Reykjavik

South Coast Highlights & Glacier Hiking Small Group Tour From Reykjavik

Reykjavik, Iceland

From $170.23

Select Date and Travelers

Free cancellation
Up to 24 hours in advance.
  • 10 hours (approx.)
  • Pickup from select hotels
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Overview

Experience the splendors of the south shore of Iceland on this full-day trip from Reykjavik. With a guide, borad an air-conditioned mini-bus and explore some of the natural wonders of the country‘s southern landscapes, including volcanoes, waterfalls, glaciers and more. See the magical waterfalls of Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss, and check out the black sand beach and the basalt cliffs of the popular Reynisfjara beach. Pass through the foothills of Eyjafjallajokull and Hekla volcanoes and visit the great Solheimajokull glacier, a tongue of ice that dates back 700 years,  for a short glacier hike and exploration.
  • Visit the magical Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss waterfalls on a small-group tour
  • Stroll along the black sand beach of Reynisfjara beach and see its basalt rock stacks
  • Explore the 700 year old Solheimajokull glacier and admire its formation during a short glacier walk
  • Spot Eyjafjalljokull and Hekla volcanoes (weather depending) as well as the Westman Islands across the ocean

What's Included

  • Small group guarantee
  • Reykjavik pick up with return
  • Guided tour to the highlights of the South Coast of Iceland in a mini-bus
  • Glacier walk on Solheimajokull Glacier
  • A visit to Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach, Seljalandsfoss & Skogafoss Waterfalls
  • Certified glacier guide
  • Specialized glacier gear
  • Free wi-fi on board
  • Food and drinks
  • Gratuities

Meeting And Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Start time

08:00 AM

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.3 – Lækjargata (outside Hard Rock Café) Bus pick up/drop off nr.4 – Miðbakki Bus pick up/drop off nr.5 – Harpa Music Hall 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.13 - Rauðarárstígur Bus pick up/drop off nr.14 – Skúlagata 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. Kex Hostel – Skúlagata 28. 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

What To Expect

After a morning pick up from Reykjavik, relax in a air-conditioned mini-bus on your journey towards Iceland‘s spectacular south coast. En route, admire the barren but beautiful scenary as your guide shed lights on the geological forces that have sculpted Iceland‘s extraordinary volcanic landscapes.

Remeber to bring some food and drinks with you for lunch, if you wish you can also use one of the stops  on the way to buy some snacks at own expense. Your guide will make sure you give you a break to enjoy your lunch around midway through your south shore tour.

Drive through fertile farmlands and typical Icelandic villages and liste to tales of the country‘s  rich Viking history and heritage. Stop at the spectacular Seljalandsfoss waterfall, make sur to snap photos of its rushing waters as they plunge from a former sea cliff. If you wish, you can also take a walk along the path behind the fall to enjoy close up views of the curtain of water.

Catch glimpses of the Eyjafjallajökull and Hekla volcanos (depending on weather), and stop for a short glacier exploration at Solheimajokull glacier. Marvel  at this rugged tongue of ice, a raw finger of ancient frozen water characteried by jagged ridges, sinkholes and other ice formations. Lookfor the Westnan Iskabds rusubg steeply off the coast, and travel to the popular black sand beach of Reynisfjara, where black pebbles sit beneath cliffs of pillar-like basalt stacks. Legend has it that the stacks were formed when two mischievous trolls were turned to stone.

Make a stop to see another of Icelnd‘s picture-postcard waterfalls, Skogafoss. Admire the 196 foot (60 meter) cascade before heading back to Reykjavik where your  tour ends.

Reykjavik City Hall

Start your memorable journey on the south coast with a pickup from one of the selected stops in Reykjavik.

30 minutesAdmission Ticket Included

Seljalandsfoss

Our first stop to start the day is at Seljalandsfoss waterfall, one of Iceland’s greatest attractions. Here you have the opportunity to walk behind the magnificent wall of water and feel the power generated by the fall. We will also visit Gljúfrabúi and take a short hike between the two waterfalls. Both are excellent places for a memorable photo shoot.

40 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
  • Minimum age is 8 years old
  • It is recommended to bring warm outdoor clothing, waterproof jacket and pants, packed lunch, gloves, hat and good hiking shoes
  • Please note that the order of the itinerary can be altered if weather conditions change
  • This is a small group tour ensuring a more personalized experience
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Most travelers can participate
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 19 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

See more

Traveler Tips


Do keep in mind that the track back is very slippery.
Reviews
4.5
255 reviews
Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
0
0
0
0
0
Reviews by Viator travelers.
Showing 1-10 of 255 reviews
We were delighted with...
Philip_M, Feb 2023
We were delighted with the driver waterfall 1 ,black beach but the hike was disappointing.We were asked to verify our medical condition was good and sign a form but one of the group lied..She needed help to put on the gear fell before we even started and had to link arms with the guide the whole way through.We felt the guide should have said before we gt to the glacier that she wasn’t Fit to continue.and must stop.All she did was say it’s up to you.it slowed the whole group down we walked at a snails pace stopping every few minutes and hardly got up the glacier at all.The guide said she would only advice her which she did but medically it was a risk and totally unfair to us.We had paid a lot of money to hike the glacier and gt no joy from the experience. The company must take responsibility when it was so obvious when she fell after two minutes and say sorry you can’t continue. We also felt the second waterfall was unnecessary would have been better to stay longer on the gkacier
Enjoyed it even if the weather got. in the way
Brian_G, Dec 2022
Made a Christmas trip to Iceland... Pickup: Minibus was on time at the location... driver called my name and on we went. The minibus went to other locations for pickups. Tour: Consisted of a waterfall, Vik (for lunch), Black Beach, another waterfall and a glacier hike. The weather that day was pretty rough. Roads closed and opened during the day. On our way south the main road back to Reykjavik closed but luckily re-opened. Unfortunately, the glacier hike was canceled due to the roads being closed (the guide/driver indicated that we would receive at least a partial refund... waiting to see how that goes). The waterfalls were beautiful as you can see in the pictures. Pictures do not do justice to the size of the volcanic rock formations at the black beach. Some of the views out of the bus were beautiful. The driver/guide gave commentary of things we passed on our drive and about the sites as we approached them. Once at the sites, the guide guide would give a departure time and allowed the tour members to explore and take photos. In addition to the unfortunate weather cancelling the glacier hike, two of the members of our group did not listen to the driver/guide with regard to our departure time at the first waterfall, they also ignored his direction not to ascend to the top of the falls to a trailhead. The two put the guide in a pickle as they were 45 minutes late returning. Even had the glacier been accessible that day it would have severely reduced the amount of time that we had on the hike. If you do do a group tour be courteous to those in your group. Other than that the driver/guide was great - driving through the rough weather and was good about adding commentary to the drive. He also talked to tourists near the site. Tips (at least for winter): waterproof hiking boots with warm socks; watch were you walk as the falls spray and can create some deep slush (a guy on our tour stepped in it and it went over the waterproof section of his boot). There was snow and ocean spray at the beach so a good water resistant ski jacket would be a good idea (mine was 20000 mm of water resistance and kept me dry). Finally, they do not call it Iceland for nothing... you have to roll with the weather... the guides live there and are trying to keep you safe. Dropoff: Dropped us at the place where we were picked up
So amazing tour
nubelz, Sep 2022
Great tour tour guide nice and very knowledgeable about beautiful and nice places thanks for the tour company all the team of this adventure.
Good experience
Anitha_J, Jul 2022
The waterfalls were amazing, Beautiful black beach and glacier hiking is the most memorable one. Glacier hiking is the highlight and very helpful team to guide the beginners.
Misleading…
Gary_L, Apr 2022
I’ve used Viator for 15 years and never written a negative review. This tour states 45 minute glacier hike. When we got to the site, we were told it was 2.5-3 hrs. I chose it, specifically, because it said 45 minutes. Others said 2.5. Asked for a partial refund. Was denied. Definitely misleading and poor customer service.
Very entertaining trip, the glacier-part is amazing and a must-do
Ronald_B, Mar 2019
Excellent trip in a small group and a very good mini-bus. Pick-up was nice on time. Our guide was very good, telling a lot of stories about Iceland and the region, many times with a personal touch. The unplanned stop on the horse-farn was a nice bonus. The 2 waterfalls are interesting.,Walking behind teh Seljalandsfoss waterfall is worthwhile. Do keep in mind that the track back is very slippery. Reserving waterproof gear (we didn't do it) is advisable. The galcier-hike in the afternoon was amazing. We were lucky to be in a group of 8 with a nice enthousiastic girl from Slovenia as a guide. We went up quite far on the glacier and had an amazing time. Yoiu need to be relatively fit to do so but if you can don't miss out on this. Note: The booking via Viator was very easy and I paid a lot less than using the travel agency that I booked my Iceland trip. The information you get after booking is very good so you are well prepared for your trip.
Really enjoyed this tour! The...
Marlen_C, Apr 2018
Really enjoyed this tour! The waterfalls and black sand beach were beautiful and the glacier hiking a very fun adventure! It's a good combination of sightseeing and being active.
To this day, still the best day of...
Nakia F, Apr 2018
To this day, still the best day of my life. Who can say they hiked a glacier? Unreal experience with excellent tour guides
Long Drive but definitely worth it...
emma_bone, Jan 2018
Long Drive but definitely worth it! Fast paced tour to get everything in and in the winter is very cold so take layers.
We had a wonderful time. Our guide...
Sue, Dec 2017
We had a wonderful time. Our guide Crazy Sven was tons of fun. He was very knowledgeable and kept us very amused!!!
Absolutely amazing! This tour is a...
Nicole_G, Oct 2017
Absolutely amazing! This tour is a MUST-DO while you're in Iceland if you want to experience adventure and the Icelandic landscape. Our tour guide was Magnus, who we felt was very informative and friendly. The waterfalls, landscapes, and glacier hike make this a great and memorable experience. Don't think twice before you book this tour!!!
We really loved this tour, the...
Cynthia_C, Oct 2017
We really loved this tour, the sights were spectacular. I would recommend making sure you are fit enough for the glacier hike and I also recommend hiking shoes and cold weather gear...it is a glacier after all. Our group had several very overweight and elderly people on the tour and it was a challenge for them and a couple of them left to return to the bus before we reached the glacier. It wasted some of our time on the glacier since we were waiting for them to return. The guide for the hike was really great but she was told by our main tour guide to get us back early so our hike was cut short by that, the older people returning to the van, and a rock slide that we had to wait to clear. I think our guide had evening plans and she was racing to get us back to Reykjavik. That did bother me that our time was cut short for her plans. We will never get that chance again so I didn't like cutting out even 30-40 minutes but we enjoyed the hike regardless. The waterfalls and black beach were also really amazing.
Amazing trip overall! The guides...
Fazal S, Oct 2017
Amazing trip overall! The guides, the company and the experience was phenomenal... if we could rate them more than a five out of five, I would have rated them a seven. I was comparing multiple South Iceland tours from different tour companies and zoomed in on this for the simple reason that this offered the Glacier hike... even though this was about 75 higher compared to others... but I am glad I chose this trip! The whole tour takes about 12hrs and they are spot on with their timings. The trip begins at 8:00am and wrapped up by 7:45pm. The pickup arrived at 8:10am and we went around town picking other passengers and by the time we went on the tour it was around 8:35am. We were 19 of us... our guide Gulli Tisco was amazing overall. He was friendly, professional, friendly, patient and had a great sense of humor. He did a great job of keeping us all engaged, providing fun facts throughout the drive and keeping us entertained and ensuring we were all taken care of... it's been a while since I have experienced such amazing hospitality! Thank you Gulli:- The waterfalls Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss falls were amazing to view and were mystic in its own ways. To me, the best part of the trip was the Glacier hike. We arrived at Solheimajokull Glacier after having lunch at the Reynisfjara black sand beach... and oh my, am I glad that I ate something there as the hike was 3.33miles 5.2km roundtrip and took about 3hrs! At the parking lot we were broken into groups of 12 as we were 36 of us. We were separated from Gulli and assigned to Josh and immediately my hear sank as I wanted to be with him. Well I couldn't have been more wrong as Josh turned out to be an amazing guide. He was funny, knowledgeable, adventorous, very caring and cautious yet allowed us to take safe chances if that makes sense... multiple times he carved out steps using his axe making it easy for us, took care of all the questions and yes we had a climate change activist who kept on pushing climate change topic, yet Josh calmly talked about facts and did a phenomenal job of directing there and not taking any sides! He is the guide I always want to go hiking as I know I am going to be safe and yet have fun, who knows the ins and outs of the trail. We traversed routes the other guides didn't take and got to explore so much more but at no point did I feel unsafe. He was always there for all of us and made sure that we all stayed together. We had some of us who were fast and others slow, yet Josh made it a point to ensure that all of us were together! Simply put he was logical, knowledgeable, entertaining, friendly and loved what he did. If I have to describe customer service and professionalism, I would simply say - Be like Josh!! Thanks Josh:- Gulli came in a close second and in hindsight maybe I would have wanted to hike with him and see how he compared to Josh... but no complaints about that! I thoroughly enjoyed the company of Gulli and his entertainment throughout the day. Based on this, I have already recommended my friends and family to look up Gulli and/or Josh for their South Iceland Tour. Thanks a ton Gulli and Josh for making this an amazing experience:-
great day in the southern part of...
Mark_C, Sep 2017
great day in the southern part of Iceland ! was my last day of my vacation and was a perfect goodbye! tour guide most wonderful man - loved what he was doing and sharing the outdoors with us. of note -- he would not take a tip from me at the end because he said it made him happy just to see me enjoy the day. THAT was awesome !!!!
Great trip, amazing sights, tour...
Joseph M, Sep 2017
Great trip, amazing sights, tour guides friendly and outgoing, bus clean and efficient. Can get a bit long so plan ahead with snacks, but overall great trip.
The glacier hike was so much fun. I...
cally h, Sep 2017
The glacier hike was so much fun. I highly recommend this tour.
Beautiful tour, Solheimajokull...
moorthy, Aug 2017
Beautiful tour, Solheimajokull Glacier hiking, Black Sand Beach, and amazing straight falls are worth to see. Must go tour in Iceland.
This is a great tour , ranging from...
KarenG, Aug 2017
This is a great tour , ranging from beautiful waterfalls surrounded by rock and green, to icy glaciers. The glacier was fascinating and very different from what we expected covered in ash with layers through the ice. The glacier hike was great, even in the rain. Maybe an hour and half hike on the glacier - crampons, ice axe, harness, and helmet. The crampons were REALLY important on the climb down - we really did not use the ice axe, and the harness is just in case there was an emergency. Great tour guide on the ice. The tour guide on the bus also did a really nice job, explaining the sites and taking us to some absolutely beautiful falls and driving us through some beautiful scenery. The stop at the black sand beach was amazing as were the puffins on the cliff face.
Brilliant Tour! Definitely worth the...
Stephen B, Aug 2017
Brilliant Tour! Definitely worth the money and the very long day. Highlight was the walk on the glacier. (Make sure you have boots that go above the ankle for the crampons). The waterfalls were great especially walking around the back! Waterproofs needed! Hint check your pick up hotel is on the list
Our guide Rob was awesome. Endless...
smpepperman, Aug 2017
Our guide Rob was awesome. Endless energy. Adequate stops for restrooms and food. We visited all the waterfalls with time to explore and of course the glacier hike. No question: this is a hike. If you have any physical limitations, this is not for you. It was more than I could have imagined. Literally feeling like you're on the top of the world! Nothing was rushed, we ended up with a smaller group for the hike and that was great. The last stop was the black sands beach there's a nice cafe for a cold one if you're tired as I was. Long drive back to Reykyavik but he made sure we had adequate stops. It was a 13 hour day for us - waiting for the glacier gear does take a little time harness, clamp ons, helmets. Our day on the glacier was quite warm for Iceland and no real extreme clothing was needed. What a day. Get a good night's sleep before hand!
...