Iceland Highlands Road Trip: Itinerary, Cost & How Many Days
Route at a glance
- Route length
- 200 kmPer crossing — Kjölur (F35) is ~165 km, Sprengisandur (F26) ~250 km; most trips combine routes
- Time needed
- 3–7 daysideal: 5
- Best time
- July–August (F-roads open ~mid-June to September)
- Vehicle
- 4x4 requiredF-road rules
- Start
- Varies by route — Gullfoss (F35) or Þjórsárdalur (F26)
- Typical camper rate
- €250–€476/day · live, a summer pickup
About the route
The Icelandic Highlands are the country's uninhabited core: a high plateau of black sand, moss, glaciers and volcanoes ringed by the lowland Ring Road. There are no towns, no shops and no fuel out here, and the tracks that cross it — the F-roads — are unpaved, frequently forded by rivers and open for only a few weeks each summer. In return you get the emptiest, most otherworldly landscapes in Iceland, and in a campervan you can sleep right in the middle of them.
This is the umbrella guide to the whole interior. Rather than a single road, the Highlands are a handful of distinct routes, each covered in its own detail elsewhere: Kjölur (F35), the graded, ford-free traverse that suits first-timers; Sprengisandur (F26), the longest and remotest crossing, where the difficulty is distance and isolation more than water, since its largest rivers are bridged; Landmannalaugar (F208), the rhyolite-and-hot-spring jewel of the south; Askja (F88/F905/F910), a far-flung volcanic caldera in the northeast; and Kaldidalur (route 550, a former F-road now signed as an ordinary mountain track rather than a designated F-road), a short, gentle taster near the west. Most trips stitch two or more of these together, which is exactly what the five-day itinerary below does.
Everything about the interior rewards preparation and punishes shortcuts. You carry your own fuel range, food and water, you read the weather and road-opening reports every morning, and you accept that turning back is sometimes the right call. Do that, and the Highlands are the best thing you can do with a campervan in Iceland. Treat them like the lowlands, and they are where trips go wrong.
Watch out: The biggest mistake travellers make is assuming a 4x4 camper is automatically allowed to drive through rivers. It usually is not. Almost every Icelandic rental — 4x4 campers included — voids all insurance the moment you enter water, and the F249 crossing into Þórsmörk is explicitly barred by essentially every rental company. Having a 4x4 lets you legally use graded F-roads like Kjölur; it does not license you to ford. Read your specific contract, and turn back at any crossing deeper or faster than you were briefed on.
How many days do you need?
3 days
The quick traverse
Travellers short on time who want a single route — usually Kjölur — as an out-and-back or loop from Reykjavík.
5 days
The classic combination
Most people: enough to link Kjölur and Sprengisandur with a night at Landmannalaugar, matching the itinerary here.
7 days
The full interior
Confident F-road drivers who want to add Askja and its fords, or build in spare days for weather and road closures.
What a Highlands trip costs
The camper figures shown on this page come from our daily price checks across every major Icelandic rental company, so the trip totals in the table are real 4x4 camper rates, not estimates. A Highlands trip forces the biggest cost decision up front: you cannot legally or safely do this route in a 2WD, so you are comparing genuine 4x4 campers only, and those sit at the top of the market. Trip length is the next lever — the totals here scale almost linearly with the number of days — followed by season, with July and August peaking, and by how far ahead you book, since Iceland's small 4x4 camper fleet sells out first.
On top of the camper, budget for the extras the live figures do not include. Registered highland campsites run roughly €12–20 per person per night, usually paid to a warden on site with no advance booking. Fuel is the item people underestimate: expect €40–90 per driving day on the paved sections, and more on the F-roads, where low gears, soft sand and constant 30–50 km/h grinding push consumption well above what the road distance suggests. Add around €15–25 per person per day for groceries, all of which you must buy in the lowlands because there are no shops in the interior.
A few smaller line items are worth planning for. Many vendors sell an optional gravel or sand-and-ash insurance add-on that is genuinely worth taking for highland gravel; some charge extra for a second driver, which pays off on the long transit days; and if you drive Route 1 east from Akureyri you will cross the Vaðlaheiðargöng toll tunnel (pay online at veggjald.is), the trip's one and only toll, unless you take the free but slower Víkurskarð pass. Everything else that moves your number is on this page: choose your days, your season and your booking lead time, and the table updates to match.
Camper rental for this triplive
| Trip length | 2-person camper | 4x4 camper | Family camper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 days | €634 | €1,169 | €1,358 |
| 5 days | €1,057 | €1,949 | €2,263 |
| 7 days | €1,480 | €2,728 | €3,168 |
Camper only, at the live median daily rate for a summer pickup — campsites, fuel and food are extra. Longer rentals often lower the daily rate, so treat these as an upper guide.
Estimate your own trip
Pick your travel month, trip length and group size — the camper line prices straight from our live database (rates swing with the season), and you get a budget and a comfort scenario side by side.
marks the best months for this route
This route runs on F-roads where a 4x4 is a legal requirement — both estimates use live 4x4 camper rates.
Budget
€2,050–€2,652
€1,025–€1,326 per person · 4x4 camper
Camper sized to your group, every meal self-cooked, base CDW insurance only.
For 2 travellers · flights and activities not included
Comfort
€2,589–€3,585
€1,294–€1,792 per person · 4x4 camper
One berth size up, full insurance package, eating out roughly one meal in five.
For 2 travellers · flights and activities not included
Camper rates are live medians and quartiles from our daily price checks for a August pickup; campsites, fuel, food, insurance and fees are typical 2026 estimates. Run a live search for exact quotes on your dates.
Based on 55,304 price checks across 14 rental companies over the last 21 days (through July 21, 2026). Prices are in EUR and update as vendor availability changes.
Highlands itinerary, day by day
Day 1
Into Kjölur: Gullfoss to Hveravellir
Reykjavík → Gullfoss → Hveravellir (F35) · ~210 km
Leave Reykjavík early and take the paved Golden Circle roads past Þingvellir to Gullfoss. Fill the tank at the Geysir station first — it is your last easy fuel before the interior. Just beyond the falls the tarmac ends and F35 begins: graded gravel, no rivers, but slow going. Detour to Kerlingarfjöll for a leg-stretch among the steaming, candy-striped rhyolite hills, then push on to Hveravellir, a geothermal oasis where you can soak in a natural warm pool beside the campsite as the long highland light lingers well past midnight.
ÞingvellirGullfossKerlingarfjöllHveravellirOvernight: Hveravellir campsite, on F35
Day 2
Crossing to the green north
Hveravellir → Blönduós → Bárðardalur · ~290 km
A transit day that swaps desert for the green north. Finish the northern half of F35, drop down to the Ring Road near Blönduós — top up fuel and groceries here — and follow the paved coast east, optionally pausing in Akureyri, Iceland's northern capital, for a proper meal and a shower. The Route 1 leg east from Akureyri runs through the Vaðlaheiðargöng toll tunnel (pay online at veggjald.is); the old Víkurskarð pass is free but slower. Turn inland at thundering Goðafoss and roll up Bárðardalur to Kiðagil, a grassy valley campsite at the very mouth of Sprengisandur. Sleep low and warm tonight, because tomorrow you climb back into the emptiness with no comforts for a full day.
BlönduósAkureyriGoðafossOvernight: Kiðagil campsite, Bárðardalur
Day 3
Sprengisandur: the desert crossing
Bárðardalur → Nýidalur (F26) · ~170 km
Today is the remotest driving of the trip. Detour first to Aldeyjarfoss, a dramatic basalt-columned waterfall guarding the northern gate, then commit to F26 across Sprengisandur — a bleak, beautiful plateau of grey sand strung between two ice caps. Expect washboard, soft patches and a handful of river crossings, though the largest rivers here are bridged; out on Sprengisandur the real challenge is the isolation, not the fords. Go slowly, follow the crossing you were briefed on, and never enter water deeper or faster than you are sure of. There is no fuel, no shop and little to no phone signal out here. Reach Nýidalur, a lonely green hollow with a warden's hut and campsite, and settle in for a cold, star-quiet night.
AldeyjarfossSprengisandurNýidalurOvernight: Nýidalur campsite, on F26
Day 4
Out of the sand, into Landmannalaugar
Nýidalur → Hrauneyjar → Landmannalaugar (F26 / F208 / F224) · ~150 km
Complete the southern half of Sprengisandur down to the Hrauneyjar Highland Center — the first fuel, coffee and phone signal in two days, so fill the tank before you go on. From here swing east onto F208 into the Fjallabak reserve, one of the most colourful stretches of road anywhere in Iceland. The final approach turns onto the short F224 spur (Landmannaleiðarvegur), which ends at the unbridged Námskvísl ford right at the campsite; vehicles not cleared to ford can park in the lower lot and wade the last stretch on foot. Pitch up at the big warden-run campsite, then walk into the rhyolite hills or wade into the warm river that gives the place its name. Note the 2026 daytime parking fee and arrive before mid-afternoon while pitches are still open.
HrauneyjarFjallabakLandmannalaugarOvernight: Landmannalaugar campsite, off F208 via the F224 spur
Day 5
Back to the lowlands
Landmannalaugar → Reykjavík (F208 / F225) · ~200 km
Take a final morning walk around Landmannalaugar — the Bláhnúkur loop, or one more soak before the day warms — then drive out. The western exit along F208 and F225 runs past the blood-red Ljótipollur crater lake and under the flank of the Hekla volcano before rejoining tarmac near Hella. From there it is an easy paved run back to Reykjavík. If your rental is due, aim to reach the city by evening. If you have a spare day, this is the natural point to swap the drive home for the Askja extension in the northeast instead.
LjótipollurHeklaReykjavíkOvernight: Reykjavík (city campsite or vehicle drop-off)
Highlights along the way
Hveravellir
A hot-spring oasis midway along Kjölur with a natural warm bathing pool beside the campsite and hissing fumaroles.
Kerlingarfjöll
Streaked rhyolite ridges and the Hveradalir hot-spring valley, a short signposted hike straight off F35.
Landmannalaugar
The jewel of the southern highlands: multicoloured mountains, black lava fields and a hot river you can soak in, at the end of the F224 spur off F208.
Nýidalur
A remote green hollow at the midpoint of Sprengisandur — the only shelter and campsite for many kilometres.
Askja & Víti
A vast caldera off F88/F910 with a milky-blue lake and the warm Víti crater you can bathe in.
Aldeyjarfoss
A striking basalt-columned waterfall marking the northern gateway to the Sprengisandur crossing.
Kaldidalur
The shortest highland track (Road 550), a half-day taste of the interior between Þingvellir and Húsafell with glacier views and no major fords.
Gullfoss
The thundering two-tier waterfall that marks the start of Kjölur and your last easy services before the gravel.
When to go
July and August are the season. The roads are reliably open, meltwater fords are at their lowest and the highland campsites are staffed. This is also when the interior is busiest, though busy here still means near-empty by any other standard.
Mid-June and September are the shoulders — quieter and often cheaper — but individual F-roads open late or close early depending on snowmelt, and a cold snap can shut a route with no notice. Keep your plans flexible and watch the live F-road opening calendar on this page.
Outside roughly mid-June to September the interior is closed to self-drive campers entirely; see the winter note under driving for what that means for a campervan trip.
Driving & road conditions
Road surface
Rough, unpaved gravel from the moment you leave the Ring Road: washboard corrugations, loose rubble, potholes, blind crests and the occasional snow patch into July. Kjölur (F35) is graded and ford-free, and Sprengisandur (F26) has its largest rivers bridged, so its challenge is distance rather than depth. The genuinely serious, unbridged fords are on Landmannalaugar's southern approach (F208) and the Askja roads (F88/F905/F910).
Fuel
There is no fuel anywhere in the interior — fill to the brim before you commit. For Kjölur, the last easy pumps are the N1 at Geysir, about 9 km before Gullfoss (there is no fuel station at Gullfoss itself, only a café and visitor centre); for Sprengisandur and Landmannalaugar from the south, the last pumps are at the Hrauneyjar Highland Center; from the north, fill at Fosshóll (Goðafoss) or Mývatn. For Askja, fuel at Reykjahlíð or Möðrudalur. Carry range for a full traverse plus detours, because low gears and soft ground burn far more than the map distance implies.
In winter
Not viable. The F-roads close from around October to May under snow and meltwater, and the interior is off-limits to self-drive campers in that window — the only winter access is by guided super-jeep tour. Plan a Highlands campervan trip for high summer only.
- A 4x4 is a legal requirement on every F-road; a 2WD camper is barred and carries no insurance beyond the sealed road.
- Check road.is for openings and vedur.is for weather on the morning you set off — highland weather can turn to sleet, fog or sandstorm in any month.
- File a travel plan on safetravel.is and download the 112 Iceland app; mobile coverage is patchy to nonexistent across the interior.
- Speeds are slow — realistically 30–50 km/h on washboard gravel — so plan far shorter daily distances than the Ring Road allows.
- Stay on marked tracks; off-road driving is illegal, heavily fined, and scars the fragile terrain for decades.
When the F-roads open
| Route | Typically opens | Typically closes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landmannalaugar (F208 North) | Early–mid June | Late September | Iceland's most popular highland destination; opens once snowmelt clears, avg ~2 June (range late May–late June). |
| Þórsmörk (F249) | Mid–late June | Early September | Unbridged Krossá and other river fords near the end — dangerous; most rental campers are barred from the final crossing. |
| Kjölur (F35) | Late May–early June | Late September / October | No major river fords — the easiest and usually first highland route to open (avg ~1 June). |
| Sprengisandur (F26) | Early–mid July | Early September | Longest, remotest interior crossing with deep fords; among the last routes to open (avg ~6 July). |
| Askja / Dreki (F88) | Early–mid July | Early September | Remote northeast interior; large unbridged river crossings — 4x4 only, opens late with Sprengisandur. |
| Kaldidalur (550) | Mid–late June | October | Most accessible highland road (Þingvellir–Húsafell); minimal/no serious fords. Renumbered from F550 — not legally 4x4-only, but most rental terms still restrict it. |
Opening dates swing by weeks with each year's snowmelt — always check road.is and safetravel.is before heading inland. A 4x4 is legally required on every F-road.
Where to camp
Hveravellir
Kjölur (F35)
Highland campsite beside the huts and a natural hot pool; basic facilities, warden on site, summer only. Turn up and pay the warden.
Kerlingarfjöll Highland Base
Kjölur (F35)
Serviced campsite with showers and a restaurant, more comfortable than most highland sites. Summer only.
Kiðagil
Bárðardalur, north gate of F26
Grassy lowland campsite in the valley where Sprengisandur begins — a good, warm staging point before the crossing.
Nýidalur
Sprengisandur (F26)
The interior's most remote campsite, high and cold beside the FÍ huts; minimal services and frost at night even in July. Summer only.
Landmannalaugar
Fjallabak (F208 / F224 spur)
Large, popular warden-run campsite by the hot river, reached over the Námskvísl ford at the end of the F224 spur; a daytime parking fee applies in 2026, so arrive early. Summer only.
Dreki (Drekagil)
Askja (F88/F910)
Basic highland campsite at the mouth of Drekagil, the base for the walk to Askja and Víti. Summer only.
Overnighting in a campervan is only legal at registered campsites in Iceland — plan each night around one. Seasonal sites can close outside summer; confirm opening dates before relying on them.
Kjölur (F35) vs Sprengisandur (F26): which traverse?
Kjölur is the gentle one. It runs about 165 km between Gullfoss and the north on a graded surface with no unbridged rivers, which makes it the only interior traverse most rental 4x4 campers are cleared to drive. Hveravellir and Kerlingarfjöll sit right on it, and you can cross in a single long day.
Sprengisandur is the real desert crossing — around 250 km, higher and bleaker, with its major rivers bridged but a few lesser crossings, and a route many rental contracts still prohibit. There is nothing between Nýidalur and the road ends: no fuel, no shop, often no signal. Its difficulty is the sheer remoteness, so take it only if you are self-sufficient and your rental agreement allows it.
If you only do one, choose Kjölur for the scenery-to-effort ratio and Sprengisandur for the solitude. Combining both, as the itinerary here does, gives you the full spectrum of the interior.
Frequently asked questions
How many days do you need for the Highlands?
Plan on five days to do the Highlands justice. You can cross a single route such as Kjölur in a long two-to-three-day loop from Reykjavík, but five days lets you combine two traverses with a night at Landmannalaugar without rushing the slow F-road driving. Seven days adds a genuinely remote destination like Askja and a buffer for weather. Anything under three days means you are only dipping a toe in, most likely via Kaldidalur.
How much does a Highlands campervan trip cost?
Based on our live price checks for a summer pickup, the camper alone typically runs €264–€483 per day — roughly €1,318–€2,417 for 5 days — before campsites (€12–20 per person/night), fuel and food. The live cost section on this page breaks totals down by camper type.
What is the easiest way to get a taste of the Highlands?
Kaldidalur, signed as route 550 (and formerly F550), between Þingvellir and Húsafell, is the shortest and gentlest interior track — no major fords and doable as a day loop from Reykjavík — while still giving you glacier views and raw highland scenery. Unlike the true F-roads it is not a legally designated mountain road, so a 4x4 is not a legal requirement here; even so, most rental companies still bar their 2WD vehicles from it and a 4x4 is strongly advised, which makes it the most forgiving choice for nervous drivers or short trips.
Do I need to book anything in advance for Landmannalaugar?
For 2026, vehicles arriving during the day (roughly 09:00–16:00) must reserve and pay for a parking space online before arrival, so sort that out ahead of time. The campsite itself is first-come and collected by a warden — you cannot reserve a pitch — so arrive earlier in the day for the best spots and to beat the tour-bus crowds.
When do the highland F-roads open and close?
They open roughly mid-June to September, but each road opens on its own date once the meltwater drops and wardens clear it, and those dates shift year to year. Rather than trust a fixed date, check the live F-road opening calendar on this page and road.is on the morning you plan to drive each route.
Is there phone signal or help if something goes wrong?
Largely no — coverage across the interior is patchy to nonexistent. Carry offline maps, download the 112 Iceland app, file a travel plan on safetravel.is before you set off, and check vedur.is for weather. Treat yourself as self-sufficient, and never rely on being able to call for help mid-traverse.
Can I add Askja to a Highlands trip?
Yes, but it is a commitment. Askja is reached via F88/F905 from near Mývatn plus the connecting F910, all with serious river fords, and realistically adds two days. Overnight at the Dreki campsite in Drekagil and walk up to the caldera and the warm Víti crater. It fits best as a seven-day extension for confident F-road drivers, not a bolt-on to a tight itinerary.
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