If there were ever a place made for exploring by van, Iceland is it. Here, driving from place to place is equally as enjoyable as the destinations themselves, and I can personally confirm that there are no bad views nor such thing as a stop not worth it.

But before diving into the beauty that is Iceland, I would like to address a few popular myths:

First of all, Iceland isn’t that cold. Secondly, Iceland isn’t that icy.

Yes, you will encounter both, however, it is by no means a forbidden arctic tundra. Iceland, in comparison to other northern regions (i.e.: Greenland), has a sizable population because of the gulf stream that keeps it reasonably warm. In fact, the name “Iceland” has nothing to do with ice at all, but actually derives from the word “island.” Stick that fun fact in your back pocket for a rainy day.

Don’t get me wrong, it is inarguably icy up there, and yes, “islands” are often associated with tropical oases of coconuts and warmth, but let’s not be too hasty in dismissing Iceland from the island paradise competition just yet. It may be a chillier version than we’re used to, but it is one of the best islands I’ve been to yet.

why visit iceland?

For us, the choice to visit was fairly straightforward (and slightly rash). Airfare was unbelievably cheap, we’d never been and, as most of our trips go, it was set in motion by the adventure-promising factor of “well, why not?”. With that, flights were purchased with unwavering confidence on a Friday afternoon and by the following Monday we were off.

In early 2016, before the days of the Iceland Air stop-over option that boosted their tourism, Iceland was still flying under the radar. When we told others where we were headed it was often met with a combination of confusion and curiosity. “Huh, uh, that’s an interesting destination” was a popular response. As was “Wow! That’s really random.” And my personal favorite: “What the hell is there to do in Iceland?”

Now perhaps you’re wondering the same thing, and to that I answer with: there is far too much to do in Iceland. Ten days (including a 5-day road trip) barely scratched the surface. Iceland is a nature lover’s playground boasting spectacular landscapes at every turn. They also have the fluffiest, most stoic horses you ever did see.

the basics

The Route

There is one main road around the country, the Ring Road, and during winter there is a solid chance that a majority of it is inaccessible. Flexibility will be your friend.

We headed east from Reykjavik to Hofn (red line on the map), passing through Vik and a handful of other cities with 27-letter names. Instead of attempting to go north, we went back west towards Snaesfellsness peninsula, stopping wherever the wind took us along the way (blue line). While we made it to the gate of Snaesfellsness, the weather did not permit us to go further in, so back to Reykjavik we went (green line).

The beautiful thing about Iceland is that, well, it’s beautiful. Everywhere. All the time. While we only explored the southern half, we were plenty entertained for 5 days. To do the whole Ring Road, I’d allow 10 days minimum.

when to visit

It is a year-round destination, but if you want the best chance of seeing the Northern Lights, then a winter trip is a must. Technically they are visible starting in late-September and going through April, but for the darkest nights, November through February is your best bet. To see those stinkin’ cute puffins, summer is the way to go.

Transportation

Camper vans can be rented in Reykjavik, Iceland’s charming capital city. This little home-on-wheels is your hotel, transportation, and storage center, all rolled into one convenient package. If you know how to drive a stick-shift, you’ll even secure a significantly lower rate.

I highly recommend Go Campers due to their unbeatable prices and kind demeanor, but also for the knowledge of their camper connoisseur, Benedikt (who shared an uncanny resemblance to Benedict Cumberbatch).

2-person camper rates: $50 USD/day (manual transmission), $99 USD/day (automatic)

food & drink

As an island, you can expect higher prices in general. Considering it is an island in Scandinavia (technically), you can expect it to be even more inflated. While we learned that you CAN subsist on Nature Valley bars, I don’t recommend it, so below are some of my favorite spots in Reykjavik.

Breakfast/Coffee

Kaffibrennslan. Two words: hot chocolate.

Lunch/Dinner

The Coocoo’s Nest. A bit outside the main area, but a real gem for all meals.

Ban Thai Restaurant. It’ll warm you right up.

Drinks/Bars

The Lebowski Bar. You will pay an arm and a leg, but the Dude abides.

Hurra. When in doubt, go where the locals go. In this case, to a dive bar with live music.

the itinerary

// day 1

Reykjavik > Sejalandsfoss

After picking up our home-on-wheels in Reykjavik, we journeyed east to our first stop, Sejalandsfoss, one of Iceland’s many waterfalls. During summertime, visitors can walk behind the thundering falls, but during winter it is a bit dicier, and by “dicier” I mean much, much icier. Seeing the staircase frozen solid was both intimidating and inviting, and of course we couldn’t pass up the chance to pull ourselves up while sliding around like useless rag dolls. Spoiler alert: we did not make it far before surrounding to the ice and slipped/slid/fell back down.

(Bonus tidbit to put in the back pocket: “Foss” means waterfall in Icelandic.)

// day 2

Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon

The adventure east continues! This canyon, pronounced the complete opposite of what you just said in your head, is more conducive for a summer stroll than a winter adventure, but it was an enjoyable walk nonetheless (kind of). You see, there is a saying in Iceland, “if you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes.” It turns out to be true — excessively so — as the pictures below will show. Within a two hour span, we encountered bright sunshine, clouds, an ice storm that whipped chilly chips of ice at our faces, and then sun again. It was a real rollercoaster.

Skaftafell Waterfall

Of all the waterfalls we saw, this was my favorite, and trust me there are many to choose from. It wasn’t the largest or most powerful by any means, but the experience as a whole was unbeatable. From the short hike in with small frozen waterfalls along the way, to the massive icicles hanging from the rocks, it was a fantastic visit from start to finish. The delicious hot cocoa in the lodge afterwards (which was amazingly just from a machine!), didn’t hurt matters either.

get the car Stuck

I recommend getting this out of the way first thing. To do so, just find a sketchy pile of snow, drive on up to it, and wedge that bad boy on in. If you’re lucky, you’ll have found yourself outside of a quaint bed and breakfast with a very strong receptionist to save the day (three hours after you’re stuck). Imagine Thor, if you will, but instead of a hammer, imagine that he has a telephone and a reservation book, and you’ll be on the right track.

When Bed & Breakfast Thor was (finally) ready to help us wee visitors in distress, we found ourselves in the midst of pure strength. Instead of using his large SUV to haul us out, he hopped in the front seat of our camper van, took a sitting power stance behind the wheel, and proceeded to violently rock the van back and forth utilizing only his body weight. First, he’d hit the gas to move it forward, wheels spinning ferociously, then suddenly — and very powerfully — slam his body against the seat, which in turn pushed the car back. This move was done over and over again (he’s obviously part viking) until he was suddenly unstuck and reversing a half a mile down the road. I ran to the car, eager to thank our hero, but as I approached he walked past me without stopping saying, “okay, all done, night night.” Thank you, Bed & Breakfast Thor, thank you.

// DAY 3 (my favorite of the trip!)

Jokursarlon

At 1,800 feet thick, Vatnajokull is the largest glacier in Europe, covering roughly 8% of Iceland’s landmass. This behemoth conceals mountains, shrouds volcanoes, and leaves the valley hidden below it. It breaks into smaller icebergs (“small” being relative), and covers the black sand beaches of Jokursarlon in shades of icy white and blue.

The thing about Iceland is that it you don’t need to go far to be encompassed by natural beauty, it’s typically just a stop on the side of the road. In this case, from one side of the road you can see the mountains and watch seals swimming in the water as broken chunks of ice casually float toward the ocean. The other side of the road is less popular, yet it is much, much better. It is a feast for the senses: rushing ocean waves, bright blue glaciers resting on black sand, and brilliant snowcapped mountains rising in the distance.

Fun fact: Tomb Raider, Batman Begins, Game of Thrones and Die Another Day were all filmed here.

Dyrholaey Beach

This is an incredibly fun playground of cliffs, ocean spray, hidden caves, and perfectly flat skipping rocks.

Plane Crash Site

At sunset we took a 15 minute walk 45 minute foot scoot-and-shuffle across a flat expanse of snow and ice that brought us to the site of a fallen US Navy Plane from 1973. Don’t worry, all the passengers survived the crash, but the fuselage was abandoned and never removed.

// DAY 4

Geysir Geyser

There are roughly five major geysers in the world, and what makes this one a real treat is its predictable eruption pattern, with the ground gurgling and spewing water high into the sky at consistent 5-10 minute internals. This is a real goldmine of a find for impatient travelers wanting to see water violently spray from middle earth, but also on a time crunch.

Gullfoss Waterfall

This seriously powerful waterfall can be seen from four different viewpoints, each of which I recommend visiting as they offer equally extraordinary perspectives.

Thingvellir National Park

This was not my favorite stop for a winter road trip, however, I suspect it is quite the sight in summertime. What I enjoyed the most was stepping into the crevice between the drifting continental plates of North America and Europe. Whilst standing in the butt crack of Earth, I was even photobombed by a Welsh school teacher on a field trip who’d momentarily escaped the children. I’d be remiss to suggest it was anything short of fantastic.

// DAY 5

Kirkjufell Mountain

When you conjure scene of Iceland in your mind, this is what you likely land on first. It looks oddly like the Sorting Hat from Harry Potter, or you may recall it as the arrowhead-shaped mountain seen in a vision by the Hound in Game of Thrones. This site, like nearly all the others, is easily accessible as it literally sits along the road, so you can’t miss it. While exploring, we found ourselves in foot deep snow (and by “foot deep” I literally mean over 12 inches), with a small waterfall to boot.

Reykholt

This little village is home to Snorri Sturluson, Iceland’s very own 13th century jack-of-all-trades. Mr. Sturluson was resident law-speaker, poet, author, historian, and politician extraordinaire. I have no doubt in my mind that he was also the town’s store clerk, chiropractor, dietician and in-house barber. For a little history lesson, it is a fun stop.

Hraunfossar & Barnafoss

Iceland is chocked full of stellar waterfalls, and while these were by no means the largest, they were amazing nonetheless. What I was most surprised by was its lack of popularity, not that I’m complaining — there’s nothing quite like feeling you have the entire place to yourself.

Reykjavik

From there it was onward to Reykjavik, where we returned the van, enjoyed the Blue Lagoon, and even spotted the Northern Lights as they danced in hues of green and purple in the sky.