Iceland Road Trip Guide: Waterfalls, Glaciers & Black Sand Beaches

Icelandic Roadtrip

Iceland is a Nordic country in the North Atlantic famed for its other worldly landscapes, volcanoes, glaciers, waterfalls, black sand beaches and geysers. It’s a frequent place to spot the Northern Lights in the winter months, bathe in thermal springs and whale watch. We visited Iceland for 5 days in mid-January, road tripping around the Golden Circle, along the South Coast and making time to explore Reykjavik. 

The Golden Circle 

The Golden Circle is a scenic route with several natural sites including a fault line, geysers, waterfalls and volcanos. It’s easily reachable from Reykjavík and can be explored within a day. 

Almannagjá Fault Line

The Almannagjá Fault Line is the location where the North American and Eurasian plates are visibly pulling apart. We arrived just before sunrise. The sky was light pink and yellow in the early morning light, tones that were reflected by the white snow covered landscape. From a lookout, we admired the vast fissure that split the landscape in half, spanning for miles in both directions. After watching the sun rise, we followed a trail that descended into the fissure. On both sides of us were walls of jagged rocks dusted in fresh snow. The trail continued a few kilometers further. 

Getting Here.  The Almannagjá Fault Line is located about 45 minutes to 1 hour from Reykjavík by car. 

Strokkur Geyser

The Strokkur Geyser is an active geyser with impressive eruptions happing every 5-15 minutes. We arrived as a cloud from a recent eruption billowed across the road in front of us. The smell of sulphur filled the air as boiling water bubbled from craters dotting the landscape around us. Soon after reaching the geyser, it erupted in a whoosh, sending steam and water 30 meters high. We walked to several other geysers in the area as the Strokkur Geyser routinely erupted in the background. 

Getting Here.  The Strokkur Geyser is located about 1 hour from the Almannagjá Fault Line by car. 

Gullfoss Waterfall

The Gullfoss Waterfall is a massive waterfall on the Hvita River. The river cascades down two diagonal cliffs over 100 feet into the canyon below. The waterfall and river were mostly frozen when we visited but none-the-less dramatic. 

Getting Here.  The Gullfoss Waterfall is located about 15 minutes from the Strokkur Geyser by car.

Kerið Crater Lake

The Kerið Crater Lake is a small lake located in the crater of an extinct volcano. The volcano is one of several forming a mini volcanic arc. While here, we hiked around the entire rim and descended into the crater. The lake was completely frozen over, allowing us to walk to its center. The steep snow covered pathways were extremely icy making it slightly dangerous but worth the hike. 

Getting Here.  The Kerið Crater Lake is located about 1 hour from the Gullfoss Waterfall by car.

Ægissíðufoss Waterfall

Ægissíðufoss Waterfall is a small but beautiful cascading waterfall located on the Ytri-Rangá River in the town of Hella. The Hekla Volcano fumed in the distance upstream. 

Getting Here.  The Ægissíðufoss Waterfall is located about 15 minutes outside of the town of Hella by car.

Our Cottage in Hella 

After exploring the Golden Circle, we spent the remainder of our evening at a cottage in the town of Hella. The cottage was one of several perched on a hill overlooking a snow covered field. We made it our home base during our stay along Iceland’s southern coast. Book on Airbnb. 

The Northern Lights

The Northern Lights danced in the sky above our cottage every morning and evening. The aurora ranged from faint ribbons of pale green to brilliant displays of neon green that swirled and stretched across the sky. There was even a rare combination of green and red bands. We monitored the aurora conditions using NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center.

Dinner in Hella

Stracta Bistro.  A Nordic restaurant serving Icelandic cuisine. Having spent all day outside, we warmed up with a bowl of Fiskisúpa, fish soup, and side of Rugbrauð, Icelandic rye bread.

The South Coast (Part 1)

Iceland’s South Coast is a scenic destination home to glaciers, black sand beaches and waterfalls. We spent two days roadtripping along the South Coast from our cottage in Hella. On day one of the South Coast, we hiked across a frozen glacier, walked along a scenic black sand beach and watched an impressive waterfall. 

Sólheimajökull Glacier Tour 

High on our list of to dos in Iceland was to visit a glacier. We booked an excursion with Arctic Adventures through Get Your Guide. We met our guide at 10am and geared up with ice cleats, helmets, a harness and an ice pick. Our guide took us and a small group on a hike along the lagoon to the front edge of the glacier. From there, we began our trek onto the ice. As we walked, it crunched below our cleats as we maneuvered through crevices and across its surface. The surface was rippled yet smoothed by water and wind. As we looked across the glacier, we admired the blue hues emanating from it and veins of black volcanic ash from previous eruptions. 

Getting Here.  The Sólheimajökull Glacier is located about 1 hour from the town of Hella by car.

Lunch in Vik

After our glacier tour we drove to Vik, a remote coastal village on the southernmost point of Iceland with colorful wooden houses and a black sand beach. While here, we ate lunch at The Soup Company. We ordered their volcano bowl, a black bread bowl with “winter soup” made from carrots, onions, lentils, coconut cream and crushed pineapple. They offer free refills of any soup so we went back for seconds and tried the broccoli cheddar. 

Getting Here.  Vik is located about 30 minutes from The Sólheimajökull Glacier by car.

Reynisfjara Beach 

On the other side of Vik is Reynisfjara Beach, a black sand beach with jagged rock formations sticking out of the water and hexagonal basalt columns along the cliffside. Loving the beach, even in winter, we walked nearly two miles down it as the sun was setting. The waves here are ferocious and unpredictable so we stayed far away from the shoreline, keeping our eyes on the water and following warnings. 

Getting Here.  Reynisfjara Beach is located about 15 minutes from Vik by car.

Skogafoss Waterfall 

Skogafoss is a grand and picturesque waterfall, both impressive for its height and width. The water seemed to move in slow motion as it fell. It was equally as peaceful as powerful to watch. There is a trail and staircase to an overlook at the top of the falls. It also leads further upstream to several smaller waterfalls. It was closed when we visited due to snow and ice. 

Getting Here.  Skogafoss Waterfall is located about 30 minutes from Reynisfjara Beach by car.

Dinner in Selfoss 

After exploring glaciers, black sand beaches and waterfalls, we drove to the town of Selfoss for dinner. The town square is a historic center with traditional Icelandic architecture, colorful buildings and ornamental moldings. It had a festive atmosphere with piles of snow, a glittering Christmas tree and string lights still on display from the holidays.

Messinn. A restaurant specializing in contemporary adaptations of traditional Icelandic cuisine. We had the scallops served in a shell, cod cheeks sautéed in a miso glaze and plokkfiskur, a cod, potato and béchamel casserole. The interior looked like a vintage modern ship with wooden booths, porthole windows, a canvas ceiling made from sails and nautical decor.

Getting Here.  Selfoss is located about 1 hour 15 minutes from Skogafoss Waterfall by car.

The South Coast (Part 2)

Iceland’s South Coast is a scenic destination home to glaciers, black sand beaches and waterfalls. We spent two days roadtripping along the South Coast from our cottage in Hella. On day two of the South Coast, we watched the sunrise from an ice covered black sand beach, hiked to a basalt column waterfall, went climbing on Iceland’s largest glacier and were continually dazzled by the Northern Lights. 

Diamond Beach

Diamond Beach is a black sand beach covered in jewel-like ice crystals. The glow of the sunrise cast a pink tone across the mountains and illuminated fragments of glacial ice that washed up on shore, resembling glittering diamonds set against the jet black sand. A vertical crescent moon rested low on the horizon while seals swam offshore and waves calmly splashed onto the beach. Photographers, dressed in winter gear, focused their lenses with the aim of capturing the scene while we gazed upon its pristine beauty. 

Getting Here.  Diamond Beach is located about 4 hours from the town of Hella by car.

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon 

The Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon separates the Atlantic Ocean from the Jökulsárlón Glacier. Icebergs flow from it into the ocean, breaking apart and washing up on Diamond Beach. The lagoon’s surface looked like glass, only interrupted by the occasional seal coming up for air and taking a curious look around. 

Good to Know.  There are food trucks serving crepes, cold water prawns and fish & chips in the parking lot. 

Getting Here.  The Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon is located less than 5 minutes from Diamond Beach by car.

Svarrifoss Waterfall

The Svarrifoss Waterfall is a picturesque waterfall famous for its hexagonal basalt columns. During winter, the waterfall is frozen over with large icicles hanging from the hexagonal basalt columns flanking the waterfall. It’s accessible via the 2km Svarrifoss Trail starting at the Skaftafell Visitor Center. The trail, which has some steep sections, offers views of the coast and mountains. It passes some smaller waterfalls and ruins of stone dwellings. 

Getting Here.  The trailhead to the Svarrifoss Waterfall is located about 45 minutes from Diamond Beach. 

Falljökull Glacier

The Falljökull Glacier is a glacial tongue extending from Iceland’s largest glacier, Vatnajökull Glacier. We came here to hike, explore ice caves and watch the sunset with a guide from Troll Expeditions. After gearing up, we trekked across the frozen lagoon and ash covered ice until reaching a series of blue and white ice crevices.

Ice Caves. A large crevice with a staircase carved into it led to the entrance of an ice cave. The cave was blue with curved walls, rippled surfaces and deep blue veins where the ice had been heavily compressed. The cave led to a narrow tunnel that burrowed deeper into the glacier, ending at a small chamber barely big enough for the two of us to squeeze into.

Glacial Sunset. We ascended further as the sun set, reaching a relatively smooth clearing with waves of ice that extended upwards towards jagged crevices and steep cliffs. Now high on the glacier, we stopped to listen to the silence, only interrupted by the occasional sharp crack of the ice. The color of the sky turned vibrant pink while the ice continually became bluer until it seemed to glow. Before reaching the ash covered base of the glacier, we came upon a window in the ice that framed the pink sky and mountain beyond. 

Getting Here.  The Falljökull Glacier is located about 20 minutes from the Skaftafell Visitor Center by car.

Dinner in Vik

On our return to Hella, we stopped in Vik for dinner at Drangar, a restaurant specializing in modern Icelandic cuisine located at the Kria Hotel. We were welcomed with bread and butter sprinkled with black salt served on a lava rock. We ordered two Gulls and a range of small plates to share: an onion tart, Arctic char tartare, curried cod on a bed of risotto and a poached plum with skyr (Icelandic yogurt). 

Reykjavík

Reykjavík is a scenic capital city of Iceland. Its walkable downtown streets are lined with colorful corrugated buildings, old wooden houses and monumental landmarks. Icelandic boutiques and restaurants invite travelers in to shop for locally made goods and taste the country’s cuisine. The city is an ideal starting or ending point for most adventures in Iceland. 

Hallgrímskirkja Cathedral

The Hallgrímskirkja Cathedral is a stepped concrete cathedral designed with inspiration from the Icelandic landscape. The shape is meant to resemble an erupting geyser with its facade made from hexagonal columns reminiscent of the basalt columns seen across the country. There is an elevator to the top of the spire which overlooks Reykjavík. It was closed when we visited due to a funeral. 

Streets & Boutiques 

Rainbow Street.  A downtown street painted in a rainbow with boutiques and views of Hallgrímskirkja Cathedral.

Laugavegur.  A street with boutiques, vintage stores, design shops, restaurants, bakeries, cocktail bars and hotels. 

Reykjavik Raincoat.  A boutique specializing in modern raincoats sold in a range of colors. Their coats are made from the same material that Icelandic fishermen wear at sea. They also have wool accessories like hats, sweaters and scarves. 

Rammagerðin.  A boutique featuring local artists and handmade Icelandic products including taxidermy puffins, wool blankets, sweaters, yarn, leather gloves, furs, artwork and skincare items. 

The Water Front 

Reykjavík’s waterfront overlooks the bay and snow covered mountains across from it. It’s the site of multiple landmarks and starting point for whale watching tours. 

The Sun Voyager Sculpture.  A steel structure shaped like a Viking long boat, meant to inspire exploration. 

Harpa Concert Hall.  A geometric glass facade with a colorful kaleidoscopic effect. It’s inspired by the hexagonal basalt columns found across the island but also looks like the scales of a fish.

Höfði Lighthouse.  An iconic bright yellow lighthouse at the entrance of the Reykjavík Harbor.  

The Old Harbor.  Originally a fishing port and now a seaside neighborhood with restaurants and companies offering whale watching tours. There is free parking here.

Whale Watching 

Wildlife tours frequently leave from Reykjavík’s Old Harbor in search of spotting blue whales. As the ship set sail, we admired Reykjavík’s skyline behind us and the snow covered mountains across the bay ahead of us. Soon after entering the bay, the captain announced “thar she blows” to alert us he had spotted a whale! For nearly two hours, we sailed around the icy bay watching a blue whale breach the surface, thrash its tail, spray water from its blowhole and dive back below. While on deck, we kept an eye out for where it would re-appear, often spotting seals hunting for fish. From the interior cabin we enjoyed fresh made waffles while warming up with hot coffee. We booked with Special Tours Iceland.

The Blue Lagoon

The Blue Lagoon is a geothermal spring famed for its milky turquoise water. Its pools meander between hardened lava formations as towers of steam and mist rise above its surface. The environment is one of natural contrast with black lava rocks dusted in white snow and warm water juxtaposed against the cold air. Stand under a hot waterfall while soaking in the thermal pools, enjoy a silica mud facial mask and drink fresh glacial water to hydrate. The lagoon is also a resort with a hotel, spa and multiple restaurants, including one built into an 800 year old lava cliff. Come here to relax immediately after flying into Reykjavík or before flying out. Book Tickets ahead of time. 

Places to Eat & Drink in Reykjavík

Reykjavík Fish. One of many restaurants offering the local favorite. We enjoyed large portions of crispy and tender fried cod paired with salted fries and Icelandic beer. The fisherman styled interior with whale paintings, nautical decor and lights shaded in dried cod skin added to the ambiance.

Matur og Drykkur. A Michelin starred restaurant serving seasonal tasting menus with Icelandic dishes and contemporary adaptations. The menu included: 

• Pickled beets with fennel straws

• Smoked trout with cucumber 

• Cheese with sea truffle and crispy flatbread 

• Halibut soup with a creamy broth 

• Bacalao croquettes with chive oil and béchamel 

• Hazelnut encrusted cod with parsnip purée and smoked carrots 

• Rhubarb jam with skyr and ginger crumble 

• A coffee and spice cake topped with cream cheese icing and puffed barley

Braud & Co.  A bakery and café specializing in Snúður (cinnamon rolls), Rugbrauð (Icelandic rye bread), sourdough bread and pastries.

Víkinga Pylsur.  A food truck across from Hallgrímskirkja Cathedral with Icelandic sausages. We ordered a vegan version with purple cabbage, seitan crumble, fried onion and creamy mustard. 

Lemmy.  A small pub and microbrewery located inside of an old wooden house in the center of town. We sampled 4 beers on tap:

• Einstök Toasted Porter.  A nutty and rich flavor. 

• Víking.  A classic light Pilsner available across Iceland. 

• Lemmy IPA.  A house IPA infused with coffee. 

• Bóndi Session IPA.  A semi hoppy IPA available across Iceland.

Tips for Planning an Icelandic Road Trip

Rent a Car.  Driving is the easiest way to get around on our own schedule. Rent a 4x4 with an automatic transmission. We reserved a car before arriving in Iceland with Europcar at the Keflavik Airport. 

Book a Home Base.  Choose to stay somewhere central. We stayed at Hestheimar, a cottage in the town of Hella, halfway between Reykjavík and Vik, making in the ideal location to explore the Golden Circle and South Coast from. 

Maximize Daylight. Plan to maximize daylight during the winter months. In mid-January, there is only about 5 hours of sunlight per day.

Prepare for the Weather.  Prepare and dress for rain, sleet, snow, ice and high winds. Hand and toe warmers make all the difference while in the cold. 

Monitor Road Conditions.  Review the current Road Conditions before driving.

Avoid the Shoulder.  Do not pull over into the snowy roadside. You will get stuck! Instead, park on the road with your emergency flashers on. 

Drive the Speed Limit.  Hidden cameras are positioned across the country. If speeding, they will catch you and result in expensive fines! 

Rest Stops.  Most sites have a nearby hotel, restaurant and restroom. 

Gas Stations.  Most towns have their own gas station. Be prepared for the extremely expensive prices. 

Buy Snacks.  Stock up on snacks and water for roadtrips. 

Elsewhere in Nordic Europe

From Iceland’s glaciers, waterfalls and black sand beaches to Arctic Lapland, Tromsø’s fjords and Copenhagen’s canals, discover more of Nordic Europe through these travel guides:

Copenhagen Travel Guide: Nyhavn, Christmas Markets & Scandinavian Cuisine.  Wander along Copenhagen's colorful canals where wooden ships, historic castles and Danish culture meet Scandinavian cuisine and festive Christmas markets.

One Day in Helsinki: Finnish Sauna & Waterfront Sights.  Experience a winter day exploring Helsinki's frozen waterfront where local food markets, historic architecture and steaming saunas bring Finnish culture to life.

Lapland Finland Travel Guide: Northern Lights, Sámi Culture & Arctic Adventures.  Journey through Lapland's Arctic wilderness and snowy landscapes to experience Sámi traditions, husky mushing, Finnish cuisine and vivid auroras during the polar night.

Tromsø Norway Travel Guide: Northern Lights, Arctic Fjords & Sámi Culture.  Explore Tromsø's snowy streets and historic waterfront where Nordic cuisine and Sámi culture meet dramatic fjords, dancing auroras and Arctic adventures.

For Next Time…

Iceland is a remarkable country to visit! We loved our time road tripping around the  Golden Circle, along the South Coast and exploring Reykjavík. We plan to return to Iceland during the summer months: 

• See the green moss covering the landscape. 

• Explore the north side of the country. 

• Pet an Icelandic horse. 

• Visit and birdwatch on a puffin colony. 

• Experience the midnight sun. 

• Bathe in some of the lesser known thermal springs.