30 Sep – 11 Oct 2026 · Iceland · 2 travelers

The Höfn Loop

Reykjavík out to Höfn & Vestrahorn and back — Golden Circle, South Coast, and the Southeast, by self-drive campervan. Not the full Ring Road, not Snæfellsnes: one out-and-back line with a single turnaround, four days each way.

12 days
Wed 30 Sep → Sun 11 Oct
9 nights
campervan, one site per night
457 km
Höfn & Vestrahorn — the turnaround
2 calls
campsites to confirm ahead — Vík, Höfn
Two calls before relying on this plan: Vík Campsite's October window isn't independently verified, and public sources conflict on whether Höfn Camping Ground is even open on 6 Oct. Kirkjubæjarklaustur was flagged the same way earlier but is now confirmed fully operational through Nov 30.

Route profile

Distance from Reykjavík on each of the 9 camping nights — the trip's actual shape: out to a single turnaround, then back.

Outbound — nights 1–6 Return — nights 6–9
0 km Reykjavík ↔ Reykjavík 57km 130km 69km 71km 130km 201km 199km 57km Night 1 · Thu 1 Oct · Reykjavík Eco-Campsite · 0 km Reykjavík n1 · 0km Night 2 · Fri 2 Oct · Gesthús Selfoss · ≈57 km Selfoss n2 · 57km Night 3 · Sat 3 Oct · Vík Campsite · ≈187 km · confirm ahead Vík * n3 · 187km Night 4 · Sun 4 Oct · Kirkjubæjarklaustur · ≈256 km Kirkjubæjarkl. n4 · 256km Night 5 · Mon 5 Oct · Skaftafell Campground · ≈327 km Skaftafell n5 · 327km Night 6 · Tue 6 Oct · Höfn Camping Ground · 457 km · turnaround, furthest point, confirm ahead, best aurora night Höfn — turnaround · 457km Night 7 · Wed 7 Oct · Kirkjubæjarklaustur (again) · ≈256 km Kirkjubæjarkl. n7 · 256km Night 8 · Thu 8 Oct · Gesthús Selfoss · ≈57 km Selfoss n8 · 57km Night 9 · Fri 9 Oct · Reykjavík Eco-Campsite · 0 km Reykjavík n9 · 0km

* ring marks a night that still needs a confirmation call — see the callout above.

Every drive, in order

The chart above tracks straight-line progress along Route 1. Actual driving is longer — it includes side-trips like the Golden Circle loop and the Fjaðrárgljúfur detour. This table is every real leg, in the order you'd drive it. "≈" marks a distance estimated from drive time rather than a cited figure.

LegDistance
Thu 1 Oct — Pickup day (local)
Kópavogur depot → Sky Lagoon≈2 km
Sky Lagoon → Reykjavík Eco-Campsite≈9 km
Fri 2 Oct — Golden Circle
Reykjavík → Þingvellir50 km
Þingvellir → Brúarfoss (Hlauptunga parking, Rd 37)≈50 km
Brúarfoss → Gullfoss≈30 km
Gullfoss → Friðheimar≈28 km
Friðheimar → Secret Lagoon≈10 km
Secret Lagoon → Gesthús Selfoss≈30 km
Sat 3 Oct — South Coast
Selfoss → Seljalandsfoss≈72 km
Seljalandsfoss → Skógafoss≈30 km
Skógafoss → Vík31 km
Vík ↔ Reynisfjara (evening, golden hour)≈22 km
Sun 4 Oct — Moss lava & canyon
Vík → Eldhraun viewpoint≈40 km
Eldhraun → Fjaðrárgljúfur≈29 km
Fjaðrárgljúfur → Kirkjubæjarklaustur≈5 km
Mon 5 Oct — Skaftafell
Kirkjubæjarklaustur → Skaftafell71 km
Tue 6 Oct — The turnaround
Skaftafell → Jökulsárlón (09:30 ice cave tour)57 km
Jökulsárlón → Höfn / Vestrahorn — furthest point≈83 km
Wed 7 Oct — Return begins
Höfn → Vestrahorn (sunrise)≈15 km
Vestrahorn → Fjallsárlón viewpoint≈85 km
Fjallsárlón → Lómagnúpur viewpoint≈78 km
Lómagnúpur → Foss á Síðu≈13 km
Foss á Síðu → Dverghamrar≈2 km
Dverghamrar → Kirkjubæjarklaustur≈10 km
Thu 8 Oct — Yoda Cave & waterfalls
Kirkjubæjarklaustur → Hjörleifshöfði (Yoda Cave)≈90 km
Hjörleifshöfði → Vík≈15 km
Vík → Dyrhólaey≈19 km
Dyrhólaey → Kvernufoss (Skógar museum)≈13 km
Kvernufoss → Gesthús Selfoss≈95 km
Fri 9 Oct — Buffer day
Selfoss → Reykjavík57 km
Sat 10 Oct — Departure
Eco-Campsite → Blue Lagoon → Kópavogur depot → KEF Airport≈145 km

Day by day

All 12 calendar days, in order. Dashed cards are travel/bookend days outside the campervan loop. Each card lists every hop between stops with its distance and mode: campervan · bus/transfer · taxi (unbooked) · on foot. "≈" = estimated.

WED 30 SEPArrival
≈50 km drive

Fly BCN → KEF (VY6012, 17:50 → 20:25), transfer to Reykjavík.

KEF Airport → Reykjavík hotel (airport transfer)≈50 km
THU 1 OCTReykjavík & pickup
Local only

City-center morning → campervan pickup ("The Highlander III") at the Kópavogur depot → Sky Lagoon.

Reykjavík city-center morning~3 km
City center → Kópavogur depot (taxi/bus — mode TBD)≈8 km
Depot → Sky Lagoon≈2 km
Sky Lagoon → Reykjavík Eco-Campsite≈9 km
night 1 · 0 km
FRI 2 OCTGolden Circle
≈198 km drive

Þingvellir → Brúarfoss & Miðfoss → Gullfoss (upper + lower viewpoint) → Friðheimar lunch → Secret Lagoon, Flúðir.

Reykjavík → Þingvellir50 km
Þingvellir: Hakið → Almannagjá gorge → Öxarárfoss~3 km
Þingvellir → Brúarfoss (Hlauptunga parking, off Rd 37 · 750 ISK via Parka)≈50 km
Brúarfoss + Miðfoss (30–45 min stop)~1 km
Brúarfoss → Gullfoss≈30 km
Gullfoss upper + lower viewpoints~1.5 km
Gullfoss → Friðheimar (lunch)≈28 km
Friðheimar → Secret Lagoon≈10 km
Secret Lagoon → Gesthús Selfoss≈30 km
Reservation — FriðheimarBrúarfoss parking · 750 ISK Parka
night 2 · ≈57 km
SAT 3 OCTSouth Coast waterfalls
≈155 km drive

Seljalandsfoss + Gljúfrabúi → Skógafoss → drive on to Vík, arriving mid-afternoon → Reynisfjara at golden hour (sunset ≈18:30) + Víkurfjara in town.

Gesthús Selfoss → Seljalandsfoss≈72 km
Seljalandsfoss walk-behind loop~1 km
Gljúfrabúi (10 min on foot from Seljalandsfoss)~1 km
Seljalandsfoss → Skógafoss≈30 km
Skógafoss base + staircase~1.5 km
Skógafoss → Vík31 km
Vík ↔ Reynisfjara (golden-hour round trip)≈22 km
Reynisfjara + Víkurfjara beach strolls~2 km
OvernightVík Campsite
Confirm ahead
night 3 · ≈187 km
SUN 4 OCTMoss lava & canyon
≈74 km drive

Eldhraun, the moss-lava sea → Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon → on to Kirkjubæjarklaustur — Kirkjugólf in the afternoon.

Vík → Eldhraun viewpoint≈40 km
Eldhraun moss-lava viewpoint~0.2 km
Eldhraun → Fjaðrárgljúfur≈29 km
Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon rim~3 km
Fjaðrárgljúfur → Kirkjubæjarklaustur≈5 km
Kirkjugólf basalt "church floor" (arrival afternoon)~0.3 km
night 4 · ≈256 km
MON 5 OCTSkaftafell
71 km drive

The Svartifoss–Sjónarnípa loop (trail S6: 7.1 km, 2.5–3h, self-guided).

Kirkjubæjarklaustur → Skaftafell71 km
S6 loop: Svartifoss → Sjónarnípa 7.1 km
S6 loop · self-guided
night 5 · ≈327 km
TUE 6 OCTThe turnaround
≈140 km drive

09:30 Crystal Ice Cave Tour — Glacier Guides from Jökulsárlón (2–3h, ~€140/pp) → lagoon + Diamond Beach after (lunch: Heimahumar) → Höfn (dinner: Pakkhús / Humarhöfnin) — the furthest point of the trip.

Skaftafell → Jökulsárlón (leave ~08:00)57 km
Crystal Ice Cave Tour — glacier walk + ice cave~2–3 km
Lagoon shore + Diamond Beach~2 km
Jökulsárlón → Höfn≈83 km
Furthest point Book tour — 09:30 slot Best aurora night Confirm ahead
night 6 · 457 km
WED 7 OCTReturn begins
≈205 km drive

Vestrahorn sunrise → drive west with one stop: Fjallsárlón, the quiet glacier lagoon → Lómagnúpur, Foss á Síðu & Dverghamrar → Kirkjubæjarklaustur by early afternoon.

Höfn → Vestrahorn (sunrise)≈15 km
Stokksnes sunrise stroll~1 km
Vestrahorn → Fjallsárlón viewpoint≈85 km
Fjallsárlón lagoon viewpoint~0.2 km
Fjallsárlón → Lómagnúpur viewpoint≈78 km
Lómagnúpur roadside pull-off~0.2 km
Lómagnúpur → Foss á Síðu waterfall≈13 km
Foss á Síðu, beside Route 1~0.2 km
Foss á Síðu → Dverghamrar basalt cliffs≈2 km
Dverghamrar column stroll~0.3 km
Dverghamrar → Kirkjubæjarklaustur≈10 km
OvernightKirkjubæjarklaustur Again
night 7 · ≈256 km
THU 8 OCTYoda Cave & waterfalls
≈230 km drive

Hjörleifshöfði — the Yoda Cave → Vík (lunch) → Dyrhólaey clifftop → Kvernufoss, the walk-behind waterfall at Skógar → Selfoss.

Kirkjubæjarklaustur → Hjörleifshöfði (Yoda Cave)≈90 km
Yoda Cave arch (gravel road + trail)~2 km
Hjörleifshöfði → Vík (church viewpoint, lunch)≈15 km
Vík strolls~1 km
Vík → Dyrhólaey≈19 km
Dyrhólaey clifftop~1 km
Dyrhólaey → Kvernufoss (park at Skógar museum)≈13 km
Kvernufoss gorge path + walk behind~1.5 km
Kvernufoss → Gesthús Selfoss≈95 km
night 8 · ≈57 km
FRI 9 OCTBuffer day
57 km drive

Weather/buffer day.

Gesthús Selfoss → Reykjavík Eco-Campsite57 km
night 9 · 0 km
SAT 10 OCTDeparture
≈145 km drive

Blue Lagoon first, with the van → back to Kópavogur to return the rental → transfer to the airport → fly KEF → BCN 20:45 (VY6039).

Campsite → Blue Lagoon (entry window 12:00–13:00)≈50 km
Blue Lagoon → Kópavogur depot (return the Highlander III)≈45 km
Depot → KEF Airport (taxi/transfer — unbooked)≈50 km
SUN 11 OCTHome

Land BCN 03:10.