Itineraries for one to three days in Vík

The sights around Vík fall into two groups: the beaches and cliffs right next to the village, and the glacier, the plane wreck and Skógafoss about half an hour west. Add the ice cave on Mýrdalsjökull and you have three full days.

Basalt sea stacks rising from the surf off a black sand beach below a sunlit cliff — Reynisdrangar off Reynisfjara, the first stop on most days around Vík. Photo: Andrew S / Unsplash

6 min read Updated October 2026 Compare all tours

Vík works well as a base for two or three nights. Close to the village are the black beach at Reynisfjara, the sea stacks of Reynisdrangar and the promontory of Dyrhólaey. Along Route 1 to the west follow the plane wreck on Sólheimasandur, the glacier tongue of Sólheimajökull and Skógafoss, all within roughly 30 to 33 km. The ice cave tours leave from the village for the edge of Mýrdalsjökull. The plans below assume a car for the coast and tours for the ice.

One day around the village

Start at Reynisfjara. The tuff mountain Reynisfjall rises 340 m above the beach, with veins of columnar basalt in its layers, and the cave Hálsanefshellir lies on the beach. Offshore stand the Reynisdrangar, rock pillars up to 66 m high. The waves here have killed several visitors. Since 2022 a light signal at the beach access has warned of danger: when it shows yellow, do not enter the yellow zone, and when it shows red, stay out of the red zone and do not go past the sign. Erosion in February 2026 damaged the signs, so follow whatever is posted on the day. Read our Reynisfjara page before you go.

Dyrhólaey is next, the 120-metre promontory not far from Vík, with a lava arch about 20 m high and 50 m wide and a small orange-roofed lighthouse from 1927. In summer a normal car can take the steep road up to the lighthouse if you drive slowly. Puffins nest in the cliffs from late April to mid-August.

In the afternoon, walk through the village. The church, built in 1934, stands on a hill above the houses, and the Katla centre has a free exhibition on the volcano and the geopark. Visit South Iceland names the walk up Reynisfjall as a local favourite. In the evening, the Lava Show pours real lava in front of the audience in a show of about 50 minutes; arrive 15 minutes early.

If you would rather be outside, the riding stable in Vík takes riders aged 10 and over on an hour's ride along Víkurfjara, the beach below the village, mostly at walking pace.

Day two to the west

Drive west on Route 1. The car park for the DC-3 wreck is 27 km from Vík; the walk out across the sand is about 4 km each way, or you take the shuttle and are back within an hour. Three kilometres further west is the turn-off for Sólheimajökull. A guided walk on the ice there takes about four hours, the longest standard route about 6 km; the kayak trip on the glacier lagoon about three. In winter, start early enough to be off the ice before it gets dark.

Fuselage of the wrecked DC-3 on a flat black sand plain under a grey sky — The DC-3 on Sólheimasandur, about 4 km from Route 1. Photo: alex geerts / Unsplash

Finish at Skógar, 6 km past the wreck car park. Skógafoss falls about 60 m above the campsite, and Skógasafn, the folk museum, is open until 18:00 in summer and 17:00 from September to May. The details for each stop are on our pages for Sólheimajökull and the plane wreck and Skógafoss and Skógar.

Alternatively, the quad safari from the base camp off Road 222 covers the black sand and the plane wreck in one or two hours, with a view over to Dyrhólaey. Drivers need a licence, and the minimum age is 8.

Day three on the ice cap

The Katla ice cave tours start in Vík and take about three hours. On a typical schedule you ride half an hour by super jeep across the sands, walk about half an hour to the cave, spend an hour inside and return the same way. The cave changes from week to week, and in summer reviewers often find it smaller. That leaves the afternoon for something you missed, or for the second half of the coast.

From May to October, a full-day super jeep tour heads instead into the canyon of Þakgil and to the Remundargil waterfall, about nine hours from Vík. The other highland trips are on our super jeep and highlands page.

A short winter day

On 21 December the sun is up only from 10:59 to 15:29. Use the dark morning for the ice cave tour or the drive west, keep the hours of light for Reynisfjara or the wreck, and leave the Lava Show or the Skógar museum for the late afternoon. In winter the upper road at Dyrhólaey is often closed, so check before you drive out. Check the road conditions on umferdin.is before every drive.

If your trip continues round the Ring Road to the north, akureyritourism.com covers Akureyri and Lake Mývatn.

All tours side by side

The tours that slot most easily into the days below: the ice cave from the village, the glacier walk and the kayak trip at Sólheimajökull, the quad ride over the sand, a beach ride and the Lava Show for the evening.

Tour	Format	Duration	Age	Rating	From
Katla ice cave by Super Jeep from VíkTroll ExpeditionsA Super Jeep drives past Mt Hafursey to the Katla glacier, then a guided walk with crampons and helmet leads into the ice cave, with coffee and biscuits back in Vík.	Super Jeep and short glacier walkJeep ride, glacier guide, crampons and helmet	3 hoursMeeting point in Vík	Not for children under 8	4.7 (1,523 reviews)	From €239Free cancellationBook on GetYourGuide
Blue ice hike on SólheimajökullArctic AdventuresA walk through a moss-covered valley leads onto Sólheimajökull for a hike of about 6 km in total, rated easy to moderate.	Glacier hike, small groupCrampons, ice axe, helmet, harness	4 hours (13.5 hours from Reykjavík)Sólheimajökull car park (yellow bus), or Reykjavík option	From 8 years	4.7 (1,502 reviews)	From €93Free cancellationBook on GetYourGuide
Lava Show ticket in VíkLava ShowReal lava heated to 1,100 °C is poured a few metres from the audience while a presenter explains Iceland's eruptions, in English.	Indoor showEntrance ticket	50 minutesLava Show, Vík	All ages	4.7 (1,281 reviews)	From €49Free cancellationBook on GetYourGuide
Horse ride on the beach at VíkVik Horse AdventureAn hour on Icelandic horses along Víkurfjara, the black sand beach at Vík, mostly at walking pace with a chance to try tölt.	Beginner ride, max. 10Icelandic horse, helmet	1 hourStable at Smiðjuvegur 6, Vík (via Orkan station)	From 10 years, max. 100 kg	4.8 (576 reviews)	From €110Free cancellationBook on Viator
Quad bikes on SólheimasandurIcelandic Mountain GuidesYou ride across the black sand of Sólheimasandur with a stop at the 1973 DC-3 wreck, then to the coast facing Dyrhólaey and through a river into a valley.	Self-drive quad, licence neededInsulated overall, helmet, balaclava, coffee and tea	1 or 2 hoursIcelandic Mountain Guides base off Road 222	From 8 years; drivers need a licence	4.9 (541 reviews)	From €138Free cancellationBook on GetYourGuide
Kayaking among icebergs at SólheimajökullIcelandic Mountain GuidesIn a dry suit and a sit-on-top kayak you paddle the glacier lagoon between floating icebergs; no kayaking experience needed.	Guided kayakKayak, paddle, dry suit, guide	3 hoursIcelandic Mountain Guides base, Sólheimajökull car park	–	4.7 (197 reviews)	From €152Free cancellationBook on GetYourGuide

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Questions travellers ask

How many days do I need in Vík?

One day covers Reynisfjara, Dyrhólaey and the village. With two days you add Sólheimajökull, the plane wreck and Skógafoss, and a third day leaves room for the Katla ice cave or a highland tour.

Can I see Vík as a day trip from Reykjavík?

It is possible but long, with about two and a half hours of driving each way before any stops. Most of the tours here meet in Vík or at Sólheimajökull, so staying a night makes them much easier to fit in.

What can I do in Vík in winter with so little daylight?

Plan one outdoor block around midday, when the sun is up from about 11:00 to 15:30 in late December. The ice cave tours, the Lava Show and the Skógar museum work regardless of the light.

Is it worth going to Dyrhólaey and Reynisfjara on the same day?

Yes, they are close to each other and to Vík. In winter the upper road at Dyrhólaey is often closed, and from mid-May to late June parts of it close while the birds nest, so check before you go.

What can I do in the evening in Vík?

The Lava Show in the village runs in any weather and lasts about 50 minutes. In summer there is light for a late walk or a ride on the beach; from September to April you can watch the sky for northern lights.

Where these facts come from

Dates, opening hours and rules change. We checked these pages in October 2026; the official source has the final word.