DrivingDriving tipsEntertainment on the Road: Games to Play While Driving
Car game to discover and understand Iceland
Go Car Rental Iceland travel writer Leah BIlquist
By Leah BIlquistJul 23, 2024 • 6 min read

Entertainment on the Road: Games to Play While Driving

We gathered up some entertaining and unique car games that you can play during your next road trip through Iceland.

Roadtripping throughout Iceland is an absolutely stunning experience. You will pass along remote landscapes with lush green valleys and massive mountains. But, like any road trip, after the first few hours, you may go a bit insane. Let’s face it, finding something to do on a road trip can sometimes be downright grueling. Some common car games are “Bediddle” and “Spot The Different License Plate”. Unfortunately, these don’t work in Iceland. Mostly because the country is a literal island. Don’t worry! We gathered up some entertaining and unique car games that you can play during your next road trip through Iceland.

Road Trip Scavenger Hunt

One of the best ways to pass time when driving across a country is playing Road Trip Scavenger Hunt. The breathtaking scenery you will be enjoying is just a bonus during this car game. Making Iceland the perfect place to play it! Award yourself a point for each item or place that you spot on your list. The winner can buy lunch or a hard-earned drink to enjoy at the end of the day.

You can even create your own virtual scavenger list on quickhunts.com. Some fun spots you can add are natural hot springs, gnome houses, or specific mountain peaks. You can also browse our blogs, which showcase some beautiful Iceland landmarks that you can add to your list. The Road Trip Scavenger Hunt game will require you to be present during your drive. Causing you to take in the gorgeous surroundings of the country, which is honestly what road trips are all about.

View of icelandic landscapes from the inside of a car

Animal Counting

Another play on the scavenger hunt game is Animal Counting. Iceland has plenty of wildlife throughout its vast lands. Give yourself a point for each animal that you spot. This can include the adorable Icelandic ponies that you can see on the side of the road. Icelandic sheep can be found in valleys, near mountains, and on local farms. Don’t forget to add in the Icelandic Sheep Dog, which can be spotted running in an Icelander's yard or being walked by its owner.

The animal counting game can inspire you to add certain places to your road trip itinerary. Such as Vestmannaeyjar, which is home to the largest puffin colony in the world. Reindeer are another fun find! They are commonly spotted near Vopnafjordur which is on the Northern coast. In addition to the far south of Iceland around the Glacier Lagoon. Make the car game even more interesting and have the loser buy the next tank of gas.

Window of rental car, horses

Waterfall Hunting

Iceland is home to 10,000 waterfalls! They are located all over the country, from tiny to ginormous. Morsárfoss is Iceland’s tallest waterfall, sitting at 748 feet. Some of the waterfalls you can spot right from your car window, such as Skógafoss. Which is 167 feet tall. Most waterfalls in Iceland are free to view. Others even have some majestic hikes for you to adventure on. The hikes can bring you above, along, or even behind a waterfall. You can read our top ten most beautiful waterfalls in Iceland article.

However, not all waterfalls are visible right from the road. It is recommended to also count in signs for waterfalls along your route. Be sure to stop off at them too. Some popular waterfalls you may see along your route are Gullfoss Falls, Dettifoss, and Goðafoss. The waterfall hunting game can bring you to some majestic and undiscovered places that you weren’t initially going to. Isn’t that the whole point of hitting the open road? Whoever loses this car game gets to pick the next hike, no questions asked.

Rental car, Waterfall

Going To A Picnic In Iceland

Are you ready to play an annoying yet time-consuming game that uses your brain? If yes, then let’s “Go On A Picnic” in Iceland. This car game is guaranteed to pass hours of your drive time. So how does it work? The first person will say the following: “I am going on a picnic in Iceland and I am bringing..”. They then will start with the letter A for an item they will bring, and you want to keep it in the Iceland theme. For example, “I am going to a picnic in Iceland and I am bringing an Arctic Fox”. Since Iceland is home to thousands of these white fluffy animals, they deserve a spot on the list.

Then the next person will have to repeat “I am going to a picnic in Iceland and I am bringing an Arctic Fox” and then add “And an (item that starts with B), such as Brennivín. Which is one of Iceland’s favorite alcohols. For example, “I am going to a picnic in Iceland and I am bringing an Arctic Fox and Brennivín”. This then continues until you get to the end of the alphabet. You need to repeat all items from A-Z before you add on another letter. The car game can go on for a long time and it allows you to think about the country you are in! The winner should be allowed to pick out whatever they want for their very own Icelandic picnic.

Car window, Iceland

Traditional Icelandic Food Tour

Your Iceland road trip should bring you to places that allow you to try their unique and bizarre food. That is why it is necessary to do a Traditional Icelandic Food Tour during your journey through Iceland. You can use the list of our Traditional Icelandic Foods in our blog post. You can find these dishes by looking out for signs or driving through random towns that feature them. The first person to spot the majority of restaurants, food trucks, or stands that have them, wins.

The rest of the party can chip in to buy the final Traditional Icelandic meal on the list. For that lucky winner, it could be a rotten shark or even a sheep's head! Some more normal meals can range from Icelandic Fish or the Icelandic hot dog. This car game will lead you to some delicious foodie finds in Iceland, a road trip must.

Icelandic hot dog