Tag: Iceland stopover

The land of fire and ice! For being a relatively small country in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, Iceland has an impressive array of sights to behold. From fjords to volcanos to waterfalls to beaches and all the glaciers in between, the topographic variety here is truly astounding. This is quite the dream vacation locale for anyone that thrives on outdoor exploration adventures. Four days in Iceland will give you a taste of the grandiose and fantastic landscapes this beautiful country is known for.

IcelandAir allows travelers to add a 1-7 day stopover in Iceland to their trip, without any additional fees. This is an amazing opportunity to explore two places for the cost of one… at least regarding airfare. So much to see and so little time… or rather so little PTO (is there ever enough?!) While a stop-over of any length is going to be an amazing experience, we’d suggest trying to squeeze in a four day stay. This is enough time to allow you a robust snapshot of the country and a little buffer for your arrival/departure, while still leaving you time to explore your final destination.

Where To Go? 

Perhaps it’s a bit of a hot take, but if you only have four days in Iceland, we recommend skipping Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital and biggest city, in favor of more time exploring the raw, natural beauty of Iceland. While there’s awesome culture, food, and sights in the city, what makes Iceland truly unique is outside the city limits. 

If you’re looking into traveling to Iceland, you’re bound to read about the Ring Road eventually. While four days is plenty of time to capture a glimpse of Iceland’s charm, it’s a bit tight to try and traverse Ring Road in its entirety. As such, we’ve outlined four amazing days out exploring the south and southeast pockets of the country. This part of Iceland has such a dense accumulation of amazing sights. The perfect way to maximize your time!

How To Get There

We just returned from Iceland (check out our ten day Ring Road itinerary here) and, we’re already excited to go back! While I love tent camping and the occasional backpacking trip, I can’t say I’m quite as outdoorsy as my raised-in-the-wilderness-of-Oregon husband (he’s actually from Portland, but spent an above-average amount of time wilderness adventuring). As such, I was a little nervous about committing to van life, but it was all for nothing!! The vans are intuitively designed, the bed was surprisingly comfy, the toilets and showers in the campgrounds were beyond satisfactory, and we ate such yummy meals!

What’s better than exploring, getting a little lost, savoring the hot springs, hiking it out, and and just plain gasping at all the scenic drives??? If you’re one the fence about committing, JUST DO IT!!

Renting a Van

Where to even begin? Ecotourism has exploded in Iceland and with it so has the converted campervan industry. How do you know which one to choose? Who includes all of the things you want and need? Is an airport shuttle included? How much space do you need?

The why

Before we even get into the nitty gritty, why rent a van in Iceland? Why not just drive around and get hotel rooms? So many reasons! First and foremost, Iceland is big spendy. Even a ~budget~ trip can get expensive quickly! Renting a car plus getting hotel rooms is almost certainly going to add up to more than the cost of the rental van. An added money-saving bonus is that meals out add up quickly too, so having your own kitchen allows you the opportunity to make food instead of eating out for every meal. You don’t want to blow your whole budget on the stopover!

The second reason would be the flexibility. Before we left, I spent hours and hours scouring blogs, reading Iceland travel books, checking Instagram accounts, etc. trying to craft the perfect itinerary… and we still shot from the hip and changed plans the day of more than once to do something different. When you’re just driving to a campground, it’s nice to be able to have that ability to change your mind.

Anyone that’s done much camping will already know where I’m headed with reason number three here… the VIEWS! While it’s not quite the same as backpacking to a remote alpine lake, there’s a handful of the campsites that are so amazing, and you just wouldn’t get the same view with a hotel. Our favorite campsite was actually in a location that just had camping options— 45 min from the closest hotel, so in order to truly enjoy this place you had to be all in.

The who

We spent extensive time comparing different van rental companies, and as such I feel pretty confident recommending Happy Campers! Not only was everything in the van exactly as advertised, but the customer service was excellent.

The other things that swung us to Happy Camper were a collection of smaller perks… all the overnight bedding was included as were the gas cooking canisters. Our rental included our pick up and return to the airport as well as a wifi transponder and GPS for use throughout the entirety of the trip! We were sooooo pleased with our experience.

the What

You may be thinking how big of a van do I need? Is four wheel drive (4WD) necessary? The very frustrating answer is… it depends! If you’re visiting in the summer months, you can traverse the ring road, and more specifically everything on this itinerary, in a 2WD vehicle without any issue. Some people really prefer to pull away from the crowds and would rather sacrifice more popular stops for some F-road exploration. F-roads are roads in Iceland that you MUST have a 4WD to explore due to the road conditions you may encounter. One could also argue that during a 4 day trip, there’s enough to see accessible via 2WD vehicle that a 4WD van isn’t reaaaally necessary.

Now, visiting in the winter is a whole other dealio. We drove on roads in Iceland that had us thinking… if this isn’t an F-road, what do the F-roads look like?!?! Now, if we were encounter some of those same roads in the middle of winter with ice and snow on the road, I would definitely want a vehicle with 4WD. Even friends that visited a couple months ahead of us in May woke up to snow one day and were glad they had a car with a little extra oomph!

go big or go home

Now to the important question… which van size are you going to go for? While there’s loads of different companies, they all more or less offer different spins on the same vans. We opted for Happy Camper’s Happy 2 – 3 Pax rendition of a Renault Trafic van. Having never lived the #VanLife before, I was worried about feeling crammed in one of the smaller WV Caddy, Renault Kangoo, or Dacia Dokker sized-vans.

I wanted us to have enough space that we could enjoy ourselves during our trip and I wasn’t constantly needing to re-arrange things. I also didn’t want to feel like Salvador and I were too on top of one another. Nothing ruins a vacation adventure like getting sick of each other halfway through… but it would potentially be easier to just make it work for a couple days as opposed to if you were van-living for a week or more. 

I’ll be honest, I casually scoped out the smaller vans, and I’m very glad we decided to punch up to the bigger version. While we certainly could have made it work, I think it was a bit more enjoyable experience for both of us to have the extra space. PLUS Salvador was 2 weeks out from an ankle surgery, and I don’t always have the best body awareness, so the extra room helped us avoid any nefarious ~whoopsie daisy~ situations.

There are bigger vans you can rent as well, but I subjectively think it’s a bit more space than you need– especially if you’re just visiting for a few days. That being said, everyone’s space vs cost desire is different!

Fast & Furious

Be aware of your surroundings as you’re driving. This is always true, but in Iceland there are cameras set up to catching speeding travelers. These speeding tickets are so easy to avoid because all of the speed check cameras have a sign posted about a quarter mile ahead that warns you of the upcoming situation. Most of the cameras are in the south part of the island as you approach/depart Reykjavik. Up in the north, near Akureyri, you’ll find an uptick as well. Nothing to stress about, but good to be aware of— no one wants to find out they got a ticket 1 month later.

Cash Out

Unlike many other European countries, you can really get through a whole trip to Iceland without needing any cash. Some of the shower machines at campsites requires 100 ISK coins; however, the campsites will almost always just charge you evenly for these coins when you pay for your nights stay. Gas stations can be a little finicky and might make you pay with a debit card (pin required), but there’s no real need to hit up an ATM or exchange for cash before you leave.

Fast & Furious

Be aware of your surroundings as you’re driving. This is always true, but in Iceland there are cameras set up to catching speeding travelers. These speeding tickets are so easy to avoid because all of the speed check cameras have a sign posted about a quarter mile ahead that warns you of the upcoming situation. Most of the cameras are in the south part of the island as you approach/depart Reykjavik. Up in the north, near Akureyri, you’ll find an uptick as well. Nothing to stress about, but good to be aware of— no one wants to find out they got a ticket 1 month later.

DAY ONE 

First and foremost, gotta pick up the van…or rental car! This might take a little longer than you expect, so be sure to leave yourself some wiggle room. Today will be about six hours of drive time, but it’s such a beautiful drive, the time really does fly by. 

When you’re arriving from the United States, many of the flights seem to be evening flights, which typically means a morning arrival in Iceland. Pack a comfy neck pillow, your best eye mask, and some ear plugs for good measure, to help ensure you catch a couple winks of sleep on the flight. While this can sometimes be a kick-in-the-pants way to start the day, it makes for an awesome way to maximize your arrival day. 

If you do decide to rent a campervan, perhaps the most convenient perk is that your bed and your car are one in the same. This means that if you’re tired and need a one hour power nap, you can pull over into a parking lot and pass out for a bit (this is do-able in a sleepy-girl-pinch, but overnight camping should always be done in a campground).

Once your sleep tank is full, stop by the grocery store to stock up on a couple days worth of snacks. 

Drive time: 6 hours 

Diamond Beach 

It’s a bit of long haul out here, but you’ll be allll about the stops as you weave your way back. This beach earns its sparkling name from the small chunks of glacier ice that wash up on the shore… sorry, no gem hunting here! Not only is it rather different to see an icy beach, but the mountainous backdrop is unforgettably beautiful as well.

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon

The Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon is actually just on the opposite side of the road as Diamond Beach. You can keep your car parked where it is and just wander under the bridge. The lagoon is chock-a-block full of icebergs from the Breiðamerkurjökull Glacier. The ever-changing collection of icebergs is like a mural come to life with the poignant shades of blue and the dark ribbons of ash, serving as a reminder of past eruptions.

I mean, if you’re looking for a fun place to take a photo for your pregnancy announcement, this certainly isn’t a bad spot! 🙂

Fjallsárlón Glacier Lagoon

Yet another amazing stop that a photo just can’t do justice to. It’s wild to think you can see this massive glacier from Ring Road and can take a short hike to witness it up close and personal. Or at least pretty close. The glacier slopes down to meet the lagoon, so you can wander to the edge of the lagoon and take in the magnificence of the dynamic duo.

Vatnajökull National Park — Skaftafell Nature Reserve 

Not only is this a beautiful pocket of the national park to explore, but it’s also where we recommend camping for the night. The perk of rolling into your campsite a bit earlier in the day means you can hopefully snag a top notch spot. Once you’re all situated, you can set out on a hike or two. The Svartifoss Waterfall trail (2 miles) and Skaftafellsjökull Glacier trail (3 miles) are two awesome hikes to sample the area. 

Outside of the hiking exploration, the campsite itself was one of our favorites. Your camping fee for the night includes toilets, plenty of sinks for cleaning dishes, hot showers (with lots of stalls for showering!!), AND a washer and dryer.

This may not seem like a huge deal, but it’s über convenient. Many of the campgrounds we visited either had no washer/dryer *or* just a washer, no dryer— almost always for a fee. You’re unlikely to have any laundry to do if you’re stopping in Iceland on your way TO your final destination; however, if you’re on your way home, it might be nice to wash a few things while dinner cooks! 

You just can’t beat supper with a view!!!

DAY TWO 

The best part about a four day trip is that every day is going to be shockingly amazing. Today might just bring you the most astounding collection of views. From a jaw-dropping canyon to a puffin-filled beach to the BEST campsite you’ll ever visit, day two is almost guaranteed to be unforgettable. 

Drive time: about 3 hours

Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon

This picturesque canyon isn’t far off of Ring Road, but it’s worth the stop! From the parking lot, there’s a ~2 mile out and back trail that provides a few different opportunities to peer into the canyon, and you’ll want to take all the glimpses you can get! The Fjaðrá River winds its way through the steep canyon, with a couple of striking waterfalls making an appearance as well. We happened to pass through on a rather drizzly day, and it was still so amazing!!

A little pop culture fun fact for all the ‘Beliebers’ out there, Justin Bieber filmed his “I’ll Show You” music video here.

Reynisfjara Beach

This is another groovy black sand beach but the sand isn’t necessarily what draws in visitors. The tall basalt columns that line the shore make this beachy keen spot rather iconic. As a bonus, you might be able to see some wild puffins here! When we visited, there were dozens of puffins hanging out on the top of the rocks along the beach.

Dyrholaey Arch

You can spot the Dyrholaey Arch from afar at the Reynisfjara Beach or go investigate up close and personal. If you didn’t catch a glimpse of any puffins at Reynisfjara Beach, you might find some here!

Þakgil Campground

While there’s loads of lovely campsites in Iceland, Þakgil is the best!!!!!! Imagine this: waking up to see lush green mountains divided by a sparkling stream, right outside your campervan. It is so very worth going out of your way for. Located about 45 minutes off of the ring road, it’s not the most economical for time, but you’re getting so much more than just a place to park your car for the night! 

Does it seem like today’s itinerary is a little light? That’s because Þakgil isn’t just a campground— it’s also a trailhead. So be sure to arrive with time to hike it out! There’s an amazing 9-10 mile all-day hike the treks out to a glacier, or a more palatable 2.5 mile hike that makes for a perfect evening walk. When you look up trails for Pakgil, you’ll find people generally talking about the red, yellow, and purple trails; however, when we visited (summer 2023) , the red trail was closed and there was a fairly new blue trail available to explore.

Since Salvador was unable to go hiking and the general nature of this area is that it’s a bit more remote, I abstained from solo-Han hiking out to the glacier and decided to save that for a future Iceland adventure. You’ll quickly find out this place embodies the kind of natural beauty that’s not only worth going out of your way for but worth coming back for!! Even if you can’t do a long hike, I can confirm the blue trail afforded some amazing vistas.

But will I make it???

Reading google reviews can leave you in such a tailspin. The road to get to Pakgil is certainly laden with potholes and a couple blind hills/corners, so drivers should plan to take it slowly. That being said, it was totally totally doable to make the journey in a 2WD van. It was even a drizzly morning the day we drove in (i.e. not the most dry, perfect conditions), and we never felt unsafe!

Also, despite being rather ~out there~ this campground still had everything you might need for an evening of camping fun. Hot showers, toilets, a wash station, and even a cool covered eating area in a cave!

DAY THREE

The theme song for today is all about chasing waterfalls… with an adventurous snorkeling detour. Not only does the day start with a behemoth of a fall, but you’ll get to hike it out on a trail full of amazing waterfalls. From very popular to off-the-beaten-path, today’s the day to explore them all!

Drive time: 6 hours 

Skógafoss

There’s a handful of must-see waterfalls in Iceland, and Skógafoss is certainly one of them. Not only is it beautifully immense, but you can appreciate it up close and personal. We were super lucky and didn’t encounter much rain when we were in Iceland, but it was worth packing our rain jacket and rain pants to get close enough to feel allllll the waterfall mist.

Fimmvörðuháls hike

The Fimmvörðuháls hike is a rather long hike. It’s possible to complete in a single day if you’re feeling frisky and very prepared, but it’s also very commonly backpacked by people. Stretching a total of 16 miles and tackling over 4,000 ft of elevation, this point to point trail highlights various terrains in the Icelandic backcountry. Think endless waterfalls, desolate lava fields, dramatic glaciers, and lush vistas. If you consider yourself even a casual hiker, doing at least part of this trail is a must!

The first 4-5 miles of the Fimmvörðuháls trail is known as Waterfall Way, which makes it a perfect stretch for anyone hesitant to commit to 16 miles of terrain. We’d originally discussed tackling this hike together; however, with Salvador out for the count, I solo hiked about 2 miles out and back to get a glimpse of the glorious trail. It did not disappoint!! 

The trail is super easy to find, because it starts at Skógafoss. There’s a ~400 step ascent to the top of the waterfall, and once you’re done checking out the waterfall from a bird’s eye view, you just keep following the trail until you feel ready to turn around… or until you get to Basar! 

GullFoss

This will be the last big time waterfall on the itinerary, so take her in, in all her grandeur! It’s a short walk from the parking lot, down a flight of stairs to the prime viewing area. There’s actually enough of a path that you can wander down and see Gullfoss from a few different vantage points. You’ll want to have your rain jacket to brave the spray… and leave behind any accessories that might blow away easily. 

Geysir Geothermal

Have you ever seen a geyser before? If not, here’s your chance! The Geysir Geothermal area is actually home to a few geysers, but most of them stay pretty dormant. Strokkur is the exception, with eruptions occurring every few minutes. It’s such a wild experience to watch the ground bubble up and then turbulently erupt!

Thingvellir National Park

Onto the last Icelandic National Park: Thingvellir! This UNESCO World Heritage Site has both geographic and historical significance, earning it the prestigious designation.

The Silfra Fissure runs through Thingvellir National Park, and tour guide services, like Arctic Adventures, will suit you up and guide you through this underwater world of mystery. The water is exceptionally clear with visibility over 100 meters. The Silfra Fissure is aptly named as it is the space between Eurasian and North American tectonic plates. This makes Silfra one of the only places in the world where you can go snorkeling along a continental rift!

We had heard from friends that this is a must-do adventure; however, for us, this snorkeling trip was unfortunately a casualty of the itinerary tweaks we made after Salvador had surgery. Believe it or not, submerging a healing incision and kicking around for an hour is highly discouraged 2 weeks out from an Achilles tendon repair. We’re already excited to dive in whenever we return!

Once you’re all dried off, take those legs for a nice, easy hike to Öxarárfoss. There’s a couple different parking lots to choose from, which will affect how far you hike, but generally speaking, it’s a pretty flat hike that takes you to a lovely waterfall. Don’t be a waterfall snob after all the grandeur you’ve seen thus far! It may not be the largest or most powerful fall of the trip, but this waterfall makes for a lovely perch to take in the unique topography and geography in this region of the country. 

Bring It Back Around 

While there is a campsite in Thingvellir National Park, we actually recommend just finishing your loop and heading all the way back to Keflavik. It makes for 3 medium-to-rather-full drive days, but the upside is that your final day in Iceland will involve virtually no driving. We stayed in the Vogar Campground in Keflavik, which was only 10 minutes from our van rental company. This made everything run super smoothly on our drop-off day, so this is our personal recommendation. The most amazing thing about renting a van is that you can change your mind and switch up your plans a million times over… it’s amazing not to be tied to a hotel reservation or specific plan. 

DAY FOUR

After powering through three days of Iceland’s most amazing sights, sounds, and smells, the vibe for today is complete relaxation! Iceland is known for its a etherial hot springs, and the crowning jewel is the one and only Blue Lagoon. 

BLUE LAGOON

Visiting Blue Lagoon is an activity best planned in advance. Due to its popularity, it’s highly recommended to purchase your tickets as soon as you cement your plans. Your ticket is for a specific window of time on a given day. Days and times will sell out— especially in the summer, so look early to ensure you have top pick!

When visiting for the day, you have a couple options for your day’s experience. The pricing for each of these levels of is dynamic and can fluctuate slightly across days of the week. You’ll also find that some times of day are more expensive than others. Generally speaking ‘premium’ will be slightly more expensive than ‘comfort’, with the ‘luxury’ being a more size-able jump in price. Family activities can add up quickly, but at Blue Lagoon children 13 and under enjoy free admission. The saved pennies can go towards all the snacks little people eat!

COMFORT	PREMIUM	LUXURY
Includes: – Entrance to the Blue Lagoon – Silica mud mask – Use of a towel – 1st drink of your choice	Includes: – Entrance to the Blue Lagoon – Silica mud mask + two additional masks of your choice – Use of a towel – 1st drink of your choice – Use of bathrobe – 1 glass of sparkling wine if dining at Lava restaurant	Includes: – Five luxurious hours at the Retreat Spa – Includes a private changing suite – Unlimited access to both the Retreat Lagoon and the Blue Lagoon (and all the extra luxe amenities in the Retreat center)

Replenishing the energy stores

You really can spend all day here… some morning relaxation followed by a delicious lunch and then back into the hot springs you go. Where to eat? You won’t find a food court here, that’s for sure. There’s a cafe with both dining-in and take-away options as well as three restaurants— all serving fresh, locally sourced ingredients and unforgettable views. While the food is bound to be good wherever you end up, they do have a Michelin-starred establishment, heralded for its gourmet revelations. This is a recent accomplishment as the Moss Restaurant just received their Michelin-star in 2023! It’s easy to make a reservation online when you book your admission ticket.

Take off

At the end of the day, it’s time to pack up and head home… all the way back home! Blue Lagoon is only ~20 minutes away from the airport, so it’s beyond easy to store your bags while you’re relaxing, shower off, and then jetset off for home. It’s always amazing just how quickly ten days flies by!

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So long, farewell

Iceland is beyond magnificent with its cornucopia of astounding natural beauty. To compare it to other places we’ve been, we found Iceland to be a rather unexpected combination of Hawaii meets Alaska?? Strangely enough. But anyways, we hope you enjoy your four days in Iceland adventure, and we wish you all the most exhilarating explorations as you venture out.

If a picture’s worth a thousand words, how many is a video worth??? Here’s a short video recap of some of our favorite sights… pick Iceland, chose Iceland— you won’t regret it for a second! Happy travels!

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