2-Day Iceland South Coast Itinerary Based in Vík: A Self-Drive Guide

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If you’re short on time for an Iceland trip but want to see some of the South Coast, two days is perfect to get the major highlights in. Of course, I could have easily spent another day or two in this area – and I’ve said that about every place we’ve visited in Iceland. There’s just never enough time to see it all!

Why Two Days?

We didn’t do the full Ring Road on our first trip to Iceland as we only had a week and I didn’t want to rush around staying in a new place every night. So, I based us in Vík for two nights to get us closer to the action.

This strategy allowed us to get a handful of the South Coast’s highlights in without making the long trek back to Reykjavík after only a day trip. This was especially key since I wanted to go as far as Jökulsárlón, which is just under a five-hour drive from Reykjavík.

Also, our first trip was in autumn (towards the end of October to be exact), which only gave us around 10 hours of good daylight to explore. We really needed that second day!

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If you’re looking to spend time on Iceland’s South Coast without doing the full Ring Road, this two-day itinerary should give you a great idea of what you can fit in – plus some extra suggestions for alternative stops and/or add-ons if you happen to be visiting in summer with more daylight.

Day Tour Options

Where We Stayed in Vík

Vík is a small village on the South Coast and is a good spot to use as a base for a two-day trip. I booked Hotel Kría since it fit within our budget and I was drawn to their mountain view room options (totally worth the extra cost!).

Since the town is so small, pretty much anywhere you stay will be convenient. You can easily walk to restaurants and activities nearby like we did – including Black Crust Pizza, The Soup Company, and the Lava Show.

Our room at Hotel Kría was pretty average – nothing to write home about in terms of bed and bathroom quality, but it was fine for two nights. Our room also did run very warm like most hotels in Iceland. We just popped our patio door open for a bit to let some cool air in.

Hotel Kría is also conveniently located right across the street from an Orkan gas station and a Kronan nearby to stock up on road trip snacks. There’s also a Vínbúðin in Vík for all your boozy needs. We stopped in here and grabbed a pack of Einstöck!

Hotel Kría Inclusions

Daily continental-style breakfast was included in our rate. Hotel Kría also has a full restaurant for dinner and a bar which was great for happy hour. We took advantage of that nightly!

Another little perk that Hotel Kría offers is a Northern Lights wakeup call. Sadly, we weren’t lucky to see any Northern Lights during the South Coast portion of our trip but it was nice of them to offer.

We did see the Northern Lights on our group tour out of Reykjavík, though!

Itinerary Summary

Below is a rough two-day schedule we followed to make sure we could fit in the major highlights on my list. I did have a few other things I wanted to try and see but our schedule just did not allow for it. Next time right? Most major scenic stops in Iceland require a good chunk of time – and they really deserve it!

Note this schedule takes into account approximate drive times in between each spot.

Day 1 – Reykjavík to Vík

• 10:00 a.m.: Cinnamon Rolls at Braud & Co in Reykjavík
• 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.: Check out of hotel and drive to Selfoss
• 12:00 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.: Skyrland & Food Hall in Selfoss
• 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.: Seljalandsfoss (optional: Gljúfrabúi)
• 4:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Skogafoss
• 5:30 p.m.: Hotel check-in & happy hour
• 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.: Lava Show
• 8:00 p.m.: Dinner at The Soup Company

Day 2 – Vík to Jokulsaron (Round Trip)

• 8:30 a.m.: Hotel Breakfast
• 9:30 a.m.: Stop at Kronan for road trip snacks
• 10:20 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.: Eldhraun Lava Field
• 10:45 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. – Fjardraglufur Canyon
• 12:20 p.m. – 12:20 p.m.: Fossalar Waterfall (quick stop)
• 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.: Lunch & Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
• 3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.: Diamond Beach
• 3:30 p.m.: Head back to Vík
• 5:40 p.m. – 5:55 p.m.: Sunset at Víkjufara Beach & Vík í Myrdal Church
• 7:30 p.m.: Dinner at Black Crust Pizza

Day 1 – Selfoss & Waterfall Highlights

Day one of our adventure to the South Coast consisted of driving from Reykjavík to Vík, with stops for lunch in Selfoss, a quick tour of the Skyrland exhibit, and visits to two of the South Coast’s most amazing waterfalls – Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss!

Once in Vík, we got checked into our hotel, hit up the bar for happy hour, and then walked into town for an evening Lava Show.

Dinner was an easy choice – we filled up on soup at The Soup Company, conveniently located in the same space as the Lava Show.

Cinnamon Rolls at Brauð & Co. in Reykjavík

But first – we break the fast! We ended up leaving a little later in the morning than I’d recommend for this two-day adventure as we had a Northern Lights tour the night before and went to bed pretty late (totally worth the late night).

I had to make sure we paid Brauð & Co. a visit before leaving Reykjavík because I heard their cinnamon rolls were epic. Confirmed – their pastries here are top notch. Do not miss coming here!

We got their original cinnamon roll, a vanilla roll, and the vinarbrauð – all amazing. I wish we would have stopped in every day we were in Reykjavík because they are that good. I will be making a beeline to Brauð & Co. immediately after landing next time we are here.

Skyrland & Lunch in Selfoss

After satisfying our cinnamon roll craving and checking out of our hotel, we headed out of Reykjavík around 11:00 a.m. and made our way to Selfoss.

We stopped at the Orkan just before town to experience our first Icelandic gas station! After figuring everything out in terms of how to pay and making sure we put the correct gas in (thankfully it was very well labeled by Zero Car/Blue Car), we felt confident in our abilities for future gas stops, lol.

Learning About Skyr

Our stop in Selfoss was for two things – Skyrland and lunch.

Skyrland is an exhibit dedicated to all things skyr – Iceland’s famous high-protein yogurt-like dish. This exhibit showcases everything from artifacts and historical facts to information on how it’s made. As a foodie, I’m always interested in activities that give me a better knowledge of the local cuisine!

The cost for the exhibit is 1,990 ISK (which comes out to around $15.00 USD) and I think 30 – 45 minutes is a good amount of time to spend here to see and read through everything.

At the end of the exhibit you also get a tasting of skyr. When we visited, we just got some packets of Isey skyr to try. I was hoping for a more interactive tasting experience at their little bar, so hopefully they will improve upon that process in the future.

In terms of the exhibit, I thought it was nicely put together – great design and good information if you want to learn more about skyr in general.

Lunch at The Old Dairy Food Hall

After wandering through Skyrland, we were ready for some lunch at the food hall located in the upstairs portion of the same building as Skyrland.

My big mission at the food hall was to try the Icelandic dish plokksfiskur from Samuelsson Mat Bar!

Plokkfiskur is an absolutely delicious dish made up of white fish, potatoes, onion, butter, flour, and milk. This dish can be sometimes referred to as a stew, pie, or casserole – it’s very thick like a fish “mash.” This turned out to be one of my favorite traditional dishes to have in Iceland!

Each version of plokkfiskur I’ve had so farm also comes topped with melted cheese, which is a more modern addition to the dish. Plokkfiskur is also served with a side of Icelandic rye bread (rúgbrauð), which is slightly sweet, very dense, and tastes amazing with Icelandic butter.

For some variety, we also picked up a couple of tacos from TAKKÓ and our friends grabbed burgers from Röstí Burger & Beer. All the food we had at the food hall was really good – a great stop on our way out to the South Coast!

Seljalandsfoss & Gljúfrabúi

Next on our South Coast itinerary was one of Iceland’s iconic waterfalls – Seljalandsfoss. This is a special waterfall and one of my favorite waterfalls in Iceland, particularly because you can walk behind it!

Not gonna lie, it was a bit of an adventure to get behind the waterfall. We visited in late autumn and the mist created icy patches on the path and steps leading behind the waterfall. We started on the path and almost turned back with how sketchy and slippery it felt. I decided we were gonna push through and take baby steps. My gloves also helped to grip the icy handrails at the steps.

If you’re visiting Seljalandsfoss and want to walk behind it in autumn or winter, I would highly suggest microspikes or some stellar winter boots rated for ice. I don’t know how more people didn’t slip and fall!

I made it out unscathed (at least at this spot) and am super glad we stuck to our decision to go behind the waterfall. It was both epic and memorable!

Head-to-toe waterproof gear is also recommended for this adventure as you will get wet when walking up to or behind the waterfall (check out my packing guide for everything we wore).

This is a main stop for group tours so expect to see some crowds if visiting during peak hours. For me, the crowds were felt most when trekking the path to get behind Seljalandsfoss and when lining up to see Gljúfrabúi. Otherwise, it wasn’t too bad.

How About Gljúfrabúi?

Gljúfrabúi is another unique waterfall that cascades into a little hidden canyon and is about a 10-minute walk from Seljalandsfoss. If you’re lucky to get in, you could quite possibly get one of the most epic photos here!

This is a relatively small space where people take turns going in (and you do need to wade through some shallow water so waterproof shoes are necessary). Sadly, there was quite a line once we arrived and a large tour group was taking their sweet time.

We tried to wait it out but we were running a little behind schedule at that point, so we decided to skip going inside. It looks so cool though! We will definitely be back for our chance to see it in the future.

And here it was, simply standing in line, that had my first slip and fall…yay me!

Skogafoss

Skogafoss was always on my mind when it came to planning our Iceland trip. Why? Thank Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams for skipping in front of it for the Eurovision movie. It was also the backdrop for a little romantic scene between Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones.

In real life, Skogafoss is a massive waterfall that you can walk right up to! Yes, you will need waterproof layers from head to toe if you plan on doing this (which I highly recommend you do), and there will be a point where you might need to wade through water to get up to the waterfall so keep your shoes in mind.

Skogafoss is cool and all but my favorite part of this stop actually ended up being the Icelandic sheep we spotted grazing in a field nearby. My Iceland bucket list, of course, included being able to see one of these fluffy sheep up close and this couldn’t have been any more perfect.

Hotel Check-in

At this point, it was getting a little late in the day and it was time to make it to our hotel for the next two days – Hotel Kría. If you’re traveling in the summer and have more daylight (or if you left Reykjavík earlier than we did), consider adding Kvernifoss to your itinerary after Skogafoss before heading to Vík.

I detailed why we decided to stay at Hotel Kría at the start of this post, but essentially, it has a good location with ample parking, was the right price for our budget (with mountain view rooms), provides complimentary breakfast, and has an onsite bar/restaurant.

After check-in, we hit the hotel bar for happy hour! Alcohol in Iceland is expensive, so if you’re a drinker, happy hour is your best bet for a little cost savings in that department.

Lava Show

Since Iceland is such a volcanic island, it’s only natural to learn a little bit about the volcanic history and landscape of the country. For this, we booked the popular Lava Show in Vík, which is the show’s original spot (there is a second location in Reykjavík).

Vík is home to some beautiful and famous black sand beaches and sits near the base of the Katla volcano, whose eruptions have shaped the area’s landscape over centuries. The show in Vík focuses on South Coast volcanic activity, namely around the sub-glacial volcano Katla, while the Reykjavík show focuses more on the Reykjanes Peninsula.

I was a little skeptical, but I actually found the Lava Show to be interesting and educational. Each show is hosted by a well-trained guide (ours was Luis, a geologist from Spain) who did an excellent job educating us on volcanic history and activity in Iceland.

Best Part of the Lava Show

The best part, and I think everyone would agree with me, is the very sensory-driven live demonstration. They actually melt down lava rock and funnel molten lava down a custom shoot, simulating a lava flow. You get to hear, see, and feel the effects of a lava flow (the heat is so intense, safety glasses are required!).

They also demonstrate how lava behaves as it starts to cool, how it interacts with ice, and get to experience the feel element by touching a previously-cooled piece lava.

All in all, this is a unique opportunity to learn about volcanoes and get up close to lava in a safe and controlled environment.

Why Walk From Our Hotel?

We decided to walk to the Lava Show from our hotel 1) so we could partake in happy hour and not have to worry about anyone driving, and 2) to avoid having to find parking. It was a brisk walk in the cold wind but our happy hour drinks gave us a warm start!

Dinner at The Soup Company

Dinner was an easy choice – we rocked up to The Soup Company, which is in the same space as the Lava Show. Hot soup just hits the spot in a chilly destination (even though we had just come out of a hot room with lava in it!).

The restaurant, of course, is dedicated to serving soups but you can also get salads, paninis, and even a nacho bowl if you want something other than soup.

We got the Red Hot Lava, my personal favorite, which was like a delicious and spicy beef chili. Their bread bowls here are made with activated charcoal to give their sourdough bread a black color. Add in that Red Hot Lava soup and it pretty much looks like a volcano! The perfect nod to the landscape of Vík.

Their Icelandic lamb soup came in close second for me and I also tried the green chicken.

As a nice little bonus, you get one free refill for each bowl of soup ordered and it doesn’t have to be the exact one you already had. This gives you the chance to try a variety!

And with our bellies full, we walked back to our hotel to get a good night’s rest before another day full of epic adventures.

Day 2 – Vík to Jokulsarlon

I’m just gonna say it – this was my favorite day of our entire week in Iceland!

We made our way east from Vík to Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon as our end destination. Along the way, we stopped at a massive moss-covered lava field, the incredible Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon, and Fossalar waterfall. The landscape changes so much along this drive from massive cliffs to sprawling glaciers. It’s absolutely beautiful.

Once we explored the lagoon, we posed with ice chunks dotting Diamond Beach and then made the drive back to Vík just in time to catch the sunset.

For dinner, we settled on Black Crust Pizza Co. for beers and pizzas with their infamous black crust.

Hotel Breakfast & Snackies

Since our hotel in Vík provided complimentary breakfast to guests, we hit up the breakfast bar to fill up before heading out for the day’s adventures. The dining room here has massive floor to ceiling windows so you can enjoy an epic mountain view while you eat.

We also made a quick stop at Kronan to stock up on some Icelandic road trip snacks! I always make it a point to try as much of the local food as possible, which includes snacks and fun drinks. Iceland has a lot of good stuff!

And if you aren’t a big licorice lover (IYKYK), there’s plenty of chocolates that are licorice-free to choose from.

Eldhraun Lava Field (Quick Stop)

As we were driving, a vast mossy-covered lava field appeared and we just had to make an unplanned stop to fully take in the views.

Eldhraun Lava Field is actually quite notable – it’s the largest lava flow in the world! This lava field is the result of an extreme and catastrophic eruption in the 1700s.

These days, the lava field makes for a beautiful and other-worldly landscape as the lava field is carpeted with moss as far as the eye can see! In the summer, the moss is a more vibrant green color having more moisture from glacier melt. When we visited in autumn, it was a beautiful and muted blue/gray color.

The moss at Eldhraun is mostly woolly fringe moss and can be up to 40 cm to 60 cm at its thickest! Also, it is important to note that moss is extremely fragile and very protected by Icelanders. Be a good tourist and stay on designated paths – do not step on or sit on the moss as it can take decades to recover.

Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon

Now we’re getting to my favorites! From Eldhraun Lava Field, we made the short drive to get to Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon (my second favorite spot we visited in Iceland on our first trip). The name is quite a mouthful but I loved seeing this canyon at multiple angles.

This canyon is a really cool location if you are into photography. As you walk up the path, you’re definitely going to want to stop and see how the shape of the canyon evolves as you go up.

Moss is present here and sadly, they have had to rope off some areas because people can’t be respectful and tend to trample it. Again, don’t be a bad tourist – please stay on the marked paths.

The bathroom facilities here were free and were nicely maintained. I would definitely recommend using these before heading out for the rest of the drive.

We were here for a little less than an hour, which was enough time to “hike” up the path to the main viewing points. However, you could easily take it slow and spend up to two hours here.

And if you aren’t into “hiking,” there is a small upper lot with free parking that will get you closer to the viewing platforms. Just look for “Fjaðrárgljúfur Parking TOP” on Google Maps.

Fossalar Waterfall (quick stop)

Fossalar is a quick stop right off the main road. Rather than a towering waterfall, this one is flat and cascades over several tiers. It’s very beautiful for being a little roadside waterfall!

If you enjoy photography, this is a great waterfall to take some long exposure shots. I took photos with both my camera and phone, using my phone for the long exposure shots. While I love using my camera, I’ve never taught myself how to do long exposure with it (maybe it’s time to learn?!).

We spent a little extra time here while I tried to perfect my shots.

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon

When Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon first came into view, I could hardly believe my eyes – like how is this place real? We all agreed that this was the highlight of our trip – 100% worth the drive.

I had actually booked a zodiac tour on the lagoon, but the previous day’s high wind warnings caused our tour to be cancelled. The wind ended up not being that bad and they were still sending out the larger amphibian boats.

Seeing the lagoon from the shore was good enough for me. I’m so glad we still decided to drive out and see it!

What Is Jökulsárlón?

Jökulsárlón is a glacial lake that sits at the base of the Vatnajökull ice cap. Chunks of the smaller Breiðamerkurjökull Glacier calve and float around in the lagoon, causing this natural wonder.

I love how the layers of this landscape look in photos from the lake, the floating icebergs, and the glacier-capped mountains. Stunning.

Eventually, the icebergs make their way out to sea via a small channel and wash up on the beach of Breiðamerkursandur/Fellsfjara, creating what everyone refers to as the “Diamond Beach” phenomenon.

I feel so privileged to have had the chance to see this place with my own eyes.

Lunch at the Lagoon

If the food trucks aren’t available during your visit, there is also a year-round cafe so you can pretty much guarantee having a meal here at any time.

We settled on langoustine rolls and Icelandic hot dogs from the Heimahumar truck. The “lobster” roll was okay – I felt it could have had a little bit more flavor. The hot dogs on the other hand really hit the spot (so much so that we got seconds!). Pair your meal with a crisp Appelsin (what we had) or a beer.

Diamond Beach

Once we had our fill of admiring the lagoon, we walked down to the south shore of Diamond Beach to see the iceberg diamonds in all their glory. On the day we visited, the south shore actually didn’t have many ice chunks, so we got in our car and drove to the north parking lot where the beach had much more.

There are two sides of Diamond Beach at the channel outlet, and the concentrations of “diamonds” will differ on each side based on the time of year and/or the weather.

I thought it was cool to be able to pick up the chunks of ice and have my moment with pieces from a glacier!

Sunset at Víkjufara Beach

Once our Jökulsárlón and Diamond Beach adventures were over, it was time to head back to Vík. I still wanted to see some of Vík’s black sand beaches, which we made it to just in time to watch the sun set behind the Reynisdrangar rock formation.

We made a quick at Víkurfjara Black Sand Beach for some photos and watched a tour on horseback enjoy their sunset trotting along the beach.

Vík í Myrdal Church

My last Vík sightseeing bucket list item for the day was to get a shot of the red-roofed Vík i Myrdal Church. This would also be a great spot to watch the sunset over Vík as it’s up on the hill a bit overlooking the town.

Everything in Iceland is just so photogenic! In the summer, this church is surrounded by purple lupines.

After our quick visit to the church, we headed back to our hotel to hit up the bar for happy hour before our dinner plans.

Dinner at Black Crust Pizzeria

To end our time on the South Coast, we made it to another popular restaurant in Vík – Black Crust Pizzeria. Much like The Soup Company, Black crust utilizes activated charcoal to give some of their pizzas a black crust as a nod to the area’s landscape.

We tried three pizzas here (split amongst four people) – the No. 3 (pepperoni & sausage) and the No. 4 (spicy tuna), both on black crust, and the No. 8 on regular sourdough (another pepperoni sausage).

My favorite was the pepperoni sausage on the black crust, but I thought the spicy tuna pizza was pretty interesting too.

To wash our pizzas down, we had some pints of Icelandic Borg beers and picked up a pack of locally-made Arctic Macarons for dessert. The macarons are pricey but delicious and are inspired by Iceland!

Dinner here was the best way to end our two days on Iceland’s South Coast. Seeing this region was nothing short of magical! If you have time in your Iceland itinerary, you absolutely have to make the South Coast a priority.

Itinerary Modifications

There are so many other things to add on to a South Coast itinerary! I could easily spend another two days here checking all of these off my bucket list:

Where to Next?

After our South Coast adventures, we headed out to the Golden Circle (one of the most popular day trip routes in Iceland) to hit some of the highlights there before making our way back to Reykjavík.

Want More Iceland Inspo? Check These Out:

• One-Week Iceland Itinerary Based in Reykjavík & Vík
• Iceland Travel Tips & Self-Drive Road Trip Advice
• Iceland Packing Guide: What to Pack for Iceland in the Fall
• Where to Eat in Iceland: A Guide to My Favorite Restaurants
• What to Eat in Iceland: The Ultimate Foodie Bucket List
• Reykjavík Food Tour Review: The Best Thing to do In Reykjavík
• Snæfellsnes Peninsula Day Trip Itinerary from Reykjavík
• Golden Circle Day Trip Itinerary