{"id":2619,"date":"2021-02-11T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-02-11T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rent.is\/camperstories\/our-icelandic-camper-adventure\/"},"modified":"2026-05-19T06:37:51","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T06:37:51","slug":"our-icelandic-camper-adventure","status":"publish","type":"camperstories","link":"https:\/\/www.rent.is\/de\/camperstories\/our-icelandic-camper-adventure\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Icelandic Camper Adventure"},"content":{"rendered":"

Our holiday to Iceland didn\u2019t really start as you\u2019d expect. Me and my best friend Callum originally wanted to go to Mongolia but in the end decided we were not ready for the amount of planning it required just yet. At the same time we were both seeing pictures of Iceland appearing over social media and thought \u201cWOW! How about we go there instead?\u201d So we set off and got flights and then looked online at all different <\/span>camper van rental<\/span><\/a> si<\/span>tes. Rent.is seemed to offer the best deal so we went for that. We were unsure whether to go for the smaller 2 person van or the 3 person one but at the end of the holiday we were very glad to have chosen the 3 person van, so I\u2019d recommend that if you\u2019re staying for 10 days or more!<\/p>\n

Day 1 – Around Reykjavik<\/span><\/h2>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\"Visiting<\/a>Once we got our keys, we were extremely excited to start our adventure, so we set off to our first destination: Viking World. It was really interesting to get a bit of background historical knowledge before seeing the island and I definitely had too much fun trying to mask my Mediterranean origins behind a Viking outfit! Seeing a life-size longboat and standing in it was also an amazing experience for both of us, having also watched the Vikings TV series! Once we left Viking world we went to see the bridge between continents.<\/div>\n
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At this point it had started snowing and the wind was also so strong we were really struggling to walk against it down underneath the bridge, so we decided to take some quick pictures and move on before our faces froze! We then headed towards the Blue Lagoon just to see it. We thought it was a bit of a tourist trap so we decided not to bathe in it and I personally think that was a very good decision! I guess it depends on what you\u2019re looking for. If you want to bathe in the Blue Lagoon because \u201cIT\u2019S THE BLUE LAGOON!!!\u201d then go for it, but if you\u2019re just looking for a hot spring bathing experience, check out other free\/less expensive bathing spots or swimming pools<\/span><\/a> around the country\u2026more on that later in the blog!!!<\/div>\n
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\"Snowman<\/a>Anyway, after seeing a snowy Blue Lagoon we headed back up towards Reykjavik alongside the Kleifarvatn lake. We decided to stop here for a bit since the view was fantastic, the weather had somehow become sunny, and there was lots of snow! We then realised we hadn\u2019t seen this much snow in the UK for a few years, so we just HAD to make a snowman! After embracing the cold it was time for some warmth, so we headed to the Selt\u00fan geothermal area and after that went up to Rekjavik.<\/p>\n

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We recommend parking in the Hallgr\u00edmskirkja car park, since it\u2019s free and you have a nice view of the church! We decided to stay there for the night and this was where we first tested how it was sleeping in the van. First off the sleeping bags were incredibly warm and did an excellent job, so we felt like we could comfortably sleep with the heating off. The bed itself was very comfortable too and we both had a very good sleep!<\/div>\n
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Day 2 – The Golden Circle<\/span><\/h2>\n
\"Hallgr\u00edmskirkja<\/a><\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0We woke up extremely excited, as this was the day we would snorkel in Silfra! But I\u2019m getting ahead of myself\u2026the day actually started with us seeing the inside of Hallgr\u00edmskirkja. We then went to Caf\u00e9 Loki just opposite for a hot chocolate and to try out the famous dried fish with butter, which was delicious! We then headed straight for Silfra, stopping to take the occasional photo of the fantastic scenery. We had some time to spare, so we made the small hike to \u00d6xar\u00e1rfoss. It is definitely worth seeing as the picture below shows! Time to now go and see what the water is hiding underneath! (no pun intended)<\/div>\n
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As we were getting our dry-suits on we were warned about how cold it would be in the water and I was terrified of losing my GoPro, but I was offered some excellent advice on how not to lose it! (There\u2019s apparently 3 GoPros down there\u2026) \u00a0On submerging my head in the water I was in a different world. The visibility was amazing and I was able to see all the way down through the crack in the rock! It feels as if you\u2019re magically floating on the top of a cliff face. I wanted to go under the water so I asked the guide and he was kind enough to empty some air out of the dry-suit so that I could dive a bit more easily, but it was still very difficult. If you want to do some free-diving, maybe ask if you can use some scuba diving weights before going into the water.<\/div>\n
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\"\u00d6xar\u00e1foss<\/a>Once we got out we decided we wanted to try out a hot spring<\/span><\/a>, so we headed towards the Hverager\u00f0i Hot Spring River trail. On the way there we stopped to see the Keri\u00f0 crater, which offered wonderful sights. After almost losing one of my boots in a wet sloppy muddy area we finished the hike and arrived at the thermal area. The wind was strong and by the time we were ready to go in the water we couldn\u2019t feel our toes! It really was worth it though.<\/div>\n
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Bathing in some warm water with freezing cold surroundings and the amazing view of sunset in the mountains made this an unforgettable experience! We also decided to then do some Finnish style rolling in the snow\u2026not a pleasant experience but returning to the warmth after was!!! Getting out and changed again was a very painful process and it took all the way until we reached our next location: the Raufarh\u00f3lshellir lava tube, for my feet to warm up properly again.<\/div>\n
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\"Sunset<\/a>We had seen online that the lava tube was open to anyone if you had your own torch, so we decided to check the area out. On arrival we saw a notice saying that there was now access only via tour guides. Disappointed, we had a look from the outside and went to see the entrance. It was barred by a large wooden barrier with a padlock. On closer inspection, we noticed that the hinge had been removed by someone, making the cave accessible.<\/div>\n
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The temptation was too great so we decided to take a peek inside. The footing was very icy and treacherous but what we saw was amazing. Ice had formed beautiful small statues on the rocks and on the sides of the wall the remnants of old lava can clearly be seen! Happy with what we saw, we went back out, cooked a nice fish soup and went to bed ready for day 3!<\/div>\n
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\"Raufarh\u00f3lshellir\"<\/a>\u00a0\"Raufarh\u00f3lshellir<\/a><\/div>\n

Day 3 – The Golden Circle<\/span><\/h2>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0This was a very explosive day, as we started by going to see some geysers! We first saw Geysir, and we would advise you to read signs properly! We though this one was meant to erupt every 10 minutes but it actually only erupts after earthquakes! Did we stand around for a good 30 minutes staring at it? Yes of course we did! We then moved on to the one that does erupt every 8-10 minutes! Now that was an amazing spectacle! We decided to wait until it erupted a second time but the first one was the tallest. Speaking of tall, up next is Gullfoss!!!<\/div>\n
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\"Camper<\/a>Nature never ceases to amaze in this country, and seeing this waterfall was no different. I was told I would get bored of waterfalls<\/span><\/a> by the end of the trip, but honestly they were all unique in their own way and the noise they make always makes me feel small and in awe of nature. Wanting to see yet more waterfalls, we headed to St\u00f6ng farm to then hike up to Gj\u00e1in.<\/div>\n
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Unfortunately we could not find any path. We were not sure if it was because of all the snow but there were no markers or sign. The farm was also closed outside of the summer months so we could not see that either. We sadly left and headed towards Hella to stay there for the night. We have one word of advice for future travelers. If you are doing the same route as us, maps will tell you to keep going round and back down via route 26. It is actually faster going back the way you came, as route 26 is a very badly kept gravel road, so it takes much longer going back towards the coast on this road!<\/div>\n

Day 4 – Waterfalls<\/span><\/h2>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Having camped next to Keldur farm, that was the first thing we went to see. Unfortunately, this was also closed at this time of year so we could only walk around the outside. After this we went to see\u2026can you guess? Another waterfall! This one was called Seljalandsfoss. This was one of the coolest waterfalls to see, since there was a path taking you behind it too! However, make sure you wear waterproofs, as the walk gets you completely soaked. We decided that we weren\u2019t wet enough, so we decided to go to another hot spring.<\/div>\n
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We went for the scenic pool at Seljavellir. This hot spring was in the form of a 25m pool, so there was plenty of room to swim around in. It was especially nice sitting right next to the pipe where the hot water came from and enjoying the surrounding view. There was still a lot we had planned for this day and so we reluctantly got out and continued our journey to Sk\u00f3gafoss. This was another big one, but not as impressive as Gullfoss or Seljalandsfoss in my opinion. To change scenery, we moved closer to the coast to the flat, black and desert landscape to go and see a plane wreck we had seen in the guidebook we had. It said that the only way to find it was via a local guide or knowing the exact GPS coordinates, so we weren\u2019t expecting the big car park with a very well-marked path leading all the way to the wreck! It was nice to see, but we were a bit disappointed at how crowded it was, since we were expecting to be one of the few people to know about it.<\/div>\n
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\"D\u00fdrh\u00f3laey<\/a>\u00a0\"The<\/a>\u00a0\"Waves<\/a><\/div>\n
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The walk back was also very long, but we were excited to see the arch and black sand beach<\/span><\/a> at D\u00fdrh\u00f3laey!!! This place was absolutely stunning! The lava looked like it was sculpted by someone, and the massive black beach was jaw dropping. We took a lot of great pictures, and I couldn\u2019t resist climbing the basalt columns! We liked that place so much we decided to camp nearby next to a cave said to have been used by Vikings in local gatherings.<\/div>\n
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\"Climbing<\/a>\u00a0\"Svartifoss<\/a><\/div>\n

Day 5 – J\u00f6kuls\u00e1rl\u00f3n<\/span><\/h2>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0This is another day we were mega excited about! We would both be seeing icebergs and glaciers for the very first time in our lives. Not before Callum dropped his camera lens in the van! We rummaged around the van for a long time but it was as if an invisible vacuum cleaner had sucked it up! Not to worry, it will appear again on a later date, but for now at least he had a spare. On the way to the glacier lagoon we briefly stopped to see Systrafoss and Foss \u00e1 Si\u00f0u, along with the basalt \u201cchurch floor\u201d.<\/div>\n
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\"Diamond<\/a><\/div>\n
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After all the basalt columns we had seen, this was still very beautiful and surprising! On reaching the Glacier lagoons (there is a smaller one before the big, famous one), there were very low clouds but since we were planning to camp there we waited for the clouds to clear and the amazing view behind the lagoon opened up to reveal the true beauty of the place! The scenery is so jaw-dropping that the background looked like it must be CGI!!! We walked around and admired the view for a long time before retiring to the van for the night to await the next day.<\/div>\n

Day 6 – Glacier hiking<\/span><\/h2>\n
\"Glacier<\/a><\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0GLACIER HIKING!!! Another super exciting day. After seeing the glaciers from a distance, today we would actually be setting foot on these giant rivers of ice! We also learned that the particular glacier we walked on was also a filmset<\/span><\/a> for both Interstellar and Game of Thrones. And so we set off with the tour guides, ice axes and crampons in had, ready to explore! One does not realise the size of these things until you are actually standing on it! It\u2019s huge!!! The cracks that seemed so small from a distance are in fact the size of a small cliff side. Hidden traps lie everywhere, from cracks in the ice to deep holes carved by meltwater, ready to catch the un-prepared walker.<\/div>\n
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The two hours went by very quickly, but we were left incredibly satisfied with our experience. We originally wanted to do the ice climbing tour, but it was fully booked 3 days before, so make sure to book far in advance! After the Glacier, it was time to continue heading East.<\/div>\n
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\"The<\/a>We drove past the lagoons again and headed towards H\u00f6fn. Before stopping there we checked out the Hoffell hot tubs. This is pretty much the only place you\u2019ll need cash in Iceland, as it costs 500 kr\u00f3nur and there\u2019s only a small box to put the cash in. Here there are 5 tubs to choose from. 4 of the tubs are in the low 20s (Celcius) so they are warm but not hot. The tub we stayed in the entire time we were there was the only hot one at just over 40 degrees. This was the first thermal area we had stayed in Iceland that had a temperature this hot, and it felt amazing!!! We would definitly recommend coming here. We then read that H\u00f6fn was famous for its langoustines, so we went to a Drive thru place on the harbour recommended by the guidebook to get some langoustine sandwiches. We envied locals there as they were delicious!!! We drove a bit further east and stopped in between H\u00f6fn and Dj\u00fapivogur for the night.<\/div>\n

Day 7 – East Iceland<\/span><\/h2>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0The first thing we did on setting off was stopping at Dj\u00fapavogsk\u00f6rin. This is a hot tub that is not sign posted at all. Once you type in the place on google maps, we found it by turning into a dirt road roughly next to the GPS coordinate. We then walked around to find it. The GoPro video has a quick clip of how to find it. This was the best hot tub so far. It was well sized, the view was amazing, and it was at a hot 44 degrees.<\/div>\n
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\"Driving<\/a>We relaxed there for the first part of the morning before driving up the Eastern fjords towards Egilssta\u00f0ir. We then drove around Lagarflj\u00f3t and stopped on the South western side to see Hengifoss. This waterfall stood out as it flowed over more of the hexagonal basalt columns! We then decided we wanted to drive over a fjord and so drove over the mountain pass from Egilssta\u00f0ir to Sey\u00f0isfj\u00f6r\u00f0ur.<\/div>\n
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The town was very pretty and it felt quite claustrophobic to be surrounded by high mountains on 3 sides and the sea on the fourth! Now I know why all the locals have 4x4s! We then drove back across and headed West across snowy landscapes towards lake M\u00fdvatn. The arctic surroundings were so beautiful we decided to camp here for the night, at junction between route 1 and 85. There was even a stream from which we topped up all our water from. This water stayed cold for the rest of the trip!<\/div>\n
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