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The South Coast is known for being the most beautiful area in all of Iceland.
It features the country's most epic waterfalls, black sand beaches, dramatic coastal cliffs, rock formations, glaciers, iceberg-filled lagoons, and active volcanoes. Join us for a memorable journey along Iceland’s South Coast!
After we have picked you up from the location you have chosen in Reykjavík, we’ll leave the capital behind and hit the epic Ring Road which runs along Iceland’s South Coast. We’ll drive through breathtaking settings, passing by moss-covered lava fields as well as charming little farms and villages as we go through an area rich in Viking history, unique folklore, and heritage.
Eventually, we’ll pass several major volcanoes such as Hekla and Eyjafjallajökull, which are some of the largest active volcanoes in Iceland! On clear days, we’ll have a view of the archipelago of the Westman Islands rising steeply out of the ocean, just off the coast.
Our first destination will be at one of Iceland’s greatest attractions, the majestic Seljalandsfoss waterfall. The water drops from a height of over 197 ft. (60 m) and there is a path that leads visitors behind the cascade. If it’s not frozen, we’ll be able to walk behind Seljalandsfoss and admire the landscape from there! This will definitely be an unforgettable experience!
Within a few minutes’ walk from Seljalandsfoss, we’ll come across another breathtaking waterfall called Gljúfrabúi (available from February to September). Uniquely, it is well-hidden inside of a cave within the crack of the rock face. We’ll have to wade across a stream, stepping on rocks to get close to the 65-foot (20-meter) tall waterfall, so be sure to wear proper rain gear and waterproof boots. Prepare to get soaked!
At only a half an hour’s drive from our first stop, our next destination will be the other famous waterfall, the mighty Skógafoss. The water drops 197 ft. (60 m) while the cascade has an impressive width of 80 ft. (25 m). It’s not possible to walk behind this one, but we can climb up the 572 stairs to the top of the waterfall to admire the cascading water and its rainbows from above.
After exploring Iceland’s most beautiful waterfalls, we’ll spend the rest of the day visiting glaciers and black sand beaches. Sólheimasandur is a vast plain that is 6.2 mi. (10 km) in width. It is made out of sand and gravel and was built by the immense glacier bursts which swept from the Sólheimajökull glacier to the shore. There are no landmarks here, only the black desert which continues on and on, seemingly without end.
In November 1973, a US Navy DC-3 plane crashed on the shore here. According to the reports, the pilot switched to the wrong fuel tank while flying over Iceland, resulting in a forced landing on the black sand. Fortunately, no one was hurt in the accident! The plane was left behind by the Navy, so it remains there for us to visit.
The sight of this wreckage surrounded by the harsh black desert is a beloved subject for photographers. As it lies about 2.5 mi. (4 km) from the road, a shuttle will be ready to take us there. We’ll have time to take some pictures and to enjoy this truly extraordinary sight!
After visiting the plane wreck, we’ll return to our minibus and drive to Sólheimajökull glacier. Here, we’ll go for an easy walk to find a nice viewpoint from which to look at the magnificent glacier tongue and its very own iceberg-filled glacier lagoon. This will be yet another epic photo opportunity for your Icelandic photo album!
Another highlight of our tour will be the famous Reynisfjara beach. The black sandy seashore here stretches impressively over many kilometers. Reynisfjara lies on the same coastline the plane wreck, just 12.4 mi. (20 km) away.
There are so many features which make this beach so famous: the thrilling sea stacks of Reynisdrangar, the columnar basalt joints, the puffin cliffs, the large cavern that decorates the beach, and the sight of the impressive stone arches of Dyrhólaey off in the distance. The American Islands Magazine ranked Reynisfjara as one of the most beautiful non-tropical beaches in the world!
After our adventurous tour, we’ll return to Reykjavík along the same route. This will give us the chance to marvel at the landscape around the Ring Road once again until we arrive back at the capital. We’ll then drop you off at your chosen drop-off location.
