Epic Iceland Ring Road 7-Day Itinerary (realistic In winter)

Iceland offers something for every type of traveler. From its waterfalls to caves, black beaches to relaxing lagoons, you will find a place that will stay forever in your memory.

We had the opportunity to explore this amazing country for 7 days in winter in a campervan.

If you are planning to do the same, this blog is made for you.

Table of Content

Things to know beforehand

Payment – we could pay for everything with a card, although to use certain amenities like washing machines, coins can be handy. Sometimes you pay at a reception, and sometimes it is self-service.

Stay Connected – If you are traveling from another EU country, your internet package will cover you here as well. It is really important to be always connected in Iceland. If you are visiting outside of EU, make sure to get your e-sim from Airalo beforehand.

Winter campsites – I have an extensive blog where I walk you through the campsites we stayed at each night. Do not plan a trip before reading this blog – Ultimate Guide to Winter Campsites on Iceland’s Ring Road. Next to the campsites we stayed at, I also researched other campsites open in winter.

Winter driving in Iceland – I have gathered all you need to know from must-have apps to mistakes to avoid in Traveling with campervan in Iceland – complete guide.

7 Days Ring-Road itinerary

Disclaimer: some of the links are affiliate links, meaning that if you use them to book your hotel or purchase a product or service, I will receive a small commission with no effect on your cost.

Day 1 – Arrival & Blue Lagoon

Keflavik International Airport is one of the main airport of the Iceland. It is the closest one to the capital city, Reykjavik. It is around an hour’s drive. Therefore, if you are planning to stay the first night in Reykjavik, plan accordingly.

It is a small airport. It took us only 15 minutes to get out of the plane and get our luggage. Of course, we were coming from another Schengen country, so we did not have to go through customs.

Getting the VAN

We rent out our campervan via CampEasy. They offer a free airport pick-up shuttle. The rental office was only 10 minutes drive away. You can read my “Driving a campervan in Iceland Guide” for all you need to know about renting and driving a campervan in Iceland in winter. We chose a regular campervan, but I highly recommend opting for 4WD. We did not have any issues, but it would be easier to drive on snowy and icy roads.

The campervan has heating and a fridge, which includes duvets, pillows, a gas can, and kitchenware.

When you travel with a campervan, your first stop is always the grocery store. The Bonus store near the airport is the largest and most popular place to buy the essentials. After getting groceries for a few days, we headed to our first iconic stop, the Blue Lagoon.

Stop 1. Blue Lagooon

The drive is about 20 minutes from the airport. A few weeks ago, the area was closed due to a volcanic eruption. And naturally, the Blue Lagoon was closed. Therefore, always check the road before heading to any destination in Iceland. You can easily check it on SafeTravel.is app on your phone.

The Blue Lagoon is not just your average swimming pool. The water here is naturally heated by underground volcanic activity, making it warm and soothing year-round. Plus, it’s packed with minerals like silica and sulfur, which are said to have all sorts of health benefits for your skin.

I am so happy that we came here first. Otherwise, with our packed road trip itinerary, we would have missed this experience. We booked a comfort admission online. It included a silica mud mask and the first drink of choice. You can get a premium admission if you want to try lava and mineral masks.

Do not rush to the mask bar. Take as much time as you need getting warm in the lagoon. So when you apply the mask, you feel less cold. You should keep the mask on for 10-15 minutes. And do not forget to ask for the lip balm.

After 15 minutes, you can wash your mask and feel your skin getting smoother. The next stop is the bar. Of course, you can feel fancy and go for a wine. But I highly recommend the Green Smoothie. It really freshened me up after the flight. We enjoyed the lagoon until its closing time. It was clean and not overcrowded, as I sometimes saw in videos.

Campsite – Thingvellir National Park

We decided to drive to the Thingvellir National Park campsite to spend the night. Waking up there will save us more time tomorrow.

Day 2 – Golden Circle

The second day is dedicated to visiting the iconic places along the Golden Circle.

The Thingvellir National Park campsite is 4 minutes drive away from the park entrance. Keep in mind that almost every parking area in Iceland is paid, and it costs approximately 7 euros per day. There is no hourly rate.

Stop 1. Thingvellir National Park

This national park is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This place symbolizes the history of Iceland. Iceland’s parliament was founded here in the 900s. Many significant events in the country’s history have taken place here. That is not the only uniqueness of this place. You can walk through the rift valley that divides the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. This valley is partly filled with groundwater and is the largest natural lake in Iceland. This is the only place on Earth where you can directly dive between the two tectonic plates.

If you want to get close to waterfalls, you should wear crampons. It would be cheaper to pack them with you than to buy them in Iceland, since everything is more expensive here. When in Thingvellir National Park, make sure to walk all the way to Oxarafoss waterfall. Although it was half-frozen, it still looked beautiful.

Stop 2. Geysir

Our next stop on the Golden Circle is Geysir. The Geysir Centre has a cafe, restaurant, and shop. Local woolen items are the best keepsakes from Iceland.

Geysir is strongly related to earthquake activities. In the past, they had erupted so violently that they trembled all the valley around. It has been years since the last eruption of the Great Geysir, even though it is active. If there were an earthquake, the Geysir could become more regular again.

However, its brother Strokkur Geysir is erupting and can hurl boiling water up to 35m in the air.

During our visit, it erupted a few times. We saw a double eruption and also a very high one. It is very exciting to watch it, hear it, and feel its warmth.

After this exciting experience, we realized that we were hungry. We ordered Icelandic lamb soup and fish soup to get warm and full to continue our journey along the Golden Circle.

Stop 3. Gullfoss

The next iconic stop is Gullfoss, which literally means the golden waterfall. You can already guess that the Golden Circle name actually comes from this waterfall, and you are absolutely right. There are several viewpoints to see this majestic waterfall from different angles.

Stop 4. Kerid crater

Our last stop along the Golden Circle is the Kerid Crater. The lake in the middle was frozen, so we did not walk there. In warmer weather, however, it should be possible to see the red volcanic rock and the aquamarine lake better. The view from the top was enjoyable as well. It is also a very popular spot for northern lights viewing. However, the weather conditions were not on our side.

Campsite – Sellfoss campsite

As the sun set, we drove to our campsite for the night, Sellfoss Campsite.

Day 3 – Chasing waterfalls in South Iceland

Today is all about visiting the most beautiful waterfalls in the south of Iceland.

Stop 1. Urridafoss

Our first stop is Urridafoss, locally known as Salmon Falls. I would say it is one of the most underrated waterfalls in Iceland. It is located on the longest river in Iceland and is the last waterfall before the river flows into the Atlantic Ocean. In terms of water displacement, the Urridafoss is the largest waterfall in Iceland, with 360 m3 per second.

Stop 2. Seljalandsfoss & Gljúfrabúi

Seljalandsfoss is another unique waterfall on our route. It falls over steep cliffs, making it possible to walk behind it. Since we visited during the winter, the path behind the waterfall was closed due to the risk of falling ice. You can walk along the cliff and enjoy the small waterfalls from different parts.

Here is the best experience of the day – the hidden waterfall behind the cliff. It is located less than a kilometer from Seljalandsfoss, yet it manages to remain hidden from visitors. To get closer to Gljúfrabúi, you have to walk through the small river. There is a huge boulder you can climb to get a unique angle for pictures. Since the weather was freezing cold, it was covered with ice, although some visitors managed to get on it with crampons. Keep in mind that getting inside means getting wet for sure.

Stop 3. Skogafoss

Skogafoss is the famous Game of Thrones waterfall in Iceland, where Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen rode dragons and landed near the stunning cascades.

There is a stairway to the top, where you can see the waterfall’s starting point. During the journey, I stopped several times and wondered whether it was the right decision to climb, but the view was totally worth it.

Campsite – Skaftafel campsite

After having dinner with this iconic view, we drove to Skaftafel Campsite, to be closer to our next destination in the morning.

Day 4 – Jökulsárlón & Diamond Beach

At night, we went northern light hunting until 3 a.m. Although the prediction showed that the sky would be clear, it was not. The odds were not in our favor, so we ended up sleeping at 4 a.m. and starting the day late.

Skaftafell campsite was the cleanest campsite we had stayed at so far, so we took a shower, freshened up, and hit the road.

stop 1. Jökulsárlón

Jökulsárlón is Iceland’s most famous glacier lagoon. It was formed around 1935. Since 1920, due to rapidly raising temperatures, Breiðamerkurjökull has been shrinking at a dramatic rate, and the lagoon has begun to fill its space.

Today, the expansion of Jökulsárlón is accelerating. In 1975, it had less than half its current surface area. In the relatively near future, the lagoon is expected to grow until it becomes a large, deep fjord. I wonder if we will be able to see it then, too.

If you can start the day earlier, I highly recommend joining one of the ice cave tours in the area. Make sure to book in advance, as many tours limit group sizes.

stop 2. diamond beach

Right across the glacier lagoon is the famous Diamond Beach. You don’t have to pay for parking separately. Also, since we stayed at Skaftafell campsite, we got a 50% discount on the parking here.

The beach gets its name from the large and small chunks of ice that are washed to its black sand coast. The ice blocks on Diamond Beach come from the Vatnajokull glacier. Every time you visit the beach, you will see a different scenery. How beautiful is that?

Be careful when you walk close to the ocean or take pictures along the beach, as the ocean is not the most merciful thing out here. We saw waves taking away the photographer’s tripod as he ran away from the sea. But, if you keep a safe distance, you can enjoy walking along the black beach. We also saw a seal swimming through the vawes. There is even a beach in Iceland where they gather to rest. We will come across it later on our trip.

stop 3. hotel stadarborg

It was our last day enjoying the south of Iceland, and now it was time to drive east. In the evening, we were tired and hungry and still had more than an hour of drive. I am grateful that Hotel Stadarborg accepted us for dinner so we could have delicious food and rest a bit.

Campsite – egilsstadir campsite

We stayed at Egilsstadir campsite for the night.

Day 5 – East of Iceland

One of the most beautiful sights in the East of Iceland is Studlagil Canyon. This was going to be our first activity of the day until we got stuck in the snow.

We overestimated the capabilities of our campervan. Although it was not an impassible or F road, it was heavily covered with snow. Within a few minutes, we saw a snow-cleaning car passing by the main road. Luckily, he stopped for us. Unfortunately, we did not have a rope, and luckily, he had one. So, within a few seconds, we were out of the snow. Next time in Iceland, we will make sure to ask the car renter to put a rope in the van.

stop 1. Studlagil Canyon

After this adventurous morning, we hit the road again. We arrived at the main entrance of the Studlagil Canyon. You need to walk down next to the parking area. Oh boy, the steps were covered with ice. Some parts were challenging, but the moment we saw the beauty of the canyon, we were in awe.

Since it was covered with ice, we did not walk down to the river. However, in summertime, that should not be a problem. This natural formation of basalt rock columns is impressive.

stop 2. dottafoss

Our next stop is Dottafoss, the most powerful waterfall in Europe. We were not lucky this time. The last km of the road was impassible. Always check the read conditions at this app before heading for your destination.

stop 3. Hverir & earth lagoon

As we followed the ring road, we arrived in the Myvatn area. This is also a popular geothermal area with bubbling mud pools and steaming fumaroles. Close to Hverir, you can smell the sulfur gas coming from the Earth.

It has been several days since we swam in a lagoon, and we decided to head to Earth Lagoon (formerly Myvatn Nature Baths), the north’s answer to the famous Blue Lagoon. We had traditional Icelandic lamp soup at the restaurant before heading to the bath.

Earth Lagoon features a large milky blue lagoon, steam baths with a view, and a smaller hot sitting pool. We enjoyed the evening here. If I were to compare it to Blue Lagoon, it was less crowded, did not have masks or smoothies, but did offer water, which is essential for staying hydrated in warm water.

campsite – hamrar

After a relaxing evening, we drove to our campsite near Akureyri to end the day.

Other Activities

Currently (Feb 2026), Earth Lagoon is closed due to construction. I would highly recommend visiting Forest Lagoon in Akureyri. In winter, lagoons in northern Iceland are usually less crowded.

During our visit, the whale watching season was closed. If you manage, make sure to book a toor from Akureyri.

Day 6 – On the way to the West of Iceland and seeing Northern Lights

Today, we are driving to the west.

stop 1. reykafoss & Fosslaug

Our first stop is Reykafoss waterfall. Only a few meters away from this beautiful view is a geothermal pool, Fosslaug.

We also got very close to Icelandic horses, seeing their real beauty very closeby. We visited nearby farms, but didn’t have any excursion bookings. Several farms offer two or three-hour horse ride excursions.

stop 2. grabdor crater

The 170-meter-high Grabdor crater is the largest crater in the Grabrokrhraun lava field. You can climb to the top of the crater and enjoy a panoramic view.

stop 3. Hraunfossar & Bernafoss waterfalls

Perhaps one of the most beautiful waterfalls we have seen in Iceland is Hraunfossar. This waterfall is very special as the water flows underground before it appears from the walls. You can not see a starting point of pouring water. Its crystal clear blue color water is glacial water from the Langjokull glacier. As you cross the nearby bridge, you can discover a second waterfall, Bernafoss.

stop 4. DeildartunguhVer & Krauma thermal spa

Deildartunguhver is the highest-flowing hot spring in Europe. You can feel the heat of boiling water behind the fences. Right next to it, you can visit the Krauma Thermal Spa. It costs €41 per person, and is definitely less crowded than other popular spas.

stop 5. Settlement Center in Borgarness

The Settlement Center in Borgarness is the only museum we’ve visited in Iceland. It has two exhibitions. The first one takes you back to the Viking Age and walks you through the history of Iceland. We learned about the first Vikings to arrive in Iceland and the first settlement across the island. The vegetation was so dense that even after settling here, people still traveled by water.

We learned a lot about the island during this interactive tour, and with the new knowledge, our perspective toward the place we had already visited changed.

The second exhibition is about the legendary Viking and poet Egil Skallagrimsson. As we learned more about Egil’s saga, we were also introduced to their daily lives, sports, and traditions. The second tour was more mystical, filled with old Viking beliefs and sorcery. The audioguides are well-prepared and take you through the history.

After the tour, we had dinner in the settlement center restaurant. I had mashed fish and potatoes while my husband enjoyed a hamburger.

Campsite – Snorrastadir Farm Holidays & Northern lights

We arrived at Snorrastadir Farm Holidays to camp for the night, and when we opened the door to leave the van, we saw the beauty. We drove a bit away from the campsite to enjoy the lights even more. It was not the strongest aurora, and the show we saw in Lapland or Norway was more magnificent, but it was still beautiful to see them and feel the magic.

Two tools can help you to predict where and when to see them. One is the Aurora app. It shows the prediction and cloud coverage during the night. The second one is the Space Weather Prediction Centre website. It provides a short-term forecast of the location and intensity of the aurora.

Day 7 – Snaefelsness Peninsula & Sky Lagoon

On our last day on the road, we will enjoy the nature of the Snaefelsness Peninsula. It is such an underrated area! I wish we skipped the north and spent more time here.

stop 1. gerduberg cliff

Gerduberg is a row of perfectly shaped hexagonal basalt columns that run along a cliff. This perfect shape is a result of a river of lava running off the cliffs in very equal flows and the sea rapidly cooling them. You can also walk to the top of the cliff. As we have a limited day light, we continued on our route.

stop 2. Olkelda mineral spring

Further on the road, we stopped at Olkelda Mineral Spring. Here, you can taste naturally carbonated mineral water. The ground is red from the high amount of iron in the water. People have different opinions on the taste. I kind of liked it.

stop 3. ytri tunga seal beach

Did you know there is a beach in Iceland where seals gather to rest? It is called Ytri Tunga and is known as the seal beach. Seals and Icelanders have an interesting relationship. Seals were vital for their survival; they used their meat, fat, and skin to survive the harsh times on the island. However, seals also appear in folklore as mysterious and beautiful selkies. Unlike other Nordic countries, Iceland did not depict them as evil.

stop 4. arnarstapi & stone bridge

The next stop is Arnarstapi. This town used to be an important trading post. Today, it is popular among hikers who enjoy the cliffs and rock formations on its coast.

You can already spot the huge Bardur statue from the parking lot. According to an Icelandic saga, this half-troll, half-man was the protector of the Snaefelssness peninsula.

We started our walk around the coast and enjoyed the view of the natural arches. There is one that you can walk on, called the stone bridge.

Arnarstapi is what I always imagined when I thought of an Icelandic town: a view of snowy mountains, small red houses, and beautiful cliffs. We spent quite some time here enjoying a cup of tea and the view.

stop 5. sky Lagoon

As some roads were impassible, we decided to head to Reykjavik for our last night.

We ended the evening at Sky Lagoon. We ordered soup and some toast. The food was delicious. We had the sky pass, which also included a private changing area.

The entrance to the lagoon was beautiful. It felt special as we swam in the warm water surrounded by walls. Honestly, the water did not feel as sulfuric as other lagoons.

There are several packages, and you can enjoy this place with the basic one. In our case, only the 7-step ritual package was available to book. It comes with the access to provate changing room and shower!

Step 1 Getting warm in the lagoon.
Step 2 Cold Plunge (yes, you can!)
Step 3 Sauna with a beautiful ocean view.
Step 4 Walking through a refreshing cold mist.
Step 5 Enjoy the sky body scrub. You gently massage the scrub into your skin. Don’t rush into washing off the scrub.
Step 6 The steam room. The steam will help to absorb the mineral elements of the scrub and hydrate your skin.
Step 7 Relaxing shower before going back to the warm lagoon.

Day 8 – Handing over the van

On our last day, we woke up in Reykjavik Campsite and went to Grái kötturinn for breakfast. Grái kötturinn means The Grey Cat. There is an Icelandic saying that if you linger around the same place for a long time and frequently, then you are like a grey cat to that place.

After breakfast, we did some shopping on Laugavegur Street. Then, it was time to drive back to Keflavik to return the van. We had to return the van by noon. However, our flight was the next day at 6 a.m.

So we checked in to Aurora Airport Hotel. If you arrive in Keflavik Airport in the early morning or have an early morning flight like us, this is the place to stay. We ordered dinner via the Wolt app, and saw Aurora from the window. We could also get a bus to Reykjavik and return in the evening, but after seven days of traveling across the island, the rest was much appreciated. Breakfast is served at 4 a.m., so we had breakfast before walking to the airport.

Final thoughts

I felt the bittersweetness of leaving Iceland. Seven days is definitely not enough time to absorb all the experiences the island has to offer. We will be back, hopefully soon.

The weather in Iceland is very unpredictable. Therefore, everyone’s journey can look different. We didn’t rush to see everything, and be realistic with the time we had. I advice you to do the same. Enjoy each moment and trust the journey.