Reykjavik is one of the world's smallest capital cities — entirely walkable and bursting with restaurants, hot pools and design stores. But most visitors come for what lies beyond it. The Golden Circle (Þingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss) is two hours away. The South Coast road to Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon is three hours. The Snæfellsnes Peninsula — Jules Verne's 'Journey to the Centre of the Earth' — is a two-hour drive on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula circuit.

Picking up your hire car in Reykjavik

  • Keflavík International Airport (KEF) — 50km from Reykjavik. Car hire desks in the arrivals hall. All major suppliers (Hertz, Avis, Budget, Europcar, Sixt) plus excellent Icelandic companies (Geysir Car Rental, Saga Car Rental, Lava Car Rental) are represented. Icelandic companies are often better value and very knowledgeable about local conditions.
  • 4WD strongly recommended for any F-road (highland interior) driving. F-roads are illegal in standard cars and can be seriously dangerous. For Ring Road and Golden Circle, a 2WD is sufficient.
  • Check safetravel.is before every drive. Iceland's weather changes extremely rapidly and road closures are common, even in summer.

Driving in and around Reykjavik

  • Drive on the right. Speed limits: 90 km/h paved roads, 80 km/h gravel roads, 50 km/h urban. Speed cameras are active on all major routes.
  • Single-lane bridges are extremely common — slow to a crawl and yield to oncoming traffic as indicated by signage.
  • Blind hilltops (blindhæð) require slowing significantly — oncoming traffic may be in your lane on the descent.
  • Winter driving: studded or winter tyres are mandatory November 1–April 14. Iceland can experience white-out conditions with no warning — pull over safely if visibility drops to zero.
  • Never drive into rivers or off marked roads. Iceland's moss and lichen take decades to recover from even a single tyre track.

Where to go — best drives from Reykjavik

The Golden Circle (1 day) — the essential Iceland circuit: Þingvellir National Park (where the American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet), the Geysir geothermal area and the Gullfoss double waterfall. About 300km round trip from Reykjavik. South Coast (1–2 days) — the Ring Road east from Reykjavik passes Seljalandsfoss (walk behind the waterfall), Skógafoss, the black beach at Reynisfjara, and ends at the glacier lagoon of Jökulsárlón. One of the world's great drives. Snæfellsnes Peninsula (1 day) — the 187km circuit of the glacier-capped Snæfellsjökull volcano takes in lava fields, fishing villages and extraordinary sea-cliff scenery. Reykjanes Peninsula (2 hrs) — the road from Keflavík to the Blue Lagoon through lava fields is extraordinary. The Blue Lagoon is overpriced — the nearby geothermal pools are free.

Northern Lights driving: September to March, drive 30–45 minutes south or east of Reykjavik away from light pollution. The Þingvellir area offers dark skies with easy road access. Check the Veður.is aurora forecast app.
Price tip: Reykjavik is one of the world's most competitive car hire markets — always compare at least 4–5 suppliers before booking. Local and regional companies often undercut the big brands significantly.
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