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Last updated Nov 2026. Trip: 10–20 April 2025.
Short answer: yes, you can drive the whole Iceland Ring Road in April with teenagers. We did it in 10 days (10 nights, the first one at an airport hotel) in a Dacia Duster 4×4, travelling as two families. We slept in a different place almost every night, cooked most of our own food (I am coeliac, and supermarkets plus a kitchen made gluten-free easy), booked no tours at all and spent our “activity” money on hot springs instead: the Secret Lagoon, the Forest Lagoon and the Blue Lagoon. On our very last night we even saw the northern lights. Below is exactly where we slept, what we paid and what I would do the same way again.
The trip at a glance
- When: 10–20 April 2025. Snow on the ground at Gullfoss on day one, blue skies on Snæfellsnes near the end.
- Who: us (two parents and our two teenagers) plus a friend’s family with their kids. Nine people in total, and one shared planning spreadsheet.
- Route: clockwise. Golden Circle, the south coast, Jökulsárlón, Höfn, a long day to Akureyri, then west across the north to the Snæfellsnes peninsula, and back to Keflavík.
- Cars: a Dacia Duster 4×4 per family, picked up and returned at Keflavík airport.
- Tours booked: none. Hot springs: Secret Lagoon (Flúðir), Forest Lagoon (Akureyri) and Blue Lagoon.
- Food: mostly self-catering from supermarkets, which is also how I ate safely gluten-free.
Is April a good time for the Ring Road?
For us, yes, with caveats. April is shoulder season: fewer people than summer, longer days than winter, and lower prices than July. But winter has not completely let go. We had snow at Gullfoss on our first afternoon and a proper white-out on the drive to Akureyri, and a friend who had driven the Ring Road before warned us that some roads can still be closed by ice in April. Some things are simply not open yet. Our hotel in Höfn told us its restaurant only opens from 1 May.
What made it work: we never planned a day that depended on one specific road being open, and we checked the official road conditions at umferdin.is and the warnings on safetravel.is before every long drive. Highland roads (the F-roads) are closed in April anyway, and the Ring Road itself is a normal paved road.
Our 10-day route, day by day
This is what we actually did. Where something comes only from our planning document and not from a booking, receipt or photo, I say so.
Arrival night (10 Apr): late flight, airport hotel
Our Icelandair flight from Lisbon left at 22:20 and landed at Keflavík at 01:50. With teenagers, at that hour, driving anywhere was not an option, so we booked one family room at the ABC Hotel by Reykjavik Keflavik Airport for what was left of the night (€149.76). With a 01:50 landing, I recommend it.
Day 1 (11 Apr): Golden Circle: Þingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss
We picked up the car at 09:00 and went straight onto the Golden Circle: Þingvellir National Park, the Geysir geothermal area and Gullfoss, with snow all around it. Parking at Þingvellir and Geysir was 1,000 ISK each.
Night: Backyard Village in Hveragerði. We had two small houses side by side (the Turquoise House and the Blue House), with a sauna for guests: €434.30 for both houses, for both families.
Day 2 (12 Apr): Kerið, the Secret Lagoon and Seljalandsfoss
A day of contrasts. First Kerið, a volcanic crater with a lake at the bottom and snow still on its walls. Then our first hot spring: the Secret Lagoon in Flúðir, Iceland’s oldest swimming pool, fed by hot springs. Then back south to Seljalandsfoss (1,000 ISK parking), the waterfall you can walk behind, and our first big diesel fill-up at Hvolsvöllur.
Night: Kviholmi Premium Apartments near Hvolsvöllur, two apartments, €714.89 in total. The most expensive night of the trip.
Day 3 (13 Apr): Skógafoss, Reynisfjara and Fjaðrárgljúfur
Skógafoss first thing in the morning, then the black sand beach at Reynisfjara (stay well back from the waves, it is genuinely dangerous), then the Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon. Reynisfjara and Fjaðrárgljúfur both have paid parking, which we paid through the Parka app: about 1,000 ISK each. One of our few meals out was that evening, in Kirkjubæjarklaustur. Night: Stracta Apartments Orustustaðir outside Kirkjubæjarklaustur, two apartments, €566.72 (booked direct, non-refundable).
Day 4 (14 Apr): Skaftafell and Jökulsárlón
Skaftafell, in Vatnajökull National Park, where we walked up to Svartifoss and its basalt columns. Then the glacier lagoon at Jökulsárlón and the ice on Diamond Beach across the road. Both stops have paid parking. We did not book a boat or a glacier tour. If you have the budget, our planning sheet had a boat tour at around €474 for the whole group, and a glacier walk with an ice cave at €1,240–1,378. Night: Árnanes Country Hotel near Höfn, three rooms, €624.57, non-refundable. Remember that its restaurant was closed in April.
Day 5 (15 Apr): Stokksnes, then the long drive to Akureyri
We started early at Stokksnes, just east of Höfn: Vestrahorn mountain (the photo at the top of this post) and an old Viking village film set. It is private land, and you pay at the Viking Café (we paid 6,000 ISK). Then came the longest day: Höfn to Akureyri. Our plan was about 500 km through the East Fjords and Egilsstaðir, and we drove through sun, then a full white-out. Just before Akureyri the Ring Road goes through the Vaðlaheiðargöng tunnel, which has no toll booth: you pay online at veggjald.is with the car’s number plate (2,110 ISK one way when we went). We paid late that night and it was fine, but you only have a short window, so do it the same day. The first thing we did in Akureyri was a big supermarket shop at Krónan: 53,626 ISK (about €372).
Day 6 (16 Apr): Akureyri and the Forest Lagoon
A slower day in and around Akureyri, and our second hot spring: the Forest Lagoon (Skógarböðin), in a birch and pine forest just across the fjord from town. We paid €389.26 there in two payments.
Days 7–8 (17–18 Apr): west to Snæfellsnes and Kirkjufell
A long drive west across the north (we refuelled at Blönduós) to the Snæfellsnes peninsula, where we spent two nights. On the 17th we flew the drone over Kirkjufell, the arrow-shaped mountain everyone photographs. On the 18th we were around Arnarstapi, on the south coast of the peninsula.
Day 9 (19 Apr): Borgarnes, Reykjavík and the northern lights
Back towards the capital via Borgarnes. We had an afternoon in Reykjavík and one last night at Hlíð Fisherman Village, a row of turf-roofed houses by the sea in Álftanes, just outside the city. And just after midnight, after days of checking an aurora forecast app, we finally saw the northern lights.
Day 10 (20 Apr): the Blue Lagoon on the way to the airport
The Blue Lagoon is 20 minutes from Keflavík airport, so it is the perfect last stop before a mid-afternoon flight. The charge on my card was €629.72. Then we refuelled at Ásbrú, returned the car by 14:00 and flew home at 16:00. Book the Blue Lagoon ahead: entry is by time slot.
Where we slept, night by night (with real prices)
Important: these are the total prices for both families (nine people, usually two apartments or three rooms), not per person and not just for our family of four. The airport hotel was one family room just for us. We booked the first five nights. The other family booked the last five, so for those I only have the property names and prices from our shared planning document, not a booking confirmation.
| Night | Where we slept | What we had | Total price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10–11 Apr | ABC Hotel, Keflavík airport | 1 family room (our family only) | €149.76 |
| 11–12 Apr | Backyard Village, Hveragerði | 2 small houses, sauna | €434.30 |
| 12–13 Apr | Kviholmi Premium Apartments, Hvolsvöllur | 2 apartments | €714.89 |
| 13–14 Apr | Stracta Apartments Orustustaðir, Kirkjubæjarklaustur | 2 apartments | €566.72 |
| 14–15 Apr | Árnanes Country Hotel, Höfn | 3 rooms | €624.57 |
| 15–17 Apr | Akureyri: Hoepfner & Tulinius Historical Houses* | 2 apartments, 2 nights | €706* |
| 17–19 Apr | Snæfellsnes (Ólafsvík): Experience Beautiful Iceland* | 2 apartments, 2 nights | €827* |
| 19–20 Apr | Álftanes, near Reykjavík: Hlíð Fisherman Village | 3 apartments | €577* |
* Price from our planning document, booked by the other family. For Hlíð, our photo’s location confirms we stayed there. For Akureyri and Snæfellsnes, our card payments, the tunnel toll and our photos confirm the area, but the property names come only from the plan. I have not seen those bookings myself.
If you want to stay in the same areas, these searches are a good start: Hveragerði · Hvolsvöllur · Kirkjubæjarklaustur · Höfn · Akureyri · Ólafsvík / Snæfellsnes · Reykjavík.
Two tips from these nights: with two families, booking two apartments in the same building (or two houses side by side) meant both families had a kitchen every night. And book the south coast early. It is the busiest part of the Ring Road.
The car: a Dacia Duster 4×4 from Keflavík
I booked through Rentalcars.com in November 2024, and the supplier at the airport was Go Car Rental (Green Motion). It cost €495.59 for the car plus €84.34 for Rentalcars’ full protection insurance, so €579.93 for nine days (11 Apr 09:00 to 20 Apr 14:00). It was a Dacia Duster 4×4, diesel. The other family rented their own Duster.
- Excess: the rental contract had a self-risk of €3,500 with the basic cover (or €1,000 with their super cover). With an excess that high, full protection insurance is worth considering.
- Restricted roads: the contract banned F-roads unless you have an approved 4×4, and it named a few roads specifically (25 Kjölur, 864 to Dettifoss east and 550 Kaldidalur). Off-road driving carries a €500 fine.
- Do you need a 4×4 in April? For the paved Ring Road, not strictly. But with possible snow and gravel side roads, the higher clearance and 4×4 are worth having.
- Fuel: we paid about 46,850 ISK (around €325) at N1 and Orkan stations over the trip, mostly diesel.
- Tolls and parking: one tunnel toll near Akureyri (veggjald.is, 2,110 ISK), about 1,000 ISK of parking at most big stops (Þingvellir, Geysir, Seljalandsfoss, Reynisfjara, Fjaðrárgljúfur, Skaftafell and Jökulsárlón) and the Stokksnes entry at the Viking Café.
No tours, just hot springs
We did not book a single tour. With two families, every tour price gets multiplied by nine, and Iceland’s best sights are free to walk to from the car park. Our planning sheet priced a few options for the whole group, just to give you an idea: a whale-watching boat at Húsavík at around €600, an ice cave at €1,240–1,378, and a boat on the glacier lagoon at about €474. We skipped them all.
What we did spend on was hot water:
- Secret Lagoon, Flúðir (12 April): Iceland’s oldest swimming pool (1891), a natural hot pool near the Golden Circle with a small geyser next to it. Small, simple and easy to add to day 2 of a Ring Road trip.
- Forest Lagoon, Akureyri (16 April): a geothermal lagoon set in the forest above the fjord, with warm pools, a sauna and a cold pool. You can buy Forest Lagoon tickets on GetYourGuide, or book direct.
- Blue Lagoon (20 April): the famous one, about 20 minutes from the airport. We went on the morning of our flight home. Tickets are timed, so book ahead: Blue Lagoon Comfort admission on GetYourGuide.
No tours, three hot springs. That was our whole “activities” budget.
Gluten-free in Iceland: supermarkets and a kitchen
I am coeliac, and gluten-free went really well on this trip. The secret was not a restaurant. It was cooking. We bought our food in supermarkets (the big shop was at Krónan in Akureyri) and cooked at our apartments almost every night. That is another reason to choose apartments with a kitchen over hotel rooms on the Ring Road: restaurants are spread out, expensive and sometimes closed out of season.
- Stock up in the bigger towns (Selfoss, Hvolsvöllur, Höfn, Akureyri, Borgarnes). Supermarkets get scarce between them, especially in the east.
- On labels, the Icelandic word for gluten-free is glútenlaust.
- Pack a few safe snacks from home for the long driving days.
- On the plane, ask for a gluten-free meal when you book. I asked for one through our travel agency.
As always, our gluten-free disclaimer applies: if you are coeliac, check every label yourself.
What it cost
Real numbers from our receipts and card statements. Flights are for our family of four only. Accommodation is the total for both families. The car, hot springs and supermarket figures are what was paid on my card. Some of these were shared with the other family, so do not read them as “our share”.
| Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Flights Lisbon–Keflavík return (Icelandair) | €2,140 | €535 per person × 4, with 23 kg hold bag + 10 kg cabin bag |
| Seat selection | $64 | 8 seats × $8 (both flights) |
| Airport hotel, night 1 | €149.76 | 1 family room, our family only |
| Nights 2–5, south coast | €2,340.48 | Total for both families |
| Nights 6–10, north, Snæfellsnes, Reykjavík | €2,110* | Total for both families, from our planning document |
| Car hire, 9 days, Duster 4×4 + full insurance | €579.93 | Rentalcars / Go Car Rental |
| Fuel | ≈ €325 | ≈ 46,850 ISK at N1 / Orkan |
| Parking, tunnel and Stokksnes | ≈ €100 | ~1,000 ISK per stop, 2,110 ISK tunnel, 6,000 ISK Stokksnes |
| Forest Lagoon | €389.26 | Paid on my card |
| Blue Lagoon | €629.72 | Paid on my card |
| Big supermarket shop (Akureyri) | ≈ €372 | 53,626 ISK. Plus smaller shops along the way |
The single biggest cost for our family was the flights. The biggest saving was sharing apartments and cooking instead of eating out.
What I would tell another family
- Ten days is the minimum for the full Ring Road. Höfn to Akureyri in one day is long. If you can, add a night in the east.
- Book an airport hotel for a late arrival. Do not start a Ring Road drive at 2 a.m.
- Travel with another family if you can. Two-apartment bookings, one big supermarket shop and someone else to talk to on the long drives.
- You do not need tours. The big sights are a short walk from the car park. Spend the money on a hot spring instead.
- April means flexible plans. Check the road conditions every morning and have a plan B for each day.
FAQ
Can you see the northern lights in April?
Sometimes. We saw them on our last night, 19–20 April, just after midnight near Reykjavík. Nights are getting short by late April, so check an aurora forecast and be ready to go outside late.
Can you drive the Iceland Ring Road in April?
Yes. We drove the whole Ring Road from 10 to 20 April 2025. There was still some snow, so check umferdin.is before each drive. F-roads (highland roads) are closed in April.
How many days do you need for the Ring Road?
We did it in 10 days on the island, with 10 nights including an airport night on arrival. It worked, but one day (Höfn to Akureyri) was very long. Eleven or twelve days would be more relaxed.
Do you need a 4×4 in Iceland in April?
Not strictly for the paved Ring Road, but with snow still possible and gravel side roads, a 4×4 like our Dacia Duster is worth having. Rental contracts restrict F-roads and off-road driving, so read them.
How much does a Ring Road trip cost for a family?
For us, the flights were €2,140 for four from Lisbon. Ten nights of accommodation came to roughly €4,600 (two families together, except the first night), the car to €579.93 for nine days with full insurance, and fuel to about €325. Hot springs and food were on top.
Is it easy to eat gluten-free in Iceland?
For us, yes, because we cooked. We bought food in supermarkets and cooked in our apartments. Look for glútenlaust on labels.
Is the Blue Lagoon worth it with teenagers?
It worked well for us as the last stop of the trip. Go on the way to or from the airport, since it is only 20 minutes away, and book a time slot in advance. If you are in the north, the Forest Lagoon in Akureyri is an alternative, and the Secret Lagoon in Flúðir fits easily into a Golden Circle day.
Keep reading
More family trips from us: a gluten-free trip to Japan with teenagers · Madeira with kids in a week · my best gluten-free meal ever, in Athens.
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