Free 10 Day Iceland Ring Road Trip Guide

This 10 day Iceland Ring Road trip was a dream! I still cannot believe I get to say that I have been around all of Iceland. It was an out of world experience. Filled with all the things I love. Road tripping, hiking, waterfall hunting and exploring. As well as a few visits to the many natural hot spring spas.

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About Your Free 10 Day Iceland Ring Road Trip

In this 10 day Iceland, Ring Road Itinerary you will be exploring the West, North, East and South parts of Iceland in a camper van or a 4×4 vehicle. Where you will be staying at amazing campsites (with kitchens and bathrooms) that will allow you to travel the full ring road to see all the waterfalls, hike to amazing landmarks, relax at natural hot springs, explore small towns and experience thrilling outdoor activities. As well as receiving a step by step guide how to plan your trip, book your trip and enjoy your trip once you arrive.

Highlights of Your Free 10 Day Iceland Ring Road Trip

Planning for Your Iceland Ring Road Trip

Know when you are going to travel. The best time to visit Iceland is in the summer months when its warmest about 66-77 degrees F from June- August. The only downfall to traveling in the summer is costs of flights, rentals, food, activities and accommodations will be at their highest price. If you don’t mind it being a little bit on the colder side I recommend visiting Iceland in September or October just before the snow comes. It is a less desirable time to travel but you will save so much money and places will be less crowded with a higher chance of seeing the northern and or Aurora lights.
Make sure you have a credit card. If you travel without a credit card you are missing out. The right credit card gives you points or miles back on every purchase (this is how Bronson and I get free flights on our trips every year.) Has no foreign transaction fees. Provides free TSA or Global Entry Pre Check. And comes most of the time with travel insurance, rental car insurance, etc if you used your card to make the reservation. It’s the smart way to travel and builds your credit at the same time. I never leave my house without my Capitol One Venture X card. It’s how I travel affordably. Check it out and others if you don’t already have one. Then you can reap all the benefits too

Booking Your Iceland Ring Road Trip

Get your flights: Use Hopper or Google Flights to help with finding the perfect flight for you. If you have a credit card use it to pay with miles, earn more miles and or get cash back.
Reserve a a camper van or a 4×4 vehicle. Make sure to get gravel insurance because a lot of the roads to campsites and waterfalls are gravel roads and not paved. I highly suggest booking through Northbound.is for a rental vehicle. My husband and I were able to get a camper van through Cheap Campervans for a fraction of the price through them. It was a very easy and smooth process. It came with everything we needed to road trip around the country comfortably. Oh and make sure to add on a wifi hot spot. It came in handy during the trip daily.
Accommodations: In our experience if you rent a camper van you do not need to book your stays in advance. Just pay at the campsites when you arrive. Some of the facilities in October are closed but you are still able to camp for the night for free. If you are wanting to stay in a room or hotel use bookings.com or call the campsites we name to see if they have a room to book for the night. We found a lot of campgrounds had individual rooms for rent that might be cheaper than hotels.
Experiences: Figure out what activities are most important to you and make reservations. I found booking directly through the company was a lot cheaper than going through a second party travel site. For example book directly through the Blue Lagoon instead of Trip Advisor to save. For ease of use I do like using the Get Your Guide website or app for planning outings too.

Preparing for Your Iceland Ring Road Trip

Make sure you have all the gear necessary before departure. You will need a waterproof and weather proof coat, waterproof gloves, waterproof hiking shoes, waterproof pants, leggings or thermals for underneath layers, long and warm socks, a swim suit for the hot springs, a towel for showers, all your toiletries, beanies, hats and more. It is cold. Even in the summer months so be prepared for anything. Iceland has been know for having all seasons happen in one day. It will rain a lot and be windy too. I promise if you can get pass the weather and enjoy the beauty it will be one of the most breathtaking and memorable trips of your life. Just be prepared.
Food! Food is extremely expensive in Iceland. It’s about 3,761.64 Krona or $27 USD for one bowl of soup with bread and a coffee. The costs are high because Iceland does not have any vegetation besides wild blueberry bushes that are seasonal in August. All food has to be imported. So budget wisely. My tip to you is to camp the whole Ring Road and check a carryon full of food for the 10 day trip. Then you can select a few restaurants to treat yourself to while staying on budget. Check out my blog post for top food establishments to splurge on in Iceland.
What we packed for food in a carryon bag for two people for 10 days in Iceland: Oatmeal Packets, Ramen Noodles, Bone Broth Packets, Redmond Organic Season Salt, Raspberry Jam, Peanut Butter, Beef Jerky Sticks, Just Ingredients Protein Powder Travel Pack, and an assortment of Mountain House Freezer Dried Meals & Peak Refuel Meals for each day. We only purchased bread and produce when we arrived in Iceland rom a local Kronan grocery store. They are every where as well as Bonus grocery store. Also do not purchase water! You can fill up water at any gas station, campsite, bathroom, restaurant etc. Iceland has the cleanest, purest and best tasting water you will ever drink. My husband and I brought two 64 oz water bottles and were set.

Free 10 Day Iceland Ring Road Trip Guide!

*this itinerary can be done in reverse. It starts in the West of Iceland and ends in the South but it can be done South to West. Check the forcast in advance before getting on the road to see which side has the best weather.

Day 1: After arriving to the Keflavik Airport go to the rental car pick up area and look for your car company that you rented from. They will shuttle you to your van or 4×4 so you can get on the road. Drive to Reykjavík and find a Kronan grocery store to get food you might need before beginning your trip. Then make a long stop at the Sky Lagoon to relax after a restless day of travel. I highly recommend the 7 step ritual. It is so relaxing and well worth the extra cost. Then drive to the first camp spot, Varmahlíð Camping Grounds.

Day 2: Horse tour with Langhus Farm! You can choose from three guided trails: The Viking tour, The Black Sand Beach Ride or the A Little bit of Everything Tour. We did the little bit of everything tour and it was absolute bliss. The horses and ranchers at Langhus Farms were the best! We could not have asked for a better experience. Afterwards check google maps and see if there are any trails or hikes in the area that you want to explore or head over to Bjorbodin Spa for hot tubbing, a beer bath and beer. Then find a campsite for the night. Tap for a map of the campsites. I forgot to write down the one we stayed at. It was dark and it was also closed so we got to camp for free.

Day 3: Wake up and drive the scenic route around the Peninsula to Akureyri, shop around town and end the day at the Forest Lagoon. After the forest Lagoon drive to Husavik and camp at Camping 66.12 North. It is an amazing camp spot that overlooks the ocean and is the perfect place to rest before a whale watching tour the next day.

Day 4: Whale watching in Husavik! Tap this link to book your tour. I recommend the 10:30 am booking. Make sure to bundle up because it will be cold but they offer cinnamon rolls and coffee on board. I promise it will an amazing experience! After Whale watching it is time to get back on the road. Head to Gooafoss Waterfall for some fun pictures, snacks from the gift shop and then find a camp spot near Lake Myvatn for the night. Google maps will be your best friend when searching for camp spots.

Day 5: This was one of Bronson and I’s favorite days. Wake up early and hike Hverfjall Crater and then explore the Lava fields afterwards. There is nothing quite like being on top of a dormant volcano overlooking the world. It was such an amazing experience. Next eat lunch and then head to the Myvatn Nature Baths to relax after hiking. Before heading out stop into town for some fish and chips. Click this link to see my top restaurants to visit in Iceland. Then drive to Studlagil Canyon Camping at Grund. It is a gravel road to the campsite so be careful and get there before dark. It is a great spot to stay up and try and catch the Northern Lights if the sky is clear.

Day 6: Hike the famous Studlagil Canyon! If it is summer time you will want to have a swimsuit and a towel to swim in the ice blue water. It is gorgeous! If you have a drone bring it to get footage of the beautiful slot canyon. The formation of the lava rock will blow you away. After Studlagil Canyon stop by a few waterfalls on your way to Camp Egilsstadir for the night. If you have time stop by Vok Baths before settling down. It is only 9 minutes away from the camp spot.

Day 7: Before driving most of the day, head to klifbrekkufossar known as the 7 tier waterfall. It is out of the way but once you get there the extra driving will have been worth it. It is the most beautiful place I have ever been and feels like a fairytale destination! We experienced all 4 seasons in one place. Eat lunch at the little picnic table in the valley and then start the long, scenic drive to Fossardalur Campsite. If you can, get there a few hour before dark to explore the land around the campsite. Option B: drive all the way to Skaftafell camground to get a head start on the next days adventure.

Day 8: Drive to Diamond Beach and explore before heading to Stafafell for a Glacier tour. We really enjoyed our glacier hike with Trolls Expedition. It is a once in a lifetime experience hiking a glacier. Then finish the day with a warm bowl of curry soup and swiss mochas at a yummy cafe up the road at the N1 gas station. Camp at Skaftafell campground for the night. At Skaftafell campground there is a hiking trail to Svartifoss if you have time and want to see it. Or head to Vik for the night and refer to day 9.

Day 9: The infamous black sand beach! If you made it to Vik already stop by the Skool Beans Cafe for to go coffees and head to the beach for a romantic morning stroll. There are two sides of the beach and if you have time I recommend seeing both. Then drive to the spectacular Skogafoss for a quick waterfall pit stop and finish the day by driving to Reykjavik Eco Campsite.

Day 10: Last day! Explore Reykavik by seeing down town (go shopping, eat some pastries, see the Viking church), visit the Purlan Museum etc. Then pop over to the Blue Lagoon in the afternoon/early evening. Get your reservations beforehand or you may not get in or will end up paying more. Now it is time to return your rental car and check into the Aurora Hotel at the Keflavik Airport for the night and say goodbye to Iceland before flying home the next day. The Aurora Hotel is the only hotel at the airport so make sure and book your stay months in advance. It books out pretty quickly. It isn’t the cheapest but it allows you to shower, sleep soundly and get a meal in before flying. If you can you could also camp for one more night before turning in your rental car. They should shuttle you to the airport at no cost.

My Hopes for You In Iceland

I hope you have the best time explore the amazing country of Iceland! Every destination made us feel like we were experiencing a new planet. It is out of this world beautiful and the people are so kind. My last recommendation for you is to take time to wander and stray. It is in those moments the best memories are made and some pretty incredible places are found. I created this Itinerary to be your guide but I don’t want you to feel like you have to follow it to a “T”. Choose your own adventure and create your own path. Make the happy memories.