PostcardsFromM

For years, Iceland had been high on my list – and in 2022, it finally happened. We packed our bags, rented a camper van and set off to circle the Ring Road in just 9 days. It wasn’t always smooth. It rained, it blew, and some days we were completely soaked. But it was one of the most breathtaking trips I’ve ever done. This post is for anyone who’s thinking about doing the same – with honest tips, highlights and lessons learned.

Overview

• Length of the stay: 9 days
• Type of travel: Road trip with a camper van
• Route: Ring Road with small detours
• Kilometres: 2 001
• Style of travel: nature bound, spontaneous with some planned things

Our Route

Our goal was to complete the entire Ring Road in 9 days. Unlike many travel blogs I read beforehand, we didn’t cover the south first, but went straight up to the northern part of Iceland.

Day 1

On the first day, we explored the western part of the Ring Road. We got picked up from the airport by our car rental shop. After collecting our van, we drove past Reykjavík and continued our way to Hofsós. On the way there we stopped in Borgarnes to do some grocery shopping. I would recommend to do it early into your trip, as the bigger supermarkets like Bonús and Krónan are mostly in bigger towns and in between it could be tricky to find something immediately between them. Overall this part is perfect to just get to know Iceland and driving here. There is not a lot to do, but enough to have as low start to the itinerary. And not to forget Glanni was my first waterfall I saw in Iceland, which was something very special. It might not be the biggest of its kind, but it’s still got a special place in my heart.

Stops on Day 1:

• Glanni
• Gábrók Volcano
• Kolugjúfur Canyon

Day 2

On Day 2 we drove from Hófsós to Husavik. There are two options to get there. You can either take the Ring Road or you can take a coastal road between Hófsós and Akureyri. We took the coastal option. And it is definitely worth it. However, you might need to plan more time for this one since the road is not as good as the Ring Road and it is pretty curvy. Another recommendation is to book the Whale Watching Tour through North Sailing, a lovely eco-conscious company that runs amazing tours departing from Husavik or Hjalteyri (I looked it up and since I went they changed the departure point from Hjalteyri to Árskógssandur, but it is also in Eyjafjörður.). This day was definitely my favourite part of the whole trip. We saw whales and then had a relaxing evening at the Geothermal Sea Bath. What more could you want?

Stops on Day 2:

• Whale Watching Tour
• Akureyri
• Geosea Geothermal Sea Bath

Day 3

We wrapped up the north part of the Ring Road by heading to Egilsstaðir. This day was packed with a lot of different activities, from waterfall watching to short hikes and visiting the cutest little town. In hindsight, I think it would be better to split up this day into two. Not only would it be more relaxed, but there are some more places I really wanted to see and things to do. For example to go horseback riding at one of the stables there, since it is a beautiful landscape and not as touristy as in the south. But overall all the things we did are doable in one day.

Stops on Day 3:

• Goðafoss
• Hverfjall
• Námaskarð
• Hengifoss
• Litlanesfoss
• Seyðisfjörður

Day 4

Next up was the east part of Iceland. We drove from Egilsstaðir to Skaftafell. It was another long day in the car and it also got more touristy by the time you reach Stokksnes. We took the coastal road again, which led to beautiful little beaches and scenic drives along the fjords. I would recommend to do the same, since it is a nice way to reset. At Diamond Beach you might see some seals swimming, please keep in mind to give them there space and don’t chase them just the get a picture more up close. I saw tourists do that and it broke my heart. Besides that for me it was a lovely drive along the east coast, but I would have loved to stop at one of the hot pots along the way to have another warm soak. But we kind of forgot and realized when we have already the ones we looked up.

Stops on Day 4:

• Meleyri Beach
• Stokksnes
• Viking Village
• Diamond Beach
• Jökulsárlón Glacier

Day 5

The last bit of the east coast and mostly the South was the plan for Day 5. We drove from Skaftafell to Hvolsvöllur, which was our main exit point for the next two days. We were now fully in the touristy part of Iceland. But we saw a beautiful canyon, some puffins at Dyrahóley and more waterfalls. Since the weather took a turn and it was raining quite a bit, we got soaked several times during this part. I highly suggest packing some good rain pants and a waterproof jacket. I forgot my rain pants at home and I regretted it a lot. The weather in general can switch quite fast from sunny and warm to heavy rain and fog. So be prepared for that while driving as well.

Stops and things we did on Day 5:

• Eldhraun
• Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon
• Reynisfjara
• Dyrahóley
• Skogafoss
• Seljalandsfoss
• Gljúfrabúi

Day 6

We were ahead of our original plan and decided to visit the Westman Island for the day. It is a perfect day trip to discover a completely different part and you get the chance of a lovely ferry ride. On Heimaey we hiked up a volcano and had a nice walk to Stórhöfði, which is a perfect place to watch puffins and other sea birds. We were really happy that we did this little detour, since it is just a lovely little island and its also a good escape from the touristy South. You don’t need to take your car with you on the ferry, since the island is small and very walkable. So if you have a spare day, I would definitely  recommend paying Heimaey a visit.

Stops on Day 6:

• Heimaey
• Eldfell volcano
• Stórhöfði

Day 7

After staying in Hvolsvöllur again we drove to Hella where my boyfriend dropped me off and we separated for the day. He went on his own adventure with hiking and reading books, while I spent the day at the 2022 Landsmót. The biggest Icelandic horse tournament in Iceland. But it is way more than that. To be honest it is more like a festival. There was a big tent with music, food and drinks and another where you could buy everything, you could need for horses. And in between you watch the best horses with the best riders of Iceland. It is just an amazing thing to be part of and watch. So if you are a horse person, I can recommend to check it out for one day. I went on my own, but I didn’t feel lonely since the crowd was really lovely.

Stops on Day 7:

• Landsmót

Day 8

After spending the night in Hella, we continued our way back to Reykjavík. But we decided to visit the Geysers on the way there as well as seeing one last waterfall called Brúarfoss. For us the geysers were underwhelming, but the café right next to the site is really nice and a good stop for a quick coffee break. We also tried to visit Reykjadalur Hot Spring River, which didn’t happen because the parking lot was completely full. It would have been a nice experience, but we were drained anyway. So instead we headed to Reykjavík, where we stayed a little outside of the city. We spent our last night walking into the city center along the sea and seeing the Hallgrimskirkja. We were quite tired from all the driving and the impressions over the last couple of days. So it was nice to have a slower day with a little bit more time to rest. I would recommend having days like these along the route more often.

Stops on Day 8:

• Geyser
• Brúarfoss
• Reykjavík

Day 9

Our drop off time for the car was at 4 pm, until then we spent our day in Reykjavík. We grabbed some breakfast at Hygge Coffee & Micro Bakery, which is a lovely small bakery with amazing pastries. We then spent a lot of time sitting at the City Pond and watching the swans. It was my favourite part of Reykjavík. Besides that we did some window-shopping along the Rainbow Street and had a final look at the Hallgrimskirkja before heading to the airport. It was a hard time saying good bye to this amazing country, which showed me a lot about myself as well. And I know that I’ll definitely will be back more often. There is just to much to still do and see.

Stops on Day 9:

• Reykjavík
• Keflavik Airport

My Top 3 Things

There were so many great moments along this trip, that I’m forever keeping in my heart. So it is not that easy to just choose three moments. I count myself pretty lucky to have experienced all of that.

One of them was the Whale Watching Tour. Not only did I get to see whales and dolphins for the first time in the wild, but thanks to the amazing team of North Sailing, I got to learn a lot about these animals. And not gonna lie, the cinnamon buns we got on the boat, where extremely delicious too.

Another one of my favourite experiences was seeing the amazing landscape. It is constantly changing and shows how diverse Iceland is. From beautiful waterfalls every 5 meters to moss covered areas to black beaches. I felt like I have seen every possible type of landscape in these 9 days.

The 3^rd thing I loved was the Landsmót. I know it is not for everyone but it was just an experience, I didn’t even think would impact me that much. I mean it was kind of devastating to compare your own riding abilities to these amazing riders, but overall the experience was just really impressing. Especially the childrens classes were extremely interesting to watch. And besides the tournament, it was great to talk to some people there and see all the vendors.

What I would do differently next time

If I could go back, I’d definiteley spend more time in the north. And yes we did have better weather there, but I also preferred the landscape and the calmer side of it. You are more likely to be alone on the roads and visiting attractions. There aren’t that many other people around and you therefore have more time to take the picture you really want without feeling in the way of others. I can’t really put my finger on it, but I just felt more at peace in the north. And it might seem that there is not that much to do. But just driving through the landscape is something I enjoyed a lot.

I would also in general try to stretch the whole itinerary out over more days, if I would have had enough time. This would allow not only for more time in the north but also for rest days in between. Even if you are “only” sitting in a car for quite a while, it can get a little monotone and tiring. At the same time I would have loved to add the Westfjords into this trip, but I did see a little bit of them on a separate trip this February and kind of loved to see it on its own.

Honestly besides that, I really loved our itinerary. One thing that would have been great, would have been to have a little bit of a bigger camper van. It was sometimes not the nicest to cook outside or having to leave the car again to go to the campsite kitchen was a bit of a pain. But that is just a minor issue.

Thank you so much for reading my 9-Day-Iceland-Itinerary blog posts. If you want to get a more detailed look on how it’s like to get drenched at Skógafoss or see puffins on a volcano island, then take a look at my full Iceland Travel Diary Series. There I wrote about every day in more detail. And if you’ve done a trip like this yourself or are planning one, I’d love to hear your story in the comments.

See you soon,

M.