Amazing 1 Day Adventure on an Iceland South Coast Tour

Are you looking for the best Iceland South Coast Tour? Do you want to visit Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach, Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, Skógafoss Waterfall, Sólheimajökull Glacier, and the village of Vík, but not sure how? Well read on, and join us as we go on an Iceland South Coast Tour with Arctic Adventures and see all of these sights in 1 day…

We’re soaked from the power of the water. We’re shivering from the wind sweeping over the ice. Our legs are heavy trudging through the thick black sand. But we’re left completely in awe following our unbelievable day exploring the south coast of Iceland with Arctic Adventures on their Iceland South Shore Adventure Tour.

Arctic Adventures South Shore Adventure Tour

The best way to experience the Iceland South Coast tour is with Arctic Adventures on their award-winning South Shore Adventure Tour.

You can visit the top sights on the Iceland south coast, including Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach, Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, Skógafoss Waterfall, Sólheimajökull Glacier, and the village of Vík, all in 1 day!

We were tempted to visit the sights ourselves with a hire car, but we're so glad we joined the Arctic Adventures tour. Our expert guide Dominika really made the day for us. From telling us the information and legendary stories behind the sights, to giving tips for the best photo spots, and even squeezing in a bonus stop (which turned out to be Paul’s favourite of the whole day!).

We got soaked leaving a remarkable imprint… Skógafoss Waterfall

Our first stop of the day is at Skógafoss Waterfall, and it doesn’t get more spectacular than this!

At 60-metres high and 25-metres wide, it’s one of Iceland’s biggest and most beautiful waterfalls.

And as we walk towards it and stand under the spray, it has to be one of the most powerful too! The spray feels more like a full-on shower, and after only a few seconds we’re soaked (maybe we should have worn our waterproofs). 

It’s awe-inspiring looking up into the water thundering down from above, an experience like nothing else we’ve had before.

Sneha stood below the waterfall for ages and said that it was one of the best moments of her life where she could forget all the worries of the world... a moment she gifted to herself!

After a few minutes just stood soaking in the experience, we make the steep climb up the stairs to see the waterfall from above. it is a fairly long climb and gives some good scenic views as you climb up.

We can see the top of the water cascading over the edge of the cliff and there’s a rainbow in the spray. And there’s a trail leading up into the mountains where we guess the source of the waterfall must be. Dominika said it is also a hiking trail and you have to cross the glacier , so people do camp in the area to go on the trail.

But we don’t have time for that, we’ve got a long day of sight-seeing ahead of us so we need to get back to the bus before they leave without us…

TrovenTrippers Tip for Skógafoss Waterfall on our Iceland South Coast Tour…

If you have a limited time at the waterfall, we recommend staying at the bottom and enjoying it from down there. There isn’t much to see from the top, so you won’t miss much if you don’t fancy the climb up the many stairs.

We saw, we touched, we ate… Sólheimajökull Glacier

After seeing one of the best waterfalls in Iceland, we’re not sure how the rest of the day is going to match up.

But our next stop answers that and we needn't have worried… it’s just as amazing as Skógafoss Waterfall, but in a totally different way.

Sólheimajökull Glacier is the most easily accessible glacier in Iceland, and at 8km long and 2km wide, to say it’s impressive doesn’t really do it justice.

It’s a short 10-minute walk from the car park to the edge of the glacier, but the sad fact is that only 10-years ago, the glacier reached all the way to the car park. It’s receding by 60m in length and 10m in thickness per year, so if seeing a glacier is on your bucket-list, then we suggest you visit soon!

Seeing the glacier up close and us being able to touch it feels like a once in a lifetime experience, and this glacier really shows why Iceland is known as the land of fire and ice.

Whereas you would expect a glacier to be glistening white with the snow and ice, Sólheimajökull Glacier is speckled with black ash from the nearby Eyjafjallajökull volcanic eruption in 2010 which brought European air travel to a standstill. 

You can see the melting of the glacier very close and experience global warming in its true sense

TrovenTrippers Tip for Sólheimajökull Glacier on our Iceland South Coast Tour…

Don’t stop at the end of the footpath where the signs are, you can walk all the way to the very edge of the glacier and touch it! The path is a little rocky to get down onto the beach, but it’s easily managed and is totally worth the effort as you will be able to touch or even eat the glacier!

We survived the killer waves and trolls… Reynisfjara Black Beach & Reynisdrangar Basalt Stacks

Our next planned stop is at the village of Vík for lunch, but our guide says there are a lot of other tours heading there so we’re going to have a change around of our itinerary.

We head straight for Reynisfjara Black Beach instead and have a lunch stop at the café there.

Being at the beach, we obviously go for fish and chips and a salmon croissant. Plus a local Gull beer. And they are all very tasty.

With our bellies full we go onto the beach and watch the white waves crashing onto the black sand, creating a strange contrast of colour you wouldn’t usually see at the beach.

The beach truly lives up to its fame. The basalt sea columns on the cliffs add to the otherworldly feel of the beach, and we climb up them and sit for a while watching the rough sea.

The natural formation of the cave is very unique and it is striking to see the white waves, black sand, grey basalt formations and the sand coloured cave formations all so closely together

Further out to sea are the Reynisdrangar basalt sea stacks, which legend says were trolls who got stuck while trying to pull ships onto the shore. They remind us of something we would have seen yesterday during our visit to the Icelandic Phallological Museum in Reykjavik though!

Also at the beach is Hálsanefshellir sea cave, a filming location for Game of Thrones and, where legend has it, trolls and elves once lived.

This is probably the most crowded spot we stop at during the day, the beach is pretty busy with other people, but it's still an amazing place to see!

TrovenTrippers Tip for Reynisfjara Black Beach on our Iceland South Coast Tour…

Be careful when on the beach looking at the basalt columns at the water's edge… the waves may look pretty on the beach, but they can be very dangerous. Sneaker waves are notorious here and can easily pull you out to sea!

We visited the volcano evacuation church… the village of Vík

Vík is the southernmost village in Iceland, and we stop at the church overlooking the village for amazing views out to the Reynisdrangar Basalt Stacks we saw on our last stop.

But the church is more than just a pretty photo spot, as the Katla volcano is nearby and is one of the most active volcanoes in Iceland. Katla usually erupts every 50 years, and its last eruption was in 1918, meaning the village is on high alert for a long overdue eruption.

There's a great TV show on Netflix called Katla, which is set in the aftermath of Katla erupting and the strange goings on which come afterwards... it's very good, but very weird!

But luckily today all we need to deal with is some wind and rain as we get some photos on this short stop, before we get back on the bus and start our journey back towards Reykjavik.

If and when Katla does erupt, then the church high above the village is the evacuation point for the 650 residents. 

TrovenTrippers Tip for Vík on our Iceland South Coast Tour…

Climb the hill behind the church from the carpark to get the view of the church overlooking the village, which in turn overlooks the Reynisdrangar Basalt Stacks.

We walked behind the waterfall… Seljalandsfoss Waterfall

The last stop of our day is actually the first we saw this morning on the drive, Seljalandsfoss Waterfall.

“We’ve already been to a waterfall” we hear you say, why do we need to see another? Well, this one is different from Skógafoss, as you can walk behind it! 

Gljufrabui Waterfall

But before we get to that, our guide Dominika strikes gold with her recommendation again. A few minutes walk along the path is more of a hidden and secret waterfall called Gljufrabui. And we actually prefer this one!

To get to it we have to walk upstream through the flowing river and scramble over some rocks, but the efforts are worth it. The waterfall looks like it’s inside a cave and we can stand right under it, and feel the full force as it cascades down all around us… an amazing feeling!

Back at Seljalandsfoss and we follow the path behind it, standing for a few minutes feeling the spray and enjoying the unique view of looking through a waterfall outwards, rather than up at the cliffs it’s falling from.

TrovenTrippers Tip for Seljalandsfoss Waterfall on our Iceland South Coast Tour…

The water flowing in the river from Seljalandsfoss is clean enough to drink… we fill our water bottles up and it tastes like the best water ever!

We get a bonus stop at a Game of Thrones filming location… Dyrhólaey Viewpoint

When we leave Vík and before we get to Seljalandsfoss , Dominika says we’re ahead of schedule and so would we like a bonus stop which isn’t on the usual schedule… ermm, yes we do!

We take a diversion up a very steep road and we arrive at Dyrhólaey Viewpoint, and this is possibly Paul’s favourite stop of the whole day.

The most famous sight from the viewpoint is the rock arch in the cliffs below us, but its the view in the other direction which we’re so amazed by.

On our left is the rough ocean, waves crashing onto the beach below. To our right are the volcanoes and Mýrdalsjökull glacier. And stretching out in front of us as far as we can see is a black sand beach… with the dark storm clouds overhead, we can’t make out where the horizon ends and the sky begins. 

The landscape is unbelievable and looks like something from another planet. “There’s beauty in the calmness” Sneha says as we stand and look at the view, not being able to believe our eyes.

TrovenTrippers Tip for Dyrhólaey Viewpoint on our Iceland South Coast Tour…

With amazing views from all directions, don't forget to look backwards away from the shore as well to see the lighthouse! Dominika says sometimes you can also spot puffins here. So, keep your eyes peeled.

Would we recommend the Arctic Adventures Iceland South Coast Tour?

Yes, Yes, and yes again. What a day!!

One of our best travel days ever, seeing some of the most amazing and unbelievable sights in Iceland (and probably the world!).

While you can visit the sights on your own with a car, we wouldn’t have been able to fit them all into 1 day without joining the tour. And our expert guide Dominika really made the day special for us with the stories about the sights, telling us where to go for the best experience of each sight, and adding in the bonus stop which we wouldn’t have known about without her. 

And being on the comfortable bus in between each stop meant we could just sit back and relax and enjoy the scenery, rather than concentrate on driving the roads and following the maps. At each and every stop, there is a fair bit of walking to get the best views, so it feels really good to stretch your legs and relax while on the bus.

Our trip was a sponsored trip provided by Arctic Adventures, but our blog and review of our experience is 100% independent and a genuine reflection of our day.

Arctic Adventures Iceland South Coast Tour Booking & Tickets

To book the tour yourself please follow this link… Iceland South Shore Adventure Tour. The tickets cost $130 per person, but worth every penny.

TrovenTrippers Practical Tips for Arctic Adventures Iceland South Coast Tour…

• The tour lasts for around 10 hours, getting picked up at 8am and arriving back in Reykjavik at 6pm.
• There is a lunch stop during the day, sometimes in Vik, or at the Reynisfjara Black Beach
• There is a stop at around 10am at a petrol station for a bathroom break and where you can get coffee and some food, we recommend trying the Icelandic pancakes
• Most of the stops have bathrooms
• It may not be an Arctic Adventures branded bus which picks you up, we were in a My Day Tours bus as they are apparently the same company, so at pickup make sure to check as multiple buses use the same pickup points
• Our bus was a very nice and modern Mercedes minibus with Wi-Fi

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