Leg 3 of 8 257 km
East Fjords — Höfn to Egilsstaðir
Höfn to Egilsstaðir — the longest single leg on the whole loop, tracing one fjord after another past small fishing villages with real gaps between them.
- Distance
- 257 km
- Wheel time
- ~3 h 30
- Road surface
- Mostly paved, winding
- Weather exposure
- High
The leg / 01
The longest leg, and the slowest kilometres
At 257 km this is the single longest stretch between overnight bases on the entire Ring Road, and the road itself is slower than the distance suggests — it hugs a series of fjords rather than running straight, adding real time beyond what raw kilometres imply. This is the leg where budgeting extra time matters most.
The villages / 02
Djúpivogur, and the option to detour further
Djúpivogur is a small, quiet harbour town roughly at the leg's midpoint. From Berufjörður onward the road wraps one fjord after another; Seyðisfjörður, reached via a paved spur road (Route 93) off Route 1, is a worthwhile detour for anyone with an extra half-day — a colourful harbour town with its own distinct character, about 27 km each way off the main loop.
Practical / 03
Fuel before you commit to this leg
Services thin out badly here compared to the South Coast or Southeast. Fill up in Höfn before starting, and again in Djúpivogur if it's open — treat this leg the way you'd treat a genuinely remote drive, not a scenic coastal cruise.
Places on this leg / 04