Planning an Iceland South Coast itinerary for 6 days in a campervan was somewhat of a last-minute endeavor. We felt unprepared trying to create a route. Despite that, relying on past experiences with international camping and RV road trips served us well.

 JONES FAMILY TIP | Use a physical map to help plan out your itineraries.Our first step in planning is always to get physical map. We typically choose the National Geographic Adventure Map, as it's continuously updated and reliable. In addition to planning, this map provides interesting stops, camp sites, and information.

Our Iceland South Coast itinerary was for kid-free travel, a unique endeavor for us. The trip starts at Keflavik airport, as most Iceland travels do. Details about our favorite hikes, choosing a campervan company, and minimalist packing (in just a backpack!) tips will be linked here in the coming weeks.

Our trip was in early June.

Iceland South Coast Itinerary | Overview

Day 1: Arrive Early: Blue Lagoon, Campervan Pick-Up, Start Golden Circle
Campsite | Þingvellir National Park
Day 2: Oxarafoss, Silfra, Gullfoss, Drive to Hella, Horse Back, Seljalandsfoss
Campsite | Seljalandsfoss
Day 3: Drive to Skogar, Hike Skogafoss, Drive to Jokulsarlon, Glacier Lagoon, Diamond Beach
Campsite | Skaftafell
Day 4: Glacier Hike (Vatnajokull) from Skaftafell, Drive to Vik
Campsite | Vik
Day 5: Drive to Reynisfjara, Black Sand Beach, Dyrholaey Lighthouse
Campsite | Reykjavik
Day 6: Return Campervan, Explore Downtown Reykjavik on Foot, Airport Transfer + Flight

Detailed day-by-day Iceland South Coast Itinerary below.

*This Iceland South Coast Itinerary could be easily altered
for 5-7 day trips and is flexible around interests and weather.

Iceland South Coast Itinerary | Detailed

DAY 1: Arrive, Blue Lagoon, Vehicle Pick-Up, Leave on Golden Circle
Campsite | Þingvellir National Park

Morning Airport Transfer to Reykjavik
Figuring out how to navigate airport transfers threw can be hard due to confusing booking processes and the fact that all options are *really* expensive. This will be an Iceland theme - everything costs a lot.

JONES FAMILY TIP | Combine a stop-off at Blue Lagoon with your airport transfer.Blue Lagoon is located really out-of-the-way...unless you do it on the way to or from the airport. Stopping on the way to Reykjavik provides a place to shower after a long flight and checks it off the bucketlist without wasting much hiking time.

WE RECOMMEND | REYKJAVIK EXCURSIONS After a last-minute cancelled flight, expensive re-booking with a new airline, and subsequent 3 hour delay, our first day was a little off-track. Reykjavik Excursions seamlessly adjusted our times with no extra fee and their customer service was exceptional.

Afternoon Campervan Pickup
After our bus ride we walked to Old Harbour for a whale-watching tour. We’d skip this next time given the cost, but each experience is likely variable depending on luck.

For campervan rental we used Solstice Campers and booked via Airbnb. A small hiccup in pick-up instructions was quickly solved with no other issues - the van was as described and worked out perfectly.

JONES FAMILY TIP | First stop for campervan or RV travel is the grocery store!When traveling by RV/Campervan our first stop after pick-up is the grocery store to stock up on fruits, veggies, coffee, staples, and easy meals. Another option is to spend your first night at a big campsite. These always have donation pantries for out-going campers to leave donated food/condiments/etc, allowing you to grab free staples.

After dinner head out on the Golden Circle. We ended up stopping at Þingvellir National Park and hitting the hay early (I worked a ruthlessly busy 24-hour shift the night before we left and was half-dead). If time & energy allow, a short hike around Þingvellir with the midnight sun would be a nice addition to Day 1.

DAY 2: Oxarafoss, Silfra, Gullfoss, Drive to Hella, Horse Back, Seljalandsfoss
Campsite | Seljalandsfoss—> Our fave campsite of the trip, right at the base of the falls!

After hiking to Oxarafoss waterfall we headed to Silfra to see the fissure and feel the water. I *really* wanted to SCUBA dive the fissure, but a baby-on-board-uterus wouldn’t allow that. Maybe next time.

The next stop will be the geysers then on to Gulfoss. Our plans for the day finished earlier than expected, so we drove on to Hella for a horseback adventure since the timing worked out. This was fun but, like whale-watching, we could leave this out to save time/money without disappointment.

After experiencing some Icelandic horse love we hopped in the campervan and headed to Seljalandsfoss.

JONES FAMILY TIP | Hike at night with the midnight sun and no crowds!Our plan was just to get parked for the night. However, nice weather and the midnight sun beckoned, so we ventured to the falls that night and were happily rewarded.

DAY 3: Drive to Skogar, Hike Skogafoss, Drive to Jokulsarlon for Glacier Lagoon & Diamond Beach
Campsite | Skaftafell

We enjoyed a lazy, beautifully rainy morning at the base of Seljalandsfoss then left for Skogafoss.

JONES FAMILY TIP | If you make it to the top of the stairs at the waterfall don’t stop!!Go through the gate on the right and prepare for incredible views. We hiked about 6km (round-trip) and it was absolutely breathtaking the entire time. There are endless waterfalls, photo ops, and beauty everywhere. This is easily one of my favorite hikes ever. If you only climb all those damn stairs and don’t keep hiking, you are missing the best part.

Waterproof gear was necessary for much of this trip (Columbia storm surge pants and a Switchback II jacket for me), but especially on this hike as a storm cropped up towards the middle.

Finish up in Skogar and drive twoards Vik. We planned on seeing the sites there, but the rainy day led us to keep driving in attempts to outrun the weather. Not having hotel reservations to tie you down is the beauty of campervan travel! We made it to Glacier Lagoon in time for nice weather and low-crowds, stopped by Diamond Beach, then chose Skaftafell to camp for the night.

DAY 4: Glacier Hike (Vatnajökull) out of Skaftafell
Campsite | Vik Camping

Another lazy morning after midnight sun hiking meant coffee and a late breakfast while enjoying the scenery. After breakfast it's an easy trek to Vatnajökull National park for a glacier hike.

WE RECOMMEND | ICELANDIC MOUNTAIN GUIDES The hike was booked (rather last-minute) through Icelandic Mountain Guides. We were impressed by convenience of booking, organization of the day, our small group size, and the expansive knowledge of our guide, Alex.

After dinner in Skaftafell start the drive to Vik. We arrived exhausted this night and it was the rainiest yet, so we checked into the campsite early, took advantage of (cold) showers, and watched a movie before turning in early.

DAY 5: Drive to Reynisfjara, Black Sand Beach, Dyrholaey Lighthouse Hike, Drive to Reykjavik
Campsite | Reykjavik

After our usual coffee and campervan breakfast we headed to Black Sand Beach. Continue your beach walk further down coast than the other tourists. There are beautiful view points, photo ops, and nature (we saw a seal right on the beach!) with far less crowds. Be prepared for some moisture, though. I learned my Teva hiking shoes were, in fact, waterproof. The waves on this beach are unpredictable.

We visited the Dyrholaey lighthouse then left for the city. After arriving in Reykjavik we went for a swim at the city pool and enjoyed (hot!) showers before. This campsite was easily the most expensive, but had very nice facilities.

DAY 6: Return Campervan, Explore Downtown Reykjavik on Foot, Airport Transfer, Evening Flight

Our last day started early with coffee and breakfast before donating unused items to the pantry at Reykjavik Campsite. Dropped off the campervan and head out on foot for downtown shopping, exploring, and food.

Gradually make your way on foot to the BSI Bus Terminal for transfer back to the airport. We chose to book with Fly Bus. Our planned departure was 3.5 hours prior to flight and allowed plenty of wiggle-room. Don't book any shorter than 3 hours, issues with transfer timing and airport security are not unusual.

Final Thoughts

Overall this trip was a wonderful experience and final Iceland South Coast Itinerary we chose worked out really well. We landed happy, a bit exhausted, and still amazed by the nature, beauty, and culture we’d experienced.

If you’re interested in a New Zealand Campervan or RV trip with your kids, check out our post here!