Driving the Ring Road in winter

Is the Ring Road open in winter?

Route 1 is Iceland's main road and gets winter service: the Road Administration clears it and the other main roads, aiming to finish before morning traffic on service days. Most days it is open. But winter storms bring snow, ice and strong wind, and stretches can close for hours — sometimes days — until the weather passes and the road is cleared.

What matters most is time. A schedule with no slack is what turns a closed pass into a missed flight.

Where the road is most exposed

Closures are most likely on high or open stretches:

• Hellisheiði — Route 1 between Reykjavík and Hveragerði, the first pass on the way east.
• Holtavörðuheiði — Route 1 between Borgarnes and the north.
• Öxnadalsheiði — Route 1 between Skagafjörður and Akureyri.
• The north-east highlands (Möðrudalsöræfi) — a high, open plateau between Mývatn and Egilsstaðir.
• The south coast — strong gusts, especially on the open sands and below the mountains east of Vík.

How many days to plan

• 10 days is the minimum we suggest for the full loop in winter; 12–14 days leaves room for sights and bad-weather days.
• Keep a buffer day before your flight home, and plan to be back near Keflavík the evening before.
• Drive in the light hours. Around the winter solstice Reykjavík gets about four hours of daylight, the north even less; by March the days are long again.
• With less than a week, choose the South Coast and the Golden Circle instead of the full loop.

Which way round?

There is no single right direction in winter. Decide on the day you set off, from the forecast for the first days: start where the weather looks calmer and adjust on the way. Book accommodation with free cancellation where you can, so a closed road does not cost you twice.

Which car for a winter Ring Road trip

From November to March we strongly recommend AWD or 4×4. Our Comfort AWD SUVs and 4×4 Adventure cars suit Route 1 in winter, and every car has winter tires from 1 November to 14 April at no extra charge. Four-wheel drive helps you get going and adds clearance in snow — it does not shorten braking on ice. Speed and distance do.

F-roads and the highland interior are closed in winter; no rental car may drive them then.

Before each day's drive

1. Check the road map on umferdin.is for your whole stretch, or call 1777 (06:30–22:00).
2. Check the wind and warnings on vedur.is and the alerts on safetravel.is.
3. Fill up when the tank is half empty — fuel stations are far apart in the north and east.
4. Tell someone your plan, or leave a travel plan on safetravel.is.

How to read the road map, and what to do if a road closes: How to check road conditions in Iceland.

Questions about the Ring Road in winter