Iceland Travel Guide: 7 Day Campervan Trip on the Ring Road and Golden Circle

Iceland, the land of fire and ice. For years, we were skeptical about Iceland because of how popular it had gotten. Could it really be that magical with hundreds of tourists crowding to get that one Instagram shot? Anyone and everyone seemed to be going to Iceland, not just the avid adventure seekers. But maybe because we had gone just at the right time (COVID restrictions had just lifted), on top of going to all the famous sights at 4 AM when the midnight sun rose - it ended up being one of our favorite trips. Check out our itinerary for 1 week in Iceland!

Tips for Visiting Iceland

• Hotels vs. Campervan: If there's one place to drive a campervan - even if you've never done a campervan trip before - it's Iceland. There are countless places to park overnight along the Ring Road, making it convenient to stop along the way without worrying about doubling back. This is especially useful if you're concerned about weather and need to change your itinerary. Plus, it doesn't hurt that some campsites even have incredible waterfall views and even access to kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry. No need to get the Iceland camping card, you'll likely find that not all the campsites you want to stay at are included in the card. You can check out this map of campsites in Iceland. Most campsites have enough spots that you won't need reservations, but we did have more trouble finding a spot on the north side of the island. 
• 4WD vs. 2WD: There are certain roads in Iceland called f-roads that require a 4-wheel drive car. When booking a campervan, we debated between renting a 4WD campervan or a regular campervan. The 4WD campervan was much more expensive, but we did want to go to Kerlingarfjöll which required going through an f-road. We decided to rent a 4WD car from Blue Car Rental just for 2 days on the Golden Circle, and then rent a regular campervan from Go Campers for the rest of our trip on the Ring Road.
• Food: Yes, food is expensive. We spent most of our trips buying groceries from Bonus (the budget grocery store) and cooking our own food in our campervan.​​

Day 1: Golden Circle

• Refresh and relax in hot springs that meet the ocean at Sky Lagoon
• Walk along the canyon for epic waterfall views at Haifoss Waterfall
• Get up and close with Gullfoss Falls

Day 2: Golden Circle

• Drive a 4WD car through the mountains to the geothermal vents of Kerlingarfjöll
• Stop for rye bread that's baked underground at Laugarvatn Fontana
• Return to Reykjavik

Day 3: Ring Road

• Take a dip in the lukewarm waters of the Seljavallalaug Swimming Pool
• Park the campervan at Seljalandsfoss Campsite, one of the most beautiful sites where you're surrounded by waterfalls​

Day 4: Ring Road

• Wake up early and walk underneath the waters of Seljalandsfoss
• See how close you can get to the famous Skógafoss Waterfall
• Hike 1 mile to Kvernufoss Waterfall
• Climb up the basalt columns at Reynisfjara​ Black Sand Beach
• Hike 4.6 miles to see the Sólheimasandur Plane Wreck
• Spot puffins flying overhead at Dyrhólaey Viewpoint

Day 5: Ring Circle

• Walk along ancient canyons (but don't step on the moss!) at Fjaðrárgljúfur
• Hike 3.6 miles to one of Iceland's tallest waterfalls at Múlagljúfur Canyon
• Marvel at the icebergs sitting on the the Diamond Beach of Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon

Day 6: Ring Road

• Walk along the river lined with basalt rock columns at Stuðlagil Canyon
• See the Game of Thrones filming location of Grjótagjá Cave
• Stop by Goðafoss Waterfall

Day 7: Ring Road

• Wake up early to see the the mountain framed by waterfalls at Kirkjufellsfoss
• Try the seasonal ales at Einstock Beer
• Return to Reykjavik

There are few places in the world that we would visit again because there are just so many new places we want to see, but Iceland ended up becoming one of them! Some locals told us that us that it seems like every week there is a new waterfall or landmark being discovered on the back of someone's farm. I can't imagine what this place will look like in 10 years! While we did get to see almost everything we had planned for, we did wish that we had gotten to do more activities - there were a few ice cave tours at Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon that sounded awesome. Somehow I'll still stumble upon new places in Iceland on Instagram, so there certainly is much more to see beyond the well known tourist sights. So we might just have to come back in 2025 during the peak solar cycle to see the magic of Iceland in the winter and hopefully the Northern Lights!