I Spent A 48 Hour Stopover In The Safest Country On Earth & The Adventure Completely Blew Me Away

On our way to Paris to visit a fellow Travel Off Path-er (looking at you Vini!), we pulled the ultimate two-for-one travel trick: a free Iceland stopover on a transatlantic flight.

Both PLAY and Icelandair let you pause your journey in Iceland with no additional airfare, which is how a quick layover became a full-blown micro-adventure.

It also helps that Iceland ranks #1 on the Global Peace Index yet again—stress levels are low, and the scenery is off the charts.

It’s the kind of place that makes you want to hop in a campervan and hit the road stress-free… and that’s exactly what we did!

Our 48-Hour Game Plan (Feel Free to Steal This)

Day 1: Land Early → Blue Lagoon → Seljalandsfoss Waterfall → Vík

We landed at Keflavík (KEF) around 6 a.m., grabbed the free airport shuttle to Happy Campers, and picked up our van.

The crew there is dialed: fast orientation, a clever “leave-behind” shelf of traveler extras, and an unlimited Wi-Fi hotspot in the van.

That connectivity made maps, messaging, and a little work on the go effortless.

Right from the start, when we drove away in our van, I knew we had made the right call, skipping a hotel and opting for this experience instead.

After grabbing our van we drove about 20 minutes to the Blue Lagoon—the perfect jet-lag reset before hitting the road. Soak, shower, change in the van, brew a coffee, and roll out. (The lagoon sits conveniently close to the airport; prebook a timed entry.)

@traveloffpath

The ultimate jet-lag cure, powered by Happy Campers Iceland and the Blue Lagoon✨ There’s no better feeling than starting a road trip this refreshed and ready to explore. Our van is already our favorite travel companion!

♬ original sound – Travel Off Path

If you’re looking at the prices and wondering if it is worth it… we did the same thing, trust me.

My honest take? It’s one of those tourist items you should check off your list at least once, but I would probably opt for one of the many other lagoons the next time we visit.

You can, however, get some really amazing photos.

Next up after the perfect spa morning was the Ring Road to Seljalandsfoss Waterfall.

This is the South Coast classic with a path that lets you walk behind the 60-meter curtain—magical and very splashy, so bring a rain layer (you should pretty much always have one with you in Iceland, honestly).

We parked, hiked, and made a van-side lunch with the falls roaring in the background. It felt like we were living in a movie, and I am dreaming of going back asap.

We wrapped the day in Vík with dinner at Ströndin Pub Vík (comfort food + local beers) and an easy late check-in at Vík Camping—popular with other vans doing the South Coast sprint.

Facilities include showers, Wi-Fi, a shared kitchen area, and laundry.

Day 2: Vikurfjara → A Rainbow For The Ages → Reykjadalur Hot Spring River → Þingvellir

When we woke up the next morning, I jokingly started taking a video bragging about how gorgeous Iceland was as I opened the curtain on one of our van windows.

It had been pouring rain all morning, so I figured it would be a funny video to send to our Travel Off Path group.

However, while it was rainy, it was GORGEOUS. Seriously, every time I turned my head while we were in Iceland, something incredible would be staring back at me, rain or shine.

@traveloffpath Don’t just fly over Iceland, stop and explore it for FREE! 🇮🇸✨ Here’s the travel hack you need to know: airlines like Iceland Air and PLAY Airlines and let you book a stopover in Iceland for up to 7-10 days with NO additional airfare. We packed an entire adventure into just 48 hours, and the MVP of our trip was our van from Happy Campers. It was our transport, hotel, and kitchen all in one, giving us the freedom to see the best of the South Coast without missing a beat. In 48 hours, we: 💧 Soaked in the Blue Lagoon 🚶 Walked behind Seljalandsfoss waterfall 🌊 Watched the sunrise on Reynisfjara’s black sand beach ♨️ Hiked to a hot spring river 🌍 Walked between two continents at Þingvellir Renting a van from Happy Campers turned a quick layover into one of our most epic micro-adventures ever. The in-van Wi-Fi and 24/7 drop-off made everything completely stress-free. SAVE this post to plan your own Iceland stopover! You won’t regret it. #IcelandTravel #FreeStopover #TravelTips #HappyCampersIceland #IcelandAdventure ♬ original sound – Travel Off Path

We had slept in more than we meant to, so we wrapped up at the campsite and took a quick drive over to a gorgeous beach, Vikurfjara.

Sunrise at Vikurfjara Black Sand Beach delivered those moody sea-stack views—and a safety reminder: sneaker waves here are no joke.

Keep a wide buffer from the surf and heed closures.

We spent some time taking in the views, snapping pictures, and listening to the waves crash before heading back to the van to make breakfast. The perks of a home on wheels mean home-cooked meals anywhere!

After breakfast, it was time to hit the road towards a hike we couldn’t wait for, but we had a gorgeous surprise along the way!

On our drive toward Hveragerði, Iceland flexed its weather magic: the brightest, fullest rainbow we’ve ever seen arced across the fields, so vivid that traffic literally pulled over to stare.

(With sunbursts and showers tag-teaming all day, rainbow sightings are common—keep your camera handy.)

Then we hiked about an hour up to Reykjadalur Hot Spring Thermal River. We took our time and snapped photos along the way. There is a great photo op about halfway there of a pretty waterfall.

Be sure to bring water and maybe a snack if you are going to make an afternoon of it.

There’s a small paid parking lot at the base, and simple wooden privacy screens by the river—no enclosed changing rooms—so wear your swimsuit under layers if you don’t want to change in front of people (if you don’t care, nobody else does either).

We slid into hot-tub-warm water mid-river and stayed ~45 minutes, thawed to the core. It was a super relaxing experience and well worth the hike. The hike back down was just as pretty as the hike up, and our next stop was a National Park right near where the adventure all began.

An afternoon at Þingvellir National Park capped it off—walking the rift where the North American and Eurasian plates pull apart is a geology-nerd dream and ridiculously photogenic.

Start at Hakið or stroll Almannagjá gorge for the classic “between continents” shot (the one right below).

This was sadly our last adventure in Iceland before heading off to Paris in the morning, but we made sure to enjoy our last night (even if we only slept 4 hours 😂).

We overnighted next to the Happy Campers base at their Happy Campsite Keflavik so we could roll 30 feet to drop off the van.

Their shuttle runs during business hours, so for a 6 a.m. flight we pre-booked a taxi; the 24/7 drop-off for the van made the return painless.

Why A Camper Van Makes 48 Hours Feel Bigger

• Ultimate flexibility: Iceland’s weather flips fast; with a van we could change, snack, nap, or pivot plans instantly—like pulling over with everyone else to gape at that once-in-a-lifetime rainbow on Route 1.
• All killer, no filler: Coffee after the Blue Lagoon, lunch at Seljalandsfoss, movie night during Vík rain, breakfast with sea stacks—zero time wasted.
• Always connected: The in-van Wi-Fi hotspot kept maps, bookings, and work smooth the whole way.

Quick Logistics You’ll Want

• Stopover 101: PLAY’s “Stayover” lets you pause in Iceland up to 10 days at no additional airfare; Icelandair’s Stopover offers up to 7 days at no additional airfare (flex fares can allow longer). Accommodation not included.
• Blue Lagoon distance: Roughly 20 minutes from KEF and 50 minutes from Reykjavík; it’s easy to visit straight after landing.
• Seljalandsfoss: Famous “walk-behind” waterfall right off Route 1; expect spray and slippery paths in poor weather.
• Vikurfjara safety: Keep a wide margin from the waterline due to sneaker waves.
• Vík Camping: 1 km from town center with showers, Wi-Fi, dining area, and laundry; popular with camper vans in season.
• Happy Campers shuttle & hours: Free shuttle in the Keflavík area during business hours; for very early flights, taxi. Drop-off is 24/7.

How To Book The Free Stopover (2 Minutes)

1. Search your transatlantic route on PLAY or Icelandair. (PLAY is ending flights from the U.S. beginning October 24th, 2025).
2. Choose Stayover/Stopover and pick your Iceland dates (PLAY up to 10 days; Icelandair up to 7 days for most fares).
3. Complete the booking—there’s no extra airfare just for splitting the journey.

Final Take

In 48 hours we soaked at the Blue Lagoon, lunched at Seljalandsfoss, tucked into comfort food at Ströndin Pub Vík, camped in Vík, made breakfast on a black-sand beach, chased the wildest rainbow we’ve ever seen, floated in a mountainside hot-spring river, and walked between continents.

It was just a taste, and we’re already plotting two weeks in a Happy Camper to go deeper.

Iceland isn’t just beautiful—it’s built for adventure, even on a layover.