June 04-14 Trip
Visited Iceland this June between 04-14. The itinerary was exactly as my other post with a few modifications because of the weather, for instance we had to skip Fjadrargljufur because of fog and rain and didnt drive to Seydisfjordur camping because again it was foggy and rainy so we stayed in Egilsstaðir camping however having driven through fog and rain through the East Fjords and seeing that it was not raining in when we arrived in Egilsstaðir we decided to have a late afternoon hike to Henigfoss and then drive the next day to Seydisfjordur forecast showing sunny weather. Its good to always have a good back-up plan because of the weather. We did encounter a lot of rain and even strong wind during the trip but also a few completely sunny days so be prepared for anything. Also if the wind is blowing quite strong at 60-70km/h you need to hold the steering at an angle to counter the wind while also being careful around bends because wind changes.
We skipped the Golden Circle and Vestrahorn. Somehow we didnt meet tour groups at all until Dettifoss where it was absolutely horror, parking was full and we circled 30minutes to get a spot, there were lots of people not dressed for the wind and showers, seemed like cruise ship people and always complaining about the "hike" which is flat. Then again it was quiet until Snaefellsnes where there were some tour groups in small vans but not very disturbing. Thingvellir was again horror, was like a march through the fissure, lots of people again not dressed or equipped and also pickpockets in the parking. Went to Thingvellir for the fissure but thanked myself for skipping Golden Circle completely.
The camper was a Renault Traffic with 143.000km, although we didnt book one with experience. Nothing broke during the trip however for the price paid there were some cost cuttings that should not have been for instance Sailun tires which are budget and have very poor braking performance on wet which is not ideal given there are sheep and birds on the road some refusing to move (duks and geese) meaning its a full stop. Also curtains were 1-2cm shorter than the windows not covering the entire surface (we did bring sleeping masks), but its hard to create darkness inside the van to simulate dusk for example. Also back doors were not insulated so they were radiating cold while the feet were in a sauna from the heater. We used the pillows provided to shield the area better and used our own inflatable ones from home. Nights were in the 4-8C range.
Full insurance is a must, there are sections of gravel areas where the road was washed out especially around Tröllaskagi Peninsula and in the Southern part of Snaefellsnes.
Below the full itinerary that I made and did, 2500km in total. Renault Traffic manual averaged 6,6l/100km with my style of driving (legal 90km/h limit etc) for anyone who wants to budget gas.
Day 1 - 04.06.2026
Get Camper, Grindavik, Route through south Reykjanes peninsula, Seljalandsfoss, Skogafoss/ Kvernufoss,
Vik Camping - Decent camping, clean toilets, big albeit crowded common area
Day 2 - 05.06.2026
- Vik area, Dyrholaey, Reynisfjara, Fjadrargljufur (skipped because of rain), Stjórnarfoss, Svínafellsjökull (waited 1h in the parking for rain to clear according to my app, didn't clear so skipped) went back to
Skaftafell Camping - Nice camping area, close to nature, no common area, clean toilets
Rain stopped so evening hike to Skaftafell Glacier
Day 3 - 06.06.2026
Morning hike to Svartifoss, Svínafellsjökull and lagoon, Hof Church, Fjallsjökull and lagoon (rain and fog and cold wind coming down the glacier, were 4C here, not pleasant), Jökulsárlón and Diamond Beach (sun came out, lots of diamonds on the beach too), Hofn for groceries, Hvalnes for the views then enjoyed the sun and the scenic route to
Fossardalur Campsite - Very nice camping, big common area with cooking stations, clean showers and toilets, very rough road to get to, rain started at 21:00 so couldnt visit the waterfalls close to the campsite.
Day 4 - 07.07.2026
Full day rain and fog, driving through East Fjords, Eskifjörður, Egilsstadir then hike to Hengifoss then back to
Egilsstadir Campsite - plan was to camp in Seydisfjordur but it was foggy in the pass and rain in the fjord so stayed at this campsite, could say the second worst i've stayed at. Its the only one with reservation, didnt know so I got the place near the grey water dump, not a problem, they tried to upsell me with an electricity spot but I didnt have an electricity hook up, toilets were dirty, common area was dirty and some Spanish lady stole my glass from my table spot which I confronted her about.
Day 5 - 08.07.2026
Sunny day, nice drive up the pass to Seydisfjordur, enjoyed the waterfalls up the pass, the town and Vestdalsfossar, Búðareyrarfoss near it. Then drove to Bakkagerði for the puffins and camping. Amazing scenery.
Hafnarholmi Camping - stunning location, provided its sunny to see the views and hike a bit up the river from the camping. Small common area and kitchen but it was not so crowded when we stayed. Puffins are about 10km away so not really doable by foot unless you have a few hours.
Day 6 - 09.07.2026
Bakkagerdi - Rjúkandafoss - various scenic stops, Dettifoss (West Side) - horror parking, spent 30min to get a parking spot, Hverir, Dimmuborgir,Skútustaðagígar and off to
CJA camping Laugarr - this for me takes the prize of the worst campsite where I stayed in Iceland. Although parking spaces are big, place is full of midges. What is worse is that there are countless dead midges in the kitchen area and its gross. Common area are 3 small tables in another room around the building so you have to walk out with the cooked food and serve it in the common area. Trash bins are dirty, there is no trash bin inside the eating area where there is a sink to wash dishes so you have to go outside.
Day 7 - 10.07.2026
Godafoss, Akureyri where we spent 3h or so walking the old area and the main street, then drove around Tröllaskagi Peninsula with stops in Ólafsfjörður and Siglufjörður which is very nice and has a museum and ample explanation about the fishing industry. Scenery is amazing in that area so I definetly recommend if the weather is good, final stop Hofsós Camping. Took a stroll around the village, it also has some heated public pools.
Hofsós Camping - nice camping, small common area and few bathrooms (clean) but it was not crowded, we were only 3 campers plus 2 cars with tents. Owner comes and collects payment.
Day 8 - 11.07.2026
Long drive day all the way to Ólafsvík in Snaefellsnes (good weather, sunny and windy) with stops at Grafarkirkja and Víðimýrarkirkja turf churches, Blonduos church, Kidka wool factory shop in Hvammstangi where we got our souvenirs (my wife bought a scarf and I bought a puffin beanie, plus a few small items with puffins for family), then Snaefellsnes with stops at Selvallafoss and Grundarfoss then at Kirkjufjell (honestly Kirkjufell Viewpoint parking is free and has a better view of it rather then the famous waterfall view, my opinion) then drove to Ólafsvík camping. Took a stroll around Ólafsvík during the evening to see the old houses and the fish inspired church and rainbow street.
Ólafsvík Camping - we were tired after a long day so we stopped here rather then going to Hellissandur Camping. Camping was a bit crowded, the bathrooms clean but crowded, common area small and way to crowded so we just prepared food at the camper. To make matters worse the area where we were pointed to was not so level so the camper was a bit like the leaning tower of Pisa.
Day 9 - 12.07.2026
Windy and sunny day, we went round the peninsula, first stop at Rif for some Arctic Tern watching, then Hellissandur which was too windy so we drove around, Saxhóll Crater which we climbed and miraculously we were not blown away by the wind, Djúpalónssandur beach, Visitor center at Malariff with a stroll on flat terrain to Lóndrangar then Arnarstapi, Búðakirkja in Budir, Ytri Tunga (go further away from the place where everyone is stopping near the parking, its much more quiet and peacefull, lots of seals but all of them were swimming in the water) then drive through some high wind towards Mosskogar Camping.
Mosskogar Camping - stayed here 2 nights, very convenient, 20min away from Reykjavik, big common area in a former green house, clean toilets and showers. Sinks for washing dishes are either boiling hot water or glacial cold water, no way to mix between the two so you either freeze your dishes or boil them. Cash payment, in our case, 20eur/person/night, own parking spot which was nice.
Day 10 - 13.07.2026
Thingvellir National park, very very crowded, more like a march through the fissure however if you went on the trails away from the fissure people magically vanished. Then we went to Reykjavik for the afternoon, visited the cathedral, the main square, the commercial puffin streets and went to the old area with embassies to get a feel of the city. Honestly didnt quite like the commercial aspect of the rainbow street selling overpriced made in chine souvenirs. For me Reykjavik felt unfortunately like that souvenir shop at the exit of a great museum. Went back to Mosskogar Camping.
Day 11 - 14.07.2026
This was administrative day, wash the van inside/out, pack all the stuff then hang around Reykjavik for a few hours then to drop off the car at 17:00 to catch the free shuttle to the airport where we stayed for 6h until the flight. It is what it is with the costs of transport and the way everything is priced so you cant optimize anything. There is a souvenir shop in the airport which had lower prices than we saw in Iceland, I got a sort of colored lava bowl which was hand made, I like to get hand made stuff from places I visit and I have a collection at home.
All in all this was my experience in Iceland, 2500km, amazing country, amazing scenery, nature and weather.