Are you ready to take your motorcycle adventures to the next level? Then look no further than Iceland, a country with a wild and remote landscape that provides the ultimate playground for any red-blooded adventure biker.
Think cascading waterfalls, majestic mountains, immense glaciers, and some of the best riding on the planet. But where should you go? What are Iceland’s must see sights? And where can you find the country’s hidden gems far off the tourist trail?
Sure, you could simply do a Ring Road motorcycle trip of Iceland, looping the country’s iconic Route 1, but trust me when I say sticking to this tried and tested journey will leave you missing out on the best riding Iceland has to offer.
So, to guarantee you make the most of your motorcycle tour of Iceland, we caught up with an expert on riding in the land of fire and ice, Jimmy Skowronski from Freedom Moto Adventures, who told us some of his best kept secrets.
He revealed five unmissable sights you need to visit on a bike tour of the country. And, if you’re looking to book a motorcycle tour of Iceland, get in touch with Jimmy to find out what Freedom Moto Adventures tours can offer HERE.
In the meantime, let’s take a look at five of Iceland’s less travelled gems…
Marvel at Múlafoss Waterfall
Right next to the main Ring Road is beautiful Nykurhylsfoss Waterfall cascading through the narrow gorge. It’s a reasonably popular place to stop, but only some people realise that a short ride up the road is a hidden gem, the majestic Múlafoss Waterfall.
You need an adventure bike or 4×4 to get there as the road is rough, and depending on the season, you may need to cross a few rivers. It seems like you are on the road to nowhere, following the river until you climb over the final hill where you can see Múlafoss Waterfall.
Iceland offers countless waterfalls, but there is something magical about this one. The way it’s hidden at the end of a rough road to get there makes it isolated, and you are not likely to meet anyone. Once you get there, it feels like a well-earned reward.
Discover the West Fjords
If you turn off the Ring Road at the town of Borgarnes (about an hour north of Reykjavík), you’ll enter the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. You will ride towards the glistering white of Snæfellsjökull glacier, watching for seals lazing on basalt rock columns, as you ride excellent empty roads.
As you go even further and take a ferry from the town of Stykkishólmur, you will enter the magnificent West Fjords and become surrounded by a very different landscape. The further you travel, the more isolated you will feel. Mountains become more eroded, fields emptier, and roads the dream of every biker.
After hours of riding and travelling through a six-mile-long tunnel through the mountain, you will reach the picturesque fishing town of Ísafjörður. From there, you will continue along the coast along fjord after fjord until you climb over the mountains and rejoin the Ring Road. Oh, and don’t forget to stop at Hólmavík and join a whale-watching trip.
Ride Askja volcano
Of all the volcanoes in Iceland, Askja is one of the most spectacular. As you travel in northern Iceland, you see the carnage the eruption in 1961 caused. For miles, the whole area is covered in solidified lava, black sand, and rocks that look like they were thrown by a giant’s hand.
If you are brave enough and have the right vehicle (an adventure bike, for example), you can follow the road from the Ring Road that will take you straight to the crater. From there, it’s just a short walk to reach the caldera, where you can take off your gear and jump in the pristine lake.
Be sure to check with the ranger at the bottom if it’s safe to enter. Askja is still active, and the rumour is that it’s long overdue. Be sure not to wake her.
Vatnajökull National Park and Iceland’s table mountain
Just a few minutes from the Ring Road, over a small hill, is the small farm settlement of Möðrudalur. It’s a gateway to Vatnajökull National Park, an area in the menacing shadow of Iceland’s biggest ice cap.
If you are in the area, it’s a fantastic place to stop at the campsite, which is a great place for motorcycle camping in Iceland, or in the moss-covered houses of the Fjalladýrð hostel.
Enjoy the evening watching the sunset over Herðubreið table mountain and get ready for the next day’s adventure, as most likely, you’ll be travelling deep in the wilderness of Vatnajökull Park.
Stand under a waterfall in Nauthúsagil ravine
Many incredible places in Iceland can be described as “just a few minutes from the ring road”, but they are easily missed if you’re not riding with people with local knowledge. The magnificent Nauthúsagil ravine is such place.
Leave the hordes of tourists behind at Seljalandsfoss waterfall, and head further on until you see an innocent-looking car park. From here, you can follow the path to a narrow gorge. This is where being a biker helps. While the few visitors that make it this far struggle to jump from rock to rock, you can walk through the raging but shallow river in your waterproof boots.
You’ll finally reach one of the most breath-taking views in Iceland Nauthúsagil ravine. You will feel like you’re standing in a cave with a waterfall cascading down through the hole in the ceiling. Fancy a cold shower?
Freedom Moto Adventures
So, there you have it, five unmissable sights that are… well, easily missed on a motorcycle tour of Iceland. In fact, these are just a handful of the fascinating places Jimmy suggested, but we don’t have time to list them all here.
If you want don’t want to miss a thing on your motorcycle adventure in Iceland, then get in touch with Jimmy and join him on a Freedom Moto Adventures. He runs fully paved and dirt road tours so you can explore Iceland the way you want to.
From 12-24 July 2024, you can ride the Icelandic Explorer, a 12-day tarmac adventure taking in the very best the country has to offer. It’s the trip of a lifetime, whether you’re an experienced rider or taking your first tour.
And then, from 1-15 August, you can join Freedom Moto Adventures on its Iceland Unleashed tour, a 15-day motorcycle expedition across Iceland. You’ll be mostly riding on F-roads made up of gravel, rocks, or sand, and enjoying plenty of water crossings.
If it’s adventure you’re looking for, look no further. Simply head over to www.freedom-adventures.com to begin your motorcycle tour of Iceland.