Sólheimajökull and the Sólheimasandur plane wreck

6 min read Updated October 2026 Compare all tours

Sólheimajökull is a tongue of ice that flows down from the south-western side of Mýrdalsjökull, the ice cap that covers the Katla volcano. Katla Geopark gives it a length of 11 km and a width of one to two kilometres. A short way east, on the sand plain of Sólheimasandur, lies the fuselage of a US Navy DC-3 that came down in November 1973. Both are signposted from Route 1 and both start from a car park, so they fit easily into one morning or one afternoon from Vík.

The glacier tongue

From the car park, a marked trail leads up the valley to the edge of the ice. Katla Geopark asks visitors to stay on it. The lake at the front of the glacier is about 60 m deep and keeps growing as the ice pulls back. The record goes back almost a century: between 1930 and 1969 the glacier retreated about 977 m, then advanced again by roughly 495 m up to 1995, and by 2010 its front was about a kilometre further up the valley than in 1930. Tour operators have had to follow it. One of them now describes a walk of 2.3 km each way from the car park to the ice, where it used to be about 1 km, with a steeper last section.

Walking on the glacier itself is something to do with a guide. The guided walks hand out crampons, an ice axe, a helmet and a harness, and the guide picks the route between crevasses and meltwater shafts. Most set the minimum age at 8. The longest standard walk covers about 6 km and is rated easy to moderate. Reviews of it mention that the approach takes up to an hour and that the pace can be quick, and some reviewers were surprised by a parking fee at the glacier car park.

Two other formats stay at the glacier without the full hike. A two-hour walk to the lagoon and the glacier front covers 2.5 to 3 km on mostly flat paths, does not go onto the ice and has no minimum age. Prams do not work on the path, so bring a child carrier. On the lagoon itself, a kayak trip puts you in a drysuit and a sit-on-top kayak between the icebergs; no kayaking experience is needed. Reviewers mention a short walk over black rocks to reach the water, and some would have liked more time paddling. Its reviews run from May to December.

At the glacier base camp of Icelandic Mountain Guides, about 25 minutes by car from Vík, the guided walks come in a shorter and a longer version, and tea, coffee and toilets are available there. The full comparison of walks, ice climbing and blue ice is on our glacier hiking page.

The DC-3 on Sólheimasandur

The plane was on a flight from Höfn to Keflavík when it crashed onto the sand in November 1973. All of the crew survived, and the fuselage has stayed on the sand ever since. The car park is right on Route 1, 6 km east of Skógar, 3 km east of the Sólheimajökull turn-off and 27 km west of Vík.

Driving out to the wreck has been prohibited since 2016. On foot it is about 4 km each way across flat, open sand, which comes to close to two hours there and back before you have spent any time at the plane. There is no shelter on the way. In strong wind, fog or the short days of winter, check the forecast first, and leave your travel plan with Safetravel if you set off late.

The quicker way is the shuttle bus from the car park. According to the operator it runs every day of the year from 10:00, takes 10 to 15 minutes each way, and the last departure is at 17:00, earlier when daylight is short. Parking at the wreck car park is charged, paid online or by app. The whole trip takes about an hour, and reviewers mention roughly half an hour at the plane. The bus is not suitable for wheelchair users. Some reviews note that tickets bought on the spot cost less than tickets booked in advance, and one describes a full bus in February.

You can also reach the plane on a motorised tour. The quad safari from the base camp off Road 222 crosses the black sand of Sólheimasandur, stops at the DC-3 and then runs along the coast with a view of Dyrhólaey before returning beside the river Jökulsá. Drivers need a valid licence, and the minimum age is 8. The buggy tour heads up towards Mýrdalsjökull; when snow or road conditions in winter block the way to the ice, it takes a route to the beach and the wreck instead. More about both on the quad and buggy page.

Combining the two stops

The glacier car park and the wreck car park are only about 3 km apart, so they combine easily into one stop. A sensible order in winter is the glacier first, while the light is best, and the wreck after, ideally by shuttle. In summer the long evenings leave time for the walk out across the sand. Skógafoss and the museum at Skógar are 6 km further west; our Skógar page covers them, and the itineraries show how the stops fit into a day from Vík.

Before you drive in winter, look at the road conditions on umferdin.is or call 1777, the road administration's information line.