Camping Around Iceland in a Week

Start your roundtrip of Iceland by heading towards Borgarfjörður, an interesting area rich with cultural and historical heritage. You pass the splendid waterfalls of Hraunfossar, where the water flows out of the lava into the river below. Continue and make a stop at Deildartunguhver, Iceland’s largest hot spring (in terms of water production per second). From Borgarnes, continue to the North of Iceland through the Skagafjörður, which is known for horse breeding; here you can see many Icelandic horses on your way. Take some time to visit the museum at Glaumbær, a beautifully restored turf farmhouse, one of the few that has been properly preserved in Iceland.

The whole day is dedicated to the marvels of Lake Mývatn Nature Reserve known as one of Iceland’s most fascinating areas of natural beauty. On the way to Mývatn you must make a stop at the impressive waterfall Goðafoss “The fall of the gods”. One of the main attractions near Mývatn is the Námaskarð geothermal area where you will find bubbling mud pools and hissing steam vents. You must not miss the Krafla area with the crater Víti and the Leirhnjúkur area. Later on you can venture a walk up to the top of Hverfjall crater or dip into the geothermal water of the natural baths located east of the Lake.

Today you will discover the Eastfjords. Continue your drive through the lunar landscape of Möðrudalur highlands until you reach the fertile valley of Hérað where the village of Egilsstaðir lies. As you continue you might want to make a stop in the village of Djúpivogur, located in a charming setting. Now you continue along the fjords towards Southeast Iceland; at times the road hangs precariously high on the mountain slopes. Finally you drive through the tunnel of Almannaskarð to arrive in the town of Höfn.

After passing various outlet glaciers of Vatnajökull, Europe’s largest ice cap, you will arrive at the Glacial Lagoon, Jökulsarlón. You can walk along the banks of the lagoon or take a 30-40 min boat trip to admire the fantastically-shaped icebergs. Skaftafell National Park is another natural wonder: an oasis surrounded by glaciers and black sand plains which has many hiking possibilities. Continue through Kirkjubæjarklaustur village, the Eldhraun lava field and the Mýrdalssandur plain before you arrive in the Vík. We recommend you stop at Reynisfjara beach; a black sand beach famous for the Reynisdrangar rock stacks that rise from the sea just off the shore and for its basalt columns. You can also stop at Dyrhólaey cape, which is the southernmost point of Iceland. Continue westbound; the village of Skógar is the next place of interest with its beautiful waterfall and the local folk museum. As you continue towards Hella you can stop at Seljalandsfoss waterfall, where you can actually walk behind the waterfall. You then follow the main road to arrive in Hella.

Now it is time to visit some of the most interesting and famous areas of Iceland. Drive through the village of Flúðir to reach the famous geothermal area of Geysir where the Strokkur hot spring ejects its water column high into the air every 5 – 10 minutes and where numerous small springs boil and bubble. Close by is Gullfoss, surely the country’s most famous waterfall. Continuing towards Þingvellir National Park (Thingvellir), consider one of the geological wonders of the world where you can see the effects of the tectonic plate movements which have opened various cracks and fissures in the earth’s crust. It was here that the Icelandic Parliament was founded in the 10th century. Continue to Reykjavík for your overnight stay.

Drive back to Keflavik airport for your flight back home, or book an extra night in Reykjavik, the vibrant capital of Iceland!