Iceland in a week: the Ring Road, done properly

The nightly stops

Night 1 Reykjavik (arrival, Blue Lagoon). Night 2 Vik (Golden Circle plus first South Coast waterfalls). Night 3 Hofn (Jokulsarlon, Diamond Beach, langoustine dinner at Pakkhus). Night 4 Egilsstadir or Seydisfjordur (east fjords, the drive over Oxi pass in summer). Night 5 Myvatn (Dettifoss, Namafjall, Myvatn Nature Baths). Night 6 Akureyri (Godafoss on the way, city night out). Night 7 Borgarnes or back to Reykjavik via the whale-watching detour in Grundarfjordur.

This is the anti-clockwise version, which most people prefer because it puts the long east-coast drive on day 4 when you are settled into the rhythm. Distances vary from 190 km (Reykjavik to Vik) to 265 km (Hofn to Egilsstadir).

What to skip if you are tight

Seydisfjordur is a 27 km detour off the Ring Road each way; skip it if the weather turns. Husavik whale watching costs a half-day out of Myvatn — worth it in June-August, less so in shoulder season. The Diamond Circle in the north (Asbyrgi, Dettifoss, Husavik) can replace a Myvatn day if you have already soaked in enough hot springs. Do not skip Jokulsarlon; it is the single most photographed spot in the country for a reason.