The Southern Coast - Iceland
Overview: This itinerary covers a 10-day journey through Iceland's southern coast, from Reykjavik to the breathtaking glacier lagoon at its southeastern tip
Highlights: Waterfalls, Ice Caves, Glaciers, and Lava Caves
Duration: 10 days
Locations visited: Golden Circle (Gullfoss, Geysir geothermal area, Þingvellir National Park, Kerið crater lake),
Raufarhólshellir Lava Tunnel, Waterfalls (Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss, Svartifoss, Haifoss), Black Sands Beach, Katla Ice Cave, Caves of Hella, Glaciers (Fjallsjökull, Jökulsárlón, Kvíárjökull), Diamond Beach, and Reykjavik
How to get there: Fly into Keflavík (KEF), Iceland’s main international airport
How to get around: Rental car, preferably one with off-road capabilities, such as a Toyota Land Cruiser or Range Rover Defender
When to go: Summer is the warmest, and has the most daylight to maximize exploration time, but you’ll miss out on some of the snow covered landscapes. It’s more likely to see the Northern Lights in the winter months.
Pace: Intense with long days
Future trips: Northern coast of Iceland with the Highlands
Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
Day 1: Arrival & Selfoss
Pick up your bags and grab your rental car from the Keflavík airport. As mentioned, having an off-road vehicle (one that is F road approved) will help you make the most of your time in Iceland, as some of the best locations are located at the end of gravel or dirt roads. You’ll see this option when booking a car.
We skipped the initial trip to Reykjavik and the Blue Lagoon and headed straight to our hotel in the town of Selfoss. One thing to note is that outside of main towns like Selfoss and Vik, there’s limited access to gas and convenience stores, so make sure to stock up on any items you need (including winter clothes!) when you get the chance. I highly recommend buying one of the waterproof ponchos, especially if you plan to get close to the waterfalls.
The drive from the airport gives you an initial taste of Iceland’s green and black landscape.
The town of Selfoss has lots of cute stores and restaurants to check out while you begin overcoming jetlag.
Day 2: Golden Circle, with stops at Gullfoss, Geysir geothermal area, Þingvellir National Park, Kerið Crater Lake
We started the day at Kerið crater lake, which, while it’s not officially part of the Golden Circle, is 100% worth a visit to check out the turquoise blue water and red and green landscape. There’s a short and easy hike around the lake (10-20), and a path down to the water.
Next head up to the Geysir geothermal area, which is reminiscent of Yellowstone. Staying in Selfoss allows you to explore the Golden Circle in reverse order, avoiding the crowds from Reykjavik’s tour buses. There’s a few geysers in this area, including a large one that erupts every ~15 minutes. If you’re OK with a bit of an uphill hike, climb to the top of the observation area, which has great views of the geysers and surrounding areas.
One side note is that Iceland does an immaculate job of maintaining their hiking trails and tourist locations, so every trail feels safe with appropriately placed guide and handrails, and all major tourist sites will have a visitor’s center complete with food, a gift shop, and clean bathrooms.
Next, we continued on the Golden Circle to the Gullfoss waterfall. “Foss” in Icelandic means waterfall. Along with a visitor’s center, there’s multiple observation points, and it’s definitely worth checking them out. You will get wet at one of the observation points, so bring a poncho if you have it.
The final stop of the day was at Þingvellir National Park, which, truthfully, is the least impressive portion of the day. There’s a place to walk between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are splitting, some photogenic waterfalls, and a few archeological sites, including the Icelandic parliament, which dates from 930AD. There are some other activities at Þingvellir National Park, including diving at Silfra Fissure and additional hiking, but we skipped these.
Day 3: Raufarhólshellir Lava Tunnels and Reykjadalur Hot Spring Thermal River
We started the day at the Raufarhólshellir Lava Tunnels, which, in my opinion, should rank significantly higher on the list of Iceland’s top attractions for how cool it is. You will need to go with a tour to access the Lava Tunnel, and I’d recommend booking this ahead of time. The tours are about 60 minutes in length, and will take you into the tunnels carved by flowing lava to see the various rock formations.
Next, we headed to the Reykjadalur Hot Springs for a hike, which was about 3-4 hours roundtrip. While the trail was well made, had no climbing, and felt very safe, there was a large elevation gain, particularly at the start of the trail. However, it’s a great way to feel like you’re apart of Iceland’s lanscape, and you’ll pass hot springs, see waterfalls in the distance, and likely encounter some of the Icelandic sheep. At the end of the hike, there’s geothermal pools that you can swim in if you’re feeling up to it.
Day 4: Waterfalls! Including Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss, Haifoss, Gljufrabui, Urriðafoss, Ægissíðufoss, Hjálparfoss, Gjáin Valley, and Kvernufoss
We started the day by checking out of our hotel in Selfoss and starting the drive towards Vik. While there’s a lot of places to see today, most of them have parking lots within 5-15 minutes of the site, if not closer. Outside of Gullfoss, Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss are the two best known, and most visited waterfalls in Iceland.
Shortly after leaving Selfoss, Urriðafoss and Ægissíðufoss are off the main road. They’re far from the most impressive waterfalls of today, but they’re a good warm up for what’s to come.
Now, IF, and ONLY IF, you have a car that’s suitable for off-roading, and can tolerate dirt, gravel, low traction, and the occasional small steam crossing, head to Hjálparfoss, which is a pair of waterfalls surrounded by interested rock formations. The waterfalls are a short walk from the parking lot. Afterwards, continue along to Gjáin Valley to check out a valley with multiple waterfalls flowing through it. There’s an observation point from above near the parking lot, but there’s also an opportunity to hike down into the valley. The trail has a few steep parts, but the beginning is the worst, so if you’re OK with that portion, the rest should be fine. I definitely appreciated having hiking boots for this.
Continuing on the road north from Gjáin Valley will lead you to Haifoss, which, in my opinion, is the most impressive waterfall for this trip. Towering as Iceland’s third-highest waterfall, Haifoss cascades dramatically into a rugged canyon carved by the Fossá river. Right next to Haifoss is the Granni waterfall, both of which can be photographed in a single shot. The road to and back from Haifoss is for sure an adventure, and this is where we encountered the stream crossing.
After Haifoss, or, if you skipped the off-roading portion, after Urriðafoss and Ægissíðufoss, head to Seljalandsfoss, which is the famous waterfall that you can walk behind. About a five minute walk from Seljalandsfoss is Gljufrabui, which is a waterfall inside of a cave. It’s a great location for pictures. Both of these locations have a splash factor, so grab a poncho or a waterproof jacket!
Finally, continue east to Skógafoss which has a reputation for being one or the most powerful waterfalls in Iceland that you can get close to. There’s a flat path to get to the base of the waterfall, and stairs to climb to the top, with additional hiking trails at the top. Personally, we didn’t find the views from the climb to be all that impressive, especially if you didn’t continue onwards with the hikes. About a 2 minute drive away from Skógafoss is an easy 10-15 minute trail to Kvernufoss. I highly recommend checking this out, as its nearly empty, and you can get some amazing pictures to show how tall the waterfall is compared to a person.
This wraps up the day, and brought us to our hotel at Vik.
Day 5: Ice Caves, Black Sand Beaches, Horseback riding, and the Yoda Cave
We started the day with a tour of the Katla Ice Cave, which had a meeting point in Vik. This is a 2-3 hour group tour that requires pre-booking. The tour takes you on a 30 minute drive from Vik in a a large 4x4 van and up to the Katla Ice Caves. The bus stops on a barren landscape covered with black sand with small rivers flowing through it, and the group walks about 10 minutes to the nearest ice cave. They’ll provide you with helmets and clamp-ons for shoes. The Ice Caves are a geological record of Iceland’s history and show the layers of glaciers and volcanic eruptions that have shaped Iceland’s history. The circular holes in the glaciers come from water flowing from glacial melts. The ice caves are continuously evolving, and someone visiting them a month after you will walk through a different set of caves.
Next, we took a short stop at Gígjagjá, which is affectionately known as the Yoda Cave due to the shape of its entrance.
Following this, we went to go check out the Black Sand Beaches. The most common location to check out the black, volcanic sand is Reynisfjara beach, which contains the Hálsanefshellir Cave and basalt columns, along with a nice visitor’s center. However, this portion of the beach was extremely overcrowded, and was one of the only places in Iceland where I felt this. As an alternative, check out Kirkjufjara Beach and Dyrhólaey viewpoint. These have incredible views of the beaches and rock formations in the sea nearby. You can also see one of the filming locations for Game of Thrones. If you have leftover time, check out Loftsalahellir Cave.
I ended the day with a horseback ride from Vik to the Vikurfjara Beach on Icelandic Horses. These pony-sized horses tend to have sweet, social personalities, and are known for having two extra gaits: tölt and skeið (“flying pace”). Unfortunately we did not try either of these, but my horse, Freya, did attempt to eat as much stray grass as possible.
Day 6: Svartifoss, Skaftafell Glacier, and Lava Fields
We checked out of our hotel in Vik and continued driving east. The landscape quickly begins changing from grasslands to lava fields, which have a characteristic moon rock feel and are covered by green moss. There’s many places to stop along the route to take pictures. Just please don’t step on the moss as it takes about 200 years to regrow.
Continuing on, there’s a scenic spot, Fjaðrárgljúfur, not too far off the main road, and the view are accessible with a 5 minute walk from the parking lot. Fjaðrárgljúfur has dramatic views of waterfalls falling into a gorge. At this point, I felt like I was getting a bit of fatigue from seeing waterfalls, but this didn’t disappoint. Close by on the main road is Stjórnarfoss. While it’s far from the most impressive waterfall in Iceland, it’s small size and access to the pool below makes it a good location for Instagram photos.
Close by, you’ll find the Kirkjugólf Natural Monument, which are flat basalt columns that are said to resemble a church floor. Not the most impressive site in the world, but there are some stories of Icelandic folklore posted on the walk to the monument, which is a nice complement to what is mostly nature viewing. There is also a gas station nearby, and the last you’ll encounter until you return here on the drive back to Reykjavik, so definitely stop for anything you need. Afterwards, you can see Foss á Síðu further along the road.
If you’re ok with a bit of driving on gravel and dirt roads, you can get your first view of the glaciers from the Lómagnúpur viewpoint. If not, head towards the Visitors’ Center for Skaftafell Glacier and Svartifoss. From the Visitors’ Center, there’s a 10-15 minute walk tto view the Skaftafell Glacier and its barren, sandy surroundings. In the other direction from the Visitors’ Center, there’s a hiking trail to see Svartifoss, another one of Iceland’s most popular waterfalls, which is famous for its basalt columns. The trail takes about 90 minutes roundtrip with some moderate elevation gain, but no scary sections. Along the way, you’ll pass Hundafoss.
This wraps up Day 6. We finished driving to our hotel near Fagurhólsmýri.
Day 7: Fjallsárlón, Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, and Diamond Beach
We started the day by visiting Fjallsárlón, which is a glacier and associated lagoon. There’s multiple viewpoints in this area to give you better views of the glacier, and it’s normally much quieter than the nearby Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon. We took a boat tour around the lagoon, which lasted for about an hour and included the ability to get closer to the glacier. Definitely pre-book this, as when we tried booking the night before, there was only a single time slot left.
Next, we headed to the Diamond Beach, to see the chunks of broken off icebergs that have washed up on the black sand beaches. The beach is better earlier in the day before the icebergs melt off.
Right across the road is the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon. This is a larger, but much more crowded version of Fjallsárlón. While there’s some viewpoints from land, the best way to see the lagoon is by boat. Again, this is a tour that’s good to pre-book, but due to the frequency and size of each tour, we were able to get tickets for a boat ride about 45 minutes later.
We were pretty burnt out at this point, but if you’re feeling up to it, there’s hiking near Mulagljufur Canyon.
We ended the day by checking out Grófarlækjarfoss. Along the way, you can see the Kviarjokull glacier.
Day 8: Drive back to Reykjavik and Caves of Hella
This wraps up most of the sightseeing from the trip. We checked out of the hotel and started the approximately 5 hour drive back to Reykjavik. We felt like we had seen most everything we wanted to on the initial part of the trip, but this is a good time to catch up on anything you missed, or anything you want to see again.
A few suggestions to break up the drive back:
Lava Show in Vik - This is the original location of the show, but there is another in Reykjavik if you miss this. Unfortunately, the show was sold out by the time we got to the location. So plan ahead if you want to go!
Lava Centre - Also on the way back to Reykjavik. I believe this was closed on our way back.
Caves of Hella - There’s a one hour tour to see man-made caves, which are Iceland’s oldest still standing archaeological remains. While there’s a lot of unknowns with these caves, they could predate the Nordic Viking villages. It’s a nice change to learn a bit about the history of Iceland, as opposed to only seeing the landscapes.
Once we made it to Reykjavik, we check into our hotel and grab some dinner. Unlike the rest of Iceland, you may want to make dinner reservations ahead of time, especially if you want to check out some of the more well-known or upscale restaurants.
Day 9: Reykjavik
If you need to cut your trip short, I’d highly recommend skipping Reykjavik and the itinerary for Day 10. Reykjavik feels like the least special part of Iceland, and didn’t hold any particular charms for anyone who’s visited a few major cities across different countries. Most of the town is easily walkable, except for reaching the Perlan Natural History Museum.
A few of the highlights in Reykjavik include:
Hallgrimskirkja - This is the iconic church that is associated with Reykjavik. It’s constructed in a modern style. Entry to the church is free, and you can pay a small fee to go to the top of the bell tower for pictures of Reykjavik
Rainbow Street - This is the famous street with a rainbow design on it that’s surrounded by boutique shops. It’s hard to get a good photo here is that isn’t crowded with other people.
Perlan Natural History Museum - This covers the volcanoes, glaciers, plate tectonics, and other aspects of aspects of Iceland’s geological history. This is the one place I wished I had been to before exploring Iceland as it would have given a scientific explanation to what I was seeing. After the fact, it’s good for knowledge but the exhibits pale in comparison to the real thing. There’s a decent observation deck at the top.
Hljómskálagarðurinn - Nice park with a large lake to walk around
National Museum of Iceland - 30-60 minutes will get you through most of this museum that covers the human aspect of Iceland’s history. It spans from the Vikings to recent times.
Sage Museum - Wax museum covering Icelandic Vikings. Pretty sure this was my first time in a wax museum, and I found the sculptures to be a bit unsettling and creepy.
Lava Show - This is a branch of the Lava Show that’s in Vik. It’s a cool show, and they’ll create and cool real lava in front of you. You also have the option to buy some of the lava rock after the show.
Day 10 : Blue Lagoon, Reykjanes Peninsula, and Departure
We packed up and checked out of our hotel in Reykjavik. As we had a night flight, we spent the day exploring the Reykjanes Peninsula, which houses the Blue Lagoon and Keflavík Airport. We started out by exploring Reykjanesfólkvangur, which is mostly viewable by car, although there were a few locations near the lakes where we stopped for pictures. The area contains crater lakes, geothermal areas, and lava fields, so it feels like a nice recap of Iceland.
Historically, there were multiple locations in this area to see recently cooled lava streams, but there hadn’t been any major eruptions for a few years before our trips. While we didn’t have time to check it out, there are volcano tours at the Thríhnúkagígur Volcano. Some of these ares may be closed, or appear different after the eruptions in December 2023.
We also stopped by the Krísuvíkurberg Cliffs for some final pictures of the coastline. And finally, we headed to Gunnuhver Hot Springs.
Our last stop on the trip was the famous Blue Lagoon. This is very much a tourist hotspot with a spa/resort like feel. It’s crowded with long lines to get into the Lagoon. As we were going directly to the airport, we skipped swimming and headed to the fine dining restuarant overlooking the pool for lunch. If you do go swimming, the water is especially damaging to your hair, so try to avoid getting it wet.
After the Blue Lagoon, we drove to Keflavík Airport to wrap up the trip. If you have additional time, there’s a longer route there that stops by the Brimketill Lava Rock Pool and the Reykjanes Lighthouse.
