Explore Iceland’s South Coast and Golden Circle on this 4-day, small-group tour. From waterfalls and black-sand beaches to geothermal spots, you’ll visit some of the country’s best-known sights—plus enjoy two glacier experiences: a natural ice cave in the south and a guided walk through an ice tunnel in the west. It’s a well-paced, year-round trip with expert guides and everything handled for you.
This adventure hits Iceland’s greatest locations—geysers, waterfalls, black-sand beaches, and glaciers. You’ll walk on ice, explore a natural ice cave, and ride a glacier truck straight into Langjökull’s tunnel system. Expect big sights, expert insights, and plenty of ‘wow’ moments along the way!
Your journey begins with a morning pick-up in Reykjavík and a drive to Þingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where two tectonic plates are slowly pulling apart. You’ll walk through the dramatic rift valley and stand where Iceland’s first parliament was founded over 1,000 years ago.
Next up is the Geysir geothermal area, where bubbling mud pots and steam hint at the energy beneath your feet. Nearby, Strokkur geyser steals the show—erupting every few minutes in a burst of boiling water up to 20 meters (65 feet) high. The last Golden Circle stop is Gullfoss, one of Iceland’s most powerful waterfalls. Here, glacial water roars over two drops into a deep canyon, often framed by rainbows on sunny days.
The final stop is Seljalandsfoss, a waterfall you can actually walk behind for a 360° view! Tonight’s accommodation is in the peaceful South Coast region, with a chance to spot the Northern Lights between September and April—weather permitting.
Today’s focus is on Iceland’s glaciers and icy wonders. You’ll begin with a scenic drive to Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, where massive icebergs float across clear blue waters—each one uniquely shaped and colored. Just nearby, Diamond Beach awaits, where chunks of glacier ice wash ashore on black sand, sparkling like gems before melting into the sea.
The day continues at Skaftafell Nature Reserve, part of Vatnajökull National Park. From October to April, you’ll hike on one of the many outlets, navigating crevasses and snowy ridges on a guided walk. When conditions allow, the experience includes a visit to a natural blue ice cave—an unforgettable peek into the glacier’s interior.
In summer, you’ll explore the Katla ice cave instead—a surreal chamber hidden beneath a volcanic glacier. Your guide will lead you through the icy paths, sharing the story of how these unique formations are created over time. You may also explore Skaftafell’s dramatic landscape on a hike to Svartifoss waterfall, framed by tall basalt columns.
You’ll end the day at Adventure Hotel Geirland, a peaceful countryside hotel—perfect for wintertime Northern Lights viewing.
After a good night’s rest, you’ll head toward one of Iceland’s most scenic spots—Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon. With its winding shape and moss-covered cliffs towering above the Jökulsá River, this gorge feels straight out of a fairytale.
On the way to the coast, you’ll pass through Eldhraun, a vast lava field covered in soft green moss—a striking reminder of Iceland’s volcanic history. Afterward, you’ll head to Reynisfjara, Iceland’s iconic black-sand beach near the village of Vík. Known for its powerful waves, the beach is lined with towering basalt columns and sea caves. Offshore, the Reynisdrangar sea stacks rise from the Atlantic Ocean—full of local legends.
The final major stop is Skógafoss, one of Iceland’s most powerful waterfalls. It drops 60 meters (197 feet) in a thunderous curtain of water, with views of Eyjafjallajökull volcano in the distance—weather permitting, its glacier-capped summit is clearly visible.
In the evening, you’ll return to Reykjavík for a well-earned rest after an eventful day on the South Coast.
Today’s adventure brings you deep into Langjökull, Iceland’s second-largest glacier. You’ll ride in a specially modified 8-wheel truck across the ice to reach the world’s largest man-made ice tunnel. Inside, you’ll spend around an hour exploring icy blue chambers, frozen corridors, and a built-in chapel—an experience that’s available year-round and within easy reach of Reykjavík.
After returning to the surface, you’ll stop at Deildartunguhver, Europe’s most powerful hot spring. Walk along steaming wooden paths as your guide shares how this geothermal wonder helps heat nearby towns.
Before returning to Reykjavík, you’ll visit two contrasting waterfalls. Hraunfossar flows gently through ancient lava fields in delicate ribbons, while Barnafoss charges through a narrow canyon with thundering force. Together, the falls will be a striking end to your day.
Return to Reykjavík is scheduled for the evening, with drop-off at your original pick-up point or hotel.
Pick-up: Pick-up starts at 9:00 AM from your hotel or a nearby designated meeting point in Reykjavík. Please be ready on time, as collecting all participants can take up to 30 minutes. For the full list of pick-up locations, refer to Arctic Adventures’ official pick-up list.
Ice caves: The cave you visit may not match the photos exactly, as these formations are constantly changing. Their appearance depends on the season, lighting, time of day, and weather conditions.
Equipment & Clothing: Crampons only fit on sturdy hiking boots. If you don’t have a pair, you can add rentals during the online booking process. Waterproof jackets and pants are also available—just make sure to book them at least 48 hours in advance. Crampons and other safety gear are included and handed out on-site.
Northern Lights: The guides aim to give you the full Icelandic experience, but the Northern Lights are never guaranteed. Their appearance depends on weather and atmospheric conditions beyond anyone’s control.
Yes, we have specially trained and certified glacier guides on every glacier tour that we offer. And for our 3rd party tours we only partner with operators that meet our quality and safety standards.
Yes, we provide you with all the necessary glacier gear for our glacier hiking tours. Ice axes, crampons, harnesses, and helmets are provided. This will help you to complete the tour safely. The minimum shoe size to attach crampons is EU 35.
Iceland is known for unforeseeable weather. It is likely that you can see all 4 seasons in one day.
Dressing for that kind of weather can always be demanding, so we suggest dressing in layers. 3 or 4 upper layers are highly recommended, for example, a light t-shirt (preferably wool) next to the skin, then a fleece or heavy wool garment topped off with a waterproof windbreaker.
Jeans are not recommended for our trips as they are not suitable for the weather conditions, they become very heavy, cold and uncomfortable to wear when they get wet.
Lightweight hiking pants, track pants or long cotton pants are convenient and wear wind/waterproof pants over them. There is high UV and sunlight reflecting off on the glacier so we highly recommend using sunglasses and sunscreen even if it is cloudy.
You will need sturdy hiking boots that fit crampons for the glacier hiking tours. If you do not own a pair then we rent out suitable hiking boots as well as a waterproof raincoat and trousers.
It is good to bring your own backpack on our full-day or half-day tours. It’s the best carry-on for a small lunch, extra clothes, and other necessary items.
The scenery on the tour is full of stunning, breathtaking views that you’ll almost definitely want to capture forever, so you should definitely bring your camera along. Your tour guide will also be happy to take your photo.
This is surely a personal choice, we do not deny pregnant women on our glacier trips but we highly recommend you to take a closer look at our trip description and difficulty ratings, they will hopefully give you a better idea. We also recommend you to contact your physician, as pregnant women’s health can be quite different. If you have any further questions or concerns then feel free to contact us.
Lunch is not provided on any of our trips, therefore we recommend you bring your own lunch, snacks, and a bottle of water (you can refill it on the trip). It is especially important to make sure you bring lunch on our longer trips.
Crampons enable you to walk on the glacier ice without slipping. They are metal spikes that we attach to the soles of your hiking shoes.
Iceland is known to have a lot of snow and when the snow stays long enough in one place than it turns to ice. Over long periods of time, the ice layers up becoming huge blocks called glaciers. It forms to create ginormous glaciers that sweep across huge masses of land. Iceland is home of the largest glacier in Europe that is called Vatnajökull. The Glacier Guides can tell you more about and everything you need to know about the Glaciers.
The guide on your glacier hiking tour will provide you with all the information you might need when preparing for a glacier hike.
We always recommend booking a multi-day tour starting at least one day after arriving in Iceland. If you’re flying in from the US or will be landing early (4-6:30 am) you should be able to join the tour, but some risks would follow (i.e if the flight gets delayed) and could, therefore, miss out on the tour.
Don’t worry, you can always rent sturdy hiking boots, a waterproof jacket and pants in the booking process. We do not rent these items from the location, they must be ordered in advance.
