The quick answer
If we were planning the Ring Road again, we would build the trip around the places that felt genuinely different from one another: the volcanic landscape around Lake Mývatn, Dettifoss and Selfoss, Stuðlagil, the East Fjords drive, Jökulsárlón and Diamond Beach, and hiking at Skaftafell. Goðafoss, Grábrók and Kolugljúfur are excellent stops along the way. Glanni is a straight skip.
West & heading north
Grábrók Crater — worth it
The built boardwalks and stairs make this an easy stop to understand and explore. Looking directly into the crater was genuinely cool, and it gave us something completely different from another waterfall.
Glanni Waterfall — skip
This was one of the few Ring Road stops we simply would not do again. The walk was basic and the waterfall felt underwhelming compared with what Iceland delivers elsewhere. Skip Glanni and keep driving.
Kolugljúfur Canyon — worth the stop
You do not need to treat this as a formal hike. We wandered the established paths and looked into the gorge from different angles. The canyon and waterfalls made this a much more memorable stop than Glanni.
North Iceland
Goðafoss — absolutely stop
Goðafoss is one of the major waterfalls we would make time for. You can view it from both sides, but we do not think you need to turn it into a long visit just to check both viewpoints off a list. Pick a side, take in the falls and keep moving.
Lake Mývatn — give this area real time
This is not one stop. Hverfjall, Dimmuborgir, Grjótagjá and Hverir are close enough to combine, but each feels different: crater, lava formations, cave and active geothermal landscape. We would make the Mývatn area one of the anchors of the northern Ring Road.
Read our Lake Mývatn volcanic stops guide →
Dettifoss + Selfoss — do both
Dettifoss is incredibly powerful, but our recommendation is not to stop after seeing the famous waterfall. Walk to Selfoss too. The two waterfalls feel different enough that seeing both makes the outing much better.
Read our Dettifoss + Selfoss guide →
East Iceland
Stuðlagil Canyon — the payoff is worth it
The trail itself was not particularly memorable. The basalt columns and blue water at the end absolutely were. This is a classic example of a hike where the destination is the reason to go.
Read our Stuðlagil Canyon guide →
The East Fjords drive — one of our favorite Ring Road experiences
Do not think of the East Fjords as dead time between attractions. The slow, winding drive was part of the experience. The scenery kept opening up around us, there were stretches with almost no one else around, and we repeatedly wanted to stop just because the view outside the van was exceptional. This was some of the Iceland we loved most.
South & the glacier coast
Jökulsárlón + Diamond Beach — must do
Seeing icebergs floating in the lagoon and then crossing over to black sand scattered with pieces of ice is one of the Ring Road’s best contrasts. Treat these as one stop and do both.
Read our Jökulsárlón + Diamond Beach guide →
Skaftafell — make time to hike
This was where the trip shifted from roadside sightseeing into a full-day glacier adventure. The glacier views were spectacular, and you can see how much the ice has retreated. For the route we did, we would choose S3 again and skip the rougher S4 extension—the extra loose-rock section did not add enough to justify how uncomfortable it felt.
Read our Skaftafell hiking guide →
Our Ring Road priorities
Excellent stops: Goðafoss, Grábrók and Kolugljúfur.
Skip: Glanni.
The larger lesson from our trip is that the Ring Road is best when you leave room for the road itself. We loved having a campervan because we could decide how far to go, linger when somewhere was spectacular and avoid feeling like every stop had to fit a rigid schedule.