Iceland: Ring Road in 9 Days...In a Camper Van

I like to mark milestone birthdays with adventures. As a photographer, Iceland has loomed large in my imagination for years. I was leery of locking this trip in, given how popular a destination it’s become, and with that, how expensive it is. However, I’m so glad I made this trip happen. It was otherworldly. We could drive for hours and barely talk, there were so many jaw-dropping views to absorb.

I looped my cousin — essentially, my little sister — Taylor, into coming by glossing over the camper van part and very unpredictable year-round weather. I’m a pretty fair-weather person myself, so apart from cost and crowds, incessant rain and gale winds were my other fear. To list the cons upfront, Iceland is all of these things: popular, pricey, windy, rainy, and yup, smells very intensely like farts when you are in the heart of geothermal energy country. It also isn’t known for its cuisine, unless dried shark is your thing, and Icelandic requires more pronunciation stamina than German or French, imo.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, I still heartily endorse going. We decided to zoom right past the Golden Circle (read: we didn’t see the geyser or first wave of waterfalls) and zoom through the star-studded south coast. For those of you planning your own trip, I’ve detailed our itinerary below, and here’s our Google Map.

9-Day Iceland Itinerary (view Google Map)

Day 1: South Coast: Reykjavik to Vík — thermal river hike, black sand beach, waterfalls!

Day 2: Southeast: Vík to Stokksnes — lava fields, glacier lagoons, national park hikes

Day 3: Eastern Fjords: Stokksnes to Seyðisfjörður — Vestrahorn photoshoot, cute fjord towns

Day 4: North: Seyðisfjörður to Húsavík — more waterfalls, GeoSea spa, best campground

Day 5: North, Mývatn region: Húsavík to Akureyri — steaming earth hikes and smells, artsy-town

Day 6: North, Tröllaskagi Peninsula: Akureyri to Staðarskáli — more cute fjord towns, public pool

Day 7: West, Snaefellsnes Peninsula: Staðarskáli to Reykjavík — black church, lighthouse, moody drive

Day 8: Reykjavík! — art galleries, hot dogs, flea markets, and more

Day 9: Blue Lagoon and flight home — one last soak

Day 1 (Sunday): South Coast — Reykjavik to Vík

Arrived at 6:30 am on a direct redeye from MSP. After picking up our camper van (we went with Happy Campers), we loaded up on groceries, swung through Reykjavik, and then headed off Reykjadalur, a 2.5-mile hike to a geothermal river. We did all of the south on this day, making quick stops at Seljalandsfoss and Reynisfjara, the famous black sand beach near Vík, where we camped that night. We got to the black beach late, so had it to ourselves for a bit. It was foggy and moody and honestly, terrifying given how big and unpredictable the waves were, and how utterly alone you felt. I love it more than I expected.

Reykjadalur is not far from Reykjavik. The hike was pretty easy, about 5-miles round trip. The thermal river gets hotter the further up you go. This rock formation we’re sitting in front of was where the water was seeping from the earth, so it was nearly scalding. Move over two feet, it was luke warm. Bring water shoes! It was busy, but fun to chat with other travelers.

Vík, from the cemetery. I recommend the very short hike to the top. The church is the evacuation spot should the volcano explode.

Day 2: Southeast — Vík to Stokksnes

It was another overcast, rainy day, typical for the south. We visited the Vík church before hitting the road for Skaftafell, to Vatnajökull National Park. On the way, we went through miles of Eldhraun, the huge moss-covered lava field. I loved this landscape.

At Vatnajökull National Park, we did the short hike out to the ever-shrinking Vatnajökull glacier, then did a loop hike to Svartifoss. Waterfall was cool (you’ll see many), but better was the short detour on the way back to the clearing just past it, where you can look out on a full view of the mountain and snow-capped landscape.

From Skaftafell, we made rainy pitstops at Fjallsárlón and Jökulsárlón (busier, but more impressive) glacier lagoons, which are close to the “diamond beach.” That night we detoured off the ring road about 10 minutes to our Vestrahorn campground in Stokksnes. Driving to that campground on a foggy night with a mammoth mountain hovering over us, but one we couldn’t fully see until morning, was one of my favorite trip memories. The wind here was fierce, but Vestrahorn was a favorite, so I recommend this stop!

Day 3: Eastern Fjords — Stokksnes to Seyðisfjörður

I loved this day, mainly because the sun came out and the crowds thinned and the drive was gorgeous, even if super windy. In the morning, we woke up next to the Viking Cafe, in the shadow of Vestrahorn mountain, and it smelled like waffle heaven. We explored the Viking village and just walked around the area gaping at how dramatic Vestrahorn was in contrast to the smooth beach washing away at it.

We had no idea when we went to sleep that this was the mountain towering over us. Vestrahorn was a trip highlight.

We got gas and lunch in Djúpivogur, a cute little fjord town, and then zig-zagged our way to Seyðisfjörður, one of the most charming of the small towns we visited. We got in right before stores were closing. I bought my Icelandic sweater from the shop that local knitters keep well stocked. From the iconic rainbow street ending in a blue church to the murals to the art festival (we just missed!), this town was bursting with a creative, colorful spirit. The drive out here was worth it alone.

Day 4: North — Seyðisfjörður to Húsavík

This was another sunny, glorious day. Hard to tell if it was the weather, the views, us getting into our camper van groove, or that mid-trip energy, but our days in the east and north were my favorite. We left Seyðisfjörður early, stopping in Egilsstaðir for gas and Icelandic kleinur, their traditional fried dough offering. I tried these a few different times, and on all occasions found kleinur lackluster, dry, and flavorless, even when dunked in coffee.

We detoured off the Ring Road toward Dettifoss and Selfoss waterfalls. These are huge, and very touristy. But, it was worth the stop for the double rainbows. We kept heading north, and made another quick stop at Ásbyrgi, where a mythical horse seemingly made an enormous hoofprint in the earth. It was lovely here, peaceful and scenic, until we got blocked in by the tour buses on our heels!

The drive along this northern peninsula was so picturesque, with the deep blue sea to our right, sheep grazing in the hills and mountains to our left, and purple lupines patchworked across the landscape. Pulling into 66.12 North Camping — where farmer Bjarni was there to greet us to his ocean cliffside camper van parking lot — we couldn’t help but feel giddy. We sipped rhubarb cocktails and watched the sun lower toward the Greenland Sea and watched for whales and said “ahhh, this is the good life.”

The highlight of the trip for me was GeoSea, a geothermal spa perched on the cliffs just north of Húsavík (yes, of Eurovision movie fame). Best $40 of the trip; I liked this better than the Blue Lagoon. It was smaller, quieter (until the whale watchers showed up), and luxurious, clean and with slightly different temps throughout. Afterward, we grabbed dinner at Fish & Chips in Húsavík, watching the whale watching ships come and go.

Day 5: North, Mývatn region — Húsavík to Akureyri

While other days it felt like “wow, this planet is so beautiful,” this day was more “woah, what planet are we on?”. We backtracked along the Ring Road a bit to Krafla, an active volcano region where the ground (or rather, lava field) was steaming. A short drive away was Hverir, filled with tourists come to see the orange earth bubbling and smoking. We did the short hike up to Námafjall for an otherworldly view from up top.

We also hiked Hverfjall (7-minutes to the top, thanks to Taylor’s quick pacing), a “tephra cone,” or essentially, an inactive volcano that left an empty crater and almost perfect circle rim hike.

From there, we were off to Akureyri, Iceland’s second largest city with a still-quaint population of ~18,000. I loved it here. Like all Icelandic towns we stopped in, it was brimming with color, public art, and murals. It’s the university town, so has more young folks here. The highlight here was the botanical garden, which was overflowing with color and flowering plants from around the world, somehow thriving so close to the Artic Circle. We had the most perfect, posh meal at Cafe Laut, the chic cafe in the middle of the garden.

Akureyri’s main pedestrian street. Mural of Sia, who died here in 2010.

Cafe Laut at the Botanical Gardens: Highly recommend!

Day 6: North, Tröllaskagi Peninsula — Akureyri to Staðarskáli

This was a driving-heavy day, but a Ring Road detour I would recommend. We made pitstops in Siglufjörður and Hofsós. We ended up hanging out in Hofsós for a few hours since our reason for stopping — a dip in its lauded public pool, designed by the same architects as the Blue Lagoon — was inexplicably closed until 2 pm. But it was a perfect place for a fjord-side nap and camper van meal prep. Perhaps because of the delayed opening, or the sun, the pool was very crowded, but still beautiful and worth a stop.

We made a quick stop at the KIDKA Wool Factory where we got some souvenirs. Our campsite that night, Sæberg Campground, also had a little homemade geothermal tub right on a fjord, so I got in one more soak.

Hofsós public pool. If you go to one, make it this one. You feel like you’re swimming right into the sea.

The homemade geothermal tub at Sæberg Campground.

Day 7: West, Snaefellsnes Peninsula — Staðarskáli to Reykjavík

Our trip energy was waning at this point, and the cloudy skies returned. We didn’t make it all the way out to Snæfellsjökull National Park, but Stykkishólmur and Budir (home of the famous black church) were two favorite stops this day. Stykkishólmur was another darling fjord town. We went out to the lighthouse, ate at the charming Sjávarborg Cafe & Inn, and picked up more handmade wool goods at Gallerí Lundi. I wish we would have eaten at Narfeyrarstofa, which looked like a designer’s dream Icelandic lunch spot.

At Budir, the black church was as elegant in its coastal solitude as all photos make it seem, but the real beauty here was the trails weaving through tall grasses down to a cloudy, horse-riding-filled beach. That night, we camped at Mosskogar Camping so we’d be close to Reykjavík for our last full day.

Stykkishólmur, on the lighthouse peninsula

Day 8: Reykjavík!

I’m so glad we saved a full day for Reykjavík, and put it at the end. After a lot of small towns and long drives, it was a welcome change to stroll this mid-sized city. We explore from 9:30 am to 6 pm, when shops started closing and happy hour was underway. I was once again overwhelmed with the disproportionate number of artists, creatives, and makers this country has, which was on full display in Reykjavík.

My top recs: Brauð & Co (bakery), Kolaportið Flea Market, and Kirsuberjatréð (collective of artists and designers). Also, I could have just sat for hours on the main pedestrian street watching kids and adults alike engage in the hopscotch lane and painted racetrack.

Oh, and for hot dogs, definitely avoid the busy Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur (made popular by Bill Clinton’s visit) and instead, go to the line-free little cart by the church — as good as promised! Get all the sauces!

I love going to flea markets in other countries. It’s the cheapest way to find really unique souvenirs. Kolaportið Flea Market is worth a stop if it’s open while you’re there.

Day 9: Blue Lagoon > Minneapolis

I’m so glad we saved the Blue Lagoon for our last day, and also that we made an 8 am appointment. For a few magical minutes, we had it all to ourselves! The first hour was pretty quiet, but since it’s bigger than I imagined, even though it was busy, it never felt crowded. Even though GeoSea up north was my favorite spa, I agree with most other bloggers: Add the Blue Lagoon to your list.

After we were showered and relaxed, we got to work jamming all of our new purchases into our bags and returned our camper van. What a magical trip, but boy, it was sure nice to get back to a regular bed!