🇬🇧 1 week Road Trip in Iceland 🇬🇧

In July 2023, we decided to go on one of our dream trips: Iceland. This land of ice and fire, with its incredible landscapes and breathtaking calm. We were truly not disappointed.

In this article, I explain to you all of our journey and activities.

Iceland is a country in Northern Europe, located in the Atlantic Ocean, between Greenland and Norway. Its capital, Reykjavik, colorful and welcoming, is the largest and most populated city in the country. Despite its small size, Iceland offers an incredible diversity of landscapes: mountains, black sand beaches, glaciers, volcanoes… there is something for everyone! Several times, we felt like we were on the moon or another planet. It was absolutely stunning, and I 100% recommend this trip !

We traveled for one week with Nordic Nomads.

Nordic Nomads is part of the Travelbase agency, which organizes trips in many countries.

These trips are mainly done in 4x4 vehicles ! We loved the concept.

The flight :

For your flight, it is possible to book it through the agency. This allows you to have a shuttle from the airport to the Nordic Nomads base camp. However, that option would have meant arriving too late in the day and leaving early the following week. Since we wanted to make the most of the country, we decided to book our flights ourselves so we could arrive earlier and leave later, giving us more time to explore the capital at our own pace. The only downside was that we didn’t have access to the shuttle, so we had to take buses. But don’t worry, it’s very easy. Many buses run from the airport to Reykjavik every hour. And once in Reykjavik, there is a very convenient bus network to get from one side of the city to the other. We therefore preferred taking the bus, even though we had to pay for it ourselves.

The vehicle :

The agency organizes all-inclusive one-week road trips in Iceland.

To get around, we had our 4x4 Duster, which was very comfortable and extremely practical—especially for Icelandic roads, which are not all paved. We had no issues with the vehicle, and even if you do, the agency is available at any time to assist you. Of course, we had to pay for our fuel during the week. It’s also something you need to keep a close eye on, because in many areas there are no gas stations for several hundred kilometers. So you really need to plan ahead when venturing deeper into the country.

The accommodation :

As for accommodation, it was also our 4x4 ! Because it had a rooftop tent. I admit, it can be a bit intimidating at first, but I assure you : we loved it and slept really well. It’s a fold-out tent with a mattress inside. The agency provided us with sheets and very thick sleeping bags, so we weren’t cold at all and were very comfortable ! Don’t forget earplugs if you’re sensitive to noise, and a sleep mask for the light. Because in summer, it’s daylight all the time in Iceland ! Even though it feels strange at first, you quickly get used to it, and it’s actually really nice to be able to explore and stay outside as late as you want.

Your booking also includes campsite spots. Every night, we stayed at a different campsite, all equipped with the necessary facilities. It was great because we experienced many different types of campsites. We really enjoyed it. I’ll tell you more about the campsites later in the article…

The food :

For food, we decided to add the "food pack” option to our booking. It’s not mandatory, but it’s really convenient. Iceland is an expensive country, and food is no exception… The food pack cost an additional 95€, but we were not disappointed. We mainly had freeze-dried meals. It’s a bit unusual, but actually quite good ! We had about four per person. We also had simple things to cook, like pasta, tortillas with sauce, as well as snacks like cookies for the afternoon and breakfast. It was definitely worth it, and it saved us the hassle of having to think every day about what we were going to eat. Especially because in many places, there was nothing around at all !

Travel budget for 2 people:

• Flights: 760€

• 4x4 rental with camping gear and itinerary: 1500€

• Food pack: 95€

• Extra food (1 restaurant, 2 snacks, 1 grocery run): 83€

• Parking (some sites had paid parking): 30€

• Souvenirs: 70€

• Fuel: 250€

• Bus (round trip airport/Reykjavik + city buses): 122€

Total : Around 2910€, or 1455€ per person.

This budget is approximate. Of course, it’s possible to spend less—or much more.

Unfortunately, more and more places in the country now have paid parking. So yes, the sites themselves are free to visit… but only if you arrive on foot… Haha !

As you can see, the little bit of extra food we bought ended up being extremely expensive. So I highly recommend choosing the food pack, which in the end is much more cost-effective.

Itinerary :

The itinerary offered by Nordic Nomads is truly incredible. You get to visit all the famous spots in Iceland, as well as much more remote and stunning locations. However, you also have the flexibility to adjust it a bit and choose the visits you want. The only requirement is to be at the designated campsite each evening. Here is the itinerary we followed :

• Day 1 : Airport > Reykjavik > Kleifarvatn > Krýsuvík > Bridge between 2 continents > Valahnúkamöl > Gunnuhver Hot Spring > Brimketill Lava Pool > Camping

• Day 2 : Camping > Silfra diving > Geysir > Gullfoss > Seljalandsfoss > Skógafoss > Sólheimasandur plane wreck > Dyrhólaey > Reynisfjara beach > Camping

• Day 3 : Camping > Gígjagjá > Fjaðrárgljúfur > Skaftafell and Svartifoss > Múlagljúfur > Fjallsárlón Glacier Lake > Diamond Beach > Jökulsárlón > Camping

• Day 4 : Camping > Stuðlagil Canyon > Dettifoss > Puffin Viewpoint Tjörnes > Húsavík for whale watching > Camping

• Day 5 : Camping > Grjótagjá > Skútustaðagígar > Goðafoss > Akureyri > Siglufjörður > Camping

• Day 6 : Camping > Grábrók > Reykjavik > Camping

• Day 7 : Camping > Litli-Hrútur Volcano > Base Camp

• Day 8 : Base Camp > Reykjavik > Airport

Day 1 :

We arrived at Reykjavik Airport at 8:45 a.m. Iceland is two hours behind France, which allowed us to arrive very early and make the most of our day.

We first had to take a bus to downtown Reykjavik, as the airport is located about an hour away. (53€ for two)

Reykjavik :

Once in the city, we explored it by visiting its most famous neighborhoods and landmarks:

• Hallgrímskirkja Church : an iconic building with a unique design inspired by Icelandic basalt columns. Entry is free.

• Skólavörðustígur Street : full of shops and decorated with a rainbow painted on the ground.

• A walk along the Marina : right by the waterfront.

• Harpa Concert Hall : a very modern building set within a distinctly Icelandic landscape.

• Sun Voyager Sculpture : a very famous Viking ship-shaped sculpture.

• Laugavegur Street : a shopping street with very colorful buildings.

Personally, I really liked Reykjavik. It’s a typical Nordic city with colorful wooden buildings. The city is large and quite spread out (half of Iceland’s population lives in Reykjavik), but the “old town” is actually quite small. The suburbs are more modern and less charming than the center, so you can explore it fairly quickly. We only spent a few hours there, but I think a full day is enough to see everything. We were going to return to Reykjavik later in the trip anyway.

We then took a city bus to reach the Nordic Nomads base camp and pick up our awesome 4x4 ! After a warm welcome and some very helpful explanations from the ranger, we hit the road.

Lake Kleifarvatn :

Our very first stop in the 4x4 was Lake Kleifarvatn. We stopped at a viewpoint overlooking it. It is one of the largest lakes in Iceland, but also one of the deepest : 97 meters ! According to legend, a monster in the shape of a snake lives in the lake, but we didn’t see it that day… Anyway, the size of the lake was impressive !

Krýsuvík Geothermal Area :

There are geothermal areas all over Iceland. These are places where the ground is naturally extremely hot, and where water temperatures can reach over 100°C (212°F). Once it comes up to the surface, it boils and evaporates in large amounts, which is when you can smell a strong rotten egg odor ! This comes from the sulfur it releases. And I can tell you, the smell is absolutely terrible, I almost felt like throwing up several times ! That said, I’m also quite sensitive to smells, so you might handle it better than I did…

Bridge Between Two Continents :

We then stopped at the Bridge Between Two Continents. It gets its name from the fact that it goes over a fissure created by the separation between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates. It is therefore literally located between two continents. It’s not a particularly spectacular bridge, and it isn’t very impressive in itself, but its location is truly unique.

Valahnúkamöl :

We then enjoyed the beautiful view at Valahnúkamöl. It is a coastline made up of large rocks, but we only stayed on the cliff above. The view was very impressive, and there were many birds to observe.

Gunnuhver Hot Spring :

The second geothermal area of the day was Gunnuhver Hot Spring. This one was smaller than the first, but it released a huge amount of steam, sometimes even carrying tiny droplets of water. In the past, there was a house here where a family lived. However, due to the ground temperature, now between 80 (176) and 100°C (212°F), it eventually disappeared. You can still see its remains today.

Brimketill :

We then admired the Brimketill rock pool, a lava-rock basin shaped like a natural tub. Even though it’s tempting—and allowed—swimming here is very dangerous ! The waves can sometimes be extremely powerful.

And that marked the end of our first day in Iceland. We drove to our first campsite. I won’t be sharing the names of the campsites we stayed at here. The Nordic Nomads agency works hard to design the best itineraries and to place us in some of the best spots in the country. In fact, some campsites are meant to remain secret to avoid overtourism. So I recommend reaching out to them directly if you’re truly interested in this trip and itinerary.

In any case, this first campsite was very peaceful. Located by a road, it wasn’t the most visually impressive, but we slept really well under the midnight sun !

Day 2 :

Silfra Diving :

After a good night’s sleep, we started our day feeling fresh. We headed to Silfra for a dive between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates. We were welcomed by a guide and split into small groups. We had to put on an ultra-warm dry suit. We were even able to wear all our clothes underneath, which I had never seen before ! Then we dove into a stunning turquoise-blue water. There are no fish or animals in this fissure. Only algae and rock. But it was still incredible. The suit was so thick that we didn’t feel cold at all. The guides were extremely friendly and very helpful. I highly recommend this activity, whether through Nordic Nomads or not.

Geysir Site :

Our first stop of the day was the Geysir site. A region filled with geysers : those impressive jets of water that shoot out of the ground at temperatures of several hundred degrees. Today, only one of them is still active on a regular basis, erupting every 5 to 10 minutes. It is called Strokkur and it shoots water more than 20 meters into the air. Sometimes, when earthquakes occur, other geysers can become active again.

Gullfoss :

We then made a quick stop at Gullfoss, a massive waterfall split in two. The first drop is 11 meters, and the second is 21 meters high. It is very impressive.

Seljalandsfoss :

We then walked behind Seljalandsfoss waterfall. It is 65 meters high and one of the few waterfalls that allows you to walk behind it. The experience is amazing, you discover a completely new perspective, and apparently it’s even more beautiful at sunset. Be careful though, you will get completely soaked from head to toe !

Skógafoss :

We then tried to get close to Skógafoss waterfall. It is 25 meters wide and 60 meters high, and extremely impressive. We were hit full-on by its mist and ended up even wetter than at the previous waterfall !

Sólheimasandur Plane Wreck :

In 1973, a Douglas R4D-8 aircraft from the US Navy crashed on the Sólheimasandur plain. In the middle of this desert of sand and rocks, it is still possible to visit the wreck today. After an easy and flat 3.5 km walk, it suddenly appears. Its setting and condition create a very apocalyptic atmosphere in this vast black desert. The view is absolutely worth it !

Dyrhólaey :

We then made a quick stop at this incredible viewpoint overlooking the ocean and a black sand beach.

Reynisfjara Beach :

Reynisfjara Beach is a black sand beach with cliffs featuring hexagonal basalt columns formed by lava. It is a magnificent and very famous place in Iceland that you absolutely should not miss. However, it is also dangerous. The waves are enormous. Even if they don’t look threatening, swimming is strictly forbidden, as you risk being swept away by the powerful waves.

And that marked the end of our second day in Iceland. After driving through the middle of nowhere on incredible roads and through stunning landscapes, we arrived at our second campsite of the trip, located in the mountains. It was one of the best ones we experienced, very peaceful and absolutely beautiful.

Jour 3 :

Gígjagjá :

After a good night’s sleep in a peaceful setting, we started our day with a visit to the Gígjagjá cave. It is a very unusual cave because from the outside it looks like Yoda from Star Wars. Other than that, nothing particularly special !

Fjaðrárgljúfur :

After a short 30 minutes hike, we found ourselves overlooking the stunning Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon. With its turquoise water, green grass, 100 meters depth, and 2 kilometers length, it was truly beautiful.

Skaftafell & Svartifoss waterfall :

We then did a second hike of about 1h30 in Skaftafell National Park. We walked to Svartifoss waterfall. This waterfall is very unique because it is surrounded by hexagonal columns on both sides. These rocks are naturally formed when lava cools upon contact with water.

Múlagljúfur canyon :
That day was all about hiking ! We continued with a 2 hours walk to reach the top of Múlagljúfur canyon. I can easily say it was the most beautiful hike of my life. It felt like being in a Jurassic Park movie. Everything was green and absolutely grand. We also felt the only one in the world. We only crossed paths with 4 or 5 people. I highly recommend this hike !

PS : A little personal note : my boyfriend proposed to me at the top of the canyon. INCREDIBLE ! I couldn’t have dreamed of a better moment…

Fjallsárlón Glacier :

We slowly recovered from all the emotions with a stunning view of the massive Fjallsárlón glacier. Even though it looked enormous from where we stood, we were only seeing a tiny part of this ice that stretches over thousands of kilometers.

Diamond Beach :

We then stopped at Diamond Beach, a place we were really excited to see. It is a black sand beach covered with chunks of ice washed ashore from nearby glaciers. In photos online, the scenery looks absolutely breathtaking. Unfortunately, when we visited, there were only two small pieces of ice, so we were quite disappointed… You might have better luck than us, depending on the time of year.

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon :

From Diamond Beach, you can walk to the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon. It is the largest proglacial lake in the country, covering 30 km². It is also the deepest. We were lucky enough to spot a few seals there.

And that marked the end of our third day. After a two-hour drive, we reached our campsite for the night. It was actually the campsite I liked the least. It was quite small and we were all very close to each other. Which meant more noises and a less restful night compared to the others…

Day 4 :

Stuðlagil Canyon :
We started this fourth day at Stuðlagil Canyon. There are two ways to see it :

- First, you can drive to a viewpoint overlooking the canyon, which gives you a great sense of its size and depth.

- The second option, which I highly recommend, is to hike for about an hour to reach the bottom of the canyon.

It is famous for its turquoise-blue river and its hexagonal columns formed by lava. Despite the number of people we encountered, it was truly stunning, it felt like being in a movie.

Dettifoss :

After a very bumpy road, we arrived at Dettifoss waterfall. It is 45 meters high and 100 meters wide, and it has the greatest water flow in all of Europe : about 400 cubic meters per second. It was extremely impressive, and you could see its mist from kilometers away.

Tjörnes :

We then made a quick stop at Tjörnes, at a viewpoint where we could observe puffins. These funny little birds with orange beaks are typical of Iceland. We managed to spot a few, although we were still quite far away from them.

Húsavík and whale watching :
We ended our day in Húsavík, a small village known for organizing ocean trips to observe whales in their natural habitat. The company that runs these excursions is called Gentle Giants, and you can book a trip directly with them.

After getting properly equipped, we boarded a small boat with only about ten seats. It was a great experience, we were very close to the water, it was calm and everyone had a clear view of the ocean.

Before going in search of whales, we stopped by a puffin island. As I mentioned earlier, this small bird is very famous in Iceland. It spends most of its time at sea and returns to Iceland for the summer. Being slightly heavier than most birds, it cannot glide. It’s the only bird you’ll see constantly flapping its wings. It’s also quite funny when it takes off, as it has to run on the water to gain speed. This island is full of puffins because it’s one of the few places in Iceland where they are safe from land predators.

Then, after only about twenty minutes of searching, we found the whales ! It was magical. We managed to observe three of them for over an hour. Whale watching usually takes place in the evening, as this is when they feed and come up to the surface more frequently. It was truly an incredible and unforgettable moment. I had never seen anything like it. They were absolutely stunning.

And that’s how our fourth day came to an end. Unfortunately, it was a day with fewer visits, as we had a lot of driving to do and had to be on time for the whale-watching excursion. I was a bit frustrated because of that, but still amazed by everything we experienced. That night’s campsite was by the ocean, with a beautiful view. It was a bit cold and windy, but we slept well.

Day 5 :

Grjótagjá :

Grjótagjá is a cave that contains a hot spring. It was formed long ago by lava flowing through volcanic rock. From the outside, it is almost invisible, and you have to squeeze through a small opening to get inside. It’s so small that only 4/5 people can fit at a time. But the interior is magical, with beautiful turquoise-blue water. The temperature can reach up to 60°C (140°F), but bathing is now forbidden. This place became very popular thanks—or because of—the TV series Game of Thrones. One scene from Season 3 was filmed here, involving Jon Snow and Ygritte… if you know what I mean.

Skútustaðagígar:

Literally meaning “the craters of Skútustaðir”, Skútustaðagígar is a group of small craters formed during a volcanic eruption. Lava came into contact with water, and steam explosions shaped these craters. The site is stunning, covered in lush green vegetation. You can walk around for a few minutes or spend a few hours exploring the various trails around the area.

Goðafoss :

We then stopped at Goðafoss, a beautiful waterfall that is 12 meters high and 30 meters wide. It’s less impressive than some of the ones we had seen earlier, but still full of charm.

Akureyri :

We then arrived in Akureyri, the capital of northern Iceland. With 17754 inhabitants, it is the fourth largest city in the country. We took a walk through its beautiful botanical garden, which is definitely worth a visit. Then we headed into town to do a bit of shopping and discover the typical Icelandic-style buildings.

Siglufjörður :

We also made a quick stop in Siglufjörður, a very charming fishing village with colorful houses and a unique atmosphere.

We ended this fifth day at my favorite campsite of the entire week. Lost in the middle of nowhere, with very few people, this campsite even had private hot baths ! If I remember correctly, we paid around 2€ or 3€ per person for the baths. If you’re not staying at the campsite, it’s a bit more expensive. We were able to relax in the hot baths for a few hours, in water heated to 41°C (105°F) ! It was incredible. It’s a very strange feeling to be in hot water while it’s only 10°C (50°F) outside and not feel cold at all.

For your information, there are natural hot baths like this all over the country, but they are often touristy and expensive, at least 45€ per entry. I highly recommend choosing the campsite + hot bath option instead.

We absolutely loved this campsite. On top of that, it was located in a very peaceful setting right by the sea.

Day 6 :

Grábrók :

We started the day at Grábrók, a crater formed 3 000 years ago during a volcanic eruption. You can walk all the way around it and look down into its interior, which is now covered in moss. From the top of Grábrók, you can also see another nearby crater called Grábrókarfell. The walk is really enjoyable and very well laid out.

Hike to Glanni Waterfall and Across the Fields :

We then continued our day by exploring the area around Grábrók. We walked to the small Glanni waterfall, then followed the river across open fields. It was very pleasant and beautifully green. I wouldn’t particularly recommend this hike, as the scenery doesn’t change much and the path is quite flat. But we still ended up walking 9 km !

We ended the day at the second-to-last campsite of our trip. It was located next to a waterfall, so it wasn’t very quiet. From what I remember, the facilities weren’t great either. There were to little of them for the number of people staying there, and it wasn’t very clean…

Day 7 :

Litli-Hrútur Volcano :
For our last full day in Iceland, we decided to do something that is probably on many people’s bucket lists : seeing an erupting volcano !

We were lucky enough to be there during a week when an eruption was actually happening. After checking all week for trail openings and permissions to hike nearby, we finally went for it. When eruptions occur in Iceland, hiking paths are often quickly set up to allow people to get closer, but they are not always open, depending on wind direction and the intensity of the eruption.

On that day, the trail was accessible. We hiked 9 km to reach the closest possible viewpoint to the volcano. There were a lot of people, as this kind of event attracts visitors from all over the world. But it was absolutely incredible and magical ! Even from a safe distance, we could clearly see lava bursting from the crater and flowing down the slopes. I loved it.

It wasn’t the first eruption of Litli-Hrútur, and along the entire hike we could see older lava flows that had hardened from previous eruptions just a few years earlier. We were even able to get close and touch them. I found it fascinating.

After another 9 km hike back, we didn’t do anything else that day, as we had spent almost all of it at the volcano.

Our final campsite was simply the Nordic Nomads base camp, located in the suburbs of Reykjavik. Since it was in the city, it wasn’t very quiet. It wasn’t our best night, but for the last one, it did the job just fine.

Day 8 :

After returning our 4x4, we headed back to downtown Reykjavik for one last stroll, and most importantly, to try an Icelandic restaurant. Restaurants in Iceland are very expensive : we paid 41€ for two people for a meal that only included fish and chips, a fish stew, and water. Definitely not cheap… But the restaurant itself was quite good and probably one of the most affordable options in the city : Reykjavik Fish.

We then took the return bus to the airport, where we caught our flight at around 4:30 p.m.

This trip was probably the most beautiful of my life. I had never seen such stunning landscapes before, and it will now be hard to top that feeling. We also absolutely loved the rooftop tent and 4x4 experience, and we would do it again without hesitation. Being independent, traveling at our own pace, and staying in campsites that were all so different from one another was amazing.

In short, I 100% recommend visiting Iceland, and even more so doing it with the Nordic Nomads agency.

You can also find our entire trip in my YouTube video below :

I hope you enjoyed this article and that it made you want to travel.
Feel free to contact me on my social media if you have any questions.

See you soon in another article,

Laura :)

Inscris toi à ma newsletter

Laisse moi un message