{"id":3249,"date":"2021-06-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-01T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rent.is\/camperstories\/finding-solitude-in-iceland\/"},"modified":"2026-05-19T11:22:59","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T11:22:59","slug":"finding-solitude-in-iceland","status":"publish","type":"camperstories","link":"https:\/\/www.rent.is\/de\/camperstories\/finding-solitude-in-iceland\/","title":{"rendered":"Finding solitude in Iceland"},"content":{"rendered":"

Iceland had over one and a quarter million visitors<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n

in 2015, yet we were determined to find solitude\u2026<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n
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R<\/strong>umors of the rugged natural beauty and friendly Icelandic people are common. \u00a0So are rumors of the prices and the throngs of tourists cluttering up even remote destinations in the country. \u00a0My wife, Kristin, and I figured the best bet to find some solitude while still being able to explore some of the country\u2019s most beautiful places would be to visit on the brink of winter. \u00a0So we rolled the dice and gambled a bit with the weather, planning a 12 day sojourn that would take us around the entire country via the Ring Road<\/a>.<\/span><\/div>\n
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W<\/strong>e didn\u2019t want to be tied to a strict itinerary; being forced to make it to certain towns in order to check in for a reservation. \u00a0We had a loose literary marked out on our National Geographic map of the Country. That way if we found a location we really liked, we would have the flexibility to stay more than one night. We also knew we wanted to try and get off the beaten path and avoid the areas with the highest concentration of tourists. \u00a0These factors led us to decide on renting a camper van<\/a><\/span> with Rent.is. We knew this decision would allow us to sleep nearly anywhere and to get well off the path of the giant tour buses which shuttle people on an endless loop from hot spot to hot spot. \u00a0We decided on Rent.is for a few reasons, the most important of which was that the camper van has a heater that runs on an auxiliary battery. \u00a0That way, we\u2019d be able to heat the camper for a few hours each day without risking killing the main battery and ending up stranded. \u00a0The cold winter night temperatures made us thankful for this decision many times!<\/div>\n
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Read more<\/strong>: What’s included in your Camper van rental<\/a><\/div>\n
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O<\/strong>ur first night after arriving in Iceland was spent in an AirBnB in Reykjavik where we were able to explore the downtown area on foot. \u00a0The prices and the tourists, both lived up to the rumors. \u00a0The next morning, however, our shuttle arrived to take us to our camper van and our journey began. \u00a0We started off as many do, by driving a portion of the Golden Circle<\/a><\/span>. \u00a0This loop can be completed in a single day from Reykjavik in a rental car or tour bus and hit some amazing attractions. \u00a0But don\u2019t expect to be alone on this loop, regardless of what season you choose to visit. \u00a0We hit the Great Geyser and Gullfoss, both pictured below.<\/div>\n
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\"Visiting<\/a><\/div>\n
Crowds at the Great Geyser<\/em><\/div>\n
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\"Gullfoss<\/a><\/div>\n
Gullfoss Falls<\/em><\/div>\n
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I<\/strong>nstead of completing the Golden Circle which would lead us back to Reykjavik, we departed and headed towards our first night\u2019s destination which was Landmannalaugar. \u00a0Unfortunately we had discovered that roads to that park were already closed for the winter, so we found a spot to sleep with a great view of the volcano Hekla. \u00a0It was a gorgeous clear night for a great sunset and temperatures dipped to -5\u00b0 Celsius. We\u2019d brought about 70 pounds of food with us, so we got out some tasty packs of soup, heated up some water on the stove that comes with the camper van, ate dinner and went to sleep.<\/div>\n
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I<\/strong>mmediately upon waking, we headed for the Ring Road and Sk\u00f3gafoss. \u00a0With its close proximity to Reykjavik, Sk\u00f3gafoss was packed with tourists. \u00a0However, we knew there was a trail that climbed to the top of the falls and then continued several miles all the way into Landmannalaugar. \u00a0We knew we were not going to hike that far, but we put on our hiking gear and headed out. \u00a0This was one of the highlights of the trip, as the number of waterfalls on this hike quickly outnumbered the tourists who dared to venture away from the primary viewing platforms for Sk\u00f3gafoss. \u00a0Once we got a tenth of a mile up the trail, it was just us, the sheep, and the waterfalls. \u00a0And oh were there waterfalls. \u00a0In the approximately 3miles we hiked up the canyon, there were 88 waterfalls as evidenced by the posts in the ground marking each one! \u00a0It was, amazing and we had definitely accomplished finding solitude for a great portion of this hike.<\/div>\n
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\u2022 Number of people encountered in the parking lot: upwards of 100<\/strong><\/div>\n
\u2022 Number of people past 1\/10 mile on the trail: 4<\/strong><\/div>\n
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Read more<\/strong>: Waterfalls in Iceland<\/a><\/div>\n
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\"Parking<\/a><\/div>\n
Sk\u00f3gafoss parking lot crowds<\/em><\/div>\n
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\"You'll<\/a><\/div>\n
Solitude on the Sk\u00f3gafoss Trail<\/em><\/div>\n
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\"Sk\u00f3gafoss<\/a><\/div>\n
Sk\u00f3gafoss Fog and Canyon<\/em><\/div>\n
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A<\/strong>fter the Sk\u00f3gafoss hike, we spent the evening in the quiet town of Vik. \u00a0Driving along the Ring Road was a glorious experience, with postcard perfect views in virtually every direction. \u00a0Unless, the fog is so thick that you can\u2019t see more than a couple hundred feet! \u00a0That is a good way to describe our drive from Sk\u00f3gafoss to Skaftafell National Park. We took our time, stopping a few times for short hikes (including the hike to the downed American plane on the beach) and arrived at Skaftafell just in time to cook up some dinner on their covered picnic tables. \u00a0We spent the night in the parking lot, and woke up to explore Skaftafell.<\/div>\n
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S<\/strong>kaftafell was another highlight. \u00a0We picked out a hike that was a loop and looked to be about 10 miles in length. \u00a0We geared up and headed out just after daybreak, wanting to take advantage of the short days. Waterfalls, glaciers, jagged mountain peaks, mud, ptarmigan, a blizzard, and most importantly: solitude. If you journey to Iceland, no matter the month, make sure to spend some time in this park. \u00a0The constantly changing weather made for some incredible light during this hike too!<\/div>\n
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\u2022\u00a0Number of people encountered in the parking lot: dozens<\/strong><\/div>\n
\u2022\u00a0Number of people past 1\/10 mile on the trail: 3<\/strong><\/div>\n
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\"The<\/a><\/div>\n
Skaftafell Parking Lot and View of Glacier<\/em><\/div>\n
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\"A<\/a><\/div>\n
Skaftafell Viewpoint<\/em><\/div>\n
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\"The<\/a><\/div>\n
Skaftafell Sun Burst<\/em><\/div>\n
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A<\/strong>fter the hike, we boogied over to the sizable town of H\u00f6fn for the first of two nights there. \u00a0On the way, we of course had to stop at J\u00f6kuls\u00e1rl\u00f3n Lake where several icebergs adorn the emerald blue waters. \u00a0Don\u2019t forget to set your parking brake, some unfortunate tourist did and their car ended up at the bottom of the lake! \u00a0We stopped at an N1 for a notorious hot dog which they sell during all hours of the day. \u00a0It was good, but it was still just a gas station<\/a> hot dog! \u00a0We visited the community center here, making our first stop at the local Sundlaug. \u00a0This place was full of native Icelandic people, and the water was ohhh so nice! \u00a0These facilities are commonly equipped with a gym, a large swimming pool<\/a><\/span>, at least two hot tubs of varied size and temperature, and even a cold tub for some great contrast therapy!<\/div>\n
After the soaking pool, I began to have some mild stomach pain which we attributed to the gas station hot dog.<\/div>\n
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\"Signs<\/a>H<\/strong>owever, upon parking for the night and settling in the pain intensified to the point where I was writhing in pain. \u00a0My wife, an emergency room nurse, had assessed the situation and come to the conclusion that I had a kidney stone. \u00a0Using our WiFi, we found out there was a clinic in H\u00f6fn which opened at 8. \u00a0So, we struggled through the night and went into the clinic. \u00a0They agreed it was a stone, gave me some painkillers, and off we went. \u00a0We tucked ourselves into a cozy caf\u00e9 for the day, charged up all our electronics, and waited for my pain to subside. \u00a0Being in a camper van was ideal for this, as we lost an entire day but we didn\u2019t have to call ahead to change any plans. \u00a0So it was definitely not an ideal way to spend one of our limited vacation days, but the flexibility of our chosen mode of travel made the impact minimal. Plus, I got to have the most delicious meal of our trip \u2013 a $30 hamburger with bacon and cheese!<\/div>\n
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\"J\u00f6kuls\u00e1rl\u00f3n<\/a><\/div>\n
J\u00f6kuls\u00e1rl\u00f3n Lake<\/em><\/div>\n
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S<\/strong>tone passed; we wake up and head towards Reykjahl\u00ed\u00f0 where we planned to soak in the M\u00fdvatn Nature Baths. \u00a0Not 10 minutes after slipping into the pools, we were treated to a fantastic show of the Northern Lights. \u00a0The lights from the baths and the nearly full moon definitely faded the aurora, but it was none the less majestic and incredible. \u00a0It was one of the huge wish list items we had for this trip, so we left the pools very happy indeed. \u00a0We cooked up some dinner in the parking lot, as the aurora continued to transform the sky. \u00a0Finally, we departed for a quiet campsite on M\u00fdvatn Lake.<\/div>\n
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A<\/strong>kureyri was our next destination, and it was immediately clear that this was not just a small Icelandic town but a real city. \u00a0It was bustling with activity. \u00a0We decided to eat some real food here instead of our usual soup packets, and decided on a small caf\u00e9 which was quite tasty. \u00a0Then, it was off to the sundlaug\u00a0it was rumored to be one of the best in Iceland. \u00a0It did not disappoint, and we took our sweet time soaking in the warmth and cleaning ourselves up. \u00a0Without any hotel accommodations, we took full advantage of the showers in the sundlaugum<\/em> (editor’s note: Icelandic for swimming pool<\/em>)!<\/div>\n
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W<\/strong>e embarked on another long drive, with the destination of the Geitland Nature Reserve. \u00a0We wanted to get a look at the Langj\u00f6kull glacier. \u00a0This is where they run the popular Into the Glacier tours. Unfortunately the weather was not ideal and views were extremely limited. \u00a0It\u2019s also advisable to have very sturdy 4×4 vehicles to visit this site. \u00a0We got to catch a glimpse of the gigantic vehicles they use to travel on the glacier, they were monstrous pieces of machinery that made our camper van look like a sub-compact vehicle! \u00a0After this, we headed back down towards Reykjavik, with the intention of stopping at Gl\u00fdmur which is Iceland\u2019s tallest waterfall. \u00a0Poor planning again, we did not realize the hike to Gl\u00fdmur was estimated at over 2 hours. \u00a0It was cold, and we decided we just didn\u2019t have it in us to hike that far at this point in the trip. \u00a0So, we headed back into town and concluded our trip with some celebratory cocktails and dinner! We highly recommend the Brenniv\u00edn cocktails at the Scandinavian tapas restaurant Rok in Reykjavik.<\/div>\n
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I<\/strong>celand is indeed a land carved from fire and ice. \u00a0It is an extremely inhospitable land, with extreme conditions. \u00a0One of the best parts of the trip was simply driving the Ring Road, stopping at random pull outs, and taking in the jaw dropping beauty. \u00a0The position of the sun at this time of year makes for extraordinary light conditions, with long sunrises and long sunsets. \u00a0The constantly changing weather also made for some great photography. \u00a0We will leave you with a few last phots of such random stops along our route, places that tour buses simply can\u2019t stop at.<\/div>\n
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\"A<\/a><\/div>\n
Hekla Sunset on First Night Out<\/em><\/div>\n
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\"Campervans<\/a><\/div>\n
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\"Camper<\/a><\/div>\n
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\"East<\/a><\/div>\n
Random Stops on Ring Road<\/em><\/div>\n
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\"Hiking<\/a><\/div>\n
Random Hike Outside of Kirkjub\u00e6jarklaustur.<\/em><\/div>\n
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Read more<\/strong>: My name is Renault Kangoo<\/a><\/div>\n
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Happy Camping! \u00a0#CamperStories<\/strong><\/div>\n
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\u00a0Iceland Travel Guides<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"South<\/a>\u00a0\"Black<\/a><\/p>\n