Southern Iceland Itinerary
Planning a trip to Iceland?
The land of fire and ice has become quite popular over the past few years, and for good reason.
We spent one week in Iceland, and during the first two days we embarked on intense sightseeing and exploring in Southern Iceland. Many of the most famous waterfalls, beaches, and glacier lagoons are close to the highway (the "Ring Road") and easily accessible. Below is an outline of what to expect at some of the most popular road trip destinations near in Iceland.
When we first arrived in Iceland, we picked up a rental car and went to the Blue Lagoon for a warm soak and shower. You can read all about that. After that, we started our waterfall and glacier-packed road trip outlined below.
Waterfall Stop #1 Seljalandsfoss
When you see classic Instagram shots of Iceland that include peaking out through a waterfall, you are probably looking at a photo of Seljalandsfoss. ("Foss" in Icelandic means waterfall.)
This is the first waterfall that road trippers and tourists hit on Route 1 while heading east from Reykjavik. We stopped here in the middle of the day and it was packed! Cars filled the lots, parked in the grass, and lined the road.
Everyone loves Seljalandsfoss because you can walk behind it and experience the waterfall in a way that you cannot safely do in many other places.
Seljalandsfoss- view from the road
Seljalandsfoss- a view from the path
Tips for visiting Seljalandfoss:
Wear hiking boots (or other study and waterproof footwear) and a rain jacket.
Be prepared to take your time when you pull over. It's a busy spot, and it's slippery behind the waterfall, so people will be walking slowly.
Be prepared to pay for parking. In order to maintain the walking paths and bathrooms, the government has implemented daily parking fees in order to visit Seljalandsfoss. (But the fees are still less than the cost of a hot dog.)
Bring your rain jacket and some good shoes for this waterfall excursion.
Waterfall Stop #2 Skógafoss
Skogafoss is another popular waterfall in Iceland, and it is our top recommendation to others for a few reasons.
Skogafoss is right off of Route 1, but felt less crowded than Seljalandsfoss.
Campsites and hotels are both available within walking distance.
Stairs on the right-hand side take you up to a viewing platform.
There is a trail that also continues alongside the river above the falls.
It's a beautiful spot to watch the sun dip down above the horizon in the summer (love that midnight sun).
The contrast of the black earth with the green moss and the rushing water is the perfect combination of Iceland's natural beauty.
Skogafoss waterfall Iceland
Skogafoss at 8pm on a summer night.
stairs at Skogafoss
Stairs leading up to the viewing platform at Skogafoss
Skogafoss viewing platform
Skogafoss viewing platform
Black Sand Beach
We visited the Reynisfjara black sand beach near the town of Vik (which means beach in Icelandic). In the water, are the famous Reynisdrangar sea stacks. These stunning geological features have made this beach a popular filming attraction and you will recognize these beaches from the Star Wars film "Rogue One" and Game of Thrones.
We recommend stopping at the Dyrholaey Viewpoint (on the map above) before continuing on toward the beach. YTou can spot signs for this turn off from the Ring Road.
Bonus: You may see lots of nesting puffins if you visit in the summer.
Town of Vik / Vik i Myrdal church
After a morning of taking photographs of waterfalls and beaches, the town of Vik is a lovely place to stop and enjoy a meal. We ate at The Soup Company when we visited, and the restaurant has grown in recent years. (Because in August in Iceland, after standing by the water taking pictures in the wind, you could use some soup.)
Vik also features a stunning, but small red-roofed church that is often featured in photographs (check out the map above and save the church to your Google Maps account so you don't forget to visit it).
This is also a great town to spend your first night in Iceland.
Glacier Hike
If its in your budget, then we recommend joining a tour guide for a glacier hike. The edge of the Vatnajökull glacier (which is the largest glacier in Europe) is quite accessible and we enjoyed a comfortable hike on the ice on a mild summer day.
We used Arctic Adventures when we went to Iceland, and there are many half-day tours on the ice. In retrospect, we wish we had gone for a full day (because we did not factor in travel time to the glacier).
There are packages like the "Glacier Grand Slam" that include a guided hike in the morning and then boating on a glacier lagoon in the afternoon.
Most gear can be rented for this excursion. For example, we did not want to carry Justin's huge hiking books with us, so he simply rented a pair for this outing, and we were outfitted with crampons and weather-proof pants. I needed these to stay warm, Justin took his off before we set foot on the glacier.
This tour departed from the Skaftafell Visitor Center which was lovely and warm and had bathrooms on site. Upon our return, we got lunch at a food truck next to the visitor center before heading to the next part of our tour, boating in a glacier lagoon.
Vatnajökull Glacier hike
Glacier hike with Arctic Adventures
Glacier Lagoon #1: Fjallsárlón
Fjallsarlon is the lesser known glacier lagoon and it's quite close to Jökulsárlón (only 6 miles/ 10 km away). As part of our glacier tour, we took a Zodiac boat tour on the water. It was stunning. This was worth every penny for us, and the zodiac boats allow for small groups, so it was an intimate tour and we could get close to the glacier. While it's beautiful from shore, seeing it from the water was much more special and intense. It gave us a greater appreciation for the size of the icebergs.
If you choose to do a boat tour, you will be given protective gear to keep you safe in the event that you capsize (not that this is likely).
Fjallsárlón Glacier Lagoon: Notice the blue hues in the icebergs and the heart on the left-hand side of the glacier.
Zodiac boat tour
Glacier Lagoon #2: Jökulsárlón
This is the most famous glacier lagoon, and the most commercialized from what we saw on our trip. There are a variety of boat tours that you can choose from, some with larger amphibian boats if you're not comfortable on a Zodiac.
We took some photos here and walked around the edge of the lagoon, but we were quite happy with our tour of the smaller and more intimate Fjallsárlón.
However, one of the the best part of Jökulsárlón is that the fresh water from the glacier sends icebergs underneath a nearby bridge and the icebergs then float out to sea. Continue on to Diamond Beach to enjoy all that this area has to offer.
I love the contrast with the rocks, the blue in the icebergs, and the white of the glacier in the background. No photo can truly capture the beauty of this place.
Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
Diamond Beach
Diamond beach is the name given to the place near Jökulsárlón where icebergs float out to the North Atlantic. Since the beach is impacted by the melting of the glacier, it is ever-changing and each time you visit could look different.
Diamond Beach
The Golden Circle
The Golden Circle is a name given to an are with three of Iceland's easy to get to sites. From the capital city of Reykjavik you can see the epic Gulfoss waterfall, Strokkur geysir, and a beautiful national park.
However, because this is closer to the city AND because day tours are common, this is also a very crowded area. We saved the Golden Circle for last on our trip, and while it was beautiful, after experiencing other parts of Southern Iceland and the Highlands, we could have skipped it.
Nonetheless, if you want to visit the Golden Circle in Iceland, then you can easily drive it yourself!
Gulfoss: Part of Iceland's "Golden Circle"
Strokkur Geysir
In addition to these beautiful places which are easy to get to, we also recommend visiting Iceland's Highlands. Check out the details on our day trip into the highlands.
We visited Iceland in August, but if you want to visit in fall or winter for a chance to see the Aurora, you can check out this post for ideas on photographing the illusive Northern Lights.