THE ULTIMATE SOUTH COAST OF ICELAND ITINERARY: THE PERFECT DAY TRIP FROM REYKJAVIK

One of the best things about making Reykjavik the base of your Iceland trip is that you don’t need to go far to experience some of Iceland’s rugged natural beauty.

One example is the South Coast of Iceland, which is the perfect day trip from Reykjavik, whether you’re self driving or joining a guided bus tour!

After having a blast along the Golden Circle on my Iceland trip in June 2024, I couldn’t wait to see more of this amazing country. So I booked a guided bus day tour along the South Coast of Iceland with Bus Travel Iceland from downtown Reykjavik and back. 

This South Coast of Iceland itinerary includes stunning Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, mysterious Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach, Sólheimajökull Glacier, and Vík, Iceland’s southernmost village. This route is a part of the iconic Ring Road, the main highway that encircles the country.

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Skógafoss Waterfall

Address: Rangárþing Eystra, Sudhurland 861, Iceland

We first stopped at epic Skógafoss on the Skógá river, about two hours from Reykjavik. At a height of 60 meters (196 ft), it’s one of Iceland’s tallest waterfalls.

Besides, it’s likely to see a single or double rainbow inside the falls on a sunny day!

Tourists can walk to the base of the waterfall and climb up the 527 stairs built inside the mountain to the observation platform above the falls for a different perspective. Once you make it to the top, just stand still and enjoy the epic view of Skógafoss, but also the surrounding highlands of Iceland!

There’s an 8 km (4.97 miles) long hiking trail that meanders along the Skógá river for more amazing scenery and some smaller waterfalls as well.

Sólheimajökull Glacier

Another must-see spot along the South Coast of Iceland is Sólheimajökull Glacier. It only takes about 15 minutes of a walk from the parking lot to the glacier, so Sólheimajökull is one of Iceland’s most accessible glaciers.

Until not long ago, Sólheimajökull Glacier reached all the way to the parking lot. But sadly, this is not the case anymore because of climate change. The path to the glacier gets a bit longer every year and it’s expected that the glacier may completely disappear in just a few decades.

Sólheimajökull Glacier is about 8 km (4.97 miles) long and descends from Mýrdalsjökull, the country’s fourth largest ice cap. Mýrdalsjökull also sits on top of Katla Volcano, one of Iceland’s largest and most active volcanoes.

Lastly, you can spot some cool mini ice bergs inside the water by Sólheimajökull!

Once you get to the end of the path, there’s a warning sign to not go any further. But quite a few people continued on to the foot of Sólheimajökull Glacier, so it’s up to you, really.

Local tour operators like Arctic Adventures offer guided hikes or ice climbing of the glacier (and ice cave visits in the winter) as well.

There’s a parking fee of 750 ISK if you’re self driving to Sólheimajökull Glacier.

Lunch break in Vík

Vík (also called Vík í Myrdal), Iceland’s southernmost village, is the perfect spot for a break for many visitors while traveling along the South Coast of Iceland. Only 650 people live here year-round.

We stopped at a rest stop complex (Austurvegur 20, 870 Vík, Iceland) that features Krónan (grocery store), Ice Wear (souvenir store), and two restaurants: Ice Cave Bistro and Lava Bakery & Coffee. Ice Cave Bistro is proud to serve traditional Icelandic lamb stew, burgers, Fish & Chips, curries, salads, and more!

Back in June 2024, they had a Vegan Chickpea Curry and rice ready to serve, which was super yummy!

Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach

Address: Route 215, Vik, Suðurland 871, Iceland

As we approached our next stop, Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach, our funny guide suddenly got very serious. “Please stay away from the water at this beach, as the waves can pull you in and kill you! This is not a joke.”

In fact, five tourists were dragged into the water by these so-called killer waves or sneaker waves and died here since 2015. The waves often appear out of nowhere and can be up to 36 meters (120 ft) high! The ocean current is very strong and the water is freezing, too, so you’d get hypothermia within minutes.

Although Trip Advisor awarded Reynisfjara Beach Europe’s Best Beach in 2023, it’s also the world’s most dangerous. So while we were careful to remember our guide’s words, it was so relaxing to just sit and watch the waves come and go from a safe distance.

You may wonder where the black sand came from? Well, after multiple volcanic eruptions, cooled lava flowed into the water. As time went on, the strong waves broke down the lava fragments, which created the black sand we can admire today.

Another of Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach’s non dangerous, out-of-this-world highlights are the cliffs with many parallel basalt columns on the left side of the shore. Besides, you can see large rock formations in the water from the beach.

There’s a fee for passenger cars of 1,000 ISK at the lower parking area and 750 ISK at the upper level.

Seljalandsfoss Waterfall

Can’t get enough of Iceland’s iconic waterfalls? Then you gotta check out Seljalandsfoss Waterfall on your way from or back to Reykjavik!

Seljalandsfoss belongs to the Seljalandsa river that originates underneath Eyjafjallajökull Glacier. It sits on top of Eyjafjallajökull Volcano, which erupted in 2010 and caused flight cancellations and delays at many European airports.

While it’s as high as Skogafoss (60 meters or 196 ft), it’s much narrower, but just as spectacular! My favourite feature about Seljalandsfoss is that you can walk behind it. Also, it’s quite amazing how the water splits on the way down!

Just wear waterproof clothes, as you will get wet! Besides, the rocks along the pathway behind the falls are often slippery. Another cool thing about Seljalandsfoss is that there are floodlights on both sides of it, so when the summer midnight sun is not out, the falls are beautifully lit at night!

There’s a large parking lot only a few minutes from Seljalandsfoss. If you’re self driving, you’ll need to pay a parking fee of 800 ISK, which is good for the entire day. But visiting the waterfall is free!

Other Highlights along the South Coast of Iceland

Here are a few more awesome attractions to check out along the South Coast of Iceland:

Reyniskirkja Church

Address: Austurvegur 20, 870 Vík, Iceland

Reyniskirkja Church is just a short drive from Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach and Vík. This pretty Lutheran church was built in 1929 and is a classic example of a typical Icelandic church. I also liked that there’s a cemetery right in front of the church, which I hadn’t seen anywhere before!

Reyniskirkja Church is not far from Mýrdalsjökull Glacier and Katla Volcano. If the volcano would erupt, it would melt the glacier and cause a flashflood.

Since Reyniskirkja sits on a hill, it’d be the only building in the area to survive this. So local people were told to run to the church to save themselves if an eruption happens.

Dyrhólaey

Dyrhólaey is a promontory or peninsula, that is the perfect spot if you’d like to see some local wildlife on your Iceland trip: Puffins! This stunning natural attraction is only 20 minutes from Vík.

During nesting season (May to August) there’s limited access to see the puffins, so I’d recommend checking the situation before you leave. For example, the lower part of Dyrhólaey is open to car traffic but the higher part is then only accessible for foot traffic during the day.  

There’s stunning Dyrhólaey Lighthouse, cliffs, and a picturesque viewpoint as well. Visitors can see Mýrdalsjökull Glacier, the beautiful black lava seastacks Reynisdrangar, and Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach from the very top of Dyrhólaey.

A puffin at Dyrhólaey (Photo by Jonatan Pie on Unsplash) and one of the views from the top of Dyrhólaey. Photo by Diego Delso on Wikimedia Commons.

Sólheimasandur Plane Wreck

Address: Sólheimasandur, 871, Iceland

Finally, Sólheimasandur Plane Wreck sounds like one more special attraction to visit while exploring the South Coast of Iceland! Back in 1973, a United States Navy DC plane ran out of gas and crashed on Sólheimasandur black sand beach. Thankfully, everyone on board survived this accident.

Soon after, the plane wreck was abandoned and its remains are still sitting in the sand close to the water today. You can also check it out from the inside. The white plane wreck, black sand beach, and ocean waves create an awesome blend of colours, which is perfect for shooting photos!

Vehicles are not allowed to drive to the site, as there’s a chance to get stuck in the soft sand. Instead, you can hike for about an hour each way from the parking lot by the main road to get to the plane wreck. Besides, there’s a parking fee of 750 ISK to park your car in the lot for the day.

Wrap Up: Is the South Coast of Iceland Worth it?

Yes, it’s worth taking a day trip along the South Coast of Iceland! Whether you’re self driving or joining a bus tour, you’ll have an adventurous day for sure! My favourites were Seljalandsfoss, Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach, and Sólheimajökull Glacier.

The trip along the South Coast of Iceland is suitable for solo travelers, couples, families with children, and friend groups. But sadly, some of the attractions are not made for people with mobility issues.

This route is not as busy as the Golden Circle and I liked that every attraction we visited was unique in its own way! Most of them are free as well, as they are on public land. But there are parking fees sometimes, such as at Seljalandsfoss Waterfall and Sólheimajökull Glacier.

The bus ride with Bus Travel Iceland was smooth and well organized. Our guide was also very entertaining and shared great stories about Iceland with us. Although there wasn’t enough time to see the puffins at Dyrhólaey and Sólheimasandur Plane Wreck, I got a great first impression of the South Coast of Iceland!

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