/ /

Around Iceland in 8 Days: Iceland Road Trip Itinerary

Iceland is a country of dramatic landscapes, majestic waterfalls, and relaxing natural hot springs. In the span of just a few hours, you can witness towering cliffs, black sand beaches, icy blue glaciers, otherworldly lava fields, and colorful wildflowers that stretch as far as the eye can see.

It’s no wonder Iceland has become such a popular tourist destination in recent years, especially among those who love the outdoors. 

Around Iceland in 8 Days: Iceland Road Trip Itinerary

One of the best ways to explore Iceland is by camper van. Not only does this option offer a less expensive way to see the country’s many natural wonders, but it allows you the freedom to explore at your own pace and the flexibility to change plans depending on circumstances like your energy level or weather conditions. We rented our camper van from Happy Campers, a family-owned rental company that offers free shuttle pick-up from Keflavik Airport.

And now, without further ado, we present our Iceland road trip itinerary. This is EVERYTHING we did driving the Ring Road counter-clockwise around Iceland for eight days. Hope this helps you plan your own awe-inspiring, truly unforgettable, stuff-of-legends road trip around Iceland!


day 1: arrival & relaxation at blue lagoon


Total driving time: 2.5 hours

We arrived to Keflavik Airport early in the morning and headed straight for the Happy Campers office, where we picked up our camper van. Then we stocked up on food at a nearby Bonus, a chain of discount grocery stores, and drove to the Blue Lagoon, where we spent the afternoon. Knowing that we’d sleep only a few hours on the overnight flight and would feel very jet lagged upon arrival, we decided to take it easy on our first day in Iceland.

The Blue Lagoon, a geothermal spa with healing, milky-blue water and one of Iceland’s most popular tourist attractions, offered the perfect opportunity to rest up before a week full of driving and exploring.

Feeling calm and relaxed, we headed to our accommodation for the night, the Panorama Glass Lodge. One of the coolest parts about visiting Iceland during the summer months is getting to experience almost 24 hours of sunlight. Because of Iceland’s proximity to the Arctic Circle, during the summer months, the sun dips below the horizon for only a few hours, making a soft twilight between 12:00 am-3:00 am the darkest time of day. The Panorama Glass Lodge, located about two hours east of Keflavik Airport, is a Scandinavian glass cabin in the Viking style that offers panorama views of the beautiful surrounding scenery. Needless to say, on our first night in Iceland, we took in the glorious midnight sun!

day 2: waterfalls and reynisfjara black sand beach


Total driving time: 2 hours

On our second day in Iceland, we began our counter-clockwise journey around Iceland’s Ring Road by visiting a trio of waterfalls in the southwest. Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss are beautiful, powerful waterfalls, and very popular tourist sites as a result. Kvernufoss, just a short five-minute drive from Skógafoss, is a smaller and less well-known waterfall, but its beauty makes the drive and short hike through a winding canyon well worth it. 

Next, we drove toward Vik, a small town on Iceland’s southern coast. Here, we took in the jaw-dropping views of the Dyrhólaey Peninsula, which stands above jagged rock formations and Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach. 

Before calling it a night at the campground in Vik, we spent some time at the Vik i Myrdal Church. Surrounded by a field of purple Lupins (in summer), the famous church overlooks the town and black sand beach in the distance. 

day 3: glacier lagoon and the midnight sun


Total driving time: 6 hours

We started the day driving through the vast Eldhraun Lava Field in southern Iceland, an otherworldly landscape of rock mounds covered with bright green moss. This lava field was created by a cataclysmic volcanic eruption in 1783 that devastated Iceland and even affected mainland Europe. 

After a two-hour drive, we crossed into eastern Iceland and arrived at the trailhead to Svartifoss, a beautiful and unique waterfall surrounded by black basalt columns. In total, the roundtrip hike to Svartifoss took about two hours, and we saw two other waterfalls and sweeping views of Vatnajökull National Park along the way.

At Jökulsárlón, Iceland’s most famous glacier lagoon, we saw huge blue icebergs flowing out toward the Atlantic coast in meltwater from the Vatnajökull glacier. Just a short distance away, at Diamond Beach, we saw icebergs that had washed back ashore glistening against the black sand. 

That evening, since the weather was promising a breathtaking sunset and sunrise, we decided to drive through the night instead of camp. It was one of the best decisions of our lives!

Just in time for sunset, we arrived at Vestrahorn, an impressive, jagged mountain that rises sharply from the Atlantic coast. Keep in mind that you have to pay to enter this area since it’s private land. Fortunately, the card machine on the side of the camp building allows you to purchase entrance tickets 24 hours a day. If you have time to see the mountain, it’s well worth the entrance price.

Driving north through Iceland’s east fjords, the midnight sun lit up the stunning coastline with dazzling colors. Along the way, we saw Icelandic horses, sheep, and even reindeer! Exhausted, but ecstatic from our breathtaking drive, we slept in at the Fáskrúðsfjörður campsite. 

day 4: seyðisfjörður and dettifoss waterfall


Total driving time: 5 hours

Needless to say, we slept in after driving all night. Then we were off to visit a small town on Iceland’s eastern coast—Seyðisfjörður. Route 93, the only road leading to the town, is like a twisty-turny rollercoaster ride high in the mountains. Part of the movie The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, featuring Ben Stiller, was filmed on these steep roads with sharp turns. Once in town, we visited the often-photographed rainbow walkway leading to Seyðisfjarðarkirkja Church and had lunch at a nearby cafe. 

After Seyðisfjörður we headed west toward Stuðlagil Canyon. Unfortunately, we made the mistake of approaching from the west side. If you have time (approx. 2 hours) and want to hike down into the canyon for spectacular views of the basalt pillars and amazing blue water, make sure to approach from the east. 

West of Stuðlagil Canyon, the Ring Road took us through a dark volcanic region. There were almost no plants, animals, or people in sight. The landscape was entirely black!

We made it to Dettifoss Waterfall in time for sunset. Just a short walk from the parking lot through a barren rocky area, Dettifoss is one of the most powerful waterfalls in all of Europe. The thousands upon thousands of gallons of water pouring over the edge every second creates a heavy mist that flows through the canyon, making for a mysterious and beautiful scene.

After a wonderful sunset at Dettifoss, we camped at Myvatn for the night.  

day 5: geothermal wonders in northern iceland


Total driving time: 4.5 hours

On Day 5, we spent the morning and early afternoon exploring the many geothermal sites near Myvatn. First on the list was Hverir, an area with bubbling mud pits, fumaroles spewing sulfurous gases, and a splotchy, multi-colored landscape.

Next was Grjótagjá, a small cave with a beautiful hot spring inside, and one of the filming locations for Game of Thrones. We also made stops at Viti crater lake and the Myvatn Nature Baths, another of Iceland’s relaxing bathing lagoons. 

Continuing west along the Ring Road, we made it to Goðafoss Waterfall by late afternoon. One of the cool things about Goðafoss is that you can walk up very close to the powerful falls. 

That evening we stopped in Akureyri, Iceland’s second-largest city, to explore the downtown area and enjoy authentic Icelandic hot dogs for dinner. Not many people know it, but people in Iceland really love hot dogs!

Before camping for the night, we explored Kolugljúfur, a canyon in northern Iceland that not many travelers know about, and Hvitserkur, a distinctive basalt rock formation that stands in Húnaflói Bay on Iceland’s northwestern coast.

Traveling down gravel roads toward our campsite at Illugastaðir, we raced a pack of horses!

day 6: guðrúnarlaug hot spring and snaefellsnes peninsula


Total driving time: 4.5 hours

In the morning we took a short walk down the trail from our campground at Illugastaðir to see a seal colony sunbathing on rocks just off the shore. Unfortunately, we couldn’t see the seals very well without binoculars. So make sure to bring some if you’ll plan on doing seal watching!

From Illugastaðir we drove to Guðrúnarlaug natural hot spring for a quick dip. 

By the afternoon we arrived at the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. Approaching from the direction of the Westfjords along routes 60 and then 54, we drove a significant distance on gravel roads, almost until we reached the town Grundarfjörður. Keep in mind that if you come this way, the gravel roads may slow you down a bit. The other roads throughout Snaefellsnes are paved. 

Sheep’s Waterfall, which overlooks beautiful Selvallavatn Lake, was our first stop in Snaefellsnes. 

Around Iceland in 8 Days: Iceland Road Trip Itinerary

Aftwards, we had a lovely dinner at Bjargarsteinn Mathús in Grundarfjörður. The food here was excellent, and we enjoyed a view of the famous Kirkjufell Mountain as we ate!

Before sunset, we explored the nearby Berserkjahraun lava field. Not many people know about this spot, but if you go to Snaefellsnes, it’s well worth your time. This otherworldly landscape of lava rocks covered in bright green moss proved to be one of the highlights of our trip!

We camped for the night at Olafsvik. 

day 7: snaefellsnes peninsula


Total driving time: 3.75 hours

Since the Snaefellsnes Peninsula has so many amazing things to do and see, we made sure to spend another full day here. From our campground at Olafsvik, we headed west to Snaefellsnes National Park, where we saw the Svörtuloft Lighthouse. This distinctive, bright orange lighthouse overlooks dark cliffs that provide a home for thousands of nesting birds. Next, we stopped at Londrangar, another coastal site with dark, towering cliffs that overlook the Atlantic Ocean. 

For lunch, we stumbled upon a charming little cafe in Hellnar—Fjöruhúsið Cafe, which is known for its seafood soup, homemade bread, waffles, and a variety of baked goods.

In Arnarstapi, we were amazed by the Gatklettur stone arch and the stone bridge, natural rock formations along the coast. 

With evening fast approaching, we stopped to see the famous Búðakirkja, a black wooden church that provides a beautiful contrast with the rugged Icelandic landscape in the background. 

Before leaving the Snaefelsness Peninsula, we doubled back toward Grundarfjörður to spend golden hour at the iconic Kirkjufell Mountain. 

As the sun was setting we drove southeast and camped for the night at Þorisstaðir, just an hour outside of Reykjavik. 

day 8: reykjavik and sky lagoon


Total driving: 2 hours

Reykjavik was the last stop on our Iceland road trip itinerary. We spent a few hours exploring the beautiful capital of Iceland. We started off with visiting the famous Hallgrimskirkja, the tallest church in Iceland. From the church tower, we got a picture-perfect view of the city.

After drinking mostly instant coffee and gas station coffee for an entire week, we were really glad to stop by Reykjavik Coffee Roasters, a small coffee shop with delicious, high-quality coffee. There are currently three Reykjavik Coffee Roasters locations. We went to the newest one in Ásmundarsalur on Freyjugata 41. Highly recommend this place!

We strolled through Reykjavik’s downtown area, admiring the multi-colored buildings and street art. For lunch, we chose Svarta Kaffið, a cozy cafe on Laugavegur Street. The menu features only soup—two options, one with meat and one vegetarian—that’s served in a fresh bread bowl. This place is popular and it lives up to the hype!

We decided to spend our last afternoon just as we did our first. At Sky Lagoon we got a chance to unwind in this new geothermal pool overlooking the North Atlantic, and experience their unique seven-step Sky Ritual: lagoon, cold plunge, sauna, cold mist, body scrub, steam, shower, and back to the lagoon. It was such a great way to end this incredible trip!

Similar Posts