2 Day Tour: South Coast, Jokulsarlon, Blue Ice Cave & Northern Lights

On this tour, you’ll be taken to the famous South Coast. Along the shore, you’ll get to see the two waterfalls Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss, and the famous Black Sand Beach. You’ll also visit the stunning Glacier Lagoon Jökulsárlón in Vatnajökull National Park, where you’ll also get the chance to explore Europe’s largest glacier and enter a blue ice cave. And if nature allows, you’ll get a view of the magnificent Northern Lights at night. When the Ice Cave is inaccessible, we will do a glacier hike.

Day 1

We will start our adventure at 8 am in Reykjavík on the morning of the tour. Once everyone boards the minibus, we will start our adventure to the beautiful South Coast. We will stop near some of the most beautiful places on the way, have lunch, and dinner, and will check in for a good night's sleep at a hotel (included in the price).

Seljalandsfoss Waterfall

Upon arrival, you will enjoy the powerful theatrics of Seljalandsfoss. Bring a raincoat and you’ll be able to make the short hike behind the falls. The scene behind the fall and the trembling ground from the power of the falling water make for an automatic photo blockbuster!

Skógafoss Waterfall

Further east along the coast is Skógafoss waterfall. Skógafoss is an incredibly picturesque sight: tucked in a little gorge, the river Skógá tumbles down a 60-meter cliff before continuing down the landscape towards the Atlantic Ocean. Alongside the gorge, a staircase can take you to the shelf above the waterfall for stunning views.

Northern Lights Discovery

Before arriving at our hotel, your guide will let you know the chances of seeing the Northern Lights tonight. If the sky is clear and the forecast is good, we can hope for the magic to begin. It is most likely to see them from September - March.
Please be aware that the Northern Lights are a natural occurrence; therefore, we cannot guarantee their appearance. Nevertheless, we will make every effort to guide you to the most suitable locations where the likelihood of witnessing them is high.

Day 2

Expect a lot of adventures on the second day! We will go on a Glacier Hike and visit an Ice Cave! We will also see the beautiful Glacier Lagoon.

Skaftafell Blue Ice Cave & Glacier Hike

Start preparing for the most exciting activity of this 2-day tour – Ice Cave & Glacier Hike adventure!

This area has been a filming location for many famous TV shows and films, such as Game of Thrones.

Upon arrival, we will meet a professional glacier guide, who will give us all the essential safety equipment (such as ice axes, crampons, harnesses, etc) and will take us on the glacier. After gearing up, we will start hiking on 2000-3000 year old ice. 

This Icelandic glacier hike experience is filled with a variety of ice-world natural phenomenons – an unforgettable experience in a vibrant, moving, and living ice world. We will find deep cracks called crevasses, astonishing moulins that look like tunnels under ice, and stunning icefalls that constantly break a hundred meters above us from the top of the glacier.

Be ready to get the feeling of how the world used to look like millions of years ago!

• Ensure you have proper clothing for this activity and hiking shoes (information can be found at the bottom of this page). 
• Please note that if the weather forecast is unfavourable, or there are no available glacier guides, we might go on another equally beautiful glacier – Sólheimajökull.
• From October to March, you will have the opportunity to explore the newly formed ice cave. Your adventure begins at the Skaftafell terminal, where you will be equipped with glacier gear. Following that, you will embark on an exhilarating hike on the Falljökull glacier, where you will encounter stunning ice formations, moulins, crevasses, and other natural features. After a brief hike, you will discover the naturally formed Blue Ice Cave. During the months the ice cave is not accessible due to natural causes, we will head out on a glacier hike adventure.

Jökulsárlón: the Glacier Lagoon

Jökulsárlón is a 200m deep glacier water lagoon fed by the melting of Breiðamerkurjökull, an outlet glacier of Europe’s largest glacier Vatnajökull. Enormous icebergs also fall from Breiðamerkurjökull all year round so the lagoon is usually filled with ice blocks that floats South.

Diamond Beach

On the other side of the road, the icebergs from Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon float into the Atlantic Ocean where they are quickly thrown back to shore by the tide and winds. This black sand beach is full of smaller ice blocks in all shapes and sizes, sparkling like diamonds in the daylight. The ice itself comes in all shades of white and blue forming beautiful contrasts.

Reynisfjara: the Black Sand Beach

We visit the Black Sand Beach of Reynisfjara where the Atlantic coastline presents massive waves hitting the unique basalt pillars in the cliffs above the sand. The cliffs of Dýrhólaey are seen in the distance. This area of the south is also a paradise for bird lovers, as puffins, razorbills and dozens of other species nest on top of these cliffs in the summertime.

We will then start heading back to Reykjavik and are expected to arrive around 8pm, though this may be subject to change depending on weather and road conditions.

Back to Reykjavík

We will then start heading back to Reykjavik and are expected to arrive around 8pm, though this may be subject to change depending on weather and road conditions.

• Season: October - April
• Duration: 2 days
• Physical difficulty level: Easy to moderate
• Minimum age: The minimum age suggested for this tour is 8 years old since there are some included activities following that restriction. For the glacier hike, the minimum age requirement is 8, in addition, the minimum shoe size to be able to participate in the tour is EU 34. If children under those ages are on the tour, then an adult needs to stay with them while others do these activities. As per legal requirements, children aged six and below must utilise a child seat. Therefore, it is necessary to reserve a seat on the bus specifically for the child seat.
• Pick-up & drop-off in Reykjavík. Pick-up is from designated locations in Reykjavík available on a drop-down menu at the time of booking. Pick-up is not available from Keflavik airport or outside the greater capital area.
• It is possible that your tour itinerary may be altered due to bad weather or road conditions. You will be notified of any changes either by email or by your tour guide. But do not worry, we will try our best to visit all the most beautiful places on our journey.
• Order or availability of attractions may change due to road or weather conditions and we may have to adjust timings to the short daylight of winter days.
• The limit is one suitcase of 24 inches per person, but you can store your extra luggage in our office for 1500 ISK. It can be added as an extra fee at the time of booking, and is non-refundable upon payment in all cases.
• The Northern Lights are a natural random phenomenon and cannot be guaranteed by the operator. The hotels are in prime locations to maximize the chances of seeing them. Keep in mind that the best time to see them is from September to April, depending on the weather conditions.
• Ice caves are a dynamic ever-changing natural phenomenon only accessible during winter time when temperatures drop below zero. Each year new unique caves are formed in different areas of the glacier. We visit a naturally formed ice cave during this tour. The photos on our website and social media are from this winter season, but the ice cave we visit might have changed appearance due to the dynamic nature of these formations.

• Customers travelling alone must pay a Single Supplement Fee during the payment process, as it is not possible for solo travellers to share a room with other solo travellers on this tour.
• Reservations for 2 people: will be allocated a double room (supplement fee does not need to be paid unless you want another private room).
• Reservations for 3 people: 1 triple room will be automatically allocated (supplement fee does not need to be paid unless you want another private room).
• Reservations for 4 or more people: 2x Double Rooms will be allocated (supplement fee does not need to be paid unless you want another private room).