Road F208 – Fjallabaksleið Nyrðri

F208, or in Icelandic Fjallabaksleið Nyrðri, is an F-road in southern Iceland leading through the Icelandic highlands. It connects the Ring Road near Vík in the south with the southern end of F26 in the north, passing through the most famous Icelandic highland area – Landmannalaugar.

F208 is actually two very different roads in one. The northern part (north of Landmannalaugar) has been reclassified to just “208” in recent years and has no river crossings. The southern part (south of Landmannalaugar) is still officially F208, has several river crossings, and is one of the most visually stunning roads in Iceland.

This guide focuses mainly on F208 South, because that’s where the real adventure begins.

A proper 4×4 car is necessary for F208 South due to the river crossings along the way. The road is also quite remote – don’t expect reliable cell coverage, gas stations, or shops. The only stop along the way is the Hólaskjól mountain hut, where a ranger is usually present during the day to assist travelers.

Overview of F208

F208 South (Fjallabaksleið Nyrðri – south of Landmannalaugar)

Length: ~55km | 34 mi
Driving time: 2-3 hours (without detours)
Difficulty: 5/10 - Easy to Moderate
Steepness / roughness: some rough, narrow parts
Unbridged river crossings: several small to medium
Opening time: Late June to early July
Closing time: September

Road 208 North (north of Landmannalaugar)

Length: ~30km | 19 mi
Driving time: 1-2 hours
Difficulty: 4/10 - Easy
Steepness / roughness: flat, bumpy, potholes
Unbridged river crossings: no
Opening time: June
Closing time: October

F208 opening dates

Based on official data from Vegagerðin (Icelandic Road Administration), F208 typically opens in early to mid-June:

• 2024 opening: 25th of June
• 2023 opening: 16th of June
• 2022 opening: 26th of June
• 2021 opening: 12th of June
• 2020 opening: 19th of June
• Earliest opening (2017-2024): 12th of June
• Latest opening (2017-2024): 8th of July

Opening dates depend on snow conditions and weather. Check www.umferdin.is for the current status before planning your trip.

Feel free to read how to choose a proper car for F-roads in Iceland or how to pick the best Icelandic car rental insurance. We also collaborate with the best Icelandic companies to give you a car rental discount and us a small commission at no extra cost to you.

F208 Map

Note that Google Maps still marks the northern part as F208, even though it has been reclassified to just “208”. The actual F-road part is the southern one.

Correct F208 South on Google Maps:

Correct (F)208 North on Google Maps:

Icelandic Maps:

• Interactive F208 map
• Static F208 map

Connecting roads

• Ring Road 1 (near Vík – southern start of F208)
• F223 – Eldgjárvegur (to Eldgjá canyon)
• F235 – Langisjór (highly recommended detour)
• F224 – Landmannalaugavegur (last section to Landmannalaugar)
• F225 – Landmannaleið (western approach to Landmannalaugar)
• F233 (connecting F208 South to F210)
• F26 (northern connection)

F208 River Crossings and Obstacles

F208 River Crossings

There are no river crossings on the northern part (road 208). That’s what makes it the “boring but safe” option, as some travelers would say.

F208 South is a different story. There are several river crossings, ranging from small to medium-sized. The first proper one comes right after Hólaskjól mountain hut. During the day, a ranger is usually stationed here and gives advice to travelers. The crossing is roughly 40-60cm deep in summer under average conditions – doable, but it should be taken seriously.

After Hólaskjól, several more crossings follow before reaching Landmannalaugar. The two biggest ones are located on the road F224, right before the Landmannalaugar campsite. Many travelers – even those with a Dacia Duster – choose to park before these final crossings and walk the remaining 10 minutes to the campsite using the footbridge instead.

Overall, river crossings on F208 South were among the biggest we encountered during our first Icelandic ring road trip (driving a Dacia Duster and doing at maximum medium-sized crossings). They are manageable, though, even for less experienced drivers who exercise all necessary caution. Just follow the river crossing guidelines and don’t skip any steps.

Here’s a tip: at the final two crossings near Landmannalaugar, wait for another car to cross first so you can see the best route through the water. There’s usually enough traffic here not to wait long.

Obstacles

Outside of the river crossings, F208 South is relatively straightforward. The road surface is rough gravel, which means it’s bumpy and slow going, but nothing technically difficult. The river crossings are the real challenge, not the terrain itself.

One important thing to watch for: there are some bigger boulders in and around certain river crossings that can be hard to spot from inside the car. Getting out and walking the crossing first is always a good idea if you feel unsure.

Car Requirements, Weather, and Safety

F208 Car requirements

A medium-sized 4×4 SUV, such as the Dacia Duster, is the minimum requirement for F208 South. We have driven it in a Dacia Duster and it worked, but just barely at some of the bigger crossings. If you want more comfort and confidence, go bigger.

Minimum F208 Car Requirement: Small 4×4 (Jimny, Duster, Vitara, Sorento) (*under ideal conditions)

Recommended F208 Car: Medium 4×4 (Duster has a slightly higher ground clearance than options above, Hilux or similar), if a bit more watery (**under average conditions)

“Peace of Mind” F208 Car Requirement: Larger 4×4 (Hilux, Land Cruiser, Wrangler) (***under slightly worse conditions)

Never drive the road in any car when it’s marked red = impassable on www.trafficinfo.is or when the conditions are too difficult!

A small 4wd SUV may work in ideal conditions, but it’s a slight risk – if the water is higher than usual, it may not be enough. Don’t count on it if you’re not an experienced river crosser already.

For road 208 North, any 4×4 car will do, and even a better 2wd car could technically manage since the road has been reclassified. We still recommend a 4×4 though, as the road is bumpy and some potholes can be nasty.

F208 Weather and Safety

Before you go, always check the Icelandic weather forecast, current road conditions, and travel warnings. River levels depend heavily on rain and glacial melt – they can change quickly.

Bring a reserve fuel can and consider renting or buying a satellite location device, especially for the southern part where cell coverage is unreliable.

Highlights and Attractions

F208 South is one of the most visually diverse F-roads in Iceland. It passes through dramatic volcanic landscapes, colorful rhyolite mountains, lava fields, and wide open highland valleys. If you compare it to the more barren F26 Sprengisandur, F208 South wins on scenery easily. Every few kilometers looks different.

The biggest attraction is, of course, Landmannalaugar at the northern end of the southern route. But honestly, the road itself is just as exciting as the destination.

Off-the-beaten-path Spots

• Langisjór lake via F235 – one of the most scenic detours in Iceland (highly recommended)
• Eldgjá canyon via F223 – a massive volcanic fissure with a waterfall inside, and one of the easiest detours from F208
• Sveinstindur mountain – a peak hike from the Langisjór area with views that are hard to beat
• Landmannalaugar hot spring – a wild, natural hot spring right next to Landmannalaugar campsite
• Skaelingar Blautulón track – a wild alternative to F235 for those with a big car and nerve

The F235 detour towards Langisjór is something we cannot recommend enough. The landscapes there are genuinely alien – nothing we had seen before in Iceland came close. The road is also one of the more manageable ones in the area in terms of river crossings.

Did you know that

• F208 North has been reclassified and is no longer technically an F-road – but Google Maps still shows it as F208?
• There’s a mountain hut at Hólaskjól with a ranger who helps travelers cross the first bigger river?
• Many guides recommend the easier northern route – but the southern route is the one you’ll actually remember?
• F208 South is considered one of the most beautiful roads in Iceland, not just among F-roads?

Comparison to other F-roads

• What makes F208 unique is the incredible variety of landscapes – from black volcanic sand near Vík to colorful rhyolite mountains approaching Landmannalaugar. The southern section offers some of the most diverse and photogenic scenery of any F-road in Iceland.
• Compared to F26 Sprengisandur, F208 South is more scenic and more varied in landscape. F26 has one bigger river crossing; F208 South has several medium ones. F26 feels more desolate and remote.
• Compared to F210 Fjallabaksleið Syðri, F208 South has easier river crossings overall. F210 has harder obstacles and a more demanding drive, but both roads are very beautiful.
• Compared to F225 Landmannaleið, F208 South is longer and has more crossings. F225 is a good option if you want a shorter, slightly easier approach to Landmannalaugar with some river crossing practice.
• Road 208 North (the reclassified easy part) is the most boring approach to Landmannalaugar. We recommend it only if you are really not comfortable with any river crossings at all.

Where to stay near F208

There are several accommodation options near F208, depending on whether you want to stay close to the southern or northern entrance.

Near the southern entrance (Vík area):

• Hotel Skógafoss or Magma Hotel in Hvolsvöllur – comfortable bases for exploring F208 from the south
• Various guesthouses in Vík – convenient for an early start on F208

Near Landmannalaugar:

• The Highland Center Hrauneyjar (about 16km from Landmannalaugar) – closest proper hotel with restaurant and basic amenities
• Hólaskjól Highland Center – more rustic accommodation along the F208 route

At Landmannalaugar itself:

• The Landmannalaugar mountain hut – basic sleeping bag accommodation (must book months in advance for summer)
• Brennisteinsalda campsite – right next to the hut

Road Videos

Our drive through F208 South towards Landmannalaugar, including all river crossings:

Drive through F208 North (road 208):

Personal Experiences and Tips

We’ve driven F208 South as part of a longer Icelandic ring road + highlands trip, starting from our accommodation near Vík. From the very beginning of the road, before even the first river crossing, we were already blown away. I’ve never seen such out-of-this-world landscapes as on this road. The southern part of F208 was, for us, one of the top 3 experiences of the entire trip.

The first proper river crossing on F208 South comes right after the Hólaskjól centre. A ranger was stationed there during the day and she gave us a quick handout explaining how to cross the rivers and how to behave in the national park. She also asked whether we had experience with river crossings. It’s always a funny question – how are you supposed to be experienced with river crossings if you need experience for your very first one?

We replied: “we studied it a lot” which was true. She gave us that look, and we continued. The crossing itself was around 40-60cm deep at the deepest point. Manageable, but not trivial – and definitely not something to take lightly. Always examine the river first, find the shallowest line, and don’t stop halfway through.

We also made the detour to Langisjór lake via F235, which turned out to be even more beautiful than expected. Along the way, we encountered around 10 small to medium crossings, none of them dangerous in good summer conditions. The lake itself and the surrounding landscape are something special – and we were basically alone there for the whole visit.

Back on F208, the final section towards Landmannalaugar has the two biggest river crossings of the whole day. We saw many Dacia Duster drivers parking before them and walking the last 10 minutes to the campsite. We chose to cross in the car because we needed the facilities there. It worked, but those last two crossings were the deepest of the entire trip.

A few tips from our side:

• Start the drive early. F208 South takes a full day if you also want to do the F235 detour, and possibly Eldgjá as well. Don’t underestimate the time needed.
• Cell coverage along F208 South is very patchy – sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Download offline maps and road information before you leave.
• Check the road status at umferdin.is the morning of your drive. River levels after rain or warm days can be significantly higher than average.
• If the two final river crossings before Landmannalaugar look too deep, just park and use the footbridge. There’s no shame in that – even experienced drivers do it regularly.
• Driving F208 South from south to north (Vík to Landmannalaugar) gives you a great feeling of gradually entering the highlands. We find it more dramatic this way compared to driving it north to south.

ask questions or get inspired in our community