5-Day Guided South Coast Tour with the Golden Circle & Snaefellsnes Peninsula

Day 2 explores Iceland’s South Coast, where waterfalls, black sand beaches, and glaciers shape the landscape. Your day begins with a hearty breakfast at the hotel before boarding the small-group minibus.

You’ll start the day with a visit to Seljalandsfoss, a waterfall that drops about 197 feet (60 meters) over a curved cliff. A path leads behind the cascade, giving you the chance to walk behind the falling water and enjoy a different view of the landscape.

Next is Skogafoss, one of the most powerful waterfalls on Iceland’s South Coast. The Skoga River plunges 197 feet (60 meters) over a former sea cliff that once marked the coastline.

In summer, rainbows often appear in the mist, while in winter the surrounding cliffs can freeze into sheets of ice. You can stand near the base to feel the spray or climb the staircase for wide views of the waterfall and the surrounding landscape.

The South Coast tour then continues to Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach. The sand here is made from volcanic rock that has been ground down by the sea, giving it a deep black color.

Tall basalt columns line the cliffs, formed when lava cooled and cracked into hexagonal shapes. Offshore, Reynisdrangar Sea Stacks rise from the water, and strong Atlantic waves roll onto the shore, so your guide will advise you to keep a safe distance.

You’ll end the day strong with a guided glacier hike in Skaftafell within Vatnajokull National Park. After meeting certified glacier guides, you are fitted with helmets, crampons, harnesses, and an ice axe.

Once ready, you step onto an outlet glacier of Vatnajokull, Europe’s largest glacier. As you walk across the surface, you can see deep crevasses, blue layers pressed tightly together, and ridges formed by the glacier’s slow movement downhill over time.

This landscape has served as a filming location for major productions such as Interstellar, Batman Begins, and scenes from Game of Thrones, showing just how dramatic and otherworldly this place truly is.

In the evening, you’ll arrive at your hotel near Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon. During the months of September to April, your guide will check the northern lights forecast, and they’ll suggest nearby viewing spots if conditions are favorable.

Day 3 continues along the South Coast toward the glacier lagoons and black sand beaches. Following breakfast, your 5-day South Coast tour continues east.

Your guide leads the way toward Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon, one of the most remarkable highlights of this South Coast journey.

At Jokulsarlon, large icebergs break away from Breidamerkurjokull Glacier and drift slowly across the calm lagoon. You can walk along the shore and watch the ice turn and crack as it moves toward the sea.

During the summer months from May to September, an optional boat tour is available at Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon. This add-on lets you sail between the floating icebergs for a closer look at their size, shapes, and layered blue and white tones.

When winter arrives, the experience changes. Your South Coast itinerary shifts to a guided crystal ice cave visit inside Breidamerkurjokull Glacier. With certified glacier guides, you travel by super jeep onto the glacier and receive the necessary safety equipment before entering the naturally formed ice cave.

Inside, light passes through thick ice walls, creating clear blue shades that change depending on the weather and daylight conditions. This specific crystal ice cave tour operates only during the winter months, when conditions allow safe access.

After exploring the glacier, the route returns to the shoreline at Diamond Beach. Here, smaller pieces of ice wash up onto the black sand, creating a sharp contrast between clear ice and dark shore before the chunks melt or drift back into the ocean.

On the drive back along the coast, the route passes Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach. Your small group will have another chance to see strong Atlantic waves roll onto the black sand, with the cliffs of Dyrholaey stretching into the sea in the distance.

In summer, puffins nest along these cliffs, while in winter the rugged coastline stands out beneath wide, open skies.

By evening, you arrive in Reykjavik, where you will check into your hotel and spend the night before continuing the journey.

Day 4 shifts the focus to West Iceland, where geothermal heat, lava fields, and Viking history shape the landscape. After breakfast at your hotel in Reykjavik, you rejoin your guide and continue the journey by minibus toward the Borgarfjordur region.

The drive passes Mount Esja and continues through the tunnel beneath Hvalfjordur, once home to a British naval base during World War II. As you approach Borgarfjordur, known for early Viking settlements, you may see Snaefellsjokull Glacier in the distance on clear days.

The first stop in West Iceland is Deildartunguhver in Reykholtsdalur Valley, Europe’s most powerful hot spring. Steam rises high into the air, and you can safely stand nearby and feel the heat from the boiling water.

The geothermal energy here provides natural hot water to nearby towns such as Borgarnes and Akranes, and it also supplies the warm water used at Krauma Geothermal Baths. It’s a clear example of how Iceland uses volcanic energy in everyday life.

Close by is the village of Reykholt, once home to Snorri Sturluson, the medieval scholar who wrote many of the key texts about Norse mythology and Viking history. You can walk around the church grounds, see Snorri’s statue, and view the small hot spring pool known as Snorralaug.

A short drive brings you to Hraunfossar Waterfall, known as the Lava Falls. Clear water flows gently out from beneath a wide lava field in many small streams. You can walk along the path for different views while your guide explains how the water filters through the lava before reaching the river.

Just upstream is Barnafoss Waterfall, often called the Children’s Falls. Here, bright blue water rushes quickly through a narrow rocky gorge. As you take in the powerful current, your guide will share the tragic local story behind the waterfall’s name.

The day ends in the Borgarfjordur area, where you check into your countryside hotel.

In winter, you may look for the northern lights if the sky is clear. Your guide will check the latest forecast and suggest nearby viewing spots.

The last day of this 5-day South Coast tour explores the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. It’s often called “Iceland in Miniature” for its mix of glaciers, lava fields, cliffs, and coastal villages.

After breakfast, your small group boards the minibus and heads deeper into the changing landscapes of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. As you travel around the peninsula, you may catch a glimpse of Snaefellsjokull, the glacier-capped volcano rising 4,744 feet (1,446 meters) above sea level and the iconic landmark of Snaefellsjokull National Park.

At Ytri Tunga, you walk along a rare golden-sand beach, unusual in a country known for black sand shores. Seals are often seen resting on the rocks offshore, especially in summer. You can pause along the beach to watch them while your guide shares insight about the local wildlife.

The Snaefellsnes Peninsula day tour then leads to Arnarstapi, a small coastal village set beside rugged basalt cliffs. You can follow the marked walking path along the shoreline, watch waves crash against the rocks, and stop at the natural stone arch of Gatklettur, shaped by the ocean over time.

Next is Djupalonssandur, reached by crossing a rugged lava field before stepping onto a black pebble beach. Here, you can spot the remains of a historic shipwreck and see the old lifting stones once used to test the strength of local fishermen.

A visit to Kirkjufell Mountain is a defining moment of any Snaefellsnes day tour. Its steep, narrow peak rises sharply from the landscape, and the nearby Kirkjufellsfoss Waterfalls add the perfect foreground to one of the most iconic and photographed scenes in Iceland.

Next, the underground world awaits at Vidgelmir Lava Cave, one of Iceland’s largest lava tubes at over 5,200 feet (1,600 meters) long. With a helmet and light provided, you walk along marked paths through wide chambers formed by flowing lava thousands of years ago. Inside, you can see mineral colors and rock formations shaped by intense volcanic heat.

By evening, you return to Reykjavik, marking the end of your 5-day journey through Iceland’s most diverse regions.