Iceland’s South Coast is wild, raw, mysterious and charming. Need I say more? Okay, I will. If you choose to visit the south coast of Iceland by driving Route 1 (the Ring Road) from Selfoss to Hofn you will see a myriad of sights. Waterfalls? Yes. Glaciers? Yes. Lava fields? Yes. Cool rocks? Yes. Amazing hiking? Yes. Beautiful beaches? Yes. Iceland’s South Coast has it all!
Why Visit Iceland’s South Coast?
Because it is the most idyllic part of the country, that’s why. Here you’ll see rolling green hills, sheep grazing, waterfalls around every corner, glaciers peaking out of the mist and more. The weather here is also very changeable with fog and mist being common, it seems to add to the charm of this fairy inhabited land.
While Iceland isn’t too big to explore, you may be short on time. If you are short on time, there is not area where you will get more memories for your mile than along Iceland’s South Coast. Within easy driving distance from both Reykjavík and the international airport, Iceland’s South Coast makes a great place to visit for people with a little time, or a lot.
For those with only a few days in Iceland, we would even recommend Iceland’s South Coast over the famous Golden Circle. Sure, the Golden Circle is great, do both if you can. But Iceland’s South Coast just has such a wild charm to it that you have to see it for yourself to understand its beauty.
About Iceland’s South Coast
Iceland’s South Coast stretches from Selfoss to Hofn. This stretch of road is 401 km (249 miles) long. Most people spend 1-4 days in this area.
Roads here are well paved and easy to traverse with any vehicle.
While towns are very spread out, there are plenty of options for accommodations along this road, we’ll give some suggestions below. However, there are few restaurants in between the large towns. The larger towns are Selfoss, Vík and Hofn. Food options there are plentiful.
When to Visit Southern Iceland
Southern Iceland is only truly accessible from April-September. Outside of that season (and sometimes in it), you’ll experience closures due to the off season or the weather. Several restuarants and hotels/hostels will close in the winter due to lack of demand. Roads will also close due to weather, though Route 1 generally stays open year round. So while you can visit in the winter for the northern lights, if you want to see the sights listed below we recommend visiting in the summer.
And yes, the summer is high tourist season. And we do mention that some of these places get “busy”. However, “busy” is Iceland is not the same as busy in America. So if you’ve been to the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone in the summer, some of America’s most busy outdoor attractions, “busy” in Iceland doesn’t even come close to that level. It’s more like a crowded Saturday farmers market, where there are plenty of people in a small area but once you all get spread out in the park, it doesn’t feel busy at all.
Getting There and Around
In our opinion, the best way to explore Iceland’s South Coast is by car, via a self-drive tour. For context, we alway choose self-drive tours in any country where we can speak the language. And since Iceland’s second language is English, we chose to self-drive.
There are several tours that operate out of Reykjavík. Most will include major stops along this route but will not include all of them. Also, from watching tour groups I can tell you that some of the stops were much shorter than I would have liked and some of the stops (mainly those involving gift shops) were much longer. So if a guided tour is your jam, this post probably won’t be of much help to you as these tours come pre-packaged.
However, if you’re still reading and you’ve decided to self-drive, you’ll need a rental car. You can rent cars in Reykjavík or at the international airport when you arrive.
This route starts in Selfoss and continues along Route 1 (the Ring Road) until it reaches Hofn. This whole journey is on one road. So navigating shouldn’t be hard. However, some of the stops do require short drives off of Route 1 so having an offline GPS or paper map helps.
What to Budget for Iceland’s South Coast
For each activity below, I’ve included the price so you can add excursions in as your budget allows.
Accommodations in this area vary widely in price. If you are staying overnight, Vík or Hofn are the best places to stay. Hotels average around $220 USD/night in Vík and $240/night in Hofn. We found that home rentals and hostels were much cheaper. We stayed in a cabin in Vík for around $200/night.
Safety
Besides following general safety advice that I hope everyone knows, like staying on marked trails and Leave No Trace Principles, this area only has a few extra things worth mentioning.
First, stretches of this road are remote. You’ll see other vehicles at times but you’ll be completely alone at other times. Make sure to have a full tank of gas and a functioning Iceland road map or GPS. You can also use offline Google maps here as long as you download the map ahead of time.
Second, beaches in southern Iceland are not for swimming. You should always exercise caution when visiting. Tourist have been know to get snatched up by sneaker waves and drown as a result. No photograph is worth this. As a side note: I should admit that I got completely drenched by a sneaker wave when I was about 5 feet above the waterline.
And lastly, southern Iceland is dotted with lava fields. These are beautiful and you may have seen pictures of people walking on them. This is not safe for you or the environment. The moss that grows here is delicate, don’t ruin it. The hardened lava is also sharp and hollow. People have been known to get cut falling on it or even break bones falling through it. So make sure to stay on marked trails at all times.
Things to do Along Iceland’s South Coast
Sejalandsfoss & Gljúfurárfoss
Time: 1-2 hours
This is probably the most popular waterfall in Iceland. It’s the one you can walk behind! You’ve probably seen the pictures. Walking behind Sejalandsfoss is a really neat experience. You are tucked into a little cave-like area and the water comes down in front of you.
Gljúfurárfoss is the real gem at this stop. While Sejalandsfoss is the big waterfall, Gljúfurárfoss is the magical waterfall. Just a short walk from Sejalandsfoss, Gljúfurárfoss is tucked into a crack in the cliff. You can walk into this cave-like area and see the waterfall tumbling from above. This is one of the most idyllic waterfalls in Iceland. Don’t miss it and don’t forget the rain gear!
Cost: 7,00 ISK (parking)
Read all about visiting this duo of waterfalls here!
Seljavallalaug Swimming Pool
Time: 1 hour
This is an authentic and historic Icelandic experience. This pool is built into the side of a mountain with geothermal water running down the mountain and into the pool. This pool was built a long time ago and has algae growing on it to prove it. You have to hike to get here. Plus, the changing rooms are minimal and the actual pool is gross so this isn’t for the faint of heart. But the experience is super cool. The hike is beautiful and the place is quiet. I’d recommend this for people who want a more historic Icelandic bathing experience or lovers of a beautiful hike. However, those expecting a luxurious bathing experience will be disappointed.
Cost: FREE
Skókafoss and Waterfall Way
Time: 1-6 hours
Skógafoss is one of Icelands most beautiful waterfalls. This is a must stop for any tour along Iceland’s South coast. This waterfall is easy to visit, being just a short walk from the parking lot and right off of Route 1.
If you would like to see more waterfalls on your stop, consider hiking Waterfall Way. This trail follows the Skóga river upstream where you will see even more waterfalls and even fewer people. The trail supposedly has 26 waterfalls, though we didn’t count. The best part about this trail is you can just turn around when you get tired and the hike back is all down hill.
Cost: FREE
Kvernufoss
Time: 30 minutes
This waterfall is located just down the street from Skógafoss. But it is much less crowded. It’s also much smaller than other waterfalls on this list, but you can walk behind this one too. To visit it you need to park at the Skógar museum and follow the trail behind the museum to get to the falls.
Cost: 5,00 ISK for parking
Solheimasandur Plane Wreck
Time: 0 minutes – you should skip it
We’re being glib here but I felt it was worthing at least a mention as there were tons of cars in the parking lot. But if you are so inclined you can go see a crashed plane complete with grafitti on the beach. No, you cannot and should not stand on it (like Justin Bieber did) but if you wanted to see what is essentially trash on the beach this is for you.
Cost: FREE
Sólheimajökull
Time: 30 minutes
Sólheimajökull glacier is the first glacier you’ll spot on your tour of Iceland’s south coast. You can spot bits of it from the road but to see the glacial toungue (the bit that looks like it is flowing down the mountain) you’ll need to drive just a few minutes off the Ring Road, park in a gravel car park, and hike for 10-ish minutes to the overlook.
From the overlook, you’ll see the glacier flowing into a river. You can see big ice chunks floating out to sea and giant bolders that the glacier is leaving behind.
If you’d like to go with a guide, glacier hikes here are an option.
Cost: FREE
Dyrhólaey
Time: 1 hour
At Dyrhólaey, you’ll get the best views of Iceland’s South Coast jutting up against the ocean. There are two viewpoint parking lots here (one is 4×4 only) that are connected by a cliffside walking trail. If you don’t have a 4×4 vehicle, you can still walk to the second viewpoint. The main viewing area is of Reynisfjara Beach and the second viewing area is of Dyrhólaey Arch. If you visit in the summer, you’re also likely to see puffins nesting here along the walking trail.
Cost: FREE
Reynisfjara Beach
Time: 30 minutes
If you’ve looked at Icelandic photos on Instagram, you’ve likely seen this beach. It is the most popular black sand beach in Iceland because it also has towering columnar basalt columns. You can climb up the columns for a cool photo op. However, don’t forget to walk down the beach a bit to see some beautiful sea stacks. If you visit in the summer, you’re also likely to see some neat birds, like puffins, out in the ocean.
Don’t forget that this beach is not for swimming. In fact you need to beware of ‘sneaker waves’ here. It’s a real thing with a sign and all. They are waves that are bigger than the regular swells and come out of nowhere. They’ve even been know to drag a few tourists out to sea.
Cost: FREE
Lava Fields
Time: 15 minutes
Along Route 1, you’ll find a turnoff for the lava fields. These moss covered lava fields of various ages dot the Icelandic landscape. So if you stop for a few minutes at the turnoff, you can read the signs posted to learn about how they form and take a short walk through them.
Cost: FREE
Fjaðrárgljúfur
Time: 1 hour
This beautiful moss covered canyon is one of the most picturesque places in Iceland. To get here you have to take an unpaved road that isn’t in great condition but can be travelled with an average clearance car. Once here, you have a short hike to the viewing points for the canyon. In the canyon runs a river and the main viewing point has an incredibly blue waterfall pouring into the canyon.
Cost: FREE
Skaftafell – Vatnajökull National Park
Time: 2 hours
Skaftafell – Vatnajökull National Park is home to the Vatnajökull glacier as well as the Svartifoss waterfall, amongst other things. And it is definitely a must-visit in our mind. The hiking here is beautiful and you can easily spend and entire day enjoying the trails. This is another place along Iceland’s South Coast that provides glacier tours, which allow you to climb on this huge glacier and explore.
Cost: 7,50 ISK for parking
Svartifoss
Time: 1.5 hours
Svartifoss or ‘“Black Falls” are located in Vatnajökull National Park. These beautiful falls tumble from the top of a columnar basalt cliff. This waterfall is so beautiful that it inspired the design for the Hallgrimskirkja Church in Reykjavík. This is one of the best waterfalls in Iceland! This hexagonal columns drip water from the Vatnajökull glacier. Along the steep hike to Svartifoss, you’ll see three other waterfalls before getting to Svartifoss. The waterfall is located at the far end of a 3 km hiking loop.
Fjallsárlón Lagoon
Time: 30 minutes
This is one of two glacial lagoons along Iceland’s South Coast. We’re not sure which one we like best so you may as well just visit them both!
Fjallsárlón Lagoon is smaller than Jökulsárlón Lagoon (next), but it is much more quiet. There are more hiking trails here to explore the lagoon by land. Because it is less popular, you also can enjoy things here that you can’t at Jökulsárlón Lagoon, like the sounds of the ice falling off the glacier.
Cost: FREE
Jökulsárlón Lagoon and Diamond Beach
Time: 1-2 hours
The lagoon has tons of huge ice chunks that you can view up close. It is also a place that seals are frequently spotted (we saw several). The blue coloring of the ice chunks (bergs??) is what makes this area really stand out. It is unreal how blue they look to the naked eye.
You can follow a path along the river that leads to the sea and you will come to the Diamond Beach. This black sand beach is littered with ice chunks that float out to sea and then wash up on shore. Here, they loose their blue coloring and instead look crystal clear.
Cost: FREE
Glacial Lagoon Tour
Time: 1-3 hours
You can take a boat tour in either Jökulsárlón Lagoon or Fjallsárlón Lagoon. Kayak tours are also offered in Jökulsárlón Lagoon. Either tour option gives you the opportunity to experience these glaciers up close and have a different perspective of their size. Advanced booking are recommended as tours often fill up.
Cost: 6,000-13,000 ISK/person
Glacier Tour
Time: 3 hours – full day
Somewhere along Iceland’s South Coast, we highly suggest taking a glacier tour. We did a tour on Vatnajökull glacier and it was one of our top five things we did in Iceland. In fact it was my favorite thing. Tours are half day or full day tours. Most of the half day tours are walking only, while some of the full day tours allow you to do glacier climbing, which is similar to rock climbing.
Advanced booking are recommended as tours often fill up.
Cost: 19,000-30,000 ISK/person
How to use this map: The map above has all of the attractions mentioned in this post. Click on each attraction to learn more about it. If you’d like to save this map, click on the square “View Larger Map” icon. This will open the map in your Google account (make sure you’re signed in). You can reference it in your account or you can create a copy to make your own edits.
How Many Days Should You Spend on Iceland’s South Coast?
Most spend between one and four days on Iceland’s South Coast. One day will allow you to see just a section. Two days will allow you to see everything if you move at a fast pace. 3-4 days will allow you to enjoy some of the longer experiences, like tours and hikes.
Use the map above to organize all of the stop along Iceland’s South coast into your itinerary. Day 1 is blue, day 2 is green, day 3 is red and day 4 is purple.
Itineraries for Iceland’s South Coast
Iceland’s South Coast In 1 Day
Focus on the attractions between Selfoss and Vík. You can see everything in one day but you will need to stay overnight in Vík.
If you don’t want to overnight in Vík, we’d recommend visiting Sejalandsfoss & Gljúfurárfoss, Skógafoss and Reynisfjara Beach. Then you can turn around and head back towards your accommodations adding in other stops as you have time.
Iceland’s South Coast In 2 Days
On day one, stop at all the stops (albeit briefly) between Selfoss and Vík. Stay overnight in Vík.
On day two, visit the two glacier lagoons and Skaftafell National Park with a hike to Svartifoss. You probably will also have time for either a lagoon OR a glacier tour. Drive back to Vík to stay for your second night.
Iceland’s South Coast In 3 Days
On day one, drive from Selfoss to Vík, stopping briefly at all of the stops. Stay overnight in Vík.
On day 2, stop at all the stops between Vík and Hofn. Stay overnight near Skaftafell or Hofn.
On day 3, get ready to splurge and buy yourself a combo glacial lagoon and glacial hike tour (or two individual tours). Did I mention we really loved the glaciers?
Iceland’s South Coast In 4 Days
Follow the 3 day itinerary above, except skip Skógafoss on Day 1 and plan to linger a bit longer at other stops. Stay overnight on day three near Skaftafell.
On day four, drive back to Reykjavík but stop at Skógafoss and complete the waterfall way hike. You should be able to get back to Reykjavík or the airport by the evening.
Where to Stay Along Iceland’s South Coast
As previously mentioned, towns along Iceland’s South Coast are spread out. For accommodations, you’ll find them sprinkled everywhere. However, we recommend staying in either Vík or Hofn so that you can be near other amenities, like restaurants and grocery stores.
Vík is centrally located so you can easily make that your base camp for exploring Iceland’s south coast. However, there is a lot of time intensive things to do near Skaftafell. So staying there for part of your trip is recommended if you are going to be doing tours or long hikes.
We stayed in seaside cottages in Vík and a charming hostel near Skaftafell when we visited this area.
We hope that this post has helped you to plan your own self-drive tour of Iceland’s South coast. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments section and we’d be happy to help.
