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2 Day South Coast, Ice Cave, Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon Tour

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  • 2 days
  • Level: Easy
  • All Year
  • Pickup: Yes
  • Accommodation: Included
  • Minimum Age: 6 years

Lace up your hiking boots and join us on this two-day trip for close encounters with the wonders of Icelandic nature. Explore the South Coast with its iconic waterfalls and black sand beaches, and be the first to step into a blue ice cave of Europe’s largest icecap. To top it all off, we’ll have ample moments to hunt the magical, ever-elusive Northern Lights!

South Coast Highlights

On this South Coast adventure, we set out to explore the most visited attractions in the land of fire and ice. For starters, we’ll drive through farmlands and a few cozy little towns to Seljalandsfoss, one of Iceland’s most well-known waterfalls. If the weather allows, you can walk behind the graceful cascade that drops 60 m (197 ft) and peek through the crystal wall of water. Next up is Skogafoss Waterfall, which can be marveled both from below and from the top of the falls, after a climb of about 500 steps.

Carrying on with our journey, we’ll head to Reynisfjara, a world-famous black sand beach with dramatic Reynisdrangar basalt sea stacks—formed by Iceland’s fascinating volcanic activity—rising up from the Atlantic Ocean. We’ll stop for lunch at the town of Vik, soaking in the view of its picturesque church perched high on a hill.

Back on our minibus, we’ll drive through moss-covered lava landscapes to Kirkjubæjarklaustur, a village wrapped in legends. Our accommodation for the night will be in the area around Skaftafell. If the forecast is favorable, your guide will show where you can see the Northern Lights in all their glory. We can’t guarantee you’ll definitely see the Aurora, but hopefully, multicolored swirls of light will ripple across the night sky.

Vatnajökull Glacier, Jökulsárlón & Diamond Beach

The following part of the tour is centered on Vatnajökull National Park, the largest in Europe. After breakfast, we’ll head to Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, one of the most surreal sights in the world, let alone Iceland. Floating icebergs dot the enormous lagoon as they slowly make their way towards the open sea. Some blue icebergs run ashore on the famous Diamond Beach, where they glitter like diamond jewels on the black volcanic sand.

The highlight of the trip is stepping into the blueish natural ice cave in Vatnajökull, Europe’s largest ice cap. Led by our expert glacier guide, you’ll be able to safely observe the wondrous ice formations. To satisfy your curiosity, the guide will tell you some intriguing facts about ice cave formation.

Heading back to Reykjavik, we’ll make a stop at Skaftafell National Park, a preservation area with ample hiking trails, fabulous views of ragged-toothed mountains and imposing glaciers. On our way back, we’ll keep a close eye on the Northern Lights and make a short stop if conditions allow for it.

Arrival in Reykjavík is expected around 21:00 (9:00 p.m.). Fluctuating weather in winter can sometimes influence the schedule a little, but don’t worry, our expert travel planners always have a back-up plan – it’s all part of the exciting Iceland experience.

Highlights
  • Small Group Experience
  • Natural Ice Cave (during the winter)
  • Seljalandsfoss Waterfall
  • Skogafoss Waterfall
  • Vatnajökull – Europe’s biggest glacier
  • Skaftafell Nature Reserve
  • Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
  • Diamond Beach
  • Vík – coastal village
  • Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach
  • Northern Lights (conditions permitting)
  • Volcano Views (weather permitting)
  • Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon Boat Tour – optional (May-Oct)

Price Includes

  • Pick-up & drop off from Reykjavík
  • Hotel Accommodation with a Private or a Shared Bathroom
  • Breakfast at the Hotel
  • Guided Group Tour in a Minibus
  • Visit to all main highlights of the South Coast
  • Guided Ice Cave Tour (during the winter)
  • English Speaking Tour Guide
  • All Necessary Safety Equipment
  • Free WiFi on Board Your Bus

Price Excludes

  • Lunch & Dinner

What to Bring

  • Warm outdoor layers (wool, fleece or synthetic are best, not cotton)
  • Waterproof jacket and pants
  • Headwear and Gloves
  • Good hiking shoes are highly recommended
Itinerary

DAY 1: THE GRAND SOUTH COAST & NORTHERN LIGHTS

Pick up is at 09:00 am from your hotel or the Reykjavík meeting point you have chosen. Please note: picking everyone up can take up to 30 minutes but you do have to be ready and waiting at 09:00 am.

This jewel of Iceland tour packages will take you south before continuing to the east as we whisk you away for two days of amazing adventure sightseeing. We drive towards the slowly rising sun on the way to our first stop, the very unusual Seljalandsfoss waterfall, you can actually walk behind the gracefully falling cascade. It is well worth getting a little damp for such an exciting experience!

Our next highlight is another waterfall, Skógafoss, located at the foot of a very famous volcano, Eyjafjallajökull. On a clear day, you will also get a great view of another volcano mountain glacier, Mýrdalsjokull. As we continue on, we come to Reynisfjara, a black beach where some fantastic sights, such as the picturesque basalt column formations and the famous Reynisdrangar peaks, will greet us. We will drive through the charming small town of Vík on our way to our accommodation. Throughout the entire day, you can expect to see breathtaking landscapes consisting of vast lava fields, waterfalls, black sands and glacier tongues. We will enjoy a relaxing evening, if the conditions are right we will hunt for those northern lights! The countryside close to Vatnajökull glacier, away from the city lights, is perfect for spotting this natural phenomenon. Your hotel will be in Hof.

DAY 2: LAND OF ICE

Today you will really get to know the glacier, venturing into the sparkling, blue/white world of an ice cave with a qualified guide, and visiting the extraordinary glacier lagoon, Jökulsárlón. Getting up close and personal with a vast glacial tongue of the great Vatnajökull glacier does not get any better than this!

The renowned Jökulsárlón Ice Lagoon, made famous by several blockbuster movies including Batman Begins and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, to name just a couple, is a totally mind-blowing place. Splendid icebergs of amazing shapes, some incredibly large, have calved off the receding Breiðamerkurjökull glacier. They jostle one another in the huge lagoon before gliding on their surreal and stately journeys to the Atlantic ocean. Many of these natural ice sculptures are washed onto the nearby Diamond Beach, you will see them glittering like diamonds, as they rest on the dramatic coal blackness of the beach.

Next, you go into the glacier with a qualified guide! Ice caves are fascinating. New caves are formed each winter by the melt/freeze cycle of the glacier, they are always changing, both from year to year and within each winter. The journey into an ice cave will give photographers the most amazing opportunity to capture the shimmering blue light which passes through the glacial ice. Surprisingly deep shades of jewel blue will surround you, these tones are caused by ice compression, the way we perceive light and color, and the blueness can sometimes be intensified by algae.

After visiting the ice cave we head towards Reykjavík. We stop at Skaftafell Nature Reserve in Vatnajokull National Park, a green area in the midst of amazingly jagged mountains and glacier-topped peaks, the splendid scenery of Skaftafell is certain to be a highlight of your tour. We will keep an eye out for the Northern Lights on our way back to the city and will make a short stop if conditions allow for it.

We return to Reykjavík around 21:00 pm.