Note – this post may seem a little out of the ordinary for this site but please allow me to explain! Last year I had a sister site called HelpMePickMyCard in which I discussed my personal affinity towards traveling and doing it cheaply, or free with points and miles. I ended up shutting the site down but still have a few posts left over that I never published. I don’t know about you but I’m really missing traveling right now and thought it’d be fun to reminisce on when I was traveling. Hope you enjoy!

“Land Yachting”. That’s how my buddy described it when me and 3 others sat down over breakfast one morning to discuss our next big trip. We each had a great deal of both flexibility and an interest in traveling, especially to exotic locales. Other locations on the itinerary were: Patagonia in South America, hiking in Switzerland, or a Scotch tasting tour in Scotland. We were all intrigued at the idea of ‘land yachting’ and what on earth that was. My buddy explained that a friend of his did a similar trip – and it involves renting a camper van and driving around the entire country of Iceland. WOW. Iceland for each of us was on our bucket list, and the idea of exploring in a camper van seemed incredible. We then committed that as our next destination and got to planning!

It turns out this is quite a popular way of seeing Iceland, and it seems to be only getting more popular. The central part of Iceland is mostly made up of mountains, glaciers, volcanoes, and other things that aren’t great to live around or even drive. To do so requires a 4×4 vehicle, and some degree of training/confidence in driving off-road, as apparently doing so is no joke and can be somewhat dangerous. On the coast though, where most people live, there’s a single road that goes all around the island. It’s route 1, and commonly called the ‘Ring Road’. It’s about 800 miles long and filled with great sites and places to see. I completed this trip in August of 2019, and am happy to share how it all went down!

There are lots of good itineraries out there – here’s the one I followed and the another I used as a reference. There’s plenty of info in them and I won’t recreate the wheel, this post will instead focus on the logistics of renting a vehicle and driving around Iceland. 

What it involves

Route 1, the 800 mile(ish) road around Iceland for basically all of it, is a 2 lane road that traverses the entire island. The speed limit is 90km/hr outside of cities, and 50 km/hr inside cities/towns (of which you’ll pass only a handful). The trip is often prescribed as taking 7 days, although we did it in 6 and felt good about it. I wouldn’t do it in less than 5, and you can honestly take as long as you’d like. There is about 7 days worth of ‘main sites’ that you’ll definitely want to see, but plenty more than if you’ve got the time you can see. Of course the trip will be much better in the spring/summer/fall (so maybe May-September), but from what I’ve read, you can do it all year round. We weren’t driving up and down that many mountains and the road felt safe the entire way. 

Each day will likely consist of driving for 3-5 hours, depending on your specific itinerary. You’ll likely see 1-3 main sites throughout the day, and can spend anywhere from 30 mins – 3 hours at each, depending on how much you want to see (normally involves hiking). You shouldn’t have a problem finding lunch/dinner most nights, but it’s a good idea to bring some camping type food as well. There are plenty of campsites all over the island and they each cost about $5-$20 (average was $15) per person. We didn’t have any trouble finding campsites and didn’t find any full (i.e. no reservations required). All but one took credit cards, and the one that didn’t normally did but was having technical issues. Camp sites will all have toilets/showers/small sink and kitchen type area. It is technically illegal to camp overnight outside of a campground. 

You can do it in a car and pitch your tent each night no problem, or you can rent a camper van like we did, or you can rent a full-blown RV, depending on your budget and preferences. I would recommend arranging for WiFi, as service is great all over the island. Our rental offered it for 40 Euro for the entire trip and we had great service for all of our phones/laptops/tablets. Other blogs I read recommended buying a SIM card, but most phone plans these days offer a temporary international data package. It was helpful having access to Google Maps, Trip Advisor and the internet to read up on restaurants/sites/things to do. 

The other main activity you should do it each is a pool/spa. Iceland runs almost entirely on geothermal energy, and they have lots of naturally hot water to swim in. Some will be fancier type spas, others almost like a local YMCA with indoor/outdoor pools. One we went to even had waterslides!!!! 

Why you should do it 

I’m a big believer in understanding what you want out of a vacation before taking it. If camping really isn’t your thing or planning and doing a bunch of driving, this probably isn’t the trip for you. A lot of people I know have just done Reykjavik and have had a blast. There are plenty of quick day trips in and around the city, and you can got on a bus to take you, or drive yourself. However, I personally enjoy the freedom that comes with having a rental car, and honestly Iceland is super safe to drive around in that you should feel comfortable doing so. There’s so much to see outside of Reykjavik and it’s so easy to do!

This honestly was the most gorgeous drive I’ve ever been on. Despite driving for 3-5 hours each day in a van, it never felt like it and no one ever once said “are we there yet”. Every time you looked out the window you’d be amazed. Whether it was a beautiful mountain, a breath-taking glacier, the blue ocean, a volcanic ash/rock field or even farmland, it was incredible. There are so many waterfalls, so many hot springs, so many scenic pull-offs, so many hikes that each day was uniquely amazing. Having a rental allows you to go at your own pace, see what you want to see, and make your own trip.  

What to see

Please refer to the more comprehensive guides or this one that I used to plan my trip, but I did want to give you a quick snapshot of the highlights. 

Although it’s a circle and you can go whichever way you like, we went counter-clockwise and I’d recommend it. If you went clockwise, there’s not as much to see right at first, and so it’s nice to quickly start seeing sites by heading south/east. 

As mentioned, each day will consist of seeing 1-3 main sites, with the option of course to pull off the road and see/do more. About an hour outside Reykjavik is the “Golden Circle”, which consists a national park, Thingveiller, a geyser called Geysir, and a waterfall called Gullfoss. These are quite touristy sites, but for a good reason. They’re each about a 30 min – 1 hr drive apart from each other, and you’ll spend anywhere from 30 min – 2 hours at each site, depending on how long you want to hike/see. 

Further south they’ve got the Skogafoss waterfall and the black sand beach of Reynisfjara. Stop at both and spend plenty of time there.

Further along you’ll want to hit Skaftafell National Park, which is known for it’s glaciers. There are many hikes you can do, ranging from about 45 minutes to several hours. About 20 mins east you’ll 100% want to stop and see Glacier Lagoon, where smaller icebergs float in the lake. There’s a boat tour you can take, which we skipped due to time constraints. 

Stop in Hofn and get some fresh seafood. 

From there you’ll keep driving around and up the coast and you’ll hit Egilsstaoir. Restock on supplies here if needed.

Keep moving and you’ll hit Dettifoss, the largest waterfall by volume in Europe. There are two roads off of the Ring Road to get to it, 862 an 864. Take 862; better paved road and better views. 

Spend some time around Lake Myvatan, lots of quick hit easy hikes and things to see. 

Enjoy an extended pit stop in Akureryi. Go whale watching or on a boat ride, or if you’re lucky (like we were), see a soccer game. The local club, Klub Akureryi hasn’t won the championship since 1988 but they keep believing they one day will again! 

The northwest has more waterfalls and some great Fjords you can see. The northwest part of the country has a large Fjord that’ll take 5 hours to drive if you’re so inclined.

Spend a day or two in Reyjkavik. Take a walking tour. See the museums. Eat a hot dog. There are a few camp grounds in the city, so don’t feel the need to return your car. 

What’s the van like & what to pack

Depending on the rental option of your choice (car, camper van, RV), your experience may be very different, but I’ll discuss the camper van that we took. We got a Renault Master, which seated 5 and slept 4. We are 4 dudes of average size, and had no problem sitting/sleeping. There are 2 seats up front and 3 in the back (bench seat). The bench seat folds down and the storage panel on top breaks out into a bed above it. It’s a little smaller than a queen. Our rental had sheets/blankets, bu we just brought sleeping bags. The van has a mini fridge that can either be a fridge or a freezer, depending on what you set the temperature to. There’s a small sink connected to a water container that you can refill at campsites. The van came stocked with kitchen utensils (bowls, cups, knives, forks, spoons, plates). It also had a camp stove with extra canisters. For 40 Euro, we purchases a wifi package. There were also USB plugs and a converter for plug-ins if you need it. 3 of us brought camp chairs (recommended), or you can rent them. We also rented a small table which helped with cooking at campsites. Literally this van was AWESOME.

Pack your normal glamping (car camping) type supplies; sleeping bag, headlamp etc. I didn’t personally bring a sleeping pad, the bench bed was comfy enough. Although there are curtains, bring a nightshade and ear plugs if your roommates snore. Bring your phone chargers to use with the USB charger. Pack lots of layers for clothing; the weather is a bit unpredictable, and definitely colder than wherever you are coming from. Definitely bring a rain jacket. 

We brought some food, and bought some food at grocery stores. To help save money (Iceland is not cheap), we ate in a few meals. If you’re planning to drink, purchase duty free at the airport when you land. 

If you’re like us, you’ll end up showering at the pool/spa each day. They have towels for rent (about $5), or you can bring your own. They do have soap/shampoo for you to use. Bring shower shoes if you’d like, but most people I saw didn’t have them on. 

How to do it 

Iceland is not a cheap country, but renting a van for a week or more can be a more affordable way to stay. We ended up eating out about every other night to help save money. Most restaurants will be at least $20+ (without drinks) for dinner and $10-$15 for lunch. We utilized our camp stove and ate REI type camping meals a few nights. Definitely shop at grocery stores, there’s a store called Bonus near the airport, which allegedly is the cheapest on the island. Take advantage of the storage space/fridge in the van, but don’t buy so much you end up wasting it. In the summer months, the sun won’t set until 9:30+pm, it set around 9:45pm for us and rose I suppose around 6am (thankfully curtains and a nightshade let me sleep in). Don’t steer too far off the Ring Road as you may quickly get into some 4×4 zones (and potentially get hit with a rental car fine), but don’t be afraid to make your own itinerary and see what you want to see! 

Where to rent

Most rental agencies will be near the airport, and they should offer a shuttle pickup. The international airport is about 45 mins – 1 hour away fro Rejykavik and will cost $120 for a cab ride. There are some buses you can buy a ticket on, but that’ll still be $25. For 4 dudes, we ended up taking a cab. There are plenty of rental agencies out there you can Google, but we rented from Happy Campers. They had a 30% off sale randomly on the van we needed, and were the cheapest. The entire experience was amazing, and I would highly recommend them. They picked us up from the airport, gave us a great orientation to the van, the van was fully equipped with everything we needed, they had a section in the office of free food/supplies, leftover from previous renters. Online service was great, I emailed once or twice. They have very affordable extras if you need to rent (i.e. camp chair, table, power converter etc). We ended up spending about $250 on diesel for the 6 days we rented the vehicle. 

If possible, avoid what we did by returning the van a day early and staying in an AirBnb in Rejkjavik. We easily could have kept the van and avoided an extra $120 cab ride to get us back to the city. There were a few campsites in the city that we could have camped in.

Summary

Land Yachting in Iceland is an incredible way to see the country. It gives you great freedom to explore on your own, and is very easy and safe to do so. It’s also a bit more affordable than staying in a hotel/AirBnb which is always nice! You could easily do the trip in a camper van with just your significant other, or with your buddies/friends, or as a family! Iceland itself is a beautiful country with friendly people. Lots to do and see! If you’re looking to spend more than 4 days in Iceland, I’d highly recommend spending your time in a camper van!