Nine Days in Iceland by Campervan- When planning our trip to Iceland we knew we wanted to see and do as much as we could within our short time there, one week schedule with both weekends. We had 9 days, 8 full days to make our itinerary and schedule for Iceland. Having a campervan let us see more during our week there. This schedule is for May, June, July or August schedule for Iceland due to the long daylight hours.

You will need a car for this schedule, we did it by campervan with Go Campers Iceland. We did not get a 4×4 vehicle for this trip, if going on the shoulder months with chances of snow I would consider. But for areas we went to we did not need 4×4.

With a campervan we were able to travel lots in the long summer daylight hours. Plus there were tons of campgrounds, giving us more options of places to stay without needing to back track. Many people asked why we not drive the entire Ring Road? The often ask if the Ring Road in Iceland is worth it. It would have been possible in the summer months to drive the Ring Road in 9 days but it seemed as it would of been rushed. There were a few longer hikes we wanted to go on and with completing the Ring Road on time that would have been impossible. Driving the Ring Road in 9 days would of been more of a highlight tour and very quick paced. If looking on what to pack for a trip to Iceland in the summer read my article on What To Pack For Iceland In The Summer.

When To Go:

This itinerary is best used in the summer months of June, July and August where the daylight hours are long.

Day 1: Arrive and Hot Springs Hike

What To Do:

This first day is when we arrived, we wanted to make sure that we didn’t plan too much in case we had delayed flights or issues with any other type of transportation. Luckily we didn’t, but it gave us plenty of time to pick up our camper van with Go Campers Iceland and also make a stop to get groceries for the next few days.

Hot Spring Hike

After getting situated our activity for the evening was to hike to the Reykjadalur Hot Spring Thermal River. This hike takes about 40-60 minutes one way and is 3 kilometers long. They have changing rooms at the spring and a great first authentic Iceland experience. Guide To Iceland’s article on this hike, if is a great one to read on the entire hike and experience.

Pizza and Beer

We did have plans to go back and make food in our campervan but the day was super rainy. So cooking outside did not seem like the best activity. We did end up eating at Ölverk Pizza & Brewery. We ordered a pizza and tried a few beers. Eating in Iceland is very expensive, like VERY expensive. So this was one of the few meals we ate out, and it cost a lot, but a hot meal was great after a long rainy hike.

Where to Stay:

We camped at Reykjamörk Hveragerði RV Park. It wasn’t anything more than a place to park our van, get a hot shower and a nice area to make food in the morning.

Reykjamörk 15, Hveragerði, Iceland

There are also AirBnB’s, Hostels and Hotels in this area if not travelling in a campervan.

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Day 2: Western Snæfellsnes Peninsula

What To Do:

Explore the Peninsula

Our second day in Iceland we got up early to start driving west to explore the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. This peninsula has so much to see, so we wanted to make sure we got an early start, plus our first stop was about a 2 hour drive some our campsite. You can read about my article on my Must See Stops on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula to get our full itinerary for this day. We got to see, Kirkjufell mountain, lava fields, lighthouses, churchs, cliffs and even a hot spring just big enough for two!

Hot Springs

You can choose to visit this tiny hot spring just big enough for two either on your way to the Peninsula or on your way out. We stopped on the way in and it was a little busy, so we hit it up on the way out and had no wait! Read about the Landbrotalaug Hot Pot here!

Where to Stay:

Wanting to be close for an early hike to Glymur Waterfall the next morning we stayed at Bjarteyjarsandur Campground.

There are also AirBnB’s, Hostels and Hotels in this area if not travelling to camp.

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Day 3: Glymur Waterfall Hike and Thingveller National Park

What To Do:

Glymur WaterFall

Another early morning to beat the crowds our first stop of the day was a 4.6 mile hike to see the Glymur Waterfall. This waterfall is the second tallest waterfall in Iceland! You can read more on this hike on my Glymur Waterfall Hike post.

þórufoss Waterfall

After hiking the Glymur waterfall we headed to Thingvellir National Park. Our our way there we made a super quick detour stop at þórufoss waterfall.

Thingveller National Park

When exploring Thingveller National Park, many people dedicate a whole day here but I don’t believe it is needed. You can spend more time here if you decide to do the famous scuba diving between tectonic plates at Silfra. But we did get to see Silfra from above, Þingvellir church, Öxarárfoss, and take a walk through the Langistígur rock formations. We saw all these sights in less than a few hours.

Where to Stay:

We actually stayed at the same campsite we stayed at in our first night in Iceland as it was close and on our route for our next day, Reykjamörk Hveragerði RV Park

There are also AirBnB’s, Hostels and Hotels in this area if not travelling in a campervan.

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Day 4: Golden Circle and Bruarfoss Waterfall Hike

What To Do:

Iceland’s Golden Circle is a very popular place to go in Iceland. I don’t believe that it really shows the magic of Iceland, but many tourists visit this area as it is close to Reykjavik. Its close proximity to the city makes it easy for tour buses to go here and also makes is easy for people who are just looking to explore through day trips.

Kreid Crater Lake

Our first stop on the Golden Circle was about 20 minutes away from our campsite at Kreid Crater Lake. After a short walk around the crater and down to the lake we hoped back into our car to head to the Bruarfoss Waterfall, a 37 minute drive away.

Bruarfoss Waterfalll

Trying to find some unique areas along the Golden Circle we found Bruarfoss Waterfall. This milky blue waterfall was well worth the 1 hour each way hike. Parking can be tricky to find so make sure you read How To Find Bruarfoss Waterfall to get there the correct way without trespassing. If wanting to grab a bite to eat Barnloft has burgers and ice cream and is located near here.

Geysers

Our next stop was at Strokkur Geyser Park, this was a very crowded area as it is one of the main attractions along the Golden Circle, but we were not super impressed although still cool to see.

Gullfoss Waterfall

After here we drove 9 minutes to stop at the ever so famous Gullfoss Waterfall, again this was very crowded. Althought a very big and powerful waterfall we loved Bruarfoss more than this one. If short on time I would go to Bruarfoss before here.

Brewery

Our last stop was making it right in time to sample a few beers at Ölvisholt Brewery before our 30 minute drive to our campsite.

Where to Stay:

We stayed at Arhus Campsite. This campground had restrooms, an indoor dining area, and even cabins to rent if not camping. This campsite put us in a perfect position to get to some of the main sites along the south coast before the crowds.

There are also AirBnB’s, Hostels and Hotels in this area if not travelling in a campervan.

Booking.com

Day 5: South Waterfalls

What To Do:

Seljalandsfoss & Gljúfrabúi Waterfall

After a quick breakfast we drove 28 minutes to Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, this is a waterfall you see many pictures of people walking behind, it is right off the road and you cannot miss it! We got here early enough to miss the crowds, but many tour buses do stop here. Next we walked over to Gljúfrabúi Waterfall it is a short walk to the left of the waterfall near the campground. Be prepared to get your shoes wet as you walk through a short small cave-like area before finding this waterfall.

Skogafoss

Hoping in the car to drive 26 miles next we stopped at Skogafoss Waterfall. Again another site you cannot miss as it sits right off the main Road 1. Many people stop to see this waterfall from the ground, and many even climb the stairs to see it from above, but I would leave time to hike the trail along the stream to see many more waterfalls, you can read about our hike and how long we hiked before turning around at The Skogafoss Waterfall Hike: The Hike Above the Falls. If looking for a meal in this area I heard good things from Sveitagrill Miu Food Truck.

Kvernufoss Waterfall

Snice hiking more than we thought we would behind Skogafoss we had to skip this next stop, but if good on time you could complete the 20 minute hike to the Kvernufoss Waterfall.

Sólheimajökulll Glacier

From here we headed straight to the Sólheimajökulll Glacier. Here you can book a tour to walk out on to the glacier, but we decided to just see the glacier from land and the first part, we didn’t venture too deep onto the glacier without the proper equipment.

Sólheimasandur Plane Wreck

Next we headed across the road to hike to the Sólheimasandur plane wreckage. This walk is pretty easy as it is completely flat but is quiet the boring walk. The walk is 2 miles one way and takes most people 40 minutes to 1 hour to walk. Once there you can take pictures, but if I had to remove one item from this day I would pick this. Just not as interesting as the other natural sights we saw and took up a lot of time.

Dyrhólaey

Just 20 minutes from the place wreck parking lot was Dyrhólaey overlook and lighthouse. I thought looking down on the coast line above was the best part about this stop. The parking lot is tricky to get to but we made it by going slowly in our campervan. There is parking down below and you can take the scenic walk up to the lighthouse area as well.

Reynisfjara Beach

You can see Reynisfjara Beach from some viewpoints at Dyrhólaey but to get there you have to go around the water and will take about 25 minutes by driving. This beach is another famous site in Iceland, and is often filled with tour buses. Although the rock formations and black sand beach is awesome to see this area is one you should be very cautious in. Do not get too close to the waves, as they have ‘sneaker waves’ in which they have claimed several lives on this beach. You are now in the town of Vik, this would be a great stop for dinner or stopping at the Kronan to buy groceries.

Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon

We were making dinner late at our campsite so we drove 50 minutes at Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon. Check before you make this a stop as I have heard that they sometimes close this area down for weather and to let the moss grow back from people walking in areas that they are not permitted to.

Being late but still long daylight hours is was almost 10pm, we next drove 1 hour to our campsite to make dinner and go straight to bed.

Where to Stay:

We camped at Skaftafell Camping for the night.

There are also AirBnB’s, Hostels and Hotels in this area if not travelling in a campervan.

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Day 6: Eastern Region Glaciers

What To Do:

Svartifoss Waterfall

We woke in the area that is considered the eastern region of Iceland. Once up and moving we decided to move our car in the Vatnajökull National Park parking lot which was right next door. From here we hiked to Svartifoss Waterfall, this waterfall is known for its tall ballast columns. From the National Park visitor center is about 1.5 kilometers or 45 minutes (one way).

Sjónarnípa Glacier

From here you could walk back to the visitors center or take the trail to Sjónarnípa glacier and back to the visitor’s center. This look should take you about 3 hours. This hike will take you to a view above the glaciers. And then we decided to walk down to see the glaciers from eye level.

Just in a ten minute drive you can see Svínafellsjökull Glacier.

Fjallsárlón Iceberg Lagoon

Next was a quick stop at Fjallsárlón Iceberg Lagoon, about a 40 minute drive. This is the less popular glacier lagoon so it was nice to see this one without as many people around.

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon & Diamond Beach

And right down the street in about 10 minutes you will come across to Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon with Diamond Beach right across the street.

Even though there are not a ton of long drives in this area it is packed full of different types of attractions.

Stokksnes

The next area was to where we were staying, Hofn. We actually planned to see Stokksnes or Vestrahorn the next day but we finished our planned activities early.

Skokksnes is one of the very few paid sites in Iceland, but all still very worth it. To enter the area you will need to pay a small fee. This will give you access to park, to hike, go to the beaches, photograph, and also gives you 24 hour access. They gave us a card that we could scan to get into the gated area if we wanted to come back.

Here we walked to get a close up view of the sandy mountains, we saw a few hikes but decided against it. I did love the view from the black sand beach in the gated area. I could of walked this beach and stared at these majestic mountains for hours.

Being late we made a stop at Netto to pick up some groceries and went to our campsite to end our day here.

Where to Stay:

Hofn Campground

There are also AirBnB’s, Hostels and Hotels in this area if not travelling in a campervan.

Booking.com

Day 7: Thakgil Camping and Hiking Area

What To Do:

Hvalnes Lighthouse

This is where we start to turn back around on Ring Road 1 to head back into Reykjavik. We did drive a little farther out to see some more changes in Iceland’s landscape and to see the Hvalnes Lighthouse. At this lighthouse we turned to start heading to my favorite place in Iceland, Thakgil Campgound and Hiking Area!

Thakgil Hiking

Now Thakgil is not a well known place in Iceland, but is located right outside the town of Vik. It is a little difficult to reach so make sure you read my article on How To Get to the Thakgil Campround and Hiking Area, and when is the best time to go. Here you get a very much less crowded hiking experience, you can see glaciers, caves, and volcanic craters.

Where to Stay:

We camped at Thakgil, they also have a few cabins to rent, I would highly recommend staying there is you can. You can eat dinner in a cave, hike all day and feel like you are on a different planet. If you cannot stay there I recommend getting an AirBnB or Hotel right outside in the town of Vik, get up early and make a whole day of hiking in this area.

There are also AirBnB’s, Hostels and Hotels in this area if not travelling in a campervan.

Booking.com

Day 8: Blue Lagoon and Reykjavik

What To Do:

Explore Downtown

Not wanting to leave Thakgil we packed up early in the morning and made our drive in to Reykjavik. We watched Iceland’s 1st World Cup game at a bar, which was full of energy and very exciting. Got a burger and some craft beers while the game was going on. Then headed out of the city to the Blue Lagoon.

Blue Lagoon

We had a reservation late in the evening for the Blue Lagoon to end our night there. Many people asked if it was worth it, I believe it was. We loved how relaxing the Blue Lagoon was after 9 days of hiking and exploring. If only staying in Iceland for a few days I would skip it and see some of the natural landscapes.

Where to Stay:

We stayed at Tjaldsvaedi campsite not too far from the Blue Lagoon, since we had a late night there.

There are also AirBnB’s, Hostels and Hotels in this area if not travelling in a campervan

Booking.com

Day 9: Reykjavik Downtown & Airport

What To Do:

Explore Downtown

Our flight was late at night so we spent the day in the city to explore what we didn’t see the day before. We saw the Harpa Concert Hall, the Hallgrimskirkja Church, tried a few hot dog stands, splurged on some craft beers and got some souvenirs. I don’t think anyone needs more than one day in Reykjavik. Between our two half days we almost saw the whole city.

Check out our complete 24 Hours in Reykjavik Schedule.

Where to Stay:

This was out last day in Iceland, so we returned out Go Campers Campervan and heading to the airport via FlyBus. Go Campers booked our FlyBus tickets for us and dropped us off at the nearest bus station to get back to the airport.

If staying in the city check here for places to stay:

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Download to Phone or Print this Itinerary for FREE! + Bonus Info!

I have created a condensed version of this schedule, completed with maps and addresses for you to download and print! Print this out or download to your phone to have your Iceland itinerary in your hands while you travel the country. Included is a BONUS of recommendations of where to eat and drink in each area as well! Enter your email below and then fill out the contact form requesting the file: