Iceland Ring Road Campervan Trip: 2 Weeks Around the Island
1 – 15 August · 14 nights · A leisurely clockwise loop of Iceland's ring road, from Snæfellsnes lava coasts through Mývatn's craters and the fjord-hopping east to the glacier tongues at Skaftafell and Vík. Two-night stops build in real hiking time, ideal for an unhurried pair chasing waterfalls, volcanoes and ice.
Every campsite on this route is a real, named site from OpenStreetMap — pinned where it actually is, with its own website where there is one, so you can check it before you drive there.
Getting there: 193 km · 3 h 37 from Reykjavik · The Ring Road runs along the coast with wide views over Faxaflói bay before a narrower but well-surfaced road climbs onto the Snæfellsnes peninsula — easy for a 6 m van, just watch for oncoming traffic on the tighter coastal bends.
Aug 1 - arrive Arnarstapi
14:00Arrive Arnarstapi, settle into the campsite
15:30Walk the coastal path toward Hellnar, past dramatic sea arches and the Gatklettur rock
19:00Dinner with sea views back toward the glacier
Aug 2 - explore Snæfellsnes
09:00Drive up toward the flanks of Snæfellsjökull for glacier views
12:00Hike into Rauðfeldsgjá gorge, scrambling along the stream inside
15:00Continue to Djúpalónssandur black pebble beach and old shipwreck remains
18:30Return to Arnarstapi for the evening
Aug 3 - depart toward Hvammstangi
09:00Pack up and drive north around the peninsula
10:30Photo stop at Kirkjufell mountain near Grundarfjörður
Getting there: 273 km · 4 h 44 from Arnarstapi · A quiet side road loops out along the Vatnsnes peninsula through gentle hills with sea views, partly unsurfaced but easily manageable for a motorhome of this size.
Aug 3 - arrive Hvammstangi
15:00Arrive and check in at the campsite
16:00Drive out to see the Hvítserkur sea stack at low tide
18:00Watch for seals hauled out at Illugastaðir
Aug 4 - depart toward Akureyri
09:30Pack up and continue east along the Ring Road toward Akureyri
Power not recorded · ~4.1 km from Akureyri · neither OpenStreetMap nor the campsite's own website says it takes vans — check before you book
Getting there: 202 km · 3 h 08 from Hvammstangi · The Ring Road crosses the flat Skagafjörður valley and then drops through the long Vaðlaheiði tunnel straight down into Eyjafjörður — comfortable for a large vehicle, no steep pass required.
Aug 4 - arrive Akureyri
13:30Arrive and settle at the campsite
15:00Wander the town centre and Akureyrarkirkja church
17:00Stroll Kjarnaskógur forest trails
Aug 5 - excursion to Aldeyjarfoss
09:00Drive south into the highlands toward Aldeyjarfoss waterfall
11:30Walk to the falls, admiring the basalt columns framing the cascade
13:00Drive back toward Akureyri
16:00Relaxed evening exploring the botanical garden
Aug 6 - depart toward Reykjahlíð
09:30Pack up and drive east toward Lake Mývatn
11:00Stop at Goðafoss, the 'waterfall of the gods'
Getting there: 85 km · 1 h 26 from Akureyri · A short, flat run along the shore of Lake Mývatn through a landscape of pseudocraters and lava fields — easy driving with plenty of pull-offs for photos.
Aug 6 - arrive Reykjahlíð
13:00Arrive and set up at the campsite
15:00Wander the strange lava towers of Dimmuborgir
19:00Soak in the Mývatn Nature Baths
Aug 7 - volcanic Mývatn
09:00Drive up to the Krafla volcanic area
09:30Walk the rim of the Víti explosion crater
11:00Explore the bubbling mud pots and fumaroles at Hverir
13:00Return to Mývatn and walk the pseudocraters at Skútustaðir
16:00Free afternoon around the lake
Aug 8 - depart toward Egilsstaðir
08:30Pack up and head east across the highland desert road
10:30Detour to Dettifoss, one of Europe's most powerful waterfalls
Getting there: 164 km · 2 h 28 from Reykjahlíð · The road crosses lonely highland moor before descending gently into the broad Fljótsdalur valley — long straight stretches, easy for a motorhome.
Aug 8 - arrive Egilsstaðir
15:30Arrive and set up camp
16:30Drive to the trailhead and hike up to Hengifoss, passing striped basalt-and-clay layers
19:30Evening walk along the shore of Lagarfljót lake
Aug 9 - depart toward Djúpivogur
09:30Pack up and drive south over the mountain road toward the east fjords
11:30Stop in Stöðvarfjörður to see Petra's Stone Collection en route
13:00Continue along the fjord coast to Djúpivogur
6
9 – 10 August · Stop 6 of 10
Djúpivogur
1 nightEggin í Gleðivík sculpturesBulandstindur mountain
Getting there: 153 km · 2 h 22 from Egilsstaðir · A winding but gentle coastal road threads several small fjords with views of jagged mountains — a leisurely pace, but no difficulty for a motorhome.
Aug 9 - arrive Djúpivogur
14:30Arrive and settle into the harbourside campsite
15:30Walk along the row of giant stone eggs at Eggin í Gleðivík
17:00Photograph the sharp peak of Bulandstindur from the harbour
Aug 10 - depart toward Höfn
09:30Pack up and continue south along the coastal plain toward Höfn
Getting there: 103 km · 1 h 35 from Djúpivogur · A flat coastal stretch with wide views out to the glacier tongues of Vatnajökull in the distance — a relaxed, straightforward drive.
Aug 10 - arrive Höfn
13:00Arrive and settle at the campsite beneath Vestrahorn
14:00Walk the black sand dunes at Stokksnes with Vestrahorn towering behind
18:00Fresh langoustine dinner in Höfn town
Aug 11 - depart toward Skaftafell
09:00Pack up and head west along the glacier coast
10:00Boat-shaped icebergs drifting at Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon
11:30Cross the road to see icebergs washed up on Diamond Beach
Getting there: 121 km · 1 h 51 from Höfn · The road runs right along the foot of Vatnajökull, passing several glacier tongues — flat and easy to read from the driver's seat.
Aug 11 - arrive Skaftafell
14:00Arrive and settle at the national park campsite
15:00Short walk to a viewpoint over Skaftafellsjökull glacier tongue
Aug 12 - hike to Svartifoss
09:30Hike up through birch woods to Svartifoss, framed by dark basalt columns
12:30Continue higher toward the Kristínartindar viewpoint for panoramic views over the glacier
17:00Return to camp and relax
Aug 13 - depart toward Vík
09:00Pack up and drive west across the sandy outwash plains
11:00Detour into Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon, its mossy walls winding above a river
Getting there: 140 km · 2 h 07 from Skaftafell · The coastal road runs across sandy outwash plains beneath the Katla volcano — flat, but a tall vehicle will feel any strong crosswind.
Aug 13 - arrive Vík
13:30Arrive and set up camp
14:30Walk the basalt columns and sea stacks of Reynisfjara
17:00Learn about the Katla volcano looming behind the village
Aug 14 - depart toward Laugarvatn
09:00Drive out to Dyrhólaey for coastal and arch views
10:30Continue west along the south coast
11:30Walk behind the curtain of Seljalandsfoss waterfall
12:45Stop at the broad curtain of Skógafoss waterfall
14:00Continue inland to Laugarvatn
10
14 – 15 August · Stop 10 of 10
Laugarvatn
1 nightLaugarvatn Fontana bathsLakeside evening at Laugarvatn
Tjaldsvæði VR
Power not recorded · ~12.9 km from Laugarvatn
Getting there: 169 km · 2 h 56 from Vík í Mýrdal · Gentle rolling hills of the Golden Circle on well-surfaced roads — an easy, relaxed final stretch before returning to Reykjavík.
Aug 14 - arrive Laugarvatn
16:00Arrive and settle at the lakeside campsite
17:30Soak in the geothermal Laugarvatn Fontana baths
20:00Quiet evening by the lake
Aug 15 - depart toward Reykjavík via the Golden Circle
09:00Drive to the Geysir geothermal field to watch Strokkur erupt
10:30Continue to the thundering double cascade of Gullfoss
12:00Stop at Þingvellir National Park, walking between the tectonic plates
14:00Drive back to Reykjavík
15 August · End of the trip
Reykjavík
Getting there: 93 km · 1 h 49 from Laugarvatn
Aug 15 - trip ends in Reykjavík
15:30Arrive in Reykjavík and return the campervan
16:30Stroll the harbour and Hallgrímskirkja church before departure
A plan, not a promise. Campsites, roads and opening times can be wrong or out of date — check anything you'd be sorry to get wrong.
Campsites come from OpenStreetMap, which volunteers maintain. A site listed here may have closed, be full, open only in season, or be tagged wrong. We link the site’s own page where there is one, and pin it where OSM says it is — always confirm it exists, and book it yourself.
Distances and times are measured on real roads, not guessed. But a router doesn't know about roadworks, a closed pass, a ferry that stops running in October, or the height, width and weight limits that apply to a large campervan. Treat them as good numbers, not gospel.
The day-by-day plan is written by AI. Opening hours, prices, whether a thing runs in your season, and whether it suits your vehicle or your party can all be wrong. Check anything you'd be sorry to arrive and find shut.
Local rules are yours to know. Where you may park and sleep overnight, what a licence permits, and what the road demands of a big van vary by country and change without telling us.
Use your own judgement, and see our Terms for the rest.
Want this Iceland campervan trip, but planned for you?
Different dates. A different start. Shorter driving days, or no toddler in the back. Change the shape of it and re-plan any stop — you get your own copy, and one link to share with everyone in the van.
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