The small-group minibus day down the South Coast

Photo of Bjorn Einarsson, Iceland South Coast tour guide and local specialist Checked by Björn Einarsson, South Coast guide since 2022

Ten hours that run the whole classic stretch: two waterfalls, a glacier tongue, the black beach at Reynisfjara and the village of Vík, in a Mercedes minibus that never carries more than 19 people. Pickup is from Downtown Reykjavík, the guide speaks English, and the day cancels free up to 24 hours out. This is the one tour this site is built around.

Check Live Availability & Prices on Viator →★ 4.8 across 6,364 Viator reviews · 96% recommend · free cancellation up to 24 hours

Wide black volcanic sand at Reynisfjara beach on Iceland's South Coast, the ocean breaking in the distance

In one line

A small-group South Coast day tour with Your Day Tours: Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss, the Sólheimajökull glacier, Reynisfjara black-sand beach and Vík, in about 10 hours with an English-speaking guide and a maximum of 19 travelers. It rates 4.8 across 6,364 Viator reviews, 96% of travelers recommend it, and it holds a Viator Experience Award.

The key facts

What it isA small-group South Coast day tour from Reykjavík, supplied by Your Day Tours
StopsSeljalandsfoss (45 min), Skógafoss (40 min), Sólheimajökull glacier viewpoint (45 min), Reynisfjara black-sand beach (1 h 15), Vík (15 min); Eyjafjallajökull volcano view en route
DurationAbout 10 hours, drop-off around 19:30
Group sizeMaximum of 19 travelers in a luxury Mercedes-Benz Sprinter minibus, WiFi on board
PickupFrom designated Downtown Reykjavík bus stops (not private apartments, suburban hotels or Keflavík Airport); cruise pickup at Skarfabakki terminal
LanguageEnglish
MealsA lunch stop is built in, but you buy your own food; every sight is free to enter
PriceShown live on the operator's Viator listing for your date and currency
CancellationFree up to 24 hours before, through Viator
Rating4.8 across 6,364 Viator reviews, 96% recommend, Viator Experience Award

Book this tour

Pick a date

How the day runs

The order below follows the operator's published itinerary. Times shift with season, weather and traffic; the fixed points, the five stops, are the listing's own, and a good guide will flip the order to chase a clear sky.

Honest pros and cons

Where it wins

  • Real small group: 19 seats at most, roughly a third of a full coach, so stops feel less herded
  • Covers all five headline stops in one day, glacier viewpoint included
  • A driver-guide can reshuffle the order around the weather, which reviewers specifically praise
  • Free cancellation up to 24 hours before, and a Viator Experience Award on 6,364 reviews

Where it loses

  • It is a long day with about five hours of total driving; small children can find it a lot
  • Guide quality varies: most reviews rave, but a minority report a driver who said little (we quote one on the home page)
  • Lunch is not included; you buy your own food at the Vík stop
  • Pickup is Downtown Reykjavík only, so guests in apartments or suburban hotels walk to a designated stop

Where the day takes you

The route runs east along Route 1; Vík at the far end is the turnaround, about 187 km from Reykjavík.

Questions travelers ask about this tour

Is lunch included?

No. The tour builds in a lunch stop, usually at Vík, but you pay for your own food. Bringing snacks and water for the drive is a good idea, since the gaps between stops are long.

Where exactly is the pickup?

From designated bus stops in the Downtown Reykjavík area, confirmed on your booking. It does not collect from private apartments, suburban hotels or Keflavík Airport. Cruise passengers are met at the Skarfabakki terminal. Full detail is on the timing guide.

Do you actually go on the glacier?

No. This tour stops at the Sólheimajökull viewpoint, where you walk up to the glacier tongue and its lagoon. Walking on the ice needs crampons and a certified guide and is sold as a separate glacier-hike add-on; never step onto the ice on your own.

Is Reynisfjara safe on this tour?

The beach is safe to stand on well back from the water, and the guide will tell you where the line is. The danger is the surf: Reynisfjara's sneaker waves rush far up the sand without warning. Keep your distance and never turn your back on the sea. More in the Reynisfjara safety guide.

Can I cancel if the weather turns?

Yes, free up to 24 hours before for a full refund through Viator. Inside 24 hours the booking is committed, though the operator itself cancels and refunds in genuinely dangerous weather.

Before you book

What to wear

Waterfall spray, a windy black beach and fast weather: what actually keeps you dry.

Lock in your date

Live prices and open seats are on the operator's official Viator listing. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before means booking early costs nothing; Viator currently flags it "Top 1% booked in Reykjavik in the last 48 hours."

Check Live Availability & Prices on Viator →

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