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Iceland routes at a glance
- Full circumnavigation
- 10 to 11 days, roundtrip Reykjavík
- Regional voyage
- 7 to 9 days, Westfjords and north coast
- Greenland crossing
- 12 to 14 days over the Denmark Strait
- Arctic Circle
- Crossed at Grímsey, off the north coast
- Our route
- Roundtrip Reykjavík, 27 May to 5 June 2022
- Land alternative
- The Ring Road, roughly 1,322 km
Which Iceland Cruise Itinerary Should You Choose?
The full circumnavigation if this is your only Iceland trip: it is the one route that shows how different the coasts are. The Westfjords and north coast loop if you want depth over coverage. The Greenland crossing if the icebergs of Scoresby Sund are really what you are after.
| Itinerary | Length | Typical route | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full island circumnavigation | 10 to 11 days | Reykjavík, Snæfellsnes, Ísafjörður, Siglufjörður, Akureyri, Húsavík, Seyðisfjörður, Djúpivogur, Heimaey, Reykjavík | A first and only Iceland voyage; seeing how different the coasts are |
| Westfjords and north coast | 7 to 9 days | Reykjavík, Grundarfjörður, Ísafjörður, Hornstrandir, Akureyri, Húsavík, Reykjavík | Depth over coverage, seabirds, kayaking, a second Iceland trip |
| Iceland and East Greenland | 12 to 14 days | Reykjavík, Westfjords, Denmark Strait, Scoresby Sund, Reykjavík | Travellers whose real target is Greenland's icebergs and settlements |
Ports vary by operator and by departure. The circumnavigation row reflects the route we sailed in 2022.
We sailed the circumnavigation — the Ocean Diamond with Iceland ProCruises, roundtrip Reykjavík, 27 May to 5 June 2022 — so this is one of the few pages on the site where we are describing a route we have actually completed rather than assembled from itineraries. We have also driven the island twice, including ten days in April 2023, which is what lets us compare the two honestly.
What Does a Full Circumnavigation Cover?
Ten or eleven days from Reykjavík, usually via the Snæfellsnes peninsula, Ísafjörður in the Westfjords, Siglufjörður, Akureyri, Húsavík, the East Fjords at Seyðisfjörður and Djúpivogur, and Heimaey in the Westman Islands before returning. The Arctic Circle is crossed at Grímsey.
This is the route we sailed, and the thing it does that a road trip cannot is show you the transition. The East Fjords are green and steep, the north is volcanic and dark, the Westfjords are older and higher and emptier. Driving, you feel that change as scenery. Sailing, you feel it as coastline.
The specific days that justified the ship for us were the roadless ones — Hornstrandir and the outer islands, reached by Zodiac, with nowhere to arrive from except the water. Húsavík also worked better from a ship, because we had the whole day for whales rather than an afternoon between drives.
Is a Shorter Westfjords Voyage Enough?
If you have seen the south coast by road already, yes. A 7 to 9-day voyage via Grundarfjörður, Ísafjörður, Hornstrandir, Akureyri and Húsavík gives you the roadless north and west in depth, with kayaking, puffin cliffs and geothermal bathing, and skips the parts a car does well.
It is the better second Iceland trip, and a good first one for travellers who care more about seabirds and fjords than about ticking the island. Regional detail is in the Westfjords guide.
Should You Add East Greenland?
Only if Greenland is the point rather than a bonus. A 12 to 14-day voyage crosses the Denmark Strait to Scoresby Sund, which is a genuinely different environment — big icebergs, Inuit settlements, no Icelandic coastline for days. You trade a chunk of Iceland to get there.
We do not repeat that argument here; it is made properly on Greenland or Iceland?. The short version is that these are two destinations, and a combined voyage is a compromise rather than a bargain.
Ship or Ring Road for the Same Ten Days?
Having done both: the ship for the coast, the roadless reserves and the seabird cliffs; the road for the interior, the glacier lagoons, the waterfalls and the freedom to stop. Neither substitutes for the other, and a first-time visitor who wants the postcard Iceland should drive.
Our April 2023 land trip put us at Þingvellir, at waterfalls with snow still on the ground, and at glacier lagoons on our own schedule — none of which a circumnavigation delivers. Our 2022 voyage put us ashore in places no vehicle reaches. Those are different holidays that happen to share an island.
The full comparison, including cost, driving conditions and season, is in Ring Road or cruise? and the Ring Road guide.
When Do These Itineraries Run?
Circumnavigations run predominantly from late May to early September, when the whole coast is navigable and daylight is long. Puffins are on the cliffs from mid-May to mid or late August. Winter Iceland is a land trip, not a cruise.
Our own sailing was the last days of May into early June, which caught puffins on the cliffs and near-endless evening light. Season detail is in when to visit Iceland.
Iceland itinerary questions
Have you sailed these routes?
We sailed the full circumnavigation — Ocean Diamond with Iceland ProCruises, roundtrip Reykjavík, 27 May to 5 June 2022 — and we have land-toured Iceland twice, including ten days in April 2023.
How long is a full Iceland circumnavigation?
Usually 10 or 11 days from Reykjavík, calling on the Snæfellsnes peninsula, the Westfjords, the north coast, the East Fjords and the Westman Islands.
Where do you cross the Arctic Circle?
At Grímsey, a small island off the north coast, which is the only inhabited part of Iceland on the Arctic Circle.
Is a combined Iceland and Greenland voyage good value?
It is a compromise rather than a bargain — you give up Icelandic coastline to cross the Denmark Strait. Worth it if Greenland is the real target.
Cruise or Ring Road for a first visit?
For most first-time visitors, the road. The ship's advantage is the roadless coast; the road's advantage is the interior, the glacier lagoons and stopping whenever you like.