5 Days Self-Drive Tour with Pick Up – Northern Lights Adventure Camper´ Break

The most exciting part of this five-day trip is the freedom to sleep near Iceland’s great sights while following a ready-made route. You’ll cross the Reykjanes peninsula, walk behind waterfalls, ride a super jeep to a glacier ice cave, and watch ice chunks wash onto Diamond Beach.

I like the included airport shuttle and the practical camper setup, including Wi-Fi, kitchen gear, bedding, and heating. I also like that the route includes paid highlights such as Katla Ice Cave and Laugarvatn Fontana, not just roadside viewpoints. The main caution is pace: reaching the southeast and returning to Reykjavik in five days means long driving days, and northern lights sightings are not guaranteed.

Key points

• A private road trip: Your group drives and camps independently rather than joining a large coach.
• Useful pickup service: CampEasy collects you from Keflavík Airport or a selected Keflavík hotel between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
• Two major paid activities included: The plan covers a four-hour Katla ice-cave trip and Laugarvatn Fontana with a rye-bread experience.
• Strong south-coast focus: You’ll see Reynisfjara, Dyrhólaey, Skaftafell, Jökulsárlón, and Diamond Beach.
• Camper comfort matters: Equipment includes bedding, kitchen supplies, heating, Wi-Fi, and zero-risk coverage.
• Northern lights are a possibility, not a promise: The route puts you in good rural areas, but no dedicated aurora outing or sighting guarantee is provided.

What this five-day Iceland camper trip really offers

This is not a guided tour in the usual sense. It is a private, self-drive holiday built around a supplied campervan, a preplanned route, booked activities, and campsite fees.

That combination gives you much more control than a bus tour. You can stop at a waterfall for ten minutes or an hour, eat in your own vehicle, and travel only with your own group. At the same time, you do not have to spend hours researching every road, campsite, and major sight before arriving.

The tradeoff is responsibility. You drive, watch the weather, manage fuel, follow campsite rules, and keep an eye on activity start times. You also pay fuel, parking, food, and any optional attractions yourself.

The advertised price is $1,125.85 per person. That is a meaningful cost, but it includes the campervan, campsite fees, Wi-Fi, airport transfer, booked activities, a tablet guide, and zero-risk coverage. For two people who value privacy and want to combine transport, sleeping space, and sightseeing, the package can offer fair value. For a solo visitor, or someone who dislikes driving a camper, a standard guided trip may be simpler.

Pickup near Keflavík and getting comfortable in the camper

Your trip begins at CampEasy’s office at Selvík 5 in Keflavík, about five minutes from the airport. A free shuttle is available from Keflavík International Airport or one of 12 selected hotels in the Keflavík area.

The pickup window is 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., so check your arrival time carefully. At handover, you need a valid international driving license suitable for the vehicle and valid for at least 12 months at pickup. The minimum driver age is 20.

The camper includes bedding, kitchen equipment, heating, and Wi-Fi. Those details matter in Iceland, particularly when the weather turns cold or wet. One customer reported that the heating continued for 14 hours and remained more than warm enough, while another praised the vehicle’s condition and smooth driving on snow and ice.

That does not remove the need for care. Icelandic roads and weather can change quickly, and you remain responsible for safe driving. The package does not include fuel, electricity, personal accident insurance, or traffic fines.

Your first day is deliberately light on driving. After collecting the vehicle, head onto the Reykjanes peninsula, a good introduction to Iceland’s volcanic character.

At the Bridge Between Continents, you can stand near the meeting point of the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates. The bridge itself is modest, so do not expect a grand monument. Its value is the simple, memorable idea of standing between two continental plates.

Gunnuhver is more dramatic. Steam vents and hot mud pools spread across a mineral-colored geothermal area, with Reykjanes Lighthouse visible in the distance. Stay on marked paths and keep away from the hot ground. This is a place where the earth feels active rather than merely scenic.

Kleifarvatn Lake closes the day. It is the largest lake on the peninsula and nearly 100 meters deep, with dark lava and old moss around the shore. Allow about an hour here for the stark views and a short pause before settling into your campsite routine.

Golden Circle classics, Fontana, and two major waterfalls

Day two packs in some of Iceland’s most familiar sights. At Þingvellir National Park, you get geology and national history in one stop. The park includes the continental rift, Öxarárfoss waterfall, and Silfra Fissure. The entrance is free, but parking costs extra.

Laugarvatn Fontana is one of the better choices in this route because it adds an experience rather than another viewpoint. A rye-bread tour at 11:45 a.m. explains how dough cooks in geothermal heat, followed by a soak in warm baths overlooking the lake.

Fontana is a booked activity, so arrive about 20 minutes early. The fixed time also gives this day some structure. You cannot simply linger at Þingvellir indefinitely and expect the schedule to hold.

Fridheimar tomato farm is suggested as an optional stop. Its tomatoes grow with geothermal energy and biological pest controls, and the farm also offers horse breeding, horse shows, and a restaurant. Admission and reservations are your responsibility, and adding it takes about an hour including driving from Fontana. I would choose it only if you are willing to trim time elsewhere.

Geysir follows. The original Geysir gave its name to the word geyser, but Strokkur is the active star today, sending hot water as high as 15 meters. You may wait a few minutes for the next burst, so keep your camera ready without spending the whole stop staring at the eruption zone.

At Gullfoss, water drops into a narrow gorge from about 32 meters. The power and spray make this more than a quick photo stop. Good footwear and a waterproof layer will make the visit more comfortable.

Then the route turns south to Seljalandsfoss, a 60-meter waterfall with a path behind the falling water. That path is the attraction, but it is also wet and potentially slippery. Parking costs extra.

Skógafoss is broader and more forceful. Melting water from Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull feeds the falls, and on a sunny day the spray can produce strong rainbows. The route allows about an hour here, which is enough to enjoy the base and, if you have the energy, look toward the stairway beside the waterfall.

This is a full day. You get variety, but not much spare time. If you stop for a long meal, linger at Fridheimar, or encounter difficult weather, the later stops may feel rushed.

Vík and the four-hour Katla ice-cave outing

Day three begins around Vík, the small south-coast village near black sand beaches and glaciers. The most important timing detail is the Katla activity, which starts at 9:30 a.m. and lasts four hours.

You ride in a super jeep toward Katla Volcano, where volcanic rock and glacial ice meet. This is the trip’s biggest included adventure, and it changes the rhythm from self-guided sightseeing to a specialist outing. You should be at the meeting point 20 minutes before departure.

The activity has a minimum age of eight for some parts of the overall trip, so families should confirm that every member meets the relevant age requirement. The supplied information does not give a separate detailed age rule for every activity.

After the ice cave, Reynisfjara offers a very different kind of drama. Basalt columns line the cliff, and three rock formations rise from the Atlantic. The beach is free, but the waves are powerful. Do not turn your back on the sea or approach the water for a better photograph.

Dyrhólaey is a rock formation with a large opening once used by ships. It also provides views across the coast and is home to bird species. The route gives you about 45 minutes, enough for the main viewpoint but not a long walk.

Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon adds a winding river, steep rock walls, and a short walk through one of the south coast’s most striking natural settings. The route allows nearly two hours, giving you time to enjoy it without sprinting back to the camper.

At Kirkjubæjarklaustur, Systrafoss drops from Lake Systravatn above the town. A short climb gives a broader view, and Stjórnarfoss is only about five minutes farther by car if you want another waterfall.

Skaftafell National Park offers walking paths, including the route toward Svartifoss, the black waterfall framed by basalt columns. The park has no admission charge, but parking costs extra. Allow two hours, and remember that this is a walk, not simply a roadside viewpoint.

This day contains the tour’s most varied scenery, but it is also demanding. The four-hour ice-cave activity, several coastal stops, and the drive toward Skaftafell require an early start and good timekeeping.

Jökulsárlón and the return toward Selfoss

Day four reaches the farthest point of the route. Diamond Beach is a black-sand shore where ice from the nearby glacier lagoon washes up in clear and blue-white blocks. The chunks look like scattered glass in the sun, but the sight changes with tide, weather, and the amount of ice reaching the sea.

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon is across the road. Icebergs break from the Vatnajökull glacier and float through the lagoon before reaching the ocean. The lagoon began forming about 90 years ago as the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier tongue melted back.

The planned stops here are short compared with the distance traveled. You may wish you had more time, especially if weather or road conditions slow the drive. Still, seeing both the lagoon and beach together is one of the strongest reasons to choose the route.

The return to Selfoss takes about four and a half hours in the schedule. That is a long driving stretch after the southeast sights, so use the stop at Selfoss to eat, rest, and prepare for the final day. The plan does not include food, so you need to organize meals and supplies yourself.

This is also the point where the route’s northern-lights appeal needs a clear explanation. You may have dark rural skies and a chance to see the aurora, especially outside Reykjavik, but the tour does not include a dedicated northern-lights guide or guarantee. Cloud, daylight, solar activity, and timing all matter.

Reykjavik sights before returning the camper

The final day moves into Reykjavik. At the Sun Voyager sculpture, you can walk along the waterfront and look across toward the mountains. Jón Gunnar Árnason designed the piece to express hope and freedom, making it a fitting final urban stop after several days of raw geology.

Harpa Concert Hall is nearby. Its glass architecture reflects Icelandic natural forms, and you can enter the building for free. Parking costs extra.

Hallgrímskirkja is close to downtown and Rainbow Street. The church itself is free to enter, while the tower viewpoint requires a separate fee. If you want a broad view of Reykjavik, the tower is the useful add-on.

The Blue Lagoon is suggested as an optional final soak. It is not included, and you must book it yourself. The stated time allowance is about two hours including driving from Hallgrímskirkja, so only choose it if your flight schedule leaves enough room.

You return the camper at the CampEasy office, then use the free shuttle to Keflavík Airport or a selected Keflavík hotel. Build in enough time for vehicle handover and the transfer rather than treating the airport shuttle as instant.

What the price includes, and what it does not

The package covers more than a basic vehicle rental:

• Campervan and zero-risk coverage
• Campsite fees
• Wi-Fi and a guide tablet
• Bedding and kitchen equipment
• Airport or Keflavík hotel transfers
• Laugarvatn Fontana
• Katla ice-cave excursion
• A planned route and booked activities

You still pay for fuel, food, parking, personal accident insurance, campsite electricity, optional activities, and traffic fines. Parking charges apply at Þingvellir, Seljalandsfoss, Dyrhólaey or other managed areas where noted, Skaftafell, Harpa, and the Hallgrímskirkja tower if you choose it.

The company’s support is another part of the value. CampEasy staff members named in customer service exchanges include Lidia, Natalia, Florentina, Nicole, and Kamila. Direct accounts describe smooth check-in and check-out, clean campers, reliable heating, useful equipment, and prompt answers to questions. One person did report difficulty reaching the operator before the trip, so save the company contact details and ask important questions well before departure.

Free cancellation is available if you cancel at least 24 hours before the start time. Changes or cancellations inside that period are not accepted for a refund.

Who should book this Iceland camper route

I would choose this for a couple, family, or small private group that wants independence but does not want to plan every campsite and major stop alone. It suits people who enjoy driving, outdoor walks, simple camper living, and a full schedule.

It is less suitable if you want leisurely mornings, long restaurant meals, or a single base. The route covers a lot of ground, and several days depend on fixed activity times.

The tour is also a good fit for first-time camper renters because the vehicle arrives with basic living equipment, heating, Wi-Fi, and a tablet guide. Still, first-timers should be comfortable driving in changing Icelandic conditions and managing their own daily plans.

Should you book this five-day adventure?

Book it if privacy, flexibility, and the open road matter more to you than a relaxed pace. The strongest value comes from combining a camper, campsites, transfers, Fontana, and the Katla ice-cave trip in one package.

Think twice if your main goal is guaranteed northern lights, extensive Reykjavik time, or an easy holiday with no driving duties. For the right person, this is a compact and exciting way to see Iceland’s south coast. Just arrive ready for long days, extra parking and fuel costs, and weather that may rewrite your plans.

FAQ

Is airport pickup included?

Yes. A free shuttle operates from Keflavík International Airport or one of 12 selected hotels in the Keflavík area between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Where does the campervan pickup take place?

Pickup is at the CampEasy office at Selvík 5, 230 Keflavík, Iceland, about five minutes by vehicle from the airport.

What is the minimum age for the driver?

The driver must be at least 20 years old and must show a valid international driving license suitable for the vehicle and valid for at least 12 months at pickup.

Are campsites included in the price?

Yes. Campsite fees are included, but electricity and other campsite services are not included.

Is fuel included?

No. You pay for fuel separately.

Are parking fees included?

No. Parking fees are not included at places such as Þingvellir, Seljalandsfoss, and Skaftafell.

Are the Katla ice cave and Fontana included?

Yes. The four-hour Katla ice-cave excursion and the Laugarvatn Fontana experience are included. The Fontana schedule includes a rye-bread tour at 11:45 a.m.

Is the Blue Lagoon included?

No. It is an optional recommendation, and you must book and pay for admission yourself.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes, if you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start are not accepted for a refund.