Wild Camping in Iceland: Rules and Reality

Iceland changed its camping laws. What you can do and the best camping spots.

Iceland rewards thorough preparation. This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know before your visit, including practical tips, best times, logistics, and insider advice from people who have visited dozens of times.

Essential Information

Iceland is a country of extremes — extreme beauty, extreme weather and extreme experiences. Understanding what you are visiting before you arrive makes the difference between a good trip and an extraordinary one.

Planning Your Visit

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Where Wild Camping Is Permitted

Wild camping in Iceland is legal on uncultivated land outside of protected areas and national parks, as long as you stay no more than two nights in one spot and leave no trace. In practice, this means the highland interior (outside national park boundaries), coastal areas not marked as protected, and farmland where explicit permission from the landowner has been given. National parks — Thingvellir, Vatnajökull, Snaefellsjökull — require camping in designated sites only. The Fjallabak Nature Reserve has designated camping areas at Landmannalaugar and along the Laugavegur route.

Permitted Camping Areas

Iceland's formal campsite network (approximately 170 sites nationwide) is the practical alternative to wild camping. Campsites charge GBP 10 to GBP 20 per person per night and provide facilities ranging from basic (toilet and water) to full service (hot showers, electricity hookups, laundry). The Ferðafélag Íslands (Icelandic Touring Association) operates many highland sites — a membership card provides discounted rates. Sites in popular areas (Vik, Skaftafell, Myvatn) fill quickly in July and August; arrive before 3pm or book ahead where booking is available.

Leave No Trace

Iceland's highland soil is extremely fragile — volcanic soils and mosses take decades to recover from damage. Camping off-trail, driving off-road, and lighting open fires (prohibited throughout Iceland) cause lasting damage to the landscape. Pack all waste out. Use existing fire circles or a camp stove. Human waste must be buried at minimum 200m from water sources. Iceland's Highland Pledge campaign asks all visitors to the interior to follow minimum-impact principles. These are not optional courtesies — Iceland's landscape is its primary economic asset and damage is permanent on a human timescale.

Practical Rules Summary

The specific rules for wild camping in Iceland: maximum 2 consecutive nights in one spot; no camping within 200 metres of a farmhouse without permission; no wild camping in national parks or formally protected areas; no open fires anywhere in Iceland; human waste must be buried minimum 200 metres from water; pack all rubbish out. The Highland regulations are stricter — all camping in the highland interior is in designated sites operated by Ferðafélag Íslands. The environmental protection argument for using these sites rather than random highland camping is strong: the volcanic soil ecosystem is fragile enough that even foot pressure causes damage that takes decades to recover.

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