Guide to Iceland ranked 128 campsites in Iceland using 55,448 Google ratings, 4,053 written reviews, 14,748 Reddit posts and comments, and 2026 prices. Lambeyri in Skagafjordur is the highest-rated campsite, Skaftafell has the best views, and price barely predicts how good a campsite is.
The best campsite in Iceland is not one you have heard of. Lambeyri, a farm site in Skagafjordur with a free heated pool, has a near-perfect 4.96 from 712 Google ratings.
If you want proof at scale, Fossárdalur in the East Fjords holds 4.86 across 1,340 ratings. And if you only care about the view, Skaftafell, under Vatnajokull, gets more praise for its setting than any other campsite in the country.
We recommend planning your Ring Road nights around four of them: Skaftafell, Fossárdalur, Camping 66.12 North near Husavik, and Þakgil near Vik. Three sit on or near the Ring Road, and Camping 66.12 North is worth the detour north of Husavik.
All four rate far above the study average of 4.06, and between them, they cover the south, east, and north.
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To build the rankings, Guide to Iceland matched every campsite on tjalda.is, Iceland's national campsite directory, to its Google Maps listing. We read the newest written reviews for each, searched Reddit for every campsite name, and priced each one for two adults and a tent or van on 2026 rates.
Key Findings
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Lambeyri (4.96), Fossárdalur (4.86), and Hveravík (4.97) are the highest-rated campsites in Iceland on review-adjusted scores, which take the number of ratings into account.
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Price tells you almost nothing about quality. Across 108 priced campsites, price explains 0.2% of the difference in ratings.
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A typical night costs 4,900 ISK for two adults with a tent or van, lodging tax included. Half of all campsites charge between 4,400 and 5,400 ISK.
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The Westfjords have the best-rated campsites (average 4.33), and Reykjavik and Reykjanes the weakest (3.67).
-
Showers and toilets decide most bad reviews. A kitchen is the facility most linked to a higher rating (+0.28 stars).
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Several big-name campsites slipped in 2026. Mosskógar near Reykjavik averages 3.10 in its newest reviews against 4.37 all-time.
Cite This Study
The charts and data in this study are free to use under CC BY 4.0. Credit Guide to Iceland and link to this page. Every chart has an Embed button underneath it with ready-to-paste code.
How We Ranked Iceland's Campsites
We started from all 166 campsites we could match to Google Maps, most of them listed on tjalda.is, and kept the 128 with at least 50 Google ratings, 55,448 ratings in total.
Ratings come from each campsite's exact star counts rather than Google's rounded score, and every rating is pulled toward the national average in proportion to how few reviews it rests on. That stops a 5.0 from 30 campers outranking a 4.8 from a thousand.
Scenery is the share of a campsite's written reviews that praise its views or setting. Facilities combine what the campsite lists with how campers rate those facilities. Value is how far a campsite's rating sits above what its price would predict. The five lists below are exclusive, computed in that order, so no campsite is named twice.
The Highest-Rated Campsites in Iceland
These five carry the highest volume-adjusted ratings in Iceland. Only campsites with at least 100 Google ratings qualify for this list.
1. Lambeyri Campsite
North Iceland · Skagafjordur · 4.96/5 from 712 Google ratings · 5,700 ISK a night for two (guest-reported)
A farm campsite in Skagafjordur that almost nobody outside Iceland has heard of, and the closest thing in the country to a perfect score: 689 of its 712 Google ratings are five stars.
Reviewers keep coming back to the same 3 things. The heated pool comes free with the pitch and never closes, there are 2 or 3 fully equipped kitchens, and laundry with detergent costs nothing extra.
Worth knowing: The pitches sit beside the Svarta river with farmland around them rather than a famous view, and the women's side has a single shower at busy times. Its record is also shorter than Fossárdalur's (712 ratings against 1,340).
2. Fossárdalur Campsite
East Iceland · Berufjordur · 4.86/5 from 1,340 Google ratings · 5,400 ISK a night for two
The most consistent big campsite in Iceland. It holds 4.86 across 1,340 ratings, one of only 2 campsites in Iceland above 4.8 with more than a thousand reviews, and none of its 36 newest written reviews is negative.
It sits a little back from Route 1 in a valley off Berufjordur with a waterfall nearby, and the communal hall, with several separate cooking stations, gets mentioned in almost every review.
Worth knowing: Toilets are described as basic, and it is a detour of a few minutes off the Ring Road. It is open all year, which matters if you are driving the East Fjords in shoulder season.
3. Hveravík Campsite
Westfjords · Steingrimsfjordur · 4.97/5 from 439 Google ratings · 6,400 ISK a night for two (guest-reported)
A small seaside campsite on Steingrimsfjordur in the Strandir region, with a geothermal hot tub that stays open all night. It is the highest-rated campsite in the study on a straight average (4.97), and reviewers single out the hosts more than anything else: friendly, helpful, and very present.
Worth knowing: It is small and out of the way unless you are heading into the Westfjords. Guests in 2026 reported paying 3,000 ISK per adult, which makes it one of the pricier sites outside the highlands.
4. Camping 66.12 North
North Iceland · Tjornes · 4.84/5 from 1,429 Google ratings · 4,000 ISK a night for two
A family-run campsite on the coast of Tjornes, north of Husavik, named for its latitude. It combines a 4.84 rating over 1,429 reviews with a price of 4,000 ISK for two, which is why it also tops the value math.
Sea views, a clean kitchen, and owners who walk the site are the recurring themes, and several reviewers chose it for watching the northern lights.
Worth knowing: Facilities are described as dated but very well kept, and the sanitary block is small for the number of pitches on a full summer night.
5. Grettislaug Campsite
North Iceland · Skagafjordur · 4.78/5 from 551 Google ratings · no published 2026 price
A shoreline campsite where Reykjastrond ends in Skagafjordur, built around the Grettislaug hot pools. The setting and the pools carry its rating, with a small café and a big shared kitchen behind them.
Worth knowing: The last stretch of road is rough, the pools cost extra, and its handful of unhappy reviews mention lukewarm showers on one side. No 2026 price is published, so it is left out of the price lists.
The Campsites in Iceland With the Best Views
Scenery is the one thing campers almost never complain about. It turns up in 29% of happy reviews and only 12% of unhappy ones. These five, all rated above the national median, earn the highest share of reviews praising their setting.
1. Skaftafell Campground
South-East Iceland · Skaftafell · 4.42/5 from 2,180 Google ratings · 6,000 ISK a night for two
The campsite with the most praise for its setting in the whole study, and the most discussed campsite on Reddit by a wide margin (178 mentions).
You wake up under Vatnajokull, with the glacier walk, Svartifoss trail, and the visitor center a few minutes from your pitch. Heated toilets, good showers, and free laundry come up again and again.
Worth knowing: There is no proper indoor kitchen, pitches are unmarked, and it fills up in July. Tripadvisor rates it lower (3.5 on 163 reviews) than Google does, mostly over crowding and facilities rather than the view.
2. Melanes Campsite
Westfjords · Raudisandur · 4.41/5 from 394 Google ratings · 5,400 ISK a night for two
A meadow on the edge of Raudisandur, the red-gold beach in the far south-west of the Westfjords. Reviewers describe parking or pitching almost on the sand, with space to spread out and sunsets over the bay.
Worth knowing: The road in is long and steep, the common room is unheated, and the season is short (mid-May to the end of September).
3. Svínafell Campsite
South-East Iceland · Oraefi · 4.42/5 from 1,107 Google ratings · 5,000 ISK a night for two
About 10 minutes east of Skaftafell, with Svinafellsjokull and the Oraefajokull massif behind it. It gets close to Skaftafell's praise for scenery and adds what Skaftafell lacks, a large indoor kitchen and gathering room.
Worth knowing: There are only a couple of toilets and showers for a busy site, no reservations, and it closes at the end of September.
4. Súðavík Campsite
Westfjords · Sudavik · 4.79/5 from 68 Google ratings · 3,600 ISK a night for two
A small, peaceful site in Sudavik village, on Alftafjordur, near the Arctic Fox Center. Spotless facilities and a fjord view earn it a 4.79, and it is one of the cheaper sites on any list at 3,600 ISK for two.
Worth knowing: There is no indoor kitchen, and the barbecue facilities are in Raggagardur park next door. It is only open between June and mid-September.
5. Camping Mývatn (Bjarg)
North Iceland · Reykjahlid, Myvatn · 4.24/5 from 1,342 Google ratings · no published 2026 price
The lakeshore campsite in Reykjahlid village on Lake Myvatn, within reach of the Myvatn Nature Baths, Hverir, and Dimmuborgir. Lake views drive the praise, and its 2026 reviews (4.70) are far stronger than its long-run rating.
Worth knowing: Myvatn means midges on calm summer days, the common room has a sink but no cooking equipment, and no 2026 price is published.
The Icelandic Campsites With the Best Facilities
A kitchen, an indoor room to eat in, and a washing machine matter more in Iceland than almost anywhere else, because the weather turns. These five combine the longest facility lists with the best reviews of those facilities.
1. Bakkaflöt Campsite
North Iceland · Skagafjordur · 4.39/5 from 86 Google ratings · 4,400 ISK a night for two
A riverside campsite in Skagafjordur with nearly every facility on our list: a large kitchen, a pool and hot tubs, laundry, Wi-Fi, and motorhome services.
Worth knowing: The pitch price leaves out showers and the hot tubs, which a few reviewers resent.
2. Systragil Campsite
North Iceland · Fnjoskadalur · 4.64/5 from 299 Google ratings · 4,400 ISK a night for two
A forest campsite in Fnjoskadalur, beside Vaglaskogur, one of the largest birch woods in Iceland, about 20 minutes east of Akureyri. It pairs every facility on our list with a 4.64 rating and a warm wooden cooking hut.
Worth knowing: It is seasonal, open between late May and the end of September.
3. Þórsvöllur Campsite
South Iceland · Vestmannaeyjar · 4.66/5 from 68 Google ratings · 6,000 ISK a night for two
The quieter of the 2 campsites on Heimaey in the Westman Islands. Reviewers call it the cleanest campsite of their trip, with 2 kitchens, a cozy common room, and laundry.
Worth knowing: Getting there means the Herjólfur ferry, and the building itself looks unremarkable from outside.
4. Laugar Camping
North Iceland · Reykjadalur · 4.35/5 from 212 Google ratings · 4,800 ISK a night for two
A riverside campsite in Reykjadalur, right on the Ring Road between Akureyri and Myvatn, next to the village pool, a restaurant, and a small shop. Reviewers rate the large upstairs common room, the kitchen, and the number of toilets, each with its own sink.
Worth knowing: It is seasonal (May to September) and the setting is a village green rather than a view.
5. Álfaborg Campsite
East Iceland · Borgarfjordur Eystri · 4.40/5 from 332 Google ratings · 4,400 ISK a night for two
The campsite in Bakkagerdi on Borgarfjordur Eystri, the puffin village where the north-east road runs out. It has a full kitchen and common room, Wi-Fi, free morning coffee, and some of the best-reviewed showers in the study.
Worth knowing: Showers are paid by card per 5 minutes, and the drive in over the mountain pass takes time.
The Cheapest Campsites in Iceland Worth Staying At
The cheapest campsite in our study charges 2,400 ISK for two, but it rates below average. This list only takes campsites rated above the national median, then sorts them by price. Prices are for one night, two adults, and one tent or van, including the 400 ISK lodging tax.
1. Stóri-Lambhagi Campsite
West Iceland · Hvalfjordur · 4.33/5 from 132 Google ratings · 2,600 ISK a night for two
A simple farm campsite in Hvalfjordur and the cheapest well-rated pitch in Iceland, at 2,600 ISK for two adults including tax. Heated toilets, a shower, and electricity cover the basics.
Worth knowing: There is no kitchen or indoor space, payment is cash only, and a few reviewers clashed with the owner.
2. Selskógur Campsite
West Iceland · Skorradalur · 4.18/5 from 128 Google ratings · 3,200 ISK a night for two
A sheltered pitch among trees in Skorradalur, a quiet lake valley in Borgarfjordur. At 3,200 ISK for two it is the cheapest forest campsite on our lists.
Worth knowing: The amenity block is small, the ground is lumpy in places, and flies can be a nuisance in summer.
3. Eyrarbakki Campsite
South Iceland · Eyrarbakki · 4.50/5 from 220 Google ratings · 3,400 ISK a night for two
A seaside campsite in the old fishing village of Eyrarbakki, 15 minutes from Selfoss. At 3,400 ISK for two it is the cheapest highly rated campsite on the South Coast route, and reviewers like that there are no extra charges for showers or the kitchen.
Worth knowing: With 2 toilets a side and a single shower, expect a queue on a busy night.
4. Ásbrandsstaðir Campsite
East Iceland · Vopnafjordur · 4.78/5 from 228 Google ratings · 3,600 ISK a night for two
A farm campsite in Vopnafjordur with a kitchen, free shower, and free laundry under one warm roof, at 3,600 ISK for two. Only Súðavík rates higher among campsites under 4,000 ISK.
Worth knowing: It is well off the Ring Road, and facilities are small enough that reviewers say it suits quiet nights rather than peak summer.
5. CJA Camping
North Iceland · Laugar · 4.26/5 from 554 Google ratings · 3,800 ISK a night for two
A hedged, quiet campsite at Laugar in Reykjadalur, between Akureyri and Myvatn, with a heated common room and showers included at 3,800 ISK for two.
Worth knowing: Its 2026 reviews dipped slightly, mostly over pitches on gravel off-season and one dispute over pricing. Check the rate you are quoted against the published one.
The Best-Value Campsites in Iceland
Value here means a rating well above what campsites at that price usually get, so a pricier site can still top this list. Several campsites with even bigger margins, such as Fossárdalur and Camping 66.12 North, are already on the lists above, so this list shows the next five.
1. Þakgil Campsite
South Iceland · Thakgil · 4.72/5 from 1,080 Google ratings · 6,000 ISK a night for two
A campsite hidden in a canyon north of Vik, below Myrdalsjokull, with a dining area set inside a cave. It rates 4.72 over 1,080 reviews and is the fourth most mentioned campsite on Reddit, with 88 mentions.
Worth knowing: The gravel road in, about 9 miles (15 km), is rough for a 2WD camper, and cooking facilities are basic. It opens in June and closes at the end of September.
2. Djúpidalur Campsite
Westfjords · Reykholahreppur · 4.74/5 from 367 Google ratings · 4,800 ISK a night for two
A campsite in the Djupidalur valley, north of Reykholar village on the road into the Westfjords. It has a pool and a hot tub on site, a large kitchen and games room, and is open all year.
Worth knowing: The pool costs around 1,000 ISK extra per person, and the site is exposed to wind.
3. Berunes Campsite
East Iceland · Berufjordur · 4.80/5 from 154 Google ratings · 5,300 ISK a night for two
A farm campsite on Berufjordur with a church on the grounds, a well-equipped kitchen and breakfast at reception. It holds 4.80, and a short drive puts you at Fossárdalur if it is full.
Worth knowing: It is small and, in reviewers' words, not built for big crowds.
4. Herjólfsdalur Campsite
South Iceland · Vestmannaeyjar · 4.72/5 from 167 Google ratings · 4,800 ISK a night for two
The main campsite on Heimaey, set inside the old volcanic crater where the Thjodhatid festival takes place, near the puffin cliffs. Its 2026 reviews average 4.90, with a large kitchen and dining room, 4 showers, and laundry.
Worth knowing: It is reached by ferry, and over the bank holiday weekend at the start of August it becomes the festival site.
5. Hellissandur Campsite
West Iceland · Hellissandur · 4.54/5 from 815 Google ratings · 5,400 ISK a night for two (guest-reported)
A campsite set in a lava field at the tip of Snaefellsnes, close to Snaefellsjokull National Park. Reviewers praise a full kitchen, very good showers, and the setting.
Worth knowing: It gets crowded and needs more showers and kitchen space at peak times. Guests reported 2,500 ISK per adult in 2026, plus 1,500 ISK for electricity.
Paying More Does Not Get You a Better Campsite
Plot every priced campsite by what it charges and how it rates, and the points form a cloud with no slope. The most expensive quarter charges a median 6,000 ISK against 4,000 ISK for the cheapest quarter, 50% more, and rates 0.04 stars higher.
Popularity does not predict quality either. Happy Campsite near Keflavik Airport has 87 Reddit mentions, mostly as a convenient first or last night, and the second-lowest rating in the study (2.63).
What does predict a good night is the operator. Reviews of the top campsites name the hosts again and again, and most are small sites run by the people who live there.
What Campers Praise and Complain About Most
We sorted every written review into 20 subjects and compared how often each comes up in happy (four- or five-star) and unhappy (one- or two-star) reviews. Showers and toilets dominate both. They are what campers notice first when they are good and what sinks a campsite when they are not.
Price is the clearest complaint. It comes up in 36% of unhappy reviews against 23% of happy ones, usually when the pitch price leaves out showers, the kitchen, or electricity. Hot water, uneven ground, electricity, and payment problems follow. Scenery and laundry lean strongly toward good reviews.
A Kitchen Matters More Than Any Other Facility
Campsites with a kitchen average 0.28 stars more than those without one, and those with a washing machine 0.25 more. A pool or hot tub makes almost no difference on its own.
Electricity and Wi-Fi run the other way, which looks odd until you see who lacks them. Several of the best-loved sites are remote and simple, such as Þakgil, which has no Wi-Fi, and some of the highland camps. Campers there are trading facilities for setting, and they rate the trade highly.
The Westfjords Have the Best Campsites in Iceland
The Westfjords lead in both rating and scenery. North and South Iceland have the most campsites. The south also has the busiest ones, and it rates below the study average. Reykjavik and Reykjanes rate lowest and earn the least praise for their setting, which makes sense for campsites chosen mainly for an early flight.
The south-east, between Kirkjubaejarklaustur and Hofn, has the second-highest share of scenery praise, thanks to Skaftafell and Svínafell. It has one of the lowest average ratings, though, because busy sites around Hofn and Kirkjubaejarklaustur pull it down. These are the three best campsites in each region.
|
Region |
Campsite |
Where |
Rating |
Ratings |
Two adults |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
South Iceland |
Herjólfsdalur Campsite |
Vestmannaeyjar |
4.72 |
167 |
4,800 ISK |
|
|
Þakgil Campsite |
Thakgil |
4.72 |
1,080 |
6,000 ISK |
|
|
Þórsvöllur Campsite |
Vestmannaeyjar |
4.66 |
68 |
6,000 ISK |
|
South-East Iceland |
Skaftafell Campground |
Skaftafell |
4.42 |
2,180 |
6,000 ISK |
|
|
Svínafell Campsite |
Oraefi |
4.42 |
1,107 |
5,000 ISK |
|
|
Myllulækur Campsite |
Nesjar, Hornafjordur |
4.14 |
338 |
4,800 ISK |
|
East Iceland |
Fossárdalur Campsite |
Berufjordur |
4.86 |
1,340 |
5,400 ISK |
|
|
Mjóanes Campsite |
Hallormsstadur |
4.81 |
221 |
not published |
|
|
Skipalækur Campsite |
Fellabaer |
4.52 |
338 |
6,000 ISK |
|
North Iceland |
Camping 66.12 North |
Tjornes |
4.84 |
1,429 |
4,000 ISK |
|
|
Systragil Campsite |
Fnjoskadalur |
4.64 |
299 |
4,400 ISK |
|
|
Lambeyri Campsite |
Skagafjordur |
4.96 |
712 |
5,700 ISK |
|
Westfjords |
Hveravík Campsite |
Steingrimsfjordur |
4.97 |
439 |
6,400 ISK |
|
|
Þingeyraroddi Campsite |
Thingeyri |
4.58 |
278 |
5,160 ISK |
|
|
Melanes Campsite |
Raudisandur |
4.41 |
394 |
5,400 ISK |
|
West Iceland |
Hellissandur Campsite |
Hellissandur |
4.54 |
815 |
5,400 ISK |
|
|
Ólafsvík Campsite |
Olafsvik |
4.29 |
759 |
not published |
|
|
Fossatún Campsite |
Borgarfjordur |
4.31 |
78 |
not published |
|
Reykjavik and Reykjanes |
Grindavík Campsite |
Grindavik |
4.34 |
1,364 |
4,800 ISK (guest-reported) |
|
|
Mosskógar Campsite |
Mosfellsdalur |
4.37 |
1,288 |
6,000 ISK |
|
|
Reykjavík Eco Campsite |
Reykjavik |
4.06 |
2,767 |
6,700 ISK |
|
Highlands |
Hólaskjól Highland Center |
Fjallabak |
4.41 |
128 |
7,000 ISK |
|
|
Áfangagil Campsite |
Highland edge, Route 26 |
4.45 |
62 |
not published |
|
|
Landmannalaugar Campsite |
Landmannalaugar |
3.97 |
625 |
not published |
Regional picks are the top 3 by overall score (half rating, a quarter scenery, a quarter facilities) among campsites above the bottom fifth on rating. The highlands have only 4 campsites with enough reviews to qualify.
The Campsites That Got Better or Worse in 2026
Comparing each campsite's newest 40 reviews with its all-time rating shows which ones are improving and which are slipping. The slips are concentrated around Reykjavik and on the Golden Circle, where demand is highest.
At Mosskógar, unhappy 2026 reviewers mostly describe a cash-only rule that caught them out and disputes at reception. At Selfoss and Reykjavík Eco Campsite, they describe crowding, dirty toilets, and high prices.
On the other side, Grindavík Campsite has come back strongly since the town reopened, and Camping Mývatn's newest reviews are its best. Grindavik is still under a civil protection uncertainty phase after the Sundhnukur eruptions, so check grindavik.is and safetravel.is before you book.
The Campsites Reddit Recommends Most
Across 14,748 Iceland camping posts and comments, these are the campsites mentioned most. Positive and negative counts are mentions where the surrounding words were clearly one or the other.
|
Campsite |
Mentions |
Positive |
Negative |
Google rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Skaftafell Campground |
178 |
51 |
6 |
4.42 |
|
Landmannalaugar Campsite |
113 |
30 |
11 |
3.97 |
|
Vík Camping |
100 |
21 |
7 |
3.70 |
|
Þakgil Campsite |
88 |
31 |
7 |
4.72 |
|
Happy Campsite |
87 |
32 |
5 |
2.63 |
|
Reykjavík Eco Campsite |
47 |
12 |
3 |
4.06 |
|
Ásbyrgi Campground |
30 |
11 |
2 |
4.31 |
|
Vogar Campsite |
28 |
6 |
2 |
3.75 |
|
Vestrahorn Campsite |
26 |
9 |
1 |
3.82 |
|
Camping 66.12 North |
25 |
11 |
0 |
4.84 |
Reddit and Google mostly agree. Skaftafell, Þakgil, and Camping 66.12 North are talked about warmly and rated highly.
Landmannalaugar is the main exception. Reddit loves the place, but the campsite itself rates 3.97, mostly over paid showers, wind, and an exposed gravel pitch, so go for hikes such as the Laugavegur Trail, not for the facilities.
Happy Campsite is the other exception. Most of its Reddit mentions are positive because it is handy for the airport, but it rates 2.63 on Google.
What To Know Before Camping in Iceland
Most campsites don't require a reservation. You turn up and pay on arrival, at a machine, through the Parka app, or to a warden who comes around in the evening, and many sites can also be booked ahead on Parka.
Reviewers report that a few, including Mosskógar and Stóri-Lambhagi, take cash only. Some sites charge separately for showers, electricity, and the kitchen, so check what the pitch price covers.
Many campsites close in mid- to late September and reopen in May or June. Of the campsites on our lists, Fossárdalur, Skaftafell, Hveravík, Djúpidalur, Ásbrandsstaðir, CJA Camping, and Bakkaflöt are listed as open all year. Camping 66.12 North opens between March and October.
Since 2015, campervans, motorhomes, caravans, and tent trailers must stay at organized campsites outside towns unless the landowner gives permission, so plan where you will sleep each night.
Gravel roads lead to several of the best sites, including Þakgil and Melanes. Camps reached by F-roads, such as Holaskjol and Landmannalaugar, need a 4x4 rental. Our guide to camping in Iceland covers packing lists, rules, and costs.
Before each drive, check the weather forecast and road conditions, especially if your route includes gravel roads or F-roads.
Methodology of the Study on Iceland’s Best Campsites
Population. We took the 181 campsites listed on tjalda.is, added 16 well-known campsites that are not listed there (including Landmannalaugar, Camping Mývatn, and Lambeyri). We matched each one to its Google Maps listing by location and checked every match by hand.
That gave 166 campsites. We kept the 128 with at least 50 Google ratings, a combined 55,448 ratings.
Ratings. Google ratings were collected on October 6, 2026 and recalculated from each campsite's exact one- to five-star counts. Each was shrunk toward the study average (4.06) using a prior of 100 ratings and rescaled to a 60 to 100 index.
Tripadvisor served as an outside check. Seven of the named campsites have a listing there, and all but Skaftafell, which rates lower there over crowding and facilities, broadly agree with their Google ratings.
Reviews. We read the newest 40 Google reviews for each of the 128 campsites, 5,120 reviews of which 4,053 contain text, using Google's English translation where needed. Each review was coded into 20 subjects by keyword and sorted by its star rating. All counts are pooled across campsites.
Reddit. We collected 14,748 posts and comments about camping in Iceland from r/VisitingIceland and other travel and camping communities, and counted mentions of each campsite by name.
Prices. Prices are the 2026 rates published on tjalda.is for two adults and one unit, plus the 400 ISK national lodging tax where it is charged separately.
Thingvellir rates come from thingvellir.is. For Hellissandur, Lambeyri, Hveravík, and Grindavík we used the price guests reported in 2026 reviews. Campsites with no 2026 price are left out of the price and value lists only.
Limitations
Newest reviews lean toward the end of the 2026 season, when weather is colder and facilities are closing, which may make some shifts look larger than a full-season average would. Seasons and prices change, so check with each campsite before you go. Every campsite named in this study had reviews in the 2026 season.
Keep Reading
This study is part of Guide to Iceland's research series. If you are planning a camping trip, these go well with it:
Conclusion
The best campsites in Iceland are rarely the famous ones. Small, owner-run sites such as Lambeyri, Fossárdalur, and Hveravík rate highest, Skaftafell wins on scenery, and Stóri-Lambhagi shows that a good night does not have to cost much.
Price tells you almost nothing about quality, so choose a campsite for its kitchen, its showers, and the people who run it. Check opening dates before you go, since many campsites close in September.
If you are building a camping road trip, you can compare car rentals in Iceland and read about the weather in Iceland before you set your route.
Guide to Iceland reviews the businesses it recommends against what travelers actually report. We support our partners in raising their standards and work to ensure that every trip booked through us meets the highest safety standards.
Guide to Iceland ran this as an objective and independent study. Each campsite’s rank reflects its Google ratings, what campers wrote in their reviews and on Reddit, and its 2026 prices. Our marketplace features many of the campervans, rental cars, and tours linked in this study, but commissions and partnerships had no effect on the rankings. Every placement comes purely from the data.
Guide to Iceland Editorials is the shared byline for our content team. We use it on pieces several people worked on together, where no single writer owns the article, and on anything rewritten often enough that a personal byline would be misleading. We also publish our original data studies under this profile. Each study answers a question travelers ask about Iceland, using primary sources such as booking records, traveler reviews and public datasets, and every study is quality checked by human experts before it's published. Everything under this byline is researched and reviewed by people who live and work in Iceland. If you spot something out of date or want to suggest a correction, message us and it reaches the whole team.
