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Guest Post by Shweta Singhal
The Land of Fire & Ice is wild, beautiful and has multitude of adventure activities, no matter where you go. And yet, first-time visitors go to explore South coast of Iceland for a good reason. Black sand beaches, stunning waterfalls, the largest glacier in the country, canyons with a surreal beauty, South coast offers all this and more. And it is best to make the beautiful town of Vik as your base to explore south coast of Iceland. This post covers some of the best things to do in Vik Iceland.
The scenic south coast in Iceland stretches from Selfoss town on the ring road at one end and Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon at the other end. It is definitely the main feature of every first-time visitor to Iceland, even if you are visiting Iceland for 5-7 days .
9 Best Things to do in and around Vik
1. Glacier Hiking
Vatnajokull is the second largest glacier in all of Europe, and it is located in the south coast of Iceland. It is mandatory to go with a guide for glacier hiking. Most tours within Vatnajokull national park start at Skaftafell. Skaftafell has a large visitor center with amenities such as restaurant, shower, toilet facilities and car park.
You are taken by a bus or a super jeep closer to the glacier. Your guide will give you some information about Vatnajokull, dangers to avoid while walking on the glacier, and equipment usage like crampons and an ice pick. There is another glacier, Solheimajokull, closer to Vik town, where you can take a similar glacier hiking tour.
2. Katla Ice Cave
If you are visiting Iceland in winter, there are many naturally formed ice caves that can be explored with a guide. But if you are on the south coast of Iceland in summer, there is only Katla Ice cave that can be visited. It was a memorable experience on our Iceland summer road trip. And I dare say, it is one of the best day tours in Iceland.
3. Visit Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Beach
One of the beautiful things to do in Iceland south coast is to take a boat tour to Jokulsarlon ice lagoon. Jokulsarlon is a lake that is filled with water from Vatnajokull glacier, with icebergs floating around. Some of these icebergs melt and drift out to the ocean, while smaller pieces also get washed up on a black sand beach. These ice chunks glistening against the black sand is what made the ‘Diamond Beach’ so famous.
4. Chase waterfalls
You cannot visit the south coast of Iceland without seeing some of its iconic waterfalls. Skogafoss is a beautiful waterfall on the ring road towards Vik in south Iceland. This is one of the biggest waterfalls in Iceland with a height of about 60 meters. It is possible to walk very close to Skogafoss but be prepared to be drenched due to the heavy mist around the falls.
Seljalandsfoss, like Skogofoss is on the ring road in south Iceland en route to Vik. The unique thing about this waterfall that you can get behind it. There is a small path that leads to the back of the waterfall, and you get glorious view of the waterfall and the surrounding areas from behind it.
Svartifoss is located within Vatnajokull national park. Svartifoss is unique due to the basalt columns that surround it. You can hike on a well-marked trail from Skaftafell visitor center to this waterfall. Hikers and nature lovers trek to this beautiful waterfall of just 20 meters drop.
5. Enjoy Reynisfjara Beach
Iceland has many black sand beaches which look dramatic against the strong ocean current. But the most famous amongst them is Reynisfjara beach near the town of Vik. This is easily one of the main attractions of south coast of Iceland. The basalt rock columns on Reynisfjara beach are amongst the tallest and you can reach them easily, climb on them, take photos.
6. See the Solheimasandur plane wreck
Although Reynisfjara is the most famous black sand beach in all of Iceland, there are others as well. Sólheimasandur beach is one of a kind with the black sand all around and the Atlantic Ocean in the background. There is a US Navy DC plane that crashed here in 1973. And has become a fast growing tourst attraction in the past few years (especially after Justin Bieber filmed one of his music videos there).
Sólheimasandur and the DC-3 plane wreck is located between Skogafoss and Vik. It is prohibited to drive on this black sand beach. The walk between the car parking and the plane is about 4 km and not worth it. But we did a cool ATV Tour on this beach and the plane site was part of the tour experience.
7. Dyrholaey Peninsula
Dyrhólaey Peninsula is a promenade famous for its staggering views of Iceland’s South Coast. We drive to it one clear morning and got stunning views of Reynisfjara beach on one side and Sólheimasandur beach on the other, with Atlantic Ocean as the backdrop. This is also the southernmost part of the Icelandic mainland. There is a free car park on the top and a lighthouse to view.
8. Horse Riding
Icelandic horses are a small, yet sturdy breed of horses. Vik offers plenty of opportunities for horse riding tours in and around the town. The most popular location is horse riding on the black sand beach.
9. Relax at Vik town
There are so many adventure activities to be experienced around Vik that one trip is not enough. But with all the adrenaline pumping, you must also make time to just enjoy Vik town. There are several cuisines available here. We tried varied Icelandic fare plus excellent pizza and Asian ramen bowls at different restaurants and cafes in Vik.
Final Thoughts on Best Things to Do in Vik, Iceland
South Iceland is one of the most scenic spots, and that’s saying something in a country so beautiful. You will have a great time, whether soaking in nature’s creations or indulging inn adventure activities here.
About the Author
Shweta has always been passionate about travel and immersing in new experiences. Having been to over 45 countries, she blogs at Zest In A Tote to bring family-friendly itineraries and tips, destinations, and luxury stays to her readers. Her belief in family travel needn’t be boring and one can do a mix of local culture & food, adventure activities and relaxation, all with family.
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Raised as a third culture kid living in South America and Europe, Annick caught the travel bug early. As an empty-nester, Annick enjoys sharing her tips for traveling for those with champagne taste and beer budgets.