We just returned from the most EPIC trip I have ever been on. If road tripping around Iceland in a camper van for a week full of waterfalls, mountains, and wild ocean sounds like your cup of tea, welcome!
Basics
Length: To do the full ring-road and have enough time to see the highlights, you really do need 7 full days. There is so much to see that I wish that I had more like 10 days!
Time of year: We did this trip in late August and had lots of daylight and mild weather (by Iceland standards), but it was still chilly every day and straight up freezing in the wind and rain on some days. You need lots of daylight to follow this itinerary because we were going from about 8am to 8pm each day.
Type of Vehicle: Everything we did is accessible by any vehicle. If you want to do the Highlands and the F-roads, you will need a 4x4 vehicle.
Campervan: We used KuKu Campers. They seemed to offer the cheapest price for the best experience. Their customer service was fantastic and everything felt very transparent with no upselling. Our camper was spacious and well equipped for cooking and sleeping. It was old and worn, but we had no mechanical issues at all. I highly recommend.
Cost: We split the cost between 4 people and were in Iceland for 7-nights. The cost came out to be about USD $1500 per person. The main cost is the campervan, which for us (in Aug 2024) was about $3000 including renting sleeping supplies and adding extra insurance. We paid about $15 per person per night for campsites. Many parking lots are paid and were about $6. Grocery prices seemed comparable to those in the US, with a week's worth for 4 people (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks) coming out to around $350. Eating out is expensive (usually $30 for a main dish). We were doing this trip on a budget so our total cost is probably in the lower range. We ate out about three times for dinner and visited one hot spring.
Campsites: We found that there was no need to book campsites in advance which allowed us to stay flexible each day. We booked a spot as we arrived either online (many campsites are bookable on the Parka app) or at the reception desks. All of the campsites we visited had toilets, showers, drinking water, and communal kitchen areas.
Itinerary
We used Renee Roaming's 7-day itinerary as a starting point and adjusted as we went. I will detail what we did day by day here but her itinerary is a great resource too.
I have added **stars** around my favourite stops. I recommend following the guide counter-clockwise around the country. You will start with some of the most dramatic and impressive sites when you have the most energy and end with more driving when you are tired. It worked well for us.
If you want to see all these destinations on a map, here's a list that shows everything in this guide.
Day 1: Arrive and hit the road
We flew into Keflavík Airport, shuttled to KuKu Campers, picked up our van, and got on our way. The rule of the trip (as with all of my travels) is "Follow your heart!" so we stopped at lots of random places as we went but here are the highlights.
Stop 1: Hveradalir Geothermal Area
Our first stop happened to be a Secret Life of Walter Mitty filming location. We pulled off the freeway because we were intrigued by the jets of steam puffing out of the mountain. There is a free boardwalk to follow through some interesting geothermal pools, mud puddles, and vents.
Stop 2: Selfoss
We loaded up on groceries for the week at Krónan in Selfoss then had dinner at the nearby (walking distance) Old Dairy Food Hall. There are lots of options and everything we had was delicious.
Stop 3: Úlfljótsvatn Campsite
We loved this campsite! It is a Boy Scout camp so it has a real summer camp vibe which is super fun. It is right on a lake and the facilities were large and clean. There were free games (we played Kubb) at the reception.
Additional Stops:
Our flight landed in the afternoon so we didn't have a lot of time to explore on the first day. However, there are plenty of nearby attractions that we missed such as Kerið Crater, Secret Lagoon Thermal Pools, and Gullfoss Falls. We also would have added Thingvellir National Park onto the first day if we had time.
Day 2: Selfoss to Vík
The theme of this day was waterfalls. We gradually became used to seeing such amazing waterfalls because Iceland is dripping with them, but not much can beat Skógafoss which was a real highlight of the day.
Stop 1: Thingvellir National Park
There is an easy viewpoint across the park right by the visitor centre or a lovely boardwalk circular route through the valley. This is the cultural heart of ancient Iceland, where the government and all major events would take place. It is also the meeting place of the North American and Eurasian Tectonic plates, the corridor of rocks that you can walk between is the fault line.
Stop 2: Seljalandsfoss
Beautiful whispy waterfall that you can walk behind. Be careful, the wind can push the whole waterfall onto the path and you will instantly be soaked. We saw it happen to a few people while we were there!
**Stop 3: Skógafoss**
This is the queen of all waterfalls in my opinion. It is massive and intense. And if you catch it on a sunny day like we did, the gorgeous double rainbow stretching across the bottom makes it look like a fairytale. We couldn't stop staring! There is also a steep staircase up one side that takes you to the top of the waterfall. This is also the start of the Fimmvörðuháls Trail.
Bonus stop: Fimmvörðuháls Trail
I wish we had more time to hike some of this trail that starts at Skógafoss. According to the reviews, it has some of the most amazing views in Iceland as you hike between two glaciers, a volcano, and next to over 20 waterfalls. I will definitely do this next time I go. It is an all day hike but you could easily just do a small section. Here is the AllTrails link.
Stop 4: Kvernufoss
A very short drive from Skógafoss, this waterfall is tucked into a dripping green canyon. It reminded us of the Pacific Northwest in the US.
**Stop 5: Dyrhólaey Peninsula**
The Dyrhólaey Peninsula offers incredible views of the ocean and black sand beaches, sea cliffs and arches, as well as glaciers and mountains. What more could you ask for? Oh, how about whales, seals, and puffins? Well, it has those too! I loved the 360 views that highlighted the diverse landscapes of Iceland and all the creature sightings. The drive out to the peninsula is incredible too.
Stop 6: Vík Campsite
This campsite has incredible mountain and ocean views and a great shared kitchen facility.
Additional Stops:
We had planned on visiting Reynisfjara Beach after the peninsula but were too tired! There is also Víkurfjara Black Sand Beach which is right in Vík if you want to save some driving time. The church in Vík sometimes has a lupine flower field above it as well. If you wanted to add the beaches or longer hike onto this day, I would skip the national park.
Day 3: Vík to Eastern Fjords
This was my favourite day of the trip!!! This part of Iceland had SO many unique types of scenery and activities that felt extremely adventurous while still being so accessible. This was also our most exhausting day with a few long drives in between sites so be prepared.
Stop 1: Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon
Easy 2 mile walking trail next to a dramatic canyon. The view point at the end has two extra waterfalls. Be on the lookout for sheep sleeping on the cliffs!
** Stop 2: Svínafellsjökull **
Have you ever dreamed of walking 5 minutes from a car park to the base of a massive glacier? Well, you're in luck!!! This is it. You can walk right up to the edge of the lake and see the glacier stretch up to the mountain tops. It is epic.
** Stop 3: Mulagljufur Canyon **
In a quick 1ish hour drive we went from trekking across glaciers in the Arctic to hiking massive canyons in Kauai. This canyon takes a long steep hike to get to but WOW it is incredible. I felt like I could see pterodactyls perched on the cliffs (nope they were just sheep grazing in the craziest places). Here is the AllTrails link for the hike. There is a major lookout spot about 2/3 to the top and this is the best view. If you go to the top, you get to see the waterfalls a bit closer and can look down the valley, but there is really no need to go past the first big lookout area. One important note is that you do have to drive about 2km on a very bumpy dirt road to get to the trail head. Our camper did fine but it wasn't pleasant.
Stop 4: Jökulsárlón and Diamond Beach
This a glacial lake filled with icebergs that have broken off Vatnajökull, the largest glacier in Iceland (and all of Europe excluding Russia)! The color of the ice and water is amazing and we saw so many seals swimming around. Our biggest regret of the trip is that we didn't book a boat tour in advance so I would definitely do that!!!!
You can walk from the lake to Diamond Beach. I found it underwhelming because there were not many ice blocks on the beach, but I can see how it would be awesome if there were!
Stop 5: Campsite!
This is a remote part of Iceland with few towns that are pretty far apart. This means there aren't a ton of places to camp. We chose Stafafell Nature Camping which had incredible views BUT really poor facilities (tiny shack for the "kitchen" and a bathroom with no door). It works in a pinch if you don't need to shower or wash your dishes! Otherwise, Höfn has a campsite and is nearby.
Day 4: Eastern Fjords to Seyðisfjörður
This day was all about fjords! I could've spent probably two more days just driving through this landscape because it was incredible.
Stop 1: Eastern Fjords
There isn't really a destination here, just driving and enjoying! We stopped at lots of lookouts to stare a bit longer at the mountains or ocean. We even saw what we think was a whole pod of whales mating. There's a pro tip: bring binoculars!
** Stop 2: SALTHÚSSMARKAÐURINN **
We stopped in the tiny town of Stöðvarfjörður in search of a toilet and found a hidden gem! This little market is full of arts and crafts all handmade by the local villagers. We chatted with the two ladies there who had knitted many of the wool sweaters. Everything is made of local Icelandic wool too! I was dying. I have been wanting to get a wool sweater for so long but they are so expensive that I wanted to make sure mine was actually from the place I bought it from and this was perfect. If you have been dreaming of the perfect Icelandic wool sweater, or mittens, or socks for you or a loved one you have to come here.
Stop 3: Litlanesfoss and Hengifoss
These two waterfalls are along the same hiking trail but I will warn you that this hiking trail is extremely steep. And honestly, the waterfalls were not that cool compared to some that we had seen that were much easier to get to. However, after a long day in the car, it was nice to challenge ourselves. Hengifoss is famous for the red stripes in the rock, which are awesome, but I will warn that many of the photos you see of it have been edited to make the red look brighter.
** Stop 4: Seyðisfjörður **
One of my all time favourite movies is The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. If you've seen it, do you know the long boarding scene? Well, this is it. The drive down to the town of Seyðisfjörður is just AWE-inspiring. The mountains are SO tall and green and the small grey road just snakes down down down to the ocean. There are waterfalls all around. It hit me right in the heart. AWE. This drive alone makes visiting the town worth it. Now that I've raised your expectations you will be disappointed haha but wow I loved it okay! Now lower your expectations and go!
Stop 5: Seyðisfjörður Campsite
We arrived at the campsite at around 5pm after hitting the road around 8am. This was a shorter day with lots of driving which honestly was needed after the intense days before. We had lovely weather at the campsite so we ate dinner and sat outside for hours. The town is tiny and cute with a rainbow road and baby blue church. You can rent bikes or do a boat tour if you have time/energy. Or just sit and soak in the views like we did. There is a cruise ship that comes in once a week and can overwhelm the town/campsite so maybe check ahead to avoid that!
Day 5: Seyðisfjörður to Husavík
I felt like I was in Star Wars during this day and our spaceship was the campervan. Each time we got in, ZIIIIP we jumped to hyperspace and we were on another planet. You'll see what I mean.
Stop 1: Stuðlagil Canyon
I bet you've seen this one on instagram. It is iconic. The huge basalt columns and the Powerade-blue river. What you don't see is a 2-mile long hike to get there so be prepared! Also, this place photographs realllly well. And I will be honest, I do think it looks cooler in pictures than in real life. But hey, that's just me! Do make sure to park at the east side canyon carpark so you can hike down into it! The other side of the canyon has viewing platforms that you don't have to hike to, but then you can't go down into the canyon which is the best part.
** Stop 2: Dettifoss **
I didn't get a photo of the drive here but you cross this massive wasteland of barren black rock and it is SO COOL. Then you pull off into a boulder field and it doesn't look like there is any water in sight. As you follow the trail you begin to hear something and then BOOM. Dettifoss, the second most powerful waterfall in Europe, is a white wall of thundering water before you. It's awesome. Follow the trails over to Selfoss to see more little waterfalls pouring down the dramatic grey cliffs.
Stop 3: Víti Crater
The drive here is also fascinating (best part of this road trip is that the driving is an interesting activity by itself) as is the history behind Víti Crater. Víti means "hell" and was named because it was formed by a massive volcanic eruption that lasted for 5 years and could be seen on the South Coast of Iceland (the other side of the country)! This area of Iceland has lots of volcanic activity and geothermal areas, you drive right past a geothermal power plant (an example of why Iceland is the world leader in renewable energy) on the way to the crater.
Stop 4: Hverir
This place felt like walking on the surface of Jupiter (which yes is made of gas, but if you could!). There were bubbling mud pots, stinking geysers, and something called the Sulphuric Smoker. So much fun!
Stop 5: Vogafjós Farm Resort
If you are going to splurge on eating out in Iceland, you should do it here. We stumbled across this place because we were too hungry to make it to Husavík to eat. It is a farm-to-table restaurant that is so beautiful inside and the food is DIVINE. Seriously most tender and delicious lamb I've ever had. They also have local dishes like raw smoked fish and bread made by the heat of a geyser (not super yummy but FUN).
Stop 6: Geosea Geothermal Sea Baths
After 5 days on the road, nothing felt better than soaking in this hot spring. Nothing. It looks out over the ocean and we saw a whale! It is open until midnight and we stayed from 9pm almost until then. Heaven. Plus it is much cheaper than the thermal pools near Reykjavík.
Source: Icelandic Times
Stop 7: Husavik Campground
We took our weary and thoroughly relaxed selves straight to bed at this nearby campsite. The perfect night.
Day 6: Husavík to Arnastappi
This day was our biggest driving day, we did one 5 hour stretch all at once. The scenery is a bit less intense in this part of Iceland. If I had a 4x4 vehicle, I think it would have been awesome to get off the ring road here and get into the Highlands.
Stop 1: Husavík
Since we came in late at night and left first thing in the morning, we didn't see much of the town. I wish we would have spent more time exploring the town. We also later discovered that this is the best place for whale watching in Iceland so if you want to do that, you should book a tour here!
Stop 2: Goðafoss
This beautiful waterfall is right off the road. You can visit from either side or both if you want to!
Stop 3: Anywhere on the road to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula
There are many towns, viewpoints, and hot springs to stop at on the way over to the final section of Iceland, the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. This was our rainiest and coldest day, so we didn't stop much.
Stop 4: "Good View" on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula
This is a unique google maps spot titled simply "good view" and I can confirm that it is. It is a great look at the landscape of the which we explored this evening and the next day. There are epic mountains and scattered little islands. Beautiful.
Stop 5: Kirkjufellsfoss
This is an epic mountain in a brilliant green landscape that is worth pulling off and seeing. There is a short walk down to a waterfall and lake and all of it is impressive.
Stop 6: Svörtuloft Lighthouse
On the very tip of the peninsula you will find this picturesque yellow lighthouse. It takes a rather wild ride on a gravel road to get there, but it is amazing to drive through the cracked old lava flows and see the ocean stretching on. There are lots of cool birds to see (bird watching really sneaks up on you, huh?). The whole area is worth walking around and exploring a bit.
Stop 7: Camping in Arnarstapi
Everything on this peninsula felt especially rugged and windblown and wild. There are many little ancient rock formations and cultural sites to see in this town and the nearby areas.
Day 7: Arnarstapi to Reykjavík (or Keflavík if you are leaving!)
This is the last day of the road trip and the day we officially finished our circular route around the island! If you have an afternoon flight home, you could definitely still do this day with a bit less time in Reykjavík.
Stop 1: Búðakirkja (Black Church)
This is a unique little church, but my favourite part wa the walk down to the beach. The colours of the dunes, sand, black rock, and nearby green waterfall covered mountains is awesome.
Stop 2: Ytri Tunga
This is an awesome place to see seals! We even got to see some pups with their mom which was adorable.
Stop 3: Glósteinn Pizza
This restaurant is a great stop on the way into Reykjavík. Maybe it is because we had been eating camp food for a week but this was some of the best pizza any of us had ever had. And the breadsticks were *chef's kiss*.
Stop 4: Exploring Reykjavík
We explored the main church, Hallgrímskirkja, and the surrounding area. It was all very quaint, fun, and colourful. There were some delicious bakeries and tons of fun shops. We only spent about an hour here, but if you were doing museums and things you could probably stretch that. It is a small city though! So you don't need tons of time.
And that's it! If you are flying out the next day, like we did, I recommend Vogar Campsite which is about a 15 min drive from Keflavík airport. Or if you have more energy you could add in one of the thermal pools. If you are lucky like us, you may even see an erupting volcano the day you leave! One of the most insane things ever!
Even after a full week, I feel like we barely scratched the surface of Iceland. I have a feeling I will be back. I hope this helps you plan your own epic adventure.
