A Car-Free Rest Day at Hvítá Trucks: Slow Travel in Iceland

Most Iceland itineraries are built around driving. Two hours to this waterfall, three to that fjord, back in the car before the light changes. It works, but it also wears you down. One way to counter that is to deliberately schedule a day where you don’t drive at all. Hvítá Trucks, parked on the riverbank at Hvítárbakki in Borgarfjörður, is a reasonable place to do it — not because there’s a long list of things to do on foot, but because there isn’t, and that’s the point.

Why build a rest day into a road trip

Driving fatigue is cumulative. Iceland’s roads outside the capital are mostly two-lane, often unlit, sometimes gravel, and weather can turn a routine drive into a tense one with little warning. A day with zero driving lets you reset before continuing toward the West Fjords, Snæfellsnes, or wherever the itinerary points next. Borgarfjörður is a sensible place to schedule that day because it sits close to Reykjavík and on the way to several onward routes.

What there actually is to do on foot

Be realistic: Hvítárbakki is rural, and a car-free day here is genuinely quiet. There’s no village to wander and no row of shops. What you get is the riverbank itself — walking the ground along the Hvítá, watching the water level and color shift through the day, and sitting still long enough to notice bird activity along the banks, more active at dawn and dusk. It suits people who read, who like slow mornings with coffee outside, or who just want to stand in one place for an hour instead of driving past it in ten minutes.

If you stretch your legs beyond the immediate riverbank, keep it to what’s walkable and safe — river-valley ground in Iceland is often tussocky and uneven, and there’s no path infrastructure to rely on.

Setting expectations

This is a low-key day, not a hidden list of secret activities. If you need constant stimulation, a full car-free day at a riverside site in rural West Iceland will feel long. If you’re coming off a stretch of early starts and long drives, that same slowness is the appeal. Plan food and any errands the day before, since without a car you’re limited to whatever you’ve brought.

• Location: Hvítárbakki, on the Hvítá river, Borgarfjörður, West Iceland
• Best paired with: the day before or after a long driving leg
• On-foot activity: riverbank walking, birdwatching, reading, resting — not a hiking-trail destination
• Terrain note: uneven, tussocky ground away from the immediate site; no marked paths
• Plan ahead: bring food/supplies for the day since you won’t be driving to a shop
• Good for: road-trippers pacing a longer itinerary, couples, families wanting one slow day

Where to Stay

Hvítá Trucks puts you directly on the riverbank, so a car-free day means stepping out of a converted expedition truck straight onto the spot you’re meant to be sitting still in. Book direct on Ourhotels.is for the best rate.

Photo: Zairon via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.