South Coast, Reynisfjara Beach & Waterfalls Small-Group Day Trip from Reykjavik
Recommended by 90% of travelers
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Reykjavik, Iceland
- 10 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Escape the crowds and explore Iceland’s secluded southern shore on this 10-hour tour from Reykjavik. In a small group limited to 15, you’ll marvel at natural wonders including the Sólheimajökull Glacier, with its turquoise streams, the obsidian sands of Reynisfjara Beach, and the historic town of Vik. See, too, the Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss waterfalls and enjoy the convenience of round-trip transport from your Reykjavik hotel. Bringing along your own boxed lunch is recommended.
- 8-hour tour of Iceland's south shore from Reykjavik
- Escape the crowds of the Golden Circle and see a different side of Iceland
- Tick off highlights including the the Sólheimajökull Glacier and Reynisfjara Beach
- Explore the historic town of Vik and see its black sand beaches
- Visit the Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss waterfalls
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in Reykjavik are included
What's Included
- Small group guarantee
- Pick up & drop off from authorized pick up points in Reykjavik.
- Visit to Reynisfjara black sand beach, Skogafoss &Seljalandsfoss waterfall
- Guided sightseeing tour in a minibus
- Certified guide
- Free wi-fi on board
- Food & drinks
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
Please note that we only serve the pick-up locations specified in our pick-up list below. Due to traffic restrictions, we are not allowed to pick up from hotels in the city center nor from private Air BnBs. If your pick-up location is not on our pick-up list then we kindly ask you to find the closest pick-up point to your accommodation from our list: 22 Hill Hótel – Brautarholt 22-24. Arctic Comfort Hótel – Síðumúli 19. BSÍ Bus Terminal – Vatnsmýrarvegi 10. Bus Hostel Reykjavík – Skógarhlíð 10. Bus pick up/drop off nr.1 – City Hall, Vonarstræti Bus pick up/drop off nr.4 – Miðbakki Bus pick up/drop off nr.6 – Safnahúsið (The Culture House) Bus pick up/drop off nr.8 – Hallgrímskirkja Church Bus pick up/drop off nr.9 – Snorrabraut Bus pick up/drop off nr.12 – Höfðatorg Bus pick up/drop off nr.15 – Vesturbugt Cabin Hótel – Borgartún 32. Eyja Guldsmen Hotel – Brautarholt 10. Grand Hótel Reykjavík – Sigtún 38. Grayline – Main bus terminal - Klettagarðar 4. Hilton Reykjavík Nordica – Suðurlandsbraut 2. Hótel Ísland – Ármúla 9. Hotel Ørkin – Brautarholti 29. Icelandair Hotel Reykjavík Natura – við Hlíðarfót, Nauthólsvegur 52. Klettur Hótel – Mjölnisholt 12-14. N1 Gas Station – Ártúnshöfði Radisson Blu Hótel Saga – við Hagatorg. Reykjavík City Hostel – Sundlaugavegur 34. Reykjavík Lights Hotel – Suðurlandsbraut 12. Skarfabakki – Cruise Ship, Reykjavik Harbor, 105 Reykjavik
Itinerary
Commence your tour with hotel pickup in Reykjavik at 7am, when you’ll board a climate-controlled vehicle destined for Iceland’s south shore. Following a scenic 2-hour journey over Hellisheiði lava plateau, you’ll arrive at the mighty Sólheimajökull Glacier: replete with ice caves, crevasses, and turquoise streams.
Then, absorb the obsidian sands of Reynisfjara Beach, flanked by hundreds of black basalt columns reminiscent of Ireland’s Giant’s Causeway.
From here, you’ll proceed to Vik — Iceland’s southernmost town — where you’ll visit Iceland’s only war memorial, the Víkurprjón wool factory, and Vik’s gorgeous red-roofed church.
On the way back to Reykjavik, you’ll stop at the majestic Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss waterfalls before hotel drop-off at around 5pm.
Then, absorb the obsidian sands of Reynisfjara Beach, flanked by hundreds of black basalt columns reminiscent of Ireland’s Giant’s Causeway.
From here, you’ll proceed to Vik — Iceland’s southernmost town — where you’ll visit Iceland’s only war memorial, the Víkurprjón wool factory, and Vik’s gorgeous red-roofed church.
On the way back to Reykjavik, you’ll stop at the majestic Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss waterfalls before hotel drop-off at around 5pm.
1
Skogafoss
25 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Seljalandsfoss waterfall
35 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Solheimajokull Glacier
55 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Reynisdrangar
1 hour 15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Vikurfjara Black Sand Beach
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
- This tour has a small group guarantee for a more personalized experience
- Guide to client ratio: 1/18
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Minimum age is 6 years old
- Remember to bring: Warm outdoor clothing, waterproof jacket and pants, head-wear, gloves, sturdy shoes and packed lunch with you
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 19 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Gina_S
We had such an amazing day on this excursion! Our guide (Arni - sorry if I misspelled it) was very knowledgeable, funny and friendly! We are so happy we booked this excursion and would highly recommend it if you want to see the south coast in a day!
Reviews
4.6
based on 111 reviews
Joana_T, Mar 2026
We visited so many wonderful waterfalls and the weather changed many times! It was unbelievable! Thanks to our guide Slav that conducted us very nicely.
Gina_S, Nov 2025
We had such an amazing day on this excursion! Our guide (Arni - sorry if I misspelled it) was very knowledgeable, funny and friendly! We are so happy we booked this excursion and would highly recommend it if you want to see the south coast in a day!
Brooke_K, Jul 2025
I’m glad I did this tour, we covered a lot of territory I would have missed completely had I not. But it was rushed. We wasted time going all the way to Vik, to stand for 10 minutes in the parking lot of a church, rather than taking extra time to enjoy some of the really special spots. I ended up rushing to explore further at the waterfalls and had to literally jog back to the van to make the departure time. These extracurricular forays are where I saw the best stuff. Guide was ok. Not Icelandic, he had been in the country for 8 years. So he had some talking points memorized but wasn’t a fount of knowledge. His accent made it difficult to understand sometimes.
Mike_C, Dec 2024
Great guide and very informative whether was against us but it’s December in Iceland so you make the most of it. The size of the waterfalls due to the melt was unreal
Kirsty_O, Nov 2024
Amazing day, with some beautiful views. Martin the tour guide was brilliant and even stopped for us to take pictures at a few extra stops as we were ahead of schedule. This is a must do!!
Louise_W, Nov 2024
Great sights, knowledgable friendly guide. Really enjoyed the glacier which wasn’t as well advertised in the description.
Stacy_P, Oct 2024
The guide super friendly, got us place to place safely. The bus was comfy and warm. All of the stops were breathtaking & thrilling! A few things I would have appreciated, more stories from the guide, clean the windows inside and out: all the pictures were blurry, and garbage bin on bus. Otherwise 10/10 experience!
vire, Jun 2024
South Coast with Black Sand Beach, the Waterfalls, and The Tectonic divide were most memorable. Viator and the tour operators they choose are great with their knowledge and the time, specially when you have to be back for Cruise Ships departure schedule. Thanks again Viator. We have been using them for a Almost a decade now.
Kevin_T, May 2024
Had a great time and the bus trip wad worth it. One thing we didn't know is not only do you go behind the waterfall, you go through it. So prepare to get wet!
alun_f, Mar 2024
Todays trip with Artic Adventures could not have gone more differently than yesterdays chaos from another coach carrier. From the minute of the pick up which was less stressful than yesterday’s carrier it was clear this was a more organised company. The driver was very helpful, friendly and really knowledgeable. Today less stressful and more enjoyable. Despite my previous experience I’d certainly recommend trips on your first visit to Iceland. See more and learn more and then you can hire a car to revisit your favourite places longer
MOON_M, Mar 2023
Awesome, loved the history shared by our guide . Would have liked to spend more time near the falls and beach ,
Joseph_T, Aug 2019
Van was late picking us up! Van Broke down 2 hours into the trip! There was no air conditioning on the van! The driver was a master tailgater! Too much time on the van, 6 hours compared to 3-4 hours at the sites! I would not recommend this company at all! The trip would be better as a two day stint which would allow for more time to see the sights!
645CR, Aug 2019
The beach and waterfalls were well worth seeing, but a long drive to get there in a very fast minibus (more than the 2 hours in the description, nearer 3 hours from 8am pickup)
Major disappointment was that the description says "marvel at the natural wonders including the Solheimajokll Glacier" - "you'll arrive at the mighty glacier complete with ice caves, crevasses and turquoise streams" - we couldn't see the glacier from where we detoured to drop off "glacier walkers" who had booked an alternate tour, let alone marvel at it.
Vanessa C, Oct 2018
It was my first time visiting Iceland and I was so happy with this excursion! There is wifi on the bus which was great because as you take the pictures of the places you visit, you can share them with your friends and family!
I was a little nervous about the pick up because I was scared that we would be forgotten but the bus was actually early and came to pick us up at an apartment/hotel close by because we told the Viator agent to choose and tell us the pick up location but if we wanted we could have had pick up at our apartment/hotel.
Our guide Marcin Martin but with a c instead of a t was super knowledgable about Iceland! he told stories, talked about the history and geology of Iceland so we learned a lot about Iceland and the places we visited! He even played an audiobook for us on one of the Norse tales of Thor and Loki which i particularly enjoyed!
The bus that we were on was a sprinter bus so much smaller than a tour bus which seats about less than 20 people i think, and I get car sick easily i don't do well on small catamarans, small cars and small planes and even though I was sitting in the front I got car sick at times which wasn't Marcin's fault. So i suggest bringing gravel just in case lol.
The Black Sand Beach and the waterfalls was so beautiful and breathtaking omg! We decided to go in October where the weather can be a little unpredictable and we got a beautiful morning at the Black Sand Beach but then it started to rain/snow after lunch when we went to see the waterfalls but it was okay because you get wet at the waterfalls anyway! And because we were always on time and on schedule with meeting at the bus at every location we got to pet some horses in Vik before lunch!!
Sarah_D, Sep 2018
Beautiful sites and the tour ran smoothly. Our guide Yuri was wonderful and shared many interesting stories, and shared many more when we asked questions. We even stopped at the glacier, which I don't think was even mentioned in the tour description. Just keep in mind that the visit to Vik is just a lunch spot with Icewear souvenir shop (not everything there is even necessarily made in Iceland), plus a quick stop at the church for pictures. I was expecting something else from the description "Vik wool factory". You will definitely get drenched (and probably muddy) walking behind Seljalandsfoss (the last waterfall of the trip). I wore water-resistant pants and it wasn't enough for my legs, plus I had to brace myself on some rocks to make it the whole path, which resulted in muddy gloves. Not the end of the world, but it's hard to know what to do with wet clothes on the bus.My biggest complaint was no charging ports on the bus - I know it sounds spoiled, but all the other tour companies I went with had them!
Maria_C, Jul 2018
We enjoyed our day out to South Shore fully. Our lady-guide Bjorg was excellent and very much conscious of the well-being and safety of the group. A VERY GOOD JOB - KEEP IT UP.
Sydni_D, Mar 2018
This trip was fun! The black sand beaches were beautiful! Our bus broke down which was a bummer but our guide got it back up and running within 15 minutes and we didn't miss anything. We didn't have much time at any of the destinations, I personally wouldn't have minded a longer tour so we could spend more time at each sight.
David_K, Feb 2018
We had a great day. All the arrangements went smoothly and on time. It was nice being in a small group too, the only thing was that the driver/guide couldn't talk to us so much as he had to concentrate on the driving. But otherwise he was very good. The places we went, the black sand beach scary but our guide gave good warning , and the waterfalls were spectacular and the bright sunny weather made it a memorable day.
Momof3fromCA, Jan 2018
The great: I had 3 days in Iceland so I had to be very selective in how I spent these few days. This tour was fabulous. We saw the Black Sand Beach, Vik, Skogafoss, a glacier, and Seljalandsfoss. The Black Sand Beach is one of the most incredible things I have seen in my life. Beautiful does not describe it well enough. It is truly awe inspiring. It is one of those places I am grateful I had a chance to see. The two waterfalls were incredible - the beauty is incredible. We could not walk behind Seljalandsfoss because we went in winter and were told it was closed for safety, but just seeing it from the front was amazing. I didn't see much of the little town of Vik. My fault as I had not done any shopping yet and was leaving the next day. I spent that 30 minutes in the shop so I can't really comment on that part of the trip. My favorite part was seeing the glacier. I had a very difficult time walking away from it. I do not have the words to describe how incredible this was to see.
The not as great: I didn't appreciate the bashing of the leader of my country. Whether a fan/supporter or not, it is not an appropriate venue to do this.
Natalia R, Dec 2017
Totally worth it! The places are AMAZING. and the tour guide Zaaho I think was very kind. He told us lots of facts while we were on the tour bus and would let us discover the places for ourselves, which I think its great.
grace_mcm, Nov 2017
Our tour guide was great, it was a long drive but he was full of knowledge, very friendly, welcoming, polite. Loved the black beach and the 2 waterfalls, well worth the time and money
lmcilhone, Jun 2017
Although the weather was horrendous with gale force winds and torrential rain on the day we went it was still a fab day out. The black sands and waterfalls are all stunning. Well worth the cost.
Matthew H, May 2017
My wife and I really enjoyed this tour. Arctic Adventures had great customer service I had some questions beforehand and they were extremely prompt in responding. Pick up was prompt and our tour guide was both entertaining and informative. We had enough time at each location to walk around and enjoy the sights. Reynisfjara was such an amazing and otherworldly place - one of the highlights of our trip to Iceland. I would highly recommend this tour!
Kyleena_H, Mar 2017
This was a fabulous tour with Arctic Adventures! Our tour guide was incredible. He was actually Greek, but lived in Iceland now. He shared some really great information with us. The entire tour was very well planned and executed. We left Reykjavik early, and watched the sunrise on the drive. Our first stop was a gas station, to get coffee and use the restrooms. The next stop was the glacier, to drop off the part of the group going on the glacier walk. Even though we weren't signed up for that, our guide still took us on a quick walk onto the glacier so we could get some photos and appreciate the glacier's beauty.
Next we drove to Reynisfjara beach, which was amazing! The wind pelts you with sand, so be careful! After that we headed to Vik, which is a much calmer beach, and just as gorgeous. We had time to stop into the wool factory, and I bought a blanket for MUCH cheaper than what they were selling them for anywhere else. After the beaches we picked up the rest of the group again from the glacier, and then headed to see the waterfalls. We saw Skogafoss first, and oh my goodness the pictures turned out incredible, but the sight in person is amazing. Such an incredible view. The last stop was Seljalandsfoss, which was a very impressive waterfall! Our guide came prepared with crampons for everyone so we could attempt to hike behind the waterfall. Unfortunately it was too icy to get very far, but it was still incredible! You get very close to the waterfall just going up the stairs, so make sure to wear waterproof clothes on this tour!
Finally, our guide took us back. Overall, it was such a great experience, and definitely worth it! I highly recommend this tour!! :
Christina C, Mar 2017
Great tour. Great experience. The black sand beaches surpassed my expectations as did the waterfalls. The south coast is definitely something to see while in Iceland. Our tour guide George was awesome!!
Joseph_B, Mar 2017
This trip is great value for money, we saw a lot of amazing sights and had a fantastic tour guide who was very informative and helpful, highly reccommended!
Gemma T, Dec 2016
This tour was so worth the early start! It was a wet windy day but all the beautiful Icelandic landscapes that we drove through and places we stopped to wander in made it all worthwhile!
Luke M, Dec 2016
Amazing tour! Met all my expectations from the description, and more. The whole day was extremely well organised; pick up/drop off, time allocated at each site, and optimisation of daylight were all very well thought out and smooth. I couldn't imagine getting more out of a tour. Definitely recommend
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South Coast, Reynisfjara Beach & Waterfalls Small-Group Day Trip from Reykjavik
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