Iceland Day 1

After arriving in Iceland at 6AM we waited until till 8AM for the camper van shuttles to start running, there we were greeted at 8:15 and took a ride to Happy Campers Iceland.

We chose this company due to the reputable reviews and high recommendations from popular travel blogs. It took approximately 30 minuets completing all the paperwork before heading out on our own to start our 7-day Iceland adventure. We first stopped at Costco and Bonus which are about 15 minuets from Happy Campers on the way into Reykjavik conveniently they were located right next to each other. This allowed us to stock up on food before heading out on the ring road to the Golden Circle.

Thingvellir (Pingvellir) National Park

This National Park is about 1 hour outside Reykjavik and one of the most visited locations in Iceland due to its location to the city. Parking here was about 4 USD. Here you can walk between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. This was also a filming location for Game of Thrones for those who are fans! From the parking lot at the visitor center to the famous Oxararfoss through the tectonic plates is about a 45 minuet walk that is very easy.

Strokkur Geysir

After a 45-minute drive we arrived at the Geysers. While the famous Great Geysir is located in the same field its eruption times are no longer frequent, but thankfully Strokkur erupts every 4-10 minuets.

Gullfoss

Continuing on in the golden circle just 10 minuets past the geyser we arrived at Gullfoss. It was simply amazing there is no other way to put it. It cost 2 USD to park here.

This waterfall has both an overlook and you can walk down to the bottom to be up-close, and I highly recommend you do both.

Kerio Crater

After a 50-minute drive we arrived at Kerio Crater cost 4 USD per person to enter. It was about a 10 minuet walk around the outer rim with a gorgeous tree line view on the back end.

While we didn't intend to end day 1 here the weather and jetlag started slowing us down. From here we headed to a near-by Hveragerði Campsite - this is an all year around campsite just 15 minutes from Kerio. There were free showers/toilets. The toilets were decent; however, I was not a big fan of the showers since it only had curtain separating you and the person next to you but thy had warm water and got the job done. It also had a free kitchen which I learned during this trip was one of my favorite amenities as cooking in a van is not always the easiest thing. This campsite is right on the borders of a small village and cost us 15USD per person a night.

Day 1 Iceland (2 people):

Food (grocery store): $65

Camping: $30

Parking/Activities: $14

Total Drive Time: 3 Hours