Krýsuvíkurberg and the geothermal area of Seltún. From Hella, your base for three nights, you drive the Golden Circle as a loop with time to walk at Þingvellir (approx. 8 km), then Geysir, Gullfoss and the turf roofs of Keldur. On day 4 you take your 4x4 up the F208 to Landmannalaugar, with rhyolite mountains in pink, green and gold, a walk to Brennisteinsalda or Bláhnúkur and a soak in the warm spring.

On day 5 the highland bus from Hvolsvöllur takes you into Þórsmörk, the green valley between three glaciers, for a walk of approx. 2 hours. Then Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss, and two nights in or near Vík, with a quiet day at Dyrhólaey and the black beach of Reynisfjara. On day 7 a super jeep with a driver-guide takes you from Kirkjubæjarklaustur to Laki, a row of more than a hundred moss-covered craters from the great eruption of 1783. Two nights near Skaftafell follow: a glacier walk of approx. 3 hours with a certified glacier guide, a walk to Svartifoss and a zodiac between the icebergs of Jökulsárlón. Day 9 is the longest drive back west, past Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon and the turf houses of Skógar, to Hella. You end with two nights in central Reykjavík, with a day without the car and whale watching as an option, and drive to the airport on day 12.

See the full day-by-day itinerary

Iceland self-drive or a private driver?

Iceland self-drive is the standard on this trip. Iceland is made for driving yourself: quiet roads, the freedom to stop anywhere and time to walk every day. You drive a 4x4, so you may also take the highland road to Landmannalaugar, with unlimited mileage and full insurance with zero excess, also for gravel and sand and ash damage. You collect it in Keflavík on day 2 and return it at the airport on day 12. Fuel and parking fees at nature sites are paid locally (indicative approx. €300–350 per car for the whole route). Only 4x4 vehicles are allowed on the F-roads, and driving off the roads is forbidden everywhere. You do not ford rivers with your rental car: this route does not require it. Your roadbook gives the route per day, where to refuel and how to check the road conditions and weather every morning (road.is and safetravel.is).

Iceland with a private driver? On this trip you drive yourself: that is the custom in Iceland and it gives you the most freedom, so I don't offer this route with a regular driver. Where your own car may not go, you take the highland bus (Þórsmörk) or a super jeep with a driver-guide (Laki). Would you rather not drive at all? On request I put together a trip with a private driver-guide for you, priced to measure.

What I arrange for you

A 4x4 for the whole trip, suitable for the F-roads, with full zero-excess insurance. The activities of the route: the Blue Lagoon (Comfort entry), the highland bus to Þórsmörk, the super-jeep tour to Laki, the glacier walk with crampons and the zodiac on Jökulsárlón. Guides only where they are required: the glacier walk in Skaftafell is only allowed with a certified glacier guide, and a driver-guide takes you to Laki; both are included. Otherwise you travel without a guide, with your roadbook and my WhatsApp line. Prefer a guide? I can arrange a local guide for that activity and get you the price. A short transfer from the airport to your hotel on arrival. A detailed roadbook with routes, walks, road conditions, swimming pools and my addresses for lunch and dinner. And one point of contact: a personal intake meeting (at your home or by video call), a WhatsApp line with me before and during the trip, a personal 24/7 number and a follow-up call after you return.

Budget, Comfort or Premium

Every night is a double or twin room with private bathroom and breakfast. Budget means family-run guesthouses, farms and simple hotels, well to excellently reviewed (approx. €210–360 per room in July). Comfort means the better country hotels and guesthouses, often with their own restaurant, hot tubs or a view of a fjord or glacier (approx. €310–530 per room). Premium is a step up: boutique hotels and the best address at each stop, such as a lodge with its own observatory near Hella and a new hotel right by the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon (approx. €440–760 per room). Öræfi has very few rooms for 2027 so far, so decide early if you want July or August.

Adapt the route

The trip runs from 8 to 18 days. Options include Snæfellsnes (2 extra nights, with Snæfellsjökull, Kirkjufell and Arnarstapi), North Iceland (a domestic flight to Akureyri and 3 nights for Mývatn, Dettifoss and whale watching in Húsavík), the Westfjords (4 to 5 extra nights for Ísafjörður, Dynjandi, Látrabjarg and the Baldur ferry) or the full Ring Road in 16 days, with longer driving days.

The wide, tiered Dynjandi waterfall cascading over dark rock layers — Dynjandi waterfall in the Westfjords

Practical tips

Visa: no visa required (Schengen). A valid Belgian identity card (eID) or passport is sufficient.
Health: no vaccinations required. Your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is also valid in Iceland.
Money: Icelandic króna (ISK). You pay by card almost everywhere, also at the fuel pump (you need your PIN). Iceland is expensive: allow approx. €60–90 pp per day for meals other than breakfast and drinks.
Flights and time: approx. 3h15 direct from Brussels to Keflavík. In summer Iceland is 2 hours behind Belgium.
Language: Icelandic; almost everyone speaks excellent English.
Packing: layers, a good rain jacket, sturdy walking shoes and swimwear.

Travel advice and safety

The main risks are practical. Since 2023 there have been repeated eruptions near Grindavík on the Reykjanes peninsula, and the Blue Lagoon and nearby roads can close at short notice; the back-up is the Sky Lagoon or another lagoon. Highland road opening dates depend on snow, and river crossings are not insured by most rental firms. Wind, rain and cold are possible even in July: check vedur.is, road.is and safetravel.is daily. Read the latest advice on diplomatie.belgium.be.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an Iceland tour cost?

This 12-day tailor-made Iceland tour costs from €4,260 pp (Budget), €4,900 pp (Comfort) or €6,600 pp (Premium), based on 2 travellers, self-drive by 4x4, excluding the international flight (allow approx. €400–550 pp in July). These are indicative prices.

When is the best time to visit Iceland?

July and August. The highland roads to Landmannalaugar and Laki are open, it is light almost all night and you see puffins at Dyrhólaey. Expect approx. 10–15 °C, wind and rain even then.

Self-drive or private driver?

You drive a 4x4 yourself: that is the custom in Iceland and gives you the most freedom. Where your car may not go, a highland bus or a super jeep with a driver-guide takes over. If you would rather not drive at all, I can put together a trip with a private driver-guide on request.

How many days do you need?

I recommend 12 days for the south, with five bases and little driving. It can be shortened to 8 days or extended to 18, for example with Snæfellsnes, the north or the Westfjords.

Do I have to ford rivers with the rental car?

No. You reach Þórsmörk by highland bus and Laki by super jeep with a driver-guide, so this route never requires a river crossing in your own car.

What does it cost for four, or travelling solo?

With 4 travellers allow €4,420 pp instead of €4,900 (Comfort, self-drive). Solo, allow €8,270 pp (Comfort, self-drive). These are indicative prices; you receive a tailor-made proposal.

Plan your trip

Interested in summer 2027? Plan an intake call via the interest list or email [email protected]. Before we start selling trips, we take out the legally required insurance against financial insolvency. Prices remain indicative until then.

Sources

Last updated: 15 October 2026. Prices are estimates and may change.