Are you wanting to explore the South Coast of Iceland without a car? In this guide, I will detail everything you need to know about taking a group tour of Iceland’s South Coast.
Below are some of the top tours, hotels, and more! Don驶t forget to plan ahead when visiting Reykjavik聽and nearby! 馃嚠馃嚫 Top activities and tours in Reykjavik: 馃泴 Top places to stay in Reykjavik: 馃殞 Visiting Reykjavik without a car? Be sure to book your airport transfer ahead of time to ensure availability!
One of the coolest things about flying between the US and Europe with Iceland Air is that you can extend your layover for multiple days for free. This is perfect for those wanting to experience some of Iceland’s highlights.
Given the popularity of this layover option and Iceland being a bucket-list destination, rental cars sell out quickly. Thankfully, Reykjavik is well equipped for this, and plenty of tour operators offer tours and excursions to everything you could want to see and do!
During a recent trip to Iceland, my partner and I opted not to rent a car and tried to see as much as we could on tours during our two-night layover in Reykjavik.
I decided that I would take a budget-friendly tour of the Golden Circle on my first day. A small group tour of the South Coast on my second day, and finish the trip with a whale watching tour the morning before my flight.
This guide is all about how I visited Iceland鈥檚 South Coast without a car. If you have any questions or tips, please leave a comment below!
How I Booked My South Coast of Iceland Tour
When planning my trip, I decided that I would take a larger group tour of the Golden Circle and a small group excursion to the South Coast. I scoured Get Your Guide for the best opinions, and after much deliberation, I opted for the South Coast tour operated by EastWest.
The tour has a maximum of 19 people on it, which may seem a lot, but is nothing in comparison to the more budget-friendly coach tours. Booking a tour through Get Your Guide is easily done in a couple of steps!
Simply select an available date, the number of people, and then choose an available time slot. You will then be able to check out or build out your Iceland itinerary further with more tours and experiences.
Once you are ready to check out, you will need to fill in the relevant information, choose a pick-up location, and then pay for your tour. Payment can be done with any major card provider or online payment options like PayPal.
Once you have booked your place on the tour, you will get a confirmation email, and all you have to do is be at the pick-up point on time!
Key Tour Information
Here is the key information about the South Coast tour I took:
Provider: EastWest
Tour Length: 10 Hours
Pick-up: Yes, from designated pick-up spots around Reykjavik
Booking Period: Year-round
My Experience of Visiting The South Coast of Iceland Without a Car
Your pickup point for this South Coast tour will be one of the many bus stops dotted throughout Reykjavik city center. My partner and I chose to be picked up from bus stop 12, which is the main starting point for nearly all tours and experiences that depart Reykjavik.
This point of the tour is quite stressful, especially first thing in the morning! There are a lot of tours picking up, and providers will have multiple buses turning up at the same time.
You need to pay attention to look out for the minivan operated by EastWest and then listen out for your name! Once everyone has been picked up, you will set off on the tour!
The first stop of the tour is a short break at a cafe/store combo where you can buy everything you need for a road trip, use the bathroom, and get a hot drink.
I also got a hot dog here, as I seem to be unable to go anywhere in the Nordics without eating an unhealthy amount of hot dogs (thankfully, they are so ubiquitous that they are a cultural thing at this point in my eyes).
The first real stop of our tour was Sk贸gafoss Waterfall,聽one of the most impressive waterfalls in Iceland, with water plummeting 60m (197 feet) to the bottom.
We spent around 40 minutes at the waterfall. During this time you can essentially choose to visit the bottom of the waterfall, the top of the waterfall or rush to do both.
The bottom of the waterfall is truly the highlight. The cascading water causes a huge amount of mist which creates an eeire atmosphere against the black rock that surrounds the pool at the bottom of the falls.
It takes about 25 minutes to get to the top and back when it’s not busy. I personally found the experience at the bottom to be more worthwhile. The walk up to the top of the waterfall is a lot of steps and won鈥檛 be for everyone.
I was stuck behind someone who was not confident coming down the stairs, which made for a more stressful experience as I rushed to see everything.聽 There is a bathroom at this stop, and when I visited, it cost 200 ISK to use.
The next stop of our tour was meant to be the black sand beaches, but our guide decided to move that to later in the tour as bad weather was moving in. We drove towards Vik, where we would have a 50-minute lunch break.
In Vik, there are a few places where you can opt to have lunch, including a restaurant and a pizzeria. The pizza place was closed when we visited, so we opted to eat at the restaurant. I ordered Lamb chops while Megan had the fish and chips.
The food was adequate but nothing to write home about, and at 25 euros (around 30 dollars), I would have been just as happy with a packed lunch. There is also a supermarket at this stop with microwaves, which is a more budget-conscious choice, I wish I had taken!
There is also a souvenir shop here, which is mostly dominated by the Icewear brand, but other, more authentic items are available there too.
After lunch, we took a short drive up to the famous church in Vik, which looks over the wilds of the Atlantic Ocean. This is only a short photo stop and lasts for around 10 minutes.
Thankfully, the weather in Iceland moves through quickly, and you just need to wait 5 minutes before the sun returns. We took advantage of this and made our way to Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach.
This is probably one of the most famous and dramatic spots in Iceland, with jet black sand, crashing waves, and basalt columns creating huge sea cliffs. The stop at Reynisfjara lasts for 40 minutes, which is plenty of time.
When we arrived, the beach was really busy, so you often have to wait your turn to get photos. I visited in May, which is one of the quieter months, so I can only imagine how busy it is during the peak periods!
While the beach is beautiful, it is also incredibly dangerous, and important to keep a safe distance from the shoreline. It is famous for sneaker waves, which often catch people out and can potentially drag you out to sea.
I witnessed a couple almost losing their phone and tripod to a wave that quickly rushed in to where they had set up their photoshoot.
Our next stop was the S贸lheimaj枚kull Glacier. We had about an hour to explore the area around the glacier, which was more than enough time. The glacier has receded quite far back, but there is a viewing area you can walk to.
If you are lucky, you may get to see the glacier calve an iceberg into the lake below. Some people walk further than the viewing point, but this is technically not allowed unless on a specific glacier hiking tour.
The area around the lagoon itself can be dangerous and act like a kind of quicksand.
As our tour was making good time, we were able to fit in an additional stop at a traditional sheep barn that was built into a cave. This was a great chance to see how sheep farmers used to survive the harsh Icelandic winters.
You must keep on the path at this spot, but you can walk up to the barn and go inside.
Our final stop was the awe-inspiring Seljalandsfoss Waterfall. By this point on our tour, the sun was shining, and we really got to experience the magic of the waterfall. The waterfall plunges 60m (197 feet) down into a pool.
As it comes down, it generates a fair amount of mist, which, when the sun hits it correctly, creates stunning rainbows. The coolest thing about this waterfall is that you can actually walk behind it!
There is a walking path that takes you around the back of the waterfall and to the other side.
Normally, you need to follow this path in a certain direction, but when I went, the wind was pushing the other smaller waterfall onto the path, making the second part of the walking route impassable.
After this, the tour returns to Reykjavik, where you can exit the minibus at any of the bus stops in the city.
I want to give a shout out to our guide, S忙var (or Simon the 1st as he told us to call him). He really made the whole day special. As a local, he was able to impart plenty of knowledge about the places we visited and generally about life growing up in Iceland.
Taking a Tour vs. Self-driving
One of the biggest positives of taking a tour is that there are no hidden costs. When self-driving, you need to consider that you may have to, in addition to the car and gas, pay for entry into each of the spots along the south coast route.
I would also recommend a tour if you are visiting in winter and are not used to driving in wintery conditions. Weather can change quickly during the winter, and driving in the snow and ice can be challenging if you have never done it before.
The advantage of self-driving is that you can take your own time at each of the stops and potentially make your way further down the South Coast.
FAQ
Best Time to Visit the South Coast
South Coast tours operate year-round, although there are some factors you should consider when planning your trip. In December and January, days are very short, so some parts of the tour may be more challenging due to the distances involved.
On the plus side, the snow-covered landscapes can make some of the sites even more dramatic!
Summer, on the other hand, offers endless days and plenty of time to see all of the attractions along the way. The downside of this is that it is Iceland’s high season, and the scenic spots can be very crowded.
I took this tour in May, which I found to be the sweet spot. Just after the winter rush is over and before the summer high season starts. The days are long and cool, but the crowds haven鈥檛 quite returned!
One of the best things about taking the South Coast of Iceland tour in May is that the waterfalls are at their peak due to all of the melt water coming down from the mountains.
Can I Fly My Drone While Visiting Iceland’s South Coast?
No. Leave the drone at home. Iceland has banned drone flying near any of the major tourist sites. Drone videos you see are mostly done by those with special permission to use them.
What to Bring on Your South Coast Tour
Firstly, I would pack layers no matter the season you are visiting! The weather in Iceland can change quickly.
During my tour, the day started windy, grey, and cold, but by the end of the day, we were bathed in warm sunlight and cloudless skies (although still quite windy).
Summer in Iceland is not particularly warm, so you will still want some warm outer layers on your trip.
If I were to take the tour again, I would bring a thermos with a hot drink and a packed lunch. The food options along the way are not great and really not worth the price you have to pay.
When I took a tour of the Golden Circle the day prior, I purchased a sandwich in Reykjavik from one of the incredible bakeries in the city center.
Finally, you will want to bring a camera with you to get some incredible shots along the route!
Alternative South Coast of Iceland Tour Option
If you are looking for a more budget-friendly South Coast option, then I recommend taking the Bus Travel Iceland South Coast tour. I took their Golden Circle tour and found it to be excellent value for money.
However, it is important to note that on this tour you will be on a large coach, so you will not have the same experience as you do on a small group tour.
If you have any questions on how to visit South Coast of Iceland without a car, please leave them in the comments below!