A standard query for guests to Iceland is whether or not it’s greatest to drive Iceland’s Route 1 ring highway in a clockwise or anti-clockwise path. Whislt we didn’t truly drive the complete ring on our journey (we most likely coated round one third of it), I did plan to at first so spent fairly a little bit of time researching this subject. I hope my findings will enable you make an knowledgeable resolution as to what route is greatest for you.
First issues first
Before tackling the query of whether or not to drive the ring highway in a clockwise or anti-clockwise path, I might first pose the query as as to whether you do certainly need to cowl the complete route. It’s 1,317 kilometres and, in case you are restricted to solely per week or so, I might severely take a step again and take a look at the important thing stuff you need to cowl. See my earlier put up which explains why we selected to not drive the complete ring highway with the time we had accessible.
Many of Iceland’s fundamental points of interest are within the south and west of the nation and, because you’ll little doubt be arriving at Keflavik Airport, near the capital of Reykjavik, within the south-west of the nation, a lot of need you to see will likely be inside just a few hours’s drive of there. I perceive that you simply would possibly need to see as a lot as doable however, in case your time is treasured and restricted, does it actually make sense to be spending a lot of that point in a automobile?
OK, so that you’ve thought-about the above however nonetheless need to drive the ring highway, however usually are not positive which manner round to go? Read on!
Clockwise versus anti-clockwise
When you learn up on this topic, the consensus of opinion is to observe the route in an anti-clockwise path and there are a variety of causes for this. The first of those is that the Golden Circle is a logical start line, significantly for those who’re visiting for the primary time. It’s the place you’ll discover a few of Iceland’s most iconic points of interest comparable to the Geysir and Strokkur geysers.
There’s a complete host of issues to see and do within the Golden Circle however, no matter route you’re taking, assuming you don’t need to come again on your self, you’ll discover various routes are inclined to ‘spit you out’ in the direction of the south. This is as a result of the tendency is to enter the Golden Circle through Route 35 from Reykjavik which takes you simply north of the Þingvallavatn rift valley lake and to get again through a round route tends to imply heading south to get round this lake.
Since you end up in the direction of the south, the logical factor to do is to then discover the south coast alongside Route 1, thus initiating an anti-clockwise route alongside the primary ring highway. It’s most likely additionally no co-incidence that excursions that go all the best way round Iceland additionally have a tendency to decide on to go in an anti-clockwise path.
The different robust reasoning in favour of adopting an anti-clockwise path is that you simply’ll go to the busier points of interest first (alongside the south coast) and thus regularly transfer from away from the crowds to a number of the extra distant and fewer visited components of Icelandic, whcih feels a extra instictively logical solution to method issues.
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
If you might be studying this text anyplace aside from on A Luxury Travel Blog, then the probabilities are that this content material has been stolen with out permission.
Please make an observation of the net deal with above and contact A Luxury Travel Blog to advise them of this subject.
Thank you in your assist in combatting content material theft.
Two causes to think about a clockwise route
I can foresee simply two distinctive the reason why you would possibly select to interrupt the mould and journey the ringroad in a clockwise path – the climate and the time of 12 months.
If the climate forecast simply occurs to be predicting poor climate within the south initially and good climate within the north, then I suppose it’d make extra sense to let the circumstances dictate your route and do your greatest to keep away from adversarial climate circumstances. It is probably unlikely that there will likely be a marked distinction like this, however you by no means know so it’s value checking the forecast.
Secondly, the time of 12 months. I’ve already talked about how the south will be busy and that by travelling in an anti-clockwise path, you’ll be regularly shifting away from the crowds, significantly when you begin to get past locations comparable to Höfn. That stated, for those who occur to be travelling on the finish of August / starting of September (the top of the Summer holidays for a lot of households around the globe), you then would possibly keep away from the crowds within the south by leaving it till the top of your journey. If that is whenever you’re visiting, this is perhaps one thing that you simply need to take into account as it could have you ever favouring a clockwise journey.
For most individuals, although, an anti-clockwise route appears to be by far the extra most popular of the 2 choices.
Have you travelled the complete Route 1 ring highway? If so, did you go clockwise or anticlockwise, and what was the rationale behind the route you selected?
Planning a visit to Iceland your self? You can watch a video from our journey to Iceland right here:
Disclosure: This put up is sponsored by Icerental 4×4. Our journey to Iceland was additionally sponsored by Helly Hansen.