Iceland by campervan: best regions and routes

Areas of Iceland

The regions of Iceland: the ring road, the fjords and the empty middle

Almost everything a van does in Iceland happens on Route 1 and the roads that hang off it. The southwest is where you land and where the crowds are, the south coast is the postcard, the east and north are where the ring road empties out, the Westfjords are a deliberate detour on their own clock, and the highlands in the middle are a different trip with a different vehicle. Pick by the month and by what you are allowed to drive.

Reykjavik and the southwest

Reykjavik and the southwest: the Golden Circle and where everyone starts

Reykjavik, the Reykjanes peninsula where the airport is, and the Golden Circle loop of Thingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss. Two thirds of Iceland lives here and most visitors never leave it. Reykjavik averages 15 °C in July and 3 °C in January, with rain in every month of the year.

Best May to September

What it is like

• The mildest and most sheltered corner of the country, and the only place that feels like a city.
• The Golden Circle is a half day loop and it is busy. Going early or late changes it completely.

Where to go

• Thingvellir, where the plates pull apart
• Geysir and Gullfoss on the same loop

For the vehicle

• Reykjavik Campsite is open all year and is the obvious first and last night. Its 2026 online rate was ISK 3,735 for a camper with one adult, ISK 5,715 with 16A electricity.
• Campsites are dense here, so this is the one region where you can improvise a night.

The south coast

The south coast: waterfalls, black sand and the wettest weather in Iceland

Route 1 east from Selfoss through Seljalandsfoss, Skogafoss, Vik and the sandur plains to Jokulsarlon and Hofn. This is the most photographed road in the country and the wettest: Vik i Myrdal averages 2,252 mm of rain a year, more than two and a half times Reykjavik.

Best June to August

What it is like

• Waterfalls, glacier tongues, black beaches and a lagoon full of icebergs, all within sight of the road.
• Cool and wet rather than cold: Vik averages 13 °C in July and 4 °C in January on 1961 to 1990 normals.

Where to go

• Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss, an hour apart
• Reynisfjara and the Dyrholaey headland

For the vehicle

• The black beaches are dangerous. ICE-SAR keeps a standing warning page for them. Waves run far further up the sand than they look as if they will.
• The Hornafjordur toll starts here. Route 1 near Hofn began charging on 1 September 2026, ISK 1,500 for a vehicle under 3.5 tonnes, payable on spolur.is within 24 hours.

The east fjords

The east fjords: the quietest part of the ring road, and where the ferry lands

From Hofn north through Djupivogur, Breiddalsvik and the fjord villages to Egilsstadir and Seydisfjordur. This is where the Norrona ferry from Denmark docks, so for anyone bringing their own van it is the first Iceland they see rather than the last.

Best June to August

What it is like

• The emptiest section of Route 1. Long drives between small villages, and far fewer coaches.
• Drier and more continental inland: Egilsstadir averages 15 °C in July and 1 °C in January.

Where to go

• Seydisfjordur, over the pass from Egilsstadir
• Studlagil canyon, with its own safety rules

For the vehicle

• The Norrona sails Hirtshals to Seydisfjordur via the Faroes, about two days and sixteen hours, weekly from April to late November. Around 18,100 visitors arrived that way in 2025.
• The pass into Seydisfjordur is high, exposed and closes in bad weather. Check umferdin.is before committing.