Follow the North Atlantic coastline from Reykjavík into the south coast wonderland and become a Northern Light Hunter.
Waterfalls, Glacier & the Black sand beach
Drive along southwestern stretch of the ring road leading from Reykjavik along volcanoes, waterfalls, and glaciers to the black sand beach and Icleand's southern most town, Vík. The tour starts with a drive through the Hellisheiði mountain pass bringing you through moss covered lava fields and past geothermal springs down to farmland along the coastline.
On clear days, Hekla, the infamous Eyjafjalljökull volcanoes along with the Westman-Islands can be seen rising in the distance as you approach the Solheimajökull Glacier, a photographers delight and the first stop on the tour. The next destination is the otherworldly black beach known as Reynisfjara where the waves of the Atlantic Ocean crash upon the black sands from which the seemingly man-made hexagonal basalt columns rise to cliffs filled with nesting sea birds. After taking in your fill of the amazing geological formations, the tour will continue onto the small village of Vík with a church upon a hill overlooking three volcanic stone columns, said to be trolls turned to stone along the shores of the Atlantic Ocean.
After Vík, the trip back towards Reykjavik will take you to the powerful Skógafoss waterfall where a short walk up a flight of stairs will reveal one of Iceland´s most scenic views. From here we will head to the final stop, the 60 meter high Seljalandsfoss Waterfall famous for the hidden pathway leading behind and around this stunning sight. With some luck and sunny weather conditions, rainbows may add to the spectacular experience at each waterfall.
The Aurora is both wonderfully mysterious and magical, and once seen never forgotten. Simply put, nothing says “Icelandic Winter” like the idea of hunting for the Northern Lights. The result of powerful solar storms, the Northern Lights need clear winter skies to be visible. Rest assured, our expert operational team has decades of experience analyzing weather patterns. We carefully review on a daily basis the cloud forecast and the Northern Lights forecast. We never set off unless we think we have a good chance of spotting them, meaning we have a high success rate.
For the In-Bus-Audio-Guide: Bring your own headphones. Otherwise headphones are available for purchase in every bus from our hosts.
For your comfort: Dress according to weather. In Iceland it is always wise to dress in warm waterproof clothes. Weather changes can be sudden so be prepared for all weather conditions. Waterproof jacket and pants, headwear and gloves, and warm socks/waterproof shoes are recommended, especially since we will be outside at night during the hunt for the northern lights.
• Tours depart from the Reykjavik Terminal located at Skógarhlíð 10. Please be sure to arrive 15 minutes prior to departure along with a printed or digital copy of your ticket/voucher.
• If you have booked a hotel pickup with Smartbus™, please be at your chosen pickup location 30 minutes before the departure of the tour. Look for the Green Smartbus™ which will be outside your accommodation at within the 30 minutes of pickup.
The Solheim Glacier is a magnificent and humbling site to behold. As you walk from the parking lot up the gravel path leading the the face of this glacial tongue extending from Myrdalsjökull, you will witness the glacial bed upon which the Solheimajökull sat not more than 50 years ago. Here you can also see beautiful icebergs revealing deep blue colors that have broken away from the glacier and floated down the lagoon.
This one of the most famous and most visited sites in all of Iceland. Marvel at the unique volcanic black sand beach of Reyisfjara with rising basalt columns, a large basalt stone cave which has been battered by heavy oceanic waves.
There is a cafe located at Reynisfjara where you can buy some snack or use the restrooms if needed.
The quaint town of Vík is Iceland's southernmost town with a traditional Icelandic church overlooking the ocean and the three trolls of the black sand beach. At this stop you will have a chance to grab some lunch & use the restroom, explore the town, spend time at the beach, or do some souvenir shopping at Icewear's outlet store. This is the farthest point along the south coast tour, from here we will head back in the direction of Reykjavik.
Along the return trip to Reykjavik, we will stop at the powerful 65 meter tall Skógafoss Waterfall where a short walk up a flight of steps will reveal one of Iceland´s most scenic views of glaciers, volcanoes and black sandy beaches. With viewpoints both above and directly next to the waterfall, photographers will have plenty of chances to capture that unique shot.
The Seljalandsfoss waterfall is for many guests the highlight of this trip, as you can walk along and behind this waterfall offering a completely unique perspective; just be sure to bring a rain jacket! From here we will spend about 1.5hrs in the coach returning to Reykjavik.
After a day of touring around Iceland's most popular sites, you will join us on a hunt for the northern lights. Our knowledgeable northern lights guides will be happy to share stories and information about this ever elusive phenomenon.