Southern Iceland Winter Itinerary: Ultimate 9 Day Road Trip Guide
If you’re anything like us, you’re probably questioning your sanity right about now. You’re probably thinking, what am I doing booking a getaway to somewhere freezing cold in the middle of winter? Well we are here to say, “do not panic”! Going to Iceland in winter was one the best decisions we ever made. If you’re down for hiking on glaciers, touching icebergs and seeing arctic foxes race across the snowy tundra then you’re in the right spot. Keep reading cause Jesse and I are here to help you build the perfect 9 day itinerary for your trip.
This Southern Iceland winter itinerary outlines exactly how we spent 9 days road tripping Iceland by campervan, visiting glaciers, ice caves, waterfalls, hot springs, and iconic viewpoints.
At a Glance: Southern Iceland Winter Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Reykjavik + Blue Lagoon
Day 2: Golden Circle
Day 3: Sólheimajökull Glacier Hike
Day 4: Plane Wreck, Black Sand Beach, Vik
Day 5: Blue Ice Glacier Experience
Day 6: Fjallsárlón, Jökulsárlón, Diamond Beach
Day 7–8: Fjaðrárgljúfur, Reykjadalur, Sky Lagoon
Day 9: Fly Home
For everything we packed, check out our Iceland Winter Packing List.
Day 1 - Reykjavik – Southern Iceland Winter Itinerary
Quick Recap:
Pick up your camper van
Explore Reykavik city center
Unwind at Blue Lagoon
End day at your first Campsite
It’s our advice to pick up your campervan at the airport the day you arrive, before you head into the city. We had a hiccup with our flights and actually ended up arriving 1 day earlier, which meant we were without our van for the first day. This was a costly hiccup. Iceland is expensive and having to make alternate transportation arrangements into the city really made the overall trip costs skyrocket.
Reykjavik city center is a must see in our opinion! Although compact, this walkable area features a bucket list attraction, the Hallgrímskirkja church. I still can’t pronounce it to this day. Photos really don’t do it justice. If you’re there at night, you’ll even get a light show.
Enjoying fresh cinnamon buns in the shadow of the Hallgrímskirkja church
If you’re taking your time and going into the local shops and cafes, you could spend an entire afternoon here. One stop we can’t recommend enough is the Brauð & co. cinnamon buns. We like to think our ourselves as cinnamon bun connoisseurs, trying them all over the world and we gave this cinnamon bun top two (our number one pick is a little bakery in Toronto!). At the end of our trip we even went out of our way to come back and get more before flying off. Another one of our top food recommendations in the city are the local Icelandic hot dogs. Víkinga Pylsur is a popular stand that’s located just the left of the the Hallgrímskirkja church. This will run you about $7 USD a hot dog but completely worth it. Jesse went back for multiple seconds.
After we spent some time exploring the city we treated ourselves to the Blue Lagoon. This was definitely a bucket list activity for us and was an extremely cool experience. The water really is as blue as you see in all the photo’s - no photoshop here! The Blue Lagoon is great if you want to check off a unique experience and do the famous mud masks. Although we caution it’s not the relaxing spa experience that we thought it might be given it can be extremely crowded and is kid friendly.
We found this quiet little corner of the Spa to enjoy together!
The plan was to end our day at the Grindavík Campsite but as it turned out, it had closed for the season the night before! Their website clearly still showed them being open and even had a note about being a year round campground. We ended up having to drive another 45 minutes just to reach the next spot. Thankfully Strandakirkja Camping is not only open year round (for real) but also turns out be one of the only free camping spots on the island.
We highly recommend if you’re campervanning, make sure when you’re booking your spots that you doublecheck to ensure it’s open in the winter as most are not. Go Campers has a great map showcasing the campsites based on seasonality.
Day 2 - Golden Circle
Quick Recap:
See Geysir Hot Spring go off
Walk along the edge of Gullfoss Falls
Overnight at Skogar Campsite
We woke up around 9:30am with the sunrise, had a coffee and made some breakfast in the van before heading out. For day 2, we wanted to explore the Golden Circle. We heard a lot of back and forth about whether this was worth having to dedicate the entire day to but we loved it. The drive itself was probably our favourite part.
We found these two picture perfect Icelandic horses
Everywhere you looked was another opportunity to stop and take photos like this one of the Icelandic horses! We even ended up stopping by an old volcano lava chamber we spotted on the side of the road. So make sure you budget extra time so you can enjoy some unexpected views.
Jesse looking down into an old lava pool
Once we got to the Geysirs we spent an hour there which was honestly plenty. Stick around long enough to watch it go off a few times and then jump back in the van for the next stop. For us that was Gullfoss Falls. Keep in mind, in the winter there is only about 5 hours of daylight so it’m important to plan accordingly so you don’t end up missing out.
We ended our day at Skogar campsite. This was essential as we had a glacier hike planned for the next day and with an early start time, it was key to be camping nearby.
Day 3 - Sólheimajökull Glacier Hike
Quick Recap
Sólheimajökull Glacier Hike
Back to Skogar Campsite
This might have been one of our favourite days of the trip. With an early start, we left the campsite and drove over to the Sólheimajökull base camp. We booked a glacier tour with Icelandia and it didn’t disappoint! We ended up having a private tour and guide which made the experience that much more special as the guide was able to extend his time with us and take us on parts of the glacier that’s too risky for larger groups.
Inside one of the ice caves - careful of your head!
If you’re going to splurge on one excursion this trip, we’d reccomend it be a glacier tour.
This was the only item on that days agenda and boy were we happy about that. Don’t underestimate how tiring it is to be hiking the glaciers and repelling down their ice walls. We pretty much just slept in the van for the rest of the afternoon and evening.
As for Skogar campsite, this had to have been top two in terms of the view but zero in all the other aspects. It was beyond magical getting to wake up everyday and see this waterfall right outside your campervan door.
Snuck past the tour buses for this photo and was yelled at the entire time
But as magical as this campsite view was, I have to be honest…they probably had the worst shower set up we have ever experienced before. It might not have been so bad if we were there in the summer but during winter it wasn’t fun. There are no heaters in the bathrooms and no hot water in the showers. This means, while already chilled from exploring outside all day, you have to strip down in the cold and jump into freezing water. The showers are also timed. After 5 minutes they shut off. At first I was worried about how I’d manage to wash my hair that quickly but I couldn’t have showered faster if I tried.
I’d also like to note that while the view is unbeatable, it doesn’t last for long. By crack of first light, tour bus after tour bus arrives and madness ensues. There’s a restricked area for the campervans to park overnight and it’s about at the halfway point in the parking lot. The rest is restricted for the tour buses. So when they start coming in at sunrise, you’re left staring at buses rather then nature.
Day 4 - South Coast Highlights
Quick recap:
Hike to Solheimasandur Plane Wreck
See Black Sand Beach
Explore the town of Vik and the famous Lighthouse
Overnight at Skaftafell Campground
After a nice breakfast and one last look at Skogar falls, we got on our way to the famous plane wreck. This is only a short drive so make sure not to miss the turn off like we did!
One thing we did not know upon arriving is that the plane wreck is actually a 7k round trip walk from the parking lot and it’s straight across volcanic plains. If you’re not down the extended walk, you can catch the bus but it’s at an extra cost.
We decided to enjoy the walk but if you’re on a time crunch for that day it’ll set your schedule back an hour or two.
Climbing on top of the plane was harder then it looked
Next up was Black Sand Beach which was incredible and a must see on anyones itinerary. I’m sure you’ve heard by now about the wind “sneaker wave” warnings for this beach but we were lucky to be here on a calm day and got the chance to walk all the way around the natural basalt columns and down the beach.
You’ll have to wait in line to get pictures at the columns but totally worth it!
Disclaimer: A beautiful photo but a crowd of people were right behind me waiting for their moment next!
Our final big stop of the day was the town of Vik where you can find the famous red church. Although an interesting stop, you don’t need to allocate a lot of time for this. We grabbed some coffee and walked down to the beach for a little stroll, which gives you a fantastic view of the ocean on one side and the church on the other.
We ended the day with a long drive to Skaftafell Campground. Again, if you plan on doing a glacier hike here, staying close by is a life saver. This campground actually ended up being our favourite of the entire trip. It was extremely well maintained, endless free hot water, free laundry machines and a mountain view that catches the sunset perfectly. We even saw the elusive arctic fox here!
Putting this onto a postcard!
Day 5 - Skaftafell Glacier Adventure
Quick recap:
Blue Ice Experience - Galicer Hike
Overnight at Skaftafell Campground again
One of our main reasons for coming to Iceland in winter was to see the glaciers and icebergs so we took the opportunity to book two glacier hikes. Our second of the trip was the Blue Ice Experience with Icelandia. Their base camp is directly across from the Skaftafell Campground so it made it really easy in the morning to make our way over without wasting too much time. We absolutely loved this tour and thought it was even more breath taking then the first one. While the other glacier hike was more adventure based, this was more like a leisurely walk on the ice. With endless cracks and peaks in the ice, it made for an incredible view.
After our last glacier hike, we thought it was best to have this be the only thing on the agenda for the day but we didn’t expect it to be a lot less challenging on the body so we found ourselves keen to spend the afternoon exploring instead of resting. I would recommend instead of remaining at Skaftafell Campground for the afternoon/night, to continue on. Especially if you have limited days and want to make the most of your time.
Walking through one of the canvases on the glacier
Day 6 - Jökulsárlón & Diamond Beach
Quick Recap:
Fjallsárlón Glacier Lagoon
Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
Diamond Beach
Overnight in Hofn
It’s hard to pick a favourite day but this one might just win. Leaving Skaftafell Campground around sunrise, we set off on a long drive down to Hofn with a few fun stops along the way. First up was Fjallsárlón Glacier Lagoon and this might have been my favourite view point of the entire trip. I can’t recommend this stop enough. With just a quick 2 minute walk from the parking lot you’re faced with the most impressive glacier wall and icebergs. This is a fantastic spot for a photoshoot because you can get right on top of the icebergs!
We loved getting to actually stand between the icebergs!
As it turns out Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Beach are right next to each other, only separated by a suspension bridge. This does mean you unfortunately have to pay for parking twice.
The Lagoon was filled with icebergs breaking off the glacier wall which would eventually float down the channel to the open ocean. From there, the icebergs get broken down to “bergy bits” being pushed back towards land by the massive waves, which is how Diamond Beach came to be.
We personally thought the Lagoon was a lot cooler then Diamond Beach but that was also likely because it was an overcast day and we didn’t see that famous sparkle all along the beach.
Not pictured - the seals sleeping on the icebergs
We decided to end our exploration south with our final overnight in Hofn town. We both agree this wasn’t a necessary destination. Admittedly I have been fooled by the internet and was told this was one of the only places in the south were you could find puffins. While this is true, I failed to understand they could only be accessed by a boat tour to a smaller island off the main coast of Hofn. So no puffins were spotted on this trip unfortunately. We did find this beautiful harbour view but that was about the only highlight of time there.
Such a beautiful harbour
Day 7 & 8 - Return Toward Reykjavik
Quick Recap:
Hiking up Fjaðrárgljúfur Viewpoint
Reykjadalur Hot Spring Thermal River
Relaxing at the Sky Lagoon
The bulk of day 7 and 8 were driving back towards Reykjavik with a couple stops to stretch our legs. Since most of your driving will be done in the daytime for these two days, you’ll get to see a lot of what you might have missed heading south from day 2-6. Be prepared for endless waterfalls!
Stopping at Fjaðrárgljúfur Viewpoint is a must. It’s a straight shot uphill but completely worth going all the way to the top as the view into the valley is unreal and even in the winter, the moss along the rocks was vibrant green.
We spent the night back at Sokgar Campground as it was the perfect stopping point, midway through the drive.
The night morning we got on the road and headed to the Reykjadalur Hot Spring Thermal River. This was a spot I was so excited to stop at since I started planning the trip. This a natural thermal river that you hike out to and float your way downriver in. It’s essential to bring your swimsuit and towel so you don’t freeze on your hike back. Sadly, we had to cancel this stop as we had an unexpected work call and by the time it was over, sunset was starting.
We ended our last day at the Sky Lagoon and loved every second of it. Unlike the Blue Lagoon this doesn’t have the famous blue water but that’s made up for with their 7 step spa ritual. We chose to go at night and I think that set the relaxing atmosphere just right. Jesse says he’d prefer going at sunset to enjoy the views over the bay. We both agree it was incredible regardless! With small floating lights in the water, tall blasted rock walls and the ocean on one side, you feel completely immersed and tranquil. The 7 step ritual felt like the perfect way to reset after nine days of being inside a van. The salt scrub step left our skin feeling the softest we’ve ever been!
We spent the night at Reykjavík Eco Campsite. This was by far the most expensive campground and ultimately we wish we didn’t stay here. It’s convenient given it’s location to the Sky Lagoon but over an hour drive to the airport. We arrived at night and took off before sunrise, leaving no time to enjoy the amenities it had to offer.
Day 9 - Departure
Quick Recap:
Fly out
With our flight being at 4pm, we had some time to waste before heading back to the airport. We decided to go back to the city and get some cinnamon buns for the road. Definitely worth it.
We spent our last hours returning the van and making our way to the airport to catch our flight. Exhausted but so content - Iceland will always remain a special place in our heart. We’ve gotten our fill of endless waterfalls and the raw scenic views for now, but a few years from now we are planning to return to explore the other half! This Southern Iceland winter itinerary gave us the perfect balance of adventure, photography, and slow travel.
Frequently Asked Questions About Visiting Southern Iceland in Winter
Is Southern Iceland safe to drive in winter?
Yes, with winter tires, checking road conditions daily, and flexibility in your schedule.
Is 9 days enough for Southern Iceland?
Nine days allows you to explore the south coast slowly while fitting in glacier hikes and hot springs.
Can you campervan Iceland in winter?
Yes, but you must stay at open winter campsites and be prepared for cold temperatures.
Do you need tours for glacier hiking?
Yes, glacier hikes must be done with certified guides.
Thanks for coming along our adventure - if you have any thoughts or questions don’t hesitate to reach out or comment below! Follow us on Social Media to stay up to date on our day to day!
Cheers,
Liv & Jesse
