Private Minivan South Coast and Glacier Hike Tour, a full day of adventure

A perfect day discovering the south coast of Iceland, with a mix of sightseeing and adventure.

The South Coast of Iceland is mostly known for its glaciers and powerful waterfalls. If both are testimonies of the forces of nature, it does not take long for the visitor to realize why Iceland is called the “land of fire and Ice”.

All the glaciers on the South Coast of Iceland: Eyjafjallajökull, Myrdalsjökull, and Vatnajökull are home to some of the mightiest volcanoes in the country. And it shows! Volcanic ashes and black sands are always present and visible, even on the glacier of Sólheimajökull.

This is the glacier on which our guide will take you for a glacier hike. It is a wonderful experience that must be enjoyed while our glaciers are still present. Once all geared up with crampons, harnesses, helmets, and ice axes, our professional guide will tell you everything you need to know to… Conquer the glacier!

Description of the tour

Here is an outline of the program, depending on timing, we might be able to add extra visits:

Your guide will pick you up at your hotel at 8:00 am, or as agreed
We will drive about one and a half hours for a coffee stop and refreshments
A full day of sightseeing and enjoying all the beauty of the Icelandic landscapes
We aim to do the glacier hike at the end of the day, but the timing may differ depending on weather conditions
Drive back to Reykjavik and drop off at your hotel

Highlights of the day:

Waterfall: Seljalandsfoss

A 60m high, beautiful waterfall. With a cave conveniently located at the back of the waterfall, you can walk behind it and all the way around.

The Mighty Waterfall: Skógafoss

Just as Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss is 60m tall but much more powerful. But unlike Seljalandsfoss, one should not walk behind Skógafoss. Although, the legend says that a giant hid a treasure behind the waterfall!

This waterfall has been featured in both TV series; Vikings and Game of Thrones.

The Black Sand Beach: Reynisfjara

The most famous Black Sand Beach in Iceland. It is the home of a small puffin colony during summertime and displays incredible geological features, among which are sea stacks and basaltic columns.

Reynisfjara Beach is also a Game of Thrones location. Remember the Dragon Glass Cave?

Glacier hike

The very best part of the day: Hiking on a glacier. We will go on the glacier of Sólheimajökull, an outlet glacier of Myrdalsjökull.

Professional glacier-certified guide and driver
Comfortable vehicle
Glacier equipment for the hike

It is important to be aware that weather conditions in Iceland can change very quickly and can get very windy and rainy in some occurrences. This statement is mostly true in winter, but it is also the case even during beautiful summer days.

Therefore, we recommend that you take with you proper footwear and weatherproof clothes.

FOR THE GLACIER HIKE SPECIFICALLY:

We ask all of our clients to be wearing their own hiking boots for the Glacier Hike. Your guide is allowed to cancel the hike if he deems your footwear to be unsafe. Your safety is the most important thing to us!

For this reason, we also kindly request you to let us know about any medical condition that you have, such as but not limited to; Recent knee surgery, heart issues, allergies, asthma, etc.

No glacier nor hiking knowledge is required for the tour, as our tour is designed to be suitable for as many people as possible. However, one should know that the excursion consists of:

10-15 minutes walk on flat easy terrain.
10-15 minutes walk on uneven and rocky terrain.
45-60 minutes walk on ice, with crampons, on flat and slightly steep terrain
10-15 minutes walk on uneven and rocky terrain.
10-15 minutes walk on flat easy terrain.

The level of fitness required is moderate. Your guide will adapt according to all of the group participants' fitness levels.

A 100% charge applies if canceled within 1 days of the start time.
Free cancellation up to 1000 days before the start time.

Seljalandsfoss
Our tour includes visiting the beautiful and impressive waterfall of Seljalandsfoss.

The waterfall is approximately 60m in height (200 feet), and the water comes from the closest glacier: Eyjafjallajökull. This waterfall, just like the other one that we will be visiting on our tour, is among the 5 most famous and most beautiful waterfalls in Iceland. A must-see visit while on the South Coast of Iceland.

This waterfall also has a very special feature, making it unique. There is a huge cave just behind the waterfall, allowing you to walk behind and around the waterfall. A truly wonderful experience!

Please note that sometimes in winter, the path behind the waterfall can be closed for safety reasons.
Skógafoss
Another stunning waterfall that we will be visiting is called Skógafoss.

Just as high as the other one we will see during the tour: Seljalandsfoss, but much more powerful.

Legend says that there is a treasure hidden behind the waterfall and that once, someone managed to touch it. But, in doing so, he just pushed the treasure further away and nobody ever reached it since. It could be a legend, or it could be true, but in any case, we would not recommend you to try and go behind this waterfall to find out!
The Black Sand Beach of Reynisfjara
The Black Sand Beach of Reynisfjara is also one of the sights that we will visit during our South Coast tour.

Most of the beaches in Iceland are made out of black sand, due to the volcanic activity on the island. But this one is usually referred to as THE black sand beach.

And this is probably because it is quite possibly the most beautiful one of them all. Definitely one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Basaltic columns, caves, impressive waves, curious rock formations, abrupt cliffs, and in summer months an abundant birdlife, including puffins, are what is making this beach so special.

Also, if you are a fan of Game of Thrones, this is the beach where the Dragon Glass Cave was filmed.
Glacier Hike on Sólheimajökull
It is time for a real adventure!

Just seeing the Sólheimajökull glacier from up-close is already an unforgettable experience. Now, you are going to get a chance to walk on it.

Our professional guide will show you how to wear the equipment and gears necessary to accomplish that.

You will be wearing Crampons, Harness, Ice Axe and Helmet that we will provide for you.

Once you are all geared up, your guide will take you all the way to the edge of the glacier and after briefing you on how to use all those gears, you will feel your crampons take a grip in the ice right under your feet.

The views from the glacier are the most spectacular that you will get today! Glacier hike on Sólheimajökull is definitely our favorite part of the tour.

You need to be wearing your own hiking boots for the glacier hike

One would think that coming to Iceland in the winter or in the summer requires bringing completely different outfits.

This is both true and untrue. Let's say that it is very unlikely to be warm in winter and unlikely to be very cold in summer.

This said: Always, always be ready for rain and wind. The weather is unpredictable in Iceland and is famous for turning from an one extreme to another in an instant.

What does it mean?

It means that no matter how many layers you are wearing in regards to the temperature, you should always have a windproof/rainproof jacket and pair of pants, either on you or at least with you in your backpack.

You need to have proper, sturdy hiking boots for the glacier hike!

First stop, first waterfall, Seljalandsfoss

The mighty waterfall of Skógafoss

The most famous beach in Iceland

Get on a glacier during this initiation to glacier hiking