After the Golden Circle, southern Iceland is one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations, and it’s easy to see why! Along the route, one spectacular landscape follows another: waterfalls, volcanoes, glaciers, black-sand beaches, and majestic mountains.

If you stay on Route 1 without venturing into the Highlands, a 4×4 is generally not necessary. Southern Iceland is therefore accessible year-round, provided you take the weather conditions into account.

In this article, I’ll take you on a journey to discover the must-see sights of southern Iceland. After several trips, I still never tire of this region with its diverse landscapes and countless opportunities for sightseeing and hiking.

With its breathtaking waterfalls, black-sand beaches, plane wrecks, and glaciers, let’s set out to explore southern Iceland!

Welcome to our travel blog !
We’re Guillaume and Maeva, two French travelers. Here, we share our experiences and our travels.
Enjoy reading !

Map of Points of Interest Along Iceland’s South Coast

Southern Iceland: Practical Information

Transportation: Rent a car or take a tour from Reykjavik?

Rent a car in Iceland to explore the South Coast

All the locations shown on the map are easily accessible and do not require renting a 4×4. The advantage of the South Coast is that this part of Iceland is accessible year-round. You can therefore visit at any time of year, and the roads are generally (barring storms) relatively well plowed, even in winter.

🚗 Rent a Car at the Best Price in Iceland 🚗

A One-Day Tour of the South Coast from Reykjavik

As for us, we’ve always rented a car so we can travel independently and spend as much time as we want at each place, but you also have the option, if you’d like, to book tours that depart from the capital.

Highlights of this approximately 10-hour day include: Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss, the Solheimajökull glacier, the black-sand beach at Reynisfjara, and Vik.

🏔️ Full-Day Tour of Iceland’s South Coast Departing from Reykjavik 🏔️

Visit Jökulsárlón and the Waterfalls from Reykjavik

There are other excursions available that also depart from Reykjavik, including one that goes to Jökulsárlón and Diamond Beach. This time, a 14 to 15 hour day awaits you, during which you’ll explore: the Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon, the famous Diamond Beach, Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss, and Vík.

🏔️ Full-Day Tour of the South Coast Waterfalls & Glacial Lagoon from Reykjavik 🏔️

How much time should I set aside to visit southern Iceland?

If you don’t take the day trips departing from Reykjavik and instead choose to rent a car so you can travel independently and at your own pace, I recommend setting aside at least 2 days for this. Three days would be ideal to see everything I’m covering in this article.

Keep in mind that the South Coast is full of things to see and do, and you can easily spend a week there.

Où dormir dans le Sud de l’Islande ?

Distances can sometimes be long in Iceland. That’s why I recommend renting one place in Vík and another near Jökulsárlón.

The hotels we’ve tested and approved:

• Hôtel Kría : A hotel in a great location in Vík, 300 meters from the black-sand beach and 5 km from Reynisfjara Beach. There’s an on-site restaurant serving Icelandic cuisine, and a shopping center across the street if you’d rather not eat Icelandic food.
• Hali Country Hotel : Located right next to Route 1, the Hali Country Hotel offers rooms with views of the Vatnajökull Glacier or the Atlantic Ocean. Jökulsárlón is 12 km away. The food at the restaurant is truly excellent.

🛎️ Find a hotel on Booking 🛎️

Visiting Southern Iceland : Must-See Places

Now that we’ve covered the practical details, we finally come to what interests us most: what there is to do, see, and visit on Iceland’s southern coast. As I mentioned earlier, southern Iceland alone could keep you busy for an entire week. However, if you want to see as much as possible and explore different regions of Iceland, I recommend spending 3 days there. So here are the must-see attractions in southern Iceland.

Waterfalls in Southern Iceland

Seljalandsfoss

Seljalandsfoss is undoubtedly one of Iceland’s most famous waterfalls. At 65 meters high, it is one of the few waterfalls in Iceland that you can walk behind. It is a very beautiful waterfall, especially at sunset.

Don’t forget your rain jacket, a pair of rain pants, and something to protect your camera, you’re bound to get wet.

Don’t miss the short hike starting at Seljalandsfoss, which will take you to the other small waterfalls flowing along the cliff, including Gljúfrabúi. Standing 40 meters tall, it’s hidden behind the rock. You’ll have to get your feet a little wet to see it, or bring rain boots.

Be warned, though: because of its popularity, you won’t be alone there. In fact, to walk around it, you’ll be in a long line, and you’ll often be jostled by tourists eager to take a selfie to bring back from their vacation. It’s for these reasons that this is one of my least favorite places in Iceland, because, despite the waterfall’s beauty, it has lost its magic. To get the most out of it, I recommend visiting in the evening.

Additional information :
– 2026 PRICES : Paid parking at this location
1,000 ISK for 2 hours
– Free restrooms on site
– Food available on site and a gift shop

Skógafoss

Skógafoss is a waterfall 62 meters high and 25 meters wide. It’s truly impressive and one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the country. Just like Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss is swarming with tourists (and we’re among them, too). You won’t be alone there, but this waterfall is definitely worth the trip. At the base of this waterfall, you can enjoy a magnificent view of this curtain of water. You can climb to the top of the waterfall via the stairs on the right. There are about 400 steps to climb before you reach a beautiful viewpoint at the top of Skógafoss.

Skógafoss Waterfall is fed by the Skóg River. It marks the start of a hike along the river, where you can see no fewer than 26 waterfalls. It is one of the rivers with the highest number of waterfalls. Skógafoss Waterfall is also the starting point for one of Iceland’s most famous hikes: the Laugavegur Trail. At 55 km long, it takes several days to complete. However, you can still take a short hike along the Skógá River and turn back.

Additional information :
– 2026 RATES: Paid parking at this location
1,000 ISK for 24 hours
– Free restrooms on site
– Food available on site

Kvernufoss

Kvernufoss is a small, hidden waterfall in southern Iceland. It’s a place that’s still relatively unknown, even though it’s just a short walk from one of southern Iceland’s biggest tourist attractions. It’s neither the tallest nor the most powerful waterfall, yet in my opinion, it’s one of the most beautiful in Iceland. The setting is magnificent, truly magical. The entrance to the gorge is magnificent; at the end of summer, it’s a true oasis of greenery. You can hear the sound of the waterfall from far away, and just like at Seljalandsfoss, you can walk behind it. It’s one of my favorite spots in southern Iceland.

Additional information :
– 2026 PRICES: Paid parking at this location; payment is made via the parka.is app
750 ISK for 24 hours
To save on parking, you can park at Skógafoss and walk to Kvernufoss; the two parking lots are about 2 km apart
– No restrooms on site

Douglas DC3 – plane wreck

In Iceland, you can see two Douglas DC-3 aircraft wrecks. One of them is located right next to the Seljalandsfoss waterfall at these coordinates.

The second airplane wreck, the best known, is located in the middle of nowhere on Solheimasandur Beach. It crashed in 1973. The exact cause of the crash is unknown, but there were no fatalities.

The scenery is almost surreal, that airplane wreck, right there in the middle of a beach with nothing else around it, has its own unique charm. I recommend, however, that you arrive early in the morning, before 9 a.m., so you can enjoy the place all to yourself. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself surrounded by a crowd of people jostling to take a few photos, so you’ll need to be patient if you want to get a shot of it all by yourself.
In fact, a sign at the entrance to the site clearly states that visitors should not climb onto the plane and that doing so can be dangerous.

Don’t underestimate this hike, though. I’ve done it twice, it’s a 7-kilometer round trip, but it’s one of the longest hikes I’ve ever done. It’s a long, endless straight stretch where the scenery never changes, which makes it feel like you’re not making any progress.

Additional Information :
– 2026 PRICES : Paid parking at this location; payment is made via the parka.is app
750 ISK for 24 hours
The round-trip walk is 7 km. If you don’t want to walk, you can take a shuttle that will take you to the shipwreck.
Shuttles depart every 30 minutes from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
2,900 ISK round trip
– No restrooms on site

Sólheimajökull : The Glacier in Southern Iceland

Sólheimajökull is a glacier in southern Iceland and one of the glacial lagoons of the Mýrdalsjökull glacier. It is the glacier closest to the capital and is easily accessible in both summer and winter. From the parking lot, it’s about a 20-minute walk to the base of the glacier. You can hike the lakeside trail on your own. However, if you’d like to hike on the glacier, you’ll need to book a tour. You can also go kayaking on the small lake at the foot of the glacier.

At the foot of the glacier, you can admire the ice and its magnificent colors, white, deep blue, and black, remnants of the ash from the 1918 eruption of the Katla volcano.

Additional information :
– 2026 PRICES : Paid parking at this location; payment is made via the parka.is app
750 ISK for 24 hours
– Paid restrooms on site: 300 ISK

Reynisfjara Beach

Reynisfjara Beach is located in the south. It’s Iceland’s most famous beach, and it shows, it’s really crowded! It’s not only the most famous beach, but also the deadliest. In fact, this famous beach, lined with basalt columns, is also dangerous due to strong ocean currents.

New illuminated signs have been installed at the beach entrance. Please read the instructions carefully and, above all, follow them. There are many accidents that occur here.

This black-sand beach is very pretty; erosion has sculpted the cliffs along the shoreline. At each end, you can enjoy a view of Dyrhölaey (which I’ll tell you about next) and Reinisdrangar, three basalt rocks jutting out into the sea. These tall black columns, eroded by the sea and swept by the winds, resemble needles. According to legend, these stacks (a stack is a marine erosion spur) are actually trolls. Busy helping a boat that had reportedly run aground, they are said to have missed the sunrise and turned to stone. They can also be seen on the beach at Vík.

Additional information :
– 2026 PRICES : Paid parking at this location; payment is made via the parka.is app.
1,000 ISK for 24 hours.
– Food and drink available on site.

Dyrhölaey

Designated a nature reserve, the Dorhölaey headland is home to bird colonies, including puffins during the breeding season. It’s also the perfect place to admire the black-sand beaches that surround it.

Famous for its basalt arch, the island is also home to a charming little white-stone lighthouse. It’s a true little slice of paradise for photographers. This small islet offers one of the most beautiful panoramic views in Iceland.

Additional information :
– 2026 PRICES : Free parking at this location to enjoy the view from Reynisfjara.
– Pay-to-use restrooms on site: 200 ISK
– Free parking at this location to see the Dyrhölaey Lighthouse.
– No restrooms.

Access may be partially or completely closed during the nesting season.

Vík í Mýrdal, a town in southern Iceland

Vík í Mýrdal is a town in southern Iceland. For many, it’s a stop along the Southern Route. In fact, it has several shops, gas stations, and plenty of hotels. It’s a lovely town to take a break in if you’re touring Iceland. It’s also a great base for visiting all the nearby attractions mentioned in this article.

But Vík isn’t just a place to stay overnight. You can also take the opportunity to visit a wool factory or the Icelandic Lava Show. A small church with a red roof, built in 1934, overlooks the village. If you climb up there, you’ll have a lovely view of Vík and its black-sand beach. Speaking of the black-sand beach, you can easily get there and take a walk along the shore. Be careful of the waves and the tide, though. On the other hand, this beach is much less crowded than its neighbor, Reynisfjara Beach, here, you’ll find peace and quiet.

Gígjagjá: Yoda’s Cave

A few kilometers from Vík, tucked away in the middle of nowhere, lies a cave with a striking shape that is reminiscent of one of the greatest sagas of all time: Star Wars. Indeed, when you look at the cave from the inside, you can make out the shape of Yoda.

To get there, you’ll need to take a small dirt road, which is accessible without a 4×4. Be careful of the many potholes, though. You can park right in front of the cave. You can also hike to the summit of Hjörleifshöfði.

Additional information :
– 2026 PRICES : Paid parking at this location
1,000 ISK
– No restrooms

The Laufskálavarða Lava Field

This isn’t the most iconic or essential stop on the southern part of Iceland. I’m mentioning it because you’ll inevitably miss it if you continue on past Vík toward the southeastern glaciers and Skaftafell National Park.

For one thing, it’s the only place where you’ll find restrooms between Vík and the Jökulsárlón Glacier. Naturally, in Iceland, we’re thrilled about that. And second, the place is pretty unique, so why not take a quick break along the way to check out Laufskálavarða? But what exactly makes this place so unique? At this spot, a farm was buried under lava during the eruption of the Katla volcano in 894. According to tradition, anyone passing through here for the first time must build a cairn to ensure a safe journey. That is why you can see a multitude of small cairns scattered across a field in the middle of nowhere.

Additional information :
– 2026 PRICES : Free parking at this location
– Pay-to-use restrooms: 300 ISK

Jökulsárlón : The Glacial Lagoon

Jökulsárlón is Iceland’s most famous and popular lagoon. It is a lagoon filled with icebergs and small chunks of ice that come from the Vatnajökull glacier. At the beginning of the 20th century, the glacial lagoon did not exist. It was only with global warming that it began to form. Since the 1970s, its size has quadrupled. The chunks of ice that break off the glacier end up on Diamond Beach, located right next to it.

The scenery is magnificent, and if you walk away from the parking lot, you can enjoy the peace and quiet while observing these large chunks of ice. If you’re patient and lucky, you might even spot a few seals.

You can visit it many times, and the lagoon will never look the same, its shapes, colors, and atmosphere are constantly changing.

As for the activities on offer, you can take a tour on an amphibious boat (a boat with wheels). And during the summer, from May through September, you can also go on a Zodiac or kayaking trip. In the winter, tours of the ice caves depart from the Jökulsárlón lagoon.

Additional information :
– 2026 PRICES : Paid parking at this location; payment is made via the parka.is app
1,000 ISK for 24 hours, or about 7€ (paying for parking also allows you to park at the Diamond Beach parking lot)
– Free restrooms on site
– Food options available
A free alternative with two parking lots at these coordinates and here; you’ll just have to walk a little further, but it’s not very far.
– No restrooms at the free parking lots

Diamond Beach : The Diamond Beach

Diamond Beach. It is located near Jökulsárlón. In fact, the hundreds of small icebergs washed up on the beach come from the Jökulsárlón lagoon. They are carried out to sea via the river that connects the lagoon to the ocean. The waves then wash the icebergs back onto the beach.

A picture-perfect postcard: a black-sand beach dotted with blue ice blocks or crystal-clear water. For photography enthusiasts, I recommend coming at sunrise, photos taken with long exposures and the morning light are truly magical.

Additional information :
– 2026 PRICES : Paid parking is available at these locations and here; payment is made via the parka.is app
1,000 ISK for 24 hours, or about 7€ (paying for parking also allows you to park at the Jökulsárlón parking lot)
– There are no restrooms on site; you’ll need to go to the Jökulsárlón parking lot
You can walk from Diamond Beach to Jökulsárlón by going under the bridge.

The Svínafellsjökull Glacier

It’s located in Skaftafell National Park. There are actually many hiking trails in this park, including one that takes you to the Svartifoss waterfall.

The Svínafellsjökull glacier is one of the many glacier tongues of Vatnajökull. It is 8 km long and 800 m wide. It has become a bit more popular with tourists in recent years, as this is where scenes from Game of Thrones, Interstellar, and Batman Begins were filmed.

To get there, you’ll need to take a small road for about 2 km. From the parking lot, it’s a 10- to 15-minute walk to the glacier.

Unlike other lagoons, the water here isn’t turquoise, but rather a brownish color that contrasts sharply with the colors of the glacier. This color is caused by ash deposits from past eruptions. You can even make out the remains of volcanic ash on the ice and on the icebergs that have broken off from the glacier.

Of course, it’s forbidden to walk on the glacier, but you can book a tour; the tour departs from the Skaftafell parking lot, which is right next door.

Additional information :
– 2026 PRICES : Free parking at this location
– No restrooms on site
There is a restaurant/gas station 1.5 km away with restrooms

Fjallsárlón

This glacial lake is a little less touristy than its neighbor, Jökulsárlón. However, the area is still well-equipped, there are restrooms, a restaurant, and Zodiac boat tours that take you closer to the glacier. The road leading there is accessible to all types of vehicles, so you’ll have no trouble getting there.

Additional information :
– 2026 PRICES : Free parking at this location
– Pay-to-use restrooms on site
– Food available

The Best Things to Do Along Iceland’s South Coast

As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, there are plenty of things to do and see on Iceland’s South Coast. In this article, I’ve only highlighted the must-see attractions. There are also many excursions and activities to enjoy.

Just so you know, we only visited an ice cave. We didn’t try the other activities. They’re listed in this article to give you an idea of what you can do in southern Iceland. To find and book your activities, I recommend the Guide to Iceland platform.

It has been Iceland’s leading travel agency for eight consecutive years, and this platform offers the widest selection of tours, vehicles, hotels, and travel services in Iceland.

Ice Cave: Visit an Ice Cave

For many people, visiting the ice caves is one of the must-do activities in Iceland.

Tours are only available during the winter, from October through March/April. To the best of my knowledge, only one ice cave is accessible in the summer: the cave located at the Katla volcano, with tours departing from Vik. However, most expeditions to see the ice caves depart from the Jökulsárlón lagoon. It’s a unique experience that I highly recommend. We went with the tour company Ice Cave In Iceland and were absolutely delighted.

❄️ Find a tour to visit an ice cave ❄️

Walking on a glacier

Another possible activity in southern Iceland: glacier hiking. It’s something we’ve always dreamed of doing. In Iceland, this activity is highly regulated, and it’s impossible, and prohibited, to go glacier hiking without a guide. There are several difficulty levels; generally, it involves a hike lasting a few hours, equipped with crampons and an ice axe, to learn more about glaciers.

❄️ Find a glacier hike ❄️

Kayaking on the Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon

The Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon is immense, and you can take tours on amphibious boats or inflatable boats to get as close as possible to the glaciers and sometimes even spot seals. We’ve never tried these activities; however, we were advised to go kayaking instead. This allows you to get much closer, and you have more control and flexibility over your route (even though the area is still highly regulated).

🛶Kayaking on the Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon 🛶

Horseback Riding on the Beach

In Iceland, you’ll see horses everywhere. Small, docile, and sturdy, Icelandic horses are a breed all their own. It’s an activity that’s accessible to everyone, young and old alike, and doesn’t take very long. Riding a horse on a black-sand beach in Iceland, you couldn’t ask for a better setting.

🐴Horseback riding on a black-sand beach 🐴

ATV ride along a black-sand beach to the DC-3 plane wreck

We haven’t tried this activity either, but it can be a good alternative to the horseback riding tour for people with allergies. You’ll drive toward the ocean and along the Atlantic coastline, with a view of the Myrdalsjökull glacier on one side and the black-sand beach on the other. In the distance, you can see the southern tip of Iceland, the Dyrholaey Peninsula. After exploring the DC-3 plane wreck, you’ll drive along the Jokulsa River toward the base of the mountain.

🐴Take an ATV ride along a black-sand beach to the DC-3 plane wreckage 🐴

Iceland’s South Coast : What do you think of it?

Iceland’s southern coast is definitely one of our favorite regions in the country. It’s worth noting that there are so many things to see, do, and discover, from spectacular waterfalls and black-sand beaches to glaciers and breathtaking landscapes.

It’s also a region you can visit year-round, which is a real plus when planning a trip, no matter the season. The only minor drawback, in our opinion, is that it’s very touristy, with some sites sometimes swamped with visitors. But it’s hard to dwell on that downside when the landscapes are so magnificent! The glaciers, in particular, left a deep impression on us and remind us just how beautiful, but also how fragile, nature is.

Even though we have a slight preference for northern Iceland, which we find more rugged, the south remains a must-see destination on any trip to Iceland. It’s a region full of wonders that will take your breath away, and we highly recommend it!

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