So you are planning an epic trip to Iceland and are starting to find out that Iceland is expensive! A great and better way to travel on your route around Iceland is Camping. There are over 170 different registered campsites all over Iceland and the facilities are usually in great condition. Most of the Campsites are open from May until September and some of them are open all year long. A few years ago camping was allowed everywhere and anywhere you wanted but with the huge increase in tourism over the years it is now restricted to campsites only and as always make sure to clean up after you leave to keep Iceland beautiful and clean for others that follow after you.
Choosing the right type of camping in Iceland!
Iceland is known for its extreme weather, rugged landscape, and untouched nature. It is important to decide how you want to experience it and choose how you are going to camp. Make sure to think about the time of year you are going and how comfortable you are going to be and for how long. There are 3 options and you can decide which is best!
Camper Van Rentals in Iceland
Probably the most popular option is a camper van rental. It is an easy way to bring all your
gear, a kitchen, and protect you from the crazy wind and rain that Iceland has from time to time. The price on a camper van will totally depend on the size and time of year you are traveling but will typically be $70-$300 per day. We have rented our Van's from KuKu Campers
Camp in a Car
Looking to save a bit of cash on this trip and don't want to drive a van? or its just a quick trip? Rent a car or SUV that you can put the seat fully back or lay down in the back so you can sleep in it.
Gas prices
Gas prices can vary depending on where you are filling up. The prices we saw Varied between
274 - 329 ISK ($1.96-$2.35) / liter. For us Americans that's $7.42- $8.89 / gallon for diesel. But not to worry the camper vans are great on gas milage. For our entire trip we only purchased 246 liters (65 gallons) of Diesel which came out to be $510.49. One other thing to know is the gas station pumps only work with a bank card. They did not accept our credit cards so we either would have needed to pay in Icelandic krona or with our debit card.
Sleep in a Tent
Want to experience Icelands climate or on a Budget? Tent camping is the most affordable and comfortable way to camp in Iceland. But the weather is always changing in Iceland so be prepare to seek shelter from a storm near your car if a storm rolls through.
Basics to camping in Iceland
This is the best way to travel all around Iceland and have the ultimate freedom of driving and sleeping in unknown locations. Make sure you check out these recommendations to be fully prepared for you camping and road trip in Iceland! We went with a hybrid camper van and hotel stays during our trip. This was a great choice for us and allowed us to spread out in the hotel and fully charge up our camera gear before heading back into the van.
Campsites in Iceland
There are many different campsites in Iceland and most are very nice and maintain/clean. They'll have a
hot showers, toilets, wifi and charging area for your gear, and a Kitchen area to cook at. The average price to spend the night on a campsite is anywhere from 1400ISK-2800ISK ($10-$20 USD) there are no need to prebook your spot for the night. You can check out all of the campsites here but some aren't listed there's that many!
Food and Water Supplies
We Recommend stocking up on supplies at Bonus or Kronan in the bigger cities before starting out on your adventure. Cooking while camping isn't like back home in your kitchen so try to focus on the basics
like pastas and sandwiches. To save money, cut back on alcohol and meats as these items will easily double or triple your budget. We brought a few items on our checked bag like some tuna packets, jerky, mountain house camping meals, and of course Bang engird drinks for that needed caffeine!
Drinking water from the tap in Iceland is drinkable and free. Bring along a few bottles that you can refill along the way. Most campsites have a refill station or a hose to fill up your camper van tank. Remember that along with drinking water you will need water for cooking with as well.
At Kuku Campers Headquarters when you pick up your van there is a free zone from when other travelers have left overs on their trip. Take as much as you like and save a ton of money.
Charging Your Gear
Make sure you bring a camera and even a spare battery along with you on your trip to take beautiful
photos of your trip. You will need to charge these at some point but don't worry the camper van has an inverter so you ca n charge your camera, phones, and laptop while you are driving. But don't use the inverter when the vehicle is off, it will drain your battery. You can also charge your gear up in the Kitchen area at your campsite.
Internet/cell service connection
Iceland has great 3G and 4G connection throughout the entire country. If your Cell phone provider is from Europe you can use the same connection as you would use there. So no need to buy a separate SIM card to use in Iceland. But, If you are from anywhere else you will need to plan on obtaining some sort of data plan. Most camper van rentals also offer a wifi that you can get with the van to stay connected while on the road. However, we recommend downloading Airalo and using an E-SIM. You can use them worldwide just preset up your plan before traveling to whichever country you are going to and easily stay connected.
Restroom Facilites
The majority of the campsites in Iceland are set up with hot water showers and Clean toilets. A few of them even have laundry units swell. Save up coins so you'll have them for the showers (some charge). Also have an extra roll of toilet paper just in case. Its usually always included and stocked up but you never know.
Tip: Bring a pair of slippers that you can use at these facilites while you shower.
Also, there are tons of natural hot springs, hot pots, and thermal pools around the country. We found it really is the best way to end or start off your day in Iceland.
***Check out our 7 Best Hot Springs in Iceland
Sleeping
Bring a good sleeping bag and blankets especially if you are planning on sleeping in a tent. Nights are cold in Iceland! Kuku Campers does offer extra blankets which is really helpful if your traveling in early spring or late fall when it starts to freeze. The Camper vans come with a Heater (if you pick one with a heater). We decided to not get a heater and save a few extra bucks and when finished our drive the van was warm from running we would climb into or sleeping bags and cover ourselves with blankets. This was fine along as we didn't leave our sleeping bags in the night and until the next morning it would be freezing out of our little nest. But we would start the van and get the heat going for a few minutes before climbing the rest of the way out of the sleeping bags.
Tip:we had a pair of warm socks and gloves to wear during the night.
Between May and August there will be long days and in the middle of those months there will be 24 hours of daylight. Bring an eye mask or extra towels that you can use to cover up the windows and block out the sunlight while you sleep. In the morning we would stuff our pillows and extra blankets inside our sleeping bags. It helped move everything out of the way and made it super easy to unpack the next time we needed them.
Bring Music and Movies
There will be a lot of driving and what better way to pass the time than listening to good music. We used the offline music function on Spotify to save your data. At night we would pull up a pre downloaded movie or enjoy the Netflix offline feature on our iPad and end end our day.
Cost for Camping in Iceland
We’ve found after 3 trips and planning a 4th that the camper van in Iceland is the best option for experiencing all of Iceland. Not having a hotel booked means you aren’t tied down to a strict schedule. If you want to or need to spend more time at a spot due to weather or you just want to you can. If some spots take more time you don’t need to worry about having to cut out stops or back tracking from a hotel. Plus, if there are hotels you want to stay in or you just want a real bed you totally can add it to your route.
But these are the prices for our 14 day trip through Iceland for 2 people.
Our Total cost of 14 days in Iceland: $4598.49
Daily Average: $328.46
Price break down:
Flight: Frankfurt to Iceland round trip $730
Food: ~$20/day $280
Van Rental: $132/day. $1,848
van airport drop off fee $55
Campsites: $20/day. (we found some free spots) $160
Fuel: 246L Deisel $510.49
1 night @ Panorama glass lodge $567
1 night strata hotel $113
1 night airport hotel $115
hot spring/spa fees $335
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