Iceland Ring Road Itinerary: My Real 14-Day Campervan Route

I drove Iceland’s Ring Road solo in a campervan — the full loop, plus Snæfellsnes and a detour into the Westfjords. This is the exact 14-day itinerary I’d hand to a friend: where each day starts and ends, roughly how much driving to expect, and where the honest trade-offs are.

One thing upfront: I planned this route clockwise, but I actually flipped direction mid-planning because the weather forecast looked better in the south for my first days. That flexibility is the single most useful thing you can build into an Iceland itinerary. The route below works in both directions — just mirror it.

The route at a glance

Reykjavík → Snæfellsnes → Westfjords → North Coast → Mývatn → Eastfjords → South Coast → Golden Circle → Reykjavík. The Ring Road itself is only about 1,300 km — but with Snæfellsnes, the Westfjords and the inevitable detours, expect closer to 2,500 km in total. It’s a packed schedule — I finished it in 13 days including a guided Highland tour — so if you travel with kids or prefer a slower pace, add a day or two or skip the Westfjords.

Day 1: Arrival & Reykjavík

Land at Keflavík, pick up the campervan, and hit a supermarket on the way into the city (Bónus and Krónan are the cheapest). Park near Hallgrímskirkja and explore the capital on foot — half a day is enough. Use the evening to get comfortable with the van.

Day 2: Snæfellsnes Peninsula

The “Iceland in Miniature” day: black-sand beaches, Kirkjufell, lava fields and a glacier-capped volcano in one loop. It’s a long day — around 500 km if you take the scenic Hvalfjörður route instead of the tunnel — but I found one full day is genuinely enough. I’ve written a separate post on whether Snæfellsnes needs 1 or 2 days.

Day 3: Into the Westfjords

The longest driving day of the trip: about 530 km and 7+ hours behind the wheel, rewarded with Dynjandi waterfall and the quietest coastal scenery in Iceland. I stopped at the Hellulaug natural hot spring and had it completely to myself. If 14 days feels tight, this is the day to cut.

Day 4: North Coast & Akureyri

Back to the Ring Road and north past Hvítserkur, the troll-shaped sea stack on the Vatnsnes Peninsula. Stroll through Akureyri, then catch Goðafoss in the evening light. Around 450 km — start early.

Day 5: Húsavík & Ásbyrgi

A short driving day (85 km) built around whale watching in Húsavík, the whale capital of Iceland. Book your tour at least a day ahead. In the afternoon, hike the horseshoe-shaped Ásbyrgi Canyon and camp inside Vatnajökull National Park.

Day 6: Diamond Circle to Mývatn

Dettifoss — Europe’s most powerful waterfall — then the boiling mud pots at Hverir. End the day soaking at the old Mývatn Nature Baths — calmer and better value than the Blue Lagoon when I was there. They reopened as Earth Lagoon after a full rebuild in July 2026. Only about 120 km of driving today.

Day 7: Mývatn & the drive east

Morning for the lava formations and crater hikes around Lake Mývatn, then a 4-hour drive east to camp near Stuðlagil Canyon. Sleeping close by is the whole point — see Day 8.

Day 8: Stuðlagil sunrise & the Eastfjords

Start very early at Stuðlagil to see the basalt columns before the crowds — and go to the east side, not the west viewing platform. Then the second-longest driving day (around 430 km) through the Eastfjords, which turned out to be the most underrated stretch of my whole trip. Finish at Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Beach in the evening.

Day 9: Skaftafell & glacier hiking

A guided glacier hike on Falljökull (3–4 hours) plus the basalt-framed Svartifoss waterfall. I ended the day near Kirkjubæjarklaustur with the best lamb I ate in Iceland — reservation essential, details in the guide.

Day 10: Canyons & black sand

The densest sightseeing day: Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon, the mossy Eldhraun lava field, Reynisfjara black sand beach and Dyrhólaey. Then two waterfalls: Skógafoss — and Kvernufoss right next door, which many people skip because of its famous neighbour — and which you can walk behind. Camping directly at Skógafoss lets you see it crowd-free at sunrise.

Day 11: South Coast to the Golden Circle

Seljalandsfoss and its hidden neighbour Gljúfrabúi in the morning, then the classic Golden Circle: Kerið Crater, Geysir and Gullfoss. Yes, it’s the most touristy day of the trip — I’ve written an honest Golden Circle guide on how to time it. Camp at Þingvellir National Park.

Day 12: Þingvellir & geothermal recovery

Walk the rift valley where the tectonic plates meet and where Iceland’s parliament was founded over 1,000 years ago. The afternoon is deliberately light — after 11 days on the road, you’ll want it.

Day 13: Buffer day or Highland tour

Iceland’s weather will disrupt at least one of your days — this buffer absorbs it. If everything went smoothly, take a guided 4×4 Highland tour to Landmannalaugar instead. It was one of the best days of my entire trip.

Day 14: Grindavík & departure

Depending on your flight, hike the fresh lava fields around Grindavík or finish with a soak at Sky Lagoon before returning the van at Keflavík.

Is 14 days enough?

Yes — but only just, and only if you accept some long driving days (Days 3, 4 and 8 are seven hours or more behind the wheel). What made the difference for me wasn’t the route itself, it was knowing in advance which campsite to aim for each night, where to eat along the way, and which stops to skip when the weather turns. That’s exactly what I put into my full guide.

Want the complete plan? My 14-day Iceland Ring Road Campervan Guide includes every campsite I stayed at (rated 1–5), restaurant picks, driving times and Google Maps links for every single stop, packing list, and budget breakdown — everything from this trip in one PDF. Get it on Etsy →