{"id":7922,"date":"2019-06-20T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-06-20T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rent.is\/camperstories\/short-but-sweet-our-4-day-road-trip-in-iceland\/"},"modified":"2026-05-19T09:09:32","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T09:09:32","slug":"short-but-sweet-our-4-day-road-trip-in-iceland","status":"publish","type":"camperstories","link":"https:\/\/www.rent.is\/de\/camperstories\/short-but-sweet-our-4-day-road-trip-in-iceland\/","title":{"rendered":"Short but Sweet: Our 4-day road trip in Iceland"},"content":{"rendered":"

When we departed from an unusually hot London we were all excitement, except from an inkling sense of sadness about the weather apparently looming ahead of us in Iceland. We had pictured ourselves plodding around in just t-shirts and shorts and drying off in the sunshine, however we clearly were not prepared for the wild nature of Iceland. While we may have initially been disappointed about the gloomy weather, I now would say the ongoing and unpredictable rain made our trip more entertaining and enjoyable. Neither of us are big campers usually, but our decision to rent a van through Rent.is was unquestionably brilliant.<\/p>\n

\"Rental<\/a>The van we rented was for 2 people, and came with a comfortable and surprisingly large bed and all the necessary equipment, including WiFi on board! It was everything we had hoped for and more, and made us all the more exited to embark on our little adventure. While 7-days is probably a more favorable amount of time to have in Iceland, our trip was still perfect, and I would highly recommend road-tripping around this otherworldly island, and renting a camper van<\/a> if you do.<\/p>\n

Although this blog will mostly discuss the events of our trip, the general feel of Iceland was what really made our visit so special. Driving around Iceland is like driving around a dream-land, where every ten minute\u2019s the landscape completely changes and surprises you. There were times on the road where we would look out one window to see baron and black landscapes that had an apocalyptic feel, then we would turn our heads to the other side to be faced with an ongoing green and flowery landscape. The almost 24 hours of sunlight means you can make the most of all your days and nights. Half the joy of visiting Iceland is just being on the road and experiencing the sublime views as you drive.<\/p>\n

Day 1: Reykjavik & Southern Waterfalls<\/span><\/h3>\n

Our flight to Iceland was sadly delayed, meaning that we were later than expected to pick up our van. This was not a problem, and the people at Rent.is were very helpful and understanding. As soon as we saw our van we knew we had made a good decision, as we instantly fell in love with our little friend!<\/p>\n

\"Camper<\/a><\/p>\n

After picking up our van we went straight to the supermarket, which I would recommend as it saves you money during your stay. The van was equipped with a cooker and kitchen appliances, so we could cook all our meals! We brought ourselves some pasta, pesto, bacon and some other essential bits and we were on our way.<\/p>\n

Our first stop was Reykjavik, where we headed down to the old harbor and parked up for an epic whale watching! We suited up and grabbed some googles and began our very fast and exiting boat trip out to see the whales. While tours on bigger boats may be cheaper, we would recommend doing the speed boat trips as this was lots more fun and exciting in our opinion.<\/p>\n

\"Reykjavik<\/a>\u00a0\"Whale<\/a><\/p>\n

The speed boat whizzed us out to \u2018Puffin island\u2019 where we saw lots and lots of super cute puffins flying around \u2013 and even a puffin airport! (A stick which the puffins queued up to climb and fly off the top). We then ventured out further towards circling birds which were looking for some grub \u2013 a great place to catch those whales who have the same diet. In that area our boat became surrounded by very friendly dolphins, which was our favorite part of the whale watching, as they were not afraid to swim very close to our boat. We also saw magnificent Minke whales, a once in a lifetime opportunity which we would certainly recommend when in Iceland (see video below<\/em>).<\/p>\n

After a fun afternoon whale watching, we made our way down south towards the Seljalandsfoss and Sk\u00f3gafoss waterfalls<\/a>. The drive down was immensely beautiful, and we couldn\u2019t quite believe our surroundings. We arrived at Seljalandsfoss quite late, but this luckily worked in our favor as there were very few tourists there, even on a July weekend. Seljalandsfoss was so powerful and beautiful, and a must-see.<\/p>\n

\"Seljalandsfoss<\/a>\u00a0\"Going<\/a><\/p>\n

We then drove down the road to the equally beautiful Sk\u00f3gafoss waterfall, where we set up camp for the night. I cannot recommend Sk\u00f3gar campsite more as it is right next to the waterfall meaning that you sleep next to a beautiful stream and can have a late night walk around the waterfall \u2013 something we really enjoyed! This camping spot was a great find and we had a very fun first night there with some wine and a beautiful view.<\/p>\n

Campsite:<\/strong><\/span> Sk\u00f3gar<\/p>\n

Day 2: Seljavallalaug pool, the Black beach, Secret lagoon & Geysir<\/span><\/h3>\n

We managed to squeeze quite a lot on our second day, rising early..ish so that we could make our way to Iceland\u2019s first ever outdoor pool, which is naturally heated. The pool was secluded and you must walk a little way to find it, over rocks and by a stream. We arrived at this completely secluded and unexpected location, to see an algae-green, steaming pool. Do not let the color of the water put you off, as the pool is magnificent and has the most amazing view. Do not pass up the unforgettable experience of bathing outdoors while facing the most beautiful winding waterfalls and hills \u2013 it was truly magical! When we arrived at the pool there were only 2 others there. More tourists soon started coming, but it was not crowded at any point.<\/p>\n

\"Seljavallalaug\"<\/a>\u00a0\"Swimming<\/a><\/p>\n

We then hopped into our little van and drove further round towards the Reynisfjara black sand beach<\/a>. This beach is breath taking, and has an extra-terrestrial feel to it. It is a lava beach and the sand is completely black making the sea look so blue. It is supposed to be one of the 10 most beautiful beaches in the world, and it does live up to its reputation.<\/p>\n

\"Reynisfjara\"<\/a><\/p>\n

We then drove back towards Reykjavik, admittedly our route didn\u2019t make much sense but we didn\u2019t mind. We wanted to see the famous Geyser\u2019s, and so headed towards the campsite there. After our drive there we decided to go to the Secret lagoon, a hot spring very near the Geysers, before we settled in for the night, which was very relaxing and beautiful despite being a very touristy spot. We then hopped back into the van and made our way into Geyser, which was nearby, east of Reykjavik.<\/p>\n

When we drove into Geyser, we were overwhelmed by smell of eggs, coming from the Sulphur. Try not to let the eggy smell put you off, as the Geysers were epic and there is one that shoots up to unbelievable heights every 5 minutes or so. The majesty and extravagance of Iceland\u2019s natural wonders continuously surprised us. We then settled into the small Geyser campsite for the evening. This campsite is very easy as it is right next to the must-see Geysers, but it has little to offer for campers and is right next to the road. There was heavy rain so we played cards in the back of our van and drank some wine named Geyser Creek that we had picked up in Duty Free in London \u2013 what a coincidence!<\/p>\n

\"Cooking<\/a><\/p>\n