Winter Driving to the Hvítá Trucks: Reaching Borgarfjörður Safely (Nov–Mar)
Sleeping in a converted expedition truck on the bank of the Hvítá river is a different kind of winter trip, and getting there off-season is part of the adventure. The good news: the Hvítá Trucks sit at Hvítárbakki in Borgarfjörður, right off one of Iceland’s best-maintained roads. From November to March the drive is manageable for most confident drivers, as long as you plan around the weather rather than against it. Here is what the approach actually looks like.
The Route 1 approach through the Hvalfjörður tunnel
From Reykjavík or Keflavík Airport, your whole drive is on Route 1, the Ring Road. Heading north you pass through the Hvalfjörður tunnel (Hvalfjarðargöng), a 5,770-metre subsea tunnel that dives about 165 metres under the fjord. The crossing takes roughly seven minutes and skips the long, exposed loop around the fjord that used to make this leg slow in bad weather. Beyond the tunnel you continue to Borgarnes, about 75 km from Reykjavík, roughly an hour in good conditions. The Trucks are a short further drive into Borgarfjörður at Hvítárbakki. This is the priority route for winter clearing, so it is usually your safest bet off-season.
Tyres, the tank, and what to carry
Winter tyres are legally required on all vehicles in Iceland from 1 November to 15 April, and rental companies fit them as standard during that window at no extra charge, sometimes studded. Confirm with your specific rental that winter tyres are on the car before you drive off. A 4×4 is a sensible choice in winter for the extra grip and clearance, though it is not strictly required on Route 1 when conditions are good. Keep the fuel tank topped up, as stops thin out in the dark months, and treat warm layers as non-negotiable in case you have to wait out a squall.
- Getting there: Route 1 north from Reykjavík through the Hvalfjörður tunnel to Borgarnes, then into Borgarfjörður to Hvítárbakki.
- Duration: about 1 hour from Reykjavík in good conditions; allow more in snow or wind.
- Check before you drive: road.is / umferdin.is (Vegagerðin) for road status and vedur.is (Met Office) for weather and wind alerts.
- Pack: warm layers, gloves and hat, water and snacks, phone charger, ice scraper; keep the tank above half.
Read the conditions and skip the inland roads
Two official sites decide your day. Check road.is for the colour-coded road map, where green is normally passable and red or grey means difficult, impassable or closed, and vedur.is for wind and weather warnings. Wind is the real hazard here: blowing snow can cut visibility to almost nothing in minutes. If either site shows an orange or red alert on your route, delay your drive rather than push through, as conditions swing fast.
One honest point that saves confusion: do not try the inland shortcut. Kaldidalur (Road 550), the unpaved highland track linking Þingvellir to the Borgarfjörður area, closes after the first serious autumn snowfall and stays shut all winter, as do the F-roads. Your GPS may still suggest it, but in winter the only sensible way in is Route 1.
Where to Stay
The Hvítá Trucks put you right on the riverbank at Hvítárbakki, straight off the Route 1 corridor, so after a careful winter drive you step out of the car and into your own truck with no last-mile gravel to gamble on. Waking up to a snow-lined Hvítá is the kind of novelty night that suits off-season road-trippers and couples. Book direct on Ourhotels.is for the best rate.
Photo: Debivort via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.