Iceland South Coast tour

The Iceland South Coast Tour is a great tour to explore the many attractions in South Iceland, the waterfalls, the glaciers and the Black Sand Beaches. This is the perfect tour for any nature explorer. 

This tour takes you along the south coast of Iceland, beside the dramatic landscape of Eyjafjoll mountains. It was here that the famous Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupted in 2010, spreading dramatic clouds of ash. The south coast day tour is an indispensable part of your Iceland itinerary it features beautiful waterfalls, black beaches, extraordinary vistas, majestic glaciers and – a glimpse of a volcano.

The South Coast is among the most popular attractions in Iceland and in the summer time you will find hundreds of tourist at the most popular places. However, the South Coast area is just as beautiful and breathtaking in other times of the year, even more so when you have snow and a chance to see the Northern Lights.

The South Coast is characterized by the Eyjafjoll mountains and the Myrdalsjokull glacier, where the massive volcano Katla rests. There are many beautiful waterfalls along the route and you also get chance to visit a true black sand beach. There are many natural attractions along the way and we can guarantee that you will be blown away by the sheer beauty of the area. This is a tour that we highly recommend and with a local expert driver guide, this will be a tour that you’ll never forget.

What to expect on the Iceland South Coast Tour?

The day begins with early morning pickup in Reykjavik. We head East out of the City passing Hveragerdi and Selfoss. First stop is Urridafoss waterfall he might not be tall but he is very powerful, water flow of 360 m³ per second. This stop is perfect to stretch our legs before we continue to our way south.

Trying our best to avoid the traffic, we drive past Seljalandsfoss waterfall and go straight to Dyrholaey 120 meter high Promontory. Here you will be afforded an extraordinary view in all directions: Myrdalsjokull glacier to the north; the lava sea stacks Reynisdrangar to the east; the never-ending black sand beach to the west; and to the south. In late July and August, the young Puffins can easily be seen when they come out of their nesting holes in hundreds and practice flying for the first time. The highlight of Dyrholaey is the massive Arch that the promontory gets its name from.

Next up is the famous Reynisfjara black sand beach with its famous basalt stacks and cave. Here you can see the stunning rock formations and the large rocky sea stacks visible from long distance. Reynisfjara is known for its sneaker waves and all people must be aware of the danger from the waves. After lunch we drive to the former fishing village Vik. We can se the less popular (read less People) side of the beach and if you want, a souvenir shop where you can buy gifts or something nice for yourself.

The way back to Reykjavik

First stop on the way back is Solheimajokull Glacier. A rugged glacial tongue.with spectacular ice formations. We walk all the way up to the Glacier so we can touch the Ice and take some pictures. Next stop is the 60 meter high Skogafoss waterfall. Here you can walk all the way to the waterfall and feel his overwhelming power. Make sure to bring waterproof clothes and protect your camera. If the Sun is shining there is a constant rainbow which changes the closer you get to the waterfall. If we are on good time after exploring Skogafoss waterfall we can add one more “secret stop” to the day.

We have not finished todays sights and on our way to the famous Seljalandsfoss waterfall we take a quick stop to look at the volcano with the unpronounceable name Eyjafjallajokull, which made a mess of European air traffic in 2010. Seljalandsfoss waterfall is the one you can walk behind when it´s not Ice on the path.

Next to Seljalandsfoss is the so called Secret waterfall or “Gljúfrabúi” as Icelanders call it. Here you walk into a gorge to see the hidden 40. meter tall waterfall. There is a lot of spray from the waterfall so make sure you have a waterproof coat and good shoes for this one. We do this as the last stop of the day because you will most likely get wet, don’t worry to much about that though you will dry on the drive back to Reykjavik and the waterfall is well worth it.

Join us on this small group south coast day tour we will guide you through all these wonderful places and give you the time you need in each place.

Possible to add on the tour
Horseback riding on black sand beach
Glacier hike on Solheimajokull glacier
Snowmobiling on a glacier
1-hour ATW tour
Ice caving in the secret Ice cave (only in winter)