Popular day trips
South Coast & black sand beaches
Waterfalls you can walk behind, a glacier tongue, and Reynisfjara.
A long day, but the one people tend to remember. Heading east from Hafnarfjörður you reach:
Seljalandsfoss, where a path leads behind the curtain of water. You will get wet. Waterproofs, not an umbrella.
Skógafoss, a 60-metre wall of water with a staircase up the side for the view from the top.
Sólheimajökull, a glacier tongue you can walk up to, and hike on with a guide and crampons.
Reynisfjara, the black basalt beach near Vík with its hexagonal columns and sea stacks.
A serious safety note about Reynisfjara: sneaker waves there have killed visitors. They arrive without warning and pull people out. Stay well back from the waterline, never turn your back on the sea, and take the warning signs literally.
The round trip is about 400 km. Guided tours run 10–14 hours; if you self-drive in winter, check road.is before you leave and be honest with yourself about the conditions.
