Iceland (Skaftafell)
Trip Summary
Whew, after a whirlwind of a day that ended in Vik, my husband and I decided to start taking it a little easier as we drove the Ring Road in Iceland over the summer. The previous several days were jam-packed with sights and activities, and the busyness (and lack of sleep as we were camping in some very loud and crowded campsites) were starting to catch up with us, so we started to just prioritize our must-see sights from here on out. Luckily, there were still a lot of must-see sights ahead!
After packing up our campsite in Vik (at which it rained over 12 inches in a single night!), we draped our wet shoes over our rental car’s air conditioning vents and set off for our first destination of the day…Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon! This beautiful place is a recent tourist destination spot due to its popularity in several television shows and music videos, though it does close down often due to tourists not respecting the gated boundaries by hiking off-trail (which then destroys the flora and fauna of the area). Luckily, the canyon was open on the day we went, and we were the first ones there!
The weather was just coming off a massive storm, so the atmosphere was cold and broody, but this made for a cool mood as the canyon seemed extra spooky and mysterious! There are several viewpoints where you can take pictures, and the hike to the end and back is not very strenuous. The trail does get muddy, but there are rubber mats placed throughout the trail to help with this, but even so, make sure you have waterproof shoes (a MUST in Iceland)!
The viewpoint at the end toward the second parking lot is where you can get the best views as you can see the entire canyon from there, and this is when I was extra grateful that the place wasn’t extremely crowded as the viewing platform is very narrow, and when crowded, would be difficult to get good pictures. At that point, there were just a few other people there, so we waited for the platform to clear then took our pictures.
The canyon is absolutely gorgeous and deserves a stop if you are in the area (and if it is open). Just respect the nature there and stay on the designated paths, and this way, the canyon can stay open for everyone else. It is truly a breathtaking place!
Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon: A+
There is also the “Yoda Cave” not too far away that you can visit (essentially, when you are inside and you look out, it looks like the outline of Yoda and his pointy ears), but that was just one of our back-up places, not one of our “must-see” places as it would require an extra hike to get there, but I thought I would at least mention it here in case you had the extra time and wanted to see something additional while you were on this itinerary!
So while we did not see the “Yoda Cave,” we did see our next “must-see” place, and that was Svartifoss! This place is a black waterfall made up of volcanic columns and is actually quite impressive! Granted, we had seen waterfall after waterfall in the days previous, but even so, this waterfall was still gorgeous as it was grand, powerful, and so eerily austere. The black columns contrasting with its powerful white plumes was mesmerizing, and as my husband and I hiked up to it, we stopped at every viewpoint and our awe grew the closer and closer we got!
This waterfall and the trail up to it gets quite busy, so you do have to be patient when taking pictures, but the patience is worth it as it is probably one of the most unusual waterfalls you will see in Iceland–those telltale volcanic columns are so captivating and really made for some excellent photos!
The hike to see this one was a little longer and steeper than the canyon hike, but nothing too bad, so definitely make a plan to see it! It deserved a spot as a “must-see” destination!
Svartifoss: A+
Luckily, Svartifoss is very close to Skaftafell which has a very large campsite right at the base of the glacier, so my husband and I decided to stop there for the night and do some more hiking before getting an early night’s rest for the big day ahead. The campground here was actually the most impressive of any of the campgrounds we saw in the entire country as there are fields and fields just ready for RVs, campers, and tents! It was also spread out enough that we could get a spot a fair distance away from everyone else (and finally enjoy some peace and quiet as most of the campgrounds we had stayed previously were compact and so, so loud at night). The amenities were also quite nice here as they were the one campground that had a dryer (most other campgrounds will only have a washer or two), so we spent some time drying all our clothes that had gotten soaked.
The showers here were also a bit unusual in that they were unisex (though, they consisted of private shower stalls that locked). I did enjoy the privacy of that, but it also meant that the wait for these stalls was unreal as there was just a small room of showers for such a massive campsite. My husband and I actually ended up sharing a stall to save time, and this worked out well, but it was still a bit weird, so just plan accordingly if you need to shower (and perhaps plan your showers for non-busy times, like the middle of the day, and that will help).
There are also some excellent trails nearby, and my husband spent the afternoon walking all of those. Depending on the time of year you go, these trails have lots of local plants lining them (including Angelica–which you can find in a lot of tourists shops for its medicinal properties), and the paths are quite pretty. They also overlook the campsite, the glacier (which is enormous–definitely hike some of the glacier trails!), and the surrounding valleys, so it was a good decision to take it a little easier on this day, because we enjoyed the slower pace and the ability to enjoy the trails without having to rush!
I am glad that the campground where we spent the most time was actually one of the best ones, so it worked out! Highly recommend this campsite–this area (and beyond) is quite rural, so there is not a lot nearby, so we continued to eat our grocery store snacks (which is why no restaurants are reviewed), and this turned out well.
Skaftafell Campground: A
All in all, a good day, but in all honesty, it’s hard to have a bad day in Iceland as it is just so gorgeous! So see all the sights! And even if you take a slower, more low-key day like we did, make sure the day is outside in nature! There is so much to enjoy here, and just walking in the wild and seeing all these amazing sights does wonders for the wanderlusting soul!
Favorite Experiences
My favorites for this day would probably be a tie–between Svartifoss and the glacier trails at Skaftafell, because that glacier is just enormous–and absolutely dwarfed any glacier we had seen previously, even in Alaska. It is especially cool to see early in the morning when the fog/haze of the morning is just clearing, and you can see its full glory in the sunrise. We had that view as we were packing up our tent for the next day, and it was unforgettable!
What I Wish I Knew
At this point, my husband and I were pretty seasoned in setting up and packing up the campsite and navigating the roads and campgrounds, so there is not a lot I would change. However, I am glad that we started to slow down a bit at this point on the Ring Road, because the next day was way longer than we expected (more on that in the next post!), and you really do have to make time to rest on vacation, otherwise, you overdo it and can get sick/not enjoy everything as much. So it was on this day that we started skipping some of our back-up sights and just prioritizing the “must-see” ones. So I recommend taking that approach in making those must-see/back-up lists so that you are fully prepared and can still make the best of a great vacation no matter what the journey throws at you!
I also post reels and TikToks regularly of all the places I’ve reviewed on here, so if you want to see some videos of what to expect, check out my social media here:
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Happy travels!
