Iceland Grand Tour - 12-Day Self-Drive
by Snaeland Travel · Drive yourself there · Multi-day packages · Snæfellsnes
One main thing most days, with time that is genuinely yours.
12 stops across 12 days in the operator's own itinerary — 1 a day.
Would this be cheaper direct? No — we sell at Snaeland Travel's own price and take our commission from them, not from you. What you get here is one checkout across operators, one confirmation, and one place to change or cancel it. If you ever find it cheaper on their own site, tell us and we will match it or explain why we cannot.
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Duration
12 days
Difficulty
Easy
Season
All year
Meeting
Meet on location
Languages
EN, IS
Start time
Time agreed after booking
About this experience
12 days / 11 nights
Car Rental Days: 11
Season: April – October
Go on an unforgettable 12-day journey through Iceland. Experience themajestic waterfalls, black sand beaches, and rugged coastlines of the South Shore and East Fjords. Marvel at the spectacular icebergs of Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and the dramatic landscapes of Vatnajökull National Park. Explore the cultural richness of Akureyri, the tranquillity of Lake Mývatn, and the mythical Snæfellsnes Peninsula. Conclude your adventure with the historicand geological wonders of the Golden Circle before departing from Reykjavík.This tour combines Iceland's best in scenic drives, cultural insights, and natural beauty.
Car Types on Offer (for other types and sizes, please contact us):
Suzuki Jimny or similar - 4WD, Manual Transmission, 2 passengers, 4 bags
Toyota Aygo or similar - 2WD, Manual Transmission, 4 passengers, 1 bag
Kia Ceed or similar - 2WD, Manual Transmission, 5 passengers, 3 bags
Dacia Duster or similar - 4WD, Manual Transmission, 5 passengers, 4 bags
Kia Sportage or similar - 4WD, Automatic Transmission, 5 passengers, 4 bags
Accommodation Categories:
Classic: Guesthouses and 3-star equivalent hotels.
Quality: 4-star hotels in Reykjavík, best hotels available in countryside.
All rooms are standard.
Description from the operator, Snaeland Travel. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.
Where you go
- Arrival
- Day 2: South Shore
- Day 3: Vatnajökull National Park
- Day 4: East Fjords
- Day 5: Egilsstaðir Environs
- Day 6: The Diamond Circle
- Day 7: Lake Mývatn
- Day 8: Akureyri & Skagafjörður
- Day 9: Borgarfjörður
- Day 10: Snæfellsnes Peninsula
- Day 11: Golden Circle
- Day 12: Departure
Included
- Accommodation with private facilities and breakfast
- Rental car including unlimited mileage, VAT, Road tax, Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), Super Collision Damage Waiver (SCDW), Gravel Protection (GP), Theft Protection (TP).*
- Pickup and drop off of rental car at the airport
- Detailed suggested itinerary for each day. Available in English, Spanish, French, Italian, and German.
- Emergency telephone service
* Please note that one day of car rental equals 24 hours. If a car is picked up at 12:00, it must be dropped off before 12:00 the following day to stay within the 24-hour period. For example, if a tour includes a 4-day rental (4x24-hours), the guest needs to adhere to this time limit. Exceeding it will incur charges for an extra day. Therefore, it is essential to specify the flight times during the booking process.
Not included
- Fuel expense and parking fees
- Personal travel insurance
- Flights to and from Iceland
- Anything not specifically stated in the “Included” section
Good to know
- A valid driving licence
Cancellation for this tour
Cancelling costs 50% of the price within 7 days of departure. If the operator cancels for weather or safety, you get a full refund or a new date.
Sold out on your date?
Seats come back — a cancellation, or the operator adding a vehicle. Tell us the date and we will check once a day and email you if one opens. One email, then we delete the address; nothing else is ever sent to it.
Why we list it
Snaeland Travel is one of 154 operators we work with — chosen for reliability, honest descriptions and how they treat guests when weather changes plans. We don't list everything; we list what we'd book ourselves. The six checks every operator passes →
What travellers say about Snaeland Travel
Read all 86 reviews on Google →Operator rating 4.7/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.
★★★★★ · 5 months ago
Had an amazing 7 day tour with these guys and everything was absolutely amazing ! Anna Maria was a spectacular tour guide , we were so lucky to have her ! Our driver Christian was also perfect and the honesty make a perfect duet ! Can't wait to visit again !
★★★★★ · a month ago
I had an excellent experience with our tour guide and driver, ASGEIR, during our trip to Iceland. He was professional, punctual, and extremely knowledgeable about the country's history, culture, and breathtaking natural attractions. ASGEIR made the journey enjoyable by sharing interesting stories and local insights throughout the tour. He was patient, friendly, and always ensured we were comfortable and had enough time to enjoy each stop. His driving was safe and smooth, even in challenging weather conditions, which made us feel secure throughout the trip. Thanks to ASGEIR, our visit to Iceland was not only beautiful but also truly memorable.
★★★★★ · a month ago
Amazing guide, Christian, who was so knowledgeable and professional. He showed us different parts of this magnificiant country. A BIG thank you to Snaeland Travel for this full loop that had EVERYTHING we needed to see.
★★★★★ · a month ago
I booked multiple private driver excursions with Snæland Travel for my family vacation to Iceland with 8 adults and 2 small children, and am very pleased with their service. It was a complicated collection of needs and desires for our 5 day stay in Reykjavik and Isabella and the rest of the sales team were fantastic at helping me design a set of tours as well as coordinating airport transfer on arrival and departure. They were responsive to all my questions and concerns, and they were even able to make last minute arrangements for my son whose flight was cancelled and arrived a day later. The Reykjanes Peninsula private tour, with our driver Mike, gave us a look at the raw intensity of the lava fields, steam vents, bubbling mud pits, and the jagged lava coastline. The Snæfellsnes Peninsula private tour, with our driver Tryggvi, showed us beautiful coastal cliffs and remote ancient lava fields softened by generations of moss and grass giving a spectacular mystical feel to the landscape. The Golden Circle private tour, with our driver Chris, took us to the most popular tour destinations - Þingvellir National Park where we walked along the tectonic rift, Great Geysir area where we watched Strokkur erupt and hot springs boil, and Gullfoss where some of us marveled at the power of the sprawling waterfall from the upper viewing area and some of us ventured down the stairs to the base of the falls to feel the spray as it crashed into the ravine. Chris was a fantastic driver, as he walked us to the viewing platforms to take group photos and gave us some insight as to what to expect at each stop. As a private driver experience we were able to make personal adjustments to the day, and during our planning phase Isabella added a 2 hour dinner stop where we enjoyed a Viking feast (the dinner reservation and cost of the meal was not part of the Snæland Travel experience). I would highly recommend Snæland Travel for any tours, and I definitely would suggest trying the private driver option in order to have more control over how long you spend at each stop or even if you want to add or skip stops as long as it fits the designated time frame. My large family enjoyed traveling around Iceland in the comfort of our private van with friendly drivers, and I am very grateful for the experience.
Reviews from Google · updated 13 Sept 2026
Read before you book
- What 'hotels and transport included' really means on an Iceland packageMulti-day tours bundle the bed, the bus and the guide. What's usually in, what's usually extra, and which BusTravel and Arctic Adventures packages we'd pick.
- Seven days on the Ring Road, driving yourself or letting someone elseThe full Ring Road in a week is doable either way. We compare a self-drive with BusTravel Iceland and Arctic Adventures packages and say which fits whom.
Reviews from our travellers
Only people who booked this tour through us can write here. We publish every review in full — good or bad.
No reviews yet from our travellers on this one. After your tour we send one email asking how it was, and what you write goes here, unedited.
Multi-day packages — questions people ask
Are multi-day tours in Iceland worth it compared to day trips?
For the southeast, yes. Jökulsárlón and the ice caves are five hours from Reykjavík, so a day trip is fourteen hours of mostly bus. A two- or three-day tour (/experience/6131/, /experience/923386/) sleeps out there, sees the lagoon at a sane hour and adds an ice cave in winter. For the Golden Circle and South Coast alone, day trips are fine. Multi-day tours cost more per day but include the hotel.
What is included in a multi-day tour?
Transport in a minibus with a driver-guide, accommodation with breakfast, all the listed activities such as glacier hikes and ice caves, and the entrance fees on the route. Lunches and dinners are usually not included; you stop at guesthouses and cafes and pay your own way. Single travellers pay a supplement for their own room. Check the tour page for exact inclusions, the hotel standard and luggage limits, which are tight on small buses.
How many days do you need for the Ring Road on a tour?
Six to eight. Six-day tours (/experience/785082/, /experience/876949/) get round with one night in most regions and long driving days. Seven and eight days (/experience/20483/, /experience/33665/) add the highlands or Snæfellsnes and give more time out of the bus. Anything shorter than six is not a Ring Road tour. Summer versions have the highland detours; winter versions swap them for ice caves and shorter daylight.
Should I arrive in Iceland the day before a multi-day tour starts?
Yes. Multi-day tours leave Reykjavík between 08:00 and 09:00 and do not wait for delayed flights. Land the day before, sleep in the city, and start fresh. On the other end, tours arrive back in Reykjavík in the evening, so do not book a flight home the same night. In the planner, put arrival on day one, the tour from day two, and leave the last day for the flight.
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