Updated September 2022.

South Iceland

​South Iceland along the Ring Road provides a gorgeous setting with phenomenal waterfalls, black sand beaches, glacier lagoons, and lava fields. It is an extraordinary area to drive through with frequent road-side attractions.

Overview

Day 1
  • 6:00 (Sunrise) - 6:45 AM: Seljalandsfoss - iconic waterfall
  • 7:15 - 7:45 AM: Skógafoss - wide waterfall
  • 7:50 - 8:30 AM: Kvernufoss - thin canyon waterfall
  • 9:00 - 9:40 AM: Dyrhólaey - cliff nature preserve
  • 10:00 - 10:30 AM: Reynisfjara - black sand beach
  • 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM: Sólheimajökull - Glacier of Fire & Ice
  • 2:00 - 3:00 PM: Vík í Mýrdal - largest town in South Iceland for lunch
  • 4:00 - 4:30 PM: Fjarðarárgljúfur - photographic canyon
  • 5:30 - 7:00 PM: Vatnajökull National Park - national park
    • Svartifoss: Waterfall with basalt columns
​
Day 2
  • 8:00 - 10:00 AM: Múlagljúfur - hiking trail
  • 10:15 - 10:45 AM: Eystri-Fellsfjara (Diamond Beach) - iceberg beach
  • 11:00 - 12:00 PM: Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon - famous iceberg lagoon
​Click the star to add the map to your Google Maps!​ To view it, simply open Google Maps, navigate to the Menu, choose “Your Places,” click "Maps", and voila, the map should be added.

Tips

There is a LOT to see along the South Coast of Iceland from five-minute stops to incredible hiking trails. In fact, if one departs from Reykjavik and doesn’t stop for any of the sights, it will be a 5-hour drive ONE-WAY. As such, I’ve broken up the plan into a 2-day plan with an Ice Cave tour in-between before a trip back to Reykjavik. Of course, one can continue driving along the East Coast of Iceland to finish the Ring Road.

It is also advised to complete the Golden Circle the previous day and stay somewhere close to Seljalandsfoss (Flúðir, for instance) to have an easier drive.

Please note that many of the sights are OPTIONAL:
  • Green sites are ones I highly recommend and part of the main experience.
  • Yellow sites are sights I would recommend if one has time
  • Red are sites one can avoid.

Day 1

6:00 (Sunrise) - 6:45 AM: Seljalandsfoss
The most photographed waterfall ("Sold Land Waterfall") in Iceland that is a great place to see at sunrise. The water falls from over 200 feet from an old sea cliff. If it's not too cloudy, one can see spectacular views through the curtain of falling water in the cave behind the waterfall with wondrous rainbows. At night, there are floodlights illuminating the waterfall, which is also an incredible sight.
​
Nearby, one can also visit Gljúfrabúl ("Canyon Dweller"), a hidden waterfall inside a cave that one can access by hopping along rocks inside of the crevice. ​
Picture
Seljalandsfoss (Source: Guide to Iceland)
Drangurinn í Drangshlíð (20-minute drive from Seljalandsfoss)
​Drangurinn is a special tuff rock on the Drangshlíd farm below the beautiful Eyjafjöll mountains is the work of a strongman. A folktale tells of a strongman named Grettir Ásmundsson who showed off by ripping the giant boulder and throwing it down. Under these rocks are caves and passages where supposedly elves lived. Historically, people have built many buildings which are now called ancient habitations or "fornmannahús" against the side of the stone. Due to their age, one can’t go into the houses but the doors are open for one to see the interior. 
7:15 – 7:45 AM: Skógafoss
An impressively wide waterfall that one can walk right up to with a height of ~200-ft and an ~80-ft width. One can also walk up 500+ stairs to the top of the waterfall for another view. 

Legend has it that a settler named Þrasi hid a chest of gold behind the waterfall with one end of it visible. Three men from Skógar tied a hook onto the iron ring but couldn't retrieve the treasure. That ring can be found in the Skógar folk museum.
​
  • This is also the start of the 10-mile roundtrip Skógafoss Waterfall Hike or Skógá Trail along the Skógá River upstream to see other waterfalls, canyons, and glacier-capped volcanoes with breath-taking views.
  • For an entire day, one can also partake in the point-to-point 15.5-mile Fimmvörðuháls Hike ("five-milestone-ridge) (8-10 hours) from Skógafoss to Basar Hut at Thórsmörk in the summer months to see 26 waterfalls, 1 volcano, 2 glaciers, and 3 landscapes. One can take a bus back to Skógafoss. Find more information here. 
Picture
Skógafoss
7:50 – 8:30 AM: Kvernufoss​ 
​From Skógafoss, head towards the Skógar Museum and park near there to access this majestic ~100-ft waterfall inside of a canyon gorge.
Loftsalahellir Cave (20-minute drive from Kvernufoss)
Cave situated at the top of a steep hill that can be difficult to climb, especially after a rainy day. There isn't much to see inside the cave, but it can be a good place to stretch one's legs.
​9:00 – 9:40 AM: Dyrhólaey

​​Panoramic views in this small nature preserve established in 1978 offering views of the Atlantic Ocean and depending on the season, puffins! It was formed partly from an underwater eruption 80,000 yeas ago. Its name means "door hill island" which references the "door" that was eroded into the arch. One can also visit the nearby Dyrhólaey Lighthouse built in 1910. 
10:00 – 10:30 AM: Reynisfjara​
Black sand beach known for volcanic basalt columns and rocky sea stacks that serve as the nesting grounds for Icelandic puffins. The beach is named after a Norwegian Viking named Reynir who settled this part of the coast and “fjara” in Icelandic means beach”. Be careful of sneaker waves.
11:00 – 2:00 PM: Sólheimajökull
The glacier is also known as the Glacier of Fire & Ice because underneath the glacier is the active volcano Katla, which last erupted in 1918. Through multiple tour companies, one can visit this glacier year-round, wearing crampons to walk through ice caves. One cannot visit the glacier without a guide, but it is a well-worth endeavor. 





​2:00 – 3:00 PM: Vík í Mýrdal 
Vík for short, this is the largest village on the south coast of Iceland to stop. Recommend stopping by Black Crust Pizzeria for delicious pizza that is made from a black dough to give it the signature black crust reminsicent of the black sand beaches. They have some delicious flavors such as one with duck, oranges, and chili (No. 2) that I highly enjoyed.
Picture
Black Crust Pizza
Gígjagjá (Yoda Cave) (15-minute drive from ​Vík)
Known as Yoda Cave for the silhouette outlined by the cave’s opening looks like yoda. This spot was also used as a filming location in the opening scenes of “Star Wars: Rogue One”.

​Note that the road leading to the cave is bumpy and full of potholes. I wouldn't recommend this stop unless one is a Star Wars fan.
Gönguleið um Eldhraun (Eldhraun Lava Field) 
(40-minute drive from ​Vík)
​The lava field extends for 565 square km with beautiful lava tube systems in Iceland. While one will be driving through the lava fields covered in the beautiful woolly fringe-moss, this stopping point provides people with a chance to get outside and see them up close. Be mindful to not step on the moss as it is sensitive to human contact.
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Fjarðarárgljúfur (Source: Guide to Iceland)
4:00 – 4:30 PM: Fjarðarárgljúfur
Translated to “Feather River Canyon”, it’s another photographic spot with a ~1.5-mile round-trip hiking trail along the edge of the canyon. While there is free parking, the long road to the trailhead requires one to have a 4x4.
Stjórnarfoss (15-minute drive from Fjarðarárgljúfur)
​Small hidden 40-ft waterfall off the side of the road with a beautiful landscape in the background. One can also hike ½-mile to the pool of the waterfall.
Picture
Stjórnarfoss (Source: Iceland Travel Guide)


​Foss á Síðu (25-minute from Fjarðarárgljúfur)
Picturesque waterfall beside the side of the road in the "waterfall ​at Síðu" farm. It is a thin waterfall behind a farm that one can see from a distance. It's also known as the "Blown Away Waterfall" because strong winds can blow the waterfall away. 
​Dverghamrar (25-minute from Fjarðarárgljúfur)
Known as the Dwarf Cliffs, it was said that dwarves lived in these basalt rock formations that were created from the contracting as the lava cooled, similar to the columns at Giant's Causeway.

One can also see also the Foss á Síðu from this geographic wonder.
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Skeiðará Bridge Monument (Source: Atlas Obscura)
Skeiðará Bridge Monument (​1-hour from Fjarðarárgljúfur)
Short stop along the road that shows the enormous force of nature. In 1996, the volcano Vatnajökull under Skeiðarárjökull, erupted, creating floods and sending icebergs down the plain. Some of these icebergs crashed into the bridge, washing it away with only two twisted girders remaining.

​5:30 – 7:00 PM: Vatnajökull National Park
A combination of Jokulsargljufur and Skaftafell National Parks, these parks were combined in 2008 to form the biggest national park in Europe. The second-largest glacier in Europe, Vatnajökull is a great place for glacier hiking, along with two beautiful waterfalls.
  • Svartifoss: Most iconic waterfall known for the towering black, volcanic basalt columns surrounding it and is the design for the Hallgrimskirkja church in Reykjavik. It is a ~3-mile round-trip trail that can be quite steep along the way.
  • Hundafoss: Waterfall along the Svartifoss trail that is named "Dog Falls" because tragically, the river flooding would sometimes take dogs from farms and float them down the waterfall. One can take a lower trail to see the falls from the bottom.
 Svínafellsjökull Glacier (7-minute drive from Vatnajökull National Park) 
This glacier is part of the former Skaftafell National Park and is a glacial tongue of the Vatnajökull glacier, the largest glacier in Iceland as well as in Europe. 

This is a small parking lot and walkway for those who want to take a quick 10-minute walk to see the magnificent glacier up close, but there are many other tour options that let people hike on the glacier.

Day 2

8:00 – 10:00 AM: Múlagljúfur Canyon
This 3-mile roundtrip canyon hike brings you to see the 328-ft waterfall, Mulafoss. It is off the beaten-path and can be difficult to find, but is well worth it.

The name means "Mules Canyon" and is located between the  Fjallsárlón and Jökulsárlón glacier lagoons.

To get here, it is recommended to have a 4x4 vehicle as the roads can be difficult to traverse, especially after a rainstorm. There is a small sign off the edge of the road that will take you along a road and find an empty spot to park. Following trail markers (stakes in the ground) along the glacial river, one will cross over two streams before reaching the panoramic view.

For ideal hiking conditions, one should hike here between late April and early October.
Picture
Múlagljúfur Canyon View (Source: Iceland Travel Guide)
Fjallsárlón Glacier Lagoon
Smaller glacier lagoon that is less crowded than the more famous Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon. The glacier, Fjallsjökull is a tongue of the famous Vatnajökul. 

​One can take a Zodiac boat tour or stop by to marvel at its majesty. Please note that the tours and viewpoint are off two separate roads.
10:15 – 10:45 AM: Diamond Beach
Black sand beach littered on both sides with pieces of icebergs broken off from the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon. It is a scenic area filled with beautiful ever-changingpieces of ice.

Note that there are two "beaches" separated by the flow of from the Glacier Lagoon into the Atlantic Ocean. Both are easily accessible. The western side (Vestri-Fellsfjara) tends to be less crowded, while the eastern side (Eystri-Fellsfjara) has large icebergs.
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
This famous lagoon is filled with floating icebergs from the nearby Jökulsárlón Glacier. In the summer/early fall, one can take a Zodiac boat or a amphibian boat into the lagoon and get up-close to the glacier.

Fun (and also not so fun) Facts:
  • A recently flipped over iceberg will have the dark blue (see bottom left picture) and it will take 6 hours for them to turn white as the sunlight infiltrates.
  • Icebergs often flip over and 90% of its volume is above the surface.
  • Most icebergs will last on the lagoon for 4-5 months before floating out to sea.
  • The Jökulsárlón Glacier is receding at a rate of ~1 foot per day.​
One can now continue along the Ring Road or head back to Reykjavik.
​We decided to stop our journey here and head back due to limited time.

Tourist Trap

Sólheimasandur Plane Wreck
This overrated attraction is of a DC-3 U.S. navy plane that crashed onto the Solheimasandur Beach in 1973 when it ran out of fuel. Everyone in the crash survived, but the plane’s body was abandoned.

This is considered a tourist trap since there isn't much to see and requires a 4-mile round-trip trek from the parking lot.
Picture
Sólheimasandur Plane Wreck (Source: Guide to Iceland)

​Food

There are plenty of places to eat along the South Coast. The restaurant list below are potential places to eat along the way:

  • Skógafoss Bistro Bar: Beside the Skógafoss waterfall, this restaurant provides beautiful views and are known for their burgers.
  • Black Crust Pizzeria (Vík): Delicious pizza restaurant beside Vík’s gas station that serves black crust pizza reminiscent of the black sand beaches. Recommend the No. 2 consisting of duck, oranges, and chili (No. 2).
  • Restaurant Suður-Vík (Vík): On the pricier end, they serve traditional Icelandic food.
  • Systrakaffi: South of Stjórnarfoss, they serve traditional Icelandic food, pizza, and seafood.
  • Cafe Vatnajökull: Family-owned café serving some of the best-tasting coffee and serve soup and sandwiches.
  • Nailed It Fish & Chips: A small food truck by the Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon that serves Fish & Chips.

Other Resources

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