Reykjavik South Coast: Waterfalls, Black Sand & Glacier

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.94 (694 reviews) 96% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/20

Duration10h

GroupUp to 19

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Waterfalls & Glaciers in One Day from Reykjavik

You get picked up from your hotel and spend a full day in a small minibus hitting five major South Coast stops: two hidden waterfalls, two famous ones, the black sand beach at Reynisfjara with lunch included, and a close view of Sólheimajökull glacier. The guide handles the route and timing, so you don't have to rent a car or figure out where to stop. You're back in Reykjavik by evening.

10h

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore South Coast waterfalls and beaches

Visit Seljalandsfoss waterfall
Walk behind Seljalandsfoss (weather permitting)
See hidden Gljúfrabúi waterfall
Visit Skógafoss waterfall
Climb to church for photos
Lunch stop in Vík í Mýrdal
Visit Reynisfjara black sand beach
Stop at Sólheimajökull glacier viewpoint

The Experience

The driver picked us up at the hotel without fuss—no waiting around, no confusion about where to stand. Within an hour we were south of Reykjavik, and the landscape had already shifted from city to something raw. Glaciers sat on one side of the road, farmland on the other, and the Westman Islands flickered in the distance. The minibus was small enough that you could see everything without craning your neck, but roomy enough that eight hours didn't feel cramped. Our guide pointed out the geology as we drove—how the lava fields had shaped what we were seeing—and it made the whole thing feel less like a checklist and more like someone actually knew this place.

Seljalandsfoss came first, and yeah, you can walk behind it if the weather holds. The water was loud and cold and the rocks were slick, so most people went halfway and called it good. Then Gljúfrabúi, which is smaller and tucked into the hillside—easy to miss if you weren't looking. Skógafoss was the big one, 60 meters straight down, and the spray reached us even from the viewing platform. We stopped at a church up the hill for photos, which gave a different angle than the main viewpoint. By then it was lunch time, and the guide steered us toward Vík í Mýrdal, a small town where you could grab food and sit down for a bit.

Reynisfjara was the moment that stuck with me. Black sand, basalt columns that looked almost geometric, waves that moved like they had weight. The beach is famous, so it wasn't empty, but the minibus timing meant we weren't fighting the worst of the crowds. The guide warned about the waves—they can sweep people off the beach if you're not paying attention—and everyone stayed respectful of that. After lunch we drove to Sólheimajökull, where the glacier sits close enough to see the crevasses and the color of the ice. No hiking onto it, just a stop to stand there and look. The drive back to Reykjavik took a couple of hours, and by then the day had that tired, satisfied feeling.

What’s included

Hotel pickup and drop-off from Reykjavik, transport in an air-conditioned minibus, a driver-guide providing live commentary, lunch break in Vík í Mýrdal, Wi-Fi on board, and all taxes and fees. Waterproof clothing is recommended but not provided.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by EastWest

Is this one for you?Right for travelers staying in Reykjavik without a rental car who want to see the South Coast's main sights in one day. The full-day format is what makes hitting five stops and a lunch break possible without rushing.