Campervan or hire car?
That is the first decision, and it depends on the season. From June to September the campervan is the freest way to see Iceland: you drive until it’s beautiful, and you stay. There are campsites in every village, they cost 15 to 25 francs per person, and wild camping has been banned since 2015, so you need the sites anyway. Outside the season a campervan gets cold and dark; then a hire car with hotels is the better choice, with the northern lights thrown in.
Price-wise there is little between the two: a campervan for two costs 150 to 250 francs a day in summer and replaces the hotel; a small car costs 60 to 100 francs, plus 150 to 250 francs a night for a hotel. If you are travelling as a group of four, a hire car and hotels often work out cheaper.
I book vehicle and accommodation with the operators below – they specialise in Iceland, and for campervans and hire cars they let you compare every rental company. If you want to enquire with each rental company individually you can, but it takes a lot more time.
Which vehicle?
For the Ring Road a normal campervan or small car is enough – it is paved all the way round. You need a 4x4 if you want to go into the highlands (F-roads, July to September only, river crossings) or the Westfjords, where many roads are still gravel. In winter a 4x4 is a must, whatever the route.
Don’t skimp on insurance: gravel damage (Gravel Protection) and sandstorm damage (Sand and Ash) are real risks in Iceland, not sales pitches. The full-cover option at Discover Cars covers the excess, and the campervan rentals offer similar packages.
The route: the Ring Road in ten days
I drive clockwise, so you get the highlights of the south right at the start and the quiet Eastfjords in the middle. Day 1 Keflavík – Reykjavík (arrive, pick up the vehicle). Day 2 Golden Circle: Þingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss, night in Hveragerði, for example at the Greenhouse Hotel. Day 3 south coast: Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss, Vík. Day 4 Skaftafell and the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, night at the Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon. Day 5 Höfn and the Eastfjords to Fáskrúðsfjörður (Fosshotel Eastfjords). Day 6 Egilsstaðir – Dettifoss – Mývatn. Day 7 Mývatn, whale watching in Húsavík, night in Aðaldalur (Hotel Rauðaskriða). Day 8 Akureyri and the north to Borgarnes. Day 9 Snæfellsnes peninsula. Day 10 back to Reykjavík (Hotel Reykjavík Saga) or to the Blue Lagoon and the Northern Light Inn near the airport.
With a campervan you swap the hotels for the campsites in the same places; all of those mentioned have one.
My tips for the Iceland loop
- Fill up whenever you pass a petrol station – in the east there can be up to 150 kilometres between them, and many pumps are unmanned (credit card with PIN required).
- Buy groceries at Bónus or Krónan, not in the petrol station shops; alcohol is only sold at the Vínbúðin.
- Book tours like glacier hikes, ice caves or whale watching in advance – in summer the good slots are gone weeks ahead.
Guided tours instead of a campervan
If you would rather not drive yourself: these are the most-booked Iceland tours on TourRadar – all from Reykjavík, with guide, hotels and breakfast, the Ring Road in six to eight days.
Prices are indicative, converted from TourRadar prices (as of November 2026, per person in a double room, rate 1 US$ = 0.82 CHF); TourRadar shows the exact price in francs when you click, free cancellation depending on the operator. Operator photos from TourRadar, the other pictures are my own. Affiliate links: if you book through one of these links I earn a small commission – the price stays the same for you, and sometimes you even get an extra discount.