What are F-Roads?

What are the F-Roads?

The F-roads are mountain roads that traverse the Icelandic Highlands. These roads are usually rough, unpaved, and not well maintained, most of them only get serviced once every few years.

All roads in Iceland are numbered like road 1 is the Ringroad and road 41 goes from the airport to Reykjavík, if there is an F infront of the number then it's an F-road like F224 to Landmannalaugar or F210 to Mælifell.

River Crossings?

Most of the F-roads have one or more river crossings at some point along the way. The depth of the river crossings can range anywhere from 5cm to over 1.5m deep depending on the river, time of year, and recent rainfall. Make sure to check the depth before entering the river in your car, if the river is too deep it can drown the car stopping the engine and stranding you out in the middle of the river. For deeper rivers a car with a snorkel is required.

This map shows the main mountain roads in red and the main river crossings in blue.

A more detailed map can be found in this PDF

What time of year are the F-roads open?

The opening and closing dates change every year and depend on weather.

The F-roads are only fully open when the roads are free of snow and dry enough to drive on without damaging them, this is determined by the Icelandic road service and they usually open around June and close back up around September.

You can find a live map of road conditions on Road.is

and here is the average range of opening dates between 2019 - 2023

What car do I need?

For all of the F-roads a 4x4 is required.

If you plan on just driving the least rough roads with small river crossings a medium sized 4x4 like a Dacia Duster or Subaru Forester will be fine.

If you plan on driving some rougher roads with medium river crossings a larger 4x4 like a Land Cruiser or Jeep Wrangler is preferred.

If you plan on driving the worst roads and deepest rivers you will need a large modified 4x4 equipped with a snorkel and larger than normal tires, these are often reffered to as "Super Jeeps"

When renting a car you need to make sure the car you are getting is allowed into the highlands by the rental company.

Not every rental company allows their cars to be driven in the highlands, and even the ones that do allow some of their larger cars into the highlands sometimes have restrictions on certain F-roads with deep river crossings, so make sure to double check and ask the rental company you choose if they have any of those restrictions.

GoCar Rental has 4x4 options that are allowed on F-roads.

BlueCar Rental has 4x4 options that are allowed on F-roads.

GoCampers has a few modified 4x4 campers available specifically made for F-roads.

Is there internet in the highlands?

The internet and phone connection in the highlands in general is not great, some spots have better connection than others, like around Landmannalaugar and Kerlingarfjöll you are more likely to have a good connection, while other places you might have none at all. In case of emergency hiking up the closest mountain can usually give you enough reception to make a phone call.

Weather Conditions?

It's always a good idea to keep a close eye on weather conditions when travelling anywhere in Iceland, but especially the highlands as heavy rain can have a big impact on road conditions and river crossings, and getting stuck in a storm can get a little scary up there if you are not used to it.

Check Vedur.is and Windy.com daily during your trip.

If you are having trouble finding internet connection while in the highlands you can usually find a ranger in one of the many mountain huts scattered throughout the highlands and ask them about the forecast.

What if I get stuck?

Many things can go wrong in the highlands so it's always good to be prepared, keep an extra couple of days rations of food and water with you in the car as well as some blankets and/or sleeping bags.

If your car breaks down or you get stuck on the road for any reason you should start by calling the emergency number of your car rental company and they will find a way to help you out.

In case of larger emergencies where you feel your life might be in danger always call 112 the emergency hotline for Iceland.

Is offroading legal in Iceland?

No. Offroading is completely illegal everywhere in Iceland and breaking that law gets you some heavy fines. The landscape in Iceland is very delicate and takes years or even decades to recover when damaged, so when you are driving around it is very important that you stay on the marked roads at all times, even pulling off the side of the road a couple of meters in an undesignated spot would be considered illegal and could get you fined.

Driving around on the F-roads is the closest thing to "offroading" available in Iceland.