Itinerary

1. Hveragerði

   • Just about 30 minutes away from Reykjavik is the town of Hveragerði. 
   • It is a great little town known for its geothermal heat and greenhouses. 
   • It is possible to walk to Reykjadalur from there, bathe in one of Iceland’s favorite local geothermal swimming pools, buy flowers, check out the hot springs in Hveragarðurinn Park, and taste delicious food.
   • The surrounding area is part of the Hengill central volcano, is geothermally active, and experiences frequent (usually minor) earthquakes. Hveragarðurinn is a park with various hot springs, fumaroles, and information boards explaining the occurrence.

2. Selfoss

   • This town is one of the biggest in South Iceland. 
   • Recently it opened a new town center, which includes many old houses that have been torn down for various reasons around Iceland. It is a fun place to see the architecture of the old days.

3. Seljalandsfoss

   • One of Iceland’s most famous waterfalls and a must-see. 
   • The waterfall isn’t large, but it is beautiful nonetheless. 
   • What makes this waterfall special is that you can walk behind it, giving great photo opportunities, especially in the twilight.

4. Gljúfrabúi

   • Next door, only a few-minute-walk away, is Gljúfrabúi. 
   • Another small but spectacular waterfall. 
   • A canyon obscures it from the road, so you will have to walk into it to see the waterfall. 
   • As both Seljalandsfoss and Gljúfrabúi will make you wet due to the spray, we recommend waterproof shoes and a coat.

5. Skógafoss

   • Nearby is the much larger Skógafoss Waterfall. 
   • This beautiful waterfall has been used in a few films, such as Thor: Dark World and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. This is a much larger and more powerful waterfall, so don’t try to walk behind it. However, you can walk up to it; just don’t go too close.
   • You can also walk up a few steps and see it from above and the flattest area of Iceland to the south. The steps are the start of the hike over Fimmvörðuháls to Þórsmörk.
   • There is also an exciting folk museum in the area, Skógar Folk Museum. It’s a cultural heritage collection of 8000 regional artifacts exhibited in 6 historical buildings and 3 museums!

6. Dyrhólaey

   • The beautiful Dyrhólaey bird cliff is a must-visit; the only problem with it is that you can’t see the hole in the cape while you’re on it! It used to be known as Cape Portland by some seamen. 
   • It gives excellent views of the Mýrdalsjökull glacier, over Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach, and the Reynisdrangar Basalt Sea Stacks.

7. Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach

   • The beautiful, expansive, and famous Reynisfjara is a place everyone should visit. It is important to keep out of the waves, though, as they can be very dangerous.
   • The beach is often considered one of Iceland’s best black sand beaches, and National Geographic even put the beach on its top 10 list of non-tropical beaches people should visit.
   • To one end, you can see Dyrahólaey, and on the other are the Reynisdrangar rock formations, basalt columns, and a small cave. The story goes that Reynisdrangar was made when two trolls tried to drag a three-masted ship to land. The trolls and the ship turned to stone when the sun hit them.

8. Vík í Mýrdal

   • The small town of Vík in Mýrdalur is a great stop. 
   • It is possible to check out the black sand beach, with a brilliant view of the Reynisdrangar rock formations, and hike up to the small local church for a great photo opportunity.