I have many positive and unique experiences in Iceland, and I’m very fond of this country! I was impressed by it before going, and after the trip I’m even more impressed and wishing to go back!
So if cost is an issue for you, a 14-day self-driving and camping trip in Iceland cost me $668 (The average cost of all expenses shared by 4 people) and $235 for flights.
Do you have $900? If you do, go to Iceland! And let me show you where I went! This post is a bit long but hopefully it will be helpful!
When to Visit:
If you want to see puffins, then the best season is June to August. And in general, campsites open after 1st June. So if you want to save money by camping, or by hitchhiking then summer is your option. Also many activities are only available in certain months (bird watching, whale watching etc).
However I believe winter and fall must be beautiful too!
How to Get there?
While Icelandic Air offers Iceland as a stopover for Europe-USA flights, not all of us necessarily go through that route.
So, in other cases, flying from Norway (Oslo, Bergen), Denmark, and UK are the cheapest.
My flights were Copenhagen-Reykjavik ($135 Icelandic Air) , Reykjavik-Oslo ($90 Norwegian). The fare is already cheap for June, although in other months, I’ve seen even cheaper deals!
Check:
Itinerary
I planed for a 14 days trip in Iceland. I think that’s pretty standard. We drove around 4000 km. And I’d like to stress that my itinerary is influenced by the locations of the campsites that is a part of Camping Card that we used.
I went clockwise, and this was a last-minute change as weather was more promising in the North then. And I recommend going clockwise as it works out the best for tours, and campsites.
Part 1 of 3- The Western Region, The Westfjords, and The Northern Region
Day1 Arrival// Day 2 Western Region// Day 3-6 The Westfjords// Day 6 Evening The Northern Region
Day 1 Arrival
Arrival, and Couchsurfing (we arrived at 3:30pm, but we didn’t plan any activity except for shopping at Bonus supermarket.)
Day 2 Western Region
Driving Route: KEF-Akranes-Borgarnes-Grabok-Kolviðarnesvegu-Arnastapi-Londrangar-Djúpalónssandur-Ólafsvík
Total Distance/Driving Time: 279km, 3.5 hours
Tip:
- Snæfellsjökull National Park is huge. Leave as early as possible . We didn’t see everything we wanted.
- Olafsvik is a picturesque town, but the campsite is super basic. The nearby campsite Hellissandur is possibly the same.
Day 3 The Westfjords (1)
Driving Route:Ólafsvík-Stykkishólmur (For Puffin Watching Tour)-Tálknafjarðarvegur
Total Distance/Driving Time: 416km, 5.5 hours
Tip:
- Seatours offers short and long versions of Viking Sushi Tour. Go for the long one as less people are on that trip. (5900isk/7090isk) And if you have a brother or sister between 16-20, you get 50% off the price. This is a bargain!
- Try to reach Tálknafjarðarvegur before the kitchen closes at 9pm. Their kitchen is excellent! And it’s a campsite that you’d want to stay. Make sure you leave time to try their steam bath at only 600kr!
- Keep in mind the drive will be harder and longer than you think, so leave ample of time. Maybe 6-7 hours drive even excluding rest stops!
Day 4 The Westfjords (2)
Driving Route:Tálknafjarðarvegur-Látrabjarg Bird Cliff-Tálknafjarðarvegur
Total Distance/Driving Time: 160km, 3.5 hours
Tip:
- There are more birds in the morning or at sunset. I went at 8-9pm.
Day 5 The Westfjords (3)
Driving Route:Tálknafjarðarvegur-Tjaldsvæði Bolungarvík
Total Distance/Driving Time: 180km, 3.5 hours
Tip:
- There is a Bonus in Tjaldsvæði Bolungarvík but it closes at 5 or 6pm. So make sure you have enough food at least for dinner if you plan to restock here.
- The campsite at Tjaldsvæði Bolungarvík is the best of entire trip in Iceland!
Day 6 The Westfjords+ Northern Region
Driving Route:Tjaldsvæði Bolungarvík-Ísafjörður-Hólmavík-Hrútafjörður-Hvammstangi
Total Distance/Driving Time: 382km, 4.5 hours
Highlight:Free Attraction- Seals at Hvammstangi in Iceland
Tip:
- Check the timing of low tides (twice a day). I went at 10:30pm and saw 2-3 seals. (I saw a lot more in Jokulsarlon later). You can also go to Oscar for more seals but the drive is out of your way if you plan to go to Dalvik/Akureyri the next day.
Traveling Mega
Thank you so much for your post. Your itinerary is almost identical to what our one is going to be, except we are doing it in 16 days. Just a quick question on the camping site in Bolungarvik. Does it have a covered kitchen/washing up section?
We are going in a camper and just want to check that if it rains, that we can still make food.
Yes it has both a covered kitchen, sink, and some utensils as well! I remember their
kitchen closes at 9pm though!