Eight Interesting Facts About the Iceland Highlands

And…Why This Remote Region Is Worth Exploring

Iceland has become one of the world's most sought-after adventure destinations.

In 2025, approximately 2.3 million international visitors traveled to Iceland — remarkable for a country with a population of fewer than 400,000 people.

American travelers made up a huge part of that audience. Approximately 662,000 visitors from the United States arrived in Iceland in 2025, making the US Iceland's largest international tourism market.

But here's the interesting part:

Visiting Iceland doesn't necessarily mean experiencing the Highlands.

Most first-time visitors concentrate around Reykjavík, the Golden Circle, the South Coast, and other easily accessible destinations.

The Iceland Highlands are different.

They sit in the vast interior of Iceland, where roads are seasonal, services are limited, and the landscape feels almost completely untouched.

1. The Highlands Are Bigger Than You Think

The Iceland Highlands cover a huge portion of the country's interior and form one of Europe's great open wilderness areas.

For an American traveler accustomed to the scale of places like Utah, Colorado, Wyoming or Alaska, the Highlands offer a familiar feeling of vastness — but with an unmistakably Icelandic landscape.

Less road traffic. More wilderness.

2. It Looks Like Another Planet — Literally

Iceland sits on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are moving apart.

That geological activity has created a landscape filled with volcanoes, lava fields, geothermal areas, and dramatic mountain formations.

And the Iceland Highlands are where those forces become particularly visible. One moment you're driving across a black volcanic landscape. Next, steam rises from the earth. Then a glacier appears in the distance.

It doesn't look like a conventional European road trip.

And that's the point.

3. The Roads Aren't Ordinary Roads

This is where an Iceland Highlands road trip becomes an adventure.

Many Highland routes are designated Iceland F-roads, mountain roads that provide access to the country's remote interior. They're not highways. They're not designed for high-speed driving. And some routes can include rough terrain and river crossings.

Iceland's SafeTravel guidance warns that Highland conditions can change quickly and that not every 4WD vehicle is suitable for every F-road.

That's why the right vehicle — and experienced guidance — matters.

On an Adventures Overland Iceland guided driving tour, you'll get behind the wheel of a capable Land Rover Defender, while an experienced expedition team guides and supports the journey.

You drive. We guide.

4. The Highlands Have a Very Short Driving Window

Here's something many first-time visitors don't realize:

You can't simply drive into the Highlands whenever you want. Snow and winter conditions keep many mountain roads closed for much of the year.

According to Iceland's road authorities, Highland road openings depend on snow, thawing conditions and road conditions.

Some routes don't open until June or July.

That creates a remarkably short window for exploring Iceland's interior by vehicle.

5. The Highlands Are Where "Fire and Ice" Becomes Real

You've probably heard Iceland described as the Land of Fire and Ice.

The Highlands explain why.

FIRE

• Volcanoes
• Lava fields
• Geothermal steam
• Black volcanic soil.

ICE

• Glaciers
• Snow-covered mountains
• Glacial rivers
• Ice-shaped valleys

That's what makes landscapes such as Kerlingarfjöll so extraordinary.

6. The Sheep Might Outnumber Your Fellow Travelers

Here's a lighter Iceland fact.

Iceland has more sheep than people. Actually, there are nearly three sheep for every person!

During the summer, sheep are allowed to roam freely across the countryside and Highlands.

So while you're exploring remote roads, your biggest traffic problem might not be another vehicle.

It might be a sheep standing in the middle of the road.

7. Some of Iceland's Best Places Are Reached by Road

The Highlands aren't just about scenery. They're about how you get there.

Our Iceland Highlands expedition includes places such as:

KJÖLUR

A historic route through Iceland's interior, taking you deep into the Highlands.

HVERAVELLIR

A remote geothermal area surrounded by volcanic landscapes and wilderness.

KERLINGARFJÖLL

A spectacular mountain region where volcanic and geothermal forces have created an extraordinary landscape.

HUNGURFIT

A remote Highland route featuring rivers, valleys, canyons and rugged mountain terrain.

These aren't simply destinations you tick off a list.

The roads connecting them are part of the experience.

8. The Highlands Give You Something the Ring Road Can't

The Ring Road is iconic for a reason.

It connects many of Iceland's most famous sights and makes exploring the country relatively accessible.

But the Highlands offer something different.

You can drive through enormous landscapes without seeing a town.

You can stop without a crowd around you.

You can look toward the horizon and see nothing but mountains, sky and volcanic terrain.

For travelers flying from the US, that's part of the appeal.

You're not just looking for another vacation.

You're looking for a story worth bringing home.

The Real Reason to Explore the Icelandic Highlands

Millions of people visit Iceland every year.

But the Highlands offer something that statistics can't measure.

The feeling of being somewhere few people reach.

It's the moment when the road becomes a narrow track.

When the landscape opens up.

When the nearest town feels impossibly far away.

When you stop the car, step outside and realize there's almost nothing around you.

No traffic.

No buildings.

No noise.

Just mountains, wind and an enormous Icelandic sky.

That's why an Iceland Highlands road trip isn't simply another European vacation.

It's an expedition.

And for those willing to go beyond the familiar, it might just be the most unforgettable way to experience Iceland.