Iceland in One Week: South Coast and Golden Circle by Campervan
12 – 19 June · 7 nights · An out-and-back along Iceland's south coast, from the Golden Circle's hot springs and canyons to glacier tongues, black beaches and the iceberg lagoon at Jökulsárlón before turning back through lava fields toward Reykjavík. An easy-paced drive suited to travellers who would rather linger at waterfalls than chase kilometres.
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: 93 km · 1 h 47 from Reykjavík · A short, easy run out of Reykjavík on good paved road, climbing gently past Þingvallavatn through cracked lava fields and birch scrub before dropping to the lakeside village — no difficulties for a 6m van.
Jun 12 - depart Reykjavík
09:00Leave Reykjavík, head up onto the lava plateau toward Þingvellir
10:00Walk the rift valley at Þingvellir National Park, site of the old Alþingi
12:30Continue on to Laugarvatn
13:30Check in at the lakeside campsite, settle in
Jun 13 - Golden Circle
09:30Drive to Geysir, watch Strokkur erupt
11:30Continue to Gullfoss, walk the canyon-edge paths
14:00Return to Laugarvatn, a soak in the geothermal Fontana baths
19:00Dinner by the lake
Jun 14 - depart
09:00Pack up and head south via Selfoss and Hvolsvöllur
11:30Stop at Seljalandsfoss, walk the path behind the falls
13:00Stop at Skógafoss, climb the steps to the top
Getting there: 170 km · 2 h 58 from Laugarvatn · The Ring Road runs flat and fast below the Eyjafjöll and Mýrdalsjökull cliffs, with waterfalls dropping straight off the escarpment beside the road; watch for sudden crosswinds near the coast.
Jun 14 - arrive Vík
15:30Arrive Vík, check in at the village campsite
16:15Walk up to the white church overlooking the black beach and sea stacks
19:00Dinner with a view of Reynisdrangar
Jun 15 - the coast
09:30Drive out to Reynisfjara, basalt columns and the roaring surf
12:00Continue to Dyrhólaey headland for the arch and puffins
14:30Back to Vík, browse the village shops
17:00Quiet evening by the campsite
Jun 16 - depart
09:00Leave Vík, drive east under Mýrdalsjökull and Vatnajökull
13:30Stop at Fjallsárlón, quiet iceberg lagoon below Öræfajökull
15:00Stop at Jökulsárlón, icebergs drifting to the sea, walk over to Diamond Beach
Getting there: 257 km · 3 h 53 from Vík í Mýrdal · The road hugs the coast beneath the outlet glaciers of Vatnajökull, crossing a string of single-lane bridges over glacial rivers — easy going but keep a steady speed for oncoming traffic on the narrow spans.
Jun 16 - arrive Höfn
18:15Arrive at the campsite, check in
19:00Evening light on Vestrahorn from the campsite
20:00Langoustine dinner in Höfn
Jun 17 - explore
09:30Walk the black-sand dunes and photograph Vestrahorn and Brunnhorn
12:00Lunch back in Höfn harbour
14:00Wander Ósland peninsula for birdwatching and views of the fjord
18:00Relaxed evening at the campsite
Jun 18 - depart
09:00Leave Höfn, retrace the glacier coast road west
12:00Stop at Skaftafell in Vatnajökull National Park, hike to Svartifoss waterfall
Getting there: 186 km · 2 h 48 from Höfn · Wide, open moss-covered lava fields of the Eldhraun stretch either side of the Ring Road here, laid down by the 1783 Laki eruption — flat and straightforward driving after the glacier coast.
Jun 18 - arrive
16:00Arrive Kirkjubæjarklaustur, check in at the campsite
16:45Short walk to the Kirkjugólf basalt-column 'church floor'
18:00Stop at Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon for the viewpoint walk
20:00Quiet dinner back at the campsite
Jun 19 - depart for Reykjavík
09:00Leave Kirkjubæjarklaustur, head west along Route 1
11:15Stop at the Sólheimasandur plane wreck for a walk across the black sands
14:00Continue on toward Reykjavík
19 June · End of the trip
Reykjavík
Getting there: 261 km · 4 h 27 from Kirkjubæjarklaustur
Jun 19 - trip ends
17:00Arrive back in Reykjavík, drop off the campervan
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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