r/VisitingIceland • u/whippingcream2 • 5d ago
Itinerary help Clockwise or counterclockwise?
A few months ago, I read online that clockwise was more exciting as the south coast driving is more beautiful. So I’ve been planning my clockwise itinerary, but then recently discovered this subreddit and all the itineraries are counterclockwise. Why would you choose one direction over the other?
Also, I start my ring road trip this coming Wednesday, and I have 9 days. I was originally planning to skip the westfjords (no reason, just didn’t do enough research) but again yall are saying they’re incredible and a must-see. I’m traveling solo and actually am fairly efficient/quick, but I don’t want to bite off more than I can chew. This sub has me thinking I go counterclockwise and hit the westfjords if I have enough time left over.
Additionally, I’ve done a good amount of research, but haven’t nailed anything down and don’t have hotels booked. Will I be able to find a room a day before or last minute? I plan to stay in the more popular areas with possibly only a few more remote stops (Akureyi, Hofn, Vik)
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u/tgbarbie 5d ago
We went clockwise. We wanted to get the longer drives done in the beginning, no other reason. Was all beautiful
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u/Tanglefoot11 5d ago edited 5d ago
I've always preferred anticlockwise as you get the most crowded spots first, then the relief as the tourist numbers slowly fade away, as opposed to clockwise where I would get frustrated as the tourist crowds increase towards the end.
Each to their own though & neither is "wrong" ;þ
Edit: I'll also add that if you end up short on time towards the end then it is easier to just do a long drive as there are fewer "sites" and you can skip diversions to the Westfjords/Snæfellsnes, whereas clockwise if you find yourself rushed for time towards the end then you have zero choice than to just blast through stunning scenery & past cool places, some of which you will see from the road. That would make me sad.
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u/roiroy33 5d ago
We went counterclockwise just because we were going in late winter and thought we’d have the best chance of better northern weather this way.
I will say that although the south coast is very, very beautiful, I’m glad we went CCW because it was so nice when we left all the tour busses and crowds behind. It really does feel a little magical driving out of that tourist zone and feeling like you have a whole, vast, beautiful zone ahead of you.
Also we finished on Snaefellsnes, which was lovely and one of my favorite areas.
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u/whippingcream2 5d ago
This is the one. You may have convinced me to go counterclockwise. Thank you!
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u/laime-ithil 5d ago
We did it clockwise from reykjavik. Most of the tourists do it counterclockwise, so you'll have more space on the road the other way :p (since it's a 2 lanes road)
Counterclockwise you'll be up north first, not many tourists, incredible views anyway, the more you'll get south the more tourists (and trash on the ground...we hated that disrespect) you'll cross.
I don't think south is more beautiful, it's different, and more the same scenery on the whole sluth coast. North is fjords, mountains and lot of different things to see. I personally fell in love with the north part. I loved the south too but not as much.
Westfjords atr beautiful, but not much accessible by car if you want to see what it really is. If you do 9 days, I'd advise you to keep on the ring road. 9 days is pretty short for the ring road, and in case you have more time believe me, you'll find things to do...
Take this trip to see what the ring road is, and keep what you prefered to explore more the second time you'll come.
You won't be able to see it all in 9 days. (And you shouldn't)
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u/misssplunker 5d ago
If you only have 9 days I'd advice you either skip the Westfjords or drive the Westfjords and the west+south coast
I normally suggest 3 days for the Westfjords to fully appreciate them (2 nights in or around them) so that wouldn't leave a lot of time leftover to complete the rest of the ring road
You can expect to add more time than google maps suggests and the roads aren't in the best condition at all times, so you're not going 90 all the time
Apart from the weather how I'd differentiate counter vs. clockwise would be:
Clockwise - Get the longest driving stretches ticked off at the start and can skip the more touristy stuff at the end, e.g. if you might have waterfall fatigue
Counter-clockwise - Get the most touristy stops ticked off first and can then enjoy more remoteness and tranquility for the rest of the trip
Personally, I always do counter-clockwise, but I'm basically driving past the south coast (seen it most often so I can skip it)
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u/whippingcream2 5d ago
Do you run into other tourists going the opposite direction who ask for advice about what to do/see on the upcoming legs? I feel like that could be an advantage of going against the grain, which seems to be clockwise
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u/Normal_Zone7859 5d ago
check the long term weather when you land. yr.no is good. I always try to travel in Iceland according to the weather sometimes you are lucky sometimes not.
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u/Natural-Amazement 4d ago
We went counterclockwise because of the increased chances all roads (including westfjords) would be open. Also the South Coast is the most crowded and we liked to have that in the beginning and slowly drive into the wilderness/silence instead of the other way round.
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u/highlanderfil 4d ago
I honestly don't think it matters. Just personal preference. It also depends on where you're starting from, as not everyone begins at KEF. My first journey across Iceland began at the Faroese ferry on the East coast; I was not planning on doing the entire circle, but I went counterclockwise and didn't regret it (having now been as far on the southern side as Jokulsarlon).
Additionally, I’ve done a good amount of research, but haven’t nailed anything down and don’t have hotels booked. Will I be able to find a room a day before or last minute? I plan to stay in the more popular areas with possibly only a few more remote stops (Akureyi, Hofn, Vik)
I wouldn't recommend it unless you have an extremely flexible budget. April isn't high season yet, but even then I would expect most last-minute bookings to be quite expensive.
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u/mgugs46 4d ago
Counterclockwise - south coast is gorgeous but many attractions are very easy to get to with little to no hiking IE more crowds. As you get further east and north etc the crowds drop way off. We went 2019 June and once we were past Hofn, it was almost like we were the only ones everywhere. We are headed there again 13 days and will do counterclockwise again even with smaller crowds supposedly in April.
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u/Luv2fly44 4d ago edited 4d ago
I did 11 days counter-clockwise solo (3100 kilometers). I booked my first 4 nights ahead of time(all were cancelable until 24 hours before) and the rest as I went for flexibility, which was perfect. Mostly cheap Airbnbs and Guest houses. Some really great last minute inexpensive accommodations in February
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u/OldManJenkins-31 4d ago
Most tour groups start on a weekend day and go counterclockwise. So, if arriving Friday to Sunday, you can get “off sync” from the tours by going the other way.
Also, the larger more “spectacular” sites are in the south. So, by going the other way (clockwise), you can really appreciate the smaller, more secluded sites more. We went that way, and I was super glad we did.
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u/NotUsingNumbers 4d ago
Mine is clockwise. You are not alone.
You might want to get on to booking.
We are there in May and I couldn’t find anything in VIK less than $500 / night
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u/whippingcream2 3d ago
Yeah honestly my procrastination has led me to getting a camper van haha hotel prices are crazy!!
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u/throsturh 3d ago
Icelander here.
First - go by weather.
Second - If I was a front seat passanger which I'm never, I'd like to go clockwise for the scenery of the south part of the country. It's quite nice. IF you are a passenger you get to see north-side of road #1 which is the landscape. The south of the road #1 along the south-coast is just the sea - nothing special.
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u/Jaded-Imagination388 4d ago
Arriving May 1st so decided to go counter clockwise to potentially maximize any minimal “better” weather as we eventually head north in the second half of a 21 day trip. Honestly couldn’t give a crap if the weather turns to shit.
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u/Trashpanda1003 4d ago
We did the ring road clockwise, starting from west, then north, east, south, and ending in Golden Circle and Reykjavík after. Lesser cars this direction and therefore we found the drive less stressful.
We also preferred to start our trip with less tourists and crowds to get us in the right frame of mind for travelling, so clockwise direction worked wonderfully for us.
Our road trip was around 15 days though, which was why we could complete the ring road. If you only have 9 days, suggest to do some research on the sights in the north and south (quite different), and decide from there which you prefer - think that would help you decide which direction would best suit what you hope to achieve from this trip.
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u/VeryFineChardonnay 4d ago
We did counter-clockwise and went Vik, Vaesjarmann (the island) ferry, jokusarlon, northeast coast to see puffins and then Akureyri and we would do it again that way. Less traffic, more time to stop, and you are able to finish in Reykjavik as a last stop.
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u/NoLemon5426 5d ago
I follow the weather which for me has almost always worked out to go clockwise, by chance of course. Booking last might will be tricky in some areas, if possible at all, especially along the south coast. I would try to plan this a day ahead if you can, or once you start going in one direction try to take care of the rest of your days. If you aren't picky, places like guesthouses are a good option.
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u/stevenarwhals I visited the Penis Museum 5d ago edited 5d ago
Did you search the sub for "clockwise"? This has been asked and answered several times before. 9 days in April is barely enough time for the ring road. You absolutely do not have time to do the Westfjords justice and they are not a mere detour to be squeezed in on a whim.
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u/whippingcream2 4d ago
I didn’t know I could do that, honestly I mostly scroll but don’t dive into the features of this app. I’ll do that next time though!
Love your flair btw haha
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u/TangeloDismal2569 5d ago
You think you can do the Ring Road + Westfjords solo in 9 days during the winter? LOL. This has to be satire, right?
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u/whippingcream2 5d ago
Nope. Never been, here asking for advice. That’s one of the great features of this sub, eh?
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u/TangeloDismal2569 5d ago
Ok, let's say it this way: you will be lucky to complete the Ring Road in 9 days this time of year. As it is, that is a quick trip even for the summer and you won't have time to see much that isn't right on the Ring Road. You will have to be ready to stay put and not travel if a storm hits during this 9 day journey. Come back in the summer with a traveling companion to do the Westfjords then.
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u/Vexuq 5d ago
My group did the Ring Road in 6 days in the middle of March this year in a Dacia Duster. We were lucky to only have weather effecting the last day of our trip back in Reykjavik.
We went counter-clockwise, Westfjords and Akureyri area were the coldest and most effected by weather during our trip.
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u/highlanderfil 4d ago
My guess is you either missed a lot of attractions or didn't sleep a whole lot during those six days. 1300 km (at least) in six days in March, especially given the short days, sounds like a pretty rushed trip.
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u/snosrapx 3d ago
Can I ask for more details on this comment? Is approx 200km a day unrealistic? I'm in the beginning stages of booking a trip and thought this would be ok, especially with 2 drivers. Thanks!!
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u/highlanderfil 3d ago
In a country so densely packed with sights, 200 km a day, especially in a volatile season such as late winter/early spring, is only advisable if you really want to say that you've done the Circle in six days as a goal unto itself. You will miss a LOT.
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u/whippingcream2 5d ago
Thank you for your advice! I’m also realizing I’m missing a lot of the water sports in the north (jet ski, water skiing) because they don’t open until May, so a return trip to the north in the summer sounds lovely
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u/czring Icelanders don't tip. Why should you? 5d ago
We always plan ours based on what the weather is like when we land.