Types of camping
Choose the approach that fits your trip, or mix and match.
Designated Campsites
Staffed sites with facilities including toilets, showers, and cooking areas. Required when camping near towns or in national parks. Cost €10–20 per night.
Wild Camping
Allowed on most uninhabited land outside designated areas and national parks. Leave no trace — take everything with you. Open fires are not permitted outside designated fire pits.
Campervan Hire
Complete freedom with a self-contained vehicle. Sleep anywhere legal, cook onboard, and change plans daily. Expect €120–220/day for a 2-berth van.
Essential camping gear
Iceland's weather is unpredictable even in summer. These categories cover the non-negotiables.
Shelter
- Four-season tent rated for high wind
- Extra-long steel pegs for hard ground
- Guylines and storm straps
Sleep
- Sleeping bag rated to −5 °C minimum
- Insulating mat — cold ground saps warmth
- Layering system for temperature swings
Cooking
- Compact gas stove — open fires prohibited
- Primus or MSR fuel canisters (widely available)
- Windshield for the stove — always needed
Safety
- Emergency thermal blanket
- Headlamp with spare batteries
- No bear spray needed — Iceland has no bears!
Top campsites
Six standout sites across Iceland — from highland wilderness to coastal town bases.
Þórsmörk
Southern Highlands
Remote highland valley surrounded by three glaciers. No bus service after September. River crossings required — 4WD essential.
Skaftafell
Vatnajökull NP
Inside Europe's largest national park with direct glacier views. Excellent trail network. Gets very busy in summer — book ahead.
Mývatn
North Iceland
Surrounded by extraordinary birdlife and geothermal features. Perfect midnight sun location in June and July.
Landmannalaugar
Fjallabak Reserve
Highland camp with a natural hot spring right on site. Base for the famous Laugavegur trail. Rainbow rhyolite mountains all around.
Vík Campsite
South Iceland
Good base for the black sand beaches at Reynisfjara and the Dyrhólaey arch. Town facilities close by. Exposed to Atlantic winds.
Laugarvatn
Golden Circle
Well-maintained site on the Golden Circle route. Good facilities, lake swimming nearby, and Fontana geothermal baths across the road.
Fire & safety rules
- Open fires are prohibited everywhere except designated fire pits.
- Mosses and lichens take 50+ years to recover — never step off marked paths.
- Pack out everything — zero waste, zero exceptions.
Campfire regulations
Iceland's frequent winds make open fires extremely dangerous and they are banned across almost all of the country. Bring a gas stove — Primus and MSR canisters are available in Reykjavík and most larger towns.