South Coast — Fire & Ice Tour | Small group

The South Coast – Fire & Ice tour is an action packed day that allows you to experience the best parts of the stunning south coast of Iceland. The south coast has some of Iceland’s quintessential sights, including vivid blue glaciers, numerous powerful waterfalls, volcanic black sand beaches and infamously destructive volcanoes. The South Coast of Iceland really has it all, and you can experience it all in one unforgettable day.

This trip starts with pickups in Reykjavik from 8:30am. We will then head out of town, driving through the beautiful Icelandic landscape to the town of Hvolsvöllur. Here, we make a quick coffee break and a chance to buy some snacks to keep us going for the day. From there, it is not long until we arrive at our first waterfall for the day, the mighty Skógafoss, always the perfect photo subject. We continue on to Reynisfjara to see the amazing rock formations at this spectacular black sand beach. In summer it is often possible to spot puffins here. In winter you get to admire the pounding surf. From here we continue on to the town of Vík. The quaint seaside town newly added Icelandic Lava Show. This is a family friendly indoor show that pours real lava over blocks of ice mere metres from where you are sitting. The lava that turned to rock during the 1918 Katla Eruption is literally re-melted in a furnace to show you up close what it feels like to be this close to lava. This is not a simulation, trust us. You will feel the heat (from a safe distance) as your local guide delights in telling you all about how the locals narrowly escaped from this historic eruption. There will be plenty of learning to be had too with an informative video detailing Iceland’s turbulent volcanic past. You will even get a chance to take some of the newly cooled lava glass home with you.

Afterwards we have lunch in Vík, before we continue on to another highlight of the trip, the ice! We get ready for a valley walk to a perfectly located viewpoint of the front of the stunning Sólheimajökull glacier. This mighty glacier flows down from the enormous Mýrdalsjökull icecap. The ice cap sits directly on top of one of the most powerful and feared volcanoes in the country, Katla. Past volcanic eruptions and the moving glaciers create the stunning landscapes that are unique to this area. The valley walk is considered easy, but there is some areas with uneven slopes that require full mobility of your ankles and knees. The walk takes around 20 minutes in each direction. With your guide you will learn all about the glaciers, their changes and get some incredible photos of the glacier and the lagoon. There is no glacier hike on this tour, just an easy walk to a viewpoint of the front of the glacier, around 400 metres.

We will then head back to Reykjavik, but not before stopping at one more incredible stop. The Seljalandsfoss waterfall, which can be walked behind in summer is quite the sight. In winter, we keep a safe distance from the icicles and slippery surfaces. On the way back you might be lucky enough to get views of the infamous Hekla and Eyjafjallajökull volcanoes, as well as the towering Westman Islands, rising straight out of the North Atlantic Ocean. You will be back in the city in time for dinner.