I’m excited to dive back into Iceland coverage — it’s on my short list of the most beautiful countries I’ve set foot in, and there’s still much to share from my 8-day camping road trip. Today’s post picks up right after I depart Reykjavik and head north in my rental car to tackle the first stretch of the Ring Road. My destination is the charming port city of Akureyri, a name I struggle to pronounce every time I say it. I’ll share photos from the actual town tomorrow (it’s super cute) but today’s post is about the 6-hour drive from Reykjavik to Akureyri — it can be done in about 4.5 hours, but I take a more scenic route inland to scope out two waterfalls.
Worth noting: heed the speed limit because traffic cameras are ready to catch anyone breaking it. I really only notice cameras within Reykjavik and on Day 1 of this road trip — I hardly encounter them on the rest of the Ring Road. It’s now been five months since my return and I haven’t received a ticket yet… fingers crossed I successfully avoided speeding on camera.
After leaving Reykjavik, I am tempted to pull over for photo ops every other mile — there are dramatic cliffs and moody clouds in every direction. Here are some of the vantage points I stop for:
I spy a pair of Icelandic horses!
Just don’t ask me how Icelandic horses are different for regular horses…
I reach my first stop of the afternoon — two waterfalls right next to each other, Hraunfossar and Barnafoss. They share a parking lot and there’s a short hiking loop with views of each one.
I am really, really happy to be here. I’m also cold.
As the first waterfalls on my Iceland itinerary I find them quite pretty, but in retrospect I realize they aren’t much to write home about because Iceland has other more spectacular falls, and these two are out of the way on an already long driving day. If I had departed Reykjavik at an earlier hour then I would have more time to spare, but I didn’t leave until after 1pm.
Shortly after visiting these waterfalls, I get lost (despite following Google Maps!) and lose at least an hour of time trying to get back to the Ring Road. It turns out that Google Maps doesn’t differentiate between gravel and paved roads, and I end up dead-ending in someone’s backyard. I kick myself for not bringing a special map my sister recommended that shows which roads are gravel.
On the plus side, I get to see a very rural and rugged area of Iceland during this unexpected detour. Here are some photos.
A rainbow!
Around sunset I arrive at the campsite in downtown Akureyri — right next to Iceland Air Hotel — and it takes me nearly two hours to set up camp. There are two factors at play:
1) It’s very windy and starting to rain, so the tent nearly blows away repeatedly while I’m trying to put the stakes in; I wish I had an extra set of hands.
2) it’s my first time setting up this particular tent so naturally it takes me forever; I expect it to come together fairly intuitively but I end up consulting the directions by flashlight mid-process.
It’s really frustrating and I’m just glad when it’s all over. In fact, this is the only photo I take the entire night:
I make ramen noodles in my JetBoil and then crawl into bed, grateful for the fleece blankets I’ve rented from Iceland Camping Equipment. But I’m plagued by doubts about my decision to camp… will every night be this difficult? What if it begins to rain in earnest? Maybe springing $50/night for a hostel dorm bed was the way to go? Time will tell.
After a full night’s sleep, the frustration from last night has dissipated and I snap more photos of the campground. It ends up being the least-appealing campground on this road trip, but it’s still not bad. Here’s my tent in the foreground:
The first of many granola breakfasts inside my rental car:
Now it’s time to explore downtown Akureyri, located just a 10-minute walk from the campground. My sister has promised me that it’s really charming. My goal is to find a cute coffee shop and hunker down with a mug of caffeine while charging my electronic devices. Randomly I happen to be here during the town’s art festival so there are public music performances happening, too — more tomorrow!
Superb write full of useful information. I am dying to get to Iceland from the UK. I will do a winter trip first around Dec/ Jan .
In the North did you get to see the Dettifoss waterfall and the Krafla Lava fields. Also you did not mention the Asbyrgi Canyon also in the vicinity. All must sees for me.
Glad you did the Siffra snorkelling as this is a must for me. Your filming and photo experiences were useful info for me.
The other must do is go inside an ice cave . Apart from that everything is open to negotiate depending on time.
Itried your way of camping when I was in Norway but did not have a car on that trip so I ditched my tent etc for hostels after one night.
Camping in winter in Iceland could be very difficult . Would you have done it if you went in the winter when there could be snow and ice on the ground ? I will have to think on that.
Once again a brilliantly blog full of useful information. Thouroughly enjoyed hearing of your experiences.
Hi Vinod,
Camping in the winter in Iceland is NOT recommended — in fact, the Camping Rental store will not even rent out gear in the winter months because they know it is not safe. If you are a very experienced camper and have camped in snowy weather before, then you can bring your own specialized winter gear.
I had not heard of Asbyrgi Canyon but I just looked at photos of it — quite beautiful. Thank you for suggesting it.
Enjoy the ice cave — these are not open in the summer months so I was not able to try it, but someday I will return in the winter and try ice caving.
Thank you for the kind words, and good luck planning your trip to Iceland! It will be beautiful!
–Erica
Hi Erica! I’ve been secretly reading your blog since I found it
But now that we are travelling to Iceland in June, I wanted to ask you something regarding the roads! Would you have the name or similar of that map that your sister recommended you for the roads? Or something similar that could advise on the type of road before hitting them?
Thanks a lot in advance!
Hi Sara! So I asked my sister, and this is the map she brought with her to Iceland, which showed if roads were paved vs. gravel. According to the map’s description on Amazon:
“In addition to a clearly marked road network, with distances and destinations of both major and main roads, the map also delivers an abundance of specialized content not found in traditional road maps. An index of cities and towns will help you arrive at your destination quickly. Recreational, ecological, cultural, and historic points of interest as well as secondary roads, remote tracks, secluded paths and ferry routes will aid in your exploration both on and off the beaten path.”
I asked my sister for more info (since she used this map and I did not) and she was quick to point out that even this map is not perfectly accurate — she describe it as occasionally fuzzy: like what she would call “paved” and what they call “paved” is not always the same. That said, Google maps was definitely not accurate all the time (as I described in this particular post when it told me to drive through someone’s backyard and there clearly was no road there). So this map could be a good secondary map to consult if Google Maps gives you wonky directions. I hope that helps!
We went to Iceland last spring, it was really amazing! Thank so much for your work and info! It was my second time i have visited Iceland but after reading your inspiration and want to jump on the plane again.
Thanks Wouter! Your site looks like it has a lot of great resources!
Planning an 8 day trip to Iceland in Mid March. Would love to see North, South and Reykjavik. Do you think I have enough time to visit Akureyri/Myvatn area as well as South (to Jokulsarlon) and then back to Reykjavik? I hear that driving around entire ring in mid march is not advised. Is driving North And then heading back South via Reykjavik ok? Is ring road heading north a nightmare or is it driveable. From northeast of US so able to drive in snow.
Hi Brandon, I wish I had an answer for you, but my trip was in late September so I did not have to deal with snow. I don’t know how bad the roads are in March. But your concerns are valid and I hope you can find someone who can vouch for typical weather / road conditions at that time of year. Good luck planning your trip!
Hello Erica, I live in Iceland and plan trips for visitors and I must say I’m pretty impressed with your road trip and your overall traveling around the world of course
Happy trails.
Thank you, Villi! I looked at your website, very nice. What a beautiful country you live in!
Hi,
Just wondering whether you felt rushed driving the distance between Reykjavík and akureyri in 1 day?
Yes, for two reasons: 1) I did not leave Reykjavik until after 12noon (I intended to leave earlier but got a late start), and 2) I got lost after leaving the waterfalls. If I had started my trip earlier in the day and not gotten lost, it would have been do-able.
Hi Erica,
So I have been reading your blog since I reckon last year. Me and my wife are going for our honeymoon to Iceland and after reading your blog both of us have decided to go the camping way.
I will probably be taking the exact route you have suggested in your map links (cause I am obviously so inspired by the way you have written about Iceland). I just have two questions,
1. Should I rent a normal car or is it necessary to rent a 4X4 to do the same route as yours?
2. I am planning to directly go to Myavtn rather than spending a night at Akuyreri on the first day as I feel the distance between the two is really less. What’s your view on this.
P.s : I have in all 7 days starting 14th August and flying out early morning 21st.
Hello, thank you for the kind words!
RE: the type of rental car — I had a 4WD vehicle, but my sister did this exact same trip in a regular car — she said there were some rough parts in the road that made her nervous, but that by driving slowly and carefully they were able to maneuver around them just fine (this was in July when snow wasn’t an issue). Hope that helps as you make your decision.
RE: your question about going directly to Myvatn on day 1 – that is a great idea. It’s definitely worth stopping in Akureyri to walk around and see the downtown area (it’s not too big). But then pressing on to Myvatn for the evening sounds great. Just get an early start leave Reykjavik so you aren’t rushed since that is a long day of driving.
Have fun!!
Thank you Erica
How did you find campsites. I’m planning on a trip late September and renting a campervan. I can’t seem to find a list of campsites.
Thanks Jo
Hello! I found most of these sites from my sister, who did a similar trip to Iceland shortly before I went there. I did not book any in advance; I just showed up and paid upon arrival, and then you can pitch your tent in any open space on each property. At the height of summer it might be a good idea to get there earlier (maybe before dinnertime?) to be sure to snag a spot. Good luck with your trip!
Hi Erica. My wife and I are planning a trip and I’ve done a good bit of research so far. I found your posts/information to be the very best – thank you for taking the time to help others!
I am curious as to whether you think the western peninsula is worth a visit?
Also, it sounded like you picked up your vehicle at the airport but returned it in Reykjavik? We’re thinking about spending the last night at an airport hotel to minimize any last minute issues.
Thanks again, Rick.
Hi Rick! Thanks for the kind words. RE: the western peninsula, I did not have time in my itinerary to get there, but hope to see it whenever I have the chance to return to Iceland as I head the landscape is remarkable there. I hope you get there on your trip! RE: the vehicle, I did pick it up at the airport and return it in Reykjavik. That rental company had the option of dropping it off at their office in town, which I appreciated. I mainly did it to avoid paying for another 24 hours with the car since I was seeing things on foot in Reykjavik on my final day, and the shuttle to the airport is cheap and reliable. Good luck planning your trip!