Combination 3-Day Sightseeing Tour of the Golden Circle & South Coast with Whale Watching

On the second day of your combination tour, you will travel the Ring Road to discover the well-loved South Coast, where countless waterfalls fall from the interior before their rivers find their way to striking black sand beaches.

Your first stop will be Seljalandsfoss waterfall, a waterfall with a difference as there is a large cavern behind it, offering the unique perspective to admire it from varied angles.

Skogafoss waterfall is the next attraction, a towering waterfall with a curtain-like torrent of water, creating an exhilarating mist. On sunny days, you may see a rainbow in the mist above the waterfall.

You can also climb a staircase next to Skogafoss waterfall so you can admire it from its lofty beginnings.

Between the waterfalls, you will drive past Eyjafjallajokull, the notorious volcano that disrupted air travel in 2010 with its eruption and subsequent ash cloud.

On clear days, you can also glimpse the dramatic Westman Islands, a rocky archipelago off Iceland’s South Coast.

You will have lunch in the picturesque town of Vik, and you will visit the wool factory and shop where you can pick up your own iconic Icelandic jumper.

You will then drive back to Reykjavik, stopping at the impressive black sand beach at Reynisfjara.

Its basalt column cliffs define this particular piece of coastline and its eye-catching sea stacks, rumored to be greedy trolls caught out in the sunlight and petrified to stone.

After a very short drive, you will also stop at Dyrholey, an immense rock arch standing defiantly in the sea, providing a home for many birds, including the iconic puffin in the summer.

Marvel over all that you have seen today on the drive back to Reykjavik in time for any evening plans you might have.

On this exciting combination excursion's third and final day, you will go whale watching.

You'll go to the Old Harbor to participate in whale watching, one of Iceland's most exciting wildlife activities.

In the summer, you can choose from two boats: one is a larger vessel, and the second is a swifter catamaran. The first boat is available all year round and geared towards education and interactive learning. It boasts its very own cafe, perfect for families with young children.

A trip on this boat takes about three hours, whereas the smaller boat takes less time to reach the prime whale-watching spots and is subsequently one hour shorter but only available in the summer.

Your expert captain will take you out to sea, and your guides will keep their well-trained eyes on the horizon.

On bright days, you will see the Reykjanes and Snaefellsnes peninsulas and Hvalfjordur, the appropriately named whale fjord.

Your experienced English-speaking guide will point out landmarks as you leave the harbor and keenly spot and alert you to the presence of any sea life.

The types of whales you can look forward to spotting include harbor porpoises, white-beaked dolphins, minke whales, and humpback whales.

Not as frequently spotted but not unheard of are sightings of orcas, pilot whales, fin whales, and even basking sharks. You are not guaranteed to see whales during your trip, but the crew knows the best places to see them, giving you the best chance of spotting them.

If you do not see a whale during the tour, you'll be given a ticket to return and do the tour again another day.

You'll return to the harbor, and then you can spend the rest of the day sightseeing in the city or venture out into the countryside if you'd prefer.