Travel journal and itinerary written by Stevie Rozean, Founder + Lead Designer of Wildly Collective

At Wildly, we plan and design adventurous weddings and elopements, so we think this itinerary would be great for our fellow explorers in search of an adventurous elopement, honeymoon, anniversary trip or just a fun trip with your partner.

If you’re in search of our day-by-day itinerary for traveling Iceland in 7 days, scroll to the bottom of this post.

Iceland was a trip I had been anticipating for years. My obsession with it occurred when most millennials got the bug-- as Instagram boomed and “influencers” began posting all their vlogs and photos of the magical place to social media and YouTube. At the time, I was in a basement office job— the absolute worst position for someone like me— in which I finished my work within a few hours of my 8-hour shift and with the rest of my time watched hours and hours of vlogs featuring Iceland.

Almost 4 years later and I still couldn’t get it out of my head. So, my husband and I bought our plane tickets and rented a campervan, planning our adventure for a couple months later in July.

We had 7 days (minus travel time) to explore all of Iceland. Our hope was to drive the entirety of Ring Road (821 miles total), which runs a loop around the entire country.

When we arrived in Iceland and picked up our campervan I asked the attendant if it was possible to drive the entirety of Ring Road in 7 days. He responded, “Probably not.”

We took his answer as a challenge and, without hesitation, began our adventure.

I’m always impacted by travel in ways I don’t expect, and this trip was no different. We took our trip during a time when I had let work take over my life, not allowing myself rest or space to be present. Iceland awakened my lost self and encouraged me to honor what my heart needed. The vast landscapes gave me space to breathe and the warm springs we dipped in each day offered a closeness I had forgotten.

Iceland was another planet— one that brought me back to myself.

I hope this itinerary guides you in creating an adventure of your own and you allow your trip to teach you things you may not expect.

take a campervan around iceland for honeymoon

First, some fAQs about traveling by campervan in Iceland:

Why travel by campervan?

I’m so glad we traveled by campervan. Traveling this way allowed us to move at our own pace, staying longer in places we loved and moving faster through places we weren’t as excited about. We also were able to travel at night, when everyone else was asleep. We were able to go off the beaten path and explore as much or as little as we wanted, not bound by hotel/Airbnb reservations or a shuttle bus full of other people. Also, our bed was always with us. We took naps whenever we pleased!

Is it safe to drive Ring Road in a week?

My husband and I have lots of experience road tripping and are capable of driving for long periods of time. If you aren’t used to this kind of travel, driving Ring Road in a week may not be for you. On average, we spent about 5 hours driving each day (give or take, based on the day), and we had one flat tire during the trip. Keep in mind that some of the roads are not paved and the speed limit is about 55 MPH (90 KM) on average.

What are some unique spots in Iceland?

Of course we hit all the major spots you may have heard about in Iceland, like Blue Lagoon, Black Sand Beach, Glacier Lagoon, Skogafoss, etc (see itinerary below), and they were all breathtaking and so worth it! But if you’re looking for some spots that are more unique and off the beaten-path, these were our favorites.

GeoSea - Geothermal Sea Baths - It was the first thing we paid to do, and it was definitely worth it. It’s an upscale natural pool on the edge of the Arctic Ocean. The building was modern, clean and set on the edge of a cliff. It paired with the Icelandic landscape so beautifully. Before getting in the pools we took nude showers in the very fancy “locker” rooms. The springs were structured as infinity pools. Mountains frosted with snow sat in the distance and a light ran covered us as we relaxed in the springs. We shared a cocktail (from the swim up bar) and watched as dolphins popped up every now and then in the ocean below.

Hvalnes Nature Reserve Beach - We stumbled upon the reserve looking for a place to sleep. When we arrived, the sky was pink and deep blue with wisps of clouds passing through the jagged mountains. The reserve was at the edge of an ocean inlet; it was so still that it looked like a lagoon. Hundreds of white swans rested on the water. We parked our van at the water's edge and fell asleep with the window cracked open— a slight breeze and the occasional voice of a swan drifting in.

Hverfjall Crater Rim - A hike to the top of a dormant volcano, one of the steepest stretches I’ve seen. The entire crater was an otherworldly site, black in color and stark against the landscape. The rim was miles long, you could see tiny people hiking the furthest edge in the distance.

The city of Ísafjörður - Our stop in Ísafjörður excited me. It was a tiny fishing town with a flare of hipster, nestled in the middle of the West Fjords. The mountains, disguised by fog, rose up around it. Fishing boats that looked like they came straight out of a 1900’s novel rested in the bay. The town was filled with multicolored houses connected to one another. White trimmed all the windows. We ate seafood for dinner there, then got pastries at a local bakery the next morning.

Birkimelur Swimming Pool + Spring - Settled behind the swimming pool is the more beautiful hot spring. It sits right at the edge of the ocean. We arrived at 10 pm and had the spot to ourselves as the sun passed behind the mountain peaks.

Látrabjarg - The cliffs make you feel like you’re on the set of Pride and Prejudice. They are covered in vibrant green grass and roll higher and higher into the distance. The edge drops out of nowhere. If you aren’t careful, you could easily fall off into the Atlantic. My favorite part of the cliffs were the thousands and thousands of birds that nest along its face. We’d lay on our bellies, scootch to the edge and look over to catch a glimpse of the rare Puffin.

Can you explore at night in Iceland?

If you’re traveling to Iceland during peak season (summer), the sky will remain light nearly the entire day. Yes, even at 3 AM you’ll still be able to drive without your headlights on. This makes it an ideal time to see beautiful spots without all the people around. If you’re able to safely stay awake during these hours, we highly recommend doing some exploring.

What do you eat when traveling by campervan in Iceland?

We only splurged a couple times on restaurant food in Iceland. It’s really expensive. We mainly stocked up on groceries at local stores and ate gas station hot dogs (a specialty in Iceland), which were honestly SO good. Head to Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur to taste the best in the country. Our campervan came with a mini fridge and a propane stove, so we were able to make decent meals during our travels.

Where do you camp in Iceland?

There are campsites and campgrounds all around Iceland. We didn’t make any reservations prior to our trip and found campsites relatively easily. Often, we just parked at a pull off on the side of the road for the night.

Did you use a map to get around Iceland?

Before we left the US we downloaded the entire map of Iceland on Google Maps to our phones, that way we could access it without data or wifi. Here’s how to do that.