South Coast & Ice Cave 2-Day Glacier Adventure Tour

Walk behind a 60-meter waterfall, then explore a glacier ice cave in two days.

A 2-day guided tour from Reykjavik visits the south coast's main waterfalls, black-sand beaches and Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon, with an ice cave experience inside a glacier and one night in a hotel with breakfast included. The tour operates in small groups by minibus with a live English-speaking guide. Ice caves are seasonal and weather-dependent; the operator uses either the Crystal Cave at Breiðmerkurjökull or Katla Ice Cave depending on conditions, or offers a glacier hike if neither is accessible. Between August and May, northern lights sightings are possible but not guaranteed or included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — South Coast Highlights

• Pick up in Reykjavik
• Visit Seljalandsfoss waterfall
• Visit Skógafoss waterfall
• Explore Reynisfjara black sand beach
• Drive through Vík town
• See Skaftafell National Park
• View Eyjafjallajökull volcano
• See Sólheimajökull glacier

Day 2 — Glacier Lagoon and Ice Cave

• Visit Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon
• Visit Diamond Beach
• Explore Katla or Crystal Ice Cave
• Return to Reykjavik

The Experience

Reykjavik pickup starts the tour on day one, heading south toward Seljalandsfoss—a 60-meter waterfall where the path leads behind the cascade into a small cave, giving a 360° view of the falls and the Eyjafjallajökull glacier volcano that feeds it. From there, the route continues to Skógafoss, one of Iceland's largest waterfalls at 25 meters wide and 60 meters tall, where a staircase climbs to the top for a view straight down into the thundering water. The day passes through Reynisfjara, a black-sand beach known for its basalt columns and sea stacks, then through the small town of Vík on the way to overnight accommodation at Adventure Hotel Hof I with a private bathroom and breakfast included.

Day two moves deeper into the southeast, reaching Skaftafell within Vatnajökull National Park—a nature reserve with glaciers, waterfalls and hiking trails. The centerpiece is the ice cave experience: the operator typically visits the Crystal Cave at Breiðmerkurjökull, where you walk into blue ice formations inside the glacier itself. If conditions make that inaccessible, Katla Ice Cave within Mýrdalsjökull becomes the alternative, or a guided glacier hike replaces the cave entirely. The choice depends on weather and safety on the day itself, not on advance notice. You'll need to hike up to three hours across the two days; hiking boots are available to rent for 1,000 ISK if you don't bring your own.

The return leg includes Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon, where icebergs break off from Breiðamerkurjökull and drift toward the sea, then Diamond Beach, the black-sand shore where those same icebergs wash ashore. The minibus drops you back in Reykjavik around 21:00. Between August and May, if the forecast cooperates, northern lights may appear during the drive, though a guided hunt for them is not part of the tour—it's a bonus if conditions align.

What’s included

• Reykjavik pickup and drop-off service.
• visits to Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss, Reynisfjara, Vík, Skaftafell, Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Beach.
• ice cave experience (Crystal Cave, Katla Ice Cave, or glacier hike depending on conditions).
• one night hotel accommodation with private bathroom.
• breakfast at the hotel.
• guided small-group tour in a minibus with a live English-speaking guide.
• free wi-fi on board.

Good to know

Easy physical level

Operated by Arctic Adventures

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to see Iceland's most famous south-coast waterfalls and glaciers without arranging transport or accommodation yourself—the minibus, hotel and guide handle the logistics, leaving you to focus on the ice caves and the landscape. Solo travelers can choose to share a twin room or upgrade to a single room at checkout.

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Top questions

Can I walk behind Seljalandsfoss waterfall on this tour?

Yes. Seljalandsfoss has a path that leads behind the 60-meter cascade into a small cave, giving you a 360° view of the waterfall and the Eyjafjallajökull glacier that feeds it. This is one of the main stops on day one.

What ice cave will I visit—Katla or Crystal Cave?

The operator uses the Crystal Cave at Breiðmerkurjökull as the standard choice, but ice caves are unpredictable natural phenomena and conditions on the day decide which one you enter. If neither is safe or accessible, a guided glacier hike replaces the cave experience. You won't know which until the morning of day two.

Is the northern lights hunt included in this tour?

No, a guided northern lights hunt is not included. Between August and May, if the weather forecast is suitable, you might spot the northern lights during the drive back to Reykjavik, but sightings are not guaranteed and the tour does not stop specifically to search for them.

How much hiking is involved over the two days?

You'll hike up to three hours across the two days combined. The tour is suitable for all fitness levels. Hiking boots are available to rent from the operator for 1,000 ISK per person if you don't bring your own.

What's included in the overnight accommodation?

One night at Adventure Hotel Hof I with a private bathroom and breakfast the next morning. Solo travelers without a single-room upgrade are paired in a twin room with another participant of the same gender.

Does the tour include food and drinks?

Breakfast at the hotel is included. Other meals and drinks are not covered; you'll need to arrange and pay for lunch and dinner separately during the two days.