North Iceland Road Trip: Itinerary, Cost & How Many Days
Route at a glance
- Route length
- 600 kmAkureyri region including the Diamond Circle and Tröllaskagi peninsula
- Time needed
- 3–7 daysideal: 5
- Best time
- May–September
- Vehicle
- 2WD is fine
- Start
- Akureyri (loop)
- Typical camper rate
- €251–€479/day · live, a summer pickup
About the route
North Iceland is the stretch of the country most travellers underrate. Akureyri, the unofficial capital of the north, sits at the head of a long fjord and works as a natural base: it has real supermarkets, fuel, a central campsite within walking distance of the centre by the town swimming pool, and roads fanning out in three directions to the region's headline sights. From here you can reach thundering Goðafoss, the geothermal basin around Mývatn, the whale-watching harbour at Húsavík and the twisting Tröllaskagi peninsula without ever leaving sealed tarmac.
The route in this guide is a loop of roughly 600 kilometres centred on Akureyri, taking in the Diamond Circle to the east and the Tröllaskagi coast to the north-west. It overlaps the Diamond Circle, so where those stops come up we point you to our dedicated Diamond Circle guide rather than repeating the detail here. Treat this page as the wider northern picture: how the pieces fit together, how long to give each, and how to run it in a campervan.
Almost all of it is 2WD-friendly. You do not need a 4x4 for the core loop, and a smaller two-wheel-drive camper keeps your daily rental and fuel bills down. The exceptions are optional gravel detours (the F-road to Askja lies further south and is not part of this route) and Grímsey, the Arctic Circle island offshore, which you reach by ferry or plane rather than by driving.
The north is genuinely a summer-first destination for campervans. Campsites, the Grímsey ferry timetable and the mountain-pass scenery all peak between May and September, and that window is when the loop makes the most sense.
Watch out: "\"The Vaðlaheiðargöng tunnel just east of Akureyri is tolled, and there is no barrier or booth to stop you, so it is easy to drive through without realising you owe anything. You must pay online at veggjald.is (or at the roadside kiosks) within 24 hours, or an invoice with a surcharge follows the rental. Your camper company may pass on toll charges plus an admin fee, so pay it yourself promptly and keep the receipt.\""
How many days do you need?
3 days
The core
First-timers short on time who want Akureyri, Goðafoss and the geothermal sights around Mývatn, and are willing to skip the coast.
5 days
The ideal loop
Most travellers: the full circuit with whale watching at Húsavík and the Tröllaskagi peninsula, at a pace that leaves evenings free.
7 days
The unhurried north
Slow travellers who want a Grímsey Arctic Circle day trip, extra hikes and pool stops, and no clock-watching between legs.
What a North Iceland trip costs
The camper figures on this page are not estimates. They come from our daily price checks across every major Icelandic rental company, so the trip totals in the table above reflect what a North Iceland loop of this length actually costs to rent right now, not a headline rate. The single biggest lever is length: a three-day core trip and a seven-day unhurried one are very different numbers, which is why we show totals for several durations side by side.
After days, the things that move the camper total are season, vehicle class and how far ahead you book. Summer, when this loop is at its best, is also peak pricing, so the same van costs more in July than in May or September. A two-wheel-drive camper is enough for the whole northern loop and sits well below a 4x4, so unless you are adding southern F-roads on another leg you can save by staying 2WD. Booking several weeks out consistently beats booking last-minute in high season.
Then layer on the non-camper costs, which the worked budget beside this text breaks down. Reckon on campsites at roughly €12–20 per person per night, fuel at €40–90 for each driving day depending on the van and the leg, and food at €15–25 per person per day if you cook in the van rather than eat out. Add the small fixed extras specific to this route: the Vaðlaheiðargöng tunnel toll east of Akureyri, a whale-watching tour at Húsavík, the Grímsey ferry or flight if you take it, and any insurance add-ons offered at pickup.
Camper rental for this triplive
| Trip length | 2-person camper | 4x4 camper | Family camper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 days | €638 | €1,169 | €1,358 |
| 5 days | €1,064 | €1,949 | €2,263 |
| 7 days | €1,490 | €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
Budget
€1,164–€1,880
€582–€940 per person · 2-person camper
Camper sized to your group, every meal self-cooked, base CDW insurance only.
For 2 travellers · flights and activities not included
Comfort
€2,872–€3,260
€1,436–€1,630 per person · family camper (3+ berths)
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 June pickup; campsites, fuel, food, insurance and fees are typical 2026 estimates. Run a live search for exact quotes on your dates.
Based on 60,672 price checks across 14 rental companies over the last 23 days (through July 23, 2026). Prices are in EUR and update as vendor availability changes.
North Iceland itinerary, day by day
Day 1
Akureyri and Goðafoss
Akureyri → Goðafoss → Akureyri · ~110 km
Ease in around Akureyri. Walk the compact old town, the botanical garden and the twin-spired church, then stock up at one of the supermarkets before prices thin out further east. In the afternoon drive Route 1 about 45 kilometres east — roughly a 35-minute drive — to Goðafoss, the wide horseshoe where, by legend, a lawspeaker threw his pagan idols into the falls. Viewpoints sit on both banks, linked by a footbridge and short paths. Head back to Akureyri for the night so you start Day 2 fuelled and provisioned.
Akureyri old townAkureyrarkirkjaBotanical GardenGoðafossOvernight: Hamrar Camping Ground, Akureyri (forested site at the south edge of town, a short drive from the centre; open year-round)
Day 2
The Mývatn basin
Akureyri → Mývatn → Mývatn · ~200 km
Drive an hour east to Lake Mývatn, the geothermal heart of the north and a Diamond Circle anchor. This is a full day of steaming vents at Námaskarð, the black lava labyrinth of Dimmuborgir, the Hverfjall crater rim and the cave hot spring at Grjótagjá. Wind down at the Mývatn Nature Baths, the quieter northern answer to the Blue Lagoon. Bring insect nets in high summer; the midges the lake is named for can be relentless on still days. See our Diamond Circle guide for the detail on each stop.
NámaskarðHverfjallDimmuborgirGrjótagjáMývatn Nature BathsOvernight: Vogar or Bjarg campsite, Lake Mývatn (both lakeside; open in the summer season)
Day 3
Húsavík whale watching and the northern Diamond Circle
Mývatn → Dettifoss → Ásbyrgi → Húsavík · ~190 km
Loop north through the rest of the Diamond Circle: Dettifoss, one of Europe's most powerful waterfalls by peak flow, and the horseshoe canyon of Ásbyrgi, both covered fully in our Diamond Circle guide. Time your afternoon for Húsavík, the country's premier whale-watching town, where boats head into Skjálfandi bay in search of humpbacks and, with luck, blue whales. Book a sailing ahead in peak summer. The wooden church and the whale museum fill any gap before or after your tour.
DettifossÁsbyrgi canyonHúsavík harbourHúsavíkurkirkjaWhale watching tourOvernight: Húsavík Campsite, in town near the harbour (summer season)
Day 4
The Tröllaskagi peninsula loop
Húsavík → Akureyri → Dalvík → Ólafsfjörður → Siglufjörður → Hofsós · ~220 km
Return past Akureyri and take on Tröllaskagi, the 'troll peninsula', a coastal drive threaded by mountain tunnels. Pass through the fishing town of Dalvík, then take the single-lane Múlagöng to Ólafsfjörður and the modern two-lane Héðinsfjarðargöng on to photogenic Siglufjörður, whose Herring Era Museum tells the story of Iceland's boom-town north. Finish at Hofsós, whose small infinity-edge swimming pool looks straight out over Skagafjörður. The tunnels are free; watch for oncoming traffic in the single-lane bores — Múlagöng approaching Ólafsfjörður and Strákagöng as you leave Siglufjörður toward Skagafjörður — where slower traffic yields into the passing bays.
DalvíkÓlafsfjörðurSiglufjörður herring era museumHofsós infinity poolOvernight: Hofsós campsite, Skagafjörður, or the larger site at Sauðárkrókur nearby (summer season)
Day 5
Grímsey option or a slow return to Akureyri
Hofsós → Dalvík (ferry) → Akureyri · ~130 km
With a full day free you can cross the Arctic Circle on Grímsey. The Sæfari ferry sails from Dalvík and takes about three hours each way, so the round trip fills the day and needs the timetable checked in advance; a short domestic flight from Akureyri is the faster alternative. Puffins pack the cliffs in summer and a concrete sphere marks the Circle itself. If the sailing does not fit your dates, spend the day back in Akureyri, refuel and reprovision, and enjoy the town's cafés and pool before dropping the van.
Grímsey islandArctic Circle markerDalvík harbourOvernight: Hamrar Camping Ground, Akureyri (forested south-edge site, open year-round)
Highlights along the way
Akureyri
The capital of the north and the loop's base, with full supermarkets, fuel and a walkable centre.
Goðafoss
A broad horseshoe waterfall right on Route 1, about 45 km east of Akureyri, viewable from both banks.
Lake Mývatn
Geothermal basin of craters, lava fields and nature baths; the eastern anchor of the Diamond Circle.
Húsavík
Iceland's whale-watching capital, with humpbacks and occasional blue whales in Skjálfandi bay.
Tröllaskagi peninsula
A tunnel-threaded coastal loop through Dalvík, Ólafsfjörður and Siglufjörður.
Siglufjörður
A restored herring boom town at the tip of the peninsula, with an excellent Herring Era Museum.
Hofsós pool
A small infinity-edge geothermal pool that seems to spill straight into Skagafjörður.
Grímsey
The only part of Iceland on the Arctic Circle; reached by ferry from Dalvík or flight from Akureyri.
When to go
May to September is the window for a northern campervan loop: campsites are open, mountain passes are clear, and the Grímsey ferry runs its fuller summer timetable. June and July bring near-endless daylight and the best odds for whales and puffins, but also peak prices and busier sites.
Late August and September trade some daylight for thinner crowds, lower rental rates and the first chance of northern lights on dark evenings. Roads are still easy at this point in most years.
October to April is winter proper. The core Route 1 sights stay reachable in fair weather, but most campsites close (a few, such as Hamrar at Akureyri, stay open year-round), daylight is short, Tröllaskagi's passes can be snowbound and campervan travel gets marginal. Check road.is and vedur.is daily if you go off-season.
Driving & road conditions
Road surface
The core loop is sealed tarmac: Route 1 and the main roads to Húsavík, Mývatn and around Tröllaskagi are all paved, and the peninsula's tunnels are surfaced too — a couple of them single-lane with passing bays. Expect short gravel stretches only on optional detours; the whole circuit is comfortable in a 2WD camper.
Fuel
Akureyri is the reliable full-service hub for fuel and groceries, with stations open late. Top up there before longer legs; Húsavík, Mývatn (Reykjahlíð) and Siglufjörður have fuel too, but pumps thin out between towns, so do not run the tank low on the peninsula.
In winter
Marginal for campervans. Route 1 stays open in fair weather but Tröllaskagi passes drift shut, most campsites close, and short daylight limits how much you see. If you go in winter, keep to the paved core, check road.is and vedur.is every morning, and file a plan on safetravel.is.
- The Vaðlaheiðargöng tunnel on Route 1 just east of Akureyri is tolled. A car pays roughly 2,200 ISK (about €15) per trip as of early 2026; pay online at veggjald.is within 24 hours of driving through, or at the new roadside kiosks. Verify the current price and operator before you travel.
- Two of Tröllaskagi's tunnels are single-lane bores with passing bays: Múlagöng approaching Ólafsfjörður and Strákagöng as you leave Siglufjörður toward Skagafjörður. Héðinsfjarðargöng, the tunnel linking Ólafsfjörður and Siglufjörður, is a modern two-lane tunnel with a lane each way. In the single-lane bores, slower traffic yields into the bays; do not enter if a vehicle is already coming the other way.
- The Grímsey crossing is by sea or air, not road: the Sæfari ferry from Dalvík takes about three hours each way, or you can fly from Akureyri. Check the current timetable, as sailings vary by season and can be cancelled in bad weather.
- Overnighting in a campervan outside a registered campsite is illegal in Iceland. Plan each night around a real site; do not sleep in laybys or car parks.
Where to camp
Hamrar Camping Ground
Akureyri
Wooded, well-equipped site in Kjarnaskógur forest at the southern edge of town, about 3 km (a short drive) from the centre; the natural base for the loop. Open year-round, one of North Iceland's few winter-open sites.
Vogar Campsite
Lake Mývatn
Lakeside site on the eastern shore with hot water and services, close to Dimmuborgir. Summer season only.
Húsavík Campsite
Húsavík
In town near the harbour, walkable to the whale-watching docks and museums. Open in the summer months.
Siglufjörður Campsite
Tröllaskagi
Compact site in the old herring town at the tip of the peninsula; handy for the museum. Seasonal.
Hofsós / Sauðárkrókur campsites
Skagafjörður
Small site at Hofsós near the infinity pool, with the larger Sauðárkrókur site nearby as a fallback. Summer season.
Dalvík Campsite
Tröllaskagi
Convenient overnight if you are catching an early Grímsey ferry from Dalvík harbour. Seasonal opening.
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.
North Iceland or the Diamond Circle?
They are not either/or: the Diamond Circle sits inside this northern loop. The Diamond Circle is the tight day-or-two ring of Goðafoss, Mývatn, Dettifoss, Ásbyrgi and Húsavík, and our dedicated guide covers those five stops in depth.
This North Iceland page is the wider frame around that ring. It adds Akureyri as a base, the Tröllaskagi coast and its tunnel-linked fishing towns, the Hofsós pool and the Grímsey Arctic Circle option, and ties the whole thing into a five-day campervan circuit.
If you have two days, drive the Diamond Circle and use its guide. If you have five, run the full northern loop here and let the Diamond Circle be two of those days.
Frequently asked questions
How many days do you need for the North Iceland?
Give North Iceland five days to do it justice. Three is the practical minimum if you only want Akureyri, Goðafoss and the Mývatn basin; five lets you add Húsavík whale watching and the full Tröllaskagi loop at a relaxed pace; seven leaves room for a Grímsey day trip and slow mornings. Because Akureyri is a five-hour drive or a short domestic flight from Reykjavík, remember to budget the transit time on top if you are starting from the capital.
How much does a North Iceland campervan trip cost?
Based on our live price checks for a summer pickup, the camper alone typically runs €146–€391 per day — roughly €730–€1,954 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.
Do I need a 4x4 for a North Iceland road trip?
No. The entire loop in this guide runs on paved roads, including Route 1, the roads to Húsavík and Mývatn, and the Tröllaskagi tunnels. A two-wheel-drive campervan handles all of it and costs less to rent and fuel. You only need a 4x4 if you plan to add interior F-roads such as the route to Askja, which lies further south and is not part of this circuit.
How do I get from Reykjavík to Akureyri to start the loop?
Two ways. Drive Route 1 north, about 388 kilometres and roughly five hours without long stops, or take a short domestic flight from Reykjavík to Akureyri, which runs several times a day. Some travellers fly up, rent or collect a camper in Akureyri, and drive back south, or the reverse. Budget the transit time and cost on top of the northern loop itself.
Is Húsavík whale watching worth it, and should I book ahead?
Húsavík is the best-known whale-watching town in Iceland, and Skjálfandi bay reliably produces humpbacks in summer, with a real chance of blue whales, the largest animal on earth. Tours run several times daily from May to September. In peak summer the popular sailings fill up, so book a day or two ahead rather than turning up on spec, and bring warm, windproof layers as it is cold on the water even in July.
Can I visit Grímsey and cross the Arctic Circle by campervan?
Not by driving, since Grímsey is an island. The Sæfari ferry sails from Dalvík and takes about three hours each way, so a visit is essentially a full-day trip with the timetable checked in advance; a short flight from Akureyri is quicker. You leave the van at the harbour or airport. Summer brings nesting puffins and a marker on the Arctic Circle itself. Give this a spare day, which is why it slots into the five-to-seven-day versions of the trip.
How much time does the Tröllaskagi loop add?
Give it a full day. The peninsula circuit from Akureyri through Dalvík, Ólafsfjörður, Siglufjörður and down to Hofsós is a scenic drive with mountain tunnels — a mix of single-lane bores and modern two-lane ones — and several worthwhile stops, and rushing it defeats the point. It is the main reason to give North Iceland five days rather than three.
Where do I sleep in the van each night?
At registered campsites only. Overnighting a campervan outside a marked site is illegal in Iceland, so plan each night around a real campground. The good news is that this loop has well-placed sites at Akureyri, Mývatn, Húsavík, Siglufjörður and Skagafjörður, so you rarely drive far to bed down. Many close outside the May to September season (Hamrar at Akureyri is a year-round exception), so confirm opening dates if you travel at the edges of the year.
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