How to drive on F roads in the highlands of Iceland

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The F-Roads are home to some of Iceland's most wild and natural beauty. But for those who are not familiar with driving in the area, driving on the F-Roads can present some risks. Follow our comprehensive tips to make sure you enjoy the scenery without floating down a powerful river or getting stuck in the middle of nowhere! 

(Note: Originally written in March 2012, his blog was updated January 2020 to reflect updated information, including new dates in the mountain road opening date table )

 

 

First, let's answer the question on how to drive on the F-roads in the highlands of Iceland.

1. You have to be driving a 4x4 vehicle. Other vehicles are not properly equipped to tackle the terrain.
2. It is strongly advised that people travel together in 2 or more cars in case you encounter trouble and need help.
3. You should check information about the conditions of the roads before you start your journey. It is best to call 1777 or check www.road.is.
4. Make sure that the F-road you plan to travel on is open for traffic.
5. Drive slowly and be aware of the possibly very bad gravel road in front of you.
6. Cross rivers with ease after reading our instructions below.
7. Driving off the designated roads in the highlands is strictly forbidden. It's worth noting that driving off-road anywhere in Iceland is always forbidden!
8. Buying a detailed map of the route you will be travelling is much better than using the standard free map you can get at tourist information centers and gas stations. This is not necessary but can be very helpful.
9. Whenever possible, try to talk to local people about conditions in the area, such as rangers.
10. Tell somebody about your travel plans. You can, for example, tell the good people over at www.safetravel.is (or just the local ranger in the area).
11. It is good to be prepared for all types of weather as the weather in the highlands can change almost in a blink of an eye.
12. Be aware that the telephone signal in the highlands is not very stable and you can go for a long while without a mobile connection.
13. The emergency number in Iceland is 112. You are able to call it in the highlands, even without a mobile connection.
14. There is only one petrol station in the highlands, at Hveravellir, so make sure you fill up! :)

 

 

 

 

Some facts about the highlands from Wikipedia; they are situated in the middle of the country, at 400 – 500 meters (1,300 - 1640 feet) above sea level. They are mostly uninhabitable. Many glaciers are in the highlands such as Vatnajokull glacier which is the biggest glacier in Europe. Most of Iceland’s active volcanoes are also situated in the highlands. Sounds amazing….and kinda scary right? :)

 

The mountain roads in the highlands are called F-roads and are indicated with an F in front of the number of the road on maps. You will need a 4x4 car to drive on these roads.

 

The notable exceptions to this are Kjalvegur road 35 (usually called Kjölur among Icelanders). Road 35 is the road to Gullfoss, but then changes to a mountain road right after Gullfoss, when it becomes F35. This means you are able to drive your small car to Gullfoss in summer and winter (depending on road conditions of course), you will only need a 4x4 car right after you pass Gullfoss. 

 

The F roads are usually narrow gravel roads with no bridges over rivers. And there are lots of rivers in the highlands! Sounds even scarier now, right? This is where many people can run into trouble on the F-roads
 

The F-roads are only open during the summer and some of them open as late as early July. The highland summer lasts only about a month and a half. The opening of each road depends mostly on the amount of snow covering them. Roads can be very wet after the spring and are not opened to traffic until they dry up. When roads pass through conservation areas, they are not opened until the whole area is ready to take on the pressures of visitors even if the road itself is ready to be opened.

 

F roads Iceland 2014-2018

MOUNTAIN ROADS 2011 - 2015	Opening date earliest	Opening date latest	Opening date median
Lakagígar, F206	16 June	9 July	25 June
Fjallabaksleið nyrðri, F208
1. Sigalda - Landmannalaugar	9 June	26 June	16 June
2. Laugar - Eldgjá	19 June	17 July	30 June
3. Eldgjá - Skaftártunga	13 June	26 June	17 June
Fjallabaksleið syðri F210
1. Keldur - Hvanngil	30 June	17 July	7 July
2. Hvanngil - Skaftártunga	30 June	23 July	7 July
Landmannaleið (Dómad.) F225	18 June	3 July	1 July
Emstruleið, F261	27 June	10 July	4 July
Kjalvegur, 35
1. Gullfoss - Hveravellir	8 June	1 July	17 June
2. Hveravellir - Blönduvirkjun	2 June	25 June	13 June
Sprengisandur, F26
1. Hrauneyjar - Nýidalur	20 June	10 July	29 June
2. Nýidalur - Bárðardalur	20 June	10 July	30 June
Skagafjarðarleið, F752	29 June	16 July	6 July
Eyjafjarðarleið, F821	1 July	24 July	10 July
Öskjuleið, F88
1. To Herðubreiðarlindir	14 June	26 June	20 June
2. Herðubreiðarlindir - Dreki	14 June	26 June	20 June
Öskjuvatnsvegur, F894	14 June	24 July	30 June
Vesturd. (Hljóðaklettar), F862	12 June	24 June	15 June
Kverkfjallaleið, F902	14 June	27 June	21 June
Uxahryggjavegur, 52	24 April	31 May	3 May
Kaldadalsvegur, 550	1 June	7 July	14 June

Opening of mountain roads brochure (updated June 2018).

 

As you can see in the table and on the below map there are several highland roads in Iceland. The most known roads are F35 Kjölur, F26 Sprengisandur and F208 Fjallabaksleið Nyrðri (roughly translates as "The North road behind the mountains") which leads to Landmannalaugar. Kjölur and Sprengisandur used to be the main roads between the north and the south of Iceland and the people would travel on foot or horses. I think the people in the old days must have been super-humans for travelling without all the nice modern equipment and clothes we have. :)

 

Opening of mountain roads brochure 
 

 

 

 

The Road Traffic Directorate has made a video about how to drive in Iceland. There is some information about how to drive on F-roads in it, although it is mostly a general video about driving in Iceland.

 

You can, of course, drive the SADcars that are suitable for F-roads driving in the highlands of Iceland. In fact, we want you to enjoy it! We offer several groups that are suitable for F-road driving; Group M (manual) and Group N (automatic) Toyota RAV4 4x4 or comparable), Group J Suzuki Jimny 4x4 (not suitable to drive on all highland roads under all circumstances, it depends on the amount of water flow in the rivers if they can be crossed) and Group R (Toyota LandCruiser 4x4 or comparable). 

Please be aware that off-road driving is strictly forbidden by law in Iceland as it damages nature for decades. If the road does not have a number, do not drive on it, even if there are tire tracks. Those who drive off-road are subject to excessive fines or imprisonment of up to two years. 

Sources and useful information:

 

Hopefully, this blog gives you some ideas of what to expect when travelling on the F roads in the highlands of Iceland. Always keep in mind that you are driving in a wilderness where the weather can change very fast and you are located high above sea level so the weather can be very different from the weather in the "lowlands".

Have a happy and safe journey!