There’s not a single way to do a road trip around Iceland. We all have our preferred pace and the type of attractions we want to focus on. But lucky for us, Iceland definitely has something for everybody. Amazing moon-like terrain, jaw-dropping national parks, volcanoes, hot springs, giant glacier lagoons, and an endless supply of waterfalls, are just some of the few things you’ll come across as your travel around Iceland. Below we present our 10-day Iceland campervan itinerary. Although geared towards travelling with a campervan, we believe the itinerary would suit most travellers preferring other types of accommodations.
While you can see most of what Iceland has to offer in as little as seven days, we recommend at least 9-10 days to have a more relaxed pace and to allow you to venture off the Ring Road with more freedom to explore some additional attractions that you would otherwise miss.
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10-Day Iceland Campervan Itinerary
Although we had 10 days to explore Iceland, we actually only spent 9 nights in the country — we had an overnight flight that landed very early in Keflavik on Day 1. Above is a map of the 8 campgrounds we used with our campervan — the 9th night was spent in an Airbnb near Keflavik airport to be closer to Reyjanes Peninsula (where we could be exploring the next day) and to the airport itself.
All the attractions we list below (and the roads we drove on) are accessible by a 2WD car.
This itinerary is ideal for travel during the summer months or shoulder season when there are at least 12 hours of daylight per day. Travelling during winter will significantly reduce the number of attractions you can visit during a single day.
If you don’t have 10 days to allot to an Iceland trip, we present alternative shorter versions of our itinerary below. At the bottom of this page, we will also provide links to additional resources that you could find useful for your trip planning.
Travelling around Iceland was definitely different than our other road trips. Typically, we like to spend a few consecutive nights in one place before moving on to the next, that is, to use a “home base” for several days from which we could explore nearby sights and attractions. But because of the way the attractions are spread out all over the country and because travelling via campervan avoids many of the hassles of having to pack your luggage and check in and out of your accommodation every time you change location, being constantly on the move and having a new place to spend each night made much more sense in Iceland.
Without any further ado, here’s our Iceland 10-day campervan itinerary:
Day 1: Southwest Iceland, part 1
Keflavik airport –> Thakgil (Þakgil) campground
We started this day early after an overnight flight into Iceland. Alternatively, if you arrive late in the day, you can spend your first night in Reykjavik and then hit the road the next day. You’ll notice this first-day itinerary was quite busy, but getting to see all those attractions in one day was the perfect way to start the trip, and relaxing at the stunningly beautiful Thakgil (Þakgil) campground was the perfect way to end the day.
Another point worth mentioning is that none of these attractions required substantial walking or hiking from the various attraction parking lots.
Distance travelled and driving time (without stops): 430 km, 6h20
Attractions seen along the way (7, in Chronological order): Kerid Crater, Geysir Geothermal Area, Gullfoss, Hjálparfoss, Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss, Þakgil campground (yes, this is one of the rare campgrounds that will count as an attraction!)
For more detailed information on these attractions, check out our page on the Top Things to see and do in Iceland.
Think this day is too long? You can cut out Hjálparfoss and you’ll save about an hour of driving time. But you’ll miss out on having this gorgeous waterfall to yourself. Want to cut out even more time? You can skip going to Þakgil and find a campground closer to the ring road. But..these…views.. (the campground can be seen in the distance in the first picture below).
Note on driving to (Þakgil): The last 45 min of this day are spent driving on a bumpy gravel road with many twists and turns. By no means is it a dangerous road, but it’s a slow-going one for sure. But the views are spectacular, both on the way (pictures below) and once arrived (pictures above).
Day 2: Southwest Iceland, part 2
Thakgil (Þakgil) –> Skaftafell Campground
We highly recommend staying at Þakgil, but that will require just a little bit of backtracking to start Day 2.
Distance travelled and driving time (without stops): 228 km, 3h30
Attractions seen along the way (4, in Chronological order): Solheimasandur Plane Wreck (which requires a good 1-hour walk each way to get from the parking lot), the Reynisdrangar Cliffs and the Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach, Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon, Skaftafell National Park & Svartifoss (Svartifoss requires 30 min hike each way from the campsite).
Day 3: Southeast Iceland
Skaftafell –> Egilsstadir Camping site
Distance travelled and driving time (without stops): 395 km, 5h24
Attractions seen along the way (7, in Chronological order): Hofskirkja, Fjallsárlón Glacial Lagoon, Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon & Diamond Beach, Stokksnes & the Viking Village, and the southern portion of the Eastern Fjords before turning inland towards Egilsstadir.
Looking for a lunch break? Check out Hafnarbuðin in Hofn, a cozy little dinner / café that serves delicious fast food, including the famous Icelandic Hot Dog. The staff is super friendly too.
Day 4: Seyðisfjörður & Borgarfjörður Eystri
Egilsstadir –>Borgarfjörður Eystri Campsite
Distance travelled and driving time (without stops): 125km, 1h51
Attractions seen along the way (3, in Chronological order): the town of Seyðisfjörður, hiking in Stórurð, enjoying the scenery near the campground in Borgarfjörður Eystri.
Day 5: Dettifoss & Lake Myvatn area
Borgarfjörður Eystri –> Lífsmótun campsite
Distance travelled and driving time (without stops): 328km, 5hr16
Attractions seen along the way (5, in Chronological order): Dettifoss, Hverir Geothermal Area, Grjótagjá, Dimmuborgir, Myvatn Nature Baths.
Day 6: Troll Peninsula & Snaefellsnes Peninsula
Lífsmótun –>Stykkisholmur Camping Ground
Distance travelled and driving time (without stops): 530 km, 7h37
Attractions seen along the way (4, in Chronological order): Góðafoss, Akureyri, Troll peninsula (including Siglufjörður & Hosfos), Kirkjufellsfoss, and Stykkisholmur.
Think this day is too long? If you skip the Troll peninsula you can shave off about 1h15, but know that this was our favourite part of the drive. We were keen on seeing Kirkjufellsfoss twice (once on day 6 and once on day 7), but if you leave it till the next day you’ll shave off nearly another hour. So if you skip the Troll peninsula and keep Kirkjufellsfoss for the next day, your drive time is closer to 5h20.
Looking for a good breakfast spot the next day? Check out Nesbrauð ehf, a bakery with delicious pastries in Stykkisholmur.
Day 7 : Snaefellsnes peninsula
Stykkisholmur –>Húsafell tjaldstæði
Distance travelled and driving time (without stops):307 km, 4h34.
Attractions seen along the way (10, in Chronological order): The majority of the sights on the Snaefellsnes peninsula: Berserkjahraun lava field, return to Kirkjufellsfoss, Skarðsvík Beach, Djúpalónssandur Beach, Lóndrangar (rock cliffs), Arnarstapi, Búðakirkja, Ytri Tunga Beach, Eldborg Crater (from a distance), and Hraunfossar.
Day 8: Þingvellir National Park
Húsafell –> Tjaldsvaedi Campsite in Grindavik
Distance travelled and driving time (without stops): 201km, 2h57
Attractions seen along the way (2, in Chronological order): Returned to Hraunfossar and followed the short footpath to Barnafoss, and Þingvellir National Park.
Looking for a good meal? In Grindavik, check out Café Bryggjan, where you’ll find the most delicious bowl of lobster. It’s self-serve, and you get a free refill along with a hearty piece of freshly baked bread. One of the best value dining options in Iceland!
Day 9: Rekjavik & Blue Lagoon
Grindavik –> Reykjanesbær (Keflavik)
Distance travelled and driving time (without stops): 126 km, 2hr6
Note that for our last night, we stayed in AirBnB for a little more comfort.
Attractions seen along the way (4, in Chronological order): the shipwrecks around Grindavik and Hopsnes Lighthouse, Reykjavik city centre (there are several attractions of interest in the city itself), and the Blue Lagoon.
Haven’t tried a proper Icelandic hot dog yet? We’ve got two spots for you! (What’s an Icelandic hot dog you ask? It’s served in a warm, steamed bun topped with raw white onions and crispy fried onions, sweet brown mustard called pylsusinnep, and remoulade (a sauce made with mayo, capers, mustard, and herbs)
- Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur hot dog stand; An iconic installation in Reykjavik that’s been serving hot dogs since 1937. It became quite famous internationally after headlines showcased Bill Clinton stopping here for a hot dog in 2004. Two years later in August 2006, the British newspaper The Guardian selected Bæjarins Beztu as the best hot dog stand in Europe.
- Pulsuvagninn ; Though not as famous as their neighbours in Reykjavik, these Keflavik dogs are nonetheless delicious. It’s also perfectly located next to a park with picnic tables.
Day 10: Reykjanes peninsula
Keflavik –> Airport
Distance travelled and driving time (without stops): 88km, 1h38
This was a short day as we had an afternoon flight back home.
Attractions seen along the way (5, in Chronological order): We drove around the Reykjanes peninsula: The Giantess in the Cave, Garður Old Lighthouse, Hvalsneskirkja Church, Bridge between continents (Miðlína), Brimketill (small naturally carved pool).
Don’t have 10 days to complete this trip?
9-day alternative: With 9 days, we would suggest either cutting out Day 4 (to Borgarfjörður Eystri) or Day 10 (the Reykjanes peninsula). Although scenic in its right, Reykjanes doesn’t really match up with what the rest of Iceland has to offer. While we loved our time in Borgarfjörður Eystri, there isn’t much to do there other than hike or relax – but that’s maybe something you’re looking for!
8-day alternative: With 8 days, we would suggest cutting out both Day 4 and Day 10.
7-day alternative: With 7 days, we would suggest cutting out both Day 4 and Day 10, and then cutting out Day 9 and ending Day 8 in Reykjavik instead of Grindavik, so that you get a chance to explore Iceland’s capital city.
Less than a week? If you have less than a week, we wouldn’t recommend doing a full loop around the Ring Road. Obviously, it’s doable, but we think you would be better served focusing on South Iceland and the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. That’s where most of the sights and attractions are and you would spend less time driving (although driving in Iceland is both very pleasant and scenic).
We would suggest looking into doing Days 1, 2, and the lagoons of day 3, and then backtracking along the same route but having kept some sites and attractions for the return leg. Finish the return leg at Þingvellir National Park. All of this would amount to 10-12 hours of driving which would be divided into 3-4 days. With another day or two, include visiting Reykjavik and/or the Snæfellsnes peninsula to your itinerary.
Group tour options
You would love to visit all these cool attractions that Iceland has to offer, but are not keen on having to do all that driving? Several great tours exist as either day trips or multi-day trips departing from Reykjavik:
Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon Full-Day Trip, which includes stops at Vik and Seljalandsfoss
Golden Circle Full-Day Tour with Kerid Crater, which includes stops at the Geysir area, Gullfoss waterfall, and Þingvellir National Park. Want to add the Blue Lagoon? Check out this tour.
South Coast Tour & DC-3 Plane Wreck, which includes stops at Seljalandsfoss, Skogafoss, Solheimajokull, and Reynisfjara.
Wild Waterfalls, Black Beach & Glacier Day Trip, similar to the above tour, but skipping the Plane Wreck and spending more time at the Solheimajokull glacier.
3-Day Golden Circle, South Coast, & Glacier Tour, which pretty much includes everything the above trips include in an all-in-one package.
2-Day Tour with Icebergs, Glaciers & Waterfalls, an abbreviated version with fewer stops than the 3-day trip above.
Snæfellsnes Peninsula Full-Day Tour, which includes most of the attractions we listed above on Day 7 of our itinerary.
Reykjavik: 8-Day Small Group Circle of Iceland Tour, which stops at most of the attractions found all around the Ring Road and the Snæfellsnes Peninsula
That wraps it up! We hope you enjoyed our 10-day Iceland campervan itinerary, and that it will prove useful in helping you plan your trip to Iceland!
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